A letter from Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury (1094)

Translated letter:

Anselm, servant of the servants of Christ Jesus, called archbishop: to his most beloved sister and daughter(1) according to the spirit, daughter of the king according to the flesh, wishing that she may place incorruptibility before corruption, the immortal husband before a mortal one,(2) the eternal king before a worldly count. I still greet and call you most beloved daughter because I do not yet despair of what I desire for you, namely that you may yet regain your senses through the visitation of divine grace, and return to Christ, your Lord and Redeemer, who loved you so much through no previous merits of your own that he chose you from infancy to be his spouse, and for this purpose reared you till now in the habit and life of a religious. Receive therefore, my most beloved daughter for whom I long for the honor of God and your own great good, receive the words and admonition of your true friend. When he spoke to you some time ago, you then said that you always wanted to be with him so that you could continually rejoice in his conversation — which you admitted to be delightful to you — and you afterwards sent him a most charming letter.(3) From this I was able to learn that you would not deny your holy intention the habit of which you were then already wearing, but I hoped that you would act according to God's will as you had promised. Turn away, sister and daughter, turn away your heart lest it be so concerned with vanity(4) that it cannot reflect on truth. Consider: what is the glory of the world, what is it that you love? You were the daughter of the King and the Queen.(5) Where are they? They are worms and dust. Their exalted rank, their pleasures, their riches neither preserved them nor went with them. Your loved one who loved you, Count Alan Rufus.(6) Where is he now? Where has that beloved lover of yours gone? Go now, sister, lie down with him on the bed in which he now lies; gather his worms to your bosom; embrace his corpse; press your lips to his naked teeth, for his lips have already been consumed by putrefaction. Certainly he does not now care for your love, in which he delighted while alive, and you shrink from his rotting flesh, which you longed to possess. This assuredly is what you loved in him; and this, and nothing else, is what you love in his brother. And what if God took Count Alan away from this life lest he take you away from God as he intended? Although there may be other reasons why he died, who would dare to deny that this was one among others? Who will deny that God acted mercifully and justly towards him in this: mercifully, because by death he prevented him from doing the wickedness he wickedly planned to do; justly, because by death he punished the sacrilegious intention he had in mind. Why are you not afraid that because of you God may kill Count Alan Niger(7) by a similar death, or — what is worse — if you are united with him God may condemn him with you by eternal death? Oh, would that he be black to and you black to him in love so that he may not be black to you nor you black to him in condemnation! Or do you expect that, if you should die in his bed or he in yours, either you or he would see the Lord Christ except to be condemned at judgement? You will do Christ such great injury and insult if you cast off the robe and the emblems, by which for many years you bore witness to all those who saw you inside and outside that you were marked out for him, and rush into the embraces of Count Alan, of which it is shameful to speak. He draws you away from Christ by attracting you to himself or else he receives you as you freely throw yourself on him. And will Christ receive your soul or his, drawn apart from their mutual embraces, in his embrace with a procession of the angels? Truly he will not. You are deceiving yourself greatly if you expect this; you are completely blind if you do not see this; you are thoroughly wretched if you spurn this. If you say you took on the religious habit because the office of abbess was promised you — as I hear some people say — and that since you did not receive the office you are not obliged to keep that habit which you took on: consider, my daughter, how disgracefully you are behaving towards Christ. Did you promise that you wished to be his spouse and would serve him faithfully for the sake of the abbacy promised to you, and now refuse to carry out this service since Christ has promised himself to you? Is the office of abbess more precious to you than Christ? Is he of so little value to you, and what he promised of such little value to you? He did not hold you of so little value since he laid down his life for you.(8) Have you thus so loved vanity and do you spurn truth? Or did you intend to deceive Christ so that when those people would not give you the promised abbacy you would take back your vow to him? Do you wish to lie to God because people lie to you? He did not promise you abbatial office but I do not know which men or women did. As far as you are concerned, when they promised you the abbatial office, to whom did you make your vow — to God or men? In any case, by promising you the abbatial office those people accomplished one thing, that you should promise to God your intention of living a holy monastic life. Therefore you made the promise to God and not to men. God therefore says to you: "Render to me, handmaid of mine, whom I created and redeemed, render what you have promised me and have already begun, and exact, if you must, from those people, not from me, what they promised to you. If they lied to you, how have I sinned tha you should lie to me? Rather I am prepared to lead you as my chosen and beloved spouse into the bridal chamber of my glory and set you over all my possessions.(9) Or did you intend to deceive me when you promised this to me? If you did so intend, be certain that you will never be able to render satisfaction to me for this deception unless you carry out in truth what you promised in deception. If you did not intend this, then carry out what you promised with a true will and not with the intention of deceiving." Perceive, my beloved, God's providence for you and God's love towards you. When you promised yourself to the life of a nun for the sake of abbatial office, you desired what it is vanity to desire, but you pledged what it is truth to do. But God, whose wisdom makes good out of evil and virtue out of sin, himself permitted you to fall into this vanity so that he could ensnare you into truth. Not that vanity might draw you to abbatial office by this snare if you persisted in your foolish desire, but that you might realize that God is being spurned in an unbearable and accursed fashion if you refuse to carry out the good you promised — however you did it — for such a miserable reward having given your promise to God, you should shrink with your whole heart from going back.(10) My sister, you have been ensnared. By this snare Christ is drawing your soul from one side, but from the other the devil. By this snare either Christ will draw you to the heights of paradise if you hold on to the life of a nun, or — God forbid! — the devil [will draw you] into the depths of hell if you abandon it. My friend in God and in true friendship, as far as I am concerned may God never be so angry at you that he permits you to be joined to a mortal man. Indeed, if this should come about, not only will you condemn yourself and that man to eternal death, but you will engender a great and abominable scandal in the Church of God and will give a hateful example to all who hear about it, to God and all his saints,(11) and to all good men. And if such a great evil should arise through you, be certain that it would be better for you if you had not been born.(12) Moreover, you should know that I advise, beg, beseech and command you by the authority which permits and obliges me to do so, to resume the habit of monastic life which you have cast off and return to the grace of God which you have spurned, so that Christ may say about you to his friends and neighbors, the citizens of heaven: "Rejoice with me and be glad for my chosen and beloved one, who had abandoned me, has returned to me," and let there be glory to God and joy among all the saints in heaven about you,(13) and thanksgiving upon earth by men of good will.(14) Reply to your true friend and spiritual father by a letter, and do not scorn my advice since it is not expedient for you in the sight of God. May almighty God thoroughly cleanse your heart from all carnal lust and fill it with the sweetness of his love so that I may see what my heart desires for you, namely that through the holiness of your present life you may deserve the joy of eternal life. Amen.(15)

