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44 Unit 5 Diplomacy in the Middle Ages by Jeremy Black Central to Christian concepts about diplomacy was a belief in the unity of Christendom, and thus in a general good, and a related commitment to securing peace. This was frequently expressed in terms of preparing for a crusade, a key episode of international ac-tion in accordance with idealistic goals, but with the identity, norms and goals of the international system defined in accordance with Christianity. This commitment provided an exegesis for the role of diplomats that saw them as fulfilling a duty that was quasi-religious, an approach that gave them a necessary defence against obstruc-tions and against more active attempts to hinder diplomacy. This was the approach taken in the first Western European tract solely on diplomats, the Ambaxiator Brevilogus [Short Treatise on Ambas-sadors] (1436) by the French diplomat Bernard du Rosier, a cleric who eventually became Archbishop of Toulouse. This career pattern can be seen with many diplomats, while oth-ers came from a legal background. The development of the law was indeed important to that of diplomacy. In the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, the growing application of Roman law in legal processes was linked to the ability of those in authority to empower others for specific tasks. As a formal legal act, it became possible to appoint a proctor (procurator) who had a mandate which defined his powers to negotiate. Such appointments, which are documented from the early thirteenth century, dealt mainly with litigation. The ability to entrust others readily with the right to commit to agree-ments was not specifically linked to diplomacy, but was important to diplomatic culture and practice. This development indicates the importance of the medieval period in the evolution of diplomacy. The need for the legal and bureaucratic skills of the age was also seen with the use of the notaries and secretaries of the royal chan-cellery, who tended to support ...