The life and times of St. Benedict ; patriarch of the monks of the west

Death of Saint Benedict.

I. 0. G. I).

THE .LIFE AND TIMES

OF

ST. BENEDICT,

PATRIARCH OF THE MONKS OF THE WEST

ABEIDQED AND ARRANGED
BY

O. S. B.

From the German of
The Very Rev. P. PETER LECHNER

LATE PRIOR OF THE BENEDICTINE ABBEY OF SCHEYERN IN BAVARIA

LONDON : BUENS AND OATES, Ltd.

NEW YORK, CINCINNATI,CHICAGO : BENZIGER BROTHERS

1900

• . *. . •

Main Lib.

J3W*

^

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

This history of The Life and Times of St. Benedict has
been translated v\nth the hope that it may increase
in some small degree the knowledge of a saint who
in good old Catholic days held a place in the heart
of nearly every Englishman. That this was so we
cannot doubt, seeing that his sons brought to our
land the gift of the true faith, and with it all that
was noblest and best, and that Benedictine Abbeys
were studded over the length and breadth of the
country. When the Reformation swept away the
monasteries and scattered the monks, devotion to
St. Benedict gradually declined and became extinct.
Now, however, when a brighter day is dawning for
the Church in England, surely it is time to stir up
and re-enkindle in our hearts the love of our fore-
fathers for a saint to whom we owe so much. .

The translation is a very free one, and some stories
and traditions culled from old writers have been here
and there inserted with a view of enhancing the
interest of the book. As regards dates, many of
them are the subject of controversy ; but on this
point it has been thought best to adhere strictly to
our author.

(iii)

222634

IV TRANSLATORS PREFACE.

As formerly St. Benedict gathered some of the
greatest of his saints from our English soil, so may
he now reap once again a fresh and yet more fruitful
harvest from a land which has so long lain fallow.

0. S. B.

Bergholt, 1900.

We have received the following authorisation for
this translation from the present Abbot of Scheyern
Abbey, the Eight Kev. Dom Eupert III. : —

" God be praised that the life of St. Benedict
written by our good Prior Lechner, who died on
26th July, 1874, should have been so highly appre-
ciated by our sisters as to have been translated by
them for publication. The work will doubtless
prove a source of edification to many, besides
causing great satisfaction to our Community at
Scheyern.

''I gladly avail myself of this opportunity to
send my heartfelt blessing to every member of
your 'House of God,' while I beg a remembrance
in your holy prayers both for myself and my
Community.

" Abbey op Our Lady's Assumption
" and the Holy Cross,

" Scheyern, Bavaria."

PREFACE.

St. Paul teaches us in his First Epistle to the
Corinthians that "the foolish things of the world
hath God chosen, that He may confound the
wise : and the weak things of the world hath God
chosen, that He may confound the strong : And the
base things of the world, and the things that are
contemptible hath God chosen, and things that are
not, that He might bring to nought things that are :
That no flesh should glory in His sight ,'.1 The
blessed Benedict was yet a child when, moved and
enlightened by the Holy Spirit, his pure young
heart grasped the full meaning of this teaching of
the Apostle. Kealising its truth, at the first sound
of the Divine Voice calling him he left wealth and
honour, even home and family, in order to find
salvation and everlasting life in Him for Whose sake
he renounced all earthly joys. He retired into soli-
tude, and for three years lived in unbroken com-
munion with his Creator, thus satisfying the one
object of his desire. After this preparation God
called him to be a guide and a teacher to many,
though his own attraction and longing was to live
hidden and unknown ; and the humble youth, who

1 1 Cor. i. 27-29.
(V)

VI PREFACE.

considered himself the last and the least of all man-
kind, was chosen to be the legislator whose precepts
have been, and ever will be, the foundation of
monastic life in the West. Weak and powerless
of himself, God endowed him with the gift of
miracles to such an eminent degree that the lapse
of centuries has but made their fame more wide-
spread ; and Benedict, the humble disciple of Christ,
has been universally recognised as a great power in
the Church, a renowned character in history, an
object of admiration to all, and the Patriarch of
Western monks. What wonder then that St.
Gregory the Great, both Pope and Doctor, con-
sidered it a privilege and a pleasure to immortalise
in his Dialogues the life and miracles of this saint ?
Possessing as we do this unparalleled biography,
written by one famous alike for his sanctity and
his learning, it would seem not only bold, but almost
unnecessary, to attempt to bring forward a second.
What could be added to the praise already bestowed
by St. Gregory? Who could write with greater
unction, and at the same time with greater modera-
tion, or pretend to possess his inimitable talent of
relating facts in the most comprehensive and yet
concise way? Indeed, his work was regarded with
such reverence that for a thousand years no one
dreamt of compiling a fresh life of the saint ; the
only thing considered allowable and tending to
Benedict's glorification was either to write com-
mentaries on St. Gregory's life or to paraphrase and
clothe it with a poetic form.

PREFACE. Vll

In modern times, when printing gave a fresh
impetus to every branch of literature, the idea of
bringing out the life of St. Benedict in a new and
original form commended itself to many minds,
and several biographies were published ; yet, not-
withstanding the talent and diligence which they
evinced, they soon fell into oblivion, while St.
Gregory's life not only survived, but became even
more appreciated, for all felt that his work was
endowed with a higher value than that bestowed
by human gift or human industry. It may then
be asked, with reason, why the present volume has
been written, and why the author has attempted
what others have tried with little success. The
question is difficult to answer satisfactorily, acknow-
ledging as I do that St. Gregory's life cannot be
improved upon. The task is a hazardous one, for
it seems to demand abilities which I cannot boast
of ; and not without alarm do I read those words of
Kerz that ' ' it would be very desirable for a man
like Gorres to use the remarkable gifts with which
God has endowed him to undertake the portrayal
of such a great and holy man as St. Benedict".

My apology then for the present volume must
be that I was urged to undertake the task, not only
by the entreaties of fellow-monks and the invitation
of superiors, but also by men the value of whose
judgment in the matter encouraged me to attempt
a work of the kind ; added to which, my exceeding
great love for our blessed Founder made me the
more anxious to place one little flower side by side

Vlll PREFACE.

with the magnificent wreath woven by St. Gregory
some thirteen centuries ago. After mature delibera-
tion, several thoughts presented themselves which
seemed to justify the undertaking, and served as
guides in its execution. First, that a subject good
and holy in itself cannot be too carefully considered,
and that by looking at it from different points of
view we are better enabled to appreciate and under-
stand it. Take, for example, the Holy Scriptures :
it would be impossible to guess the number of works
written to elucidate and explain every portion of
them. The same passages ever form the subjects
of sermons, commentaries, books, etc., and yet they
always seem fresh, they never grow old or out of
date, but bring forth untold mines of riches as they
are considered in some new light. Of course I am
not for a moment comparing St. Gregory's Dialogues
to the Sacred Scriptures ; at the same time, it is a
work in which we cannot fail to see the influence
of the Holy Spirit, and to be edified by the sublime
examples of the Gospel precepts. Surely then no
blame is to be attached to one who endeavours to
present the same truths under a new aspect ; not to
obscure the light already thrown by a more masterly
hand, but to enhance it by looking at it from another
point of view.

Again, a biographer, like a painter, may depict the
same subject in various ways : one will devote the
whole of his canvas to the subject of his portrait,
another will make him prominent in a group, while
a third prefers to place him among scenes which are

PREFACE. IX

in keeping with his character or profession. St.
Gregory chose to treat St. Benedict as a solitary
figure, and makes scarcely any mention of his con-
temporaries ; so much so that, if it were not for one
or two names which belong to history, and which
occur in connection with the saint's life, we should
not even know at what period he lived. There are,
however, many who would gladly hear something of
his contemporaries, of the history of his time, and
of those events which either directly or indirectly
influenced him. It is the aim of the present volume
to portray our saint as the chief figure of a group,
showing the part he played in the Church and in the
world, and how he was affected by the vicissitudes
of the history of his day. While peace prevailed he
was employed in planting and sowing the good seed,
and reaping the plentiful harvest which was the
result of his labours ; while in times of war, famine
and distress his hands were uplifted in supplication,
his mortifications were redoubled in expiation, and
the exceeding charity of his heart ever found means
to relieve the sufferers. And now that he rejoices
in Heaven surrounded by a family which no man
can number — now that his visible presence is no
longer with us to teach and encourage us, the bright
light of his example still remains to spur us on ; a
light which time can never dim, and which, while
the world lasts, must ever continue to increase God's
glory and win souls to Him.

And lastly, it cannot be without interest to study
the country to which the subject of our biography

X PEEFACE.

belonged, its inhabitants, the places where he dwelt,
and all those surroundings and circumstances which
affected him, in order that by so doing we may learn
to know and appreciate him more.

Alas, that such a task should be entrusted to one
with such meagre talents ! With such materials,
what a marvellous picture might have been produced
of a saint who, trampling under foot "the asp and
the basilisk," possessed that power with which man
in his primitive innocence was endowed. The author
can only hope that God will mercifully accept the
praise which, through this biography, he has en-
deavoured to render Him : that Our Lord Jesus
Christ will not despise the offering, however small ;
and that the Holy Ghost may graciously bless both
the writer and the reader, so that the day may come
at last when, with St. Benedict, we may ever sing
" Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus ".

P. PETEK LECHNEE,

Prior of Scheyem.
January, 1857.

INTRODUCTION.
I.

NATURE AND MEANING OF RELIGIOUS LIFE.

Our first parents, having been expelled from the
paradise of delights through their own fault, were
constrained -to live a life of toil, hardship and pain.
Nevertheless God in His infinite mercy did not
exact from them the full penalty of their guilt, but
by the promise of a future Kedeemer He gave them
a hope of one day regaining that state of unspeak-
able bliss for which they had been created. More-
over, desiring that all should be saved, He sent His
only-begotten Son to live and die for their redemp-
tion ; and implanted in the heart of fallen man an
instinctive craving after that innocence and happi-
ness which he had lost, giving him also the means
to make that longing a reality. Hence it is that
we all live in the hope of something better ; each
soul in some degree feels that it%is created for a
nobler and greater end than the present life on
earth. But the knowledge of what that end really
is — namely, union with God — has been dimmed,
nay, in too many cases totally obscured, by the

prevalence of unbelief, pride and concupiscence.

ixi)

Xll INTRODUCTION.

There are, however, and always have been, a
chosen few who recognise for what they have been
created, and who, faithful to the inspiration of Divine
grace, draw nearer day by day to that union with
their Creator which will be perfected only in
Heaven.

Love alone can attain to this end ; but there are
two roads by which those who love may reach the
goal.

The first of these roads is trod by the majority of
good Christians, and consists in an exact observance
of the precepts, in good works and in self-denial.
Hence, when the young man in the Gospel asked
our Lord : ' ' What good shall I do that I may have
life everlasting? " our Lord answered, "Keep the
commandments ".*

The second road is that of perfection : this con-
sists in the observance not only of precepts, but
also of counsels ; not only of self-denial, but of
self-renunciation. Those who would tread this
path must ever aspire and strive after a higher
state of sanctity ; not content till they reach the
very summit of their mountain, which can never
be in this mortal life. This road of perfection forms
the groundwork of religious life, because religious
life is simply a means to an end ; the end, as we
have already pointed out, being union with God ;
and this union is attained most surely in a life
where every rule and occupation tends to bring a

1 Matt. xix. 16, 17.

INTRODUCTION. Xlll

man nearer and nearer to his Maker. A religious
renounces everything : family, possessions, pleasures,
even self, that by so doing he may the more effec-
tually obtain that which alone can satisfy the
cravings of his heart, and that he may be able to
say with the Apostle in very truth, " our conversa-
tion is in heaven ,\1

II.

TRACES OF RELIGIOUS LIFE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Henoch and Abel are the first examples we meet
with in the Old Testament of those chosen souls
who by their fidelity to grace tread this path of
perfection, leading eremetical or quasi-religious lives.
Then we have " the Father of the Faithful," Abra-
ham, whose vocation has been an incentive to
countless souls who like him have been inspired
to leave home and country for Christ's sake. Moses
too, in one sense, may be said to have led a religious
life, first for forty years as a shepherd and a hermit,
and again for another forty years as leader to his
people, who formed, as it were, a religious com-
munity living under a rule, or the law which God
gave to them through him. In this law we find
a decisive regulation for those who wished to lead
more perfect lives : " When a man, or woman, shall
make a vow to be sanctified, and will consecrate
themselves to the Lord : They shall abstain from
w7ine, and from every thing that may make a man

1 Phil. iii. 20.

XIV INTRODUCTION.

drunk. They shall not drink vinegar of wine, or
of any other drink, nor any thing that is pressed out
of the grape : nor shall they eat grapes either fresh
or dried. . . . All the time of his separation no razor
shall pass over his head until the day be fulfilled of
his consecration to the Lord. He shall be holy, and
shall let the hair of his head grow." 1

Later on we have the pious Anna vowing her
child to the service of the Temple even before his
birth ; a vow which Samuel himself afterwards fully
ratified by his life of heroic devotion in the service
of God. Again, we find examples of religious com-
munities in the Nazarites and Rechabites. The
latter were a whole tribe descended from Hobab,
the brother-in-law of Moses. By their rule they
never touched wine nor owned fields or vineyards,
but they dwelt in tents and lived by rearing cattle.
God set them up as an example of conscientious
fidelity to all the children of Israel, and addressed
to them these words by the mouth of Jeremias the
prophet : " Because you have obeyed the command-
ment of Jonadab your father, and have kept all his
precepts, and have done all that he commanded
you : Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the
God of Israel : There shall not be wanting a man
of the race of Jonadab the son of Rechab, standing
before Me for ever." 2

The school of the prophets founded by Samuel
was the most perfect model of religious life, where

1 Num. vi. 2, 3, 5. 2 Jer. xxxv. 18, 19.

INTEODUCTION. XV

contemplation, prayer, psalmody, Divine science and
sacred music were nurtured by instruction and pro-
moted by self-sacrifice and renunciation. Among
the many shining lights of sanctity and wisdom
reared in this school Elias stands pre-eminent. For
many years he lived the life of a hermit beside the
brook of Carith, fed miraculously by a raven : a life
which has been emulated by so many thousands of
his followers.

That the holy prophets adhered strictly to poverty
is proved by innumerable instances : suffice it to
quote that of Eliseus, who refused the ten talents
and costly presents offered to him by Naaman, and
would not take so much as a single piece of money.
Mention might also be made of the Assideans, who
by their existence testified to the universal recogni-
tion of religious life ; unfortunately, however, these
formed a sect which later lapsed into error.

But of all the saints of the Old Law, patriarchs
and prophets, priests and kings, none surpassed or
even equalled the great Precursor of our Divine Lord.
Sanctified in his mother's womb, he dedicated his
whole life to unbroken intercourse with God. Clothed
in camel's hair, feeding on locusts, he led an existence
wholly supernatural, and in all things showed himself
worthy of our Lord's words concerning him : " There
hath not risen among them that are born of women
a greater than John the Baptist ".1

These recluses and holy men of the Old Testament
were the types and forerunners of those who were to

JMatt. xi. 11.

XVI INTRODUCTION.

lead a life even more perfect than their own under
the new dispensation.

III.

RELIGIOUS LIFE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

When He who calls Himself the ''Light of the
/World," Jesus Christ our Lord, came upon this earth
He dispersed the darkness which prevailed. The
dim light of prophecy and type, figure and parable,
gave way to the splendour of Divine truth taught and
expounded by the Author of all truth. That which
God had implanted in the hearts of men, that which
He had announced through the instrumentality of
others, He now revealed in all its fulness by means"
of His only begotten Son.

What then was it that this Divine teacher taught
concerning religious life ? He taught that there is
a life raised above the common level, a life led by
those who strive after the heights of perfection :
hence His words to the rich young man : " If thou
wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to
the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven :
and come, follow Me ".1 Again He said to His
Apostles : "Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money
in your purses : Nor scrip for your journey, nor two
coats, nor shoes, nor a staff ".2 Thus poor and des-
titute of all they were to go forth and spiritually
conquer the world.

So also, with regard to chastity, Christ says: "There
are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for

1 Matt. xix. 21. 2 Matt. x. 9, 10.

INTEODTJCTION. XV11

the kingdom of heaven ",l In the same spirit the
Apostle writes : " Concerning virgins, I have no com-
mandment of the Lord : but I give counsel, as having
obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful. I think
therefore that this is good for the present necessity,
that it is good for a man so to be," and " He that
giveth his virgin in marriage doth well : and he that
giveth her not, doth better."2

And, lastly, Christ taught that virtue which sur-
passes in value even voluntary poverty or chastity,
namely, obedience or the giving up of our own will.
"He that loveth his life shall lose it: and he that
hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life
eternal. If any man minister to Me, let him follow
Me : and where I am, there also shall My minister
be."3 By these words Christ not only commands
us to put to death our will and inclinations, but He
also counsels us to renounce even the right of free-
will ; so that those who bind themselves by obedience
in religious life can truly say : "I seek not my own
will, but the will of Him that sent me ; " 4 that is, I
seek the will of those to whom for Christ's sake
t have subjected myself. How pregnant are St.
Gregory's words on this point : "It is not very hard
for a man to leave what he has ; but it is exceedingly
laborious for him to give up what he is ".5

The counsels of our Divine Lord and of His holy
Apostles with regard to the more perfect life sank

1 Matt. xix. 12. 21 Cor. vii. 25-26, 38. 3 John xii. 25, 26.
4 John v. 30. B Homil. 32 in Evang.

XV111 INTRODUCTION.

deep into the hearts of the first Christians, who en-
deavoured to carry them out as far as the state of
the Church then permitted. That little band of
believers at Jerusalem, so sweetly depicted in the
Acts as having "but one heart and one soul," and
possessing all things in common,1 forms a most
perfect picture of what a community should be.
And doubtless the same mode of life was practised
by Christians in other places, for in the early ages
of persecution thousands of men and women followed
strictly the evangelical counsels, and were only pre-
vented from forming themselves into communities
by the stringent laws enforced against them.

The elements of religious life always existed on a
small scale ; thus every bishop's household was, in
a sense, a religious community ; so, too, virgins were
everywhere fo be found who, having taken the veil
and vowed their virginity to God, led retired lives
either in their own homes or in houses set apart.
St. Cyprian says : " Virgins are the more excellent
portion of Christ's flock ; the renowned fruitfulness
of the Church, their Mother, flourishes abundantly in
them ".2 Again Tertullian writes : " These virgins,
so pleasing and acceptable to God, hold nothing
more dear to them than holy chastity ; and love to
be bound to God rather than to men. With Him
they live ; with Him they speak ; on Him they
meditate day and night, offering Him their prayers
and gifts."3 They received the consecration proper

1 Acts iv. 32. 2 De habitu Virg. > Ad uxor., lib. i.

INTRODUCTION. XIX

to virgins, wore a special dress, had a place set apart
for them in the assemblies of the faithful, and were
maintained by the Church.

Among men there were many who, having made
a vow of chastity, led holy and retired lives in the
practice of penance, manual labour and good works.
They are mentioned by Athenagoras, who in the
reign of Marcus Aurelius published a book in de-
fence of the Christians. In his apology he says that
the ascetics drew their motive of total renunciation
from the hope of a more intimate union with God.
Origen and Clement of Alexandria likewise speak in
highest praise of these pious men, extolling their
mortification, poverty, chastity, watchings, prayers
and fasts.

Many retired into the desert in order to sever
themselves completely from all intercourse with
their fellow-creatures ; these were styled Anchorets
or Hermits. It is generally supposed that St. Paul
of Thebes in the third century gave the first ex-
ample of this total seclusion. At the beginning of
the fourth century, when the persecutions had at
length ceased, the ascetic life developed in a wonder-
ful manner ; it grew and flourished in the deserts
till it became a mighty tree, productive of those
countless blossoms of which the world was not
worthy.

St. Anthony, the Egyptian, born a.d. 251 of noble
parents, who had embraced a life of solitude from
his earliest youth, was chosen by God to be the
great promoter of monastic life. After having spent

XX INTRODUCTION.

thirty- six years alone in the desert occupied in mor-
tifying his passions and sanctifying his soul, urged
by a Divine inspiration and by the entreaties of his
friends, he once more appeared among men, and, like
a second John, became a preacher in the wilderness.

"His meekness," says Count Stolberg (in his
history of religion), "his wisdom, example, and all
the wonders which through him God worked upon
the sick, the possessed, and the diseased, and more
than all the visible blessing and protection of God,
drew great multitudes to him ; many became his
disciples and under his guidance led lives of prayer,
labour and penance." The more the blessed saint
strove to evade the task of leading and teaching
others, so much the more eagerly did those who
aspired after perfection attach themselves to him.
Conscious of his own weakness and incapacity he
often fled away, but always unsuccessfully, for each
time his retreat was discovered and he was com-
pelled to return to the leadership he would fain have
shunned. In a few years his disciples were numbered
by hundreds ; they lived together divided into larger
or smaller communities, and endeavoured by prayer,
abstinence, labour, poverty and obedience to walk
the narrow way which leads to everlasting life.
Some dwelt on the banks of the Red Sea, others
near the Isthmus of Suez.

Contemporary with St. Anthony were other great
masters of the ascetic life : notably St. Ammon, St.
Pachomius and St. Macarius.

St. Ammon lived in the desert of Nitria in Lower

INTEODUCTION. XXI

Egypt. After observing virginal chastity in the
marriage state, he separated from his wife ; and
settling in the desert he gathered round him a
number of disciples who dwelt in separate cells.
Later, by the advice of St. Anthony, he built a
monastery ; and at the end of the fourth century his
disciples numbered over 5,000.

In the Thebaid, or centre of the Egyptian desert,
St. Pachomius was the great light and example of
religious life. Having consecrated himself to God,
and after being trained in monastic discipline by St.
Palemon, he received a Divine command to build at
Tabenna a dwelling-place for those whom God would
send him. This probably occurred in the year 325 ;
a year immortalised by the famous Council of Nicea.
The concourse of people who flocked to this holy
man surpassed anything hitherto known. He founded
eight monasteries, which he governed collectively as
abbot ; and his monks numbered about 7,000.* St.
Pachomius was the first to write a Kule and to
prescribe an exact method of living for his disciples.
We find it narrated in some manuscripts relating
to him that the principal points of his Kule were
dictated to him by an angel.2

In the desert of Scete St. Macarius was the
superior of many monasteries ; while God made use
of St. Hilarion, a disciple of St. Anthony, to found
religious life in Syria. Meantime the fame of these
holy solitaries spread into most distant lands ; so

1 Pallad. hist, laus., chap, xxxviii. > Bolland. Acta Ss. 14 Maj.

XX11 INTRODUCTION.

that before the close of the fourth century monas-
teries nourished even in far off Britain. We may
form some idea of the universal esteem felt for
religious from these words of St. John Chrysostom :
" Entering the Egyptian desert one finds a waste
which deserves rather to be called a paradise, for it
is studded with innumerable angels clothed with
mortal bodies. A vast army of men and women
peoples that waste, walking in the path of virtue,
whose lives give forth a brilliant lustre ; in number
and in splendour they surpass even the stars of
heaven." l

IV.

THE FIRST RULE OR FORM OF RELIGIOUS LIFE.

From the very beginning there were various forms
of religious life ; but the first Rule written with any
detail was that of St. Pachomius, and upon this all
later ones were grounded. According to his Rule
every monastery, or laura, was composed of twenty-
four orders or choirs ; each division had its own
superior, and these superiors were all subject to the
Abbot of Tabenna. Again, each order had its own
particular office or occupation ; one was employed in
cooking ; another in nursing the sick ; a third had
care of the guests ; a fourth had charge of the gate ;
others were occupied in instructing novices and
beginners, while others again had to work in the
garden or bakehouse or at some trade. Each order

1 Horn, 8 in Matth,

INTRODUCTION. XX111

had a separate house, built with branches of trees or
blocks of wood; these were divided into cells, and
three brethren dwelt in each cell.

The abbot was in constant correspondence with
the subordinate superiors ; he frequently visited the
monasteries, and twice a year — at Easter and in the
middle of August — he held a general chapter at the
principal monastery of Pabau. In these chapters
all that could promote religious discipline and per-
fection was discussed ; dissensions were pacified ;
fresh fervour aroused ; and the link of fraternal
charity strengthened and renewed.

Any one desirous of being admitted into the monas-
tery had to wait at least ten days ; during which time
his petition was examined and his motive considered.
If the result of the investigation proved satisfactory,
the petitioner was at once clothed with a habit, his
secular dress being laid aside in case he might after-
wards return to the world. He was not allowed to
offer any gift on entering. As a novice he was
permitted to take part in the prayers and exercises
of the community ; but during the first year of his
probation he remained under the supervision of the
porter, and was employed in waiting on the guests.
During the second and third years he was trained in
all the duties and observances of his Kule, especially
in exact and prompt obedience. All were obliged to
know how to read ; and each one had to learn the
greater part of the Holy Scriptures by heart, particu-
larly the Psalter and the New Testament. Those
who were professed were allowed to fast or not in

XXIV INTRODUCTION.

proportion to their strength, and their work was
measured out accordingly. The daily refection was
taken in common at midday, and there was a collation
in the evening. The clothing of the monks consisted
of a short sleeveless tunic made of sackcloth, known
asa" Lebiton," and girded at the waist with a belt ;
over this they wore a white sheepskin called a
" Melotus," which reached from the neck to the feet ;
and their heads were covered with a large capuce or
hood, which they never removed. At three separate
times, viz., in the morning, in the evening, and again
at night, a trumpet sounded to call the brethren to
prayer, whereupon each one laying aside his occupa-
tion hastened to the oratory. Twelve especially
appointed prayers were then said, preceded by a
psalm ; on Saturdays and Sundays all received Holy
Communion. As none of the monks were in Holy
Orders, a priest from some neighbouring church
usually came to offer the Holy Sacrifice. The cus-
tomary food consisted of bread, cheese, olives and
vegetables salted or prepared with oil and vinegar,
fruit, figs and salt fish ; cooked vegetables were given
to the sick and to old men and children, and the sick
were also allowed meat and wine. On Wednesdays
and Fridays only one meal was taken and that in the
evening, but this fast was dispensed in Paschal time.
The greater part of the day was employed in
manual labour : some prepared the necessary food
and clothing ; others occupied themselves in making
baskets and plaiting mats ; in the East these mats
supply the place of tables, seats and beds. A pro-

INTRODUCTION. XXV

curator had the charge of disposing of the articles
made by the brethren and of buying the provisions
required. For this purpose there were two boats
constantly passing up and down the Nile, between
the monasteries and Alexandria.

Three times a week the head of each division gave
a conference to his own particular order ; and on
Saturdays and Sundays the abbot or chief superior
gave one to the whole community. St. Pachomius
seems to have given one every evening. Silence was
strictly enforced. Every monastery had its own
library from which the monks received books for
spiritual reading ; each one had to take the greatest
care of the volume lent him, and had to show it to
his superior every week, and ask him to explain any
passage he might not understand.

At the general chapters the brethren publicly
accused themselves of their faults, asked for a pen-
ance, and begged the superior to make known to
them any imperfection he might perceive. Hos-
pitality was afforded to all ; the monks washed the
feet of strangers, offered them refreshment and gave
them lodging in a place detached from the rest of
the monastery. The female quarter was situated
at some distance. A brother was occasionally per-
mitted to visit his relatives, but under the escort
of an elder and trustworthy religious. If a monk
died, those of his own division passed the night
praying beside his corpse. On the following day
the whole community carried the body to the
grave, singing hymns and reciting prayers for the

XXVI INTRODUCTION.

departed soul, for whom the Holy Sacrifice was also
offered.

This Eule has been the admiration of all succeeding
ages ; so much so that its chief points have been
adopted by all founders of religious orders. Pacho-
mius enforced his precepts more by his example than
by his words : his tears and prayers were unceasing ;
his mortifications unsurpassed ; he was ever vigilant,
and united the sternness of a father with the tender-
ness of a mother : so that all who came in contact
with him felt that he was in very deed t'he model
and ideal of a perfect monk.

Y.

EXCELLENCE AND ADVANTAGES OF RELIGIOUS LIFE.

The dignity and excellence of religious life lie in
its nature and object. By its nature it cuts a man
off from all the ties which bind him to earth, and
thus enables him more swiftly to attain his object,
which is union with God. ''When a man has de-
tached himself from worldly cares and all the super-
fluities of life, and seeks no longer the things of
earth, but only those of heaven, then, indeed, he
may rightly be called a saint." 1

The religious state, therefore, is a school for saints,
and saints of the highest order, because, by means of
a rule and vows, it fastens its members to the Cross.
St. Jerome says very beautifully that " to be a martyr
it is only necessary to shed one's blood once, but

1 Origen, Horn. 11 in Levit,

INTRODUCTION. XXV11

that the unspotted service of a soul dedicated to
God is a daily martyrdom. The crown of a martyr
is wreathed of roses and violets, that of a religious
of lilies."1

"Why," asks St. Bernard, "is the promise made
to the poor the same as that made to the martyrs,
unless voluntary poverty be a kind of martyrdom ? "
Or again: "What is a more admirable, or a more
painful martyrdom than to restrain one's desires
and longings?"2 Indeed, the religious life raises
those who dedicate themselves to it with fervour to
the summit of apostolic sanctity. Hence it is that
St. Jerome says : " To sell all and give to the poor
•is an apostolic state and the height of virtue, and
those who embrace this state fly without any hind-
rance to Christ in heaven ".3 St. Bernard spoke in
the same strain when, addressing his monks, he told
them he esteemed them even more blessed than the
Apostles, for these left all at the call of Christ, but
they had renounced everything promptly at the word
of Christ's servant. " Blessed are they that have not
seen, and have believed." 4

It would be impossible to enumerate all the advan-
tages which the holy fathers ascribe to the religious
state. They say it raises a man above the earth
and makes him even in this life similar to the angels
and saints in heaven. St. Basil writes that "he
who sues for a divorce with the world must clearly

1 In epitaphio Paulae. 2 Serm. 1 omn. Ss.

:i Ep, 8 ad Demetriad. 4 John xx. 29.

XXV111 INTRODUCTION.

understand that by so doing he oversteps the bound-
aries of human nature and undertakes to walk in the
path trod by angels. The angelic nature consists
specially in this, that being free from earthly fetters,
and undistracted by any creature, the heavenly spirits
keep their gaze fixed on their Creator." l And to
quote St. Bernard again : " Our profession," he says,
" is exceedingly excellent, it is above the heavens,
it is angelic."2 St. John Climacus also says that
"the cloister is an earthly paradise, and the mon-
astic life an angelic life led by mortal men ".3
Nay, some of the fathers affirm that the religious
state surpasses even that of the angels ; for example,
St. Ambrose says : " The victory of a virgin is
greater than that of an angel, for an angel is a
pure spirit, whereas a virgin triumphs over flesh
and blood ".4 Lactantius and St. Bernard are of
the same opinion.

