Lanfrancus, non suis meritis, sed gratia Dei, Archiepiscopus, glorioso Hiberniæ Regi Gothrico salutern orationibus.

Venerabilem Fratrem ac Coepiscopum nostrum Patricium, quein Reverendissime Fili, Excellentia Vestra ad Nos consecrandum transmisit, honeste suscepimus, debitis officiis secundum canonicarn institutionem, sancti Spiritus gratia cooperante, sacravimus, sacratum ad propriam sedem, cum testimonio Literarum Nostrarum more Antecessorum Nostrorum remisimus. Qui quamvis de gloria vestra multa Nobis bona, multisque laudibus digna retulit, non ab re tamen credimus esse si prædicanda vestra studia Nostra adhortatione pulsamus. Sicut enim ignis flant vento darius lucet, at Ïnajor efficitur, sic vera virtus veris præcolliis pulchrius enitescit, at in melius augmentatur. ilogamus igitur, sicut rogari oportet pretiosum Sanctæ Ecclesiæ filium, quatenus Fidem rectam, ab ipso Deo et Apostolis ejus sanctis atque orthodoxis Patribus traditam, curn omni mentis sinceritate inviolatam teneatis ; Fidei congrua opera in quantum vires suppetunt exhibeatis ; superbis austeram, humilihus l)lacahileni vestram celsjtudinem ostenclatjs. In regno vestro perhibentuir honjines, sen de propria, seu de mortuarun-i uxorurn parentela conjuges ducere ; alii legitimò sibi copulatas pro arbitrio et voluntate relinquere ; nonnulli suas aliis dare, ~t aliorurn, in fanda commutatione, recipere. Hæc, et ci qua sunt alia crimina, propter Deum et anirnam vestram in terra potestatis vestræ corrigi jubete ; talesque vos curn divino adjutorio vestris subditis exhibete, ut et amatores boni bona amplius diligant, et appetitores mali pravas actiones nequaquam exercere præsumant. Hoc enirn facientes, et diutius cam rerurn temporalium felicitate in terra regnabitis, et post terrenum regnum sine fine regnaturi ad coelestia regna migrabitis.

Plura et prolixius vobis scripsissem, sed hahetis vobiscurn prædictum Antistitem vestrum,monasticis imistitutionibus a pueritia enutritum, scientia divinarurn literarum strenuissime erudituin, bonorum operum ornamentis, in quantum cognosci a Nobis potuit, decentissime ornatum. Quem de anirna vestra sæpius loquentem Si intento corde audieritis, audientes ut patri spirituali in his quæ ad Deum pertinent obedieritis, obedientes ea quæ vobis ab eo prolata fuerint, in area pectoris vestri reposueritis, sperarnus per misericordiam Dci, quia neque vos pernitiose errabitis, neque subditos Vobis in privatarum actionum pertinacia stare diu permiseritis. Omnipotens Dominus contra inirnicos mentis et corporis baltheo virtutis suæ Excellentiam Vestram defendat, et post longam hujus seculi vitam, ad eam, quæ finem non habet, feliciter Vos perducat.

Lanfranc, not by his own merits, but by the grace of God, Archbishop, to the glorious King of Ireland, Godred, best wishes and prayers.

We have duly received Our Venerable Brother and Fellow-Bishop Patrick, whom, most respected Son, your Excellency has sent to Us for consecration. We have consecrated him with the accustomed rites according to canonical institutions, the grace of the ioiy Spirit cooperating therewith ; and when consecrated We have sent him to his own See, with the testimony of Our Letters, as Our predecessors were wont to do. And although he related to Us many and very praiseworthy doings of your Glorious Person, We think it not amiss that We excite your laudable zeal by Our exhortation. For as fire, when fanned by the wind, shines yet brighter, and mounts yet higher ; so true virtue shines more brilliantly and is increased still more when deservedly praised. Wherefore We beseech you, as We must needs beseech a dear son of Holy Church, to hold inviolate in all sincerity of mind the right Faith, handed down by God Himself, His Holy Apostles, and the orthodox Fathers ; to show forth, as far as you can, deeds befitting this Faith ; and to exhibit yourself in your lofty station austere to the haughty, and a ready listener to the humble. In your kingdom men are said to take wives from their own relations, or from those of their deceased wives ; others to abandon at their caprice and pleasure those legitimately united to them; some, by an abominable exchange, to give their own wives to others, and receive the wives of others in return. For the sake of God and your own soul, command that these and any other crimes that may exist, be eradicated from the land under your sway, and do you by the divine assistance so demean yourself before the eyes of your subjects, that the lovers of good may he enamoured of it still more, and the evil in desires may on no account presume to practice wicked deeds. For by so doing you will both reign longer on earth in prosperity and happiness, and after this earthlykingdom you will pass to the heavenly kingdom to reign for evermore.

I should have written to you at greater length, but that you have with you your own aforesaid Prelate, one who has been fostered from his boyhood in monastic institutions, who is thoroughly learned in the knowledge of divine things, and, as far as we could discover, most highly adorned with the ornaments of good works. And if, when he is speaking, as he so frequently does, of the interests of your soul, you listen with attentive heart, and hearing, you obey him as your spiritual father in those things which appertain to God, and obeying, you lay up what he says in the repository of your breast, We hope in the mercy of God that you will neither walk in the pernicious ways of error, nor allow your subjects to continue long obstinately in their unlawful way. May the Almighty Lord defend your Excellency against all enemies of soul and body with the belt of his power, and after a long life in this world, may he happily lead you to. that which has no end.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2001