The Life of Blessed Bernard of Tiron life of Blessed Bernard of Tiron

Prologue and Metrical Headings

The Beginning Prologue Greetings to the most Reverend Father, Lord Geoffrey, by grace of God bishop of the cathedral of Chartres and legate of the Holy See,l from Geoffrey, least of all monks. I. Most blessed Father, in your wisdom your eminence knows very well and truly that we are clearly exhorted to transcribe the deeds of holy men and to transmit collections of them in literary works to make their merits known to posterity, by the Archangel Raphael, the healer, who told Tobias: "It is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to acknowledge and reveal the works of God" (Tb 12:7). Jerome? the light of the world, also encourages 1. Geoffrey II of Leves, bishop of Chartres (January m6-January 24, II49), was the brother of Gosselin, seigneur of Leves, a town 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) northeast of Chartres. His disputed election to the bishopric of Chartres required mediation by Robert ofArbrissel and Bernard ofTiron. The cartulary ofChartres cathedral contains a bull issued by Paschal II on April 5, m6, ordering the clergy and people of Chartres to accept Geoffrey II ofLeves as their duly elected bishop whom Paschal II was returning to them consecrated (E. Upinois and Lucien Merlet, eds., Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres [Chartres: Garnier, 1862], 1:124-25, no. 36). Geoffrey II was highly esteemed by a succession ofpopes and by Louis VI. He was an active participant in church councils, papal legate in Aquitaine for many years, and a fighter of heresy and schism alongside St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Geoffrey II was still legate in early II44, but he had ceased to hold that office by June (Gallia Christiana [Paris: Ex Topographia Regia, 1744], 8:II38E). Since Geoffrey refers to historical facts dated as late as II47, he may have used the title oflegate out ofcourtesy. 2. St. Jerome, ca. 341-420. For translations of the lives of Anthony, Paul of US to follow his example. After he faithfully translated the Old and New Testament in polished ptose, and after he thoughtfully commented upon the Prophets and the Gospel, he portrayed the lives of anchorites, specifically Malchus, Paul, and Hilarion, in a most flowery style.3 These wellsprings of eloquence, emanating from the lofty peaks of the unfathomable wisdom of God and watering the desert of earthly hearts with the heavenly dew of philosophy, namely Athanasius, Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory, and many other brilliant doctors ofthe Church of Christ (whose names we have omitted from our pages for reasons oflength) encourage us to undertake similar endeavors.4 After writing countless books in which they fully expound upon the most obscure doctrines and interpretations of Holy Scripture with utmost eloquence and lucidity, and in which, through the reasoning of their irrefutable arguments, they place all intellectual knowledge that is contrary to orthodox doctrine in captivity to the Christian faith, they published floral accounts, not only of the victorious struggles of the martyrs, a spring festival of rose-red flowers, but also of the flowering deeds and continent ways of the confessors and virgins, lilies of chastity emitting most fragrant scents. 2. The corpus of canonical writings and the books of the Old Testament endeavored to depict, through signs, figures, descriptions of shadowy things, the uncertainties of hard questions (I Thebes, Hilarion, Marchus, Martin of Tours, and Benedict, see Carolinne White, ed. and trans., Early Christian Lives (London: Penguin, 1998). 3. Malchus (d. ca. 390). Jerome, lItta Malchi Monachi Captivi (AASS Oct. 9: 0064B-0069F). Paul of Thebes, the first hermit, d. ca. 345. lItta S. Pauli Primi Eremitae (AASS Jan. I: 602-7). Hilarion (ca. 291-ca. 371), abbot and monastic pioneer of Palestine. Jerome, lItta S. Hilarionis (AASS Oct. 9: 0043E-0059E). 4. Athanasius wrote the life of St. Antony of Egypt (251-356). lItta S. Antonii Magni Abbatis (AASS Jan. 2: 120-41). Ambrose wrote the life ofAgnes (d. ca. 305), virgin martyr of Rome, lItta S. Agnetis. (AASS Jan. 2: 351-54). Augustine of Hippo wrote ofSt. Marcellinus, martyr ofCartbage, De Sancto Marcellino, Tribuno etNotario Martyre Carthagine in Africa (AASS Apr. I: 0539C-0542F), and of the Holy Martyrs of Massyllitana, De Sanctis Massylitanis Martyribus in Afica (AASS Apr. I: 0821B0821F ). Pope Gregoty the Great wrote the life of St. Benedict of Monte Cassino, in Book II ofhis Dialogues (AASS Mar. 3: 0277B-0288B). 4 PROLOGUE Kgs 10:1), and wondrous and intricate...