A letter from Matilda, empress, queen of the Romans ()

Translated letter:

To Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, Empress Matilda. The lord pope [Alexander III] charged and enjoined me for the remission of my sins to intervene to reestablish peace between my son the king and you and attempt to reconcile you with him. Then, as you know, you also asked me, wherefore with greater dedication, as much for the honor of God as for the honor of [holy] church, I took pains to begin and manage the matter. But it seemed very grave to the king and his barons and council, since he asserts [they assert] that though he loved and honored you and made you lord of his whole kingdom and all his lands, and raised you to greater honor than anyone in his [whole] land, so that he should believe more securely in you than in any other, you disturbed his whole kingdom against him as much as you could so that little was left for you to do but to disinherit him by force. Because of that, I send you our faithful retainer archdeacon Lawrence so that I may learn your will about these things and what feelings you have towards my son and how you would wish to act if it happened that he wished to hear fully my petition and prayer about you. One thing more I tell you truly, that you cannot recover the grace of the king except by great humility and most evident moderation. Let me know what you wish to do about this through my messenger and your letters.

Original letter:

THOMAE Cantuariensi archiepiscopo MATILDIS imperatrix. Mandavit mihi dominus papa, et in remissionem peccatorum meorum injunxit, quatenus de pace et concordia inter filium meum regem et vos reformanda intromitterem, et vos ipsum eidem reconciliari satagerem. Inde etiam, sicut scitis, me requisistis. Unde majore affectione tam pro honore Dei, quam pro honore sanctae Ecclesiae rem istam incipere, et tractare curavi. Sed multum grave videtur regi, et baronibus suis, atque consilio, sicut vos dilexit, et honoravit, atque dominum totius regni sui, et omnium terrarum suarum constituit, et in majorem tandem honorem, quem habebat in tota terra sua, vos sublimavit, ut de caetero vobis securius debeat credere, praecipue cum asserant quod totum suum regnum, quantum potuistis, adversus eum turbastis, nec remansit in vobis, quin ad eum exhaeredandum pro viribus intenderitis. Eapropter mitto vobis fidelem et familiarem nostrum Laurentium archidiaconum, ut per eum sciam voluntatem vestram super his omnibus, et cujusmodi animum vos habetis erga filium meum, et qualiter vos continere volueritis, si contigerit, quod petitionem meam, et precem de vobis ad plenum exaudire voluerit. Unum quoque vobis veraciter dico, quia nisi per humilitatem magnam, et moderationem evidentissimam, gratiam regis recuperare non poteritis. Verumtatem quid super hoc facere volueritis, nuntio proprio, et litteris vestris mihi significate.

Historical context:

This letter is a response to a request from Thomas (see his letter to Matilda, 208.html)) for Matilda’s intervention with her son to modify his oppressive treatment of churches in England. Matilda, who had opposed Thomas’s appointment, agrees to help only if Thomas agrees to make concessions. Another queen intervened on Thomas’s behalf, Adela, the third wife of Louis VII; see letter from Alix/Adela to Alexander III, HGF16 p.319 (Epistolae 248.html).

Printed source:

PL190 var ep.499 cc1054-55 and HGF16 p235. The texts differ in small ways that do not affect the meaning: PL omits a me, adds a sanctae to Ecclesiae and tota to terra, has a plural assera[n]t and quia for quod.