A letter from Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury (1093-94)

Translated letter:

Anselm, by the ordination of God, archbishop of Canterbury: to his beloved sister and daughter Gunhilda,(1) daughter of King Harold(2) according to the flesh, wishing that she may scorn the world, not Christ, and love Christ more than the world. I would most gladly speak to you if I could, sister of mine truly beloved in God, since the charity by which I wish all men to be saved(3) and the office laid upon me require me to love you with fraternal and paternal affection and to show solicitude for the salvation of your soul because of that very love. But since we have no opportunity for talking, necessity forces me to write what I think about you and what I wish for you. I implore you, therefore, not to spurn the love with which I love you for the sake of God, for his honor and for your salvation, and not to reject my advice. If you choose to agree with me, be sure that you will be very glad in the end, and there will be great "joy among the angels of God over you."(4) But if you choose not to do so, know that you will be very unhappy about yourself and will have no excuse before God's stern judgement. I have heard, my sister, that you wore the habit of holy monastic life for a long time. How you threw it off, how you suffered and what you did is no secret but a well-known fact.(5) Consider now, dearest daughter, how far apart are the embraces of men and the pleasure of the flesh from the embraces of Christ and from the pleasure of chastity and purity of heart. To be sure, I do not call the embraces of Christ physical, but they are such that a soul makes itself his friend through love and desire for him within a good conscience. Consider, I ask you, the difference between these two pleasures. I am not now speaking of lawful marriage. Consider, I ask you, how great is the purity of spiritual pleasure, how great the impurity of carnal pleasure; what the spiritual promises and the carnal threatens, how much hope there is in the spiritual and how much delightful expectation for Christ, how much security and consolation even in this life, and in carnal pleasure how great the fear of God's judgement, how great the shame even in this life. Ponder what it means to scorn Christ, your spouse, who promises the kingdom of heaven as dowry, and to prefer to the son of God, "the King of kings"(6) a mortal man who gives and promises only corruption and contemptible things. Indeed, this King of kings has desired your beauty(7) as of a lawful spouse; but my sister, how shall I say in what way that man whom you know grasped at the beauty of your flesh? Noble woman, how shall I say it? You, a virgin, were chosen to be the spouse of God and marked out for him by your habit and way of life. What shall I say you are now? My daughter, God knows that I do not speak thus in order to rejoice in your shame but rather that God may rejoice, and the angels with him, at your repentance and salutary penance. What then shall I say? If I do not speak, perhaps you may take no notice; if I do speak, perhaps you may be angry. What have you done with the chosen and designated spouse of God? Your nobility may blush to be what you blush to hear; and I, because of your nobility and my affection for you, blush to say it. See, dearest daughter, if you face these facts, how great must be the grief in your heart about your grave and serious fall! If you grieve deeply I shall rejoice greatly while grieving with you; but if you do not grieve there will be no reason for me to rejoice but I will grieve even more. If you grieve I shall still hope for your salvation; if you do not grieve what else can I expect but your damnation? For it is impossible for you to be saved in any way unless you return to the habit and vowed life which you rejected. Even though you were not consecrated by the bishop and did not read your vows in his presence, nevertheless these vows were evident and cannot be denied since you wore the habit of your holy intention both in public and in private and through this you affirmed to everyone who saw you that you were dedicated to God no less than if you had read out your vows. Indeed, before the now common profession and consecration of the monastic intention existed, many thousands of men and women showed, merely by wearing the habit, that they were manifesting this intention and were pursuing sublimity and the crown [of glory]. And those who then rejected the habit they had taken on without that profession and consecration were considered apostates. Therefore you are without excuse if you desert the holy intention which you long professed by your habit and way of life, even though you did not read the customary vows nor were you consecrated by the bishop. Surely, dearest daughter, your Lord and Creator and Redeemer is still waiting for you; the King who desired your beauty(8) in order to become your lawful spouse is still waiting for you and calling you back so that you may be his lawful bride, and if not a virgin at least chaste. For we know of many holy women who, having lost their virginity, were more pleasing to God and were closer to him through penitence in their chastity than many others, even though holy in their virginity. Return, therefore, Christian woman, return to your heart!(9) Consider whom you should rather choose, to whom you should rather cleave: the one who chose you for such honor and who, by choosing you called you, by calling you gave you the bride's habit and who is still waiting for you, calling you back even though he has been scorned and rejected; or the one through whom — to speak more gently — you see yourself cast down and have fallen from such a height, particularly as I think he spurns you already or will doubtless soon spurn and desert you. If only you would spurn one another so that God may not spurn you; if you would desert one another so that God may not desert you; if you would reject one another so that God may not cast you out of his sight; if you would turn away from one another so that you may turn back to God. It is certainly much better and more honorable for him and for you that you should be spurned rather than kept back by him, for as long as you are his captive there is no doubt that you — to say nothing of him — will be spurned by God. And if, being spurned by him, you spurn him for God's sake then, far from being spurned you will be received and loved by God as one redeemed by his own blood. Strive, daughter whose salvation I long for, strive to obtain the beneficence of him, who even though he has been spurned by you, recalls you who spurn him, in order to lead you to his royal bedchamber, not an earthly but a heavenly one. Strive and shatter your heart, grieve deeply about your fall. Throw off and trample on the secular dress you have assumed and put on again the habit of the spouse of Christ which you have cast off. For Christ will not on any account recognize you or receive you except in that habit by which he marked you out for himself and by which you publicly and privately showed yourself to be his spouse. In that habit return to his beneficence; thrust yourself into his presence at all costs. Call your own conscience to account and wash your sin away with your tears. Pray to him without tiring, cleave to him without separation. He is merciful and will not reject you but rather he will receive you kindly, rejoicing at your return. If you do this "there will be joy in heaven" (10) and on earth among all the holy angels and the people who know you. If, however, you spurn to do this, everybody will be against you, and I and the Church of God will do what we know is to be done in such a case. May almighty God visit your heart and pour into you his love, dearest daughter. I ask you to let me know by letter how you received this paternal admonition of mine.(11)(12)

