A letter from Gervase, premonstratensian abbot, bishop of Sées (before 1222)

Translated letter:

To Blanche countess of Champagne, Gervase. When we went in person to the church of Beaulieu which is subject to us by the reckoning of the church over which we preside with permission of the Lord, we found some brothers of that church should be sent away, as much for their excesses as for the need of the church, and we wish to send them away to stay in other cloisters for a time. But Brother H, canon of said church for whom you directed your letters to us, in order to avoid justice and censure of the order, summoned certain secular people from among his relatives, as he said, whom he had prepared for us with ambushes, who coming into the chapter armed, cruelly threatened the abbots and other brothers who were with us. Not wanting, therefore, that some, who say that he did nothing for which mercy should be denied him, circumvent your excellence with arranged falseness of words, we ask you with the understanding of divine mercy that if that son of Belial should come to you to nourish his wickedness, you in no way grant an audience to his prayers, knowing that when we did not cut him off from mercy, though we do not send him back to his own church perpetually as he deserved according to the institutes of the order, but we are ready to direct him to another church for your grace.

Original letter:

Blanchae Comitissae Campaniae, Gervasius. Cum ad Ecclesiam Belli-loci, quae ratione Ecclesiae, cui permittente Domino praesidemus, nobis subjecta est, personaliter accedentes quosdam ipsius Ecclesiae Fratres, tum pro suis excessibus, tum pro necessitate Ecclesiae invenissemus emittendos, & illos vellemus emittere in aliis claustris pro tempore moraturos, Frater H. jam dictae Ecclesiae Canonicus, pro quo vestras ad nos litteras direxistis, ut Ordinis justitiam eluderet, & censuram, quosdam saeculares de suis, ut dicebatur, consanguineis, quos nobis praeparaverat, eduxit ab insidiis, qui manu armata in Capitulum venientes, tam nobis, quam Abbatibus & aliis Fratribus, qui nobiscum erant, crudelissime minabantur. Nolentes igitur, quod aliqui, qui dicunt, quod nihil fecerit, pro quo ei debeat venia denegari, vestram circumveniant excellentiam verborum composita falsitate, rogamus vos divinae miserationis intuitu, quatenus si ipse filius Belial in suae nequitiae nutrimentum ad vos accesserit, ipsius preces nullatenus admittatis, scientes quod cum non excludimus a venia, licet ad propriam Ecclesiam non remittamus eundem, quam perpetuo demeruit secundum Ordinis instituta, sed parati sumus ob vestri gratiam, eum ad aliam Ecclesiam destinare.

Historical context:

Gervase informs the countess about the violent actions taken by the canon of Beaulieu to prevent the bishop’s attempts to remove some brothers and asks her not to believe him or give him her protection.

Printed source:

Sacrae Antiquitatis Monumenta, Historica, Dogmatica, Diplomatica (Stivagii: John Martin Heller, 1725), 1.85, ep.96.

Date:

before 1222