11. To Henry

Brother Anselm to his master and beloved friend, the reverend prior Henry: sow thou holiness on earth, to reap in heaven felicity.

My beloved one, your master Osbern who returns now to you, does so freely acknowledge and execrate the perversity of his former life; and, so far as from the dealings I have had with him I could openly or secretly ascertain, he is so inflamed with the love of a praise worthy life, that we may not without cause esteem his inner man to be either already changed, or without doubt easily to be transformed. And it is known to your prudence that there is never so great need of kindness as in the early, incomplete conversion from a bad to a good life, lest the immature virtues which may be nourished and brought to full growth by the consolation of kindness should be checked, or quite crushed, by austere hardness. Therefore I beg of your beloved holiness, since wisdom in government becomes you, and it is expedient for the aforesaid brother; that, overlooking all his past perversity, you would nourish the infancy of his good intentions with the milk of perceptible kindness, lest perchance (which I expect not) he might, not from weakness display, but from malice fall back into, his former wickedness. For in no way do you better prove to him that under the severity which he felt in his error there was hidden love than by its being shown at the time the error is corrected. Finally, as it seems to me, no one ought to be driven into the way of living virtuously, save he who cannot be attracted into it. Also, I pray, or rather require as a debt which friends owe to each other, that, as I desire to love all those who are dear to your beloved fraternity, so Master Osbern in obtaining my affection, may greatly rejoice in yours for him having increased. Farewell.