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To the revered father and lord Ernald, abbot
of Rievaulx, from his devoted William, the least of Christs
servants, who prays that when the Prince of pastors appears he may
obtain the crown of glory which will not wither.
I have received from your Holiness the letter in which you kindly
allot to me the task of studying and recording those noteworthy
events which have occurred in greater abundance in our day, so as
to advance the knowledge and circumspection of posterity; and this
in spite of the fact that in the revered community of your sons
you have the resources of several men who could perform this work
more aptly and gracefully. But as I see it your devoted wisdom has
decreed that you should relieve your own sons of this task as they
sweat in the performance of the service imposed by the rule, and
you refuse to permit the leisure mercifully granted to my weakness
to lie fallow. And indeed, such is the devotion which binds me to
your regard for me that even if you were to impose more laborious
tasks I should not dare to refuse you. As it is, your careful discretion
bids me not to devote myself to the investigation of lofty matters,
nor to the exploration of the mysteries, but to stroll for a while
in the paths of historical narrative, an easy task offering me a
form of mental recreation. This all the more deprives me of the
chance of putting forward an excuse. So with the help of God our
Lord (for we ourselves and our words lie in his hand) and relying
on your prayers and commanding respect to your Holiness request,
I shall embark on the task imposed upon me
[William
of Newburgh, History of English Affairs
I, tr. P. G. Walsh and J. M. Kennedy (Warminster, 1988), p. 27].
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