From the great excellence of the religious life we
pass to the advantages it bestows and to the influence
it exercises, not merely over those consecrated to it,
but over the whole Church — we might say, the whole
world. "That which originates from heaven, leads
back to heaven." In these few words all the
advantages of religious life might be summarised,
but the subject is so interesting that it deserves
to be treated at some length.

In the first place, those who consecrate themselves

1 De monach. instit., serm. 1. 2 Ep. ad fratres de monte Dei, chap. ii.
3 Clim. par ad. grad. 1. iIn 1 Cor. vii.

INTRODUCTION. XXIX

to God in holy religion are freed from thousands of
dangers to which souls struggling in the world are
subject ; they have every opportunity of learning the
way to perfection ; they are freed from all worldly
cares ; the concupiscence of the flesh, the concu-
piscence of the eyes, and the pride of life are almost
impossible temptations ; they have before them daily
examples of virtue, they are in constant communion
with God, and by the path of obedience they tread
the most direct, the surest and the easiest way to
heaven ; because to live under obedience means to
lay all our responsibility on another. St. Bernard
sums up the advantages of religious life in the follow-
ing words : "In religion man lives in greater purity,
falls less frequently, rises more quickly, walks more
cautiously, enjoys more abundant graces, rests more
securely, dies with greater confidence, is purified more
speedily, and receives a greater reward ".1 And what
does our Divine Lord and Master say of the reward
He gives in compensation for the sacrifice made by
those who renounce all to follow Him ? They " shall
receive an hundred-fold, and shall possess life ever-
lasting." 2

Secondly, religious not only benefit themselves, but
likewise the whole Church and all those who come
in contact with them. They are living examples of
what they profess, and a constant reminder that men
are not created for this life, but for the next. They
atone for the sins of the world and avert the just

1 Homil. de quaer. bona margar. 2 Matt. xix. 29.

XXX INTRODUCTION.

anger of God. They labour for souls, give frequent
alms, and are a sure refuge for all who are in sorrow
or suffering. And, finally, the religious state has ever
been the source and centre of learning from which
have issued so many popes, bishops and doctors.
By means of religious men and women the arts and
sciences have flourished, nations have been civilised,
lands have been cultivated, deserts have been made
fertile. They have refuted heresies, healed schisms,
and, above all, they have furnished the Church with
most powerful advocates in the persons of martyrs,
confessors and holy virgins.

Thirdly, the effects of religious life extend even to
those dark regions whose inhabitants know not God ;
for both monks and nuns are ever occupied by night
and by day imploring light for those who " sit in
darkness and the shadow of death". Zealous mis-
sionaries daily go forth to give their life, nay even,
if necessary, to shed their blood for the conversion
of heathens and infidels. The greater part of
Europe is indebted to the Benedictine Order for
the knowledge of the true faith, and the sons of
St. Francis, St. Dominic and St. Ignatius have
ever laboured with a like zeal to carry the
message of the Gospel to unbelievers in distant
countries.

To say all that might be said on this subject would
fill volumes ; suffice it then to conclude with St.
Theresa's words : " Woe to the world, if there were
no monks ".

INTRODUCTION. XXXI

VI.

EXTENSION AND PROPAGATION OF THE RELIGIOUS
STATE.

We read most astonishing facts regarding the
growth and increase of religious life ; facts which
would seem almost incredible were they not based
on incontestable evidence. In 373 Kuffinus, who
travelled in the East, states that there were as many
monks in the desert as there were laymen in the
cities. Serapion alone had 10,000 monks under his
guidance. In other lands also the increase was as
rapid as it was fruitful. St. Basil, Archbishop of
Csesarea, did much to promote the monastic state.
Helyot says of him : " He brought religious life to
the highest perfection, not only by urging his monks
to take the solemn vows of their state, but also by
writing a Kule for them which was, so to say, an
epitome of the Gospel : a Eule which was found
so holy and salutary that it was adopted by the
disciples of St. Anthony, St. Pachomius and St.
Macarius ; hence he is called the Patriarch of
Eastern Monks ".

In the West monasticism received a new im-
pulse from the life of St. Anthony written by St.
Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria ; the astonishing
facts he related thrilled all hearts and converted
many, encouraging them to go and do likewise. Soon
numerous and flourishing monasteries sprang up in
Italy, France, Spain and Britain. Eome set the
example and France quickly followed. In 360 St.

XXX11 INTRODUCTION.

Martin of Tours, being then only a priest, built a
monastery near Poitiers ; this was soon filled with
monks, and he saw himself obliged to-build another,
which he called " Marmoutier," or larger monastery.
When he died, we are told that no less than 4,000
monks attended his funeral.

In 409 Cassian, the renowned author of the Col-
lations, who had himself travelled in the East for
the purpose of studying monastic life, founded two
monasteries near Marseilles, one for men and one
for women; and in 410 St. Honoratus built his
famous monastery on the island of Lerins, in which
so strict and rigorous a life was led that it surpassed
anything hitherto known even in the Egyptian
deserts.

St. Augustine was distinguished as the author of
his widespread Kule, which has been adopted so often
in the Church as the groundwork of other rules.
Eusebius, Caesarius and Donatus were also founders
of religious houses. In Spain, at the Council of
Saragossa in the year 380, monasticism was already
spoken of as widespread.

In England and Ireland religious life began to
flourish from the time Christianity itself was intro-
duced, and on account of their numerous monasteries
and the missionaries they sent forth were called the
Islands of Saints. Thence came St. Columban and
his disciples to found their celebrated house in France.

It is unnecessary to pursue the subject further;
sufficient has been said to show the state of monastic
life in general before the birth of St. Benedict, who,

INTRODUCTION. XXX111

by his example and by his Rule, exercised such a
mighty influence upon its formation that he is justly
styled the Patriarch of Western Monks.

VII.

THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT AND THE SPREAD OF HIS
ORDER.

Formerly, the Western monks followed various
Rules based on those of St. Basil and St. Pachomius,
with such modifications as the difference of climate
and character rendered not only justifiable, but even
necessary. At the same time it is very easy to un-
derstand that, once a Rule is altered and adapted, it
requires more than common wisdom to prevent either
too much severity or too much laxity. Many holy
and enlightened men set themselves to cope with this
difficulty ; notably, Abbots Paul, Stephen, Caesarius,
Columban, Isidore of Seville and Fructuosus, and
their efforts met everywhere with most happy results.

But it was St. Benedict who was specially chosen
by God to carry out the great work of compiling a
Rule for Western monks. His own intention was
to furnish a method suitable for training beginners
in the monastic life, a method which might attract
those unable to embrace the severe austerities of the
Anchorets. Hence it was that he called his Rule
"the least of all Rules".1 But this "little Rule"
speedily became widespread and was everywhere
adopted, St. Gregory the Great, the first of a long

1 " Minhnam inchoationis Regulam"
G

XXXI V INTRODUCTION.

line of Benedictine Pontiffs, solemnly approved and
commended it. In his Dialogues he speaks of it as
follows : " Among so many miracles for which he
was famous in the world, the holy man of God,
Benedict, was also sufficiently learned in divinity,
for he wrote a Rule for his monks, both excellent
for discretion and eloquent in style. Of whose life
and conversation if any be curious to know further, he
may in the institutions of that Rule understand all
his manner of life and discipline, for that holy man
could not otherwise teach than himself lived." 1

St. Fulgentius says of it : "It contains all that is
necessary ; on no single point does it say too little ;
its words and precepts lead the observer of them to
the kingdom of heaven ". In less than a century
this Rule had penetrated into every country, and not
only new but ancient communities adopted it. At
the Council of Aix-la-Chapelle, 817, it was unani-
mously agreed that from that time all monasteries
should take it as their own. Thus it came about that
for many centuries all Western monks were Bene-
dictines ; and it is an historical fact that wherever
monks were to be found, there Christianity, civilisa-
tion and learning flourished. So the humble man
of God who had fled from the world to bury himself
in solitude became that great light whose brightness
has shone and continues to shine over so vast a
sphere.

No one who studies the development of the various

1 Dialogues, bk. ii., chap, xxxvi.

INTRODUCTION. XXXV

states of Europe can fail to perceive that the whole
fabric of the mediaeval West was founded and sus-
tained by the monasticism of St. Benedict, and that
the whole history of its origin is nothing else than
a history of Benedictine monasteries and the mission-
aries sent forth from them. The early history of
many dioceses is likewise taken chiefly from monastic
annals, and even later we find it closely linked with
the monasteries. The monks of those days, being
mixed up with the Christian life around them, op-
posed a mighty weapon to the increase of moral
corruption, and did much to elevate Europe to the
spiritual pre-eminence which it attained over the
rest of the world.

When the Benedictine Order began somewhat to
decay men were raised up who awakened its dormant
energy, reformed its life and extended it by new foun-
dations. Thus began the branch orders of Camaldoli,
Vallisumbrosa, Citeaux, the Cistercians, the Olivetans,
the Feuillants and la Trappe. These new branches
gave fresh vigour and impetus to the religious life,
and produced not only an increase of virtue, but also
a marked progress in science and learning. The
fame of the Abbey of Cluny alone spread throughout
Europe ; it was renowned for its strict religious
observance, whilst its abbots were consulted and
honoured by Popes and Emperors.

During the last centuries many congregations in
different countries have been labouring with incredible
zeal to restore monastic discipline, which had again
decayed, and to bring once more into prominence

XXXVl INTEODUCTION.

the study of the Sacred Scriptures and the Fathers.
And so it is that, while the more modern orders of
St. Dominic, St. Francis and St. Ignatius are fulfil-
ling a new and admirable mission in the world, the
Benedictine Order still flourishes ; renewing its youth
like the eagle, and continuing to accomplish a very
considerable work. May God give it strength to
carry out all that He requires from it, for the glory
of Jesus Christ, for the honour of the Church, and
for the salvation of mankind.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Translator's Preface iii

Preface v

Introduction xi

BOOK I.

EARLY YEARS OP THE SAINT. LIFE AT
SUBIACO.

(i^HAPTER

▼ I. Benedict's Native Country and Lineage. His Birth

and Infancy 3

, II. Benedict's Boyhood. The African Persecution . . 9

III. Early Education of the Saint. Contemporary History 15

IV. The Eternal City. Vocation 22

,V. The Flight from Rome. Enfide. The First Miracle . 28

VI. The Young Hermit 32

VII. The Hidden Treasure brought to Light ... 39

, VIII. The Furnace of Temptation 42

v IX. Benedict as Teacher and Guide 46

X. Vicovaro. The Poisoned Cup 50

XI. A Glance at the History of the Time .... 57
XII. Contemporary Rulers, Famous Bishops . . .67

XIII. Monasteries at Subiaco 73.

"XIV. A Summary of St. Benedict's Rule. I. The Abbot—

The Virtues required in a Monk— The Divine Office 78
XV. Summary of the Rule (continued). II. The Officials
and Subordinates of the Monastery — Labour —

Food— Clothing, etc 84

XVI. Summary of the Rule (concluded). III. Penances —
Novitiate — Profession — The Sick — Zeal — Love of

God 90

XXXV111 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

XVII. Maurus and Placid 95

XVIII. A Monk cured of Wandering during the Time of

Prayer 100

XIX. Benedict draws Water from a Rock .... 102

XX. Miracle of the Iron Sickle 104

XXI. Maurus rescues Placid from Drowning . . . 106

XXII. Contemporary History 109

XXIII. The Franks. St. Remigius 114

XXIV. "Blessed are they that Suffer Persecution" . . 119

BOOK II.

LIFE AT MONTE CASSINO.

I. Benedict's Arrival at Monte Cassino . . . .131

II. Extinction of Idolatry 135

III. The Erection of a Monastery 140

IV. St. Scholastica 144

V. Monastic Life at Monte Cassino. Benedict's Gift of

Prophecy 147

VI. Terracina 154

VII. The First Fruits, or the Martyrdom of St. Placid . 157

VIII. " The Deaf hear, the Blind see, the Dead rise again " 163

IX. Benedict's Power over the Devil 167

X. "Whatsoever you shall bind upon Earth shall be

bound also in Heaven " 172

XI. Destruction of the Vandal Rule in Africa by Belisarius.

He invades Sicily and Italy 175

XII. St. Silverius and Vigilius 187

XIII. Famine In Italy. Benedict's Generosity and Con-

fidence in Divine Providence 190'

XIV. Progress of the Gothic War 194

XV. Triumph of Belisarius. Troubles in the East. A

New King of the Goths . .' . . .197

XVI. Contemporary Saints 202

XVII. Zalla the Goth 209

XVIII. Remarkable Vision granted to the Saint . . . 212
XIX. Benedict's Prophecy concerning Monte Cassino and

Rome 215

XX. King Totila visits St. Benedict at Monte Cassino . 217

XXI. St. Benedict sends St. Maurus into France . . 221

CONTENTS. XXXIX

BOOK III.

LAST DAYS OF THE SAINT.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Benedict's last Meeting with Scholastica .... 229
II. The Dove of the Cloister flies to her Home . . . 232

III. " Precious in the Sight of the Lord is the Death of His

Saints" 235

IV. The Reward exceeding Great 239

V. Miracles wrought after the Saint's Death . . . 243

VI. Universal Veneration 246

Appendices 249

BOOK I.

EARLY YEARS OF THE SAINT.
LIFE AT SUBIACO.

CHAPTEE I.

BENEDICT'S NATIVE COUNTRY AND LINEAGE.
HIS BIRTH AND INFANCY.

a.d. 480.

North of the Campagna, stretching from the Tiber
to the Adriatic Sea — bounded on the north by the
Rubicon, and on the south by the Nera and the
Esino — lies a region which from earliest times has
been known as Umbria. Although crossed and
broken into on all sides by the Apennines, it
possesses many picturesque plains and fruitful
valleys. Formerly it was inhabited by a strong
and hardy race, who for many years succeeded in
keeping the power of Rome at bay ; but at length
had to submit to its mighty sway. The principal
towns of Umbria are Rimini, Pesaro, Sinigaglia,
Urbino, Camerino, Jesi, Gubbio, Spoleto and Assisi,
all of which date back to a very early period.

When the Emperor Augustus made his division
of land, Umbria was called the sixth Italian region.
Later on this region belonged partly to the Duchies
of Urbino and Spoleto and partly to the Marquisate
of Ancona. Christianity early penetrated into these
parts ; and many of the larger towns can trace the
line of their bishops back to apostolic times.

(3)

4 VRS Lpp \NTD I'jMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

In the south of Umbria, not far from Spoleto and
west of the high mountains of Sipilla and Cardossa,
lies the little city of Nursia, situated on the river
Freddara in the province of the same name. It was
once a place of importance and held in some repute
by the Romans, owing to the fact that it was the
birthplace of the General Sertorius. It was here
too that Scipio Africanus gathered together the
bravest sailors for his war against Carthage.

At the time when the Western Empire was sink-
ing powerless under the blows of the northern
barbarians, and that Odoacer, the youthful prince
of the Heruli, began to reign in Eome, there lived
in this province a powerful, ancient and aristocratic
family, destined by God to number the blessed
Benedict among "its members ; — for most authors
agree that he was descended from the Anician
family — one of the most noble of ancient Eome.
St. Gregory says he was born of an " illustrious
family ". Cassiodorus tells us that this family of
the Anicii was one of the most celebrated in the
world ; for in it might be found all that was glorious
in regal power, all that was heroic in war, all that
was grand in dignity, all that was learned in science,
and all that was holy in the Church. Consuls,
kings, and even emperors have sprung from it, as
well as prelates, doctors and saints. The emperors
who belonged to it were Constantine and Justinian ;
the saints — besides St. Benedict — were St. Ambrose,
St. Paulinus, St. Gregory the Great, St. Cecilia and '
the holy Roman ladies Demetria and Proba, who

NATIVE COUNTRY AND LINEAGE. 5

were among the first, as St. Jerome tells us, to lead
a religious life in Eome in their own houses. Dom
Mege even affirms that the royal families of Austria
and Savoy can trace their descent from this ancient
patrician race. Peter xhe Deacon, a monk of Cas-
sino, says that Benedict's father was named Anicius
Eutropius, and his mother was Claudia Abundantia,
Countess of Nursia. It was by this marriage that
Eutropius had added to his already large estates
the province of Nursia, where Benedict and his
twin sister Scholastica were born ; Claudia being
sole heiress of her family's immense fortune.

Some Benedictine biographers say that she died
soon after giving birth to these twTo children ; from
which they infer that her life was no longer neces-
sary to the world after giving it such precious fruits.
The monk Adrevald, who wrote in the ninth century,
tells us that the ruins of the palace of St. Benedict's
parents attested its former splendour ; as from the
foundations which yet remain, it is clearly seen that
it was magnificent in point of art, and larger than
the palaces of many kings.1

In the principal church of Nursia, which is dedi-
cated to St. Benedict, there is a crypt that, according
to an old tradition, is built over the place of his
birth ; the church itself having been erected on the
site of the ancient palace, which some authors say
was turned into a monastery after the saint's death.
An old writer quaintly remarks : " Nursia the cold

1 De miraculis 8. Bened., chap. i.

b THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

gives us a youth full of glowing ardour ; the moun-
tainous country sends us the humble one ; the rough
country sends us the saint, who endears himself to
us by his charms ; and the uncultivated land pro-
duces the wise Benedict ".J

The saint was born in the year ad. 480, four years

'after the fall of Romulus Augustulus, the last of
Ki tine's emperors,2 when the whole world was in
confusion and trouble. The once mighty Rome had
been thrice plundered, and now lay humbled to the
very dust ; the proud patricians, overpowered and
defeated, had been compelled to acknowledge the
barbarians as their lords and masters, and to yield
to them a third of all their possessions ; probably
Benedict's parents, like the rest, were somewhat
reduced from their former splendour.

* The birth of this son must have been like a star
of hope rising in the gloom, and the very name
Benedict, which they gave him at the baptismal
font, expressed the feelings of gratitude which rilled
their hearts, and foreshadowed the blessings which

4hey desired and prayed might come to them through
him. It is a name full of rich meaning; and St.
Gregory in the first line of his life shows that he
well understood its worth, when he says that he was
11 blessed by grace and by name ".8

1 Archang. Castivil. hist. Camald., vol. i., chap. ii.

2 Odoacer, King of the Heruli, revolted against Romulus Augus-
tulus, the last Emperor of Rome. He attacked him in Ravenna
and took him prisoner, but spared his life. He then made himself
master of Rome and was proclaimed king in 476.

8 Dialogues, quart, series, bk. ii., Prologue.

EARLY YEARS OF THE SAINT. 7

We have no authentic portrait of the saint ; but
we may gather from what we know of him, that he
was of a strong and vigorous nature, with a con-
stitution which could withstand all the difficulties
of a hard and austere life ; that he had a noble and
beautiful countenance, and that in stature he sur-
passed the ordinary height. His Holy Eule shows^
that he had a very retentive memory and great
power of speech, as well as a clear understanding,
a wonderful discretion, a tender and loving heart,
a manly disposition and a heroic spirit ; in short, a
character which fitted him to be a leader and guide
to others.

During the first years of Benedict's life political
events were taking place which totally changed the
existing state of the world. Home had fallen from
the pinnacle of her greatness ; and the northern* |
barbarians had forced their way into every known
part of the globe, ravaging and destroying all without
pity or remorse. Then God, compassionating the
misery which prevailed., raised up certain chosen
souls whom He destined to shine all the more bril-%
liantly because of the darkness of the moral night
surrounding them. These He appointed to be teachers
to His people, and endowed them at the same time
with all the gifts necessary to make them heavenly
architects, who might construct for Him new and
lasting dwellings in the hearts of men. Thus it was
that, while the world at large presented a sad and
most lamentable spectacle, the Church of God alone
flourished and bore fruit in the sanctity and fervour

8 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

of thousands of her members. Eminent pontiffs
sat on the chair of Peter ; illustrious bishops
governed their afflicted and oppressed flocks ; the
deserts resounded with the psalmody of both monks
and nuns. Among free men and slaves, among
nobles and citizens, there bloomed most wonderful
examples of holiness, who were ready when needful,
as we find by many instances, to tread in the steps
of those martyred heroes who in former ages had
shed their blood for Christ. Souls such as these
gave a new character to a depraved world, and,
owing to their efforts, the Kingdom of God at length
obtained her position of universal esteem and influ-
ence. Not the least among the souls chosen by
God for this purpose was Benedict of Nursia.

CHAPTEK II.

ST. BENEDICT'S BOYHOOD.
THE AFRICAN PERSECUTION.

a.d. 477-484.

^Three things concur to form a man's character :
the grace of God, external influences, and the co-1.
operation of man's own wilU These causes working
together form that individual personality which gives
him his position among his fellow-creatures. To
the natural gifts possessed by Benedict, God super-
added those of His grace in such abundance that, as
his name signified, he was indeed a child of blessing.
By a special grace he was preserved in innocence [
amidst all the pomp and luxury with which he was
surrounded ; for as St. Odo, Abbot of Cluny, says,
"the Holy Spirit had already chosen his little heart
for His dwelling ".

In many councils which were held at this time, we
find mention made of the Bishops of Nursia, such as
of Stephen who sat in the Roman Synod in 495, also
of the Bishops John, Evandus and Optatus. It is
therefore most probable that these holy men, accord-
ing to the custom of those days, took a watchful
interest in the spiritual training of the young Bene-
dict. In his father's palace he seems to have had
' (9)

10 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

the example of every virtue, and to have had early
planted in his heart the fear of God, the love of
Jesus Christ, and that principle of obedience which
,he made afterwards the foundation of his Eule. And
not only the surroundings of his own home, but the
events then taking place in the Eoman Empire must
have influenced his opening intelligence. In his
family circle public affairs, especially the troubles
then distracting the world, must often have been dis-
cussed, and commented upon ; and as the boy listened
he would make his own observations, form his
judgment, and realise the position he held in society.
At the time when Benedict was a child in his
father's palace, the Vandal King Huneric was still
reigning in Africa.1 In his passionate zeal for the
Arian heresy, he persecuted all who adhered to the
true faith, and went so far in his cruelty that he
seemed to surpass even Diocletian himself. The
persecution had fallen with particular fury on the
bishops and priests, so that they were almost ex-
terminated ; nuns and consecrated virgins had been
put to the torture to make them confess, as it was
said, their crimes : but as none knew any crime to
confess, they had died under their torture. Numbers
of bishops, priests and deacons with their relatives,
and among them many innocent children, had been
driven into the horrible deserts of Mauritania, and
there left to perish. In 484, when Benedict was four

1 Huneric was the son of Genseric and succeeded him on the
throne in 478. He married Eudoxia, the sister of the Emperor
Zeno,

THE AFRICAN PERSECUTION. 11

years old, Huneric, by an edict, forbade the Catholic
religion to be practised throughout Africa. The
churches were closed, and the revenues taken by the
king or given to the Arians. All Catholics were
declared to be disgraced'. The old edicts of the
Koman emperors against the Christians were put in
force ; and hundreds of bishops were banished to
Corsica, or the desert parts of Africa. Among the
confessors twelve little choristers are especially
noticed. On account of their clear young voices the
heretics endeavoured to gain them over to sing in
the Arian churches, but neither threats nor promises
could move them ; they were scourged and beaten
with clubs, but all in vain — and for their faithful con-
fession they are named in the Acts of the African
Church the " twelve little Apostles " of Carthage.
Throughout the kingdom sorrow and lamentation
filled every city and every village — we might say,
every house and every family. The rack, the scourge
and an ignominious death awaited all those who did
not possess a certificate from an Arian bishop testi-
fying that they had received Arian baptism. The
historian of this period says he could fill volumes
with the acts of the martyrs of his day, and yet not
exhaust all. The faithful showed a courage and
constancy worthy of apostolic times, and compara-
tively few were guilty of apostasy. Their heroism
was glorified by God with such extraordinary signs
and wonders, and such convincing proofs of the truth,
that only the most hardened unbelievers could have
withstood them.

12 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Before this terrible persecution broke out, a pious
deacon of Carthage had seen in a vision, three times
repeated, many of these calamities. He saw the
Church of St. Faustus shining with brilliant splen-
dour and illuminated by thousands of lamps, costly
tapestry adorned the walls and a dense throng of
worshippers clothed in white filled the sacred edifice.
The celebration of Mass began, and heavenly chants
floated in the air ; when on a sudden all the lights

- were extinguished, the sweet harmonies ceased, and
a horde of Ethiopians rushing in scattered the whole
assembly.

Many miracles also testified to the might of God's
power and the strength of His Church. Among
other instances we are told of an old Carthaginian
who went by the name of '* blind Felix ". Being
commanded in a vision to go to Eugenius and receive
from him his sight, he obeyed ; the bishop, however,

"was naturally somewhat embarrassed at his request,
not considering himself worthy to perform such a

'miracle. But at length, moved by a Divine inspira-
tion, he prayed and made the sign of the Cross over
the man, who was immediately cured. The fact was

. incontestable, and the whole city was moved by the
news of the prodigy. Huneric alone gnashed his
teeth with rage, and declared it to be the effect of
witchcraft. At another time we read of Victoria,
the young wife of one of the most distinguished men
of Consula, who, in defence of her faith, had hung
i for a whole day on a gibbet until all her bones were
dislocated and her body in a piteous state. Her

THE AFRICAN PERSECUTION. 13

executioners, believing her to be dead, cut her down
and threw her on the ground, when suddenly she
stood up and found herself completely healed. After-
wards she related how a lady of great dignity and
surpassing beauty had appeared to her, and touching
her hand had restored her to life.

In Typasus, a town of Mauritania, hundreds —
some authors say thousands — of the faithful under-
went the torture of having their tongues cut out ;
yet, nevertheless, they were able to speak, and being m
dispersed into many lands they bore, wherever they
went, a striking witness to the truth of the Catholic
religion.

Though the hand of God was thus visible to all,
the impious Huneric remained hardened, and con-
tinued his persecution until he was summoned before
the awful judgment seat of Him Whom he had
mocked and outraged in the persons of His saints.
He was unexpectedly seized with a terrible sickness,-
the nature of which baffled the skill of his physicians;
and after suffering the most awful torments, he died*
on 6th December, 484, having reigned seven years.

Events such as these must have made a deep im-
pression on the child Benedict, and, like the little St.
Theresa of modern times, he too probably thirsted to
die a martyr for the name of Jesus.

The tender-hearted and religious nurse to whom
he was entrusted in his early years1 surely under-
stood how to picture these moving scenes to the boy

1 Peter the Deacon calls her Cyrilla.

14 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

in such a way as to touch his innocent heart ; and
she would have shown him how far more our hearts
should he affected by the sufferings of Him Who left
the glory of His throne in Heaven to become man
for us, and Who underwent the greatest sufferings
in order to deliver us from sin and damnation and
make us eternally happy.

If it were permitted us to glance into the Book of
Life we should doubtless be able to narrate the
feelings which stirred the soul of the little Benedict,
the attractions, designs and resolutions urging him
to those holy deeds which he afterwards accom-
plished.

How pure are the sentiments and affections of
children, and how heavenly their desires ! " Unless
you be converted, and become as little children, you
shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." *

1 Matt, xviii. 8.

CHAPTEK III.

EARLY EDUCATION OF THE SAINT.
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY.

a.d. 487-493.

We know nothing definite about the early education
of this child of predilection. He, doubtless, went
through the usual course of training requisite for a
nobleman's son in those days, and was required to
study the arts and sciences which distinguished the
patrician from a common citizen ; doubtless, too, he
was instructed by efficient masters in the history and
political events of the time, and taught how to con-
duct himself in a way befitting his high rank.

But the principal part of Benedict's education, and
that which chiefly concerns us, was his spiritual
training. He very soon learnt to realise the difference
between good and evil ; he was shown how noble
and pleasing is virtue, and how vile and degrading
is sin ; and he quickly understood the necessity of
checking and fighting against his passions. Child as
he was at the time, one of the great events of ecclesi-
astical history, which occurred when he was only
about seven years old, may have had an effect in
showing him how much sorrow and sadness are the

consequences of yielding to temptation. In the early

(15)

16 THE LIFE AND TIMES OP ST. BENEDICT.

ages of Christianity, exterior sins were usually pun-
ished by public penances, in order to inspire men
with a salutary fear. During the African persecution
already spoken of several leading men had unhappily
apostatised ; but when under King Gundamund ! the
rage of the persecutors abated, bitter remorse filled
the hearts of these unfortunate apostates. In their
distress they appealed to Eome, and Pope Felix III.
convened a council to decide the question. It met
on 13th March, 487, in St. Peters ; fourty-four bishops -
and seventy-five priests assisted. This council de-
creed that all priests of higher orders who had denied „
the Faith should do penance for the remainder of
their lives, not receiving Holy Communion till their *
death ; all priests of lower orders, as well as the
monks, nuns and laymen who were guilty, were to
abstain from Holy Communion for twelve years ; and
children were to be placed among the penitents for
so long a time as the circumstances of each case
should decide.

A year after this council, Peter the Fuller,2 who
had usurped the patriarchal chair of Antioch, died.
In a very short time Acacius, Patriarch of Con-
stantinople, followed him to the grave, Peter Mongus,
Patriarch of Alexandria, surviving the latter only
one year. These three had retained their sees in,
spite of the decrees of the council, and by their
wickedness were the authors of a disastrous schism ;
unfortunately, there is no record of their repentance.

1 Gundamund succeeded Huneric as King of the Vandals in 484.

2 So called on account of his former lowly occupation.

CONTEMPORARY HISTORY, A.D. 487-493. 17

These events saddened all good Christians ; and grave
and thoughtful as Benedict was, he cannot have
failed to draw many practical lessons from them.

At the beginning of the year 491 the whole world
was startled by the tragic end of the Emperor Zeno.1
Suspecting that some of his subjects were pretenders
to his throne, he ordered several barbarous executions ;
having perpetrated these foul deeds, he was seized
with remorse, and on the 9th of April, as he was
rising from table in an intoxicated condition, he
fell violently to the ground, seized with an epileptic
fit from which he never recovered. Such a death
was a great lesson to all ; and though Benedict was
but a boy, it must have brought home to him the
vanity of all human greatness. Things which would
have been indifferent or incomprehensible to other
children his precocious mind took seriously to heart ;
for, as St. Gregory says of him, " from his very
childhood his mind and heart were matured ".

As little is known of St. Benedict's childhood, so
his growing years must equally remain a sealed book
to us. But it is evident that from the beginning
Christ had laid in him a deep foundation, and that
he too, like his Divine Master, advanced both in
" wisdom and age, and grace with God and men ".2
Hence we may conjecture that he eagerly drank in
that knowledge which could bring him nearer to
God and the realisation of his vocation. The Church

1 Zeno the Isaurian, Emperor of Constantinople, reigned from 474
to 491.

2 Luke ii. 52.

18 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

appeared to him like a vast garden in which grew
and blossomed thousands of precious and beautiful
plants — such as St. Eugenius of Carthage, in whom
seemed to have been raised up another Athanasius ;
as Stephen, Patriarch of Antioch, who had lately
shed his blood for the Faith ; as the wonderful
" Stylite," honoured by all the people and sum-
moned by the emperor to help him in his direst
distress ; as Valdus, who for forty years combined
the office of a missionary in France with that of a
bishop, and afterwards retired into the desert, where
he died rich in merit ; as Epiphanius of Pavia, who
boldly presented himself before the kings Odoacer
and Theodoric to persuade them to spare his little
flock. These, and many other holy and virtuous
men, flourished and adorned the Church at that
period.

