R173: Äbtissin H. an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Greeting and Prayerful Salutation
An abbess greets Hildegard with humility, confessing her unworthiness while commending Hildegard's proven prudence and asking for fellowship in God's works.
A certain abbess. To Hildegard. To the venerable Hildegard, beloved in Christ. H. A sinner and an abbess in name only, of the sisters in [a gap in the text], sends her prayer! And she asks for fellowship in all the works accomplished or yet to come in the praise of God. We know, most beloved, that in all things you have always proved prudent. And in this you have not yet failed.
A Cry Against Spiritual Assault
The abbess asks Hildegard to receive her letters graciously and then urgently complains of repeated demonic temptations and inner turmoil, imploring Hildegard's intercession.
So we ask you to receive our letters graciously, and hear what they contain. For we complain to your holiness that we are often under attack by the temptations of evil spirits, and are pulled in different directions. And unless we are strengthened by God's help! we are overwhelmed by the storms of those same spirits. Therefore we implore your holiness again and again — yes, a third time!
A Confidential Petition for Counsel
The abbess asks Hildegard to assist with her counsel for an eternal reward and to respond in writing through the bearer rather than by word of mouth.
So that for an eternal reward you would assist us with the counsel of your goodness. And whatever you decide about this matter, do not announce it by word of mouth.1 But report it by letter through the bearer [REDACTED] is present with you.
Read the original Latin
Abbatissa quędam. hildegardi. Hildigardi uenerabili et in christo dilectę. h. peccatrix et solo nomine abbatissa sororum in [lacuna] orationem! et omnium operum in laude dei transactorum seu futurorum communionem. Scimus dilectissima in omnibus uos prouidam semper extitisse. et in hoc nondum defecisse.
Unde rogamus ut litteras nostras benigne recipiatis. et quid in eis contineatur audiatis. Conquerimur enim uestrę sanctitati. quod temptationibus malorum spirituum multociens impugnamur. et in partes uarias inclinamur. Et nisi deo adiuuante confortemur! a procellis eorundem opprimimur. Eapropter uestram sanctitatem iterum et iterum et etiam tercio imploramus!
ut pro eterna remuneratione consilio uestrę bonitatis nobis subueniatis. Et quicquid super hac re deliberaueritis non uiua uoce. sed litteris per presentium latorem renunciate.
Notes
- 1 ↩deliberaueritis is ambiguous between future perfect indicative ('you will have decided') and perfect subjunctive ('you may have decided'); the negative imperative that follows favors reading it as a completed-decision subjunctive, hence 'whatever you decide'.
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