A letter from Turgot, monk of Durham (1100)

Translated letter:

To the excellently honorable and honorably excellent queen of the English, Matilda, Turgot, servant of the servants of St. Cuthbert, the good of peace and health in the present, and the good of all goods in the future. The manner of life of your mother of venerable memory that pleased God, which you have heard spoken of so often with the harmonious praise of many, you asked me, ordering, and ordered me, asking, that I offer you in writing. You said you believed me to be especially appropriate for this since you had heard that because of my great intimacy with her I was aware in great part of her secrets. I willingly embrace these orders and these desires; embracing, I venerate them; venerating, I rejoice with you that having been made queen of the English by the king of the English, you wish not only to hear but to see in writing the life of your mother queen who always longed for the kingdom of the English; so that you who knew the face of your mother too little might have a fuller knowledge of her virtues. Indeed my will is inclined to accomplishing what was ordered; but I confess the ability is lacking; the matter of this business is greater than my powers of writing or speaking. I suffer from two things by which I am drawn in different directions. I fear to obey, because of the magnitude of the task; but I do not dare refuse because of the authority of the one ordering and the one in whose memory I must speak. But although I am not capable of expounding such a thing as it should be done, still I ought to make known as much as I can, since your command and her love demands it. For the grace of the Holy Spirit, which gave her the power of virtues, will furnish me, I hope, with help to narrate them. "The Lord will give the word to those preaching the gospels," and "Open your mouth and I will fill it." For he will not lack the Word who believes in the Word: "In the beginning was the Word." First of all, I wish you to know, and others through you, that if I try to say all the things which I know should be said about her, I would be thought to be flattering you because of your high royal position by praising your mother. But far be it from my advanced age to mix the crime of lying with the virtues of such a woman. In expounding which, God is my witness and judge, I profess that I add nothing except what is there; but I suppress many of them in silence lest they seem incredible; lest like the orator, I be said to adorn the frame with rhetorical colors.

Original letter:

Excellenter honorabili, et honorabiliter excellenti, reginae Anglorum, Mathildae, T., servorum S. Cuthberti servus, in praesenti, pacis et salutis bonum; et, in futuro, bonorum omnium bonum. Venerandae memoriae matris vestrae placitam Deo conversationem, quam consona multorum laude saepius praedicari audieratis, ut litteris traditam vobis offerrem, et postulando jussistis, et jubendo postulastis. Scilicet mihi praecipue in hoc credendum dicebatis, quem, gratia magnae apud illam familiaritatis, magna ex parte secretorum illius conscium esse audieratis. Haec jussa et haec vota ego libens amplector; amplectens, multum veneror; venerans, vobis congratulor, quae a Rege Angelorum constituta regina Anglorum, vitam matris reginae, quae semper ad regnum anhelabat Angelorum, non solum audire, sed etiam litteris impressam desideratis jugiter inspicere; ut qui faciem matris parum noveratis, virtutum ejus notitiam plenius habeatis. Et quidem mihi imperata perficiendi prona est voluntas; sed, fateor, deest facultas: major est quippe hujus negotii materia, quam mihi sit vel scribendi vel loquendi efficacia. Duo namque sunt quae patior, quibus hinc et inde trahor. Propter magnitudinem rei, obedire formido; propter jubentis auctoritatem, et illius de qua dicendum est memoriam, contradicere non audeo. Sed quamvis, sicut dignum esset, tantam rem explicare non valeo; quantum tamen possum (quia hoc et ejus dilectio et vestra exigit jussio) intimare debeo. Gratia namque Sancti Spiritus, quae illi dederat efficaciam virtutum, mihi, ut spero, enarrandi eas sumministrabit auxilium. Dominus dabit verbum evangelizantibus [Ps.67:12]; et iterum, Aperi os tuum, et ego adimplebo illud [Ps.87:10]. Neque enim poterit deficere Verbo, qui credit in Verbo: In principio enim erat Verbum [John 1:1]. In primis igitur cupio, et vos, et alios scire per vos, quod si omnia, quae de illa novi praedicanda, dicere conabor, vobis, propter regiae dignitatis apicem, in matris laude adulari putabor. Sed procul absit a mea canicie, virtutibus tantae feminae mendacii crimen admiscere. In quibus exponendis, Deo teste ac judice, profiteor me nihil, supra id quod est, addere; sed, ne incredibilia videantur, multa silentio supprimere; ne, juxta illud Oratoris, cornicem dicar cignaeis coloribus adornare.

Historical context:

Turgot, chaplain of Matilda's mother, queen Margaret of Scotland wrote a life of the queen-saint for her daughter. Two versions of the life are extant. On their dating and chronology, see Lois L. Huneycutt, "The Idea of the Perfect Princess: The Life of St. Margaret in the Reign of Matilda II (1100-1118)," Anglo-Norman Studies 12 (1989) ed. Marjorie Chibnall, p.81-97.

Printed source:

Prologue toVita Sanctae Margaretae Scotorum Reginae, Symeonis Dunelmensis Opera et Collectanea, ed. H. Hinde, Proceedings of the Surtees Society 51 (1867) p.234-35

Date:

1100