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

Translated letter:

To the supreme pontiff and universal pope, Paschal: Matilda, by the grace of God queen of the English, wishing him so to dispense the rights of apostolic dignity in temporal matters that with the vestment of justice he may merit to be eternally counted to the apostolic gathering in the joys of perpetual peace. I give thanks and praise as far as I can to your sublime holiness, 0 Apostolic man, for those things which your paternal charity has frequently deigned to convey with such devout admonition to my lord the King and myself by word of mouth through your legates and your own letters. I approach the threshold of the most holy Roman Apostolic See and embrace the feet of my holy father, the Apostolic Pope, as far as it is allowed and I am able, with my whole heart and my whole soul and my whole mind.(1) Having cast myself at your paternal knees I request and beg with unseasonable and seasonable(2) petitions, without ceasing or desisting, until I feel that either my modest humility or rather the persevering importunity of my knocking has been heard by you.(3) May your excellency, however, not be enraged at this audacity of mine by which I presume to speak in this manner, nor the prudence of the clerics and people of the Roman senate be amazed. There was, I say, there was under your Apostolic dignity, a disciple of the Holy Spirit, Archbishop Anselm, with us and the English people, happy as we then were. He was our wisest counselor and the most loving father of the aforesaid people. What he received abundantly from the exceedingly rich treasury of his Lord, whose key-bearer we recognized him to be, this he bestowed more abundantly on us, particularly when the Lord's "faithful minister"(4) and "prudent steward"(5) flavored what he was bestowing with the strong brine of wisdom, softened it with the sweetness of eloquence and adorned it with the wonderful charm of his speech. So it came about that a great abundance of milk was available for the Lord's tender lambs, a most rich richness of pasture for the sheep, and an exceeding fullness of nourishment for the shepherds.(6) Since all these things have ceased, there is nothing left except the shepherd seeking nourishment, the flock seeking pasture, the young seeking the breast, crying out loud with many groans. During the absence of a great shepherd, particularly Anselm, something is withheld from each of the aforesaid individuals, or rather everything is withheld from everybody. In the sorrow of such mourning, in the scandal of such grief, in the mockery of such a loss, for such a deformation of our kingdom, there remains nothing for me to do in my bewilderment than to flee bearing my dismay, to the holy Apostle Peter and his vicar, the Apostolic man. And so I flee to your kindness, o lord, and ask that we and the people of the kingdom of the English should not slip into such failure and decline. For "what profit is there in our blood" when we descend "into corruption"?(7) May your paternity therefore advise favorably in what concerns us and, within a set time, about what my lord the King asks your goodness,(8) so deign to open your paternal heart to us that we may rejoice about the return of our dearest father, Archbishop Anselm, and may keep unblemished the subjection which we owe to the holy Apostolic See. I, however, instructed by your most salutary and beloved admonitions, as far as it is possible for the strength of a woman, and having asked for the help of competent men, will strive with my whole strength that my humility may fulfill, as far as it can, what your sublimity has advised. May your paternity prosper happily.(9)

Original letter:

Summo pontifici et universali papae PASCHALI: MATHILDIS, dei gratia Anglorum regina, ita dignitatis apostolicae iura dispensare temporaliter, ut cum iustitiae manipulis in perpetuae pacis gaudiis apostolico senatui mereatur ascribi perenniter. Sanctitatis vestrae sublimitati, o vir apostolice, gratias et laudes quantas possum refero super iis, quae paterna vestra caritas tam pio commonitorio domino meo regi mihique dignata est iam frequenter et vivis legatorum mandare vocibus et propriis destinare scriptis. Sanctissimae Romanae sedis apostolicae frequentare limina, sanctique patris mei papae apostolici complecti vestigia, qua licet et possum toto quidem corde, tota anima, tota mente: paternis advoluta genibus, importuna opportunaque petitione orans instare nec desino nec desistam, donec exaudiri a vobis sentiam aut submissam humilitatem aut potius perseverantem meae pulsationis importunitatem. Non autem super hac mea temeritate, qua sic loqui praesumo, vestra succenseat excellentia, non cleri populive Romani senatus miretur prudentia. Erat enim, erat, inquam, nobis Anglorumque populo, tunc quidem felicibus, sub apostolica vestra dignitate sancti spiritus alumnus, ANSELMUS archiepiscopus, noster vere praedictique populi consulator prudentissimus atque piissimus pater. Qui quod de opulentissimis domini sui thesauris, quorum illum clavigerum noveramus, abundanter sumebat, id nobis abundantius erogabat, praesertim cum idem fidelis domini minister prudensque dispensator eroganda quaeque et sapientiae salsura plurima saporaret, el eloquentiae dulcore molliret, et mirabili quodam loquendi lepore condiret. Fiebat vero sic, ut nec deforet teneris agnellis domini lactis copia plurima, nec pascuorum ovibus ubertas uberrima, nec pastoribus alimentorum satietas opulentissima. Cum haec igitur secus cesserint omnia, reliquum aliud nihil est, nisi gemitu plurimo clamitet quaeritans alimentum pastor, pascuum pecus, ubera fetus. Ubi dum maioris absentia pastoris, praesertim ANSELMI, praedictis singulis fraudentur singula, seu vero polius omnibus omnia: in tanti luctus lugubrio, in tanti doloris opprobrio, in tantae deformitatis regni nostri tanti damni ludibrio: non restat attonitae mihi, nisi stupore sublato corfugere ad beatum PETRUM apostolum eiusque vicarium, virum apostolicum. Confugio itaque ad vestram, domine, benignitatem, ne nos Anglorumque regni populus tanto defectu, tanto lapsu labamur. "Quae" enim "utilitas in sanguine" nostro, "dum" "in corruptionem" descendimus ? Boni igitur consulat, quantum ad nos attinet, vestra paternitas, et infra terminum, de quo vestram bonitatem dominus meus rex requirit, ita paterna viscera super nos aperire dignamini, ut et de reditu carissimi patris nostri ANSELMI archiepiscopi gaudeamus, et debitam subiectionem sanctae sedi apostolicae illibatam servemus. Ego autem saluberrimis dilectissimisque vestris edocta monitis, quantum muliebribus suppetet viribus, adhibitis etiam mihi proborum virorum auxiliis, toto posse nitar, ut quod vestra monuit sublimitas, mea quoad poterit expleat humilitas. Valeat feliciter vestra paternitas.

Historical context:

The queen appeals to the pope to negotiate a settlement between archbishop Anselm and king Henry, her husband, using a Pauline phrase that so often appears in letters from popes urging women to persuade their husbands “importuna opportunaque petitione orans,” “praying with importunate and opportune petition.”

Scholarly notes:

(1) See Mt 22:37. (2) See 2 Tm 4:2. (3) See Lk 11:8. (4) Eph 6:21. (5) Lk 12:42. (6) For Anselm's way of speaking, see Epp 30, 207, 285. (7) Ps 29:10. (8) King Henry sent messengers to Rome in the spring of 1104, see HN 162. (9) The translation is reproduced with the permission of the translator and 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.323, 5.253-54, also in PL163 ep.24 c466-67; The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, trans. Walter Fröhlich, Cistercian Studies 142 (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-94), 3.34-36.(9)

Date:

1104