Original letter:

Anselmus, servus servorum Christi Iesu, vocatus archiepiscopus: sorori et filiae secundum spiritum dilectissimae, regis secundum carnem filiae: corruptioni incorruptionem, mortali sponso immortalem, temporali comiti aeternum regem praeponere. Adhuc te saluto et filiam dilectissimam voco, quoniam nondum despero quod de te desidero, ut scilicet adhuc per visitationem divini respectus resipiscas et redeas ad dominum et redemptorem tuum Christum, qui te tantum, nullis tuis praecedentibus meritis, dilexit, ut te ab infantia sponsam sibi eligeret [et] hactenus ad hoc ipsum in religionis habitu et conversatione nutriret. Suscipe ergo, filia dilectissima mihi et desideratissima, ad honorem dei et magnum tuum bonum suscipe verba et admonitionem veri dilectoris tui, cum quo olim, cum tecum prius locutus esset, te semper esse velle dixisti, ut eius colloquio assidue frui posses — quod esse tibi dulce fatebaris --, et cui postea dulcissimas litteras misisti, in quibus [te] non abnegaturam sanctum propositum, cuius tunc habitum gerebas, potui cognoscere, sed speravi te facturam, sicut promittebas secundum deum. Averte, soror et filia, averte cor tuum, ne tantum intendat vanitati, ut non cogitet veritatem. Considera: quid est gloria mundi, quid est quod amas? Filia regis et reginae fuisti. Ubi sunt? Vermes et pulvis sunt. Altitudo illorum, voluptates illorum, divitiae illorum nec illos servaverunt nec cum illis abierunt. Amasti amantem te comitem Alanum Rufum. Ubi nunc est? Quo devenit ille amatus amator tuus? Vade nunc, soror, colloca te cum eo in lecto [in] quo nunc iacet; collige vermes eius in sinu tuo; amplectere cadaver eius; osculare stricte nudos dentes eius, nam labia iam putredine consumpta sunt. Certe non curat nunc amorem tuum quo vivens delectabatur, et tu horres putridam carnem eius qua uti desiderabas. Hoc utique est quod in illo amasti; et hoc est et non aliud quod amas in fratre eius. Et quid, si idcirco subtraxit deus comitem Alanum de hac vita, ne ille te deo subtraheret, sicut disponebat? Quamvis aliae causae sint cur mortuus sit: quis tamen audebit negare hanc quoque causam cum aliis fuisse? Quis negabit deum illi in hoc fecisse misericordiam et iudicium; misericordiam, quia morte prohibuit eum facere malum quod male volebat; iudicium, quia eadem morte punivit sacrilegam voluntatem quam gerebat? Cur non times quod simili morte deus occidat propter te comitem Alanum Nigrum; aut — quod peius est — aeterna morte, si illi copulata fueris, damnet eum tecum? Et utinam sic sit ille tibi niger et tu illi nigra ad amorem, ut nec ille tibi niger nec tu illi nigra sis ad damnationem. An enim putas, si tu mortua fueris in lecto eius aut ille in tuo, te vel illum visurum dominum Christum, nisi ad iudicium damnationis? Vos facietis Christo tam grandem iniuriam et contumeliam, ut tu proiciens vestem et signa, quibus per multos annos testata es, omnibus te videntibus intus et foris, te illi esse assignatam, curras in amplexibus comitis Alani, quales dicere pudet; et ipse sibi te attrahens Christo subtrahat aut te sponte ingerentem suscipiat; — et Christus animam tuam vel illius de mutuis amplexibus abstractam suscipiet cum processione angelorum in amplexus suos? Vere non faciet; valde fallimini, si hoc exspectatis; valde caeci estis, si hoc non videtis; valde miseri estis, si hoc contemnitis. Quod si dicis te suscepisse habitum religionis, quia promissa est abbatia — sicut audio quosdam dicere --, et idcirco, cum abbatiam non habeas, te non ex debito servare assumptum habitum: considera, filia mea, quantum dedecus facias Christo. Sponsam eius te velle esse et fidem servaturam promisisti pro