“He who truly contends toward recovering the kingdom of life, strives
to cleave to God through all; no adversity draws him from God’s
service, no pleasure lures him from the love of Him. _Per dura et
aspera_ he treads the way of His commands, and from hope of the reward
to come, his heart is aflame with the ardour of love, and sings with
the Psalmist, Great is the glory of the Lord. Which glory he tastes in
this pilgrimage, and tasting, he desires, and desiring, salutes as
from afar. Supported by the hope of attaining, he is consoled amid the
perils of the world and gladly sings, Great is the glory of the Lord.
Know that this one will in no way be defrauded of that glory of the
Lord, since all that is in him serves the Lord, and is directed to
winning this reward. But I see that there is no need to say to you
another word. My brothers, since we are separated now in grief, I
beseech you so to strive that hereafter we may be united joyfully
before God. Be ye those who truly wish to be made heirs of God.”
The clarity and gentle love of this high argument is Anselm. Now the story
follows of Anselm and Eadmer and another monk travelling on, sometimes
unknown, sometimes acclaimed, through France to Italy and Rome. Anselm’s
face inspired reverence in those who did not know him, and the peace of
his countenance attracted even Saracens. Had he been born and bred in
England, he might have managed better with the Red King. He never got an
English point of view, but remained a Churchman with Italian-Hildebrandine
convictions. Of course, two policies were clashing then in England, where
it happened that there was on one side an able and rapacious tyrant, while
the other was represented by a man with the countenance and temperament of
an angel. But we may leave Anselm now in Italy, where he is beyond the Red
King’s molestation, and turn to his writings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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