To the sovereign Pope Innocent, our special father, brother Peter, humble abbot of Cluny: obedience and love.
Master Peter, well known, I believe, to your Holiness, passed by Cluny recently on his way from France. We asked him where he was going. He replied that he was weighed down by the persecutions of those who accused him of heresy, a thing he abhorred, that he had appealed to papal authority and sought protection from it. We praised his intention, and urged him to make his way to that common refuge which we all know. We told him that apostolic justice has never failed anyone, be he stranger or pilgrim, and would not be denied him, and assured him that if he had real need of mercy he would find it with you.
In the meantime the lord abbot of Cîteaux arrived, and spoke with us and with him about a reconciliation between him and the abbot of Clairvaux, the reason for his appeal to you. We too did our best to restore peace, and urged him to go to Clairvaux with the abbot of Cîteaux. We further counselled him, if he had written or said anything offensive to orthodox Christian ears, to take the advice of the abbot of Cîteaux and of other wise and worthy men, curb his language and remove such expressions from his writings. This he did. He went and came back, and on his return told us that through the mediation of the abbot of Cîteaux he had made his peace with the abbot of Clairvaux and that their previous differences were settled. Meanwhile, on our advice, or rather, we believe, inspired by God, he decided to abandon the turmoil of schools and teaching and to remain permanently in your house of Cluny. We thought this a proper decision in view of his age and weakness and his religious calling, and believed that his learning, which is not altogether unknown to you, could be of benefit to our large community of brothers; we therefore granted his wish, and on condition that it is agreeable to your Holiness, we have willingly and gladly agreed that he shall remain with us who, as you know, are wholly your own.
And so I, your humble servant, beg you, your devoted community of Cluny begs you, and Peter himself begs this on his own part, through us, through your sons who bring this letter, and through these very words which he asked me to write: permit him to spend the remaining days of his life and old age, which perhaps will not be many, in your house of Cluny, so that no one’s intervention shall be able to disturb or remove him from the home the sparrow has reached or the nest the turtle-dove is so happy to have found.2 For the honour in which you hold all good men and the love you bear him, let the shield of your apostolic protection cover him.3