Benedict must have grieved to see this garden
blighted with the foul poison of heresy ; that of Arius
had infected whole nations, including the Vandals,
the Goths and the Heruli, who had shortly before
conquered Italy. Eutychianism had penetrated into
Egypt and Syria ; Nestorianism into Mesopotamia ;
while the Indians, Franks, Huns and Germans still
groped in the darkness of paganism. But zealous
missionaries were at work labouring to counteract
these evils. Amantius of Rodez and St. Germanus
carried the message of the gospel to the banks of
the Moselle, to Normandy and Picardy. Albeus, a
companion of St. Patrick, afterwards Bishop of
Munster, converted numberless infidels by his elo-

CONTEMPORARY SAINTS. 19

quence, his miracles, and, above all, by his example ;
he also founded a monastery on the Isle of Arran,
renowned for the holiness of its inmates. In 486
Eleutherius was made Bishop of Tournay, and began
his work of evangelising the Franks, crowning his
labours with martyrdom. At the same time St.
Eemigius was nominated Bishop of Kheims, though
only twenty-two years old, and governed that church
for seventy years. His rare gifts and qualities and
his singular attractiveness did much for the conversion
of the heathen, and his power over sinners made him
like a second St. Paul. In Wales Prince Gunthlaus,
having relinquished his crown and sceptre, withdrew
into the desert, whither he was speedily followed by
his son Cadoc, who, after a short reign, imitated the
example of his father, that he might more surely gain
an imperishable crown. He founded a monastery at
Llancarfan, near Cowbridge, which gave to the
Church many saints and illustrious men.

The fame of the holy solitaries of Palestine, Abbots
Theodore and Sabas, had spread even into Western
countries. By their wisdom they put to shame the
most astute philosophers, and their advice was sought
by emperors and prelates. Theodore lived as a hermit
for thirty years, but afterwards he became the founder
of a renowned monastery near Bethlehem, and died
in 529. On account of his numerous disciples he
was called " Father of monks ". Sabas founded the
monastery which bears his name. He died in 532.

At this period also St. Genevieve, the virgin saint,
was still living and illustrating the Church by her

20 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

virtues and miracles. Her gift of prophecy was so
great that, as her biographer tells us, "the future
was as clear to her as the present ". About the year
451, by her prayers and fasts she had deserved to
obtain from Almighty God the preservation of the
city of Paris, when it was threatened by the Huns
under Attila. She died in 512 at the age of eighty-
nine.

At the end of the fifth century Italy was being
devastated by war. In 489 Theodoric, King of the
Ostrogoths,1 had come with the consent of Anastasius,
Emperor of Constantinople, to conquer Italy. Odo-
acer was his equal in valour and prudence, but discord
prevailed in his army ; three pitched battles were
fought in 490 and 491, in each of which Theodoric
was victorious ; and Odoacer saw himself compelled
to take refuge in the impregnable fortress of Kavenna,
where he awaited his fate. Theodoric made himself
master of all Italy, and at length Odoacer, constrained
by famine, treated for peace through the intervention
of Bishop John. His proposals were accepted by the
conqueror, who agreed that they should reign con-
jointly over the country ; their compact was sealed
on 5th March, 493. A few days later Odoacer was
treacherously assassinated when dining with Theo-
doric ; he had reigned seventeen years. His death
left Theodoric sole master of Italy.

Benedict, who was but just developing into man-
hood, witnessed these events with feelings similar to

1 Of the royal race of the Amali. Under the name of Theodoric
the Great he planted the Ostrogoth power in Italy.

CONTEMPOEARY HISTORY, A.D. 487-493. 21

those of the Wise Man, saying like him, "All is
vanity except to love and serve God alone " ; and
there arose in his soul a great longing to humble and
abase himself that he might become great in the
eyes of Him Whose praise alone he sought.

CHAPTEE IV.

THE ETERNAL CITY. VOCATION.
a.d. 487-493.

It was while studying at Eoine that Benedict decided
on the all-important matter of his vocation ; a point
attended with such vital results. He had been sent
by his father to their house in that city for the pur-
pose of perfecting his literary education.

The Benedictine abbot Cajetan Constantine, who
lived under the pontificate of Gregory XV., gives us
the following account of St. Benedict's residence in
Kome. " The Church of St. Benedict in Piscinula,
on the other side of the Tiber, though almost in
ruins, is distinguished as the birthplace of the saint's
ancestors, he being a descendant of the patrician
family of the Anicii. In some old documents at
Monte Cassino, to which this church belongs, it is
called ' St. Benedict sub Monte Lycaonis,' because it
is situated near that island in the Tiber, which takes
its name from Jupiter Lycaonis. In ancient times
the splendid palace of the Anicii was built on this
spot, and its immense extent has been verified by re-
cent excavations. Another circumstance strengthens
this evidence, viz., that the house of St. Cecilia, who

belonged to the same family, is to be found close by.

(22)

THE ETERNAL CITY. 23

According to reasonable conjecture a part of the
above-mentioned palace, and probably that part re-
served for the use of Benedict, was shortly after his
death converted into a church and dedicated to his
glorious memory. It is also a tradition that the
beautiful picture of Our Lady which is in this church
is the same which the boy Benedict used to venerate."
Gregory XV., at the request of the abbot from whose
writings we have just quoted, gave this house to the
Benedictines as a hospice for monks.

When our saint arrived in Kome, the City of the
Seven Hills, which had been rebuilt by Nero with so
much splendour, still retained much of its former
greatness ; and although some buildings already
showed signs of decay, and others were in ruins, yet
it was easy to trace the magnificence of ancient
Borne with its temples and baths, its Colosseum and
Triumphal Arches ; and now added to these were the
modern, but withal majestic, basilicas of St. John
Lateran and St. Mary Major. According to Optatus
of Milves, Borne possessed forty churches even before
the close of the persecutions ; twenty-five were added
in the fourth century and about fourteen in the fifth
century.

Gelasius then occupied the chair of Peter, to which
he had been elected on 1st March 492, five days after
the death of his predecessor, Pope Felix III. St.
Gelasius gave a new impetus to the liturgy ; he had
all the services and ceremonies of Holy Church carried
out with the utmost solemnity, and he also founded
many charitable institutions. Hence it was that,

24 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

during the seven years spent by Benedict in Rome,
he had every opportunity of satisfying his devotion
by assisting at the great functions in the various
churches, and by visiting the catacombs, or " ceme-
teria •' as they were then called, in which thousands
of the holy martyrs who had suffered so recently
were buried. He must have been deeply edified by
the many examples of faith and piety, patience and
brotherly love, which he saw among the Christians
of Rome, especially their wonderful charity towards
the poor and afflicted. The effect of all this upon
his yoHng mind was that he desired more than ever
to dedicate himself to God in a state in which he
could securely serve Him ; and he determined to
embrace such a state, however hard to nature and
whatever sacrifices it might involve.

Meantime he continued his studies — the " Hu-
manities," as St. Gregory calls them — m the public
schools. At that time every student who wished to
distinguish himself in the literary world had to go
through a double " cursus " or course of studies : first,
the " Trivium," which included grammar, rhetoric and
logic; and secondly, the " Quadrivium," embracing
arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy. Bene-
dict's clear mind and quick perception must soon
have mastered these sciences, at least to some extent,
and although St. Gregory assures us that he departed
from Rome with all her evil and pagan influences
" skilfully ignorant and wisely unlearned," he is not
in any way depreciating human learning in itself,
but re-echoing the warning that "the bewitching of

VOCATION. 25

vanity obscureth good things, and the wandering of
concupiscence overturneth the innocent mind "^ And
while other youths of equal talent became absorbed
in these studies, and looked forward with delight to
the honours and dignities they hoped to acquire in
the world, " the blessed one " despised all this ; and
his understanding and heart felt a void which nothing
earthly could fill. He sought and longed for one
thing only : to please God, to become a true servant
of God, and to gain merit for eternity.

Owing partly to the fact that the Empire had a
barbarian master, and that the city of Borne itself
had been so long the scene of bloodshed, there was
everywhere licence and corruption. Whether Bene-
dict was horrified at such a constant spectacle of
violence and crime, and was shocked by the depraved
morals of his fellow-students, who gave themselves
unrestrainedly up to sinful pleasures ; or whether he
received, which is more probable, a direct call from
God to leave the world, and seek Him alone ; in
either case we know that, after he had been seven
years in Borne, and before he was yet old enough to
have taken any part in worldly vanities and follies,
he resolved to quit it for ever. St. Gregory says he
had barely put his foot in the world when he took
this resolution. It seemed to him as if he heard
constantly an interior voice saying to him : " Fly,
Benedict, into the desert ; there thou wilt taste how
sweet is the Lord to those who love Him ". This

] Wisdom iv. 12.

26 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

interior impulse grew stronger as he daily discovered
fresh proofs of the dangers which surrounded him,
until at last it became irresistible. His resolution
was taken : he would leave Home and renounce his
rich inheritance in order to follow his Lord in poverty
and in pain. His nurse, Cyrilla, who had remained
with him as was the custom in those days and had
been like a second mother to him, must have perceived
something unusual about her foster-child, and before
long she had won his confidence. Having learnt his
secret, she determined to accompany him in his
flight. Thus, says his biographer, " he despised the
study of the liberal arts and forsook the paternal roof ;
wishing only to be pleasing to God, he sought for
that manner of life in which he could serve Him
most perfectly. Therefore did he withdraw his foot
new set in the world, fearing lest, if he but once
suffered himself to taste its fruits of knowledge, he
should be certain after that to throw himself headlong
over its precipice into the abyss below." J

According to tradition, Benedict took this impor-
tant step, which was the beginning of all the blessings
poured out upon him, and through him upon all
mankind, in the year 494, when he was fourteen
years old. Baronius thinks that he was older, but,
as St. Gregory expressly uses the word " puer," we
cannot suppose him to have been more. St. Odo,
Abbot of Cluny, says: "Tender in years but great
in spirit, he braves the dreary solitude of the desert ".

1 Dialogues, bk. ii., Prologue.

VOCATION. 27

At this very time it was being reported on all
sides that Theodoric, the new king and master of
Italy, intended to restore the fallen city to its former
prosperity and grandeur. But the young saint, who
had chosen the path which leads to eternal riches,
could not be kept back by any prospect of earthly
gain. On the contrary, it only incited him to be
more steadfast in his resolution. He well knew
that it was quite possible to live in the world without
being of it, and that society required the light and
salt of holy and enlightened men ; yet he saw also
most clearly that it would be best for him to fly from
it. He felt no attraction for the toga of a Roman
noble, but his heart yearned for the poor habit of a
monk. Earthly wisdom was but dross in his eyes,
for he had tasted that which is eternal. And so he,
who had despised and forsaken the world, became by
this very means fitted to be the master and leader of
thousands of his fellow-creatures, to teach them
how to discover new sources of wisdom and know-
ledge, and how to become the light of the world and
the salt of the earth by their words and example.

CHAPTEE V.

FLIGHT FROM ROME. ENFIDE. THE FIRST MIRACLE.
a.d. 493-494.

Turning his back on Koine, and leaving his home
and kindred and all those prospects and pleasures
which had tried in vain to captivate his pure young-
heart, Benedict set out accompanied by Cyrilla, his
faithful old nurse. They directed their steps east-
wards towards the river Anio, which rises in that
portion of the Sabines joining the Apennines and
rushes down over a hundred cascades to pour its
noisy waters, into the Tiber below. St. Hildegarde
tells us that Benedict was led by two angels along-
secret paths, to prevent his being discovered by those
who were seeking -him in every direction when his
flight became known to them. St. Peter Damian
confirms this statement, and says that he learnt the
same thing from an ancient author.

It is probable that on the first evening the two
fugitives only reached the foot of the mountains,
where, even now, travellers are wont to take a night's
rest after leaving Kome. From this spot the Holy
City appears like a magnificent amphitheatre, with
St. Peter's at one end, and the Lateran Church and

palace at the other ; and as they turned to take a

(28)

ENFIDE. 29

parting look at that fair scene, doubtless tears welled
up in the eyes of the old nurse and her young charge.
But grace triumphed over nature, and the next
morning saw them aga"in on their journey. And
as of old the Eomans fetched their first brides
from the city of the Sabines, and astonished the
world by their powerful posterity, so now Benedict
hastened thither to gather those virtues by which he
was enabled to give to the Church a spiritual pos-
terity which should continue to the end of time, and
be the edification and salvation of mankind, as well
as its delight and admiration. On the second day
the travellers passed through deep valleys, formed
by mountain ranges, along a road which runs half-
way up a steep slope, and in a wild romantic spot
on the crest of a rising range they came upon the
village of Enfide, now Affile. Benedict went straight
to the church, which was dedicated to St. Peter, and
prayed earnestly for guidance. Adjoining the church
were some houses inhabited by devout and worthy
people who pressed Cyrilla and the boy, who passed
for her son, to accept hospitality from them. St.
Gregory says: " Multisque honestioribus viris,"
which some have interpreted to mean people of noble
family ; and have concluded from thence that Bene-
dict was known to them, at least by name, and was
welcomed by them as a friend, possibly as a relation.
But the more common opinion is that the inhabitants
of Enfide were only rustics and honest peasants, who
showed charity to the old nurse and her charge, as
they did to every wayfarer, for the love of Christ,

30 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Who said, "I was a stranger, and you took Me
in".1

As Benedict did not yet know exactly the designs
of God regarding his future abode, he considered
the kind reception given him by these good people
as a mark of the Divine will that he should remain
there for the present ; and therefore resolved to rest
for a time and confer with God until He should deign
further to manifest His will. An event, however,
soon occurred which, although it proved that God
was with him, equally showed him that this was
not the place where he could carry out his holy
aspirations. During his stay at Enfide, we are told
that the sole occupation of the young pilgrim was
to spend his day kneeling at the door of St. Peter's
Church, rapt in prayer. One evening, as he re-
turned home, he found Cyrilla in great distress ;
she had borrowed a sieve from one of the neighbours
— St. Gregory calls it a " capisterium," which was
an earthenware vessel for shaking corn, but without
holes ; this she had incautiously left on a table, and
by some accident it fell and was broken in half.
When Benedict returned she was crying bitterly ;
and the tender-hearted boy, distressed by her tears,
was moved with compassion, and taking the two pieces
of the broken sieve knelt down outside and began to
pray over them. When he rose from his knees the
sieve was repaired in such a way that no trace of
the fracture was to be found, and he smilingly

1 Matt. xxv. 35.

THE FIEST MIRACLE. 31

restored it to Cyrilla sound and whole. This miracle,
though seemingly trivial, served an important pur-
pose, for it proved that his flight from Home had
the Divine sanction, and it also evinces the progress
he had already made in prayer and union with
God.

This event soon came to the knowledge of the
people of Enfide, and caused such admiration that
the inhabitants hung up the sieve in the church, so
that posterity might know what a high degree of
grace God had given the young Benedict, even at
the very beginning of his religious life. There it
remained for many years, until in 568 Italy was
invaded by the Lombards, when it was destroyed.
To his dismay, Benedict now became an object of
esteem, not only to the village people, but to many
who came from the surrounding country to see and
speak with the young Thaumaturgus. He well
knew the danger of flattery, especially for a beginner
in the spiritual warfare, and he trembled to see his
hitherto hidden life exposed to the inquisitive gaze
of men. Therefore, as St. Gregory says, " being
more desirous of the miseries of the world than the
praises of men, rather to be wearied with labour
for God's sake than to be exalted with transitory
commendation, he fled privily from his nurse," J and
alone, with his angel to guide him, he bent his steps
towards Subiaco.

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. i.

CHAPTEK VI.

THE YOUNG HERMIT.
a.d. 494.

It was Eastertide when Benedict set out on his
second journey ; in the springtime of the year,
when all nature is fresh and fair. He hastened
over Mount Carpineto towards the eastern valley
of the Anio, about three miles beyond Enfide, in-
tending to push on into the depths of the mountains.
As he was thus making his way, intent on his holy
purpose, he saw a monk coming towards him. In-
stinctively he was attracted by the appearance of
the stranger, convinced that God had brought him
there in answer to his prayer for guidance. Eomanus
had indeed come into the wilderness to meditate
with greater quiet, and the Holy Ghost caused
Benedict to meet him that in him he might find
a guide and helper in the beginning of the new life
to which he was called.1

He kindly inquired of the young fugitive who he
was and where he was going. And Benedict openly

1 Romanus was a monk at the monastery of Monte Calvo, not
far from Subiaco ; subsequently he was sent into France to make
a foundation, and after a most edifying life he died in 546, leaving
a great number of disciples. He is mentioned in the Roman Mar-
tyrology on 22nd May.

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THE YOUNG- hekmit. 33

and simply communicated to him the affairs of his
soul, and told him he was looking for a place where
he could live hidden from the whole world. In
order to try him, Eomanus began by urging objec-
tions to his design ; but the holy youth answered
them with so much wisdom and firmness that the
monk was struck with amazement and could only
praise God Who had given such resolution to a
mere child. Satisfied as to his vocation, Romanus
hesitated as to where he should direct the boy.
But his doubt was soon cleared up, for near at
hand he knew of a cave on Monte Calvo, which
would hide the young hermit completely from the
world and give him greater security than he could
find in any fortress. To discover this cavern we
must follow the course of the river Anio towards
the south-east where the valley becomes more and
more narrow, and about three miles from Subiaco
we find ourselves between two mountain walls
whose summits seem to touch the sky. That on
the right bank of the river belongs to Monte Calvo,
that on the left to Monte Carpineto, behind which
is Enfide. A thousand feet above the valley, in the
steep wall of Monte Calvo, is a deep cavern, seven
feet long by four broad, with a large triangular
opening. This was the spot chosen by St. Romanus
to be a school of perfection for his disciple. The
foreground of the cave was somewhat extended,
affording sufficient space for a small garden, while
the path leading up to it was exceedingly steep,

narrow and difficult to climb. Benedict entered

3

34 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

his new abode with a heart full of joy, and a feeling
of sweetness which was not of earth ; and kneeling
down he made this prayer : " I thank Thee, 0 my
God, because, through Thine infinite goodness, Thou
hast delivered me from the world and its corruption.
Grant that I may remain here alone with Thee, and
that neither flesh nor blood may ever draw me away
from Thee. Bless, 0 Lord, the design I have con-
ceived and the resolutions I have made, for if I have
left my father's house to live in this solitude, I have
always confided in Thy help, and I have always
believed that under Thy powerful protection I had
nothing to fear. Accomplish, therefore, 0 my God,
what Thou hast begun in me." l

Before leaving him St. Eomanus clothed him
with the habit of religion which the monks of those
days were accustomed to wear. It was a long
garment made of sheepskin called a " melotus,"
and was thrown over the body like a mantle. In
the chapel which is built over the place where St.
Benedict received this habit there is a large stone
about five feet high on which he is said to have
hung his worldly dress as the spoils of the enemy
he had conquered in leaving the world. Dom Mege
makes and answers four difficulties about St.
Eomanus giving him the habit : (1) Where did St.
Romanus find this habit, as he was at some distance
from his monastery ? (2) How could he give away
a habit without breaking his vow of poverty ? (3)

1 Dom Mkge, Vie de S. Benoist, chap. i.

THE YOUNG HERMIT. 35

How could he give the monastic habit on his own
authority, and without any ceremony ? (4) Why
did he not persuade St. Benedict to go to his
monastery with him, instead of leaving him alone
in the cave ? As to the first difficulty, we can only
conjecture that St. Komanus had a melotus as well
as his other habit, or else that he returned to his
monastery to fetch one for him. With regard to
the second, it is well known that before St. Benedict
wrote his Kule, monks were not obliged to such
great poverty and strict dependence, and were
allowed to give away their old habits to the poor. ,
The third difficulty is a more serious one, but we
must remember that the government of monasteries,
and even of the Church, was not then exactly the
same as it is now, and in those days the monastic
habit and tonsure were given in a much more
simple manner. Not only abbots and superiors
could give the habit and receive to profession
without the knowledge of the bishop, but even
private religious, if they were priests, could do the
same. It follows, therefore, that St. Eomaims as a
monk and a priest only acted according to the
usages of the times in which he lived. As to the
last objection — why St. Komanus did not persuade
St. Benedict to go to his own monastery, which would
seem the most natural and the most prudent course
to pursue, instead of leaving him all alone in a cave,
exposed to the rigour of the seasons and to the
temptations of the devil — Dom Mege says that St.
Komanus certainly acted contrary to the usual rules

36 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

of the spiritual life, which prescribe that those who
give themselves to God shall first be tried in all the
virtues of a monastic life before attempting that of
the desert ; nevertheless, there is no doubt that St.
Bomanus acted by a special inspiration when he
gave the habit to St. Benedict at their first meeting,
the Holy Spirit dispensing them both from the rules
which His wisdom has prescribed for the generality
of men.

Also the Holy Ghost willed to be Himself the
only master of a saint destined to teach the most
sublime perfection, in order that the great legislator
of monastic life in the West might be able to say
with St. Paul, that he had learnt from God and not
from men that perfect life and heavenly doctrine
which he afterwards taught to his children, and
through them to all the nations of the earth.

On leaving the cave St. Eomanus had promised
to provide the holy youth with bread, to give him
every necessary assistance, and, above all, he had
promised faithfully to keep his secret. We may
easily conjecture that he felt a fatherly tenderness
and loving interest in one so young, and that he
procured for him all the necessaries which he could
obtain without betraying his trust. It is probable
also that he lent him books, and the tools that he
needed for his daily work. The monastery in which
Bomanus dwelt was so situated that he could not
reach the cave except by a long and circuitous route
though the actual distance was not great. To avoid
this journey he bethought himself of letting down

THE YOUNG HERMIT. 37

the food over the edge of the rock by means of a
basket attached to a rope, a little bell being fastened
to the rope to serve as a signal. One day, however,
it happened, says St. Gregory, " the old enemy,
envying the charity of the one and the refection of
the other, seeing a loaf upon a certain day let down,
threw a stone and broke the bell ; but for all that,
Komanus gave not over to serve him by all . the
possible means he could ,\1

It is easy to relate facts, but who shall fathom the
feelings of that generous young heart when it rested
at length in its longed-for solitude ? From his lofty
seclusion he could, like David, bid defiance to all his
enemies and sing with him, " The Lord ruleth me :
and I shall want nothing. He hath set me in a
place of pasture." 2

Perhaps he felt like Moses after crossing the Ked
Sea, or like Elias when, after escaping from the
impious Jezebel, he recognised the voice of God in
the soft murmur of the breeze. And Peter's words
must have found an echo in his heart, " Lord, it
is good for me to be here '\8 Separated from all
human intercourse he communed alone with his
Creator ; the roaring of the torrent, the whistling of
the wind, the rolling of thunder, the song of the birds
were his only companions, and they served to lift his
heart on high. In silence he meditated on the great
mysteries of faith, and realised more and more his
nearness to God. How often the stars shining out

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. i. ' s Ps. xxii. 1, 2.

;! Matt. xvii. 4.

38 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

in the dark sky must have beheld that youthful
figure, kneeling in the stillness of the night, rapt in
contemplation ! How his Angel Guardian must
have smiled, and how tenderly the Blessed Mother
must have watched over her faithful son !

Doubtless Benedict had his trials ; it could not be
otherwise. Indeed we marvel how such a mere boy
could brook the silence, the solitude and the cramped
enclosure in which he dwelt, and also the inclemency
of the weather, for though summer days are bright
and hot, December and January, even in Italy, are
sharp and severe. So in spite of the consolations
and fervour which Benedict often felt, he must
\ necessarily have had times of sadness and suffering,
of dryness and temptation. But these were seasons
replete with blessings, for the seed when it remains
alone cannot bear fruit, "but if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit "-1

It is generally supposed that St. Komanus gave
him a rule of life in accordance with that observed
in his own monastery ; but it was by a higher
direction that Benedict discovered the manner of
life best suited to his spiritual needs, containing
the germ of what he afterwards taught to so many
thousands of his children. Peacefully and unevent-
fully the time passed for the young solitary in his
cave ; he had found what he sought, and in later
years he might well have said with St. Theresa :
"Those years were the happiest of my life".

1 John xii. 25.

CHAPTEK VII.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
a.d. 497.

After three years spent in his beloved solitude, God
willed that the seed so long buried should spring up
and bear fruit, and He Himself vouchsafed to make
His servant known to men. It was Easter again,
and the bright sun shone gloriously into the rocky
cavern where Benedict dwelt. " At length," says St.
Gregory, "when Almighty God was determined to
ease Romanus of his pains, and to have Benedict's
life known to the world for an example (that such a
candle set upon a candlestick might shine and give
light to the Church of God), Our Lord vouchsafed to
appear to a certain priest dwelling a good way off,
who had made ready his dinner for Easter day, and
spake thus to him : ' Thou hast provided good cheer1
for thyself, and my servant in such a place is afflicted
with hunger,' who, hearing this, forthwith rose up
with such meat as he had prepared and went to the
place where he sought for the man of God among the
steep hills, the low valleys and the hollow pits, and
at length found him in his cave, where, after they
had prayed together, and sitting down had given

God thanks, and had much spiritual talk, then the

(39)

40 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

priest said unto him, ' Rise up, brother, let us dine,
because to-day is the feast of Easter \ To whom
the man of God answered, ' I know that it is Easter
with me, and a great feast, having found so much
favour at God's hands as this day to enjoy your
company,' for by reason of his long absence from
men he knew not that it was the great solemnity of
Easter ; but the reverend priest did assure him
saying, ' Verily, to-day is the feast of Our Lord's
Resurrection, and therefore meet it is not that you
should keep abstinence ; besides I am sent to the end
that we might eat together of such provisions as
God's goodness hath sent us '. Whereupon they
said grace and fell to their meat, and after they had
dined and bestowed some time in joking the priest
returned to his church." l

Benedict could no longer remain unknown, God
Himself having manifested him to the priest, by
whose means others sought out and found the precious
jewel which had lain hidden for so long. The very
fact of the good priest's seeking and inquiring for the
saint must have raised the curiosity of the neigh-
bouring shepherds as to the object of his search, for
soon after they climbed up to the cave to see who its
occupant might be. As they approached and saw
through the bushes a figure dressed in skins, they
thought it must be some animal, but, instead of a
wild beast, a youth with gentle mien and winning
manners came to meet and welcome them. The

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. i.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE BROUGHT TO LIGHT. 41

sanctity which shone on his countenance inspired
them with reverential awe, while his burning words
betrayed the love which absorbed his whole soul and
roused the dull though well-disposed minds of those
rough peasants. Instinctively they felt they had
found a friend ; and many and many a time after-
wards they might have been seen toiling up the steep
ascent to seek advice and help from one who seemed
to them more like an angel than a man. And
Benedict did not avoid them ; he knew that God had
directed their steps to him, and, generously embrac-
ing his new mission, he devoted himself to the
spiritual needs of those who came to him. Very
soon rumours of the youthful hermit spread all over
the country, j^very one spoke of him ; every one
wanted to seeVSim ; men and women, youths and
maidens, mothers and children flocked to the cave,
bringing him presents of food and bodily refreshment,
and receiving in return the heavenly nourishment
which he gave them out of the fulness of his heart.
Sinners were converted ; the lukewarm aroused ;
and souls desirous of serving God were encouraged
to walk in the narrow path with fervour and con-
stancy. Such a scene recalls to our mind one which
happened five centuries before, when, not on the
banks of the Anio, but by the river Jordan, the great
Precursor taught the multitudes who sought him in
the desert, and exhorted them to penance, not so
much by his words as by the wonderful example of
his own mortified life.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE FURNACE OF TEMPTATION.

The praise and admiration openly evinced for the

servant of God, the crowds that gathered round him,

and the confidence reposed in him, might have

proved a dangerous snare to one still so youthful ;

so easily can thoughts of pride creep even into an

innocent heart ! But the time had come when God

saw it would be good for Benedict to be proved by

the fierce fire of temptation, both to test the virtue

of his blessed soul and to burn away every atom of

dross and alloy ; for as gold in the furnace so must

the heart be tried in the fire of temptation and

suffering. And as of old God permitted Satan to

tempt His faithful servant Job, so now he allowed

him to test the fidelity of Benedict by a violent

temptation of the flesh.

St. Gregory relates it as follows : " Upon a certain

day, being alone, the tempter was at hand, for a

little black bird began to fly about his face, and that

so near as the holy man, if he would, might have

taken it with his hand, but after he had blessed

himself with the sign of the Cross the bird flew away,

and forthwith the holy man was assaulted with such

a terrible temptation of the flesh as he had never

(42)

THE FURNACE OF TEMPTATION. 43

felt the like in all his life. A certain woman there
was which sometime he had seen, the memory of
whom the wicked spirit put into his mind, and by
the representation of her did mightily inflame with
concupiscence the soul of God's servant, which did
so increase that, almost overcome with pleasure, he
was of a mind to have forsaken the wilderness. But
suddenly assisted with God's grace he came to him-
self, and seeing many thick briars and nettle bushes
to grow hard by, off he cast his apparel, and threw
himself into the midst of them, and there wallowed
so long that when he rose up all his flesh was piti-
fully torn, and so, by the wounds of his body, he
cured those of his soul, in that he turned pleasure
into pain, and by the outward burning of extreme
smart quenched that fire which, being nourished
before with the fuel of carnal cogitations, did inwardly
burn in his soul, and by this means he overcame the
sin, because he made a change of the fire. From
which time forward, as he himself did afterwards
report to his disciples, he found all temptation of
pleasure so subdued that he never felt any such
thing." l

Benedict's courage in this struggle and the resolu-
tion he took were truly heroic ; and nowhere in the
lives of the ancient fathers do we read of such a
wonderful resistance and victory. Mabillon says
very beautifully : " What great danger may come
from one temptation ! What great fruit from one

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. ii.

44 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

victory ! What would have become of the salvation
of Benedict and innumerable other souls if he had
been conquered in the fight ? But having gained this
victory, he obtained his own salvation and that of
thousands."

Luke Wadding, the famous Franciscan historian,
relates that on one occasion St. Francis went to
St. Benedict's cave. Being filled with devotion at
the sight of the thorns, and at the thought of how
the saint had procured help for himself through so
sharp and painful a remedy, he kissed the briar,
making the sign of the Cross over it, and changed it
by the power of God into a beautiful rose-bush.
From that time the scene of Benedict's victory was
even more frequented and honoured than before ; and
the rose-bush, sanctified by the blessing of both
saints, still brings forth flowers possessing such
miraculous power that they work many cures in
cases of sickness.

