THE SCENE: A recurring controversy in the middle ages was whether kings could decide who was appointed to religious positions in their territories. In the passage below, we get a firsthand account of a man whose recent promotion throws him into anxiety as he finds himself him in the middle of a conflict between his king and his pope.
THE TEXT: Suddenly, a servant from our household encountered us on the road, and after he recognize my companions and me, he was both happy and sad as he led be to one side. He reported the death of my predecessor, and the election of my own person, which had been carried out in full assembly with the assent of those present, but without the king being consulted in the matter. So, when the preeminent and most religious of the brothers, and also the noblest knights, had brought word of the election to the lord king for his approval, they found themselves locked up in the cast of Orleans, the victims of much abuse.
I was worried about possible losses if I followed the strict position of the Roman church and the guidance of the lord pope Calixtus who esteemed me highly, and accepted the election against the will of the lord king. When I was trying to decide whether to send one of my own party back to the lord pope to seeks his advice, a noble Roman cleric who was a close friend of mine unexpectedly came upon us. He promised to undertake at his own expense the same costly task we wished to do through our own men. In addition, we sent ahead to the king one of our servants along with the one who had found us, and they were to bring back news of the outcome of this bothersome and perplexing business.
It seemed as if we were being tossed about on a wild sea without any oar. Unsure as to what would happen, we were indeed worried and very deeply disturbed. However, the abundant mercy of almighty God steered our nearly shipwrecked vessel with a gentle breeze, for our messengers suddenly returned and reported that the lord king was peaceably disposed. The prisoners had been freed, and the election had been confirmed.
– The Deeds of Louis the Fat, Suger, 12th Century AD
