104. TO THE BROTHERS LIVING: At Conflans.
The Letters of St. Anselm will, he may, at your insistence, be sent back to his brothers and the friends who long for him, for the sake of his cer tain salvation and the benefit of others, rather than be forced upon foreigners at the risk of his own ruin and with doubtful benefit to them.2
We appeal briefly for what we greatly desire and believe to be expedient, because we are well aware that a few words suffice for your holiness. If your prudence knows that di vine disposition so resists our petition that it is necessary to act differently, whatever your prudence would advise me if I were present to permit or to bring about in this mat ter, I commit to your authority. c. 1084/85.
NOTES 1. Gilbert Crispin; see Ep 84.
2. Lanfranc had written after choosing Gilbert to be abbot of Westmin ster; see Ep 106.
104. TO THE BROTHERS LIVING
AT CONFLANS.
In his letter to the monks of Bee living at Conflans Anselm orders the monk Benedict, who is staying on in Paris against his abbot's will, to return to his monastery Saint Pierre-sur-Dives. Ele asks his monks to comply to Dorn Ralph's demands and to inform Dorn Ursus of Saint Martin-des-Champs about his recov ery from a recent illness. He asks Dorn Maurice to return his letters.
BROTHER ANSELM, ABBOT OF BEC: TO THE BROTHERS OF BEC
LIVING AT CONFLANS,1 GREETINGS.
SEND OUR LETTER TO BENEDICT, the monk of Saint Pierre-sur-Dives who is staying on in Paris because of the schools and living at the monastery of Saint Magloire.2 I order and advise him to return to his monastery, from which he is absent against the will of his abbot.3 His abbot has
The Letters of St. Anselm
promised me that out of affection for us he would show him mercy and mildness if he were to return. If he wants to do this, kindly help him with charitable care as much as possible, as if he were a monk of our monastery, so he may come either on horseback to our monastery or by boat as far as Fresne.4
Do as Dom Ralph5 instructed you about his horse and about the monk of Saint Germain: but do not say that you were instructed [to do this] by me but by Dom Ralph. Fare well, and know that by the mercy of God I have complete ly recovered from the illness I recently had; and make this known to our friend Dom Ursus.6 We are still waiting for our letters which Dom Maurice is supposed to have sent us.7 Once more, farewell. c. 1085.
NOTES 1. See Ep 97.
2. Magloire/Maglorius was bom and educated in Ireland. Together with Samson he went to Brittany where he founded monasteries under the protection of King Childebert (511-558). He was bishop of Dol and abbot of his monastic foundation on the Isle of Sark and he died c.
575. In the tenth century his relics were translated to the newlyfounded abbey of Saint Magloire in Paris; see D.H. Farmer, The Ox ford Dictionary of Saints (Oxford, 1978) 256.
3. Abbot Fulk of Saint Pierre-sur-Dives; see Epp 61, 88, 105.
4. On the river Seine near les Andelys.
5. Possibly the same Dom Ralph as mentioned in Ep 55.
6. Dom Ursus was prior of Saint Martin-des-Champs in Paris; see Ep 162.
7. See AOO 161*-164*; and Introduction above.