63. To Prior Henry.
The Letters of St. Anselm
63. TO PRIOR HENRY.
Anselm gives Prior Henry of Christ Church, Canterbury, advice in his difficul ties. He urges him patiently to seek the lost favor of Archbishop Lanfranc and encourages him to counteract the jealousy of his persecutors by calmly living a virtuous life.
TO HIS LORD AND DEAREST FATHER, DOM PRIOR HENRY: BROTHER
ANSELM, WISHING HIM TOTAL PROSPERITY IN THIS LIFE AND
ETERNAL BLISS IN THE LIFE TO COME.
IF I HAD LEARNED through your messenger with what infamy your charity was being slandered, with what pain and with what misery you were afflicted, and furthermore that you had asked for my advice and assistance, as you say, and if I had not made any reply, I confess that you would have been deservedly astonished and would have said I had acted as I should not have done. But your holi ness must believe that I do not remember having heard this news about you. I heard from certain persons, who do not identify themselves as your messengers, that you were not on good terms with the lord archbishop.1 But when I en quired into the reason for this, they, by evasive talk which indicated certain inconsistencies, expressed nothing certain.
While I waited for more certain information about the mat ter, therefore, I heard that complete reconciliation between you had taken place. Yet as regards the wish you said you wanted to have permission for from the lord abbot and me,
I once heard—I no longer know from whom—that I should be aware that my assistance was desired for it, but that a reply was not sought. But since I was absolutely certain that the lord abbot2 would never allow this to take place I held, and still hold, that it is better to veil the matter in complete silence than to unveil it by words to no purpose. Yet, since you write that by God's mercy truth has been made clear,
[and] untruth and its inventors confounded and obscured, you should know that I rejoice more truly over the stead fastness of truth, which I believe, than I grieved over the figment of untruth which I never believed.
The Letters of St. Anselm Concerning jealous folk, however, whom you have en dured till now as accusers and plotters, I tell you what you already know: that vice always envies virtue. If you want to be free of the persecution of jealousy, therefore, either find a place where you can hide concealed from wicked peo ple, or renounce virtues. But you will do neither of these, because one is impossible and the other detestable. All that remains for you is, armed with the arms of justice at the right and at the left,3 to pass over with the Apostle through glory and dishonor, through disgrace and good reputation; and whatever these folk plot, direct your thoughts never to them, but with a strong, calm mind to your own steps. For if your eyes are always directed to the Lord He himself will save your feet from the snare;4 they, however, fall into the pit which5 they made, and the snare which they have hidden will catch them6 when unfettered truth stands out in glory—as it has already begun [to do] and confused untruth is ignominiously destroyed. Hence, in this matter you should be on your guard, as befits a perfect servant of God, lest, rejoic ing in the enemies' confusion you censure them for it, by censuring you preach about it, by preaching you publicize it, by publicizing you augment it, and, you be judged in God's sight as taking delight in the punishment of the ene my. Rejoice, therefore, in your heart of hearts, becoming free in God's sight by giving him thanks; ignore their sin and its outcome by praying for them with a gentle mind.7
Yet since you give evidence of having been afflicted at the frequent agitation of the person you love above almost all men, I see no other advice except this, and it is the best: you need only the attainment of the virtue of patience, which you have already held onto manfully for a long time.
In no way will you more effectively, or, as far as you are concerned, more honorably or more usefully, achieve peace of mind or placate him or overcome the hidden enemy who assails you with this very tribulation, and so receive the crown of victory. For nobody will be crowned except the one who fights according to the rules.s And one only fights accord-
The Letters of St. Anselm
ing to the rules who has persevered to his or his assailant's end. For it is written that patience has a perfect work.9 And in your patience you will possess your souls.10 If you are indeed embracing patience in your mind and struggling to refuse tribulation, be assured, in fact you know, that there is no patience except in tribulation. Rejoice in tribulation, there fore, knowing that tribulation causes patience, and patience ap proval, and approval hope, and hope does not confound.11
You say you cannot possibly be with us without the arch bishop's full pardon. Here I reply to your prudence, however, that you cannot be happy anywhere if you do not have it, insofar as it is up to you. But if you do not scorn having it, yet cannot, it may be necessary for you to be else where than with him. Nowhere can it be better for you— because nowhere righter—than with us. On no grounds would the lord abbot and your brothers allow it otherwise.
Indeed the zealousness of your holiness is not so lightly es timated or so little loved that anyone who can justly hold on to you will freely or easily want to be without you. May
Almighty God so protect and guide your life that you may overcome all assaults and adversities, and thereby receive the eternal crown. Pray for me. c. 1075-76.
NOTES 1. Henry had trouble with Archbishop Lanfranc on more than one oc casion; see Ep 73.
2. Abbot Herluin.
3. 2 Cor 6:7.
4. Ps 24:15.
5. Ps 7:16.
6. Ps 34:8.
7. There was friction between the prior and the community; see Ep 184 and Southern, Anselm, 269.
8. 1 Tm 2:5.
9. Jm 1:4.
10. Lk 21:19.
11. Rom 5:3-5.