ON S. BERENGARIUS THE MONK
IN THE CITY OF S. PAPULUS IN GAUL.
IN THE YEAR MXCIII.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
Of his age, & Flavius Anselmus the writer of the Life.
Berengarius, Monk in the city of S. Papulus, in Gaul (St.)
G. H.
Among the Apostolic men, who illustrated the Gauls with the light of the faith brought, is reckoned S. Papulus, a Priest & Martyr, In the monastery of S. Papulus, held a follower of S. Saturninus, the first Bishop of Toulouse; as more widely is to be said at his birthday the third of November. Under the name of this S. Papulus there is an old monastery, which they relate was constructed in the time of King Pippin. To the monastery little by little grew a city, erected into an Episcopal See in the year MCCCXVII by Pope John XXII, of which erection the Bull the Sammarthani published. It is in the dominion of Occitania or Languedoc of the Auragais, distant from Toulouse nine leagues toward the Southeast. In that monastery of S. Papulus in the eleventh century flourished S. Berengarius, S. Berengarius died 26 May on the day of the Ascension. dead on the day XXVI May, on the very feast of the Ascension, not in the ninety-second year after the thousandth, as the Acts here and there have; but in the next following, the year MXCIII; when in the cycle of the Moon XI, of the Sun X, & the Dominical letter D, Easter was celebrated XVII April, & consequently the feast of the Ascension on the said day XXVI May; whereas in the preceding year having the Dominical letters D C, the cycle of the Moon X, of the Sun IX, Easter was celebrated XXVIII March, & accordingly the feast of the Ascension VI May.
[2] The Acts were written by Flavius Anselmus, a Monk of Bec, who what he wrote from the mouth of eye-witnesses seems to have had. In Menardus book 2 of the Observations at this XXVI May it is said, The Acts written by Flavius Anselmus: that it seems to be S. Anselm of Canterbury, who survived S. Berengarius. But this we less approve. We gave his Acts at the day XXI April: who indeed (as there we said) was made a Monk of Bec in the year MLX, a different one from him of Canterbury, then Prior from the year MLXIII, & Abbot from the year MLXXVIII, finally designated Archbishop of Canterbury, in the very year in which S. Berengarius died MXCIII, & in that dignity he lived even to the year MCIX: but he is nowhere read called Flavius Anselmus, nor is he known to have come now Archbishop to the monastery of S. Papulus: nor would he then have written himself a Monk of Bec, but Archbishop of Canterbury, or servant of the Church of Canterbury, as elsewhere he did.
[3] But would that by that whatever Flavius Anselmus the Life written were had entire! Their compendia, in the Mss. for what is had, we fear lest these be only compendia of a fuller Life, of which one to be given here is contained in the Acts of those of Toulouse, by Nicolas Bertrand the Jurisconsult fol. XLV, but only as far as the miracles; but with these the same was copied for us at Toulouse from the third manuscript book of the Sanctoral of Bernard Gui, of the Order of Preachers Bishop of Lodève, from which also were copied for us the Acts of S. Papulus the Martyr, which wrote Flavius Anselmus a Monk of Bec, in a certain sermon. Similarly the Title of this Life is noted: Of S. Berengarius Monk & Confessor of the monastery of S. Papulus from his deeds, which Flavius Anselmus a Monk of Bec wrote, whose festivity is celebrated VII Kalends of June. Another compendium, from the papers of Odo Gissæus, from Toulouse also sent to us Peter Possinus, as also the other a Priest of the Society of Jesus, equally by writings illustrious.
That entire Menardus struck in the said book 2 of the Observations of his Benedictine Martyrology, in which at this day he inscribed S. Berengarius. And he added that this compendium had been digested into Lessons, wont to be recited at Matins. In it some things are contained omitted by the other, which by us in their place are added; & vice versa, some things more contracted are found. Bucelinus from Menardus composed some Eulogy at this XXVI May, which he inscribed in his Menology. Saussay also in the supplement of the Gallican Martyrology celebrates the same, & judges the author of the Life to be S. Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury; which we have rejected from the sense of Bernard Bishop of Lodève, whose collection he himself meanwhile alleges.
