A Translation of the "Chronicle" of the Abbey of Morigny, France, c. 1100-1150 (review)

Several monastic chronicles from northern France in the first half of the twelfth century give us much of our information both on political events and on monastic life during the period:the chronicles of Suger, of Orderic Vitalis, of Guibert of Nogent, of Herman of Tournai, and of Galbert of Bruges. The Chronicle of Morigny deserves to be considered with this group but is much less well known. The critical edition of the twelfth-century manuscript, done by Léon Mirot, is a century old; there has been no modern study of the monastery and its historiography; and the chronicle has never before been translated. It consists of three books by at least three different authors; the first book is rather fragmentary. Only the first book names its author, the prior Thiou. Here Richard Cusimano, one of the co-translators of Suger's Deeds of Louis the Fat (1992), provides an English translation, with Mirot's Latin helpfully reproduced on facing pages. Handsome color photographs of the churches mentioned, family trees, endnotes, and maps (the latter very useful but unfortunately reproduced a bit too small and without a scale of kilometers) complete the volume. The notes, as well as identifying people, places, and biblical citations, provide important discussions of issues raised by the text.

Morigny was a house of Benedictine monks, not affiliated with any of the great twelfth-century monastic orders, but nonetheless dedicated to establishing a regular life and maintaining its property. The monastery flourished especially under the thirty-year rule of Abbot Thomas, best known now for his role in condemning the writings of Peter Abelard. Overall, the Morigny chronicle focuses on the history of the monastery from its foundation at the end of the eleventh century to about 1150, especially the monks' long quarrel with the secular canons of nearby Etampes. In addition, the second book of the chronicle provides a good deal of information on King Louis VI, including his decision at the 1130 Council of Etampes to support Pope Innocent II against the antipope Anaclet, and the accidental death of the king's heir in 1131. The chronicle also includes summaries of some early donations of property to the monastery.

Cusimano's translation is serviceable and faithful to the Latin, although the English is sometimes rather awkward. Latin is in fact very hard to put into good English without lapsing into paraphrase, but when the chronicle begins with the ringing, "Noveritis, o posteri nostri." one wishes for a more poetic translation than, "Understand, O our future generations [at the abbey]"(pp. 16-17). Similarly, in a scene where the abbot complains to the king about his treatment at the hands of the canons of Etampes, "He revealed the affront"is indeed an accurate translation of "Pandit injuriam"(pp. 38-39), but it is not graceful English.

This said, the volume should be warmly welcomed. It makes an important and fascinating chronicle much more accessible. It is however unfortunate that it was brought out by the Edwin Mellen Press, which means that it is priced out of the range of most individuals and will not be bought by most libraries, given the rather unsavory reputation of some other Mellen books. Perhaps an academic press will take up the paperback rights; it would be an excellent book to use in an upper-level class on medieval monasticism.