▁to ▁the ▁widely ▁held ▁belief ▁that ▁a ▁general ▁atmosphere ▁of ▁susp icion ▁surrounded ▁the ▁Lib ell us ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁In ▁fact , ▁Bon if ace ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁only ▁medieval ▁person ality ▁to ▁have ▁ever ▁expressed ▁doubt ▁about ▁the ▁author ship ▁of ▁this ▁letter . ▁As ▁mission ary ▁to ▁the ▁German ic ▁pe op les ▁of ▁Europe ▁and ▁leg ate ▁of ▁the ▁pap al ▁see , ▁Bon if ace ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁later ▁life ▁in ▁Cont inental ▁Europe , ▁where ▁he ▁encountered ▁many ▁canonical ▁trad itions ▁that ▁were ▁un famil iar ▁to ▁the ▁Ang lo - S ax ons ▁and ▁that ▁appeared ▁to ▁Bon if ace ▁out ▁of ▁step ▁with ▁his ▁knowledge ▁of ▁church ▁tradition . ▁The ▁Lib ell us ▁represented ▁one ▁such ▁tradition . ▁Bon if ace ▁in ▁fact ▁had ▁very ▁practical ▁reasons ▁for ▁question ing ▁the ▁Lib ell us . ▁He ▁had ▁witness ed ▁its ▁recommend ations ▁being ▁explo ited ▁by ▁certain ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Frank ish ▁nob ility ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁Lib ell us ▁permitted ▁them ▁to ▁enter ▁into ▁un ions ▁with ▁their ▁a un ts , ▁un ions ▁Bon if ace ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁inc est uous . ▁E ager ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁this ▁controvers y , ▁in ▁ 7 3 5 ▁Bon if ace ▁wrote ▁to ▁N oth helm , ▁the ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁Can ter bury , ▁request ing ▁N oth helm ▁send ▁him ▁Can ter bury ' s ▁own ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁Lib ell us