The Plays of Roswitha: Preface to the Plays of Hrotswitha, German Religous and Virgin of
the Saxon Race
THERE are many Catholics, and we cannot entirely acquit ourselves of the charge, who,
attracted by the polished elegance of the style of pagan writers, prefer their works to
the holy scriptures. There are others who, although they are deeply attached to the sacred
writings and have no liking for most pagan productions, make an exception in favour of the
works of Terence, and, fascinated by the charm of the manner, risk being corrupted by the
wickedness of the matter. Wherefore I, the strong voice of Gandersheim, have not hesitated
to imitate in my writings a poet whose works are so widely read, my object being to
glorify, within the limits of my poor talent, the laudable chastity of Christian virgins
in that self-same form of composition which has been used to describe the shameless acts
of licentious women. One thing has all the same embarrassed me and often brought a blush
to my cheek. It is that I have been compelled through the nature of this work to apply my
mind and my pen to depicting the dreadful frenzy of those possessed by unlawful love, and
the insidious sweetness of passion -- things which should not even be named among us. Yet
if from modesty I had refrained from treating these subjects I should not have been able
to attain my object— to glorify the innocent to the best of my ability. For the more
seductive the blandishments of lovers the more wonderful the divine succour and the
greater the merit of those who resist, especially when it is fragile woman who is
victorious and strong man who is routed with confusion.
I have no doubt that many will say that my poor work is much inferior to that of the
author whom I have taken as my model, that it is on a much humbler scale, and indeed
altogether different.
Well, I do not deny this. None can justly accuse me of wishing to place myself on a
level uith those who by the sublimity of their genius have so far outstripped me. No, I am
not so arrogant as to compare myself even with the least among the scholars of the ancient
world. I strive only, although my power is not equal to my desire, to use what talent I
have for the glory of Him Who gave it me. Nor is my self-love so great that I would, to
avoid criticism, abstain from proclaiming wherever possible the virtue of Christ working
in His saints. If this pious devotion gives satisfaction I shall rejoice; it it does not,
either on account of my own worthlessness or of the faults of my unpolished style, I shall
still be glad that I made the effort.
EPISTLE OF THE SAME TO CERTAIN LEARNED PATRONS OF THIS BOOK
To you, learned and virtuous men, who do not envy the success of others, but on the
contrary rejoice in it as becomes the truly great, Hrotswitha, poor humble sinner, sends
wishes for your health in this life and your joy in eternity.
I cannot praise you enough for your humility, or pay an adequate tribute to your
kindness and affection. To think that you, who have been nurtured in the most profound
philosophical studies and have attained knowledge in perfection, should have deigned to
approve the humble work of an obscure woman! You have, however, not praised me but the
Giver of the grace which works in me, by sending me your paternal congratulations and
admitting that I possess some little knowledge of those arts the subtleties of which
esceed the grasp of my woman's mind. Until I showed my work to you I had not dared to let
anyone see it except my intimate companions. I came near abandoning this form of writing
altogether, for if there were few to whom I could submit my compositions at all there were
fewer still who could point out what needed correction and encourage me to go on. But now,
reassured by your verdict (is it not said that the testimony of three witnesses is
"equivalent to the truth" ?), I feel that I have enough confidence to apply
myself to writing, if God grants me the power, and that I need not fear the criticism of
the learned whoever they may be. Still, I am torn by conflicting feelings. I rejoice from
the depths of my soul that the God through Whose grace alone I am what I am should be
praised in me, but I am afraid of being thought greater than I am. I know that it is as
wrong to deny a divine gift as to pretend falsely that we have received it. So I will not
deny that through the grace of the Creator I have acquired some knowledge of the arts. He
has given me the ability to learn -- I am a teachable creature -- yet of myself I should
know nothing. He has given me a perspcacious mind, but one that lies fallow and idle when
it is not cultivated. That my natural gifts might not be made void by negligence I have
been at pains, whenever I have been able to pick up some threads and scraps torn from the
old mantle of philosophy, to weave them into the stuff of my own book, in the hope that my
lowly ignorant effort may gain more acceptance through the introduction of something of a
nobler strain, and that the Creator of genius may be the more honoured since it is
generally believed that a woman's intelligence is slower. Such has been my motive in
writing, the sole reason for the sweat and fatigue which my labours have cost me. At least
I do not pretend to have knowledge where I am ignorant. On the contrary, my best claim to
indulgence is that I know how much I do not know.
Impelled by your kindly interest and your express wish I come, bowing low like a reed,
to submit this little work to your judgment. I wrote it indeed with that idea in my mind,
although doubt as to its merits has made me withhold it until now. I hope you will revise
it with the same careful attention that you would give to a work of your own, and that
when you have succeeded in bringing it up to the proper standard you will return it to me,
that I may learn what are its worst faults.
Source.
Hrotsvitha, ca. 935-ca. 975. The Plays of Roswitha. Translated by Christopher
St. John, with an introduction by Cardinal Gasquet and a critical preface by the
translator.(London, Chatto & Windus, 1923)
Scanned in and HTMLed by C. Liang <cliang@carleton.edu>
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Paul Halsall, October 1999
halsall@fordham.edu
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