4. To Gundulf, The Monk.
The Letters of St. Anselm
4. TO GUNDULF, THE MONK.
Anselm assures Gundulf of their continual mutual friendship and love despite the lack of an exchange of letters. He asks him to greet Lanfranc, the nephew of Archbishop Lanfranc, and Osbem, who are both with him at Canterbury.
He asks for prayers for his dead friend Osbem and informs Gundulf of a letter being sent to Henry.
TO HIS REVEREND FELLOW-MONK, DEAREST BROTHER, MOST FAITH
FUL FRIEND DOM GUNDULF1: BROTHER ANSELM, GREETING.
WHENEVER I INTEND TO WRITE to you, soul most be loved of my soul, whenever I intend to write to you, I am undecided about where exactly I should begin what I want to tell you. For everything I feel about you is sweet and joy ful to my heart; everything I wish for you is the best my mind can imagine. For I see you as the sort of person I must love, as you know I do; I hear about you as the sort of per son I must long for, as God knows I do. From this it comes about that wherever you go my love follows you; and wherever I may be, my longing for you embraces you.
And do you inquire about me by your messengers, ex hort me by your letters, shower me with your gifts that I may remember you? Let my tongue cleave fast to the roof of my mouth if I cease to remember you2, if I do not place 'Gun dulf' at the pinnacle of my friendship. I speak here not about Gundulf3 the layman, my father, but Gundulf the monk, our brother. How could I forget you? How could someone imprinted on my heart like a waxen seal slip out of my memory? Moreover, why do you complain so sorrowfully, as I hear, that you never see any letters of mine, and why do you beg me so lovingly that you may often receive them when you have my thoughts with you all the time? Even when you are silent I know you love me; and if I am silent you know that I love you4. You are aware that I have no doubts about you, and I am your witness that you are sure of me.
Since we are aware that we are in each other's minds, there fore, it only remains for us to tell each other about our af fairs so that we may either rejoice together or be concerned for each other.
The Letters of St. Anselm As to the matters concerning me over which I would like you either to rejoice or to be concerned for me, you will learn more from the bearer5 of this letter than from the writer of the same.
Greet young Dom Lanfranc,6 the nephew of our reverend lord and father. Archbishop Lanfranc, and offer him the as surance of our faithful service. Since he is very close to and loved by the man whom I so lovingly revere and reverent ly love that I love what he loves, and since I hear that his behavior is so amiable, if he is willing, I offer him our loyalty on the one hand, and, on the other, I request his friend ship. Greet Dom Osbern who is with you, as our beloved brother.
With as few words as possible and as much fervor as I am capable, I ask you and all my friends to pray for the late
Osbern, my sweetest friend. Wherever Osbern is, my soul is his soul. May I therefore receive on his behalf, while liv ing, what I could hope for from my friends when I am dead, so that they will be free of obligation to me when I die. Fare well, farewell, my dearest friend; and that I may repay you in accord with your importunity, I pray and pray and pray; remember me and do not forget the soul of Osbern, my be loved. And if this seems to you to be too great a burden, forget me and remember him.
I sent another letter to Dom Henry7, but only exchange your names in everything I have said, and yours may be his and his may be yours. c. 1071
NOTES 1. Gundulf/Gondulf, of norman parentage, was born about 1024. He received his schooling at Rouen and became a clerk of the cathedral there. After a pilgrimage to Jerusalem he entered the newly-founded monastery at Bee in 1057, was professed in 1060, and is sixty-eighth in the Bee profession roll, thus Anselm's immediate senior. In 1065
Gundulf followed Lanfranc to Caen where he was made prior. When Lanfranc went to Canterbury in 1070 Gundulf went with him. In 1077