By this victory which the saint gained, through
the grace of Him in Whom we can do all things, he
made, as it were, his solemn profession of the religious
state. The determination to live undividedly for God
he had taken upon himself when he first entered the
desert ; but from this time it became a steadfast vow.
Henceforth he was resolved rather to die than to
give up walking in the path he had chosen. This
event, therefore, was a turning point, a transition
from the lower to the higher regions of the spiritual
life, from the opening buds of virtue to the full and
perfect blossoms. From a disciple he had developed

THE FURNACE OF TEMPTATION. 45

into a master, and from an inexperienced youth into
a man of God. His call to be a teacher of perfection
soon showed itself, for after this, says his biographer,
" many abandoned the world and became his scholars,
and being now freed from' the malady of temptation,
worthily and with great reason is he made master of
virtue "-1

It is difficult to ascertain exactly in what year this
took place ; St. Gregory very aptly compares this
phase of St. Benedict's life to that of the Levites, who
entered upon their service when they reached their
twenty-fifth year. But it is scarcely sufficient ground
on which to hazard a statement that this was his
age at the time ; all we know is that he was still
very young when called to serve his Lord.

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. ii.

CHAPTEB IX.

BENEDICT AS TEACHER AND GUIDE.
a.d. 509.

To hold an office of superiority over others requires a
very special vocation. We might well say of it what
God declared with regard to the priesthood, " Neither
doth any man take the honour to himself, but he
that is called by God, as Aaron was ".] Benedict
had no ambition to rule over any one but himself,
and on account of this very humility God chose him
to lead and teach men.

Many now came to him for guidance ; and he
simply and sweetly gave them whatever assistance
was in his power, utterly unconscious that he was
looked upon as a master in the spiritual life. Perhaps
some may wonder where he learnt his discretion and
circumspection, his knowledge and grasp of spiritual
matters, seeing that he lived entirely alone, removed
from any instructors, without any access to books.
But Benedict had been taught by the Author of all
knowledge ; like Mary, he had sat at the feet of
Jesus, and learnt the better part. By his intercourse
with God, by meditation, by reading the Holy Scrip-
tures, by crucifying his flesh, by despising himself,

1Heb. v. 4.

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BENEDICT AS TEACHER AND GUIDE. 47

by silence and continual prayer, he had learnt that
art which is called by the Master of masters the
" one thing necessary 'V

Like the prophets of old, he had sought for wisdom
in the desert and found it in the heart of his God ;
and by it he understood how to judge himself, and
those with whom he came in contact. Neither did
he forget those words of Our Lord, " He that is the
greater among you, let him become as the younger :
and he that is the leader, as he that serveth ",2 All
who came to him found him a meek and humble servant
of Christ ; one easy of access and inviting confidence ;
a man who loved God and all else for His sake, a
man with a mean dwelling, mean food, and meaner
clothing, but great — aye, great indeed — in virtue and
in grace. No wonder that he attracted all hearts.
And if, as sometimes happened, contempt and derision
were shown him, he gloried in the shame ; for " the
disciple is not above the master, nor the servant
above his lord. ... If they have called the good-
man of the house Beelzebub, how much more them
of his household ? " 3

One of St. Benedict's disciples, writing seven
centuries later, sums up in the second book of the
Folloiuing of Christ the essence of the instructions
which the saint gave to those who gathered round
him ; for as he himself knew only one science, so
he taught but one — the way to Jesus. " When
Jesus is present, all goes well and nothing is difficult ;
but when Jesus is absent, everything is hard. When

1 Luke x. 42. *Ibid., xxii. 26. • Matt. x. 24, 25.

48 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Jesus speaks not within, our comfort is worth nothing ;
but if Jesus speaks but one word, we feel a great
consolation. Did not Mary Magdalen arise presently
from the place where she wept, when Martha said to
her, ' The Master is here and calls for thee ' ? Happy
hour, when Jesus calls from tears to joy of spirit !
How dry and hard art thou without Jesus ! How
foolish and vain, if thou desirest anything out of Jesus !
Is not this a greater damage than if thou wert to
lose the whole world? What can the world profit
thee without Jesus? To be without Jesus is a
grievous hell ; to be with Jesus is a sweet paradise.
If Jesus be with thee, no enemy can hurt thee.
Whoever finds Jesus finds a good treasure, yea, good
above all goods. And he that loseth Jesus, loseth
exceedingly much, and much more than if he lost
the whole world." *

By means of teaching such as this, Benedict led
his disciples to share in that intimate familiarity with
Our Lord which he himself enjoyed. At the same
time he studied the Scriptures with renewed zest, he
sought advice, he read the writings of St. Basil and
the collations of Cassian, and daily became more
proficient and capable of being a leader and ruler of
monks.

His sincere attachment and loyalty to Holy Church,
and his horror of any division or blemish in the
seamless robe of Christ, made him the more eager to
inspire his disciples with absolute submission and filial

1 Imitation of Christ, bk. ii., chap. viii.

BENEDICT AS TEACHER AND GUIDE. 49

love towards their Mother, the Church, impressing
upon them those words of Our Lord, "And if he will
not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen
and publican," l and the admonition of the apostle,
" That there be no schisms among you ".2 And if
it be true that example is better than precept, we
may say that Benedict was a perfect model of all he
taught ; and with St. Paul he too might have said,
"Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ ".3 It
is impossible to ascertain whether at the beginning
his disciples lived with him, or whether, which is
more probable, they were dispersed in huts and caves
in the surrounding country, meeting at stated times
and places. Be that as it may, it is certain that
Benedict's name became daily more famous and
more widely known.

1Matt. xviii. 17. *1 Cor. i. 10. 3 Ibid., iv. 16.

CHAPTEK X

VIGOVARO. THE POISONED CUP.
a.d. 510.

A few hours' journey distant from Subiaco in a
north-westerly direction, but lower down the river
Anio, stands the little town Vicovaro (Vicus Varronis),
its very name showing its antiquity. Opposite on the
left side of the Anio, and close to the bank, there is
a steep ridge of rock in which may be found several
spacious caves. These were soon sought out by those
who craved for solitude, and a religious community
was formed there. This was the origin of the
monastery of Vicovaro, doubtless an excellent one,
and for a time fervour was maintained and all went
well. Unfortunately, however, before very long
discipline began to relax, a spirit of independence
crept in, silence was neglected, poverty ignored,
mortification forgotten ; and this, not by one or two
delinquents, but apparently by the whole community.
Nevertheless, in spite of their laxity, the monks could
not but admire and reverence the virtues of the youth-
ful hermit whose fame had reached them, and whom
they had probably seen ; perhaps, too, his example
had somewhat stirred their dormant fervour. In any

case, it happened that when their abbot died they

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THE MONASTERY OF VICOVARO. 51

unanimously determined to elect Benedict in his
place.

With this intention they sent a deputation to him
in his cave, and used every argument to induce him
to accept the dignity. But the saint had no such j
ambition, and refused even to consider their proposal.
When they persisted, he, knowing something of their
life, said plainly to them, "Your manners and mine
do not agree ". This, however, instead of rousing
their indignation as one would have supposed, only
increased their desire to obtain his consent, and they
renewed their entreaties, assuring him that it would
be for the glory of God and the good of their souls.
These last reasons at length prevailed, and Benedict
reluctantly yielded.1

Quitting his retreat which had been to him an
earthly paradise, the holy man set out for his new
abode, heavy at heart on account of the burden he
had taken upon himself. Such a dignity must, in
every case, be a responsibility, and a charge fraught
with many difficulties ; and Benedict found it doubly
so, both on account of the rough ground he had to
cultivate, and because he felt that his own young
hands were unskilled in the work. But he placed all
hjs confidence in God and set manfully to his task,
determined to enforce the Kule, and to lead the
brethren along the straight path. It is not known

1 St. Gregory does not give the name of the monastery in his
Dialogues, but there is no doubt that it was that of Vicovaro.
The cave which served as a refectory is still shown to the pilgrim,
and St. Benedict's cell has been converted into a chapel,

n2 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

whether he gave them a new rule, or whether he
adopted the one already followed.

He entered upon his office after receiving the
blessing of the Bishop of Tivoli, Vicovaro being under
his jurisdiction ; then, with that fatherly solicitude
which characterised him, Benedict began his reform.
Poverty was made obligatory, independence was no
longer tolerated, idle conversations were forbidden,
superfluous food and clothing curtailed, and strict
regularity enforced, faults had to be acknowledged
and satisfaction duly made. In order to assist the
monks, the abbot gave them frequent conferences
and exhortations, and poured out upon them all the
love and kindness of his great heart, that thereby he
might temper the severity of the Bule. But all his
efforts only produced the result he had foreseen.
The brethren had fostered their evil habits till they
had become a second nature ; the new regulations
seemed to them unbearable, and necessary prohibi-
tions unlawful despotism. At first they nursed their
resentment in silence, bitterly regretting their folly
in choosing a superior whose yoke they could not
carry ; then gradually they began to murmur, and to
ask one another how such a state of things could be
remedied. Benedict, when he perceived this, did all
in his power to allay the evil, hoping by time and
patience to heal the breach ; but the bad seed had
sunk deep, and its fruit was already ripe. At length
matters came to a crisis. The most depraved among
the brethren hid their wickedness under such an
appearance of regularity that their foul conspiracy

THE POISONED CUP. 53

escaped the abbot's watchful eye. These impious
men, having taken counsel among themselves, deter-
mined to poison their saintly master and spiritual
father. They knew they could easily procure some
deadly potion which they would put into the cup
from which he daily drank.

Thus we see Benedict apparently on the very brink
of the grave, his life hanging on a thread. The
morning dawns which those ministers of Satan
determine shall be his last. All is in readiness.
Slowly and silently the brethren have walked into
the refectory, grace has been sung, all are seated.
Then the server steps forward with the poisoned
cup and, offering it to the abbot, salutes him with
the words " Benedicite Pater," and the abbot, raising
his hand, blesses it in the name of Him Who knows
all and can do all, whose might penetrates the
bowels of the earth and can deliver from death and
hell. The sign of the Cross is scarcely made, the
words " Deus benedicat" barely pronounced, when
suddenly the cup breaks into a thousand atoms as
though struck by a heavy stone ! The diabolical
plan has failed and the gentle power of the Cross
has prevailed. The guilty monks were paralysed
with terror, and Benedict at once recognised the
meaning of what had occurred ; for he knew that
must have been the drink of death which could not
endure the sign of life. Therefore, rising with a calm
countenance and a peaceful mind, he thus addressed
the monks: "Almighty God have mercy upon you
and forgive you. Why have you used me in this

54 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

manner? Did I not tell you beforehand that our
manner of living could never agree together? Go
your ways, and seek out some other father suitable
to your own conditions, for I intend not now to stay
any longer among you." Thus taking leave of them,
he returned to the solitude he so much loved and
dwelt alone with himself in the sight of his Creator.
St. Gregory explains very beautifully what he
means by the words "dwelt alone with himself," and
his explanation gives us an insight into Benedict's
interior life. He says : " If the holy man had longer,
contrary to his own mind, continued his government
over those monks, who had all conspired against him,
and were so unlike him in life and conversation,
perhaps he would have diminished his own devotion,
and somewhat withdrawn the eyes of his soul from
the light of contemplation, and being weary daily
with correcting their faults, he would have had less
care of himself, and so haply it might have fallen
out that he should have both lost himself without
finding them, for as often as by infectious emotion
we are carried too far from ourselves, we remain the
same men that we were before, because we are
wandering about other men's affairs, little consider-
ing and looking into the state of our own soul. For
shall we say that he was with himself, who went
into a far country, and after he had, as we read in
the Gospel, prodigally spent that portion which he
received of his father, was glad to .serve a citizen to
keep his hogs, and would willingly fill his hungry
belly with the husks that they did eat? who not-

THE POISONED CUP. 55

withstanding afterwards when he thought with him-
self of those goods he had lost, it is written of him,
that returning into himself, he said, ' How many
hired men in my father's house do abound with
bread'. If then before, he were with himself, from
whence did he return unto himself ? And therefore
I said that this venerable man did dwell with himself
circumspectly and carefully in the sight of his Creator,
always considering his own actions, always examining
himself, never did he turn his eyes from himself to
behold aught whatsoever." Here, in St. Gregory's
Dialogues, his disciple, Peter, asks whether St. Bene-
dict could in conscience abandon those monks whose
government he had taken upon him ? And St.
Gregory answers, "In my opinion evil men may
with good conscience be tolerated in that community
where there be some good who may be helped. But
where there be none good at all, that may receive
spiritual profit, oftentimes all labour is lost that is
bestowed in bringing of such to good order, espe-
cially if other occasions be offered of doing God
presently better service elsewhere. And if you mark
well, you shall quickly perceive that venerable Bene-
dict forsook not so many in one place that were un-
willing to be taught, as he did in sundry places raise
up from the death of the soul many more that were
willing to be instructed." l

In fact, Benedict was received back by his former
disciples with a. joy which is easier imagined than

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. iii.

56 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

described. His absence bad taught them what they
had lost, and now they attached themselves to him
more closely and intimately than before, and as
fallow ground produces more abundant harvests,
and the pruned tree more perfect fruits, so now
they pressed forward with renewed vigour, and the
spiritual life grew and flourished under so skilful a
master. For Benedict had himself profited by his
stay at Vicovaro, where he had gathered experience,
and a more thorough knowledge of men, and now
he could confidently teach what he so heroically
practised — forgiveness of injuries and love for
enemies.

CHAPTER XI.

A GLANCE AT THE HISTORY OF THE TIMES.
a.d. 496 519.

Before we enter upon the life of activity and zeal
which St. Benedict is about to join to his life of
solitude and prayer, we will take another glance at
the history of the Church, and at the events which
were, then taking place around him. It has been
said that a man cannot be separated from the period
in which he lives, because he is a member of that
society which form&4hc_ history of his time. This
is especially the case with regard to Christians, who
are members of one Church and are individually
affected by all her acts. Thus, a Christian is born
to the Church by holy baptism, nourished and reared
by her sacraments and her doctrines, and sanctified
by her benediction ; while proportionately to the
use he makes of these goods he contributes to her
structure and well-being.

Benedict with ever-increasing gratitude under-
stood and valued his position as a son of the one
holy Catholic and Apostolic Church founded on the
rock of Peter, and to contribute to her glorification
was his one aim and desire. His flight, his solitude,

his prayer and vigils, his zeal for souls, all tended to

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58 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

this one object ; hence, he regarded her destiny with
keenest interest, and longed for the realisation of
our Lord's prayer, that " there shall be one fold and
one shepherd".1 It will not then be irrelevant if,
before pursuing his life, we take a glance at the
history of the time in which he played so prominent
a part.

In 496 St. Anastasius II. had, by the unanimous
choice of both clergy and people, been elected to fill
the chair of Peter.- He was in every way worthy of
the dignity bestowed upon him, and an outcome of
his great heart was his intense longing to heal the
schism which had separated the East from the centre
of unity. For this purpose he sent two bishops to
Constantinople as the bearers of a letter to the Em-
peror Anastasius, in which he besought him with
fatherly tenderness no longer to suffer the seamless
robe of Christ to be rent by impious dissensions.
Eagerly did he wait for an answer to his appeal ; but
he died before it arrived, having governed the Church
only two years. Meanwhile the East remained
obstinate, although Macedonius, then Patriarch of
Constantinople, was estimable in many respects, and
was sincerely desirous of seeking a reconciliation
with Home.

Five days after the death of St. Anastasius, Sym-
machus, a Sardinian, was elected to succeed him by

1 John x. 16.

2 The names of these legates were Cresconius and Germanus.
They were to demand the removal from the diptychs of the names
of Peter Mongus and Acacius, the recognition of the Council of
Chalcedon, and the extinction of the schism.

HISTORY OF THE TIMES, A.D. 496-519. 59

a plurality of votes. He was possessed of many
excellent qualities, but, unfortunately, his nomination
proved an apple of contention, and Italy was thrown
into confusion and alarm.

Festus, a patrician sent to the imperial court to
obtain the ratification of Theodoric as King of Italy,
had been bribed by the Emperor to do all in his power
to procure the recognition of the Henotikon in Kome.1
The election of a new Pope seemed to him the best
moment to effect his purpose. But as Symmachus
was not at all the kind of man likely to make con-
cessions in matters of faith, Festus, assembling a
large faction of Roman dignitaries, proceeded to
choose as anti-pope the Archpriest Lawrence, and
caused him to be consecrated on the self-same day
as the true Pope. Schism was then publicly de-
clared ; the whole city was in a ferment; blood ran
freely in the streets, and every species of crime was
perpetrated. Theodoric, who, though an Arian, had
always shown great esteem for the Church, decided
that Symmachus, who had been first elected and
received the majority of votes, was the lawful Pope ;
and he was at once recognised as such. Thus the
affair seemed to have ended peaceably, but it was
merely on the surface. Before long the two senators,
Festus and Probinus, brought up a shameful accusa-
tion against the Pope ; and matters became so critical
that Theodoric determined to hasten his intended

1 The " Henotikon," a Greek word signifying " Formula of union,"
was an heretical formula, or edict, drawn up by Acacius, Patriarch
of Constantinople, at the desire of Zeno, the Emperor of the East.

60 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

visit to Rome, that he might in person restore peace.
He came in the year 500, and his arrival was at-
tended with unparalleled rejoicings^ every species of
honour being heaped upon him. St. Fulgentius,
Bishop of Ruspa, who happened to be there at the
time, relates how he saw Theodoric at a place called
" Palma Aurea " seated on a magnificent throne
surrounded by his court ; and struck dumb with
admiration, he exclaimed : " Ah ! if earthly Rome is
so beautiful, what must the heavenly Jerusalem be
like'? If in this transitory life God surrounds the
partisans of vanity with such splendour, what un-
speakable happiness He must have prepared for His
saints in heaven? "

For a year the ecclesiastical conflict was more
or less forgotten, but, in order effectually to put
an end to it, Theodoric asked the Pope to convene
a Council, which was held in 501. The first session
in the Julian Basilica consisted merely of prelimin-
aries ; the second took place in the Basilica of
Santa Croce. At this the venerable pontiff appeared
in person, and his innocence of any charge was
so manifest that his enemies were only the more
infuriated, and fresh scenes of bloodshed ensued.
The Council continued to meet ; but the Pope,
whose life was in danger, was unable to be present ;
and at length the prelates again had recourse to
Theodoric. His answer might serve as a model
to Christian rulers in their dealings with the
Church. In his letter to the Fathers of the Council
he says, " Had it fallen within the sphere of my

HISTORY OF THE TIMES, A.D. 496-519. 61

powers to judge this matter, I certainly could with
God's help have brought it to a satisfactory close.
But it is the cause of God and His ministers, and I
call upon you to discuss it ; for I deem it not my
province to decide in ecclesiastical affairs. Pronounce
then your judgment according to the dictates of your
conscience, and thus restore peace to the senate, the
clergy and people of Borne." The Council then met
again in a third session, and declared that Symmachus
was entirely innocent of the accusations brought
against him ; apologising, as they did so, for their
decision, because as inferiors they knew they had no
right to judge a superior, above all, one who was the
representative of Jesus Christ on earth. All such
matters concerning his person ought to have been
left to the judgment of God alone.

Notwithstanding this apology, the bishops of Gaul
loudly protested against the whole procedure, which
they considered iniquitous ; and headed by St. Avitus,
Bishop of Vienne, they sent a protest to the Italian
bishops, expressive of their sorrow and surprise at
what had occurred. This protest was as just and
energetic as it was mild and conciliatory. One writer
says of it : " We do not remember to have found in
any age a more strong or significant proof of the
deep reverence of any Church towards the Holy See
than this letter of St. Avitus, a bishop who on
account of his learning and piety was universally
esteemed, not only by the Western Church, but even
by the barbarians and their Arian kings ".

But as the hostile faction continued its calumnies

62 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

against both Pope and Council, Ennodius, afterwards
Bishop of Pavia, was ordered to refute them, which
he did so effectually that all his opponents were
silenced. The fifth and last session of the Council
was held at Eome in 503.1 When it became a ques-
tion of inflicting punishment on the heretics, Sym-
machus won over even the most obdurate by his
extreme leniency ; all submitted to the decrees of the
Council, and thus the schism ended. It may be that
Benedict's ceaseless prayers for the triumph of Holy
Church had much to do with a victory in which
apparently he took no part.

However, the calm which followed the storm was
of very brief duration ; scarcely had the last thunder-
clap died away in the distance when fresh clouds
began to gather. Symmachus, impelled by his
apostolic zeal, sent a letter to Anastasius, Emperor
of Constantinople, in which he declared that he could
not in conscience allow the name of Acacius to be
inserted in the diptychs, seeing that he had died in
schism. The only answer to this admonition was
virulent abuse on the part of the emperor, who called
the Pope a usurper and a Manichean ; added to this,
he began to persecute the monasteries in his do-
minions, and openly announced himself a Eutychian.
The two Eutychian Patriarchs of Antioch and Alex-
andria were allowed to preach their erroneous
doctrines unmolested, and at the same time their
impious lives were a continual source of scandal.

1 The fourth, called " Synodus Palmaris," had been held the year
before, 502.

HISTOBY OF THE TIMES, A.D. 496-519. 63

Gradually the greater number of the Oriental bishops
were overcome by the threats and entreaties of the
Emperor, and consented to condemn the Council of
Chalcedon as illegal.

Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople, alone
resisted, with a firmness which was truly admirable ;
in consequence, he was hated by the Emperor and
his partisans, who covered him with infamy, hired an
assassin to despatch him, and when this stratagem
failed sent him into exile, electing in his stead a
man named Timothy, equally devoid of religion and
honour. The emperor then convened a council for
the purpose of anathematising the exiled patriarch ;
and, in his fury against the Church, he actually
caused the original documents of the Council of
Chalcedon to be destroyed ; up to that time they had
been in the keeping of Macedonius. These events
happened in the year 512. Macedonius lived about
four years in banishment near the Black Sea and
died at Gangra in 515, where he had fled for refuge
from the barbarians. It is generally supposed that
he was murdered by command of Anastasius. The
Greek Church numbers him among her saints.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, hitherto so closely
united with Koine, was now held by one John, who \
had so far debased himself as to promise to anathe-
matise the Council of Chalcedon in order to obtain
the dignity. But owing to the unceasing prayers
and efforts of the saintly abbots, Sabas and Theodosius,
the erring Patriarch was not only led to see his sin,
but even to become a champion of the faith. Thus

64 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

it came to pass that, on the day fixed for his public
defence of heresy, after having celebrated Holy Mass
assisted by St. Sabas and St. Theodosius, he unex-
pectedly pronounced a threefold anathema against
Nestorius, Eutyches, Soteric of Caesarea and Severus
of Antioch, whereupon the whole congregation of the
faithful burst out into cries of rapturous delight.

Pope Symmachus died on 9th July, 514, in the
odour of sanctity, reverenced by all as one as en-
lightened and zealous as he was pious and generous.
Hormisdas, a deacon, succeeded him on 26th July
of the same year. He did not announce his election
to the Emperor ; but in 515 Anastasius showed by his
letters a willingness to seek for a reconciliation with
the Holy See. This change was brought about by
Vitalian, one of his guards, who marched against him
with an immense army in order to compel him to
cease his persecution of the Church. Anastasius
then besought the Pope to convene a council at
Heraclea; and Hormisdas sent Ennodius with several
other distinguished men to Constantinople as his
legates. By the express command of the Pope, they
required as preliminaries that the emperor should
recognise the orthodoxy of the decrees of Chalcedon
and the letters of St. Leo the Great against Nestorius,
Eutyches and Dioscorus, and that he should abjure
the Eutychian and Monophysite heresies. This he
absolutely refused to do ; and the legates returned to
Kome. Another embassy sent by Hormisdas in 517
was equally unsuccessful. Then, when all human
means had failed, God laid His all-powerful hand on

HISTOEY OF THE TIMES, A.l). 496-519. 65

His persecutor, and called Anastasius to his reckon-
ing ; he died quite suddenly on 9th July, 518. His
death put an end to the schism, which had lasted
thirty-five years. Justinian, his successor, was a
loyal adherent to the faith, and did bis utmost to
restore peace and union.

On the 28th of March, 519, the formula of reunion
sent by the Pope was solemnly accepted, and signed
by the prelates. The orthodox bishops then returned
to their sees, and the heretics fled. Alexandria was
the only sad exception, Eutychianism having gained
there such a firm footing that Justinian feared to
make matters worse if he used violence ; he tried
what he could do by kindness and leniency, but
many years passed without a change.

In Africa the Christians, after a brief interval of
peace under Gundamund, were treated with the
utmost severity by Thrasimund, his successor, who
came to the throne in 496. This king gave free
license to the Arians to persecute the Christians as
cruelly as they chose. The holy bishop Faustus was
attacked even in the monastery where he had taken
refuge ; and Fulgentius, Bishop of Euspa, was so
barbarously beaten by an Arian priest that he nearly
died. By order of Thrasimund all churches were
closed, and it was absolutely forbidden to consecrate
any new bishops ; thus he hoped the Catholic religion
would gradually die out, but, needless to say, new
bishops were consecrated, with the result that those
who had performed the ceremony were banished, to
the number of sixty — some to Corsica, others to Sar-

5

66 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

dinia. The great Eugenius of Carthage, who had
but now restored sight to the blind, was once more
sent into exile ; he went to France and lived in
silence and retirement at Albi, where he died, 505.
He was buried in the tomb of St. Amaranth, near
which he had built a monastery. This monastery
was still flourishing in the thirteenth century.
Thrasimund reigned twenty-seven years, during
which thousands suffered banishment, torture and
even death for the faith they valued more than life.
St. Fulgentius' biographer says that this persecution
can only be compared to the earlier barbarous one
under Huneric.

How often must Benedict have uplifted his hands
in prayer for the suffering Church, imploring God to
turn away the scourge of His wrath, and look once
more with an eye of mercy on His people ; and at
the great day of judgment, when all hearts shall be
revealed, we shall doubtless find that many of those
African martyrs owed their perseverance and their
crown to the young saint who made their cause
his own.

CHAPTEE XII.

CONTEMPORARY RULERS. FAMOUS BISHOPS.

So long as Theodoric lived uninterrupted peace
reigned in Italy. He chose the best and most en-
lightened men for his counsellors, such men as
Cassiodorus, Boetius, Symmachus, Liberius and
Ovidius, and thus in ten years the country was
entirely changed. Instead of being depopulated and
desolate, commerce and agriculture flourished ; and,
though himself illiterate, Theodoric encouraged every
branch of science and art. But illiterate as he was
he was very politic, and while he bestowed honours
and dignities on the deserving, to all he offered
liberty and protection. In him the Church found
a faithful defender in spite of his Arian tendencies ;
he always treated her ministers with respect, and
vindicated her privileges as if he had been her most
devoted champion. Unfortunately, before his death
he became both suspicious and tyrannical.1

In France Clovis was extending the true faith by
his repeated victories over the barbarians.2 Pope

1 He unjustly condemned to death the Senator Boetius, and
Symmachus his father-in-law, and also cast the holy Pope John I.
into prison, where he soon died. Theodoric reigned from 493 to
526.

2 Clovis, King of the Franks, is considered as the founder of the
French monarchy. The Franks were not one distinct tribe, but

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68 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Anastasius II. had written to congratulate both
him and his subjects on their conversion, comparing
it to the miraculous draught of fishes on Lake
Genesareth. When the oppression of King Alaric
had reached its height, and the Christians in his
dominions were crying out for a deliverer, Clovis
volunteered to declare war against him. The
Franks hailed this resolution with shouts of joy,
vowing not to shave their heads till they had ob-
tained a complete victory. Previous to his departure
his wife, St. Clotilde, made a promise to build a
church in honour of SS. Peter and Paul if her
husband were victorious. Her prayers were heard.
The Visigoths were utterly routed at Poitiers, and
St. Gregory of Tours says that the dead bodies lay
heaped one on the other like mounds. Thereupon
Clovis abolished Arianism, restored the churches to
their rightful owners, and accomplished an immense
work in spreading the Gospel. He was scarcely
forty-five when he died in 511 ; his widow, St.
Clotilde, spent the remainder of her life near the
tomb of St. Martin of Tours, engaged in works of
charity and piety.

Sigismund, a true son of holy Church, at this time

made up of several German tribes who had entered into a con-
federacy to preserve their independence. They had often before
made incursions into Gaul and taken possession of its northern
frontiers, when Clovis, young and ambitious, determined to subju-
gate it entirely. This was about the year 486. He became a
Christian in 496, after the battle of Tolbiac. He died in 511, after
a reign of thirty years, leaving his kingdom to be divided among
his four sons.

CONTEMPORARY KINGS AND SAINTS. 69

reigned in Burgundy, and did all in his power to
assist St. Avitus, Bishop of Vienne, in his missionary
labours. He founded monasteries, built churches,
insisted on the Divine service being carried out
with all splendour, and was beloved by all his clergy.
Unfortunately he fell into a great sin which cost the
life of his son, but repentance speedily followed. St.
Gregory of Tours relates that he wept and prayed
day and night, and established a monastery for the
perpetual celebration of the Divine Office in satis-
faction for his crime. God permitted him to fall
into the hands of Clodomir,1 by whom he was
executed ; but before his death he had so expiated
his sin that he is numbered among the saints.

The news of these events spread even into the
cloister ; and though Benedict lived apart from the
world, yet from his proximity to Rome he must
have heard of them, and together with his disciples
taken part in the joys and consolations, the trials
and sorrows of the Church. And if the vicissitudes
of human affairs were often the subject of his thoughts
and prayers, so also may he be said to have formed
the model of his life on the saints who were his
contemporaries ; for in them his spiritualised vision
saw clearly reflected the image of their Creator, and
in proportion to this likeness were his admiration
and his love.

Many of these saints have already been spoken of,
but there are still a few whom we must not over-

1 King of Orleans, one of the sons of Clovis.

70 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

look. In particular we would mention Caesarius,
Bishop of Aries ; from his earliest years he had
shown signs of future sanctity, and at the tender
age of ten he entered the monastery of Lerins,
where, on account of his singular virtue, he was
ordained priest, and in course of time was made
abbot of a neighbouring monastery. On the death
of TConius, Bishop of Aries, in 501, Caesarius was
forced to accept the episcopate, though he had sought
refuge in flight. His zeal in his new capacity was
unbounded ; among other works he founded a
monastery of nuns, placing them under the direc-
tion of his sister, St. Caesaria ; the Rule which he
compiled for them was afterwards adopted by many
communities of women. He was falsely accused by
Alaric, and banished to Bordeaux, where by his
prayers he saved the town from being destroyed by
fire. When his innocence was subsequently proved
Alaric recalled him, and the inhabitants of Aries
went out to meet him, carrying candles and singing
psalms. Later on he was again banished and sent
to King Theodoric loaded with chains. At the sight
of the saint's venerable appearance the king was
convinced of his innocence and said : " I trembled
when I beheld him, because he seemed to me rather
an angel than a man ". Caesarius died in 541, having
governed his see forty years.

