Letter of Anselm to the Countess Mathilda of Tuscany
Letter of Anselm to the Countess Mathilda of Tuscany
(Schmitt, vol. 3, p. 4, before the Preface to the Prayers and Meditations)
Anselm, the unworthy bishop of the Church of Canterbury, sends salutations to the reverend Countess Mathilda.
It has seemed good to your Highness that I should send you these prayers, which I edited at the request of several brothers. Some of them are not appropriate to you, but I want to send them all, so that if you like them you may be able to compose others after their example. They are arranged so that by reading them the mind may be stirred up either to the love or fear of God, or to a consideration of both; so they should not be read cursorily or quickly, but little by little, with attention and deep meditation. It is not intended that the reader should feel impelled to read the whole, but only as much as will stir up the affections to prayer; so as much as does that, think it to be sufficient for you.
Second Letter to Countess Mathilda
(Schmitt, vol. 5, end of Letter 325, p. 256)
Your Highness has told me that you have not got the Prayers and Meditations which I myself have copied and I thought you had got. I send them to you by my son, Alexander. The Almighty God rule and protect you always; with my blessing.