69. To The Monk Maurice.
The Letters of St. Anselm
am silent, you should always know that my heart answers with like affection.
Lord Hugh and Lady Basilia,1 his wife, give you great thanks for the kindness you have shown, for the gifts you have sent, for the prayers you have offered for them and those you promised them. I myself presented your gifts to them, read your letter and related your words. All of this they received most gratefully and joyfully. c. 1075/76.
NOTES 1. Hugh of Gournay, a trusted counsellor of William the Conqueror (see OV III: 110) was the second husband of Basilia, and both appear to have been benefactors of Bee. After her husband's death, Basilia lived near the monastery; see also Ep 147; Rule I: 238.
69. TO THE MONK MAURICE.
Despite their long silence and separation Anselm assures Maurice of their fer vent mutual love and rejoices that Maurice is loved by everybody.
TO HIS FELLOW-MONK AND DEAREST BROTHER AND SON,
MAURICE: BROTHER ANSELM, WISHING THAT HE MAY INCREASE IN
WISDOM AND GRACE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND MEN.'
IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME since we visited each other by our letters, although we have had no doubt about the stability of our mutual affection and although we have greet ed each other by the words of messengers when it was con venient. But lest perchance this love appear to grow cold for some reason, I think it helpful that it sometimes be seen to glow in letters, like sparks darting forth from one to another. Since I, whom you desire, cannot have you, whom
I long for, with me, yet on this account I love you not less but more. And as I see that greater and better people than
I so love you that they are unwilling to send you away,2
The Letters of St. Anselm I realize that I should love you even more. This is why I am almost uncertain as to whether I should rejoice more because you make yourself so lovable or grieve more be cause I cannot enjoy so amiable a friend.
But although I know for sure that I should love you not so much for my sake as for yours, looking at the matter im partially, I ought clearly to be congratulated more for the presence of a good character, which is your lot, than sad dened by the absence of your person, which is mine. Fi nally, I have always wanted you to be lovable to God and to good men, and for my part I have always striven that while you were with me you should be my confidant. Nor has this desire cooled down at all just because this endeavor could not be practised any more after you were no longer with me. Indeed, you cannot be everywhere where you are loved, but you can be loved and be good wherever you may be. That you may be in the place and the sort of person God wishes you to be and is best for you, therefore—this I desire because our mutual love demands it for our mutual salvation—may God hear my prayer. And since now, wherever you are, he has made you lovable to good peo ple, blessed be the Lord.
Greet our beloved brothers and friends: Dom Herluin3 and Dom Wido,4 Dom Elmer5 and Dom Hulward,6 the cousin of Dom Osbern.7 c. 1076.
NOTES 1. Lk 2:52.
2. Archbishop Lanfranc has obviously not granted Maurice's return to Bee; see Ep 60.
3. On Herluin, see Epp 5, 7, 8, 17, 43, 51, 60 and 74.
4. On Wido/Guido, see Epp 31, 39, 75.
5. On Elmer, possibly Prior Elmer, 1128-1137, see Heads, 33; Southern, Anselm, 202f, 271; J. Leclercq, 'Ecrits sprituels d'Elmar de Cantorbery,'
Studia Anselmiana 31 (Analecta Monastica 2: Rome 1953) 45-117.
6. On Hulward/Holvard, see Epp 33, 74.
7. As Anselm does not greet Osbern it appears that Osbern carried this letter to Canterbury along with Epp 66, 67 and 68.
The Letters of St. Anselm
70. FROM DURAND, ABBOT OF
LA CHAISE-DIEU
Abbot Durand of La Chaise-Dieu praises Anselm's meditation, begs for his inter cession and asks for fellowship between their communities. In pledge of this union he asks for the Epistles of Saint Paul and offers an equal manuscript in return.
DURAND, BY THE GRACE OF GOD ALONE ABBOT OF
LA CHAISE-DIEU1: TO DOM ANSELM, THE VENERABLE PRIOR OF BEC,
ETERNAL GREETINGS.
TWO MEN FROM BAYEUX, steeped in learning, young men displaying excellent behavior in every way—the youn ger of them is Roger by name and the other is
William2—these two, and many more besides, but most of all these, have poured into our ears the oil and sweetness of both your name and religious observance.
And now: My life terrifies me, for when I carefully examine it3 with what follows in this work and in the others besides this where you uttered and wrote very conscientiously about your contrite spirit and about the devotion of your contrite heart: these works show us your devoted tears when we read them and bring forth ours so that we marvel at both, namely, that the dew of such blessing overflows in your heart and that, without a murmur, a stream runs down from there into our heart. For indeed it is so. The devotion of your written prayer arouses in us the devotion of slumber ing compunction to such an extent that we rejoice with you, as if by a leap of the mind, by loving those things in you, or rather you in them, and more than them and through them we love God and you. Intercede therefore—because you can intercede—for us who intercede for you, as much as we can, and send us other prayers you have written, if you have any we have not got; for they are known to us and requested by the love which continues to exist between us.
We ask, moreover, for a share in the fellowship of the members of your community and we send you a legation
The Letters of St. Anselm charged to act for us in this matter so you can confidently ask about this and grant what is asked through the abun dance of your charity. They are prepared to give a pledge of our love and we ask for a pledge in return. Choose what we can give you; we choose Paul's Epistles4 from you. In this matter we intend no trickery, as if ready to receive first and not prepared first to give: for that is the furthest thing from the sacrament of love which is God. But burning with charity, we do not foresee how to make our request but we are prepared not to refuse what is appropriately asked of us by any member of this holy profession.
May these two brothers, inflamed with longing for you, have your help in all things, therefore, because the will of all in all things depends on you. c. 1075/76.
NOTES 1. Durand became abbot of La Chaise-Dieu in 1073 and was elected Bishop of Clermont in 1077. He died in 1095.
2. See Ep 21.
3. Meditation 1.1.1, AOO III: 76; see B. Ward, Prayers and Meditations 221.
4. Durand may be referring to Lanfranc's Commentary on the Epistles of Saint Paul; see Ep 66.