A letter to her brother

Translated letter:

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Trinity, only and most beloved brother Balthard, I salute you forever in Christ. It may be known to you that your missionary words came to me through a faithful messenger named Aldraed, together with gifts that are embraced with intimate love. And now I confess to you that with the help of God I long to fulfill all that you instructed me, if your will might deem it worthy to come to me, because I cannot in any other way suppress my fountain of tears. When I see and hear other women going to travel to their friends, then I recall that I was abandoned by my parents in my youth and I remain here alone. And yet I was not abandoned by the Lord, but I give thanks to God for the greatness of his tenderness, which He has often been accustomed to give those who are not worthy through the vital organs of his compassion, and so He preserves us unharmed.

And now, my brother, I entreat you and I pray that you might take away the sadness from my soul, because it injures me greatly. For I say, even though your visit might be the space of a single day and you might leave again with the lord commanding your will, still the sadness would recede from my soul and the pain from my heart. But if it displeases you to fulfil my petition, then I call upon God as a witness that our love might never become destitute within me. And now I say truly to you that I don't know what would be better, whether you want to come here to the place where I wait, or on the other hand if it would please you better if it happened differently. Then I can reveal what my mind longs for, that I come there where the bodies of our parents rest and finish this temporary life there, and arrive where the perfect home, the country of the living, and the joy of angels rejoicing without end might be distinguished. Farewell in Christ.

A little present, although small, still loaded with great love, which we send to you by the faithful messenger named Aldraed; that is a ribbon.

May the most important requests of your prayers expand for me, I ask, your beautiful words, O wise man in your wisdom. Christ with His great mercy armed by angels and surrounded by armies on the right and left sides abolishes sins, cruel hazards, both new and old, with heavenly majesty. Farewell O most beloved servant of the cross saluted by your sister. Preserve your reputation simply and happily until the end.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi et in sancta Trinitate, dilectissimo fratri unico Baldhardo, perennem in Christo salutem. Notum sit tibi quo venerunt ad me verba legationis tuae per fidelem nuntium nomine Aldraed, similiter et munera quae cum intima caritate amplexi. Et nunc fateor tibi quod implere desidero auxiliante domino* omnia quae praecepisti mihi, si dignetur voluntas tua venire ad me, quia ullomodo fontem lacrimarum* adquiescere non possum. Quando video et audio alias ituras(a) ad amicos suos, tunc recolo quod a parentibus in iuventute(b) derelicta fui et sola hic permansi. Et tamen domino derelicta non fui, sed gratias ago deo de inmensa eius pietate, quam sepe non merentibus per misericordie suae viscera* donare consuevit, et sic nos incolumes servavit.

Et nunc, frater mi, adiuro te atque deprecor ut auferas tristitiam ab anima mea, quia valde nocet mihi. Dico enim, quamvis unius diei spatium sit et iterum perrexeris iubante domino in voluntate tua, tamen recedit tristitia ab anima mea(c) et dolor(d) de corde meo. Sin autem displicet tibi implere(e) petitionem meam, tunc deum testem invoco quod in me numquam fit derelicta dilectio nostra. Et nunc vere dico tibi quod meliora nescio, si venire vis illuc quam hic maneam sin autem aluit aliter tibi melius(f) placet. Tunc indicare possum quod mens mea desiderat, ut eveniam illuc ubi requiescunt corpora parentum nostrorum et temporalem vitam ibi finire, et pervenire ubi perfecta mansio esset cernitur, et regio vivorum et gaudia angelorum sine fine laetantium. Vale in Christo.

Munuscula, quamvis parva , tamen cum maxima caritate honerata, quod tibi direximus per fidelem nuntium nomine Aldraed; id est vittam(g) unam.

Pro me, quaero oramina precum pandent precipua,/ Tua formosa famina, tuae sophę [sci]entia(h)./  Uti nova ac vetera, uti dira discrimina,/ Christus abolet crimina(i) cum inmensa clementia/ Ut armata angelicis vallata legionibus/ Dextro ac levo latere, dialique maiestate./ Have care crucicola(j) salutata a sorore(k) . Fine tenus feliciter famam serva(l) simpliciter.

Historical context:

Berhtgyth acknowledges the receipt of a message and gifts from her brother and continues to beg him for a visit.  The letter which she sends through the same messenger ends with a poem.

Scholarly notes:

* The manuscript has an interpunct here and capitalizes omnia as the start of a new sentence. However, as I [KM] can’t find a way to translate this with the interpunct, I have removed it in my edition. * Jeremiah, 9.1. a ituros. I have chosen to change ituros to ituras here, but alias could also be changed to alios if Berhtgyth is discussing male and female travelers. b uiuentute. * Luke, 1.78. c ame. This could also be read as a me, in apposition to anima, giving “from my soul, from me.” d dolo e inplere f melior  g vvittam h entiae. The first section of the word is missing in the manuscript; I have proposed scientia here. i cremina j cruciola k sorere l serve

Printed source:

Kathryn Maude, Berthgyth's Letters to Balthard, ed. and trans. (Medieval Feminist Forum, A Journal of Gender and Sexuality, 2017).  The text and translation are reprinted here with the generous permission of the translator and the series editor, Mary Dockray-Miller.

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