69. To Muriardachus, King of Ireland

To Muriardachus the illustrious King of Ireland, Anselm the archbishop, servant of the Church of Canterbury: faithful obedience with prayers: by the earthly mayest thou attain to the heavenly kingdom.

Since many things are told me of your excellence which become the royal dignity, we rejoice greatly; and give therefor devout thanks to God from whom is every good thing. I am also sure that He who gave you His grace to do the right things you already perform, will also give you a desire to do whatever you shall perceive He requires of you beyond what you are doing. Wherefore, illustrious son and well-beloved in God, I beg that you will with the utmost speed and care amend those things in your realm which you may perceive require amendment according to the religion of Christ. For God has placed you on a royal height that you may govern your subject people with a rod of equity, and that whatever among them is against right and justice, you should with that same rod smite and remove. And yet it is said that one thing is done among that people, which very greatly needs alteration, for it is entirely contrary to the Christian religion. For it is said that men exchange their wives for the wives of others, as they might exchange one horse for another, or any other thing for something else; or they abandon them from mere fancy, without cause or rule. How wrong this is, anyone understands who knows the Christian law. If therefore your excellence is unable to read for yourself the sayings of the Holy Scriptures which forbid this infamous exchange, desire the bishops and clerks regular who are in your kingdom to read them to you, so that having learnt them, you may perceive with what anxious care you should investigate, and take measures for the correction of, this evil. It is also said that in your realm bishops are elected at random and appointed without any distinct place for their episcopate, and are ordained bishop by a single bishop, as any priest might be. Now this is quite contrary to the apostolic canons; which direct that those who are thus instituted and ordained, are with those who consecrated them, to be deposed from the episcopal office. For a bishop cannot be appointed according to God unless he have a fixed parish and parishioners whom he is to superintend, for even in secular things none can have the name or office of a shepherd, who has no flock to feed. It lowers also not a little the episcopal dignity when he is raised to the pontificate who knows not the limits of his rule nor whom he certainly governs by the ministry of the episcopal order. Also, none should be ordained by less than three bishops, both for many other and reasonable causes which the short space of a letter has no room for, and also that the faith, good character and wisdom of him who is to watch and rule, may be testified to by suitable and legal witnesses. I therefore pray, exhort, and advise that your excellence will take measures to have these things in your realm amended, so that the reward which you have obtained from God for other good deeds may be increased to you for this. Finally, if you do on examination find aught in yourself or those who have been given you to rule which doth in any way resist God's will, strive carefully to amend it, that when you shall leave your earthly kingdom you may come to the heavenly kingdom. Amen. As to our brother Cornelius whom your highness asked me to send to you, I have to say that he is so occupied in attendance upon his father that he could not be separated from him without peril of the father's life, nor could he take him along with him, for he is very old indeed.