Medieval Sourcebook:
Tales of the Virgin
The following tales are from sermon stories from these three
writers.
Jacques de Vitry was born probably before 1180, studied
theology at Paris, and was ordained priest in 1210. He preached
first in 1213 in favor. of the crusade against the Albigenses.
The following year he led a large army of crusaders to the siege
of Toulouse. He next preached a crusade against the Saracens.
In 1214 he was elected bishop of Acre, was approved by the Pope
in 1215, and was consecrated 1216. He took a prominent part in
the crusade of 1218-1221. In the winter of 1219-1220 he wrote
his well known historical work. In 1226 or 1227 he resigned his
bishopric, and devoted himself again to preaching the crusade
against the Albigenses. In1228 he was made a cardinal, and bishop
of Tusculum. In 1239, probably, he was elected patriarch of Jerusalem.
He died about 1240. The anecdotes quoted are taken from the exempla in the sermones vulgares, ad status or ad omne hominum
genus, 74 in number. Thes eexempla have been edited with great
learning by Thomas Frederick Crane, M. A., under the title The
Exempla of Jacques de Vitry, for the Folk Lore Society, 1890.
This is the best work on the subject.
Étienne de Bourbon, a Dominican, was born towards
the end of the twelfth century and died about 1261. In his youth
be passed some years in the schools of the church of Saint-Vincent
at Macon. Later be studied at the University of Paris. In his
writings there are a number of interesting anecdotes concerning
student-life in his days. As an inquisitor he acquired much information
about,the heretics, which he incorporated in his writings. Although
he was zealous in his work he was prudent, and rejected many fables
current about the heretics. He wrote sermons which were popular
and widely used. The title shows his purpose, Tractatus de
diversis materiis praedicabilibus. The tales used in this
pamphlet are from Anecdotes Historiques, Légendes et
Apolologues tirés du recueil inédit d'Etienne de
Bourbon, dominicain du xiiie siècle, publés pour
la Société de l'Histoire de France, par A. Lecoy
de la Marche, Paris, 1877.
Caesar of Heisterbach was born about 1180, possibly in
Cologne, and died before 1250. He was " master of the novices
" and prior in the monastery at Heisterbach. His Dialogue was one of the commonest sources for sermon-stories. The best
edition of his work is Caesarii Heisterbacensis monachi ordinis
Cisterciensis Dialogus Miraculroum, edited by Strange, 2 Vols.,
Paris, 1851. The biographical facts given above are taken mainly
from the introductions to the editions cited.
The object of these sermon-stories was to arouse interest and
to convey moral truths. Jacques de Vitry said, " It is necessary
to employ a great many proverbs, historical stories and anecdotes,
especially when the audience is tired and begins to gett sleepy."
Etienne de Bourbon said that Jacques owed his great success to
this practice. The use of anecdotes spread rapidly and widely,
and many collections have been preserved. For bibliographies and
examples see
Hauréau: Notices et Extraits de quelques
manuscrits latins de la Bibliothéque nationale, 6 vols.,
Paris, 1890-93.
TALES OF THE VIRGIN
1. VIRGIN SAVED MATRON AND MONK WHO ELOPED
WITH TREASURES OF MONASTERY
Jacques de Vitry, CCLXXXII. (pp. 117, ff.)
A certain very religious man told me that this happened in a place
where he had been living. A virtuous and pious matron came frequently
to the church and served God most devoutly, day and night. Also
a certain monk, the guardian and treasurer of the monastery, had
a great reputation for piety, and truly he was devout. When, however,
the two frequently conversed together in the church concerning
religious matters, the devil, envying their virtue and fame, tempted
them sorely so that the spiritual love was changed to carnal.
Accordingly they made an agreement and fixed upon a night in which
the monk was to leave his monastery, taking the treasures of the
church, and the matron was to leave her home, with a sum of money
which she should secretly steal from her husband.
