A letter from Matilda of Scotland, queen of the English (1106, June)

Translated letter:

To her dearest Lord and Father, Archbishop Anselm: Matilda, Queen of the English, wishing him the strength of good health. The sweetness of expected joy recently promised me the arrival of your holiness. As great as was the joy and consolation you were about to grant me, so much greater was the disappointment of lonely sadness brought to me when that arrivalwas prevented by sickness. Knowing the affection of your paternity for me, I come with pitiable weeping, begging that if your care for me has not completely melted away, you should put an end to the anxiety of my concern about your health by some messenger as soon as possible. I shall immediately rejoice either over your health and mine, or — which God in His mercy forbid! — I shall suffer the blow of our mutual fate with indifference. May the most holy omnipotence of God make you healthy. Amen.

Original letter:

Domino suo et patri carissimo, ANSELMO archiepiscopo: MATHILDIS, Anglorum regina, salutis bonae valitudinem. 
Exultationis opinatae iucunditas vestrae mihi nuper spondens sanctitatis adventum: quanto mihi gaudii solatiique plus collatura fuit, tanto maius aegra praepediente valetudine desolati maeroris incommodum contulit. Praecognitum igitur mihi vestrae paternitatis affectum miserabili lacrimatione exoratum venio, ut, si cura mei apud vos penitus non eviluit, anxietatem sollicitudinis meae de vestra valetudine quolibet internuntio quantocius securam reddatis. Aut enim indilate de vestra eadem quidem et mea salute gaudebo, aut — quod dei avertat miseratio! — communis casus allisionem indifferenter subibo. Convalere vos faciat piissima dei omnipotentia. Amen.

Historical context:

The queen, distressed over Anselm's bad health, requests immediate reassurance from him. Froehlich notes that: "Anselm overcame the illness which had been so serious in July that everybody expected him to die. On 15 August King Henry came to Bec; he restored everything to Anselm and further promised that so long as he lived he would not take anything from the churches during any period that they were without a pastor, HN 183. Having thus ended their quarrel, the King was free to bring his campaign in Normany to a successful end, epp. 364, 401."

Scholarly notes:

(1) See HN 181-182; Ep 398.
(2) Anselm overcame the illness which had been so serious in July that everybody expected him to die. On 15 August King Henry came to Bec; he restored everything to Anselm "and further promised that so long as he lived he would not take anything from the churches during any period that they were without a pastor," HN 183. Having thus ended their quarrel, the King was free to bring his campaign in Normandy to a successful end, EPP 364, 401.
(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:

F.S. Schmitt, S. Anselmi Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi, Opera Omnia (Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson, 1938-61, reprinted Stuttgart: Frommann, 1984), ep. 400. The translation is from Walter Froehlich, The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-1994). 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.

Date:

1106, June