40. To Pope Pascal

Anselm, servant of the Church of Canterbury, to Pascal, the supreme pontiff, offers obedience due and constant prayers.

With what earnestness my mind to the uttermost of its power clings to its reverence for and obedience to the holy see, the many grievous troubles known to my heart and to God, bear witness; which I suffered for four years from the beginning of my episcopate in England, and for two in exile, because I refused to deny my dependence on the Roman See. From which attitude of mind I hope in God there is nothing that could move me. Wherefore so far as is possible to me I wish to submit all my actions to the direction and where necessary to the correction, of the decisions of the said authority. As to my present position in Eng land I will write only a few words, since I leave it to the bearer of this to explain more fully by word of mouth. When I returned to my bishopric after being recalled by the present king of England, I found the apostolic decrees were being violated which I had heard when present at the Roman council, namely, that no layman should give ecclesiastical investitures, nor should anyone receive one at his hands, or become his man for it, nor should any consecrate one who presumed to do so; if any however should transgress this, he should lie under the excommunication of the holy council. Which the king and his nobles hearing, what they and even the bishops shouted out with one accord as to the evils which would thence arise and what they would rather do than accept these decrees, I am un willing to tell: let these messengers who were present and heard it all, tell it But turning to me, they all with one accord declared that I could stop all the mischief which might proceed from these decrees; they asserted forcibly that if I would join my entreaties to those of the bishops, your highness would be pleased to lessen the severity of the aforesaid decision. And that should I refuse to do this, they should consider that every evil which might thence arise was without any palliation to be imputed to me. Lest therefore I should seem to despise them somewhat, or to be doing aught out of my own heart or by my own will, I neither dare not listen to them, nor do I wish to put myself in the least beyond the disposal of your holiness. Therefore with all due reverence for and obedience to the apostolic see, I pray that so far as your authority under God allows, you would yield to this petition; and tell me decidedly what you desire me to do in this business, whatever that may be. I pray Almighty God long to keep your paternity safe in perfect prosperity for the strength and comfort of His Church.