A letter from Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury (August 1104)

Translated letter:

To Matilda, his reverend lady and dearest daughter, glorious queen of the English: Anselm the archbishop, sending the greeting and blessing of God and his own, if it is worth anything, and his service and loving prayers. My heart gives as much thanks as it can engender for the great generosity of your Highness, and what it cannot achieve it does not cease to desire. May he who inspires it himself repay. Indeed, the pious and sweet affection you feel towards me through the inspiration of God you express most clearly when you write(1) to me about the bitterness, sadness and solicitude which you feel on account of my absence. This absence of mine, as far as I and those who consider the case carefully understand it, has not been extended for so long through any fault of mine. With devout affection your excellency complains that my lack of moderation has disturbed the peace of mind of my lord the King and his nobles, and that this has prevented the good, begun by your efforts, from being brought to an end. Indeed, in our letter(2) which is said to contain that lack of moderation, nothing indiscriminate, nothing unreasonable, although this was imputed to me in the King's letter, can be found if what is written there and the prohibition which I heard and which everybody knows about is examined with an unbiased judgement and a calm mind. I uttered nothing against the King's father and Archbishop Lanfranc, men of great and religious renown, when I showed that I had not promised either in baptism or in my ordinations to obey their law and customs, and stated that I was not going to disobey the law of God. What is now required of me on the grounds that those men acted as they did I cannot do without committing a most serious offence because of what I heard with my own ears in Rome. If I were to scorn that, I should certainly be acting against the law of God. Therefore, in order to show with what reasons I refused to do what was required of me according to their customs, I showed how I would much rather be under obligation to observe the Apostolic and ecclesiastical decree known to everybody. In this the law of God can be perceived without doubt, since it was promulgated to strengthen the Christian religion. I need not say here how dangerous it would be to despise this law, since Christians who have ears to hear(3) may daily learn it from divine utterances. That distorted interpretation of my utterances, according to which I am said to have spoken unreasonably, I do not ascribe to the King's mind or yours. The King received our letter kindly at first, according to what I heard, but later someone with a spiteful and insincere intention, I know not who, incited him against me by a distorted interpretation through no fault of mine. Who that may be I do not know; but I do not doubt that either he does not love, or does not know how to love, his lord. May almighty God so favor you and your children with prosperity in this life that he may lead you to the happiness of the life to come. Amen.(4)

Original letter:

MATHILDI, dominae reverendae, filiae carissimae, gloriosae reginae Anglorum: ANSELMUS archiepiscopus salutem et benedictionem dei et suam, si quid valet, servitia, orationes in dilectione. Magnitudinis vestrae magnae benevolentiae gratias agit cor meum, quae, quantum potest fructificat, et quod non potest, desiderare non cessat. Quod qui inspirat, ipse retribuat. Quippe quam pium, quam dulcem affectum deo inspirante erga me geratis, in amaritudine et tristitia et sollicitudine, quas ex mea absentia contrahitis, apertissime, sicut scribitis, significatis. Quae mea absentia, in quantum ego et illi qui rem diligenter considerant intelligimus, non mea culpa tam diu extenditur. Queritur piu affectu vestra excellentia quod mea intemperies tranquillitatem animi domini mei regis et procerum eius turbaverit, et hoc desiderii vestri bonum inceptum, ne ad finem suum perduceretur, impediverit. Verum in litteris nostris, in quibus illa intemperies esse dicitur, nihil indiscretum, nihil absurdum, quamvis hoc mihi regiis litteris obiectum sit, esse cognoscitur, si recto intellectu et mente tranquilla quod ibi dictum est, et prohibitio quam audivi et omnes sciunt, inspicitur. Nihil enim adversus patrem regis et archiepiscopum LANFRANCUM, viros magnae et religiosae famae, protuli, cum me in baptismo et in ordinationibus meis legem et consuetudines illorum non promisisse monstravi, et legem dei me non abnegaturum significavi. Nam quod a me nunc requiritur idcirco, quia illi fecerunt: ego propter hoc quod auribus meis Romae audivi, facere nequeo absque gravissima offensione. Quam si contemnerem, utique contra legem dei facerem. Ut ergo ostenderem quam rationabiliter recusem facere hoc quod a me requiritur secundum illorum consuetudinem, ostendi quomodo potius debitor sim apostolicam et ecclesiasticam cunctis notam servare constitutionem. In qua lex dei sine dubio intelligitur, cum ad Christianae religionis firmamentum promulgatur. Quanto autem periculo contemnatur, supersedeo nunc dicere, quia cotidie Christiani, qui habent aures audiendi, ex divinis dictis possunt cognoscere. Pravam autem illam interpretationem dictorum meorum, secundum quam absurde locutus esse dicor, non regio sensui nec vestro imputo. Rex enim benigne, sicut audivi, primitus cartam nostram suscepit, sed postea nescio quis malevola et non sincera mente per pravam interpretationem illum adversum me sine mea culpa concitavit. Quis autem ille sit nescio; sed quia dominum suum aut non diligit aut diligere nescit non dubito. Omnipotens deus sic vos et prolem vestram in huius vitae foveat prosperitate, ut ad futurae vos provehat felicitatem. Amen.

Historical context:

Matilda must have written to Anselm that an intemperate letter of his, perhaps ep.319, had offended the king and impeded the progress being made, but he insists that he only refused to deny the law of God.

Scholarly notes:

(1) Matilda's letter to Anselm is not preserved. (2) See Ep 319. (3) See Mt 11:15 et al. (4) 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.329, 5.261-62; translation and annotation from The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, trans. Walter Fröhlich, Cistercian Studies 142, 3v (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-94), 3.46-48.(!4)

Date:

August 1104