R49: Konrad III. an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Royal Greeting to a Faithful Virgin
Emperor Conrad greets Hildegard with royal and spiritual titles, explaining that royal duties prevent him from visiting her but assuring her of his continued approach through letters.
Conrad, emperor to Hildegard. Conrad, king of the Romans by God's favoring grace! to Hildegard, a virgin dedicated to God and mistress of the sisters of Saint Rupertsberg! Greeting and his grace. Because, hindered by the royal height and shaken by various whirlwinds and storms, we cannot visit you according to our will! Nevertheless, we will not fail to approach you by our letters.
Confession of Praise and Humble Refuge
Conrad confesses that Hildegard's holy life and spiritual gifts are widely known, and though he lives in the world he humbly takes refuge in her prayers and exhortations.
For so we have heard. Truly, the confession of highest praise abounds exceedingly in you, through the holiness of an innocent life.1 And through the magnificence of the Spirit coming into you from above in wonderful ways. And so, although we lead a life in the world, we hasten to you, we take refuge in you. And we humbly seek the support of your prayers and your exhortations! Since we live far otherwise than we ought. But you should know for certain that to you and to your sisters, in every cause,2
Entrusting Son and Self to Prayer
Conrad entrusts his son and himself to Hildegard's prayers, expressing both parental longing and personal devotion.
And we will hasten to be of help and to be present with you in every need. And so I also entrust my son to you — the one I long to see survive me!3 To your prayers I entrust even myself, all the more earnestly.
Read the original Latin
Cunradus imperator. hildegardi. Cunradus diuina fauente gratia rex romanorum! hildegardi deo dicatę uirgini et magistrę sororum de sancto roberto in pingis! salutem et gratiam suam. Quia regali culmine impediti ac diuersis turbinibus et procellis quassati. te inuisere pro uelle nostro non possumus! litteris tamen nostris te adire non omittemus.
Nam ut audiuimus. reuera superhabundat in te confessio summę laudis per sanctimoniam uitę innocentis. et per magnificentiam spiritus desuper mirifice in te uenientis. unde quamuis secularem uitam agamus. ad te properamus ad te confugimus. ac orationum et exhortationum tuarum suffragia humiliter querimus! quoniam longe aliter uiuimus quam debeamus. Pro certo autem scias quod tibi et sororibus tuis in omni causa.
et in omni necessitate uestra prodesse et adesse ubique properabimus. Vnde et filium meum quem mihi superstitem desidero esse! orationibus tuis sicut et meipsum attentius commendo.
Notes
- 1 ↩Confessio summę laudis rendered as 'confession of highest praise' — the phrase likely means a confession that is itself supremely praiseworthy, or a confession giving highest praise to God.
- 2 ↩In omni causa is left open-ended here because the sentence continues in the next section (HildE.1.49.3). The sense is 'in every cause/matter' — i.e., in all your needs.
- 3 ↩Vnde rendered as 'And so' to capture the inferential force ('for which reason / on that account'); it could also function referentially ('from which').
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