A letter from Ivo of Chartres (1101-02?)
Sender
Ivo of ChartresReceiver
Adela of England, Countess of BloisTranslated letter:
Ivo, humble minister of the church of Chartres, to Adela, noble countess, with the faithful service of prayer. We thank God, who converted the storm of your illness into the serenity of recovering health; as the cloud of threatening illness saddened us, so the serenity of returning health gladdens us. We call on divine clemency that the current scourges of the flesh may be medicine to the inner man [m or f], that your past deeds may be washed by the weeping and that you may avoid commiting others things to weep over, lest the divine hand, which now mercifully scourges you, later grind you down pitilessly. I ask therefore for the salvation of your soul that you love the church of St. John the Baptist, where with God's help we have established life according to a rule, and that you defend the things pertaining to that church against attackers and usurpers as much as you can, especially that you allow a certain Aimery, a lay brother in that church, formerly a serf at the monastery of St. Mary of Jouarre, to possess his small portion in peace from the attacks of your men. For the abbess of said monastery set that servant free with all his goods to [go to] that church, as lady Helisende, vidame, can tell you. For this, you will have the reward of prayers from the brothers of said church and loyal service from us. Fare well.
Original letter:
Ivo, humilis Ecclesiae Carnotensis minister, Adelae nobili comitissae, cum fideli oratione servitium. Gratias agimus Deo, qui procellam vestrae infirmitatis convertit in serenitatem recuperandae sospitatis, quia [al. quoniam], sicut contristavit nos nubilum ingruentis infirmitatis, sic laetificavit serenum redeuntis sospitatis. Interpellamus itaque divinam clementiam, ut praesentia flagella carnis medicinam esse faciat interioris hominis, quatenus et commissa praeterita fletu diluatis, et flenda de caetero caveatis committere, ne divina manus, quae modo misericorditer flagellat, postea miserabiliter conterat. Rogo autem pro remedio animas vestrae ut ecclesiam beati Joannis Baptistae, in qua regularem vitam Deo donante ordinavimus, diligatis, et res ad ipsam ecclesiam pertinentes contra insidiantes et incursantes pro posse vestro defendatis, et praecipue regulas cujusdam Haimerici quondam servi sanctae Mariae Jotrensis monasterii in eadem ecclesia conversi, quiete ab incursu vestrorum possidere faciatis. Abbatissa enim praedicti monasterii servum illum cum rebus suis eidem ecclesia manumisit, sicut dicet vobis domna Hilescendis [al. Hilesendis, ms.c vel Hilensis] vicedomina. Pro hoc enim a fratribus praedictae ecclesiae habebitis munus orationum, et a nobis fidele servitium. Valete.Historical context:
Ivo uses the occasion of Adela's recovery from illness to urge her to keep her people from seizing the small possessions of a man who has entered the church as a conversus. The church is identified by LoPrete as St. Jean en Vallee, where Ivo had "instituted the Augustianian rule [making them regular rather than secular canons] and clarified the canons' relationship" to the cathedral chapter ('Adela and Ivo,' 145; see Adela, 249-50 and 513-14, #117). LoPrete notes Ivo's acknowlegment that Adela, as countess, is the canons' and nuns' legal defender/advocate. Helisende is the cathedral advocate.