Pray for the success of my venture
The letter below was written by Adam to the Brigittine monastery and convent at Vadstena in the Swedish lakeland. Adam was anxious to write to the nuns to let them know that he was working hard to vindicate Brigit's reputation following the attack on her by a Perugian detractor. Adam wrote a substantial tract taking apart the Perugian's argument line by line and preparing the groundwork for Brigit's canonization in the process. However he wanted to reassure the Abbess of Vadstena and ensure that the first convent to take up and follow Brigit's rule would not give up even as he was rushing to the defence of the fledgling order. The transcript below is taken from British Library MS Harley 612 and is particularly interesting as it is dated, unlike that contained in Bodlein MS Hamilton 7. This latter manuscript I have not seen in person but having checked the wording with James Schmidke's excellent transcript, it seems to be identical in all material respects.
Editor's Note
The suggested date is important as there has been a suspicion in the past that Adam may have returned to England after Urban VI's demise and not returned to Rome until some time in 1394. We already know from other documents, not least the petition for Brigit's canonization included in this section, that Adam was in Rome to sign the petition immediately prior to the Canonization which took place on 8 October 1391. We also know he was in Rome for the consistory at which he was restored by Boniface on the 18th December 1389.
However this letter dated in Rome on the 9th February is still more helpful by narrowing the date range in which a return trip to England could have happened. As the contents below clearly show that Urban VI had died and Brigit was still not canonized, the letter can only have been written on either 9th February 1390 or 9th February 1391. If the letter was written in 1390, given the minimum two months each way journey time to England, Adam would have had to have returned to England after February 1390 and been back in Rome before October 1391. Possible, but see below, I suggest unlikely. If the letter was written in February 1391, then Adam would have had to have gone to England and returned to Rome between December 1389 and February 1391. Again this is still possible but I suggest unlikely. He certainly would not have travelled to England in my view between February 1391 and October 1391.
The critical additional piece of information we have is that Adam was in dispute with King Richard over the benefices of Somersham and York and that Richard's patience was running out. There are a string of letters between Richard, Boniface and Adam that clearly mark this deterioration in relations (see The King is not Amused" in this section). On 3rd May 1391 Richard ordered all clergy in Rome to return to England and that if they did not their benefices would be forfeit. Given the terms of the dispute between them, Adam would have almost certainly been imprisoned had he returned. However the proclamation was clearly aimed at Adam and the disputed benefices he held with papal support, this was the only major dispute outstanding at the time between the King and Rome. So the fact that Richard felt the need to issue the proclamation strongly suggests that as at 3rd May 1391 Adam had clearly not yet returned.
Andrew Lee
Epistola Domini Cardinalis as abbatissam et conventum. Adam cardinalis Anglie. Religiose domine abbatisse et conventui monasterii beate virginis et beate Birgitte Watzsteno ordinis sancti salvatoris in regno Sweci dioc. Lincopensiens devotis sine praecarissimus.
Carissime domine et surores. Ad devotionem devotisime domine Birgitte vos exhorot quoniam nuper tempore Urbani olim pape sexti in tribulatione magna positus fueram sine causa et eius furorem sentiens et periculum grande nimis, quod mortem evadere non seperavi sine sanctorum miraculo et sanctarum, inter alias sanctas vovi ad devotam Brigittam antedictam ut ipsa intercederet pro me ad beatam Mariam et filium eius Christum, quod me a suis periculis tirannicis liberaret et ad eius canonisationem poneram diligenciam meam totam. Et hoc continuatis vivebus diu feci, in tantum quod eius adiutorio singulari et meritus eius sanctis spero me fuisse a furoribus predictis tyrannicis liberatum. In diversis etiam aliis tribulationibus fueram circumseptus et eius adiutorium supplicavi et simper inveni remedium singulare in tantum quod in tormentis positus tyrannorum nullatenus penam sensi.
Qua propter iuxta votum meum predictum vos omnes sollicito quantum possum ut ad eius canonizationem laborare dignemini cum effectu cum vestris et suis consanguineis et amicis. Ante omnia tamen vos moveo in visceribus caritatis, ut omni dei ad beatam virginem mariam dignemini porrigere preces vestras, quod ipsa inspiret consilium, auxilium in hac parte. De aliquibus vero emulis suis nitentibus canonizationem suam et obliquia impedire, non modo moveamini nec perturbacionem aliquam habeatis. Nam vidi quendam libellum in Perusio compositum per articulos contra regulam suam sancta. Et videbatur michi quod libellus fuit valde difficilis ad solvendum, sed apud ipsam ominam Briggitam perrepi continue preces meas intercedens, quod ipsa pro me apud beatam virginem exoraret, ut in declaracione et dubiis factis contra eam iuxta veritatem scripture sacre lucide me informare et ab imminentibus periculis liberaret. Et statim perlegi libellum compositum contra eam, et videbatur michi quod habui solucionem et veritatem omnium dubiorum; et quanto magis legi, tanto fueram clarius super tota materis informatus; et libellu, contrarium composui iuxta vota per sacrarum testimonis scripturarum et doctores alios approbatos, et incipit ieste liber: Respondebo exprobrantibus michi verbum. Et illum libellum per articulos declaratos transmisi domino Alphonso eius devoto. Ad Januam isto anno. Unde me reputo securum quod si laboraveritis cum devocione debite ad premissa, intentum habebitis Deo duce. Nunquam enim michi defecerat quando ipsam debite invocavi. Recommendo me vestris oracionibus penes eam, ut ipsa pro me interpellet apud Deum, quod preservet a periculis vitam meam et digigat ad salutem; quorum amiciciam diu consevet in prosperis omnipotens ipse deus precibus devote Birggitte sacro sanctis.
Scriptus Rome ix die ffebruarii