Deeds of the Bishops of Cambrai, Translation and Commentary by Bachrach Bernard S. Bachrach David S. Leese Michael & David S. Bachrach & Michael Leese

Author:Bachrach, Bernard S.,Bachrach, David S.,Leese, Michael & David S. Bachrach & Michael Leese
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)
Published: 2017-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

Book 2

Here begins the second book about the monasteries that are located within the diocese.

Preface

I am writing about the deeds of the bishops and their various acts, just as memory presents itself, or at least as much as the aridity of our feeble intellect permits,1 up to the end to Lord Bishop Gerard, who now holds the see, but now that this all has been completed, the first book demands an end. The second book ought to begin with this same lord bishop, as the order of affairs appears to demand. However, we are leaving him to the side for the moment and interrupt this order because we have decided to discuss the monasteries that are under the authority of this bishopric, showing where they are located, what is the manner of worship in each, which bodies of the saints they hold, and what manner of servants they have.2 Each shall be mentioned in turn, but we shall begin with the monastery of the blessed and glorious Mary, the mother of God, for just as she stood above all others because of her highest title, she also is to be preferred to the others now by right.

1. First regarding the monastery of St. Mary and about a certain man there who was tested, and then saved.

There is no doubt that we have heard that this place has been made famous for the most part by divine miracles for the praise and honor of the mother of the Lord. But we mourn that memory has been diminished through the negligence of writers. However, we will not suffer to remain silent regarding the few miracles, from among the many, which we have heard about from those who saw them, or those that we, ourselves, have seen recently.3 For it happened in the time of Erluin4 that a certain mason or carpenter, named Helfrid, climbed up the bell tower of this monastery for some urgent purpose. But he fell as his foot slipped on a greasy spot. He crashed, half alive, to the ground in the choir, itself, as many people were looking on. He fell with such force that if some fortune-teller had promised Helfrid would survive, the crack in the indented floor where he fell would have given every reason to challenge such a prediction. The damage to the floor, which remained for a long time after this, testified to his grave danger, and indeed that he was being rushed off to his death with no hope of recovery. There was an immediate outpouring of sympathy and compassionate grief for this man as a result of this accident, and he was piteously lamented in this sudden accident. His friends grieved. In their sadness, they blamed the Lord, and wailed5 out their complaints most of all against St. Mary, saying: “why did she show him favor merely to have the one she raised up as a servant for herself suffer such a disaster?” He was then lifted up and placed on a

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