After they had left and fled, the monks on rising in the morning
saw that the receptacles were broken and the treasures of the
church stolen and not finding the monk, they quickly pursued him.
Likewise the woman's husband, seeing his chest open and the money
gone, pursued his wife. Seizing the monk and the woman with the
treasure and money, they brought them back and threw them into
prison. Moreover so great was the scandal through all that part
of the country and so much were all religious persons reviled
that the damage from the infamy and scandal was far greater than
from the sin itself.
Then the monk restored to his senses, began with many tears to
pray to the blessed Virgin, whom from infancy he had always served,
and never before had any such misfortune happened to him. Likewise
the matron began urgently to implore the aid of the blessed Virgin
whom, frequently, day and night, she had been accustomed to salute
and before whose image she had been wont to kneel in prayer. At
length the blessed Virgin appeared before them in great anger
and after she had upbraided them severely, she said, "I am
able to obtain pardon for your sins from my son, but what can
I do about such an awful scandal? For you have so befouled the
name of religious persons before all the people, that in the future
no one will trust them. This ia an almost irremediable injury."
At length the pious Virgin, overcome by their prayers, summoned
the demons who had caused the deed and enjoined upon them that,
as they had caused the scandal to religion, they must bring the
infamy to an end. Since, indeed, they were not able to resist
her commands, after much anxiety and various conferences they
found a way to remove infamy. In the night they placed the monk
in the church and repairing the broken receptacle as it had been
before, they placed the treasure in it. Also they closed and locked
the chest which the matron had opened and replaced the money in
it. And they set the woman in her room and in the place where
she was accustomed to pray by night.
When, moreover, the monks found the treasure of their house and
monk, who was praying to God just as he had been accustomed to
do; and the husband found his wife and the treasure; and they
found the money just as it had been before, they began to be amazed
and to wonder. Rushing to the prison they saw the monk and the
woman in fetters just as they had left them. For one of the demons
was seen by them transformed into the figure of a monk and another
into the shape of a woman. When the whole city had come together
to see the miracle, the demons said in the hearing of all, "Let
us go, for long enough have we deceived these people and caused
ill to be thought of religious persons." And having said
this they vanished. Moreover all fell down at the feet of the
monk and of the woman and demanded pardon.
Behold how great infamy and scandal and how inestimable damage
the devil would have wrought against religious persons, if the
blessed Virgin had not aided them.
2. VIRGIN IN PLACE OF NUN WHO HAD FLED FROM THE
CONVENT
Caesar of Heisterbach, Distinctio VII, Cap. XXXIV.
(Vol. II, pp. 42-43.)
Not many years ago, in a certain monastery of nuns, of which I
do not know the name, there lived a virgin named Beatrix. She
was beautiful in form, devout in mind, and most fervent in the
service of the mother of God. As often as she could offer secretly
to the Virgin special prayers and supplications, she held them
for her dearest delight Indeed, having been made custodian, she
did this more devoutly because more freely.
A certain clerk, seeing and lusting after her, began to tempt
her. When she spurned the words of lust, and on that account he
insisted the more strenuously, the old serpent enkindled her breast
so vehemently that she could not bear the flames of love. Therefore
coming to the altar of the blessed Virgin, the patroness of the
oratory, she spoke thus: "Mistress, I have served thee as
devoutly as I could; behold, I resign thy keys to thee, I cannot
longer withstand the temptations of the flesh." And, having
placed the keys on the altar, she secretly followed the clerk.
When that wretched man had corrupted her, he abandoned her after
a few days. Since she had no means of living and was ashamed to
return to the convent, she became a harlot. After she had continued
in that vice publicly for fifteen years, she came one day in a
lay habit to the door of the monastery. She said to the doorkeeper,
"Did you know Beatrix, formerly custodian of this oratory?"