Original letter:

Anselmus, dei ordinatione archiepiscopus Cantuariae: sorori et filiae dilectae, regis Haroldi secundum carnem filiae Gunnildae, mundum non Christum contemnere, et Christum plus quam mundum diligere. Libentissime, si possem, tecum loquerer, soror vere mihi in deo dilecta, quias caritas qua omnem hominem volo salvum fieri, et officium mihi iniunctum exigunt a me, ut te fraterno et paterno affectu diligam et per eandem dilectionem sollicitudinem de salute animae tuae geram. Sed quoniam, non nobis evenit opportunitas colloquendi, incumbit mihi necessitas scribendi, quem animum de te habeam et quid de te desiderem. Obsecro igitur te ut non contemnas dilectionem, qua te propter deum ad honorem dei et ad salutem tuam diligo, neque reicias consilium meum. Si enim mihi acquiescere volueris, certa esto quia valde tibi in fine placebit, et erit super te gaudium magnum angelis dei. Si vero nolueris, scito quia nimis tibi displicebit, et inexcusabilis eris in districto iudicio dei. Audivi, soror mea, quia diu portasti habitum sanctae conversationis. Quem quomodo abieceris quidve passa sis vel quid feceris non latet, sed nimis apertum est. Considera igitur iam nunc, carissima, quantum distent viriles amplexus et carnalis delectatio ab amplexibus Christi et a delectatione castitatis et cordis munditia. Amplexus quidem Christi dico non corporales, sed quales per amorem et desiderium eius intra bonam conscientiam facit anima familiaris eius. Considera, inquam, quae sit differentia inter has duas delectationes. Non loquor nunc de legitimo coniugio. Considera, inquam, quanta sit in spirituali delectatione munditia, quanta sit in carnali immunditia; quid spiritualis promittat et quid carnalis minetur; quanta sit in spirituali spes et quam delectabilis exspectatio Christi, quanta etiam in hac vita securitas et consolatio, quantus sit in carnali timor iudicii dei, quanta etiam in praesenti vita confusio. Cogita quale sit Christum sponsum, caelestis regni dotem promittentem, contemnere, et hominem mortalem, non nisi corruptionem et contemptibilia dantem et pollicentem, filio dei, regi regum, praeponere. Certe ille "rex regum" "concupivit speciem tuam" ut sponsae legitimae; qualiter autem ille quem scis, carnis tuae pulchritudinem appetiverit, soror mea, quomodo dicam? Femina nobilis, quomodo dicam? Sponsa dei virgo fueras electa et deo habitu et conversatione assignata. Quid dicam modo te esse? Filia mea, deus scit, non ita loquor, ut gaudeam, de confusione tua, sed ut gaudeat deus et congaudeant angeli de conversione et salubri paenitentia tua. Quid ergo dicam? Si non dico, forsitan non animadvertis; si dico, forsitan irasceris. De electa et signata sponsa dei quid facta es? Erubescat esse nobilitas tua quod erubescis audire; et ego propter nobilitatem tuam et dilectionem erubesco dicere. Ecce, filia carissima, si haec proponis in conspectu tuo: quantus dolor debet esse in corde tuo de tanto et tam gravi casu tuo! Si enim vehementer doles, condolendo tibi valde gaudeo; si vero non doles, non est unde gaudeam, sed multo magis doleo. Nam si doles, adhuc salutem tuam spero; si autem non doles, quid nisi damnationem tuam exspectare queo? Impossibile namque est te ullo modo posse salvari, nisi ad habitum et propositum abiectum redieris. Quamvis enim ab episcopo sacrata non fueris nec coram ipso professionem legeris, hoc solum tamen est