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Medieval Sourcebook:
CHURCH COURTS PURSUE ADULTERERS, 1289
To the most reverend man of religion the lord Sacrist of (Bury)
St. Edmund (Suffolk), the Archdeacon of Ely's Official: Greeting
in Him who is the true salvation of all.
We notify your lordship by these presents that John of the Moat,
painter, and Beatrice of Ely-At-Lanes-End, wife of Peter of Soham
but adhering to the adulterous embraces of the said John, have
merited the sentence of greater excommunication launched by us
for their repeated contumacy and manifest offence. We have caused
this sentence to be solemnly published through each of the parish
churches of the city of Ely on Sundays and holy days, and have
further forbidden anyone to presume to communicate in any way
with them or either of them during the period of the said excommunication
on pain of the same treatment. They have in no way feared to reject
the Church's keys in pertinaciously persisting under this excommunication
for a long time now thus tainting the Lord's flock as far as in
them lies. They have, however, moved away in search of refuge
to various places sometimes in southern parts, sometimes to the
north. We have heard from trustworthy people that they now lurk
at St. Edmunds and reside in your jurisdiction. We therefore require
and request of your Discretion as strongly as we may that, as
part of the mutual cooperation which Ordinaries [ecclesiastical
authorities operating jurisdiction] are bound to offer each other,
and since the said John and Beatrice are known to be living in
your parts, you should please have them and those communicating
with them publicly denounced as excommunicate and most strictly
avoided by everyone, until they return, blushing with shame, to
the bosom of Holy Mother Church and earn the right the benefit
of absolution from us. If it pleases you to act on the aforesaid
matters, we shall be bound to do for you the same or a greater
service. May your reverend lordship flourish and grow strong through
the daily round. Given at Cambridge the 3rd of the Ides of August
A.D. 1289.
[The Letter-Book of William of Hoo, ed. A. Gransden (Suffolk
recs. soc. v, 1963, no. 48; copied also as no. 79 omitting personal
names etc. under the title "Letter from an Ordinary to prosecute a sentence against a fugitive".]
Translation by Paul Hyams of Cornell University. See his Course Page?. He indicated that the translations are available for educational use. He intends to expand the number of translations, so keep a note of his home page.
This text is listed as part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.
Paul Halsall April 1996
halsall@murray.fordham.edu
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© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 15 November 2024 [CV]
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