Sender
Peter of Blois
Receiver
Ascelina
Translated letter:
To Ascelina beloved in Christ, Peter of Blois, archdeacon of Bath, greeting in him to serve whom is to rule.
With common will the holy church exults and gives thanks to the bestower of grace, because God has looked on you, a humble handmaid, because he has inspired you, brought up among the delightful enticements of royal grandeur, toward the commitment to religion and desire for the poor life, with the spirit of resolution and fortitude. Therefore, hear, daughter, and see, and incline your ear [Psal. 44:11]; and, so that, among the first-fruits of holiness begun, the praise of popular favor does not entice you, forget your people and your father’s house.
To be sure, there are many who serve you the poison of disloyal flattery from the cup of Babylon, who, surveying your beauty, and the title of your nobility, murmur secretly, as if grieving and lamenting, that you are debased in the house of the Lord, and you should not dwell in the tabernacles of sinners. But you should recall that you have dedicated your beauty and nobility to him who is beautiful before the sons of men [Psal. 44:3], whose beauty the sun and moon admire, whose nobility the prophet cannot unveil: who will declare his generation, he asks? [Isa. 53:8] Among lilies of chastity you have consecrated the pristine flower of youth to him, whom young girls loved exceedingly, who says about himself: I am a flower of the field and a lily of the valleys [Cant. 2:1].1 Therefore, entrust your thoughts and the experience of conversion, the life just begun to the judgment of him, who invited you to nuptials of the unstained couch and desirable embraces, whom when you serve, you are free, when you love, you are chaste, when you are touched, you are unstained. Indeed, I know that by the will of your parents they had generally agreed to this, that they would join you in matrimonial union to the nephew of the duke of Burgundy, so that when the alliance with him was achieved, both an opportunity for mutual delight and increase of power would result. That young man, healthy as far as gifts of the body, surpassed all the noblemen of that province; for by strength of arms and elegance of form, in the eyes of men he was transformed into a wonder and miracle, and what could fascinate the mind of a virgin, no one was more cultivated in words, no one richer in gifts, no one more lavish in all generosities. Yet, with both prudence as counselor and watchfulness as defender showing you the observance of chastity, you triumphed over pleasure more gloriously there where a more serious conflict and a more dangerous fight threatened. Now “you sail into the harbor” [Terence, Andria] and yet still, from the land of unlikeness, the wind of temptation bursting forth whispers secretly to you. If you were in the world now, the arms of illustrious men would carry you among crowds of matrons. If you were in the world now, you would rejoice in abundance of wealth, in a remarkable variety of household possessions, a great many relatives and glorious richness of family. If you were in the world now, everything would fulfill your desire; now you have been handed over to the cloister’s austerity, where all freedom of wandering is forbidden, where all laughter, all wantonness, and all pleasures of the age and the world’s desires are banished, where the clothing is funereal, where vigils are continual, where the drink is a mixture of water and wine, and the food is beans and the bread rather hard. In this way the enemy of the human race suggests delightful things to you, slyly cloaking the inconveniences of worldly living. Further, I say nothing about the pleasure of men, which is fruitless and uncertain; if it pleases very many, it leads to repentance, and if it delights briefly, it will displease for a longer time. To be sure, worry inseparably attends riches and honors. The pomp of the world and favor of the people are smoke, and the breath immediately vanishes. Add to this that women give birth in sorrow and the greatest danger, and that very frequently a more bitter misfortune cuts short the glory of children, now by illness, now by captivity, now by death. Therefore, protect your heart with all watchfulness [Prov. 4:23], so that you may possess your vessel in holiness. For the treasure of chastity is incomparable. Chastity alone follows the Lamb, wherever he goes [Apoc. 14:4], alone restores the angelic life. Foolish virgins suppose pleasure in the loss of chastity; although it cannot be lost without shame and anguish, its loss receives no value. And, although every sin is amended through repentance, only the fall of virgins does not merit the cure of restoration. Farewell.2
Original letter:
Anselmae [Ascelinae] dilectae in Christo, P. Blesens. Bath. archid., salutem in eo cui servire regnare est.
Exsultat, et graaias refertl gratiae largitori communi voto sancta Ecclesia, quod te ancillam humilem respexit Deus, quod inter voluptuosas palatinae dignitatis illecebras educatam ad religionis propositum, et vitae pauperis appetitum, spiritu consilii et fortitudinis animavit. Audi ergo, filia, et vide, et inclina aurem tuam; et, ne inter initiatae sanctitatis primitias te favor aurae popularis alliciat, obliviscere populum tuum, et domum patris tui.