manifesta et quae negari non potest professio, quia publice et secrete habitum sancti propositi portasti, per quod omnibus te videntibus deo dicatam te esse non minus quam professionem legendo affirmasti. Nam antequam fieret ista nunc usitata monachici propositi professio et sacratio, multa millia utriusque sexus hominum solo habitu se ipsius esse propositi profitentia eius celsitudinem et coronam consecuta sunt. Et qui tunc habitum sine ipsa professione et sacratione assumptum reiciebant, apostatae iudicabantur. Inexcusabilis ergo es, si deseris sanctum propositum, quod diu habitu et conversatione professa es, quamvis professionem nunc usitatam non legeris et ab episcopo consecrata non fueris. Certe, filia carissima, adhuc te exspectat dominus et creator et redemptor tuus; rex ille qui "concupivit speciem tuam," ut esset legitimus sponsus tuus, adhuc te exspectat et revocat, ut sis legitima sponsa eius, et si non virgo, saltem casta. Scimus enim plures sanctas mulieres, quae post amissam virginitatem plus placuerunt deo et magis illi familiares fuerunt per paenitentiam in castitate, quam plures aliae, quamvis sanctae, in virginitate. Redi ergo, mulier Christiana, redi ad cor tuum, et considera quem potius debeas eligere, cui potius adhaerere: illi qui te ad tantam honestatem elegit, eligendo vocavit, vocando habitu sponsali sibi assignavit, et adhuc, quamvis contemptus et reiectus, exspectat et revocat; an illi per quem — ut mitius dicam — in hoc, in quo te vides deiectam, de tanta celsitudine cecidisti, praesertim cum ipse te iam, sicut puto, contemnat, aut sine dubio contempturus et deserturus sit. Et utinam sic vos invicem contemnatis, ut vos deus non contemnat; sic vos invicem deseratis, ut vos deus non deserat; sic vos invicem reiciatis, ut deus vos a facie sua non proiciat; sic ab invicem avertamini, ut ad deum convertamini. Certe valde melius et honorabilius est et illi et tibi, ut ab illo sis contempta quam retenta, quia quamdiu eris eius retenta, procul dubio — ut de illo nunc taceam — tu eris dei contempta. Et si, contempta ab illo, propter deum illum contempseris, utique non contempta, sed suscepta et dilecta dei eris, velut eius sanguine proprio redempta. Intende, filia, culus salutem desidero, intende benignitatem eius, qui contemptus a te contemnentem revocat, ut te in regalem suum thalamum, non terrenum sed caelestem introducat. Intende et concute cor tuum, dole vehementer casum tuum. Reice et conculca saecularem habitum quem assumpsisti, et resume habitum sponsae Christi quem proiecisti. Nullatenus enim te cognoscet Christus aut suscipiet, nisi in illo habitu, quo te sibi assignavit et quo te eius esse sponsam publice et secrete es testata. In hoc habitu redi ad benignitatem eius; ingere te importune in conspectu eius. Accusa tu ipsa conscientiam tuam, lava lacrimis culpam tuam. Ora eum infatigabiliter, adhaere illi inseparabiliter. Misericors est, non te reiciet, sed potius gaudens de reditu tuo te benigne suscipiet. Si hoc feceris, "gaudium erit" de te "in caelo" et in terra omnibus sanctis angelis et hominibus cognoscentibus. Si vero hoc facere contempseris, omnes tibi adversi erunt, et ego et ecclesia dei faciemus quod de tali re faciendum intelligimus. Omnipotens deus visitet cor tuum et infundat in te amorem suum, filia carissima. Rogo, manda mihi per epistolam quomodo suscipias hanc paternam monitionem meam.

