28. To Pope Pascal

Anselm, servant of the church at Canterbury, offers his lord and father Pascal, the supreme pontiff, his due service and prayers.

I think that your excellence must remember how I interceded with you for our beloved brother the arch bishop of B., and how kindly you answered. And now that he is going to present himself to you, I venture with all possible earnestness to pray that he may meet with apostolic charity. After I left your presence, William, the king of England's legate, who accompanied me, told me on the king's part that I was so to act as that I might be in England as my predecessor Lanfranc had been with the king his father. I understood from this that he did not wish for my return to England 1 68 Selections from the Letter s of St Anselm. unless I would become his man and swear fealty to him, and consecrate those on whom he should himself confer Church investitures. Therefore I told the king that I could not do this, and that you had enjoined me not to communicate with those who should accept investitures from him; but if he would allow me to do it consistently with my order and the obedience I owe to you, I would be ready to serve God according to my office, and the people committed to me, in England; and I asked him to give me an answer as to his will in this matter; which he has not yet done. I have not even been able to obtain anything from the revenues of my bishopric since William went back to England. As to the letter which you desired me to send to the king and queen from you, since William was told at Rome that it was written under my direction, and since the same William received, so I have heard, after that one, another sent out by your holiness, I do not believe it to have been conformed to my suggestions. Certain it is that had it been written under my guidance it would not have at all appeared as though implying contempt or scorn; now, as I hear, the king says I am his only adversary. I anxiously await your advice about all this, being prepared by God's grace to suffer for the truth anything that is not unbecoming to a Christian. May God long preserve your paternity safe to us. Amen.