[4] These things being so digested, we receive, by the care of the aforementioned Peter Possinus, copied from the Archive of S. Papulus, The last by Bishop Peter written about the year 1400 & by six Canons & the Vicar general D. Pames duly subscribed, a little Commentary on the Saints & wonders of the church & diocese of S. Papulus: whose Author in the course treating of the Prouille monastery of Virgins, instituted by S. Dominic, thus speaks: I Peter, unworthy Bishop of S. Papulus, having frequently experienced their purity & merits, bear testimony, before God & the whole world, all flattery ceasing, to be given for the most dear daughters. There was there no Bishop Peter (according to the Sammarthani, & the Ms. Catalogue sent to us) before the year MCCCLXXV; nor anyone after the year MCCCCXII. Between these years there were two of the same name & surname du Cros, whom the Sammarthani call brothers, I believe uncle & nephew: for Brothers, of the same name & surname, who would say? The former assumed from the Cluniac Order, & of Clement VII the Antipope also Chamberlain & his Cardinal he was: the second sitting, the documents & archives of the Episcopate were destroyed & plundered by the Burgundians; not without errors. which cause I think it was for him of composing the said little Commentary: but what from it I can note I find nothing besides errors. For first under Abbot Raymund Berengarius is said to have professed: because namely the Life written by Anselm, was inscribed to Raymund the Abbot. Then the Saint is noted dead. In the year of the Lord 1392, the last of May, at midnight of the Lord's Ascension Philip the illustrious King of France reigning. From such a beginning & end what good would one hope? But that you may impute to the copyists the year 1392 written for 1092: what will you do with the last day of May? on which the Ascension cannot fall, except when Easter has been celebrated on the day XXII April. But this before the change of government, made in the year MCCCXVII, only twice happened in the XI & XII century, namely in the year MXLIV, & MCXXVIII; but in the XIII century, also twice, namely MCCVII & MCCXCI, & again in the year MCCCII, nor afterward save in the very year in which the first Peter obtained the See.
LIFE
By the Author Flavius Anselmus Monk of Bec.
From the Lessons of the proper Church, book 3 of the Sanctoral of Bernard Gui, & the Deeds of those of Toulouse of Nicolas Bertrand.
Berengarius, Monk in the city of S. Papulus, in Gaul (St.)
BHL Number: 1181, 1182
BY THE AUTHOR FL. ANSELM. FROM THE MS.
Prologue.
To the most reverend Lord & Father a Raymund, Abbot of S. Papulus, Flavius Anselmus Monk of Bec, to ascend from this valley of miseries to our girt people. When to your monastery perchance I had come, & by you most officiously been received; this burden you wished to impose on me, that of the venerable & God-worthy man Berengarius I should write the life, & also the miracles; that both the present & posterity might know, of what kind & how great a man he was while he lived, & after his departure with what glory of miracles he shone forth. I undertook therefore the burden imposed by you, & according as I received from very many men, who what they said with their eyes beheld, to the memory of letters to commit b I took care.
[2] The man of venerable Life c Berengarius in the territory of Toulouse was a native, From adolescence a Saint, of the more noble parents according to the dignity of the age. His father Bernard, but his mother Hilloardis were called d. Who when he was still a little infant, began to be preeminent in good morals. For he was placid of heart, sweet in speech, so that he scarcely called anyone unless either a son of God or a daughter of God; innocent, by word or deed hurting no one, simple & humble of heart e. This one therefore chosen by the Lord, a Monk lies hard: all things being left that the poor Christ he might more securely follow, took the habit of Religion monastic in the cœnobium of S. Papulus, of the diocese of Toulouse, under the rule of B. Benedict to serve Christ the Lord; in virtues & good works assiduously profiting, & his body with its concupiscences in the fear of the Lord crucifying. For scarcely ever afterward did he lie in a bed, namely it being laid aside upon the bare ground, placing under his head if he had found any stone (like the Patriarch Jacob, who on the journey when he had slept placed a stone under his head, & saw in dreams the Angels ascending & descending), & he lay clothed, drawing his little body back from delights & softness that he might subject it to the spirit. But if ever by the Abbot's command he went anywhere, never on a horse or ass did he sit, wherefore his parents were ashamed: but he of this gloried. he discharges various offices. To the Abbot also & the Brethren in all things he was obedient: whence by the ordination & command of the Abbot he was master of the boys, then almoner, lastly keeper of the work of the monastery. Where when he admonished the people, that they should abstain from things unlawful, eagerly & gladly by all he was heard, as if his Angel spoke: for what he taught by word, he showed by work & example.
There follows of his miracles.
[3] To a certain barren woman, the wife of a certain Soldier, compassionating with a mind of piety, for a barren woman he obtains offspring, & for her to God pouring forth prayers, offspring from the Lord by his merits & holy prayers he obtained. But it came to pass, & the time of bearing was fulfilled: a son is born, & in baptism is named Berengarius.
[4] But on a certain day, when at the bank of a river with a certain servant of his he was present; they behold in the river a great fish. Then the holy man, a fish offering itself he sends back into the water. in jest & as if wishing, is reported to have said, God! how good were that fish to eat! At this his voice the fish from the water onto the land leaped to the feet of the Saint. And when his servant, who was with him, would have taken the fish; the Saint, by piety & his wonted simplicity moved, forbade, & to return into the water granted, & to his companion interdicted that to anyone this he should manifest as long as he himself remained in the body. But it came to pass after his departure from this world, when at his sepulchre frequent miracles were wrought, then this was found out by his companion relating it.
