A letter from Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury (1102-03)

Translated letter:

Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury: to his dearest sister Richeza, greeting, and the consolation of God in all her troubles. I know, my dearest sister, that apart from your husband(1) there is no man in the world about whose health and prosperity you desire so much to know and hear than mine and that of your son Anselm, who is with me, for I am your only brother and he your only son. Your messengers will be able to tell you more fully by word of mouth how matters stand with us than I can do by letter. But you should know that your son, my dearest nephew, who suffered a long and serious illness after leaving you, has now, by God's mercy, regained perfect health. Of myself I can indeed say that I am healthy in body, but that my heart is vexed by great tribulations so that for fear of God I dare not flee from England nor can I dwell here with any peace or tranquillity or calm.(2) Every day my heart is in suspense as if I were going to depart on the next. But whatever the situation may be with me, I rejoice about you, for your messengers have brought me news of your health and prosperity. However, as both the prosperity and the adversity of this life are brief and transitory, let us despise them and strive to flee from eternal adversity and merit perpetual prosperity by living a good life. Therefore, dearest sister, since you cannot have in this life what could delight your heart, turn it completely to God so that it may be able to rejoice in him in the life to come. Farewell. If your husband should return and want to come to me I order that he should not come on any account.(3)

Original letter:

Anselmus, archiepiscopus Cantuariae: sorori suae carissimae Richezae salutem et dei in omnibus tribulationibus eius consolationem. Scio, soror dilectissima, quia excepto viro vestro non est homo in mundo, cuius salutem et prosperitatem tantum nosse et audire desideretis, quantum meam et filii vestri Anselmi, qui mecum est. Ego enim sum unicus frater vester, et ille unicus filius vester. De iis quae erga nos sunt, legati vestri plenius vos docere poterunt viva voce quam ego per litteras. Sciatis tamen quia filius vester, nepos meus carissimus, postquam a vobis discessit, longam et gravem aegritudinem passus, tandem deo miserante integram sanitatem recepit. De me vero dico quia sanus corpore sum, sed in magnis tribulationibus versatur cor meum, ita ut nec Angliam audeam propter timorem dei fugere, nec in ea possim in ulla pace aut tranquillitate aut quiete vivere. Cotidie ita est cor meum suspensum, velut in proximo sim exiturus. Sed quomodocumque sit de me, de vobis gaudeo, quia nuntii vestri mihi retulerunt vestram salutem et prosperitatem. Quoniam autem et prosperitas et adversitas huius vitae breves sunt et transitoriae, istas contemnamus et aeternam adversitatem fugere et perpetuam prosperitatem mereri bene vivendo contendamus. Cum ergo, soror carissima, in hac vita non habeatis in quo cor vestrum possit delectari: convertite illud totum ad deum, ut in futura vita de illo possit laetari. Vale. Si vir vester redierit et ad me venire voluerit, mando ut nullo modo veniat.

Historical context:

Anselm reassures his sister that her son has recovered from a serious illness, but admits that his own situation in England is precarious and he gives her his usual spiritual advice to prepare for the next life.

Scholarly notes:

(1) Burgundius is still on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, see Ep 264 and the last line of this letter. (2) Anselm seems to be referring to the growing hostility between the King and himself about the papal decrees on lay investiture and the homage of clerics to laymen because of his refusal to consecrate the bishops-elect of Salisbury and Hereford, HN 144-146; Epp 261, 265. (3) 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.268, 4.183; translation and annotation from The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, trans. Walter Fröhlich, Cistercian Studies 97, 3v (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-94), 2.268-69.

Date:

1102-03