abbatia promissa — et negas te hoc servaturam, quia Christus promittit tibi se ipsum? An abbatia est tibi pretiosior Christo? Itane ipse tibi vilis, et quae promittit tibi vilia sunt? Non ipse te tam vilem habuit, cum animam suam pro te posuit. Siccine dilexisti vanitatem et contemnis veritatem? An sic voluisti Christum fallere ut, cum homines non tibi darent promissam abbatiam, tu non redderes illi votum tuum? Vis tu mentiri deo, quia homines tibi mentiuntur? Non ipse promisit tibi abbatiam, sed nescio qui viri aut mulieres. Tu vero, cum illi promiserunt tibi abbatiam: cui promisisti votum tuum, deo an hominibus? Utique hoc effecerunt homines tibi promittendo abbatiam, ut tu deo promitteres sanctae conversationis propositum. Deo ergo promisisti, non hominibus. Itaque dicit tibi deus: 'Redde mihi, tu ancilla mea, creata et redempta mea, redde quod promisisti mihi et iam, incepisti, et exige, si debes, non a me, sed ab hominibus quod tibi polliciti sunt. Si illi tibi mentiuntur: ego quid peccavi, ut tu mihi mentiaris? Immo paratus sum introducere te ut electam et dilectam sponsam meam in thalamum gloriae meae et constituere te super omnia bona mea. An voluisti me fallere, cum hoc mihi promisisti? Si voluisti, certa esto quia nullatenus satisfacies mihi de hac falsitate, nisi feceris per veritatem quod promisisti per falsitatem. Si noluisti, fac ergo quod non fallendo, sed vera voluntate promisisti.' Intellige, dilecta mlhi, providentiam dei de te et dilectionem dei erga te. Quando pro abbatia sanctimonialem vitam promisisti, desiderasti quod vanitas est desiderare et spopondisti quod facere veritas est. At deus, cuius sapientia de malo operatur bonum et de peccato virtutem, ipse te permisit cadere in hanc vanitatem, ut te illaquearet ad veritatem. Non ut te perseverantem in stulto desiderio hoc laqueo traheret vanitas ad abbatiam, sed ut considerares quia intolerabiliter et execrabiliter deus contemptus est, si bonum quod quoquo modo pro vili praemio promisisti, contemnis servare...promisso deo, quatenus toto corde retro abire horreas. Soror mea, illaqueata es. Hoc laqueo Christus trahit animam tuam ex una parte, diabolus econtra ex altera. Per hunc laqueum aut Christus te trahet ad altiora paradisi, si sanctimonialem vitam tenueris; aut — quod deus avertat! — diabolus in inferiora inferni, si eam deserueris. Amica mea in deo et in vera amicitia, quod ex me est: numquam deus sic tibi sit iratus, ut permittat te viro mortali copulari. Quod utique si contigent, non solum te et illum virum aeterna morte damnabis, sed magnum et detestabile scandalum in ecclesia dei generabis, et omnibus hoc audientibus exemplum odibile deo et omnibus sanctis eius et bonis hominibus dabis. Et si tantum malum per te ortum fuerit: certa esto quia melius tibi erat, si nata non fuisses. Et scito quia ego consulo, precor, obsecro, praecipio ea auctoritate qua possum et debeo, ut resumas habitum sanctae conversationis quem proiecisti, et redeas ad gratiam dei quam contempsisti, quatenus Christus dicat de te amicis et vicinis suis, caeli civibus: 'Congaudete mecum et congratulamini, quia rediit ad me electa et dilecta mea quae me deseruerat,' et sit in caelis gloria deo et gaudium omnibus sanctis super te, et in terra gratiarum actio ab "hominibus bonae voluntatis." Responde vero amico tuo et patri spirituali per litteras tuas, neque contemnas admonitionem meam, quia non expedit tibi coram deo. Omnipotens deus emundet cor tuum ab onim concupiscentia carnali et impleat illud dulcedine suae dilectionis, ut videam de te quod desiderat cor meum, ut scilicet per praesentis vitae sanctitatem merearis aeternae vitae felicitatem. Amen.