Vedastus, Bishop of Arras, lived about the same
time ; solitude had made him a saint, and, recog-
nised as such by the Bishop of Toul, he was ordained
priest in 496, and deputed to instruct Clovis in the

CONTEMPORAEY KINGS AND SAINTS. 71

truths of Christianity. St. Kemigius consecrated
him Bishop of Arras, and his labours and .heroic
endeavours were crowned with wonderful success.
Viton, Bishop of Verdun, was his contemporary ;
he shone as much by the holiness of his life as by
his numerous miracles, and died in 525, worn out
with work and penance. At Lyons St. Viventius,
a friend of St. Avitus and St. Apollinaris, was
universally esteemed. St. Sylvester was Bishop
of Chalons for forty-two years, and was the first
instructor of the great Caesarius of Aries. After his
death many sick people were laid on his bed of
twisted ropes, and thus obtained their cure. St.
Gregory governed the Church of Langres for thirty-
three years, though he was fifty-seven years old at
his consecration and had been previously married.
He led a life of remarkable fervour and sanctity, and
gave proof of his zeal in his immense labours among
both Christians and heathens. He was succeeded
in his see by his own son Tetricus, 541.

During the reign of Clovis the fame of the holy
abbot Severinus had spread far and wide, as on
one occasion when the king's life was despaired of,
he had cured him by merely covering him with his
cloak ; he also cured the deaf and dumb Bishop
Eulalius and healed a leper. He succeeded St.
Agapitus as abbot, when the latter retired into the
desert ; and during the war against the Visigoths
his presence was sufficient to prevent the plunder
of the monastery. Even the elements obeyed his
word. He died in 515.

72 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

We will conclude this list of St. Benedict's con-
temporaries with St. Euspicius, a priest of Verdun.
Clovis built a monastery for him at Misci, near
Orleans, which afterwards became very famous ;
his nephew, Maximus, succeeded him as abbot, and
became the spiritual father of many saints. These
and many other holy men, too numerous to mention,
shone as bright lights in the Church, and served to
point out the straight- way at a period when much
confusion reigned ; and their example led others to
walk faithfully in the path of salvation which leads
to eternal life.

CHAPTEE XIII.

MONASTERIES AT SUBIACO.
a.d. 511-519.

On leaving Vicovaro, Benedict's one idea was to
return to his beloved solitude, there to live in un-
broken communion with his Creator. But God
■would not leave concealed the light which He Him-
self had kindled ; and though Benedict endeavoured
to hide himself from all men, many disciples con-
tinued to gather round him, for he was already
renowned, not only for his virtues, but also on
account of his wonderful gift of miracles. He had
no earthly ambition, yet God had decreed that he
should be all things to all men, and that all eyes
should turn to him as one capable of imparting the
choicest of heavenly gifts. He was silent, yet his
very presence seemed to speak to all who beheld
him. As his disciples daily increased, they were no
longer content to live scattered here and there in
the surrounding country ; and they desired very
naturally to form a community with Benedict for
their abbot and guide. Thereupon, having acquired
sufficient land, and benefactors having come forward

with the necessarv means to defray the expenses of

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74 THE LIFE AND TIMES* OF ST. BENEDICT.

building, twelve monasteries were erected in the
course of a few years, viz., from 510 to 519. These
monasteries were all within a radius of two miles
of Subiaco. If we take into consideration the diffi-
culties of building even one monastery, especially in
that mountainous country with but a scant popula-
tion, we cannot fail to see how the hand of. God
rested visibly on Benedict and his work ; a work
unprecedented in the West, and which surpassed
and outshone the labours of all his contemporaries.
Truly, to change the Sabine Mountains, as he did,
into a spiritual paradise required a man of apostolic
power, of far-reaching prudence and of angelic
purity.

In each of the twelve monasteries Benedict placed
an abbot and twelve monks ; but though each house
had its superior, they were all under his own super-
vision. He gave them their Kule, frequently visited
them, animated them with his spirit, and formed
them after the model which God had shown him
during his long years of solitude and intercourse with
Him. The monks, who loved him as a father and
venerated him as a saint, did their utmost to conform
their lives to his teaching.

Around his own cave on Monte Calvo, hung as it
were between earth and heaven, St. Benedict placed
a few chosen disciples, such as in accordance with
his own Rule (ch. i.) he deemed to be called to the
solitary or eremitical life." In later ages this be-
came the monastery of the Sacro Speco, and is the
true cradle of the whole Order. The actual buildings

MONASTERIES AT SUBIAOO. 75

comprise a basement of chapels attached to the
Holy Cave, the crypt of the present twelfth century
church and choir. Annexed are the ancient Chapter
House and Refectory and monastic offices, over
which 200 years ago were built dormitories, library,
etc. A tower, raised in the middle ages for purposes
of defence, guards the drawbridge, once the only
means of access to the Sanctuary, from which a short
cloister leads to the church.

The Holy Cave itself, adorned with a handsome
marble altar, is lit by a circle of lamps, each inscribed
with the name of the monastery whose community
desires thus to watch where St. Benedict prayed.
The statue of the saint attributed to Bernini is a well-
known work of art. The interior walls of the church
and cloister are covered with fresco paintings. They
form a consecutive record of mediaeval art from the
eighth to the fifteenth century. Especially interest-
ing are those of St. Thomas of Canterbury (the
earliest known picture of the saint), of Pope
Innocent III., drawn during his pontificate, and
of " Frater Franciscus," afterwards St. Francis of
Assisi, a portrait from life, without stigmata or
nimbus.

The second monastery built by the holy patriarch
was that of SS. Cosmas and Daniian, now dedicated
to St. Scholastica, situated on a mountain half way
between Subiaco and the Sacro Speco. It is not
known whether it was named after the benefactor
who gave it, or whether St. Benedict had a special
devotion to the two holy martyrs.. Later on, when

76 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

St. Scholastica was honoured in the Order as second
only to her brother, this monastery was called after
her. It exists even to this day, having been rebuilt
in the thirteenth century. Sylvia, the mother of St.
Gregory the Great, was much attached to it, and
endowed it with large revenues ; afterwards, when it
was destroyed by the Lombards, she caused it to be
restored. The Sacro Speco is now incorporated
with it, and twelve religious keep watch in the Holy<
Cave and there sing the Divine Office. Many
eminent men have come forth from the walls of St.
Scholastica's, and it has always been celebrated for
its regular discipline.

These two monasteries were the most famous of
the twelve. The remaining ten may be enumerated
as follows : St. Angelus, of which nothing remains
but a little chapel in honour of St. Maurus. St.
Mary's, which is thought to be the one in which
Blessed Laurence the Hermit spent thirty-three
years, leading a life of marvellous austerity ; he was
buried there, though the relics have since been trans-
lated to the Sacro Speco, and the monastery now
bears his name. The fifth was dedicated to St.
John the Baptist, and the sixth to St. Jerome ; both
these were situated on high mountains, and were
those for which St. Benedict caused water to flow
miraculously from the rock. The miraculous spring
may still be seen at St. John's. Then follow St.
Clement's, St. Blaise's (later on dedicated to St.
Komanus), St. Michael's, situated below the Sacro
Speco, overhanging the lake, and the scene of the

MONASTERIES AT SUBIACO. 77

miracle of the rescue of St. Placid ; St. Victoria's,
at the foot of Monte Porcario ; and St. Andrew's,
afterwards called "Vita geterna ". Of these last
monasteries no trace remains. In 1699 Bernard
of Montfaucon writes that St. Michael's was still
standing, but unfit for habitation.

CHAPTEK XIV.

A SUMMARY OF ST. BENEDICT'S RULE.

I. — On the Abbot — The Virtues required in a Monk —
The Divine Office.

St. Benedict oniy wrote his famous Kule later on
in life, though there is no doubt that its spirit and
outlines were those by which he trained his disciples
from the very beginning. In his Rule he describes
the religious life : (1) as one of labour and difficulty,
by which man regains, through obedience, that which
he had formerly lost through disobedience. (2) He
says that it is a military service under the standard
of Christ, the monk to be clad in the strong armour
of obedience. (3) He compares it to a race in the
arena. (4) He depicts it as a life of spotless purity
and fidelity ; and lastly as a school, in which is
taught and practised the most sublime of all arts,
how to serve God perfectly — a school of divine service
in which, to a beginner, many things appear rough
and hard, but, after the first difficulties have been
surmounted, all is done with the unspeakable sweet-
ness of love. The saint acknowledges that a life of
complete solitude is very excellent, but that it is open
to many dangers, and can only be adopted wffrh

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THE HOLY RULE. 79

security by those who have, by many and long trials
in a monastery, learnt to withstand alone the enemy
of their souls. For this reason he prefers religious
li'fe in community, that is, cenobitical, living under
a rule and abbot. At the head of this common life
is the abbot who must rule the monastery as the
representative of Christ, commanding nothing but
what is conformable to the Divine precepts, and
teaching more by his example than by his words.
He is to make no distinction among the brethren,
whether noble or servile ; nor may he favour or love
one more than another unless one be found who
surpasses the rest in obedience and good works.
According to a fundamental law of good government
he is to temper severity with love, reproving the
disorderly with sharpness, but exhorting the meek
and patient by entreaties. He must not overlook
any faults lest they take root, but use all possible
endeavours utterly to eradicate them. He is not to
take more care of the temporal goods of the monastery
than of the souls entrusted to him ; nor to complain
of the want of temporal means, remembering that it is
written, " Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God,
and His justice, and all these things shall be added
unto you ".* If important matters have to be decided,
the abbot must call the whole community to council,
and listen to each one's opinion before coming to a
decision. In lesser matters he is to seek advice only
from the senior brethren according to that saying

1 Matt. vi. 33.

SO THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

in Holy Scripture, M Do thou nothing without counsel,
and thou shalt not repent when thou hast done 'V1

The holy patriarch takes the Gospel as the true
basis of religious life ; and extracting from it the
most important precepts, he places them before his
disciples in seventy-two short sentences, which con-
tain all that belongs to the practice of perfection.
He calls these the instruments of the spiritual art,
exercised in the monastery as in a workshop of
salvation and sanctification. Upon this foundation
he sets the four pillars of the spiritual edifice, viz.,
obedience, silence, humility and prayer.

Obedience, he says, is the first thing necessary for
those who hold nothing more dear than Jesus Christ ;
and it must be obedience without delay, which signi-
fies that the command of a superior should be so
quickly accomplished by the inferior as to be like
one foot following another. Neither must the
command be obeyed timidly, coldly, or slowly, nor
with murmuring or an answer showing unwilling-
ness, but with a good will because " God loveth a
cheerful giver," 2 and the obedience which is given
to a superior is given to God.

Benedict drew his love and appreciation forsilence
from the Psalmist, who says : " I will take heed to
my ways : that I sin not with my tongue. I have
set a guard to my mouth, ... I was dumb,
and was humbled, and kept silence from good
things ".3 Therefore he wills that those who seek

1 Ecclus. xxxii. 24. 2 2 Cor, ix. 7. ?' Psf xxxviii. 2, 3.

THE HOLY RULE. 81

after perfection shall be rarely allowed to talk ;
while, as for buffoonery and idle words, he will not
tolerate them at all in a monastery.

Great, however, as was his esteem for silence, he
valued humility even more. He considered true
humility as the very height of perfection ; a summit
to be attained by means of twelve ascending steps,
which he enumerates as follows : The first degree is
the fear of God which causes the commandments to
be obeyed, and the senses and inclinations to be
mortified. The second degree is the voluntary sub-
mission of the will, according to that saying of Our
Lord : " I came, . . . not to do My own will, but the will
of Him that sent Me ".1 The third degree is perfect
obedience in imitation of Our Divine Lord, Who was
obedient even unto death. In some monasteries
this degree is the only portion of the Holy Kule
read during the last three days of Holy Week. The
fourth degree is to receive willingly, when occasion
offers, not only hard and difficult commands, but even
injuries and insults. The fifth degree is to confess
to the abbot all evil thoughts and secret sins, ac-
cording to those words of the Psalmist : ''I will
confess against myself my injustice to the Lord :
and Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my
sin".2 The sixth degree is that a monk be con-
tent with all that is poorest and meanest, and thinly
himself a worthless servant. The seventh degree is
that he really believe himself to be the lowest and

1 John vi. 38. 2 Ps. xxxi. 5.

82 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

vilest of all, saying with the Psalmist, "lam a worm,
and no man "} The eighth degree is that he do
nothing but what the common rule and the example
of his seniors teaches him. The ninth degree is that
he observe silence unless questioned. The tenth
degree is that he be not easily moved to laughter.
The eleventh degree is that if he speaks he must do
so gently, humbly, gravely, discreetly and with few
words, for the Scripture says : "A wise man is
known by the fewness of his words ".2 The twelfth
degree is that a monk be always mindful of God's
judgments, and with eyes cast on the ground think
himself guilty for his sins, ever saying in his heart
with the publican : " Lord, I, a sinner, am not
worthy to lift up mine eyes to Heaven ".3 The holy
founder then assures his disciples that, when all these
degrees of humility have been attained, they will
soon come to that love of God which is perfect and
casteth out fear, and that then the exercise of virtue
will become not only easy, but a source of delight to
them.

From humility St. Benedict passes to prayer,
which is the fourth pillar of religious life. He calls
it the " work of God," and says that no other work
may be preferred to it. He then distinguishes be-
tween,the vocal prayers made in common and interior
prayers uttered only in the heart. He says that
vocal prayer is to be carried out in the manner pre-
scribed by the Church ; it is to be divided into night

1 Ps. xxi. 7. 2 Cf. Eccl. x. 3 Cf. Luke xviii. 13.

THE HOLY RULE. 83

watches and day hours ; each week 150 psalms are
to be said, interspersed with lessons from Holy
Scripture and the homilies of the Fathers. About
two hours after midnight the brethren are to rise
and hasten to the church for the night watches.
Whenever the monks hear the signal for prayer they
must at once lay aside their work, and go with all
speed to the service of God, yet with gravity and
modesty. Once in choir, they must remember with
what reverence they should stand in the sight of
God and His angels, and so sing that heart and
voice may accord together.

As to the second kind of prayer, St. Benedict
teaches his disciples always to bear in mind that they
will be heard, not on account of many words, but for
their purity of heart and penitential tears ; and that
their prayer is to be short and pure, unless prolonged
by the inspiration of Divine grace. Supported by
these four pillars of obedience, silence, humility and
prayer, the monks' daily life in the monastery flows
gently on in beautiful order and harmony.

CHAPTEE XV.

SUMMARY OF THE RULE (continued).

II. — Officials and Subordinates of the Monastery —
Labour — Food — Clothing, etc.

St. Benedict then proceeds to regulate the offices
of the various subordinates. Obviously, it would be
impossible for the abbot to preside everywhere in
person ; he must, therefore, with the advice of the
senior monks, appoint a prior to take his place as
often as may be required. The abbot may also
appoint deans, with whom he may share the burden
of government ; nevertheless, those so chosen must
be on their guard against pride, lest they come to
regard themselves as second abbots, which would
cause endless scandals and dissension. One of the
brethren is to be chosen as cellarer, and must care
for the food and drink and other necessaries of the
monastery. He must be wise, mature in manners,
• and abstemious, neither hasty, nor haughty, nor
insolent ; not slow, nor wasteful, but God-fearing,
and he should act as a father to the whole com-
munity. St. Benedict specially recommends him to
take particular care of the sick, the guests, the
children and the poor, remembering that for all he

must give an account on the day of judgment. If

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THE HOLY RULE. 85

the ceHarer has really nothing to give to those who
ask, he is at least to bestow a kind word, for it is
written : " The good word is better than the gift "j

If there are priests among the monks, they are
allowed to rank next to the abbot, to celebrate Holy
Mass and to give the blessing ; yet with submission
and humility. Other clerics are to hold a middle
rank, and all without exception must observe the
Eule. If secular priests ask for admission, they may
only be received after some time of trial. The porter
of the monastery is to be a wise old man, capable of
giving a suitable answer to those who present them-
selves at the gate, and one not given to idle talk.
As soon as any one knocks, he must immediately
answer "Deo Gratias," and then hasten to serve
the new comer with all the fervour of oharity.

The abbot is to appoint officials for the various
offices, but he himself is to be elected by all the ,
community. St. Benedict wills that the monks
should choose for their abbot one who excels in '
virtue, learning and wisdom, even though he be *tne
last of the brethren. If it should ever happen that
the community choose one unworthy of the dignity,
the bishop and neighbouring abbots are to depose
him, and appoint a more worthy steward in his
place, knowing that by so doing they shall deserve
a great reward.

With regard to the various occupations and the
division of labour, the holy Legislator regulates as

1 Ecclus. xviii. 16.

86 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

/ follows : Idleness, he says, is an enemy of the soul ;
J^ therefore he requires that the brethren shall so spend
y ) their time as by it to merit a happy eternity. He
distinguishes two kinds of labour — spiritual and
manual; the first he calls reading, the ^second work
done with the hands. Codices were provided from
the library for the monks to read ; these were manu-
scripts, which in those days supplied the place of
printed books. In summer time two hours before
dinner were given to reading, the remainder of the
day to manual labour. In winter the time appointed
for reading was from the end of Prime till the second
hour, and from None till Vespers ; in Lent, from
Prime till Tierce. There was also to be reading
during meals, and St. Benedict especially lays down
that the brethren are not to read and sing in turns,
but only those are to be chosen who will edify their
hearers. During the hours devoted to reading one
or two seniors were appointed to see that no one
gave himself up to sleep or idle talk. Sundays are
to be consecrated entirely to the Divine service,
meditation and spiritual reading, with the exception
of a few necessary occupations.

After this careful legislation for the mind, the holy
Patriarch goes on to speak of the body, which is also
to be employed in labour, and thus made to carry out
what God had commanded even in Paradise. He
says : The brethren are to be employed at certain
times in labouring with their hands. In summer
he gives to this kind of work the four first and the
three last hours of the day, and in winter six hours

THE HOLY RULE. 87

in the middle of the day, with an extra hour in Lent.
The mill, the garden and the bakehouse are all to be
within the enclosure of the monastery, so that the
monks may have no occasion to go out, and thus
come in contact with the world ; the different trades
are likewise to be carried on inside the monastery.
St. Benedict adds that if the situation of the place,
or poverty, requires the monks to reap their own
harvest, they are not to be grieved, for by so doing
they are monks in very deed, living by the labour of
their hands as did the Apostles and the holy Fathers.
If there are artisans among the brethren, they may
be allowed to exercise their crafts, provided they do
so with humility.

All are to take their turn in the labours of the
kitchen and refectory, entering on and ending their
week's service by asking the abbot's blessing and the
prayers of the community. The monks are to treat
whatever things may be entrusted to their care as
if they were the sacred vessels, because everything
belonging to the monastery is to be considered as
belonging to God Himself. For this reason, those
who end their week of work in the kitchen must
hand over what has been used perfectly clean and
neat. The abbot must keep a list of all the goods of
the monastery, and if any one uses the property of
the community in a slovenly or negligent manner he
is to be rebuked. The monks may not look upon
anything as their own ; and without leave from the
abbot they may neither give nor receive anything,
because they are men whose very bodies and wills

88 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

are not in their own power. Neither may they send
letters, presents or " eulogiae " without express per-
mission (these eulogiae were blessed breads, which
Christians used to send to one another as tokens of
love and friendship and communion of faith). St.
Benedict shows the greatest dread of anything like
proprietorship, because he looked upon it as a source
of many evils ; hence he legislates on this point with
great severity, declaring that "this vice must be cut
away from the Monastery by the very roots ". Never-
theless, the father or cellarer is to provide the monks
with all necessaries.

The daily meal is to be taken at midday in summer,
in the afternoon in winter, and during Lent not till
the evening. During Paschal time a supper may be
provided as well as dinner. There are always to be
two dishes of cooked food ; and, when seasonable,
fruit and young vegetables may be added as a third
dish. Every one is to receive a pound of bread, which
must suffice for both dinner and supper. Meat is
forbidden except for the use of the sick. A certain
quantity of wine is allowed, proportionate to the heat
and the greater or less stress of work. Both in
eating and drinking all excess must be carefully
avoided, as unbecoming to Christians.

With regard to sleeping, each monk is to have a
separate bed, and either the entire community are to
sleep in one dormitory, or else ten by ten with their
respective superiors or deans. They are to sleep
clothed and girt that they may be ready to rise at
once when the signal is given for the work of God.

THE HOLY EULE. 89

After the evening meal all are to meet together
for the reading of some holy book and for Compline,
after which no word may be spoken till after Prime
on the following day. It is probable that in St.
Benedict's time the monks went to bed an hour
after sunset, as the Collations and Compline began
at sunset and lasted about an hour.

The monks' clothing is to be chosen according to
the climate, and to consist of a cowl, tunic and
scapular, with shoes and stockings to cover the feet ;
the material of these garments to be of a common
kind, such as can easily be procured in the country
where the monastery may be. The bedding is to
consist of a mattress, a blanket, a coverlet and a
pillow.

CHAPTER XVI.

SUMMARY OF THE RULE (concluded).

III. — Penances — Novitiate — Profession — The Sick — Zeal
and Love of God.

Another point upon which St. Benedict insists in
his Rule is the maintenance of discipline by the
correction of faults. He ordains that any one who
commits a fault against the Rule, or who, while
labouring, has injured or destroyed anything, shall
accuse himself of it before the abbot and community;
and make the appointed satisfaction ; if he neglects
to do this, and his negligence is made known by
another, he is to be more severely punished. By
this means St. Benedict would make the monks
careful and attentive, remembering, as he says, that
the eyes of God are always upon them, and that he
who is faithful in that which is least, will be faithful
also in that which is greater. When it is a question
of a graver offence — for example, if a monk be stub-
born, disobedient, proud, or murmuring — he is to be
once or twice privately admonished, before proceed-
ing to the penalty of excommunication. This
excommunication is of two kinds. By the lesser,
which is imposed for smaller faults, the delinquent

is not allowed to intone a psalm or read a lesson in

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THE HOLY EULE. 91

choir, and he is to take his meal alone, after the
rest of the brethren.

The greater excommunication, incurred by graver
offences, causes the guilty one to be entirely cut off
from the community. He may not go to the choir
nor to the refectory, nor may any one speak to him
or bless him as he passes. Yet the holy Patriarch
here gives proof of his sweetness and mildness, for
he adds that the abbot is to take the greatest care
of the offending brethren, and use every means to
win them to repent. He is to send them, as it were
secretly, some older monks to console and encourage
them to make satisfaction ; and cause all to unite in
praying for them. If his efforts fail, he is to inflict
corporal chastisement, and again pray with fervent
charity that God, Who can do all things, would
vouchsafe to cure the infirm brother. Should
even this powerful remedy prove ineffectual, the
abbot must, like a wise physician, use the sword of
separation, lest one diseased sheep infect the whole
flock. Those who are expelled from the monastery,
or those who have left, may be received back three
times, after which all entrance shall be denied them.
This last regulation is a very beautiful evidence of
the forbearance of the saint.

The children of the monastery are to be punished
with stripes or fasting. As monastic discipline aims
not only at satisfying for offences, but also at pre-
venting them, it is to be enforced at the very
beginning of the novitiate. Those who come to
offer themselves as religious are to be kept at the

9*2 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

door and not admitted for some days, during which
time they are to be tried by harshness. After ad-
mission they are to remain for a year under the care
of a skilled master, who understands how to win
souls to God. The novice master must watch the
novices narrowly and carefully, to discover whether
they truly seek God and are eager for the Divine
service, for obedience and for humiliation ; and he
must lay before them all the rigour and austerity by
which monks tend towards God. Three times during
the year of novitiate the entire Eule must be read to
them. If, after that, they promise to observe all
things commanded, they are to write their vows,
and, in the presence of the community, to make
a promise, before God and His saints, of Stability,
Conversion of manners and Obedience. The newly
professed shall then sing three times the words :
" Uphold me, 0 Lord, according to Thy word, and
I shall live : and let me not be confounded in my
expectation "., This having been thrice repeated
by all, the professed shall cast themselves at the
feet of the brethren, and from that time shall be
considered as belonging to the community. If as
novices they had any possessions, they must before
profession dispose of everything, knowing that
henceforth they may have nothing of their own.
Their clothes, however, are to be kept, in case at
any time one of them, succumbing to temptation,
shall wish to leave the monastery.

1Beg. S.P.B.,g. 58.

THE HOLY RULE. 93

Those monks who have to go on a journey are
to commend themselves before starting to the
prayers of their brethren ; while absent they must
carefully recite their office, and on returning they
are to prostrate themselves in the choir, in order to
atone for the faults committed on the journey. They
must never speak of what they have heard and seen
outside, because it is hurtful for monks to hear much
of worldly things.

One very stringent rule is that no one may either
defend another, or strike, or excommunicate another.
If a monk is rebuked for the least thing, or if he
see that a senior is even slightly moved against him,
he is without delay to prostrate at his feet, and
remain there till he receive a blessing. In order
to do penance for past laxity, the monks are so to
use the holy time of Lent as to repair all the
delinquencies of other times ; and to apply them-
selves with fervour to tearful prayer, spiritual
reading, compunction of heart and abstinence ; each
one is to make some offering in the way of abstin-
ence from food and drink, sleep or laughter, that by
so doing he may await the feast of Easter with
spiritual joy and desire ; yet he must acquaint the
abbot with what he offers, and do it with his consent
and blessing.

The holy Patriarch, knowing that perfection con-
sists in love, desires that monks shall treat all
with fraternal charity, and serve, obey and prevent
each other in honour. Great care is to be taken of
the sick, for in them Christ is more especially

94 THE LIFE AND TTMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

honoured. The same law of charity is to extend
to guests, who are to be received as Christ Himself.
The abbot and monks are to go and meet them with
all reverence, and, after praying with them, are to
wash their feet and give them the kiss of peace ;
a most loving consideration is to be shown to the
poor and to pilgrims, who represent Christ in a
special manner.

In these few words we have tried to give the spirit
and essentials of St. Benedict's Bale ; a rule by
which he strove to lead his disciples to perfection.
He himself esteems it but a rule for beginners, and
suggests that one who has mastered it may rise to
the higher paths of sanctity by means of the precepts
of the holy Fathers. That it was dictated by the
Holy Spirit we see clearly from the universal respect
and appreciation in which it has always been held,
and from the fact that it was adopted by all the
Western monks and commended by many Councils.

CHAPTEK XVII.

MAURUS AND PLACID.
a.d. 522.

As we have already seen, St. Benedict had now
founded his first twelve monasteries and established
his Rule in them. Subiaco had become transformed
from a barren solitude into a delightful paradise.
No longer the dwelling of wild beasts, and the terror
of benighted travellers on account of its hissing
serpents, it now re-echoed with the sound of God's
praises. In its valleys and upon its summits the
first Benedictines lived with a purity and perfection
surpassed only by that of the angels and saints in
heaven. Cardinal Baronius, contemplating the birth
and happy beginning of the order, regards it as the
aurora or dawn of one of the Church's most beautiful
days. He says : " St. Benedict, the patriarch of
monks, the resplendent light of the Catholic world,
was still concealed in the fastnesses of the Apennines ;
but neither the height of the rocks nor the deep
recesses of the valley could hide so great a light.
It soon shed its rays all over Italy, and Rome, being
enlightened by it, as mistress of the world diffused
it over the whole earth. For what province was

there in the empire but would love and admire one

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96 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

whom Kome venerated and esteemed ! " It was not,
however, his personal sanctity only which then
attracted the eyes of all : a father is best known
through his children, and if Benedict had hitherto
been honoured for his own merits, he was now
esteemed for the wisdom with which he trained up
disciples who reflected his humility, diligence, fervour
and fidelity ; whom he imbued with his own know-
ledge and discernment in spiritual matters ; men
who not only carried out the Gospel maxims in their
own lives, but whom he rendered fit and capable of
impressing them on the hearts and minds of others.
The two hours daily spent in reading and medi-
tating on the Holy Scripture, retirement from the
world, the continual practice of self-denial, and the
renunciation of their own will, together with the
wonderful and saintly guidance they enjoyed, all
co-operated to train them into perfect monks and
true sons of holy Church. Consequently the new
order began to be spoken of in every class of society ;
its fame was spread abroad ; young men were eager
to join so holy a congregation, and parents were
delighted to find an asylum for their children, where
they might be safe from the temptations of the
world. St. Gregory tells us that many of the nobles
and citizens of Kome brought their children to
Benedict to be trained by him in God's service.
It must have been a touching sight to see those
Roman patricians offering their sons to the holy
abbot that they might the more surely inherit, not
the perishable goods of this world, but an eternal

MAUKUS AND PLACID. 97

kingdom in paradise. The saint wisely ordained in
his Kule that when a nobleman brought his child to
the monastery, he was to make an oath never after-
wards to give or furnish him with anything, either
by himself or any other person ; this was to save
the child from any temptation of returning to the
world.

About the year 522 three of the leading patricians
of Eome, Equitius, Tertullus and Boetius, came to
visit Benedict at Subiaco. They were deeply im-
pressed by his evident sanctity and edified by the
words of heavenly wisdom which fell from his lips ;
while they marvelled at the admirable order esta-
blished in his monasteries, and the union which
prevailed among his disciples. They felt that, if
they could, they would willingly have broken the
chains which bound them to the world in order to
embrace so angelic a life. However, being unable
to do this, two of them, Equitius and Tertullus,
offered Benedict their sons, Maurus and Placid, one
a boy of twelve, the other a child of seven, begging /
him to be a father to them. The saint received
these, and the other children brought to him, not
so much for the purpose of secular education, but
rather as given to God to become future monks,
growing up from childhood, as he himself had done,
in the practice of monastic life. According to the
custom of those times, parents had a perfect right
to decide as to the education and future career of
their children ; hence, if a child was offered to a
monastery, it was looked upon as a voluntary pro-

7

98 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

fession. In later days the Church decided that the
entering a religious house and the profession must
depend on the free will of the individual ; and the
Council of Trent decreed that religious vows made
before the age of sixteen can in no case be binding.

Faustus, the fellow-monk and biographer of St.
Maurus, tells us that the latter was the son of a
senator named Equitius, and of his wife Julia. St.
Benedict loved him the most tenderly of all his
monks and instructed him most carefully, training
him so carefully in virtue that he surpassed the rest
of his brethren in the exactness of his observance.
After describing the various kinds of self-denial which
he practised in sleeping, eating, etc., especially during
Lent, Faustus ends by saying " that he was so de-
voted to silence and holy reading as to astonish even
St. Benedict " (and we may suppose that it took a
good deal to astonish him). Doubtless the excellent
education Maurus had received, previous to his entry
into the monastery, enabled him to teach the other
boys, for St. Gregory says " he began to be a help to
his master". As he increased in age he naturally
became more useful, and by his wisdom and piety
was looked upon as a second Benedict.

Of St. Placid, St. Gregory writes that he was quite
a child when he came to the monastery. From an
old chronicle of Leo the Marsican we learn that his
father Tertullus was very rich, and gave St. Benedict
eighteen farms in Sicily, a magnificent house in Kome,
the whole of Monte Cassino, and other estates.

