Letter CCCVI. To the Bishop of Ostia, for the Election of Thorold, Abbot of Trois-FONTAIXES

(A.D. 1151.)

He justifies himself from the reproach which Hugo had thrown upon him of having named Tliorold as Abbot oj Trois-Fontaincs, in preference to a certain monk named Nicholas, whom Hugo had intended for that post. He also explains the election of Robert as Abbot of a newly-founded monastery.¹

1. Woe to the world because of offences (S. Matt, xviii. 7). Do I offend you? am I an offence unto you? Who could believe that such a thing could happen except those to whom the unity of feeling, and mutual affection, in which we have walked in the house of God together, is altogether unknown? What a sudden and lamentable change for me! He who used to support me now prepares to oppress me; and the very person who used to defend me now frightens me with threats, and accuses me of prevarication and even of blasphemy! Our first parents were not punished for their only fault, although a grave one, until they had been questioned and convicted: the Ninevites had time given them for penitence (Jonah iii. 10), and the people of Sodom were punished not merely after hearing, but also after sight of their sins (Gen. xix. 16). But how differently my judge acts with me, no doubt because I am so much more contemptible than these! I am not thought worthy of being placed on my defence, of being invited to justify myself, to render a reason, of having opportunity given me for reply. I am judged without being summoned, and condemned without being convicted.

2. But now listen, if you will be so good, to my excuse, and if it does not seem sufficient to you, it is at all events a true one. You had wished that Brother Nicholas should be substituted for yourself in your post, and I remember well that I did not disagree with you. You and I were thus completely agreed, and because we were so, I thought and said that there could be no difficulty in thus settling the matter. That it was not so settled was owing to necessity and not to any duplicity on my part. The matter was variously taken by others, and caused discord. Do I say discord? It was rather concord; for all the electors were found to be so completely agreed in disagreeing to the plan which we had determined upon, that not even one monk or lay-brother, except two or three who were your countrymen, was willing to give consent to our plan. Nevertheless, I tried by many arguments, now entreating, now threatening, to bring about the resolution we desired, but they withstood me with as much agreement as obstinacy. I might have been able to use force, but this I omitted to do, and I pray God to spare me, as I spared that monk for whom we were interested, in not casting into the midst of such a storm and of so many rebellious spirits a man humble, timid, and inclined to avoid the weight of the charge attempted to be laid upon him. For without speaking of all those outside duties in which you yourself have had experience of him, all the other duties of this charge seem to be beyond his strength. Therefore, permitting him to go forth from his monastery with those who were of like mind with himself, I have put him at the head of a house which will be so much more easy for him to govern, as he will be seconded by my own monks in the performance of the work. For it is a place newly founded by my own brethren, and very near to me, so that I can frequently visit it. Of all the Abbots who were in a condition to occupy your post, I did not venture to propose any, since I had not your approval; and Brother Robert, in default of a better person, seemed to me more fitted than anyone else for it. I proposed him, then: when the reply came from you, and by your judgment he was shut out from it. Why should I prolong the story? They accepted the man, who, as I learn, displeases your Holiness.

3. Nor is the cause unknown, as I am told you declare loudly that he is a man of bad character, and that because of his crimes he was expelled from the monastery l over which he had before presided. It may have been the case;² but as far as I am competent to be a witness, I declare before God and his Angels that I have never, up to this time, heard anything of that kind respecting him. Not even his Archbishop,³ when he was making every effort to obtain his removal, ever signified to me by letter or messenger, anything to that effect. Can you possibly believe, that if it had been otherwise, I should be a supporter of disorder or turpitude? If your Excellence thought thus of me I do not know how the long friendship with which you have honoured me up to this day, and the great kindness which you have never ceased to show me could at all be justified. And what could you say or think of the Archbishop, who had put at the head of a house of which he had himself been superior, a man of such a character of which, if it wrere a matter of long and public notoriety, he could not have been ignorant? As for me, God forbid that I should in the least suspect of such conduct a man of such high character and office. It is true that he who had promoted the man to be Abbot, himself removed him. I do not deny it. For what reason he did so is a matter that only concerns himself. But he is known to have displeased many by so doing, and has been accused of not observing either reason, rule, or custom in that removal. The Archbishop acted simply according to his own pleasure, and in order not to cause him annoyance, this Abbot at my entreaty gave place to wrath, and retired from his place in peace.

4. One thing I must say. From the time that he entered into this house⁴ no one has remarked in him (and this is the testimony of all) anything which would render him unworthy of the post to which he was elevated. He lived without disagreement with anyone; besides this, he is versed in literature and theology, he is of pleasant demeanour and appearance, and affable in speech. It is true that he was too short a time with us to make these testimonies quite irrefutable. This I confess. He will perhaps do well, and perhaps badly. I distrust all that I do, and am unable to foresee what will come of any step I take. Since then I am not fully assured, I am unable to express positive certainty to you. It is done, and what is done cannot be undone. If I had been a prophet it is certain that I should have avoided to give to a friend cause of offence, to trouble the mind of a saint, to give scandal to a Bishop. What do you wish that I should do, since I was obliged by necessity to act, and to act according to regular order?

5. This is my excuse. If it is sufficient, let the ill-feeling be taken away from between us; if not, I will endure your judgment, of whatever character it may be. It would be painful to me to destroy so quickly with my own hand what I have built up, unless some convenient opportunity should offer, which, perhaps, in course of time, may be the case. But if you wish to depose him the power is in your hands; you will find in me no resistance. Why should I oppose myself to a torrent? Unjustly I have not acted. If I seem to have acted foolishly it is in your power at once to correct my folly, or, if you think the case requires, even to punish it. Yet I add that if I am dealt with piously and christianly, a righteous man will correct me in mercy, and if he shall reprimand me will not in anger disgrace me before others. Here you have my position, unless I have given you some fresh offence, even in this letter. For, although your indignation against me has become known to me by others and not by yourself, yet I have guarded myself from replying in a similar manner, but have preferred to complain to you of yourself in these lines. For the rest I bless God, who has Himself deprived me before my death of this consolation which He had bestowed, and which, perhaps, I enjoyed with too great pleasure, namely, the favour of my lord⁵ and now yours, so that I might learn, even by my own experience, not to rest my hope upon man.

Footnotes

1. He was named Hugo, and had been Abbot of Trois-Fontaines in Champagne, as we learn from Letters 273 and 274. This was why, after he had become Cardinal, he took a special interest in that Abbey. ↩

2. This was the Abbey of Fountains in England, over which after Maurice, a monk named Thorold, or Thurold, presided as Abbot " for two years, acting greatly by his own arbitrary authority, and presuming to do some things against the advice and direction of the venerable Archbishop, with whom he speedily disagreed. Wherefore, by the order of the holy Father Bernard, he resigned his office and returned to Rivaulx, from which he had been taken" (Serlo, Hisi. Fonton., Mon. Aug. . p. 748). ↩

3. The Archbishop of York, Henry Murdach, an Englishman by birth, and previously a monk at Clairvaux. It is to him that Letter 106 is addressed. He also had been Abbot of Fountains, as may be seen by the Letter cited, and in. the notes to Letter 321. ↩

4. He ha'l then quitted Rivaulx, to take up his abode at Clairvaux. As to his learning, Serlo speaks of it in these terms: — " He was a man unusually versed in sacred literature, and equally well instructed in the liberal arts." ↩

5. Viz., of Pope Eugenius, who had become alienated from S. Bernard, as had also Innocent II. See Letter 218. So difficult is it to retain the favour of the great, however distinguished be the services rendered to them, without the sacrifice of truth! ↩