[5] After a long disease he dies in the year 1093 And when he had filled his days in good, it remained that his years should be consummated in glory. On the day therefore on the f Supper of the Lord before the Parasceve, at the g Castle of Lautrec for the necessities of his monastery staying, by a trouble of body he is seized, & to the monastery quickly returns, that in the sight of the Brethren his holy spirit to God he might render. He is detained therefore even to the Lord's Ascension by that infirmity of his body, & is decocted & cleansed like gold in the furnace, that clean & pure he may go out from the age. And when it was near that his spirit should return to God who made him, after confession & absolution if perchance he had committed any of sins, the communion of the Body & Blood of Christ being received; with his eyes lifted upward this he is reported to have said: Lord God, with how great eyes dost thou regard me? After which words that holy soul from the flesh was loosed. But he passed from this world blessing the Lord Berengarius, on the very night of the Lord's Ascension, the seventh of the Kalends of June, in the year from the Incarnation of the Lord h MLXXXXIII, the Pontificate of the city of Rome held by Pope i Urban, of the Franks King k Philip. But his body was buried near the entrance of the church honorably, as was fitting. he shines with miracles: But because by theft his body was feared to be carried off, his tomb was surrounded with a wall, & brought within the church: where there is a frequent concourse of peoples, on account of the multitude of miracles, which there the divine piety by the merits of S. Berengarius deigned to show, of which a few of the many are inscribed l.
[6] A certain Deacon, by name Pontius, with a sharp fever was tormented: he came to the tomb of S. Berengarius, There are healed one laboring with a fever, & vowed that he would offer him a wax taper, if by his benefit he should obtain health: & sleeping a little, awakened he observed himself relieved of the fever's burning: but unmindful of his vow he did not offer the taper: but again the fever invaded him. Forthwith he repenting of his error, a taper being taken to the tomb of the man of God betook himself: & there wrapped the whole night in prayer he persevered, the taper burning: which, although the tomb was still under the open sky, by no force of winds could be extinguished. And so that Deacon unharmed departed. A certain woman seized in mind, attacked with stones whomever she met; often naked, & a mad woman: all womanly modesty cast off, ran about: hissed like a serpent, grunted like a pig, barked like a dog. Led to the tomb of S. Berengarius by her brother, when there a few days & nights she had stayed, made possessed of her mind to health she returned.
[7] Another certain woman, born of the territory of Albi, who for two years had lost her sight, blind men are illumined, coming to S. Berengarius's tomb, when there in prayers she had spent the night, received her sight; & so rejoicing & clearly seeing to her own returned. A certain Gaubertus, an inhabitant of the city of Narbonne, when he too for a long time had been blind, disposing to come to S. Berengarius's tomb, had already bought a candle which he should bring. But God seeing the man's faith, before he had arrived & before he had seen the Saint's tomb, received light. But he not ungrateful, came to the tomb, to God & S. Berengarius praises & thanks to render, & what had befallen him to narrate: & thenceforth the thresholds of his benefactor every year he visited.
[8] captives are freed, Two men in divers parts, when they had been captured, & were held bound in iron chains, S. Berengarius, that he would free them, humbly implored: to whom the Saint appeared, saying to them: Go to the place of my burial, because free you are made. And forthwith their chains were broken: which taking with them, they came as it had been commanded them to the holy burial, to God & the Saint giving thanks, as they ought: but the chains before the burial were hung up, in testimony of the deed done.
[9] A certain blind man, the fame of S. Berengarius being heard, from afar to him hastened, another blind man despairing is illumined, that to receive light he might merit. Coming therefore to the Saint's burial, some days there he spent: & when not quickly the desire was fulfilled, he began as with an unbelieving mind to be agitated, & with wrath to strike with the staff with which he was supported the tomb
of the Saint, & to say; Art thou a Saint? &; Thou never wast a Saint or shalt be, nor didst thou ever do miracles. False is the rumor, not true is the fame, which dispersed of thee has run; without cause as a fool hither to thee I came, now hence I will depart. These & similar things blaspheming & rebuking, he was withdrawing indignant. And when he had not proceeded far, a vehement wind beat his face & his eyes, & he began to see all things clearly. Who soon understanding whose work this was, returned as quickly as possible to the Saint's tomb, did penance, that he had ill thought of him & ill spoken; & gave thanks, that good for evil to him he had rendered.
[10] There was brought a certain man upon an ass, contracted & destitute of the use of his limbs, to the tomb of Berengarius: a contracted man is healed, who when he was before the holy body, forthwith raised he stood upon his feet: & running to the Monks of that monastery, who then the obsequies of a certain dead man were celebrating, into stupor & admiration he turned their hearts; while they beheld running, whom before they had seen powerless & contracted. And the obsequies being a little interrupted, the bells being rung in praise of God, We Praise Thee O God they intone with loud voice.
[11] On a certain Lord's night, while the Brethren after the wonted manner of that sacred night celebrated the vigils, various miracles are wrought. & a copious people had assembled, so frequently in divers persons in the same night, by the merits of S. Berengarius, miracles were wrought, that five times in those matins lauds We Praise Thee O God they sang successively, with the ringing of the bells, as it was the custom there to be done for each miracle divinely perpetrated. Many indeed & other miracles God wrought through S. Berengarius, while still he lived in the mortal body, & after he migrated to the heavens from the age, where he lives in Christ, to whom is honor & glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.