Hildegard to the Abbess Adelheid
The Letters
Adelheid, unworthy abbess of the church at Gandersheim, to Hildegard, beloved mother of Mount St. Rupert, with a prayer that she, as the bride of free Jerusalem [cf. Gal 4.26], receive the kisses of the Bridegroom.
A good tree is known by its good fruit [cf. Matt 12.33], and ought never to be cast into oblivion, because by producing sweet fruit it has earned the sweet love of good men. A person, therefore, who does not properly embrace things that are truly delightful will, rightly, be regarded as lower than brute beasts.aAnd so, unsullied dove [cf. Hos 7.11] of Christ, great and pure in spirit, just as good does not create evil, nor light bring forth darkness, nor sweet produce bitterness, so too you never depart from my heart. Likewise, you ought to keep me frequently in mind, since, as is well known, I am joined to you in intimate closeness of love and devotion. I do not want the flower, nursed so gently in former days, to dry up in your heart, the blossom that once vitally flourished between the two of us at the time when you were gently educating me. By that love and by the love of your beloved Spouse, I beseech and implore you to send up prayers and supplications to God both for me and for my flock and for the community that was entrusted to me by your permission. Also, I ask that you deliver us up to the prayers of all your sisters. I pray also that you work out a kind of allianceb between your sisters (nay, mine also) and mine, and, when a messenger becomes available, send us a letter informing us, in Christ, what you feel about this matter, as well as any other. I myself, God willing, will not delay a visit to you when the time becomes available, so that we may speak face-to-face, and, hand in hand, do what is good. In this way, our ancient friendship will be strengthened. May
God, Who is love [cf. I John 4.16], make it strong!
O you "who live in gardens" [Cant 8.13], give heed, and, as cordially as possible, greet for me all those who dwell with you, that is to say, my sisters, and make me joyful with your approving letter.
101(100r?) Hildegard to the Abbess Adelheid 1152-73 Van Acker's initial sense chat this letter is not in answer to the preceding one is, surely, correct. Thus his number in parentheses with a question mark comes as something of a surprise. This letter, in its rather cool admonitory tone, is scarcely an appropriate answer to Adelheid's passionate plea for closer emotional ties. The letter was, it would appear, written at a much later time than the preceding one.
Note Van Acker's suggested twenty-year time frame for the two.
O daughter of God, your mind is distressed by great anxiety in two ways. For on account of a certain kind of worry you are wasting away, almost to the point of