From this time the names of Maurus and Placid

MAUEUS AND PLACID. 99

are inseparably united with that of their holy Father,
since they were destined by God to be, as it were,
the arms by which he was to spread his Order over
the world, and by strengthening and consolidating
it interiorly they became two firm pillars of the
monastic edifice. There is no doubt that Benedict
recognised the future greatness of the two boys, for
we find them constantly chosen in preference to
others as his companions and assistants. Gordian,
St. Placid's biographer, relates how when Tertullus,
clothed in purple and precious stones and accom-
panied by other great lords of the empire, went to
visit St. Benedict, he prostrated himself at the saint's
feet and implored him with many tears to obtain for
him the Divine mercy ; Benedict, seeing his humility,
raised him from the ground, and instructed him as
to the true means of meriting eternal life. Then it
was that Tertullus offered his son Placid to be edu-
cated and trained in the monastery. Both Tertullus
and Equitius are thought to have been related to our
saint, and like himself to have belonged to the
Anician family.

CHAPTEK XVIII.

A MONK CURED OF WANDERING DURING THE TIME
OF PRAYER.

Very little is known of the various events which
happened in the twelve monasteries of the Benedic-
tine Order while St. Benedict presided over them.
St. Gregory has handed down to us a few details
which show that the holy Patriarch possessed not
only miraculous power, but also supernatural wisdom
for the government and direction of his disciples.

In one of these monasteries, governed by the
Abbot Pompeianus, St. Gregory says that there was
a certain monk who could not remain quiet at his
prayers, but as soon as he saw his brethren kneel
and dispose themselves for their mental prayer he
would get up and wander about, thinking only of
worldly and transitory things. The abbot had often
rebuked him for his fault and exhorted him to
amend, but evidently in vain, for the monk continued
to leave the church as soon as the others began to
pray. At length Pompeianus had recourse to St.
Benedict, and brought to him the erring brother.
The saint reproached him very severely for his in-
constancy and want of devotion, and the poor monk
took his words to heart, and promised to do better.

But in two days he was as bad as ever, and, yielding

(100)

THE WANDERING MONK ^OftliECTER 101

to his old temptation, wandered about as before while
the rest of the brethren poured out their hearts in
prayer. The abbot was greatly troubled, and, fearing
the consequences of the bad example, he again had
recourse to St. Benedict, who consented to come
himself and correct the offender. He came there-
fore to the monastery and, after Lauds, when the
monks betook themselves to their meditation, he
saw a little black boy pulling the monk by the end
of his sleeve. Upon this St. Benedict said to the
abbot and to Maurus : "Do you not see who it is
that is drawing the monk out?" They answered
that they saw nothing. Then he replied : "Let us
pray that you may also see what kind of leader this
monk has ". They prayed for two days, after which
Maurus saw the little black boy, but the abbot was
not able to do so. The following day, when the
office and prayers were finished, Benedict left the
oratory, and finding the monk he gave him the cor-
rection which, as he says in his Rule, is the best for
stubborn minds, that is, he chastised him with a rod.
From that day forward the monk received no further
molestation from the devil, and was able to remain
quietly at his prayers with the rest ; so that, St.
Gregory concludes, " the old enemy was so terrified
that he never again dared suggest any such cogita-
tions, as though by the blows, not the monk, but
himself had been stricken ,'.1

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. iv.

CHAPTEK XIX.

BENEDICT DRAWS WATER FROM A ROCK.

Among the monasteries founded by St. Benedict,
there were, as we have already said, three situated
almost on the summit of the mountain : the monas-
teries dedicated to St. Jerome and to St. John, and
a third, the name of which has not been handed
down to us. In consequence of their position, the
monks suffered much from want of water and were
obliged to fetch all they needed from the lake half
a mile below, the road leading there being exceed-
ingly steep and dangerous. They therefore com-
plained to the saint of the laboriousness of their
task, and the great waste of time entailed by so much
carrying ; and they begged him to change the situa-
tion of their monasteries. Benedict, on hearing this,
consoled them with " sweet words," and promised
to see what could be done. That same night while
the monks slept, calling Placid, he bade him accom-
pany him up the mountain side. Silently in the dead
of the night, the holy man and the little child wended
their way to the rocks above ; on arriving there they
both knelt and prayed. Then Benedict arose and told
Placid to place three stones on the spot where they

had prayed, which being done, they returned to their

(102)

THE MIRACULOUS SPRING. 103

monastery. The next morning, as the brethren were
preparing to go down to the lake as usual, Benedict
came to them and told them to go to a certain rock
which he pointed out, and to excavate at a spot where
they would find three stones, and that God would
supply them with the water they so much needed.
Having reached the place he had indicated they
found the rock already moist ; and on digging a hole,
a stream of clear water burst forth in such abundance
that to this day it forms a brook which, rising at the
top of the mountain, flows down into the valley be-
neath. The joy and delight of the monks at this
fresh manifestation of Divine power were unbounded ;
and the miracle served to increase the love and vene-
ration they had for their holy Father, by whose
prayers and merits it had been wrought.

CHAPTEE XX.

MIRACLE OF THE IRON SICKLE.

At this time Italy was overrun by the Goths ; who
formed the greater part of the army, and were practi-
cally masters of the country. King Theodoric himself
was a Goth, and, together with the most of his
countrymen, adhered obstinately to Arianism ; never-
theless, many abjured their errors and became faithful
sons of Holy Church. One of these came to St.
Benedict, asking to be received into the monastery ;
and the saint perceiving that the poor barbarian had
evidently great aptitude for the kingdom of God
readily acceded to his request. St. Gregory says :
"A certain Goth, poor of spirit, that gave over the
world was received by the man of God ".l Near
the monastery there was a spot intended for cultiva-
tion, but covered with brushwood and brambles ;
and thither Benedict sent him, giving him a hatchet
to clear away the thicket which overhung the lake..
Obedient and willing, the poor man set to work with
all his heart, chopping right and left as though he
were on a battlefield cutting his way through the
enemy ; but his zeal was too great, for suddenly
the head of the hatchet flew off and fell into the

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. vi.

(104)

THE IEON SICKLE. 105

deepest part of the lake, so that there was no hope
of recovering it. Frightened at what he had done,
he hastened to find St. Maurus, who was then prior
ojLtlae monastery ; and full of contrition he fell on
his knees before him confessing his negligence and
mishap. Maurus as soon as possible acquainted
St. Benedict with what had happened, who went
himself to the lake and taking the handle from the
penitent brother cast it into the water. The poor
Goth viewed this action with the utmost astonish-
ment, when, lo ! on a sudden the iron head rose to
the surface as though attracted by a magnet and
joined itself to the handle. Then Benedict restored
to him the hatchet, saying : " Continue your work
and grieve no more ". This was indeed a repetition
of the miracle which Eliseus worked for his disciples
when they were building on the banks of the Jordan.
One of them had the same accident as the Goth, and
Eliseus repaired it in a similar way.

Leo the Marsican, in his Cassinese Chronicle, re-
lates how St. Benedict repeated this miracle after
his death. He says that when the monks of Monte
Cassino were once building a church in honour of
St. Scholastica at Gaeta, one of the workmen let the
iron part of his tool fall into the sea, an accident
which would have hindered the work ; but the monks,
trusting in the merits of their holy founder, and
mindful of his former power in a like instance, went
in a boat to the place where the iron had drifted, and
putting fche handle into the sea iron and handle were
both again united.

CHAPTEK XXI.

MAURUS RESCUES PLACID FROM DROWNING.
a.d. 523.

The miracle by which Maurus saved Placid from
drowning contains many points of interest, showing
the loving and continual care that Benedict had for
his children. It further gives us an insight into the
occupations of the monks and novices in those early
days ; and points out the ancient custom of never
leaving the enclosure without receiving a blessing
from the abbot. It likewise bears witness to the
high degree of sanctity attained by the two saints,
and the holy contest of humility between them as to
which had deserved so great a miracle.1

One day, when St. Benedict was in his cell read-
ing, Placid, then about eight years of age, went to
the lake to fetch water, and stooping down to fill
his pitcher he lost his balance and fell in. Mabillon
thinks that Benedict must have been in the monas-
tery of SS. Cosmas and Damian, now St. Scholastica's,
as from it there was a full view of the lake close at
hand. St. Placid had only been offered by his father
shortly before^yet, in spite of his being the son of
one of the principal Eoman nobles, we see him at

1 Dom Mege, Vie de St. Benoist, chap. vii.

(106)

ST. MAURUS WALKS ON THE WATER. 107

once employed in menial labour, in order that thereby
he might learn to imitate his Lord and embrace for
His sake all that was lowly and humble.

The lake into which Placid fell is no longer to be
seen ; it was an artificial one formed by turning the
course of the river Anio, but the river has long since
returned to its natural channel. Now there is a
deep gorge in place of the lake, and a chapel has been
built to commemorate the miracle over the spot
where St. Placid was rescued. It is not known
whether St. Benedict received a direct revelation, or
whether he really saw what was passing at the lake ;
but hastily calling St. Maurus, he told him the child
was drowning, and bade him run and save him. St.
Gregory mentions that Placid was carried quite a
bow-shot from the bank, so that he must have fallen
in at that spot where the Anio, or some mountain
torrent, flowed into the lake. Maurus, having asked
and received a blessing, ran with all possible speed
to execute the command of his father, having no
other thought than to obey ; and his obedience,
triumphing over the laws of nature, caused him to
walk upon the water as though it had been solid
earth. St. Bernard says that this miracle was
greater than the passage of the Eed Sea, for the
Israelites, being burdened with the spoils of Egypt,
were unable to walk upon the waves, and it was
necessary that God should prepare a more stable
path for them ; but St. Peter and St. Maurus,
having left all things to follow Christ, were able
without difficulty to walk upon the waters.

108 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Having reached the sinking boy, Maurus seized
him by his hair, and so drew him to the bank. Only
when both were safe on land did he realise what
he had done, and felt astonished and frightened.
Hurrying back, the two boys related to their holy
father what had occurred ; and he, immediately
disclaiming any share in the miracle, attributed it
to the prompt obedience of his disciple. Maurus
answered that he had merely acted as he was told,
without knowing in the least what he was doing ;
and that it was impossible to ascribe to him an act
of virtue which he had never intended to perform.
In this manner the two carried on a holy contest of
humility, neither wishing to have the honour of such
a miracle ; yet, as neither could be judge in a cause
in which both were interested, the little Placid
undertook to decide the matter ; he felt he had a
word to say, for he had seen something Maurus had
not. " When I was drawn out of the water," he
said, " I saw the melotus of our father, and it seemed
to me that he drew me out." The melotus was a
large cloak worn by the monks of those days, and
doubtless God permitted the child to see the cowl of
his beloved abbot, that he might thereby recognise
to whose merits he owed his life.

This is one of the last events recorded of St.
Benedict's life at Subiaco.

CHAPTEK XXII.

CONTEMPORARY HISTORY.
a.d. 522-533.

So few facts are related with regard to St. Benedict's
life of labour and prayer in that wild romantic valley
of the Anio, from the time he left Vicovaro until he
had permanently organised his first twelve monas-
teries, that we have to picture to ourselves the effect
which may have been produced on the mind of the
saint by the events happening in the world at large.
As abbot, he was necessarily obliged to hold inter-
course with many of the clergy about various affairs ;
and he was also called upon to entertain those guests
and pilgrims who, attracted by his reputation for
sanctity, came to the monastery in great numbers.
By these means he became acquainted with the
leading events of the day ; and the vicissitudes and
difficulties which beset Holy Church caused him to
redouble his prayers and supplications for her, and to
labour yet more zealously for the glory of God and
the salvation of souls. Let us see then what the
events were which thus affected him.

In the year 522, when Theodoric the Ostrogoth
still reigned over Italy, Boetius, of whom we have

already spoken and who was related to St. Benedict,

(109)

110 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

had the joy of seeing his two sons elected consuls.
On this occasion they drove through Home in a
triumphal car, accompanied by the senate, and
afterwards received the congratulation of their
sovereign and his people. Hitherto Boetius had
possessed the greatest influence over Theodoric, but
soon after these honours had been heaped upon his
sons both he and his family fell into disgrace, on the
charge of having held secret correspondence with
the Court of Constantinople. Boetius himself was
thrown into prison, and while there he wrote his
famous work on the consolations of philosophy. He
was a fervent Christian, and had been an intimate
friend of the three Popes, St. Symmachus, St. Hor-
misdas and St. John I. Under their guidance he had
undertaken to reconcile philosophy with the religion
of Christ, and to prove that one was but the porch
leading into the other. Upon this man, who has
been called the Christian Socrates, Theodoric vented
his barbarous rage, which seemed to revive in him
in his old age, and after causing Boetius to be cruelly
tortured, he had his head split open in the year 526.
Not content with this infamous deed, he had Pope
John I. thrown into a dungeon, where he died from
the ill treatment he received. Theodoric only sur-
vived the martyr three months. His grandson
Athalaric succeeded him, but in eight years Italy was
again re-conquered by the Emperor of the East.
Pope John was succeeded by St. Felix IV., who was
unanimously elected by both clergy and people, not-
withstanding Theodoric's endeavours to prevent it.

CONTEMPORARY HISTORY, A.D. 522-533. Ill

In the following year, 527, the Emperor Justin
was succeeded in the East by his nephew Justinian,
a great and good man, who is chiefly celebrated for
the code of laws which he drew up, and which form
the basis of the jurisprudence of the present day.
On the feast of the Epiphany, 529, G-retes, King of
the Heruli, was baptised at Constantinople with
twelve of his relatives, the emperor acting as god-
father. Justinian also sent missionaries to all those
parts of the empire where heathenism still lingered,
and ordered all pagan temples to be converted into
Christian churches. He fortified the empire on every
side and was victorious over all his enemies, until in
the year 539 a deadly foe presented itself, with which
he was utterly unable to cope. This was the plague,
which ravaged the empire for five years and carried
off entire populations, desolating the most flourishing
cities ; it was reckoned that one-third of the world's
inhabitants died during this period.

In Africa the barbarous Arian persecution came to
an end at the accession of the Vandal king, Hilderic,
in 523. This prince had been educated as a Catholic
at the Court of Constantinople, and his first act
was to recall those Catholic bishops who had been
banished by his Arian predecessors.

St. Felix IV. died in 529, and was succeeded by
Boniface II. Previous to his death, a famous council
was held at Aries, over which St. Caesarius presided,
for the overthrow of the Pelagian and semi-Pelagian
heresies.

Boniface only reigned three years, and John II., a

112 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Koman, was elected in his stead, 532. During his
pontificate the celebrated monk Dionysius, surnamed
" Exiguus " (on account of his low stature), drew up
a new calendar, its special feature being that the
years date from the birth of Christ instead of from
Alexander the Great or Diocletian. His mode of
computation has now been universally adopted. He,
likewise, was the first to collect and classify all the
ecclesiastical canons, an undertaking which was hailed
with enthusiastic applause by the whole Catholic
world.

At the desire of the emperor, a conference was
held at Constantinople for the extirpation of the
Eutychian heresy ; Justinian assisted with the whole
senate at the last of its sessions, and exhorted the
erring bishops to return to the truth, but all in vain.

Two great saints, the Abbots Theodosius and Sabas,
to whom we have already alluded, were fast approach-
ing the end of their marvellous lives. Theodosius
was recalled from exile on the accession of Justinian,
being then in his ninetieth year, yet none the less
overflowing with fervour and zeal. Towards the
close of his life he suffered much, but uttered no
word of complaint ; as his last hour approached, he
roused himself once more to give an exhortation to
his sorrowing children, and then gently and sweetly
he slept in the arms of his Lord, 11th January, 529,
being 105 years old.

Four years later Sabas followed him to his reward.
He had been sent to the Emperor by the Patriarch
of Jerusalem to justify and plead the cause of the

CONTEMPORARY HISTORY, A.I). 522-583. 113

calumniated Catholics of his see ; Justinian granted
all he asked, and would have loaded him with presents
for his monasteries, but all these he refused, asking
only that a hospital should be built at Jerusalem,
and the monks provided with some stronghold where
they might take refuge from the incursions of the
barbarians. Soon after his return from this mission
he fell dangerously ill, and died on 5th December,
532. A few days later St. Fulgentius, Bishop of
Euspa, also won his crown. When he was seized
with his last illness, the doctors advised several
remedies for allaying the sharp pain from which he
was suffering. ''What!" answered the saint, "do
you wish to prevent a dying man from going to
receive his reward?" And so he peacefully passed
away, amidst the tears and sorrow of all around him,
on 1st January, 533.

-t

CHAPTEK XXIII.

THE FRANKS. ST. REMIGIUS.

The history of the Franks at this period is sad and
scandalous, and somewhat intricate. Briefly, it may
be stated thus : For eight years after the death of
Clovis, his four sons managed to live more or less
at peace with one another, partly owing to the in-
fluence of Clotilde, their saintly mother, and partly
to the authority of Theodoric, the Ostrogoth King of
Italy. War having broken out, Thierry, the eldest
of the brothers, wras victorious over the Danes, and
later over Sigismund, King of Burgundy. Clodomir,
the second son, continued the war against Sigismund,
whom he put to death, but at last was killed in battle ;
he left three sons. These were tenderly cared for by
their grandmother Clotilde, who hoped in time to see
them in peaceful possession of their inheritance ; but
two of them speedily fell victims to the ambition of
their uncles, Clotaire and Childebert. The third,
Clodoald, having made his escape, became a hermit
and died a saint, well known to posterity as St. Cloud.
Clotilde, crushed by her grief, made a pilgrimage to
the tomb of St. Martin of Tours, and there passed the
remainder of her life in tears and penance for the
crimes of her sons ; she died in the odour of sanctity

in 545.

(114)

THE SONS OF OLOVIS. 115

Theodoric, King of Italy, having died in 526, Thierry
seized the opportunity to invade Thuringia, accom-
panied by his brother Clotaire. Victorious in their
enterprise, Clotaire led away among his captives the
beautiful Princess Kadegunde, whom he destined for
his bride ; but as she was still very young, he placed
her in a monastery for her education, and here she
soon gave proof of her eminent virtue. In 538 she
was forced to marry her captor and her brother's
murderer ; however, not long after, having discovered
that Clotaire's former wife still lived, she separated
herself from him, and built a monastery at Poitiers,
where she received the veil from St. Medard, and
having been elected abbess, she governed the abbey
till her death in 587.

Meantime Childebert reigned in Paris, and misled
by a rumour of Thierry's death, he took possession of
Auvergne, one of the most fruitful provinces of France.
Thierry was furious at what he deemed an outrage,
and, as Childebert would not make restoration, a
most cruel war ensued. Thierry having laid siege
to Clermont, on which he had sworn to be revenged,
the bishop, an old man of ninety-two, together with
all his flock, made a procession round the town sing-
ing the penitential psalms. The following night
Thierry had a supernatural dream, which moved him
to milder sentiments, and peace was concluded. But
not for long : war ever seemed indispensable to the
fierce sons of Clovis ; they renewed their attack on
Burgundy, took the king, Godemar, prisoner, and
either murdered him or incarcerated him for the

116 THE LTFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

remainder of his life ; from that time he was never
again seen or heard of.

It is with a sense of relief that we leave these
scenes of violence and bloodshed, and turn our eyes
to Holy Church, where we see a marked increase of
faith and a proportionate decrease of heresy and
unbelief. Saintly bishops governed the flocks com-
mitted to them ; and numbers of fervent souls retired
into the desert, or into monasteries, that they might
serve God with undivided hearts. Churches were
built and many hospitals and charitable institutions
were founded. Among the famous bishops of the
day we notice especially St. Medard and St. Eleu-
therius, friends and companions in their youth, and
both successively Bishops of Tournay. St. Eleutherius
won his crown first, being martyred by the Franks,
whom he was trying to convert, a.d. 532. St. Medard
was then Bishop of Noyon, but was elected by the
acclamation of the people to succeed St. Eleutherius
in the See of Tournay. He governed both dioceses
until his death in 545.

Mention might also be made of Albinus, Bishop of
Angers ; of Nicetius, Bishop of Treves ; of Agricola,
Bishop of Chalons, and of Pantagathus, Bishop of
Vienne ; all renowned for their sanctity and learning.
In Australia St. Fridolinus founded many religious
houses about this time ; and St. Marcellus did the
same in Neustria, and even in Great Britain. In
533 the great apostle of France, St. Kemigius, went
to his reward, being ninety-four years old. There is
a well-founded tradition to the effect that St. Bene-

ST. REMIGIUS. 117

diet wrote him a letter on the following occasion : A
certain Frankish nobleman, who lived at Toulouse,
had a daughter who was possessed by the devil.
Exorcisms having been used in vain, the unhappy
father resolved to take her to the tomb of the Holy
Apostles at Kome. However, not finding even there
the cure he sought, and hearing on every side of the
wonderful miracles wrought by Benedict, he carried
his afflicted child to Subiaco. Benedict was then
only twenty-seven years of age, and though his pity
was roused by the sad state of the young girl so
furiously tormented by the Evil One, yet his humility
made him shrink from attempting a cure which would
carry his fame beyond Italy, even into France. He
therefore bethought himself to send the poor child to
St. Kemigius, whose holiness he knew by reputation.
Thereupon he wrote a very humble and edifying
letter to him and gave it to the Frank, telling him
to take his daughter to the archbishop, as he him-
self was unworthy to obtain from God so great a
grace. Haeften gives the whole letter, which began :
" Dominico sacerdoti Kemigio, et frater et conservus
in Christo Jesu, coenobialis vitae humilis cultor Bene-
dictus, aeternae benedictionis munus ". He then
goes on to say : "I rejoice and take so much interest
in your progress and perfection, most holy priest of
our Sovereign King, that I believe I possess, in
your person, the virtues and graces which I have not
in my own. I therefore send you this possessed child,
that by the merits of your priesthood and sanctity
you may drive away the demon, which my sins

118 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

prevent me from doing. Since then I know that you
possess all virtues in their perfection, I beg that you
will offer the Holy Victim to obtain the deliverance
of this girl whom the old enemy holds captive, and
by this victory procure for me a great joy." St.
Remigius was greatly touched by the humility of
this letter, coming as it did from one whose fame as
a worker of miracles had already reached him ; and
raising his eyes to heaven, he said : "I give thanks
to Thee, 0 most merciful Lord, for having so highly
honoured this age in which I live, as to have given
to it Thy servant Benedict to spread Thy glory all
over the world". Then placing the letter on the
altar, he offered the Holy Sacrifice, at which both
father and daughter were present, after which he
proceeded to the prescribed exorcisms.

At last the devil was constrained to depart ; but
before leaving, the proud spirit was forced to confess
who had driven him out, and he cried : " Do not
exalt yourself, 0 Remigius ! for it is not your com-
mand which obliges me to go out of this girl, but
Benedict's humility ". This story is told by Hincmar,
Flodoardus, Peter the Deacon, and most historians
of the Benedictine Order.

CHAPTEK XXIV.

"BLESSED ARE THEY THAT SUFFER PERSECUTION."
a.d. 529.

St. Benedict had now spent many years in the
Sabine mountains, and the bright light of his sanctity
shone with ever increasing lustre. His name was
everywhere blessed ; all loved him as a father, and
sought him as a guide ; and persons of every rank
and condition flocked to him for advice. He appeared
like a boundless treasure, from which all might draw
what they needed. St. Gregory sums up his work
when he says that his miracles and holy life, together
with the virtues of his monks, enkindled the love of
Jesus Christ in all hearts ; and their fame being
dispersed far and near, many gave over the secular
life, and subdued the passions of their soul under the
light yoke of our Saviour. But the merits of this
holy servant of God needed one thing more to crown
and complete them ; seven beatitudes were already
his, he was poor in spirit and meek in heart ; he
mourned for his own sins and those of the world ;
he thirsted for justice, was merciful and a true peace-
maker ; now he was called upon to suffer for justice's
sake, and the opportunity came in the following

manner : Florentius, the parish priest of a neigh-

(119)

T20 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

bouring church, began to cherish a feeling of envy
towards St. Benedict ; and, as this increased, he tried
to dissuade others from going to visit him ; however,
finding his efforts fruitless, he resolved to destroy the
object of his hatred. He could not bear to see the
numbers who constantly had recourse to him, many
even embracing his way of life. Above all, he thought
it intolerable that all this confidence should be placed
in one who was not a priest.

The house of Florentius was so near the principal
monastery at Subiaco that it was only separated from
it by the lake ; he had therefore continually under
his eyes what was to him so great a torment, namely,
the holy life of Benedict and his disciples, as well as
the concourse of people daily arriving from Borne
and different parts of the country. St. Gregory says
that Florentius would gladly have enjoyed a like
reputation though he had no mind to earn it, and
so the force of envy burnt stronger and fiercer in
his soul, until at length it so blinded him that he
yielded to a most diabolical suggestion. As we have
already said, it was customary in those days for
persons to send each other "eulogia," or blessed
bread, in token of spiritual friendship ; and thus,
hidden under the guise of a Christian act of courtesy,
Florentius hoped to strike a mortal blow, for in the
bread he had placed poison. Like another Judas,
he played the hypocrite and feigned love and charity
while his heart fostered hatred. Benedict received
the loaf with thanks, although he was well aware
what it contained, either by a Divine inspiration, or

HE IS PERSECUTED BY FLORENTIUS. 121

by his previous knowledge of the donor's character.
At dinner time when all the monks were in the re-
fectory, a raven from a neighbouring forest came, as
was its wont, to receive food from the hands of the
saint; Benedict threw it the poisoned loaf, saying:
" In the name of: Jesus Christ take this bread, and
carry it to a place where no man shall be able to find
it ". But the raven was in no hurry to obey ; per-
haps it wanted to show its horror of the indignity
offered to its holy master, for St. Gregory tells us
that it opened its mouth, and fluttered about, and
hopped up and down around the loaf, croaking, as
much as to say that it was willing to do what it was
told, but had not the power. Seeing this, Benedict
repeated his command, saying : " Do not be afraid to
lift it up, and put it where it cannot be found ". Then
at last, after much ado, the raven made a supreme
effort, fixed its beak into the loaf and flew away,
returning after three hours to receive its accustomed
meal.

Benedict, however, was deeply grieved at the ani-
mosity of the priest, not so much on his own
account, as for the sake of the unhappy wretch.
For a long time he had watched with sorrow his
downward course. Formerly Florentius must have
been a good man, or he would never have been
ordained ; his nephew, too, was deacon in Koine,
which seems to point to the fact that he came from
a worthy and respectable family, though, by giving
way to envy and jealousy, he gradually fell so low
that nothing was too wicked to satisfy the passion that

1'22 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

consumed him. From his " solarium," or balcony, he
narrowly watched all the movements of his enemy,
as he considered Benedict, anxiously awaiting what
he thought must be the inevitable result of his gift.
When he saw that, instead of Benedict being carried
to his grave as he had hoped, nothing happened at
all and things went on just as usual his rage-knew
no bounds. Far from taking to heart what had
occurred, and thanking God for averting his mad
crime, the frustration of one plan only made him
conceive another still more hateful. Finding that
he could not harm Benedict personally, he deter-
mined to ruin the souls of his children by exposing
them to a vile temptation ; with this intent he sent
some girls to bathe in the Anio, under the very win-
dows of the monastery, and told them to dance and
sport together in sight of the monks. Hitherto no
sign of anger, no word of complaint had passed the
lips of the saint ; he had rather sought to pacify the
indignation shown by some of his monks at the in-
famous conduct of Florentius. So long as persecution
and insult were directed only against himself he heeded
not ; but when danger threatened his children, he
resolved to secure peace for them even at the price
of leaving Subiaco, remembering those words of
Our Lord : " Give place unto wrath, for it is written :
Kevenge to Me ; I will repay V

We cannot but be struck with the generous way
in which St. Benedict treated his enemy : he, who

1 Horn. xii. 19.

HE IS PERSECUTED BY FLORENTIUS. 123

had received the gift of miracles and was venerated
as the father and benefactor of the whole country
around, did not hesitate to give place to a man devoid
of virtue ; to one who was ambitious and despicable,
and who by his selfishness had alienated from him-
self any affection that others might have had for him.
St. Gregory says that, fearing the danger for his
younger monks whom Florentius had attempted to
corrupt, and reflecting that it was only done to spite
himself, he yielded and withdrew ; first, however, he
put in order all the monasteries that he had built,
assigning their government to superiors whom he
selected. Then, choosing a few monks as companions,
he made preparations for immediate departure.

The thought of leaving his loved children caused
him great sorrow ; it was a very real trial to him to
quit a home where he had spent thirty-six years ; a
home to which God Himself had brought him, and
where he had received so many lights and favours ;
a place he had watered with his tears and often with
his blood ; which he had sanctified by his unceasing
prayers and austerities, and which he had filled with
so many bright examples of virtue in the persons of
his monks.

Faustus tells us that so great was his affliction,
that Our Lord deigned in His compassion to console
him, and appearing to him in a vision said : "Why
are you sad, My son? Do you not know that if the
wicked have persecuted Me, they will persecute you
also? I desire you to change your abode, and to
tread other paths, for I have chosen you to spread

124 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

the light of My Gospel. Arise then, and go to Monte
Cassino ; you will find there a people given up to the
worship of idols ; Satan reigns over their hearts, and
they know nothing but what his malice has taught
them. Strive to instruct them in the truth, and
convert them to the knowledge of My name. Fear
nothing ; I shall be with you and will not forsake you.
Be generous and constant ; I will make you master
of the fortress and there you will found a monastery
which will immortalise your name." Comforted
and encouraged by these Divine promises, Benedict
prepared to depart, and assembling his sorrowing
children he addressed to them his parting words,
saying: "Hearken to me, my brethren and dear
children, who have been my companions and who
will one day share with me the glory promised by
the King of Heaven. If I were to follow my own
inclinations rather than the Divine ordinance, I should
never separate myself from you, but should pass the
remainder of my life in this solitude ; as, however,
my Lord Jesus Christ has commanded me to go
to Monte Cassino, there to exterminate idolatry and
to banish Satan from his throne, we must prefer the
will of God to our own inclinations, however holy
they may seem. You know, besides, the evil means
taken by the priest Florentius to kill me, not only
endeavouring to poison me, but seeking to destroy the
souls of my disciples. For this reason I must yield,
and follow the counsel of the Gospel, ' When they shall
persecute you in this city, flee into another '.* I must

1 Matt. x. 23.

HE LEAVES SUBTACO. 125

then depart, for the command of Our Lord urges me to
extend charity towards the whole world and to succour
all men according to the grace I have received from
Him. As for you, my children, remain steadfast in
the observance of the Kule I have given you, and
live as though I were still among you ; and be assured
that your reward will be so much the greater, as you
will have been the more fervent and exact in your
religious exercises." Then he asked them never to
forget him in their prayers, and promised ever to
bear them in his heart.

At these words, the poor monks, who had had
no previous warning of his departure, were struck
with consternation, and while they prostrated for his
blessing they could not contain their tears. The
saint hastened away, anxious to put an end to the
scene which was almost more than he could bear ;
and in a few minutes he had left the monastery, and
was wending his way through the rocky precipices
which surround it.

And now one of the prophecies J announced by an

1 1. Thy Order shall flourish until the end of the world.

2. In the latter ages it will be remarkable for its fidelity to the
Holy Roman Church, and by its means many will be maintained
in the Faith.