When the latter replied, it I knew her very well. For she is an
honest and holy woman, and from infancy even to the present day
she has remained in this monastery without fault." When she
hearing, the man's words, but not understanding them, wished to
go away, the mother of mercy appeared in her well-known image
and said to her, "During the fifteen years of thy absence,
I have performed thy task; now return to thy place and do penance;
for no one knows of thy departure." In fact, in the form
and dress of that woman, the mother of God had performed the duties
of custodian. Beatrix entered at once and returned thanks as long
as she lived, revealing through confession what had been done
for her.
3. WOMAN PUNISHED FOR DESPISING A STATUE OF THE VIRGIN
Caesar of Heisterbach, Distinctio VII, Cap. XLV.
(Vol. II, pp. 62-63.)
In the chapel of the castle of Veldenz there is a certain ancient
image of the blessed Virgin holding her son in her bosom. This
image is, indeed, not very well made, but is endowed with great
virtue. A certain matron of this castle, which is situated in
the diocese of Trier,
standing in the chapel one day looked at the image and despising
the workmanship, said, "Why does this old rubbish stand here?'"
The blessed Mary, the mother of mercy, not as I think, complaining
to her son of the woman who spoke so foolishly, but predicting
the future penalty for the crime to a certain other matron, said
"Because that lady," designating her by name, "called
me old rubbish, she shall wretched as long as she lives."
After a few days that lady was driven out by her own son from
all her possessions and property, and up to the present day she
begs wretchedly enough, suffering the punishment for her foolish
speech. Behold how the blessed Virgin loves and honors those who
love her, and punishes and humbles those who despise her.
4. HORRIBLE DEATH OF A BLASPHEAFER OF THE VIRGIN
Étienne de Bourbon, No. 133. (p. 113)
Also near Cluny, as I have heard from many, it happened recently,
namely, in the year of our Lord 1246, when I was there, that a
certain tavern keeper on the Saturday before Advent, in selling
wine and taking his pay, blasphemed Christ during the whole day.
But when about the ninth hour, in the presence of a multitude
of men, he had sworn by the tongue of the blessed Virgin, by blaspheming
her he lost the use of his tongue, and by speaking basely of her,
suddenly stricken in the presence of the multitude, he fell dead.
5. ROBBER DELI VERED FR OM HANGING BECAUSE OF
HIS PRAYERS TO THE VIRGIN
Étienne de Bourbon, No. 119. (p. 103)
Also we read that a certain robber had this much of good in him,
that he always fasted on bread and water on the vigils of the
blessed Mary, and, when he went forth to steal, he always said, "Ave Maria", asking her not to permit him to
die in that sin. When moreover he was captured and hung, he remained
there three days and could not die. When he called out to the
passers by, that they should summon a priest to him, and when
the priest had come and the prefect and others, he was removed
from the gallows, and said that a most beautiful virgin had held
him up by the feet during the three days. Promising reform, he
was let go free.
6. THE DEVIL THWARTED BY PRAYERS TO THE VIRGIN
Étienne de Bourbon, No. 129. (p. 110)
Also it is related that there was a certain knight, lord of a
castle in Auvergne, whom the devil served in human form for twelve
years, as he wanted to carry the knight off on account of his
sins, if he should find him at any time unfortified. When this
was revealed to a certain holy man, he approached the castle,
saying that he wished to speak with the servants. When, moreover,
the devil seeing the holy man, wanted to run away and hide, the
latter had him summoned and adjured him to say what he wanted
and who he was. He replied that he was the devil and that for
twelve years he had been waiting for a chance to carry off that
lord; but he was not able to do so, because seven times each day
the lord with bent knees was accustom the blessed Virgin, and
to say the "Pater noster" seven times. Adjured
in the name of the blessed Virgin he left the foul corpse in which
he was and fled.
From University of Pennsylvania. Dept. of History: Translations
and Reprints from the Original Sources of European history, published
for the Dept. of History of the University of Pennsylvania., Philadelphia,
University of Pennsylvania Press [1897?-1907?]. Vol II, No 4,
pp. 2-7
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