Historical context:

Archbishop Anselm tries to persuade her with reminders of the vanity of the flesh, the deaths of her parents and of Alan Rufus. He suggests that God killed Alan because of the intended marriage, and might do the same to Alan Niger, and if he does not, she and he will be damned. He strongly criticizes the values implied in her excuse that she left because she had been denied a promised abbacy. Anselm also mentions a letter Gunhilda sent him which is not extant. There is disagreement about whether this letter was addressed to Gunhilda, since the name of the addressee is not given, only that 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, see ep.168.
(2) See 1 Co 15:53.
(3) Anselm and Gunhilda had possibly met during Anselm's second visit to England in 1086, see epp.108, 118.
(4) See Ps 118:37.
(5) See ep.168, on King Harold notes 1 and 2; Gunhilda's mother, Ealdgyth, daughter of Aelfgar, was married first to Gruffydd and then to King Harold. For Ealdgyth see E.A. Freeman, History of the Norman Conquest of England (Oxford, 1879) Vol. 11: 416, 425, 477, 630, 680, Vol. 111: 261, 635-637. (6) See ep.168, note 5.
(7) See ep.168, note 5. Here Anselm puns on the names of the two brothers- Niger=black, Rufus=red. (8) See Jn 10.15, 15:13. (9) See Mt 24:47.
(10) See Jn 6:66/67. (Schmitt considers that some words are missing in this sentence).
(11) See RB 58:18. (12) See Mt 26:24.
(13) From the office of St Agnes (21 January); Lk 15:6.
(14) See Lk 15:7 and 10; 2:14.
(15) 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.169, 4.46-50; translation and annotation from The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, trans. Walter Fröhlich, Cistercian Studies 97, 3v (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-94), 2.69-74.

Date:

1094