A letter from Anselm of Bec (c.1080)

Translated letter:

To his dearest Lord Richard and dearest Lady Rohais(1): Brother Anselm and Brother Richard, the very young monk(2), send greetings and faithful prayers from the whole community of Bec. We give great thanks first of all to God, from whom every good will comes and for whose love all good things are granted us; and then to you for all the good things you are doing and promise to do for us(3). For thus you make it clear that the love you have always had for our monastery does not at all diminish but increases more and more. The more you do for us and promise yet greater good, the more you demonstrate your very faithful love. May almighty God and his holy mother Mary, to whom we pray for you daily and for whose love you do everything for us, repay you in the heavenly kingdom. We are sending you our brothers(4) as you commanded. Therefore we commend them to you that just as they are traveling to England at your command and with your expectation, so in whatever they do, or however or from whatever source they may live, they should be totally under your care and providence.(5)

Original letter:

Suo carissimo domino RICARDO et suae carissimae dominae ROHAIDI: frater ANSELMUS et frater RICARDUS, parvulus monachus, cum tota congregatione Beccensi salutem et fideles orationes. Magnas gratias reddimus in primis deo, a quo est omnis bona voluntas et pro cuius amore omnia bona nobis fiunt; deinde vobis pro omnibus bonis quae nobis facitis et promittitis. In hoc enim monstratis bene quia amor vester, quem semper habuistis ad nostrum monasterium, numquam decrescit, sed plus et plus crescit. Quanto enim plura bona nobis facitis et promittitis, tanto certiorem amorem ostenditis. Omnipotens deus et sancta mater eius MARIA, quos cotidie rogamus pro vobis et pro quorum amore nobis facitis omnia: illi vobis retribuant in regno caelorum. Fratres nostros vobis mittimus, sicut iussistis. Commendamus ergo vobis illos, ut sicut vadunt in Angliam vestra iussione et vestra spe, ita omnino sit in vestra cura et vestra providentia, quid illi faciant qut quomodo aut unde vivant.

Historical context:

Anselm thanks Lord Richard and Lady Rohais for their donations to the abbey of Bec and for provisions to its dependency in England, to which he is sending a group of monks at their request.

Scholarly notes:

(1) Richard FitzGilbert, son of Count Gilbert of Brionne, Lord of Tonbridge and Clare, a very large tenant-in-chief in the Domesday book, and Rohais, daughter of the elder Walter Giffard: see EHD II:992.
(2) Son of Richard and Rohais, he was a monk at Bec and became abbot of Ely in 1100. Deposed by the Council of Westminster in 1102, he resumed his abbacy though not recognized by pope and archbishop until May 1107. He died on 16 June 1107; see Epp 96, 114, 280, 397, 422 and Heads 45.
(3) For provision and gifts for Bec and its dependencies see M. Chibnall, "The Relations of St Anselm with the English Dependencies of the Abbey of Bec 1079-1093," Spicilegium Beccense I (Paris, 1959) 524-525; idem, "The English Posessions of Bec in the time of Anselm," Spicilegium Beccense II (Paris, 1984) 273-282.
(4) See also Epp 90, 91, 92, 93.
(5) 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.94, 1.220-21; translation and annotation from The Letters of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, trans. Walter Fröhlich, Cistercian Studies 97, 3v (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990-94), 1,237-8

Date:

c.1080