Multi siquidem sunt, qui de calice Babylonis tibi proditoriae adulalionis venena propinant; qui pulchritudinem tuam, et generositatis tuae titulum recensentes, quasi dolendo et conquerendo sumurmurant, quod abjecta sis in domo Domini , et non habites in tabernaculis peccatorum. Verum recolere debes, quod ei generositatem et pulchritudinem tuam dedicasti, qui speciosus est prae filiis hominum; cujus pulchritudinem sol el luna mirantur; cujus nobilitatem propheta non sufficiens aperire Generationem ejus, inquit, qui enarrabit? Ei florem adolescentiae illibatum inter castitatis lilia consecrasti; quem adolescentulae dilexerunt nimis, qui de se ipso dicit: Ego flos campi, et lilium convallium. Cogitatus itaque tuos, el inchoatae conversationis eventum illius committe arbitrio, qui te ad immaculati tori nuptias, et desiderabiles invitavit amplexus; cui, cum servieris, libera es; cum amaveris, casta; cum tetigeris, impolluta. Scio equidem voto parentum tuorum ad hoc generaliter concurrisse, ut te nepoti ducis Burgundiae matrimoniali commercio conjungerent, quatenus cum eo contracta affinitas, et mutuae dilectionis occasio esset et poteniiae incrementum. Sane adolescens ille, quantum ad dotes corporis, uuiversis provinciae illius magnatibus praeeminebat; strenuitate enim armorum, et formae; elegantia, in oculis hominum in stuporem et miraculum vertebatur: et, quod poterat animum virginis fascinare, nullus erat in verbis urbanior, nullus uberior in muneribus, nullus ad omnes liberalitates effusior. Verum, et prudentia consultiore, et arctiore custodia tibi observantiam castitatis iudicens, ibi gloriosius de libidine triumphasti, ubi gravior conflictus, et pugna suspectior imminebat. Jam in portu navigas: et adhuc tamen de terra dissimilitudinis ventus tentationis erumpens occulte tibi subsibilat. Si nunc esses in saeculo, te inter matronarum cuneos virorum illustrium brachia supportarent. Si nunc esses in saeculo, affluentia opum, et varietate suppellectilis conspicua incederes, parentum numerositate et fecunditate sobolis gloriosa. Si nunc esses in saeculo, universa nunc tibi exuberarent ad votum; nunc claustrali angustiae mancipata es, ubi omnis evagandi licentia praeclusa est : unde omnis risus, omnis lascivia, omnesque voluptates saeuli, et mundi desideria relegantur; ubi funereae vestes, ubi continuatae vigiliae, ubi est potus aquae vinique confusio, cibus vero legumina et panis austerior. Sic tibi dilectissima suggerit humani generis inimicus, incommoda mundanae conversationis palliando versute. Taceo enim de voluptate hominum quam sit sterilis et incerta; quae si plerumque placeat, poenitudinem inducit; et si delectat ad modicum, productiore spatio displicebit. Divitias siquidem et honores sollicitudo inseparabiliter concomitiatur. Mundi pompa et favor populi fumus est, et aura subito evanescens. Adde, quod mulier in dolore et discrimine maximo parturit; et quod frequentissime gloriam filiorum, nunc invaletudine, nunc captivitate, nunc morte casus amarior interrumpit. Serva itaque cor tuum omni custodia, ut possideas vas tuum in sanctificatione. Thesaurus namque pudicitiae incomparabilis est. Sola pudicitia Agnum, quocunque ierit, sequitur, sola vitam reformat angelicam. In amissione pudicitiae voluptatem virgines fatuae suspicantur; cum amitti non possit sine erubescentia et dolore, jactura ejus, non recipit aestimationem. Et, cum omni peccato per poenitentiam medeamur, solus lapsus virginum restitutionis remedium non meretur. Valete.
Historical context:
Peter applauds Acelina's choice of the religious life over a life of wealth and power in the world.
Scholarly notes:
1. The editor notes Ambrose, Sermon 90 on St. Agnes (De S. Agnete).
2. Ashleigh Imus provided this translation.
Printed source:
PL 207, c.113-14, ep.35.
Date:
late 12th to early 13th
