A letter from Matilda of Scotland, queen of the English (1104)

Translated letter:

To her truly eminent lord and father Anselm, by the grace of god archbishop of Canterbury: Matilda, queen of the English, his humble handmaid, with the assurance of deep devotion and service. Turn, holy lord and merciful father, "my mourning into joy" and gird "me with happiness."(1) See, lord, your humble handmaid throws herself on her knees before your mercy and, stretching suppliant hands towards you, begs you for the fervor of your accustomed kindness. Come, lord, come and visit your servant. Come, I beg, father, appease my groans, dry my tears, lessen my pains, put an end to my sorrow. Fulfill my desires, grant my request. But you will say: "I am prohibited by law and bound by the restraints of certain obligations and dare not transgress the decrees of the Fathers."(2) How is it father, that "the teacher of the gentiles,"(3) "the chosen vessel,"(4) put all his efforts into the annulling of the laws? Did he not offer sacrifice in the temple(5) for fear of scandalizing those of the circumcision who still believed [in the Jewish laws]? Did not he who condemned circumcision circumcise Timothy(6) so that he became "all things to all men?"(7) What indeed should a child of mercy do, a disciple of him who gave himself up to death in order to redeem slaves? You see, yes, you see your brothers, your fellow-servants, the people of your Lord, now undergoing shipwreck, now slipping into the deep,(8) and you do not come to their aid, you do not extend your right hand to them, you do not expose yourself to danger! Did not the Apostle choose "to be accursed by Christ for the sake of his brothers?"(9) My good lord, tender father, bend this severity a little and soften — let me say it with your leave — your heart of iron. Come and visit your people,(10) and among them your handmaid who yearns for you from the depths of her heart. Find a way by which neither you, the shepherd who leads the way, may give offence, nor the rights of royal majesty be diminished.(11) If these cannot be reconciled, at least let the father come to his daughter, the lord to his handmaid, and let him teach her what she should do. Let him come to her before she departs from this world. Indeed if I should die before being able to see you again — I speak shamelessly — I fear that even "in the land of the living"(12) and every joyful occasion of exulting would be cut off. You are "my joy,"(13) "my hope,"(14) "my refuge."(15) "My soul [thirsts] for you like a land without water."(16) Therefore I even "stretch out my hands to you,(17) "so that you may drench its dryness with the oil of gladness"(18) and water it with the dew of your natural sweetness. If neither my weeping nor the wish of the people can move you, putting aside my royal dignity, giving up my insignia, putting off my honors, spurning my crown, I will trample the purple and the linen and will come to you, "overcome with grief."(19) I will embrace your knees and kiss your feet, and even if Giezi came(2O) he would not move me until the greatest of my desires had been achieved. "May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your heart and your mind"(2l) and cause you to abound with tender mercy.(22)(23)

Original letter:

Domino vere summo et patri ANSELMO, dei gratia Cantuariensi archiepiscopo: MATHILDIS, regina Anglorum, humilis ancilla eius, summae devotionis et servitutis obsequium. Convertere, domine sancte, pater misericors, "planctum meum in gaudium mihi," et circumda "me laetitia." Ecce, domine, humilis ancilla tua misericordiae tuae genibus devoluta, supplices ad te manus tendens, consuetae postulat benignitatis affectum. Veni, domine, veni, et visita servam tuam. Veni, inquam, pater, et gemitus meos leni, lacrimas absterge, dolores mitiga, luctus tolle. Imple desiderium meum, vota secunda. At inquies: Lege prohibeor, et quarundam necessitatum nexibus tentus seniorum decreta transgredi non praesumo. Quid igitur, pater, est quod doctor ille gentium, vas electionis, cum totus in legis evacuatione sudaret: numquid non in templo, ne scandalum esset iis qui ex circumcisione crediderant, hostias immolavit? Numquid non qui circumcisionem damnabat, TIMOTHEUM ipse, ut omnibus omnia fieret, circumcidit? Quid ergo faciet misericordiae filius, discipulus eius, qui ut servos redimeret ipse in mortem se obtulit? Vides, ecce vides fratres tuos, conservos tuos, populum domini tui iam naufragia sustinentem, iam labantem in ultimis, — nec succurris, nec porrigis dexteram, nec obiectas te discrimini? Nonne optabat apostolus "anathema esse a Christo pro fratribus" suis? Flecte itaque, bone domine, pie pater, severitatem hanc, et ferreum — pace tua dixerim — pectus emolli. Vent et visita plebem tuam, et inter eos ancillam tuam totis ad te visceribus anhelantem. Inveni viam qua nec tu, pastor, qui praecedis, offendas, nec regiae maiestatis iura solvantur. Quod si haec simul constare non valeant: veniat saltem, veniat ad filiam pater, ad ancillam dominus, et doceat eam quid agere deceat. Ingrediatur ad eam, antequam egrediatur de mundo. Si enim, antequam moriar, mihi te non videre contigerit — improbe loquar --, timeo ne mihi etiam in illa terra viventium et laetantium omnis exultandi praecidatur occasio. Tu siquidem es gaudium meum, spes mea, refugium meum. "Anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi." Unde et »expandi ad te manus meas," ut ariditatem eius exsultationis oleo perfundas et dulcedinis ingenitae rore riges. Si autem nec te fletus mei nec publica vota sollicitant: postposita regia dignitate, relictis insignibus, deponam fasces, diadema contemnam, purpuram byssumque calcabo et vadam ad te maerore confecta. Amplectar vestigia tua, pedes exosulabor, nec amovebit me, si veniet GIEZI, nisi cum desiderii mihi summa complebitur. "Pax dei, quae exsuperat omnem sensum, custodiat" cor tuum et intelligentiam tuam, et faciat misericordiae visceribus abundare.

Historical context:

The queen begs Anselm to return from exile to answer the desperate needs of his people, compromising if need be as Paul had. Between this letter and Matilda's next to Anselm, there is a cordial but inconclusive exchange between the bishop and the king. Henry expresses his sorrow that Anselm is not with him as his predecessor Lanfranc was with his father, assures him he would lavish all dignities on him, and says he is sending a legation to Rome (ep.318). Anselm thanks him, but says he must obey the law of God, not the customs of Henry’s father or even of Lanfranc, Anselm’s teacher; he is anxious to return, there is no prince he would rather serve, but he can do so only if Henry agrees to live according to the law of God and restore all that he took from the archbishopric (ep319).

Scholarly notes:

(1) See Ps 29:12. (2) Matilda is referring to the papal decrees prohibiting lay investiture and homage of clerics to laymen, HN 144. (3) 1 Trn 2:7. (4) Ac 9:15. (5) See Ac 21:26. (6) See Ac 16:3. (7) 1 Co 9.22. (8) See Ep 310 and HN 159-160. (9) Rm 9:3. (10) See Lk 1:68, 7:16. (11) The royal "usus atque leges," see HN 10. (12) PS 26:13; 141:6. (13) Ph 4:1. (14) Ps 141:6. (15) Ps 30:4. (16) Ps 142:6. (17) Ps 87:10. (18) Ps 44:8. (19) Lam 1:13. (20) See 4(2) K 4:27. (21) Ph 4:7. (22) See Lk 1:78. (23) The translation is reprinted with the permission of the translator and the publisher. All rights are reserved; downloading and copying for any purpose other than private research is prohibited. (Cistercian Publications, 1201 Olivter Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008)

Printed source:

Sancti Anselmi Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi, Opera Omnia, ed. F.S. Schmitt (Edinburgh: T. Nelson, 1946-63), ep.317, 5.244-46; translation and annotation from The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, trans. Walter Fröhlich, Cistercian Studies 142, 3v (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-94), 3.22-24.

Date:

1104