3. All who die in thy Order shall be saved : if any of thy children
begin to live unholy lives, and are not converted, being confounded,
they will either be expelled from the Order, or they will leave it
of their own accord.

4. Any one who persecutes thy Order, and does not repent of
his sin, shall depart this life by a terrible or premature death.

5. All who love thy Order shall make a good end.

— (Ex Cronolog. Arnold. Wion.)

126 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

angel to Benedict was about to be realised, viz., that
those who inflicted injury on his order should perish
miserably. A message was brought to Florentius
telling him that Benedict had been seen to leave the
monastery with some monks, and that they were
going to the south of Italy. This filled him with
exultation, and hastening up to his balcony, from
which he could view the whole country, he began to
congratulate himself on what he considered the success
of his efforts. He thought he had attained the
object of his desires. Poor wretch ! in one instant
the balcony gave way, and burying him beneath
its ruins, sent him thus unprepared before the
awful judgment seat of Him Whose servant he had
persecuted.

The news of the catastrophe soon reached the
monastery, and Maurus and several others at once
set off to try and overtake their beloved abbot, who
had only left about three hours before. After a few
miles they caught up the little party of travellers,
and Maurus joyfully exclaimed : " Eeturn, my father,
for the priest who persecuted you is dead ". These
words struck Benedict to the heart, and he was in-
consolable to think that his enemy should have been
called away without time for repentance. He had
left Subiaco in the hope that the poor unfortunate
man would cease to offend God, and now he had
died, and that suddenly. His grief seems to have
been very great, for St. Gregory says, " sese in gravio-
ribns lament ationibus dedit "} He was distressed too

1 Dialogues, chap. viii.

HE LEAVES SUBIACO. 127

that Maurus should rejoice, and gave him a severe
penance for presuming to exult over the death of any
enemy. Neither would he accede to his request to
return to Subiaco, but,, dismissing him, continued"
his journey to Monte Cassino.

BOOK II.

LIFE AT MONTE CASSINO.

CHAPTEE I.

BENEDICT'S ARRIVAL AT MONTE CASSINO.
a.d. 529.

Benedict was now in sight of his third home, a
mountain which until that time had been the abode
of demons, and the scene of most abominable rites
and sacrifices. St. Gregory says that everywhere ^-
around its summit groves had sprung up dedicated
to the worship of devils, in which frantic crowds of
heathens revelled over their sacrilegious sacrifices ;
soon, however, this spot was to become a holy sanc-
tuary resounding with God's praises. As we have
already seen, St. Benedict made his journey thither
on foot ; truly it was a holy pilgrimage, the mission-
ary journey of a hero of faith. Gordian, the monk,
avers that both Maurus and Placid accompanied
their holy father ; but from St. Gregory's account ~*
it is evident that Maurus only followed at some later
date. Many writers also tell us that God sent two
angels to conduct Benedict on his way, and that
three ravens accompanied him from Subiaco to
Monte Cassino. These ravens settled in the trees
which surrounded the monastery, and in one of his
sermons St. Peter Damian relates how their descen-
dants were still living in his time, and daily fetched
their food from the monks' table.

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132 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

If angels conducted Benedict on his way, angels
also came out to meet him : the guardian angels of
the poor deluded inhabitants of Monte Cassino.
Their joy was unbounded, for they knew that this
blessed saint would drive out the spirits of darkness
which had so long held possession of the hearts
which God had entrusted to their keeping; and
that now, once more, Christ would reign and dwell
among them. It is not known what route the
saint chose for his journey, though probably he
went the direct way, passing through Alatri, Sora,
Arpino and Atina, a distance of some fifty miles over
very mountainous country. At Alatri he received
hospitality in the monastery of St. Sebastian,
governed at that time by the deacon Servandus,
and on the following day, as he rested at the town
of Veroli, he foretold that an abbey would be built
there, dedicated to St. Erasmus, and traced on the
ground the plan of the church ; later, this proved to
be one of the first foundations from Monte Cassino.

Monte Cassino is situated in the territory now
known as the " Terra di Lavora," about half-way be-
tween Naples and Kome, and is one of the grandest
and most beautiful spots in Italy. It rises abruptly
to a height of 3,000 feet, and even in the hottest
season its summit is always cool. In ancient times
a colony from Eome built on its slope the city
of Cassinum ; but Theodoric, the Ostrogoth, when
he had conquered Italy, destroyed it as a stronghold
which might prove dangerous to his power. Almost
from its foundation this town formed an episcopal

MONTE CASSINO. 133

see ; and in 483 we read that St. Severus, one of
its bishops, was present at the Council of Rome.
With the destruction of the city the bishopric seems
also to have perished. At the foot of Monte Cassino
is a very picturesque and fertile plain, known by the
name of the " Campania felice " ; here also may be
seen the ruins of the old castle of Aquino, famous
as the birthplace of St. Thomas. Thomas was only
five years old when he was sent to Monte Cassino
to be educated by his uncle Sinnebald, the fifty-sixth
abbot.

It is easy to understand how, after the destruction
of the city, the deserted groves of Monte Cassino
became well fitted to afford a hiding-place for the
few remaining heathens of those parts ; and the
ruins of ancient temples on the top of the mountain,
hidden from the valley by the thick woods surround-
ing them, attracted a little band of pagans who took
up their abode there. But they were not the only
inhabitants of the mountains ; there was also a
saintly old hermit who, as Benedict approached,
received intimation from an angel to go elsewhere
and make room for a greater servant of God. St.
Gregory in his third book of Dialogues tells us that
his name was Marcius (or, as some authors call him,
Martin), and that he instantly obeyed the angel's
command and retired to a mountain at a little
distance. Afterwards he became a disciple of St.
Benedict, though he never quitted his hermitage.
On one occasion he chained himself to a rock, upon
which St. Benedict sent a monk to say to him : "If

/>

L34 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

you are God's servant, let the chain of Christ and
not a chain of iron hold you ! " The good hermit
forthwith loosed his chain, but he never went farther
than the chain had formerly permitted him.

As St. Benedict ascended the mountain with his
little band, and saw on every side tokens of idolatry
and superstition, his new home must have appeared
anything but inviting ; yet, glowing with holy zeal
to fight the battles of our Lord, he resolved to
destroy the work of the Evil One, and to erect a
fortress of peace into which he would gather together
a silent generation of prayers and singers who would
draw down by their labours and penance, their tears
and good works, the grace of God, not only upon
Monte Cassino, but upon the whole world. Doubt-
less he already foresaw what this mountain was to
become, and how the monastery he was about to
found would be a nursery for saints and illustrious
men, who would help to support the Church in her
hour of need. Cardinal Newman, comparing the
Benedictine Order to a vine, says : " As an exuber-
ant vine with its running branches and broad leaves
overspreads the massive structure of a wall, and
hides all beneath with the richness of its foliage and
the multitude of its clustering fruits, so was the
family of St. Benedict. It seemed at one time to
take possession of the visible Church ; its spirit
entered into the line of pontiffs, the twelve degrees
of humility ascended the Holy See and sat upon the
pontifical throne, and fifty pontiffs of the family of
St. Benedict reigned over the Church of God."

CHAPTER II.

EXTINCTION OF IDOLATRY AROUND MONTE CASSINO.

Having reached his destination, Benedict did not at
once begin his task of evangelising. That was not
his way of setting to work, but after giving directions
to his monks to build themselves huts as a temporary
shelter, he retired to a place close to the temple of
Apollo, the very stronghold of the enemy. There
he spent forty days in fasting, solitude and prayer,
like another Jacob wrestling with God to obtain
grace to fight against this false divinity and to open
the eyes of the deluded inhabitants. Meantime the
sight of his venerable countenance and majestic
figure, and the reputation which had preceded him
of his miraculous powers, disposed their minds to
look upon him favourably ; they marvelled more
and more at the mysterious life he led, and began
to wish he would speak to them. Then, when
Benedict felt that the harvest of souls was ripe,
he came forth from his seclusion to gather it in for
his Lord. His countenance shone with a heavenly
light, a reflection of the fire of charity which burnt
in his heart — charity towards those souls whom
Christ had redeemed ; and the peasants, seeing this,
gathered round him and listened awestruck to his

(135)

136 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

powerful words. He spoke to them of Him Who
had brought light into the world, Who was Himself
the light which enlightens every one who loves not
darkness. He explained to them the mysteries of
the true faith, and convinced them of their errors,
and this not only on one occasion, but, as St. Gregory
relates, he preached continually. In a short time
he had made such an impression on the people that
they themselves assisted him to break their idols
and to set fire to their groves ; the temple itself he
purified, and after removing every vestige of idolatry
transformed it into a Christian church dedicated to
St. Martin ; and at some little distance, on the very
spot where the altar of Apollo had stood, he built
a chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Peter
the Deacon, who was the annalist of Monte Cassino
in the twelfth century, tells us that these two ora-
tories were not enclosed within the original monas-
tery, but later on, when the monastic buildings
gradually grew and spread, they became part of the
enclosure. St. Martin's stood nearest the gate ; St.
John the Baptist's was higher up the mountain.

St. Benedict was not content with merely pulling
down the idols and destroying the groves on the
mountain ; he also preached in the neighbouring
country, and gave himself no rest until he had up-
rooted the • last remnant of heathenism in those
parts. Only one circumstance is mentioned by his
biographer with regard to his labours among the
heathens ; and though we would fain know more,
still from this one event we may gather some idea

DIABOLICAL PERSECUTIONS. 137

of the malice and spite of the enemy against whom
he was contending. St. Gregory says that the devil
could not endure the overthrow of his power, and
appearing openly to the saint complained with loud 1
cries of the violence that was being done to him, so
that the monks could hear his words although they
could not see him. This happened several times,
when at last one day, as he could get no response
from the saint, he was so enraged and furious that
he cried out : " Maledicte, non Benedicte I what hast /
thou to do with me, why dost thou trouble me?"
Afterwards Benedict told his monks that he had
seen Satan with his bodily eyes, under a horrible
form, as it were on fire, raging against him with
flames bursting from his eyes and mouth.

However, these diabolical persecutions only served
to increase the zeal and courage of God's servant ;
and so greatly were his efforts blessed that not only
were infidels and idolators brought into the bosom
of Holy Church, but many persons of rank came from
afar to see and hear him, and were so affected by the
wonders he performed that numbers of them, leaving
their friends and possessions, begged to be admitted
into the company of his disciples. Henceforth Monte
Cassino and the " terra di lavora " no longer belonged
to the prince of darkness, but to him who was blessed
both by grace and name, and who had striven so
bravely to win it for God. All regarded Benedict as
their father and benefactor, and in return for what
he had done for them brought him and his monks
the necessaries of life and materials for the erection

138 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

of a monastery, thus confirming those words quoted
in the Holy Eule, " Seek ye therefore first the kingdom
of God, . . . and all these things shall be added unto
you" ; l and again, "There is no want to them that fear
Him".2 The little mustard seed had now been put into
the ground ; before long it became a mighty tree, and
the birds of heaven came and lodged in its branches.
Of the power and riches gradually attained by the
Abbey of Monte Cassino we may form some idea
from the following figures given by Arnold Wion.
He says the monastery possessed in the thirteenth
century four bishoprics, two duchies (Gaeta and
Fondi), two principalities, twenty provinces, thirty-
six towns, 250 castles, 440 houses, 336 farms, 320
harbours, 200 mills, 1,662 churches. Bernard Mont-
faucon, who visited Monte Cassino in November,
1698, found in the archives a document conceding
to the abbey the following rights and privileges :
(1) The abbot could confer a title on any person
under his jurisdiction ; (2) he might raise an army
and declare war ; (3) he had power to elect all the
officials within his territories ; (4) the bishops of the
kingdom of Naples, the archbishop himself not ex-
cepted, were to act as his vicar-generals, and con-
sidered it an honour to do so. Pope Sixtus V., who
lived after the Council of Trent, confirmed the rights
of the abbots to call synods and found seminaries
in their own territories, to give faculties to their
subordinates, and confer minor orders and the
Sacrament of Confirmation.

1 Matt. vi. 33. -Ps. xxxiii.

HOLINESS OF HIS CHILDREN. 139

It must not, however, be inferred from this mar-
vellous list of riches enjoyed by Monte Cassino and
many of the great abbeys in the Middle Ages that
the individual monk was any the less poor. In some
monasteries, no doubt, abuses crept in, and the /
poverty so strictly enjoined by St. Benedict was
unfortunately ignored ; but these were the exception,
and such abbeys, becoming speedily corrupted, fell
into decay. In the greater number the letter of the
Kule was adhered to which says (chap, xxxiii.) that
monks are to have nothing whatever of their own, for
they are " men whose very bodies are not in their /
own power". Hence, no labour was considered too
hard or too menial, so much so that in many places
the monks built their own monasteries and churches,
though they had ample means to employ workmen
to do it. Surely, however, the greatest proof of the
fervour and detachment of St. Benedict's children
lies in this, that no less than 55,460 are publicly
venerated as saints ; and who shall count the vast
number whose lives were hidden with Christ in God,
and now enjoy the reward of their prayers, their
penance and their love?

CHAPTEK III

THE ERECTION OF A MONASTERY.
a.d. 530.

Having expelled his enemies and obtained peaceable
possession of the mountain, Benedict next turned his
attention to the erection of a suitable monastery.
Such an undertaking, however, was no light task ;
indeed it is almost incredible how the monks managed
to dig foundations in the solid rock, or how they
carried the huge stones up that steep ascent. Never-
theless, the command of their holy abbot was sufficient
for them, and they set to work joyfully, labouring
from early morning till late in the evening, and the
poor people of the surrounding country did their
best to help those whom they already esteemed as
fathers and benefactors.

The natural difficulties which the monks had to
cope with in raising a monastery on such a lofty
eminence were very much increased by the malice
of the Evil One. When he saw the monks busily
employed in building a house wherein so many pure
and holy souls would fight against him and destroy
his empire, he determined to dispute every foot of
ground with them ; and if he could not make them
abandon their undertaking, at least he would trouble

and hinder them as much as he could in every way.

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THE MONASTERY OF MONTE CASSINO. 141

So it happened one day that, when the monks were
clearing the site, they found a large stone lying in
the way ; this, they thought, would be useful for
building, and two or three of them went to remove
it ; but when they tried to lift it, to their amazement
it remained immovable, as though rooted to the
ground ; even the combined efforts of the whole
community could not stir it. Then, guessing how
matters stood, they sent to fetch the abbot, that by
his prayers he might expel the enemy. Benedict,
having reached the spot, knelt and prayed ; then
rising he blessed the stone, and the monks were able
to carry it away with the greatest ease.

The holy man soon after returned to his prayers,
but remained near the building in case the devil
should continue to molest his children. Scarcely had
he left them, when, as they were digging in the place
where the stone had lain, they came upon a bronze
figure of Venus, and, without paying much attention
to it, flung -it into a temporary kitchen close by..
Suddenly, however, they saw that this kitchen was
on fire ; and hastily running to fetch water, they
threw it upon the flames. Benedict, hearing the
commotion, went to see what was the matter, and
the monks cried out to him: "Look, father, the
kitchen is burning" ; but he answered that he saw
no fire, and told them to make the sign of the Cross
on their eyes. When they had done so they per-
ceived that the whole thing was merely an artifice
and delusion of the devil to hinder them, and, thus
undeceived, they joyfully resumed their labours.

(

142 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

But if they were not wearied, neither was their
tormentor ; for, being defeated in two attempts, he
plotted a third and more serious attack. The monks
after toiling hard had raised the walls to such a
height as to be almost ready for roofing, when, as
Benedict was praying in his cell, the devil appeared
to him and mockingly told him that he was going to
visit his children at their work. The holy man was
alarmed at this intelligence, and immediately sent a
messenger to warn them to be on their guard. No
sooner, however, had he arrived on the scene, than
the wall which they were building suddenly gave
way, crushing in its fall a young novice, called
Severus, the son of a Eoman senator. The monks
were greatly distressed and troubled when they saw
what had happened, not on account of the loss of
their labour, but because of the accident which had
befallen their brother. One of them quickly ran to
tell the abbot, who merely bade him bring the boy to
his cell ; but the youth was so mangled and crushed
that there was no way of carrying him, except by
putting him in a sack. In this manner they brought
him to the saint, and laid him on the mat where he
was accustomed to prostrate himself in prayer. Then
Benedict, having dismissed them all and locked the
door, implored God to restore life to the bruised
corpse and not to let His enemy triumph ; presently
the novice rose up sound and well as he had been
before the accident. St. Gregory says that the holy
abbot, in order to confound the devil, sent Severus
back to his work that he might help to raise again

THE MONASTERY OF MONTE CASSINO. 143

the very wall which had crushed him. Thus the
very thing by which Satan hoped to dishearten the
monks only served to give them fresh encouragement,
and to increase the honour and authority of the saint.
In a short time the labours of the monks were
crowned with success ; and the monastery stood
completed on Monte Cassino, a silent though eloquent
invitation to all who beheld it to taste and see how
sweet a thing it is to serve God. Meantime, while
the monks had been engaged in building, Benedict
had been occupied in putting the finishing strokes to
his Holy Kule, and in adding some chapters regarding
the government of the monastery, which had not
been required at Subiaco when only twelve monks
lived in each house.

CHAPTEK IV.

ST. SCHOLASTICA.

It would be impossible to write the life of the blessed
Benedict without mentioning one who was knit to
him by the closest ties of kindred and natural love ;
one who, under his guidance, reached the very summit
of perfection. Her name, Scholastica, well befits
her, it so exactly describes her life, her virtue, and
the wonderful gifts bestowed upon her ; for she was
ever striving to know God more, and to learn from
Him heavenly wisdom. Venerable Bede and other
writers tell us that this name was a title of honour,
and as such was applied to St. Jerome, Palladius
and other great men, and even to some illustrious
women.

Benedict and Scholastica were twins, and it would
seem the only children of their parents. As their
mother died in giving them birth, they must have
clung to one another with a very special love. Tra-
dition says that, when Benedict went to study in
Kome, Scholastica remained with her father ; but,
hearing of her brother's flight and of his consecration
to God, nothing would satisfy the eager longings of
her heart, except to follow his example ; and her
father, yielding at length to her entreaties, and more

generous even than Abraham, gave to God this his

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ST. SCHOLASTICA. 145

second and only remaining child. It is generally
supposed that she lived with some other pious virgins
until such time as she was able to found a monastery
under St. Benedict's direction. Whether this be so
or not, we know for certain that her whole life was
dedicated to her Divine Spouse and to Him alone ;
that she was untouched by the poisonous breath of
the world, and preserved the spotless purity of her
innocence ; and that, walking always in the fear of
God, she ever sought after His best and most perfect
gifts. St. Gregory speaks of her as a " Sancti-
monialis," which word was only applied to conse-
crated virgins living in community ; and this seems
to confirm the tradition that she was already a nun
before she followed her brother to Monte Cassino.

The harmony which existed between the souls of
the brother and sister induced Scholastica, as soon
as it was practicable, to settle down in the immediate
vicinity of one who was not only her brother, but
also her spiritual father and guide. Benedict formed
and taught the little community and set it on a firm
basis ; but once it was solidly established, and duty
no longer required it, he ceased to visit St. Mary's
of Plumbariola, as the convent was called. Once
only in the year did he relax this stern rule, and
meeting his sister at a little house half way between
the convent and the abbey, he would spend the day
with her conversing on spiritual subjects. Doubtless
a brother and sister so devoted as they were would
gladly have met and conversed frequently, but they

mutually relinquished even this sweet and innocent

10

146 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

gratification, in order to seek consolation and sym-
pathy from God alone.

With the exception of the remarkable miracle
which we will relate later, very little is known of St.
Scholastica ; it is said that she and her nuns lived a
very austere life — valde austera — and that they were
full of the sweet odour of sanctity. St. Bertharius,
an abbot of Monte Cassino who was martyred in
884, speaks of her as a "virgin of the Lord, who,
together with other holy virgins, served God ". The
convent of Plumbariola was destroyed by the Lom-
bards at the same time as Monte Cassino ; but when
Kachis, King of the Lombards, took the habit in
this monastery in the eighth century, his wife Tasia
and his daughter Ratrudis rebuilt the convent, either
on the old foundations or close by, and there they
lived until their death, to the edification of all.

Yet, though so few facts regarding St. Scholastica
have come down to us, we know that she made
herself a saint, and a very great saint, simply by the
exact observance of her Rule and her perfect fidelity
to grace ; and notwithstanding the hiddenness and
uneventfulness of her life, she has left behind her a
reputation which entitles her to be called " Mother "
by all the children of St. Benedict, while, as Mabillon
says, she is in a special manner the leader, teacher
and guiding star of Benedictine nuns.

CHAPTEK V.

MONASTIC LIFE AT MONTE CASSINO. BENEDICT'S
GIFT OF PROPHECY.

At Monte Cassino the monks daily increased in
numbers, drawn to the monastic life by the virtue
and wisdom of the holy founder, and the sanctity of
his first disciples. The Eule which the saint had
given them was most carefully observed, " solicite
servabatur," as St. Gregory expresses it. Benedict
himself watched with fatherly solicitude the progress
of the souls entrusted to him, and prayed unceasingly
for the knowledge necessary to govern them wisely.
In addition to his other gifts God bestowed upon him
that of prophecy, so that he was enabled to foretell
the future, to perceive hidden things, to be present
with his children even when they were absent, and
to penetrate the secrets of their hearts.

It was one of the precepts of his Rule that when
the monks were sent out on business they should
never take any food outside the monastery. This
regulation he enforced with no little severity, seeing
that he lays down that "those who eat outside the
monastery, even though invited, are to be excom-
municated, unless they have the permission from the
abbot so to do "-1 It happened one day that two

1 Rule of St. Benedict, chap. li.

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148 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

monks, being sent out on some errand, were detained
longer than usual ; and going to the house of a
pious lady partook of the refreshment she offered
them. Eeturning very late to the monastery, they
went as usual to the saint to receive his blessing ;
but' instead of blessing them he asked where they
had taken food. They, little dreaming that he knew
the real state of the case, and thinking only that he
was concerned about their long fast, replied that they
had not had any. Then the saint said to them :
" Why do you tell an untruth ? Did you not go into
the house of such a lady, and eat such and such food,
and drink so many glasses of wine?" specifying
what they had taken. The poor monks, thus con-
victed, fell upon their knees confessing their guilt,
covered with shame and confusion. In this case St.
Benedict does not seem to have exacted the penalty
from them, but to have pardoned them at once ;
considering that they had been sufficiently humbled
for their fault, and would not be likely to attempt
anything of the kind again in his absence, after having
had such a striking proof of his presence with them
in spirit.

In other cases, however, he showed himself more
strict, as we see in the following example. Not far
from the abbey there was a village in which many
had been converted by Benedict's preaching from
idolatry to the true faith. In this place there were
also some nuns to whom the monks used some-
times to go and preach. On one occasion these
good nuns pressed a monk to accept some hand-

HIS CtTFT of peophecy. 149

kerchiefs as a little present ; and he, taking them,
hid them under his habit for his own use. When
he returned to the monastery the holy abbot met
him, and said very severely to him: "How comes
it, brother, that sin has entered into your bosom ? "
The monk was much perplexed by these words,
as in the interval he had forgotten all about the
trifling incident at the convent. But Benedict soon
recalled it to his memory, saying : " Was not I
present when you took those handkerchiefs from the
nuns, and hid them under your habit for your own
private use ? " Hearing this, the culprit prostrated
at his feet, and, throwing away the handkerchiefs,
did penance for his fault.

At another time it happened that Benedict, having
been detained later than usual, came to the refectory
when it was already dark, and it fell to the lot of the
weekly servant to hold a light for him while he took
his supper. The servant that week was the son of
a lawyer, and, as he was standing there, he began to
think how unbecoming it was for him to stand and I
hold a candle and have to perform such menial offices;
and so he went on to murmur in his heart and to
persuade himself that he was ill used. No sooner
had he begun to give way to these evil thoughts
than the holy abbot, turning to him, said : " Make
the sign of the Cross on your heart, brother ; what
are you thinking of ? " and, seeing that these words
were not sufficient to bend the proud spirit of the
young monk, he called another brother, and telling
him to take the light bade the other sit down. Then

150 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

the delinquent realised that Benedict had read his
thoughts and was thus punishing him for them.
Afterwards the others asked him what had caused
their holy father to speak to him in that manner :
he told them how he had entertained thoughts of
pride ; and they wondered to see how even their
secret thoughts were known to the saint.

This gift of discernment he possessed in such an
eminent degree that he made use of it even in the
case of those living outside the monastery. St.
Gregory tells a story of one of the lay brothers named
Exhilaratus, who, when he was young, had been
servant to a nobleman living in the neighbourhood.
One day he was sent by his master to carry two
bottles of wine to Benedict as a present. As he was
on his way he thought he would like to keep one
bottle for himself, and with this intent hid it in a
bush. The other he took to the saint who expressed
his thanks. But just as the servant was departing
and congratulating himself on having escaped detec-
tion, Benedict gave him a warning, saying : " Take
care, my son, not to drink from the bottle hidden in
the bush ; turn it gently over and see what is in it ".
The youth, confused and astonished, withdrew in
silence, and coming to the bush where he had con-
cealed the wine, he turned the bottle on one side,
when, to his horror, a snake wriggled out. This
miracle was the cause of his conversion ; and, as we
have said, he subsequently became a lay brother.
At the place where the event happened a chapel was
built to commemorate it, and afterwards many other

HIS GIFT OF PROPHECY. 151

miracles were wrought there through the intercession
of the saint.

One more example may be given of Benedict's
wonderful prophetic spirit before we leave this
subject. It is the story of the brother of a monk
called Valentinian, who was afterwards abbot of the
Lateran Abbey in Eome, and one of the four from
whom St. Gregory learnt the events of St. Benedict's
life. This brother was a devout layman, who used
to come every year to Monte Cassino to commend
himself to the prayers of the community. That he
sought only the good of his soul in this visit we know
from the fact that he imposed on himself a practice
of always fasting from the time he left his house
until he had received the abbot's blessing on his
arrival at the monastery. On one occasion, as he
set out on his pious pilgrimage, he was joined by
another traveller, who carried with him refreshments
to eat on the way. Some think that this companion
was the devil in disguise, as Benedict afterwards
reproached the pilgrim for letting himself be over-
come by the enemy ; be that as it may, Satan
certainly made use of this traveller to compass his
own ends, for after they had gone some distance
together the stranger said : " Come, let us refresh
ourselves, lest we faint on the way " ; to which the \
other answered : " That I cannot do, for I have
always made a practice of keeping my fast until I
see Abbot Benedict ". At this reply the stranger
said no more, and went on without taking anything
himself, which seems to show that he was determined

152 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

sooner or later to make his companion eat with him ;
and in fact before long he made another attempt, but
the pilgrim adhered to his resolution. At length,
however, after they had gone a long distance and
were wearied and parched with walking, they came
to a pleasant meadow with shady trees and a fresh
stream of clear water running through it — everything,
in fact, to tempt them to rest and refresh themselves.
" See," said the stranger, inviting him for the third
time, " here is water and a meadow and a delightful
spot, let us rest and take some food, after which
we shall be better able to finish our journey." The
temptation was strong and pressed him on every
side ; the beauty of the scene, the desire to oblige,
the pangs of hunger which tormented him, all proved
too strong for the pilgrim, who in the end consented
to share a meal with his companion. It was late in
the evening when he reached the monastery, and he
went at once to St. Benedict in order to receive his
blessing ; but he, instead of welcoming him, began
to take him to task, saying : " What is this, my son ?
How is it that the wicked spirit, who spoke to you
through your fellow-traveller, failed the first and
second time to persuade you, but succeeded the third
time, and brought you to do all that he wished?"
The good man was amazed to find that the saint
knew all that had passed on the road, and fell at his
feet, reproaching himself for his weakness and begging
forgiveness. This is a striking example of the efforts
the devil makes to hinder even a simple act of mor-
tification, and shows how he studies the dispositions

HIS GIFT OF PEOPHECY. 153

of each individual, accommodating himself to each
case in order to effect his evil ends. We cannot but
marvel, when we read these events, at the extra-
ordinary gift possessed by our saint ; and with Peter
the Deacon we may well exclaim : " The spirit of
Eliseus was in the holy man, who, when absent, was
also present to his disciples *\l

1 Dialogues, quart, series, chap. xiii.

CHAPTEE VI.

TERRACINA.
a.d. 534.

In the year 534 a good man, who possessed an
estate near Terracina, was very desirous of building
a monastery on his land, and for this purpose he
set out for Monte Cassino, hoping to obtain from
the abbot some monks for the foundation. Terra-
cina was situated about thirty miles distant from
Rome, and the journey from Monte Cassino took
about a day and a half. It was not far from the
Pontine Marshes, in the south of the Campagna.
These marshes extend to the foot of a beautiful
range of mountains, opening out upon a magnificent
view ; on the top of one of these mountain heights
stands Terracina ; it was founded in very ancient
times and became a Eoman colony 300 years before
Christ. The town is now, as formerly, surrounded
by a number of villas and estates, and it was one
of these which this pious gentleman offered Benedict
for the site of a new monastery. The saint having
acceded to his request, chose some of his monks
for the new foundation, and appointed one named
Gregory to be their abbot, and his brother Specio-
sus to assist him as prior. As they were setting

out, Benedict said to them : " Go now, and on such

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TEREACINA. 155

a day I will come myself, and show you where to
build the church, the refectory, and other necessary
offices". Then, having received his blessing, the
little company started on their way, and arriving at
Terracina, were received with the greatest delight
by their good benefactor. They prepared everything
they could think of for the reception of their vener-
able father and impatiently awaited his arrival.
However, during the night preceding the day in
question, the holy man appeared to the abbot and
prior while they slept and gave them minute instruc-
tions as to the position of each portion of the building.

St. Benedict seems to have possessed an intuitive
knowledge of architecture, sinGe he himself designed
all his monasteries, following the style of Vitruvius,
who .was the great architect in Kome during the J
reign of Augustus. Benedict's manner of disposing
the different rooms has come down by an uninter-
rupted tradition even to our own days, and we find in
all regular monasteries the same characteristics ; that
is, the church forms one side of a quadrangle, and
the refectory is opposite ; the dormitory looks east, \
and the guest quarter west ; the chapter-room is under
the dormitory and a cloister runs all round the inside
of the quadrangle, while the door of the monastery
is placed near the great entrance to the church.

All this, as we have said, was described to the
abbot and prior in their sleep, and when they awoke
they mutually related to each other what they had
seen. However, they did not like to give too much
credence to a vision, and treating it merely as a

156 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

dream, they continued to expect that St. Benedict
would keep his promise and come to them in person.
But time passed and still he did not appear, and
they were sadly disappointed as they longed to have
their venerated father among them. At length
they determined to go to Monte Cassino and find
out the cause of his delay. When they arrived at
the abbey and had found the saint they greeted him
reproachfully, saying: "We expected, father, that
you would have come to us as you promised, and
shown us where to build ! " To which he answered :
" Say you so, good brethren ! Did I not come to
you? Did I not appear to each of you in your sleep
and mark out each particular spot where you are to
build? Go, therefore, and do what I then pointed
out to you." Hearing this, the monks were, filled
with astonishment, and returning to Terracina set
to work to construct a monastery according to the
directions they had received in sleep.

