Garnier: Obtaining the Pallium

Extract from

http://txm.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/bfm/pdf/becket.pdf
La vie de Saint Thomas le martyr. Edited by E. Walberg pp. 22-3

120 Mes l’abé d’Evesham aveit dunkes mandé, 
Dan Adam de Saint Liz, prudume e renumé ; 
Ke pur sun palle alast li aveit comandé.
Dui bon clerc e uns moines i sunt od li alé,
600 E pape Alisandre unt a Munpelier trové.

121
Bon clerc furent des arz, de decré e de lei.
Sa peticiun fist des treis chescon par sei,
E mult parlerent bien e clergilment tut trei.
E Alisandre pape les oï bien, ceo crei,
605 Mes il ne lur fist pas del palliun l’otrei.

122
Il en sunt plusurs feiz as cardunals alé.
Li cardunal lur unt mainte feiz demandé
K’il orent l’apostoile e a els aporté ;
K’il esteient de Rome chacié e debuté,
610 N’aveient de lur rentes un denier muneé.

123
Li messagier lur unt tut adès respundu
K’il de luntein païs esteient la venu ;
Ceo qu’orent aporté, orent pres despendu.
Le palle requereient saintement e a nu ;
615 Ja pur simonials n’en sereient tenu.

124
Unc ne porent plus prendre pur tut lur demander.
Mes quant li abes vit k’il ot liu de parler,
E vit les cardunals entur la pape ester,
Sa requeste mult bel cumença a mustrer ;
620 Mes n’i volt mot de lei ne de decré soner.

125
« Sire, fet il, ceo dit Deus, ki est veritez
(Par tut le deveiz fere, quant el liu Deu seez) :
“ Demandez justement, fet Deus, e vus l’avrez ;
Querez le seintement, e vus le troverez ;
625 Li uis vus ert overz, s’al verrai us butez ”.

126
Mult sumes travaillié e mult de luinz venum.
Ceo que volum aver saintement demandum ;
Ici devom trover ceo que nus requerum.
Vus nus overeiz l’us ; dignement i butum.
630 Vus estes el liu Deu, Deu en vos troverum. »

127
Dunc li dist l’apostoille, quant il ot parfiné :
« Frater, tu prendras ci ceo que as demandé.
Tu l’as quis justement, e tu l’avras trové ;
Nus t’overum mes l’uis, car tu i as buté. »
635 Dunc aveit hum avant le palliun porté.

128
Le palliun lur a l’apostoile chargié,
E il s’en sunt od tut ariere repairié.
Einsi i vint Thomas senz dun e senz pechié ;
N’i ad pur ceo denier ne or n’argent baillié.

640 Essample i deivent prendre li successur del sié

Translation

120 The abbot of Evesham was then summoned [by Becket], Father Adam de Saint Luz [Senlis], shrewd and well-known. Thomas commanded him to go fetch his pallium [from the Roman Curia]. Two good clerics and a monk went with him [the abbot], and they found Pope Alexander at Montpellier. 600

121 The clerics were well-versed in the art of rhetoric, and the decretals [canon law], and the [civil] law. Each of the three delivered his petition by himself [before the Pope]. And they spoke very well and learnedly all three. And Pope Alexander listened to them well, this I believe, but he did not grant permission for the pallium [to be given] to them. 605

122 ;And] they went many times to the cardinals. The cardinals demanded to know from them a great number of times what they had brought with them for the Pope and themselves, [saying] that they [the cardinals] had been chased out of Rome and had run away from it without any of their incomes, penniless. 610

123 The messengers always replied to their demands that they had come from a distant country; that whatever they had brought they had already spent. The pallium which they sought holily and without conditions, never would they handle it simoniacally. 615

124 In spite of all their demands, they obtained nothing more. But when the abbot saw an opportunity to speak, the cardinals being gathered around the Pope, he began to put forward his request well without, however, mentioning a word about the decretals: 620

125 "My Lord," he said "this is what God who is Truth says, (which you must affirm, as it is in God's place which you sit.):

'Ask justly', says God, 'and you will receive it; seek piously and you will find it; the door will be opened for you, if you knock on the true door.' 625

126 "We are very tired and have come a long way. That which we wish to have we ask for piously for it is here we must seek for that which we require. You will open the door for it for we have knocked [upon it] with dignity. You occupy the place of God; we shall find God in you." 630

127 Then the Pope said to him, when he had finished, "Frater [Brother], thou wilt take from here that which thou hast asked for; thou hast sought for it justly, and thou wilt find it; We will open our door to thee, because thou hast knocked upon it." He then had the pallium brought before him. 635

128 They were given charge of the pallium by the Pope, and they all returned home with it. Thus it came to Thomas without gift and without sin; for neither had he handed over either money, or gold, or silver for it, an example which his successors to the see [of Canterbury] may well seek to follow. 640

References

Luke 11:9-10 ' 9 And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. 10 For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. ' 

Constitutions of Clarendon: Simony

Adam de Senlis = Adam of Bermondsey, made abbot 1161

Julie Kerr (2007). Monastic Hospitality: The Benedictines in England, C.1070-c.1250. Boydell Press. pp. 234–. ISBN 978-1-84383-326-0.

Steven A. Schoenig (2016). Bonds of Wool: The Pallium and Papal Power in the Middle Ages. CUA Press. ISBN 978-0-8132-2922-5.