Collection of Letters: Detail
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Sender(s):
- Ivo of Chartres
Receiver(s):
Date:
Translated letter:
Ivo, humble minister of the church of Chartres, to Adela, excellent countess, greetings and the gift of prayers.
I have heard that you require a banlieu [area of jurisdiction] from our archpriest Raoul because of a certain false nun, whose things which he found at the home of a certain townsman of Blois he seized. Wherefore we ask and admonish your excellency that you not do this injury to us. For all false preachers, false monks, false clerics, fornicators, adulterers, usurers, and others who commit offenses against Christianity (except those punishable by capital punishment), are supposed to be judged and corrected by us; they and their things are under our jurisdiction. This is the ancient and inviolable custom, not only of the church of Chartres, but of all French churches in the whole kingdom. And we are prepared to assert/prove this either in our church or in any church which can give canonical judgment on us. Let your prudence therefore stop what has been started and, as you wish to have your rule inviolate, permit the church to have its rights. Do not let your excellency hold it against us, because we love you and what is yours and we would only reluctantly attempt anything against you, even with good reason. May your prudence know that what your ministers did to the foresaid archpriest we take very seriously but we will overlook it because of our love for you. However if anything worse, [God] forbid, occurs we will treat them severely according to our office. Fare well.
Original letter:
Ivo, humilis ecclesiae Carnotensis minister, Adelae excellenti Comitiasse salutem et orationum munus. Audivi quod a Radulfo archipresbytero nostro bannum-leugae requiritis propter quamdam pseudo-monachum, cujus reculas saisivit, quas apud quemdam burgensem Blesensem invenit. Unde rogamus et monemus excellentiam vestram, ut hanc nobis non inferatis injuriam. Omnes enim pseudo-praedicatores, et pseudo-monachi, et pseudo-clerici, fornicatores, adulteri, feneratores, et alii qui in christianismo offendunt (exceptis his qui poena capitali puniendi sunt), a nobis distringendi et corrigendi sunt, et ipsi et eorum res nostri sunt juris. Et haec est antiqua et inconcussa consuetudo, non tantum Carnotensis ecclesie, sed omnium ecclesiarum per totum regnum Galliarum: et hoc adstruere parati sumus, sive in ecclesia nostra, sive in omni ecclesia quae canonicum super nos possit facere judicium. Cesset ergo a tali incoepto prudentia vestra; et sicut incussum vultis habere principatum vestrum, sic ecclesiam permittite habere jus suum. Nec obsit nobis apud excellentiam vestram, quod vos et vestra diligimus, et inviti adversum vos aliquid, etiam ratione movente, attentamus. Sciat autem prudentia vestra, quia quod fecerunt ministri vestri in praedictum archipresbyterum, graviter ferimus, sed propter dilectionem vestram dissimulamus. Sed si res in pejus ( quod absit! ) se verterit, adhuc ab eis pro officio nostro districte exigemus. Valete.
Historical context:
The letter deals with a jurisdictional dispute between church and secular authority caused over the case of a false nun.
Scholarly notes:
Manuscript source:
Printed source:
PL162 ep.101 c120; also HGF15 ep.62 p.114, same text