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 countess palatine,(!1) to abound in peace and inner charity.
Many things have been told to you about me which you should not believe to be true. For I have had and have many important people who advise me to make trouble and promise to be helpers in all things in the future. Up to now I have carefully avoided this, which many ascribe not to my religion but to my pusillanimity. And I thought I had found the way to have peace with your honor and the will of the clerics, but by the advice of foolish and malicious men, your son took that Herodian oath and compelled his townsmen to it. Once that was done, by the counsel of honorable men I did not wish to give them benediction any more, but out of love for you I deferred pronouncing malediction. For they are not worthy of benediction, who deserved malediction and conspired recklessly in the death of innocents, until they return to their senses and ask forgiveness for their illicit oath. Before the thing gets worse we must have a consultation either with you or with suitable mediators, and with God's help try to turn such a dangerous and useless disturbance back to peace. For I shall not be able to keep this quiet long, but must strike with just anathema the inciters and their collaborators, unless there is a remedy for such great and illicit outrages, by which the impious matter and useless disturbance can be settled peaceably. Fare well, and let me know by the present bearer what seems best to you.
Original letter:
Ivo, humilis ecclasie Carnotensis minister, Adelae Palatinae Comitissae, et pacis et caritatis visceribus abundare. Multa vobis de me referuntur,quae non oportet ut a vobis vera esse credantur. Habui enim et habeo multos et magnos ad perturbandum suasores, qui se etiam promitterent futoros per omnia et in omnibus adjutores: quod adhuc, studiose evito et evitavi, licet hoc a multis non religioni adscribatur, sed pusillanimitati. Et putabam me invenisse modum quo pax fieri poterat cum vestra honestate et clericorum voluntate, nisi consilio insipientium et malignorum filios vester Herodianum illud sacramentum fecisset, et ad idem burgenses suos coegisset. Quo facto, usus virorum honestorum consi1io,nolui eis ultra dare benedictionem, sed tamen pro amore vestro distuli maledictionem; nec enim benedictione digni sunt, qui maledictionem meruerunt, et in mortem immeritorum incaute conspiraverunt, donec resipiscant et pro illicito juramento veniam petant. Oportet ergo ut antequam res in pejus vergat, aut per vos aut idoneos mediatores colloquium habeamus; et prout melius Deus donaverit, tam periculosam et inutilem turbam ad pacem reducere studeamus. Jam enim dissimulare diu juste non potero, quin justo anathemate feriam talium malorum incentores et eorum cooperatores, nisi tantis et illicitis ausibus remedium praeparetur, quo res impia et turba inutilis in pacis serenum convertatur. Valete, et quod melius vobis visum fuerit per praesentium portitorem remandate.
Historical context:
Adela's eldest son, William, has taken action which led to violence in the dispute over sworn oaths and the need for papal dispensation for them, discussed in PL 162 ep.116 and ep.121, and Ivo is still trying to work out a solution.
Scholarly notes:
(!1)This title is used in only this letter from Ivo to Adela, presumably to emphasize her higher status in relation to her son, a count whose part in this dispute neither Adela nor Ivo approved, see LoPrete, Adela of Blois, Countess and Lord, forthcoming, ch.5.
Manuscript source:
Printed source:
PL162 ep.136 c145; also HGF15 ep.85, p.127, same text with one variation in spelling