Historical context:

Archbishop Anselm writes to persuade Gunhilda to return to monastic life, reminding her that she is married to God, that she had made vows even if she had not yet been consecrated, that neither God nor the church will forgive her if she does not renounce the world and repent her sin. Questions have been raised about whether this letter was addressed to Gunhilda, since the name of the addressee is not given, though she is a royal daughter, see Sharon K. Elkins, Holy Women of Twelfth-Century England (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1988) p.177, fn.8.

Scholarly notes:

(1) Gunhilda was the last known descendant of Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon king. She, like many others, found refuge from Norman violence at the convent of Wilton in Wiltshire. For the early history of Wilton see The Life of King Edward the Confessor, trans. and ed. F. Barlow (Edinburgh, 1962) 96-100. In 1093 she would have been about thirty years old. For the story of her romance see Southern, Anselm, 185-188. The political implications of this romance are stressed by E. Searle, "Women and the legitimization of succession at the Norman Conquest," Anglo-Norman Studies 3 (1980) 166-169, and F. Barlow, William Rufus (London, 1983) 313-314.
(2) Harold, King of the Anglo-Saxons, succeeded Edward the Confessor. He was elected and crowned on 6 January 1066. Having fought off the invasions of his brother Earl Tostig and King Harold Hardrada of Norway, he was defeated by William the Conqueror and killed at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066.
(3) See I Trn 2:4.
(4) See Lk 15:10.
(5) Count Alan Rufus of Brittany and lord of Richmond was the most powerful baron in the north of England. He abducted Gunhilda from her convent at Wilton. His death on 4 August 1093 prevented their planned marriage. His brother, Count Alan Niger, succeeded him not only in his estates but also in his matrimonial plans. Alan Niger was dead by 1098, see D.C. Douglas, William the Conqueror (London 1964) 267-269, 426. Gunhilda seems to have returned to Wilton, as she was later remembered there with honor, as William of Malmesbury writes in his Vita Wulfstani, ed. R.R. Darlington, Camden Society, 3rd series, 40 (1928) 34.
(6) 1 Trn 6:15; Rv 17:14. (7) See Ps 44:12. (8) Ibid. (9) See Is 46:8. (10) See Lk 15:7.
(11) For a detailed analysis of the rhetorical structure of this letter see J.D. Loughlin, St Anselm as Letter-writer (Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1967) 66- 71; see also W. Fröhlich, "The Letters Omitted from Anselm's Collection of Letters," Anglo-Norman Studies 6 (1984) 58-71 or Introduction above, Vol. 1: 39-52.
(12) The translation is reproduced with the permission of the translator and the publisher, Cistercian Publications Inc. Editorial Offices, Institute of Cistercian Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. All rights are reserved; downloading and copying for any purpose other than private research is prohibited.

Printed source:

Sancti Anselmi Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi, Opera Omnia, ed. F.S. Schmitt (Edinburgh: T. Nelson, 1946-63), ep.168, 4.43-46; translation and annotation from The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, trans. Walter Fröhlich, Cistercian Studies 97, 3v (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-94), 2.64-69.

Date:

1093-94