Letter LXXV. To Artaud, Abbot of Prully
(A.D. 1127.)
To his very dear friend and colleague, Abbot ARTAUD, Brother BERNARD wishes health.1
Whatever affection and heartfelt kindliness absent friends are able to bestow upon one another I feel is due both from me to you and from you to me, not only because we share the same vows and method of life, but also because we have neither of us forgotten our ancient friendship. And we are in no way better able to show to each other or to recognize how acceptable this is to each of us, and how warmly it exists in the heart of each of us, than not to conceal from each other if either should hear of anything unbecoming or unsuitable concerning his friend. Now, I have heard that you have the intention of founding an abbey in Spain to be dependent on your holy convent. The plan occasioned great surprise to me, nor could I conjecture for what end, with what design or hope of usefulness, you should wish to send some of2 your monks into exile to a place so distant, and which will cost you so much both in trouble and in money to reach and to build upon, when you have quite near you a house already built and well-fitted up, where you may settle any of them. For you cannot, I suppose, excuse yourself by saying that the place I refer to is not yours, when I know quite well that it may easily be yours if you wish. Do you suppose that the Lord Abbot of Pontigny, l to whom it belongs, would refuse it to you if you asked him for it? On the contrary, it would be most agreeable to him if you were willing to accept it; not because it is not a good house, but because, as you know, he has no need of it. We ought both of us to take great care in our conduct, of the advice which the Apostle gives: Let no man despise thy youth (1 Tim. iv. 12), because we are remarked the sooner for levity, as we are young men. But I trust that you will act with more consideration, and choose this place, as it is nearer to you and already built; which, while it will perfectly meet your wants, is only a burden to our friend the abbot, who at present holds it. Farewell.
Footnotes
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This inscription is restored from the Corbey MS. ↩
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Of Prally, not of Po/tieres. See notes to Letter 80. Prully was a monastery of Cistercians, situated in the Diocese of Sens, founded in 11 18, by Theobald, Count of Champagne, and Adele. his mother, as William de Nangis reports in his Chronicle, cited by Manrique in his dnnals under that year. But Theobald was not then Count, as may be gathered from the notes to Letter 31. ↩
Chapter 75 of 491