Letter CCCLXXVI. To Abbot Suger

(A.D. 1149.)

He ad-vises and requests that Suger should prevent certain noblemen from fighting a duel.¹

To his venerable father and lord SuGER, by the grace of God Abbot of St. Denys, Brother BERNARD, called Abbot of Clairvaux, wishes health and sends assurance of his prayers.

It is time, and there is urgent need, that you should now take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, against a diabolical custom which is endeavouring to grow up a second time. Men who have just returned from the Crusade, Lord Henry, son of the Count, and Lord Robert, brother of the King, being enraged one against the other, have fixed one of those abominable meetings² to attack and slay each other, after the festival of Easter, being bent on violating all laws. Judge in what disposition of mind they have made the journey to Jerusalem, since they have re turned in such a mood. How fitly can this be said of them: — We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed; they arc stricken, but they have not grieved; they are consumed, but they have refused to receive cor rection (Jer. li. 9, and v. 3). After so many hardships and perils; after the sufferings and the misfortunes which they have had to endure; when the realm is in peace, these two return to it only to disturb and throw it into confusion, and that in the absence of the King. I advise and entreat your Highness, since you are the chief person in the king dom, to oppose this breach of the peace resolutely, and, either by persuasion or by force, prevent its taking place; your honour, the happiness of the kingdom, and the interest of the Church all require this of you. If I appeal to force, it is to that which belongs to ecclesiastical discipline. I am writing in this sense to the Archbishops of Rheims and of Sens, to the Bishops of Soissons and of Auxerre, to Count Theobald and Count Rodolph. Oppose yourself to these great evils both on account of the King and on account of the Pope, to whom the peace of the realm is a matter of concern.

Footnotes

1. Formerly No. 358; the former No. 376 is now No. 355. ↩

2. Nundinas, i.e., the ninth day, and thence any settled appointment. What were these nundince? William of S. Thierry (Life of S. Bernard, B. i.e. xi.) tells us in these terms: — " One day there arrived at Clairvaux an armed party of young nobles.... Lent was approaching, and all the young nobles who were engaged in the profession of arms traversed the country looking for those objectionable meetings which are called tourneys (Tornetas). Others call them tournaments (Torneamentum)." (Matthew of Paris, Hist. A?igl., p. 258.) ↩