The abbot and prior are both honoured as saints.
St. Gregory tells us that they were two brothers who
were very rich, but gave all they possessed to the
poor and became monks at Monte Cassino. After
they had been for some time at Terracina, Speciosus,
the prior, was sent to Capua on business ; meantime,
as the abbot was at dinner with his monks, he was
suddenly rapt in ecstasy and saw the soul of his
brother departing out of his body. He immediately
hurried off to Capua, and found on arriving that his
brother had died at the very moment he saw his
soul leaving his body.

CHAPTEK VII.

THE FIRST FRUITS, OR THE MARTYRDOM OP
ST. PLACID.

a.d. 536-537.

From what has been already said it is easy to under-
stand to what a high degree of sanctity the children
of St. Benedict had attained ; yet, zealous as they
all were, we are told that Maurus and Placid far
excelled the rest. Even as mere youths they seemed
to have practised the precepts of their holy father
in a way which gave promise of what they would
one day be. They had both renounced great riches
and position for Christ's sake, and in return they
received from Him the hundred-fold of spiritual
treasures. Placid was the younger of the two, yet
he was the first to set an example of that heroic
love which is obedient unto death ; and to him was
assigned the privilege of being the proto-martyr of
his Order. Among the lands which his father Ter-
tullus had given to St. Benedict were eighteen
estates (or farms) in Sicily, not far from Messina.
At first Benedict managed these lands by means of
secular procurators living on the spot ; but he found
this plan did not answer, as violent and ambitious
neighbours tried to usurp them. He resolved there-

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158 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

fore to send Placid, who as son of Tertullus would
be respected, so that having reclaimed the property
he might found a monastery there.

Calling the brethren to council, the abbot laid
before them the necessity of sending some one to
Sicily to take care of their lands, and proposed
Placid as most suited for the business. This sug-
gestion was at once acceded to by all. Benedict
then turned to Placid, addressing him in most
touching words which Gordian has preserved for
us, and which sweetly unite paternal authority and
tender love: "My son," he said, "prepare yourself
generously to undertake this journey and this work,
which Jesus Christ, the sovereign King who was
obedient unto death, lays upon you through my
ministry. Kemember His own words, • I seek not
My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me '-1
Let not the length of the way nor the difficulties
which await you cause you any trouble ; but bear in
mind that saying of the Apostle, that ' the suffer-
ings of this time are not worthy to be compared with
the glory to come,'2 and that through many tribu-
lations we go to God. For those who have fought
valiantly for Christ in this life will receive that
eternal recompense which ' eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of
man, what things God hath prepared for them
that love Him'.3 May Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, be always with you, and may He bring you to

1 John v. 30. 2 Rom. viii. 18. ■ 1 Cor. ii. 9.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. PLACID. 159

eternal life." The saint then appointed two monks,
Gordian and Donatus, to accompany Placid, and
told them to obey him as they obeyed himself.

Placid and his two companions left Monte Cassino
on 20th May, 536, seven years before St. Benedict's
death. During the journey, which they made on
foot, with the exception of crossing the straits, God
worked many miracles to manifest the sanctity both
of Benedict, in whose name they were wrought, and
of his young disciple. At Capua the travellers visited
St. Germanus, who received them with the greatest
joy. Arrived in Sicily, Placid put an end to the dis-
putes about the lands, those who had claimed them
at once giving them up to one belonging to such a
powerful family as that of Tertullus. The monks
chose for the site of their monastery a spot near
Messina and close to the sea. Four years after their
arrival, the church was completed and dedicated to
St. John the Baptist. The little community soon
became known, and many postulants were attracted
to the new monastery, so that in a short time there
were thirty monks, all zealously striving to surpass
one another in virtue — Placid ruling and instructing
them more by his example than his words.

It happened about the year 540 that Flavia, St.
Placid's sister, and his two brothers, Victorinus and
Eutychius, came to Sicily to visit him, Divine provi-
dence so arranging it that they might have a share
in his glorious martyrdom. Soon after, the pirate
Manucha suddenly attacked the island with a fleet
of 100 ships. He, together with his barbarians,

/

160 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

brutally tormented Placid and his hoi)'' companions ;
but finding that no torture or indignity could make
them deny their Lord and Master, at length put
them to death. The feast of St. Placid is kept on
5th October. In an old calendar at Monte Cassino
which dates back to the eleventh or twelfth century
there is an entry in letters of gold ; it runs as follows :
" October 5th. In Sicily, the birthday of the most
blessed martyr Placid, and his companions Eutychius,
Victorinus and thirty others." His name is found
in many of the old litanies still kept in the Vatican,
and was also in those discovered by Cardinal Bona
at Monte Cassino.

The news of the martyrdom soon reached the ears
of Benedict, and while his loving heart grieved for
the loss of so many devoted children, and the des-
truction of so promising a foundation, yet he could
not but rejoice in their glorious triumph ; and raising
his eyes to heaven he said : " I give Thee thanks, 0
Lord Jesus Christ, Who art the life and salvation
of all men, for that Thou hast taken to everlasting
glory my dear son Placid, the fruit of my tears, the
child nearest my heart ". Then calling the com-
munity together, he gave a beautiful discourse on
the joy all ought to feel for the sublime death of
their brothers. He said : " Since it is the duty of a
father to rejoice in any advantage which may benefit
his children, so it is the duty of children to partake
in the joy of their father. For this reason I have
called you together to tell you that Placid, my very
dear son, has gone to Our Lord with the glory and

MAETYBDOM OF ST. PLACID. 161

crown of martyrdom. Long ago I had in spirit ac-
companied this pure and innocent victim to heaven,
as, from the time I received him from his father's
hands, I knew that he would die in this manner,
and I give thanks to God, for I have always desired
to sacrifice to Him the most tenderly loved fruit of
my heart. And I had nothing more loved, more
precious than Placid. He has chosen to die for
Jesus Christ, and he has received a throne on the
right hand of God. For Jesus Christ died for us all,
that we may not live for ourselves, but for this
adorable Saviour. I give thanks then and rejoice /
in that I have brought up so perfect a disciple, and
I must not be afflicted at his loss. It was a grace
which God bestowed on me to give him to me, and
it is a duty for me to return him again to the Giver.
God did me a favour in allowing me to train up
Placid for His service, and now it is just that He
should take what belongs to Him. Placid has given
to Jesus Christ a life which is common to us all, but
he has received in return the crown of martyrdom
which is the effect of a special grace. Why should
I grieve that my son has been taken from me, when
God gave up for my salvation His only begotten
Son ? Besides, no one is exempted from death ; I
will not then grieve, because I know that he has
passed from death to life. And why should I weep
for you, 0 my Placid ! since you have left this world
only to be nearer to us? You have not lost your
former virtue, or anything that we loved in you ; it

has only become transformed in the glory which

11

162 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

enfolds you. Blessed are the labours with which
I trained you, blessed the words with which I
instructed you, since they have brought forth so
much fruit. The love you bore to your father Ter-
tullus was never able to separate you from me, and
you persevered in the choice you had made, until
you attained to a blessed and eternal life."1

Soon after the martyrdom of Placid and his com-
panions, Benedict chose a fresh supply from the
most fervent of his monks, and sent them to Sicily
to begin the foundation anew. This foundation
nourished for more than 100 years, when in 669 the
island was invaded by the Saracens, and it met with
a similar fate to the first. The monastery was again
rebuilt by monks from the Lateran monastery, and a
second time destroyed by the Saracens in 880. After
this it remained empty and desolate until the Knights
of St. John settled there in 1136. In 1588, their
prior, on making excavations in the church, discovered
the bodies of St. Placid and thirty other martyrs.
Near the relics they found little phials containing
their blood ; some had their heads resting on their
breast, others were headless, and it was evident that
all had been terribly tortured and maimed. Four of
the bodies, those of St. Placid, his sister and brothers,
were in a grave apart, three lying facing north and
one facing south. The holy relics were translated
to a more suitable resting place with great honour,
and the martyrs were then canonised by Sixtus V.

1 S. Bened., Sermo in mort. Placid. ; Pair, lat, torn. lxvi.

CHAPTEB VIII.

"THE DEAF HEAR, THE LEPERS ARE CLEANSED,
THE DEAD RISE AGAIN."

From the beginning of the world we know that God
has worked wonderful miracles and signs by means
of messengers whom He has sent to mankind in
order to confirm their faith in Him. Our Lord
Himself has told us that signs shall follow those
who believe: "In My name they shall cast out
devils : they shall speak with new tongues : They
shall take up serpents : and if they shall drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them : they shall lay
their hands upon the sick and they shall recover." x
Obviously this does not mean that all who believe are
to work miracles, but that in all ages power is given
to a chosen few to prove the truth of what they teach
and believe, by performing prodigies impossible in
the natural order. St. Benedict possessed this power
in an eminent degree, so that his whole life seems
replete with wonders ; probably he was endowed
with this gift of working miracles from the very fact
that God had chosen him to be a guide and leader
of men.

Among the many sick whom he healed there is one
remarkable instance of a cure of leprosy. A certain

1 Mark xvi. 17, 18.

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164 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

nobleman had a slave named Severus, who was
afflicted with the very worst form of this disease, his
whole body being so terribly eaten that he was a mass
of corruption. All remedies having failed, the noble-
man, who seems to have been a very good Christian,
felt great compassion for his slave, and resolved to
have recourse to Benedict, trusting with great confi-
dence to the power of his intercession. No sooner
was the poor sufferer laid at the feet of the saint than,
to his inexpressible joy, the disease instantly and
completely disappeared.

On another occasion a man had been poisoned by
an enemy ; the poison was not sufficiently strong to
kill him, yet had so changed the colour of his skin as
to make him apparently like a leper. This deformity
grieved him very much, and in his distress he had
recourse to the saint. His faith was not in vain, for
one touch from the holy abbot restored him to his
former health.

Wonderful, however, as these miracles are, God
bestowed on His servant a power even greater than
that of healing the sick, namely, that of raising the
dead. We have already seen how he exercised this
power in the case of the young monk crushed by the
falling wall, and we have another instance of the
same when he restored life to the dead child of a poor
labourer. It happened as follows : One day Benedict
had accompanied the monks to the field to share with
them their labours. While he was away from the
monastery, a peasant came to the gate bearing in his
arms the corpse of his little son. With tears and

MIEACLES. 165

sobs he called loudly for Father Benedict, and, hear-
ing that he was in the fields, he laid down the lifeless
body and hastened in search of him. The venerable
abbot, together with his monks, was already on
his way home. No sooner had the peasant caught
sight of him than he began to cry out: "Give me
back my son ! Give me back my son ! " At this
Benedict stood still, and gently asked : " Have I
taken your son ? " to which he answered : " No, holy
father, but he is dead ; I beseech you for Christ's sake
to restore him to life ". The saint, hearing what the
man asked, was troubled and distressed, and turning
to his brethren, he made as though he would hurry
away, saying : " Let us be gone, brothers, these are
not matters for us but for the holy Apostles ; why
will you lay on me a burden I cannot bear ? " Never-
theless, the poor father would not be rebuffed, and,
in the excess of his grief, swore that he would not
leave the monastery until his petition was granted.
The power of the saint was so well known that the
good peasant never doubted for a moment but that
he could restore life to the child by merely saying
one short prayer over him, and it was in some
measure owing to this lively faith that the miracle
was worked; for at length, touched by the man's grief,
Benedict relented, and asked him : " Where is your
son ? " Being led to the place where the little corpse
lay, he knelt down with all his monks, and raising his
hands to heaven, said : " Lord, look not upon my
sins, but on the faith of this man who asks the life
of his child, and vouchsafe to restore to this body

166 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

the soul Thou hast taken away." Scarcely was the
prayer finished, when the boy began to tremble and
quiver in such a way that all noticed it. Then
Benedict took him by the hand, and raising him
up, returned him alive and well to his delighted
father.

CHAPTER IX.

BENEDICT'S POWER OVER THE DEVIL.

Benedict's power of working miracles was not con-
fined to the body alone ; we have also many instances
recorded of his expelling the devil from possessed
persons. Although Christ has conquered the prince
of darkness, crushed his might and chained him fast
in hell, yet it is evident that He has not deprived him
of all his power on earth. The Apostles frequently
allude to this power and to the artifices and allure-
ments by which he tempts men to sin ; for God
allows him this freedom of action in order to try our
virtue and fidelity, and that he, being repeatedly
defeated, may be put to shame by Him whom he
attacks through His creatures. Thus, the holy name
of Jesus and the sign of the saving Cross are always
sufficient to put Satan to flight and disarm his
strength. If we need proof of this, we have but to
open the history of the Church, which contains so
many examples of the efficacy of the Cross and the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

By these means it was that our saint obtained
his numerous victories over the devil, and delivered
several persons possessed by him. We are told that
one day when he was going to pray in the chapel of P

St. John the Baptist, situated on the top of the
(167)

\y

168 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

mountain, he met the devil disguised as a doctor,
and mounted on a mule, with a horn and mortar in
his hand. The devil greeted him with a mocking
laugh, and told him he was going to administer
medicine to the monks. However, Benedict con-
tinued his way to the oratory as he had intended,
though he must have had some misgivings, for St.
Gregory says he soon returned in all haste. Arrived
at the monastery, he found that Satan had indeed
been up to mischief, for he had entered into an old
monk who was drawing water, and casting him on
the ground, was grievously tormenting him. Seeing
this, the holy abbot approached, and merely gave the
monk a blow on the cheek, which was so effectual
that the evil spirit left him and never again dared to
molest him.

Another example of this kind happened, only a
few years before the saint's death, in the case of a
young cleric of Aquino who was possessed by the
devil. The Bishop of Aquino at that time was a
holy man named Constantius, of whom it is related
that, when he was dying, he prophesied that he
would be succeeded in his see by a muleteer, after-
wards by a fuller, and that then Aquino would have
no bishop at all. This prediction was verified later,
for a deacon was chosen in his place, who in his
youth had been a mule-driver ; he was succeeded by
a priest who had previously been a maker of cloth,
during whose episcopate the country was so ravaged
by sword and pestilence that the see was henceforth
left vacant.

HIS POWER OVER THE DEVIL. 169

Constantius was a friend of Benedict, and being
very much grieved at the affliction which had
befallen his young cleric, after he had sent him in^
vain to the tombs of many martyrs, determined to
try a living saint, and sent him to Benedict. St.
Gregory adds that the holy martyrs would not cure
the poor youth because they desired to make known
Benedict's abundant graces. The cleric was led to
the venerable abbot, who began earnestly to entreat
our Lord to deliver him, and at the same moment
the devil took his departure. Benedict, however, was
not satisfied with this ; and looking deeper into the
soul of the man he had exorcised, he gave him some
salutary admonitions and warnings, telling him never
to eat meat, and as long as he lived never to aspire
to Holy Orders, for if he did he would again fall
under the dominion of the Evil One. The cleric went
away cured, and for a long time obeyed the injunc-
tions laid upon him. But after some years, when
he saw all the younger clerics obtaining preferments,
while he was left in his former position, he thought
it was no longer needful to observe the commands of
the saint, all the more so as he was not pledged to
him by any vow of obedience. Nevertheless, though
not bound by vow, he ought to have realised that
the voice of the holy abbot was equally the voice of
God, since, as St. Gregory says, " How should he
not know the secrets of God, who kept the com-
mandments of God, for the Scripture saith : ' He,
who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit'."1 So

1 1 Cor. vi. 17.

170 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

the foolish man went and received ordination ; and
immediately the devil recovered his former power
over him, and never ceased to vex and harass
him until the day of his death.

There is another remarkable instance of Benedict's
power over Satan, when by his prayers he forced him
so to act as to serve and help a soul in danger of
being lost. We read of a monk at Monte Cassino,
who, unlike his fervent brethren, was easy-going
and inconstant. He did not like the restraints of
religious life, and chafed because he was obliged to
submit to them. The saint had often taken him to
task, and warned him of the dangers of such a state
of mind ; but his words were of no avail, and the
monk, instead of trying to overcome his discontent
by humility and prayer, thought only how he could
manage to leave the monastery ; and, though bound
by solemn vow, sought to forsake what might have
been for him the very gate of Paradise. Probably
the devil led him to believe that if he could get to
some other monastery more suited to his tastes he
would be able to serve God better. At last he be-
came so troublesome that Benedict, wearied with
his repeated importunities, in anger bade him depart.
No sooner, however, was he outside the abbey, than
he met an enormous dragon with its mouth open,
ready to devour him. The poor monk, petrified
with terror, called with all his might for help,
expecting every moment to be destroyed by the
monster. Hearing his cries, the monks came run-
ning to see what was the matter, and were astonished

HIS POWER OVER THE DEVIL. 171

to find their brother trembling with fright and pale
as death, without any apparent cause, for the dragon
had disappeared. Then they brought him to the
abbot ; and, falling at his feet, the penitent monk
promised never again to leave the monastery, realis-
ing that through the prayers of his holy father he
had been permitted to see in a visible form the
enemy he was so blindly following to his doom.

CHAPTEE X.

" WHATSOEVER YOU SHALL BIND UPON EARTH SHALL
BE BOUND ALSO IN HEAVEN."

The power of binding and loosing has always been
exercised in a greater or less degree by those superiors
of religious houses who have spiritual jurisdiction
over their subjects. Benedict exercised this right
in the government and direction of the monasteries
under him ; but his power was different from that be-
stowed by Holy Church : in many cases it was truly
miraculous and given to him by God's special favour.
We give the following instances in proof of this : —

Not far from the monastery there were two noble
ladies living on their own property, although they had
dedicated themselves to God. At this time pious
persons were often found who lived a quasi-religious
life under the guidance of the bishop, or some person
delegated by him, and yet were not nuns in the
strict sense of the word. A good layman rendered
these ladies all the services they required, and
managed such business as had to be done outside
their enclosure. Now it happens sometimes, as in
the present case, that nobility of birth does not
engender nobility of soul, and even tends to hinder
the necessary disciplining of the character ; hence
it came about that the poor servant of these two
professedly religious ladies was often shocked by

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THE NUNS WHO WEEE EXCOMMUNICATED. 173

their violent and unreligious-like speech. At length,
finding it unbearable, he complained to the holy
abbot of Monte Cassino of the frequent insults he
had to put up with. Probably Benedict was in
some way their superior, as we read that he sent
them a message telling them to bridle their tongues,
or he would excommunicate them, hoping by this
threat and timely warning to impress them with
the gravity of their fault and the necessity of amend-
ment. However, they paid no attention to his
words, and made no effort to cure their bad habit.
Not long after they both died and were buried in the
neighbouring church. When Mass was next offered
there, the nurse of these two sisters happened to
be present. To her amazement, when the deacon
according to custom said : "If there be any excom-
municate let them now depart," she saw their bodies
rise out of their graves and leave the church. After
she had witnessed this several times, and was
wondering what it could possibly mean, she recalled
the warning they had received, and going in great
anxiety to the saint, she told him what had occurred,
begging him to absolve them that they might rest
in peace. Then Benedict gave her an offering of
bread and wine, saying : " Go and cause this to be
offered to God for them, and they shall no longer be
excommunicated ". From that time the two ladies
were never again seen to leave the church, and we
may undoubtedly believe that they had been freed by
Benedict from the censure he had placed upon them.
Again God manifested His power in a similar

174 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

way in the case of a boy who had been presented
to the saint by his parents. One day, overcome
with home sickness, this novice ran away from the
monastery without receiving the abbot's blessing.
When he reached home, he fell down dead at the
door. Whether this was caused by failure of the
heart from running too fast, or whether by a super-
natural intervention, we cannot tell ; be that as it
may, the sorrowing parents buried their son, but
were astonished the next day to find the body cast
out of the grave and lying by the side of it. They
quickly buried him a second time, and again the
same extraordinary phenomenon took place. Then
they hurried off to Benedict and entreated him to
help them. The saint gave them a consecrated host,
and bade them lay it on the breast of the corpse.
After this had been done, the dead boy remained
quietly in his grave.

We have other examples in history of placing the
Blessed Sacrament on the breast of deceased persons,
especially in the case of bishops ; but after a time
the custom gave rise to abuses, which caused it to
be no longer tolerated. These two incidents, related
by St. Gregory, are touching proofs of the merciful
love and charity which characterised all Benedict's
dealings with his fellow-creatures, and we are struck
more by the mildness and gentleness of the saint
than by the power which he exercised ; nay, rather
we might say that it was on account of this very
meekness that God chose him to be the instrument
of His Divine might.

CHAPTEK XL

DESTRUCTION OF THE VANDAL RULE IN AFRICA
BY BELISARIUS.

a.d. 533-534.

HE INVADES SICILY AND ITALY.

a.d. 535.

While Benedict was planning the erection of new

monasteries, and the extension of the order, which

was already bearing such abundant fruit, the

sounds of distant warfare warned him that for a

time at least he must be content to perfect his work

where he had begun it, and to let the bright lustre

of his virtues shed its light hidden within the

precincts of his own cloister. The events of the

time were of such a stirring nature as to occupy

the attention of the entire world ; and it seemed as

though each one was more or less concerned in and

affected by them. Italy itself was soon to become

one immense battlefield ; a scene almost unparalleled

in history. War first declared itself in Africa in 530,

on the occasion of the unlawful dethronement of

Hilderic, King of the Vandals, by his cousin, Gelimer.

In vain did the Emperor Justinian endeavour to

bring the usurper to a sense of his iniquity ; and at

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176 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

length, assured by his advisers that the war was
just and pleasing to God, he made active prepara-
tions for hostilities. Belisarius, the hero of his age,
was entrusted with the command of the expedition
both by sea and land. One day, in the spring of
533, three hundred and ninety-two warships were
drawn up in battle array on the Bosphorus, in front
of the palatial gardens at Constantinople, there to
be reviewed by the Emperor. Before starting the
fleet was solemnly blessed by the Patriarch, after
which the ships set sail amid a scene of extraordinary
enthusiasm, trumpets sounding, and the crowds
shouting from the bank and invoking blessings on
those who were leaving.

Three months after his departure Belisarius an-
chored off Caputvada, a cape about five days' sail
east of Carthage, and there disembarked unmolested.
Gelimer had shortly before sent the bulk of his army
under his brother Tzazon to Sardinia, to punish the
usurper Godas ; so that, even if he had expected the
arrival of the Greeks, he could not have prevented
their landing. The first enemy met by the invaders
appeared in the shape of a great drought, but, by
a providential discovery, they came upon a hidden
spring which abundantly sufficed to relieve their
distress. Syletta, the nearest town, surrendered
without a blow, and the Greeks pressed on towards
Carthage. Owing to Belisarius' strict injunctions,
the army treated the country people with great
humanity ; and, as no pillaging or violence was
allowed, the peasants came forward and themselves

CONQUEST OF AFRICA BY BELISARIUS. 177

provided the soldiers with what necessaries they
could procure. Gelimer was at Hermione when
news reached him of the landing of the invaders,
upon which he ordered. Hilderic, the king, and
Hoamar, his nephew, to be strangled in their prison.
This barbarous cruelty brought about his own de-
struction, since it disgusted the majority of his
supporters and so proved more disastrous to him
than any battle could have been. He had sent his
brother Amatus to meet his enemies, but he fell
in the first encounter, and then Gelimer himself
attacked them. At the outset of the battle fortune
seemed to favour him ; it was, however, only ap-
parent, and being seized with a sudden panic he
fled into the desert. In a short time, on the feast
of St. Cyprian, patron of the city, Belisarius made
a triumphal entry into Carthage and was received
with acclamations by the citizens. He began at
once to fortify the town, and completed his work
in three months.

Meantime Tzazon returned from Sardinia, and,
with a formidable army of 14,000 men, prepared to
regain all his brother's dominions. A great battle
was fought at Tricameron, twenty miles from Car-
thage ; Belisarius and John of Armenia worked
prodigies of valour, and with 6,000 cavalry utterly
routed and put to flight the Vandals. By this
victory the Greeks became possessors of immense
booty and riches which had accumulated for cen-
turies by means of violence and plunder. They

next advanced on Hippo, which surrendered, and

12

178 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Belisarius seized the treasury and crown jewels
which had been entrusted to the care of the Coun-
cillor Boniface. Gelimer had fled for refuge to
what was considered the inaccessible fortress of
Palma, a town situated on the top of a high
mountain in Numidia. Here he was seized by
the invaders, who sought to reduce the stronghold
by famine ; and at last, fearful of the fortress
being taken by storm, the Vandal king surrendered
himself, with the assurance that he should be hon-
ourably treated by Justinian. Ambassadors then
began to arrive from all parts of the country, in-
cluding the islands of Minorca, Majorca, Corsica
and Sardinia, in order to tender their submission
to Belisarius ; and thus the whole kingdom was
restored to the empire. Justinian gave to all the
right to demand back any property of which they
had been deprived by the Vandals, provided the
claim was made within five years. Belisarius'
conquest was complete ; he therefore hastened to
resign his command of the expedition, and this the
more readily as he knew that success almost invari-
ably entails much jealousy and rivalry. Justinian
made him sole consul and gave him the honours of
a Eoman triumph. On Gelimer he bestowed an
estate in G-alatia, where he settled down with his
family and ended his days peacefully. This conquest
seems to have wiped away the Vandals from the
face of the earth after their kingdom had lasted
106 years ; their name does not again appear in
history.

BELISAEITTS CONQUERS SICILY. 179

In the year 534 Amalasuntha,1 who for eight
years had peacefully governed Italy as regent, saw
her son Athalaric, aged only sixteen, sink into a
premature grave, dug for him by his own vices.
Little as she had loved him, his loss was a great
affliction to her ; for she realised that with his
death her own fortune must end, and she foresaw
that she must become the victim of some ambitious
noble. Acting on this belief, she entered into nego-
tiations with the Emperor, suggesting to him that
he should take this opportunity of reconquering
those provinces in Italy which had been wrested
from his predecessors. Unfortunately she repented
of this step all too soon, and invited Theodatus, the
unworthy nephew of Theodoric the Great, to share
her throne and power. Theodatus was an unjust
and avaricious man, utterly devoid of honour ; he
threw Amalasuntha into a dungeon, and then caused
her to be strangled. The murder of the queen by
this traitor, who always styled her " his most ex- ,
cellent lady and sister," roused universal indignation,
and decided Justinian to send an expedition at once
into Italy. By dividing the army he proposed to
make a simultaneous attack both in Dalmatia and
Sicily ; the command of one army he gave to Beli-
sarius, that of the other to Mundus.
i Towards the end of the year 535 Belisarius had
made himself master of Sicily without striking a

1 Amalasuntha was the daughter of Theodoric the Great. The
name of her first husband was Eutharic.

180 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

single blow ; and the inhabitants of the island were
only too glad to exchange the rule of the Goths for
the more peaceful dominion of the empire. Mundus
was equally successful in Dalmatia, and destroyed
the greater part of the Gothic army. Theodatus
trembled for his kingdom and his life, and, deter-
mined to make peace at any price, he offered to
give up all pretentions to the throne on condition
of being allowed an annual pension. In order,
however, to obtain the best possible terms, he sent
Pope Agapetus with five bishops to Constantinople,
where they arrived on 2nd February, 536. Upon
this there was a temporary truce, but Justinian
would not hear of peace. While at Constantinople
Agapetus called a council and deposed Anthimus
the Patriarch because he had declared himself a
Eutychian. In his place Mennas was chosen, the
Pope himself performing the ceremony of his con-
secration ; this election caused universal satisfaction.
After a reign of scarcely eleven months Agapetus
fell ill and died 22nd April, 536 ; his death was
most keenly felt both in the East and West. He
confirmed the decrees of the famous Council of
Carthage, which had drawn up some important
canons regarding the Church in Africa, but lately
risen again from its ruins.

Mennas, the new patriarch, convened a fresh
council, in which Anthimus and his followers were
anathematised. When it became necessary to
proceed to the election of a Pope, Theodatus,
forgetting his former supplicatory attitude, sent an

WAR IN ITALY. 181

arrogant message to the effect that he would not
tolerate that any one should hold the dignity except
a deacon named Silverius. The clergy and people,
most indignant at this presumptuous command,
did not hesitate to remonstrate ; nevertheless, as
Silverius bore an excellent character, they saw no
reason against him, and elected him. But his
election was not canonically recognised by a great
number of the Roman clergy.

Meantime Belisarius and Mundus continued the
war in Italy ; the latter, however, in an unlucky
engagement, lost his life. This disaster filled Theo-
datus with hope ; but it was premature, for Beli-
sarius was steadily advancing on Rome. Naples
had already surrendered to him after twenty days'
siege, during which a third of its inhabitants were
killed. Theodatus, terrified and discouraged, sent
Vitiges to oppose him ; but as the invading army
continued to advance, a rumour was set afloat to
the effect that Theodatus had betrayed his nation
into the hands of Justinian. A court-martial was
hastily summoned, the king was deposed, and Viti-
ges the Goth chosen in his stead. Theodatus fled
to Ravenna, where he was pursued and murdered.
Vitiges had now nothing to fear, and gave out that
he intended to govern as Theodoric had done before
him.

A council of war was then held at Ravenna, and
it was decided for the army to remain in quarters
till the spring, and in the interval to muster as large
a force as possible. During this time Belisarius

182 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

continued his victorious march, and having possessed
himself of all the cities on the way without striking
a single blow, arrived at length beneath the walls of
Rome. The citizens immediately threw open the
gates to him, and the Gothic garrison beat a hasty
retreat. His first care was to fortify Rome as much
as was feasible in so short a space of time, and
provide it with a provision of corn. He also took
possession of Narmis, a fortress situated on an im-
pregnable rock near Spoleto, and here he received
the submission of Pizas the Goth, who commanded
a division of the army in the Samnite territory which
lay on both sides of the Apennines. Whilst the
fortifications at Rome were daily progressing Vitiges
collected a large army round Ravenna, and towards
the end of the winter he had mustered as many as
200,000 fighting men. Before beginning operations,
he sent an embassy to Constantinople to negotiate
for peace ; but this proving fruitless he separated one-
fourth of his army and sent it into Dalmatia, whilst
he with the bulk of the troops marched straight
for Rome. Old authors tell us that rapidly as a
bird's flight he stood on the Milvian bridge scarcely
two miles from the city, and, in almost less time than
it takes to tell, he had possessed himself of the tower
erected upon it. Rome trembled, but Belisarius re-
mained undaunted. Not knowing that his guards
had basely deserted the Milvian tower, he made a
sally with a thousand horse to test the strength of
the enemy. Scarcely had he left the city walls
when he found himself surprised in the rear by a

BELISARIUS AND VITIGES. 183

large detachment of Gothic cavalry. Apparently his
last hour had come. But if he had hitherto given
proofs of his ability as a general, he now showed
the invincible courage of a soldier. He fought so
valiantly that all who approached him fell beneath
his blows, while his heroism inspired his followers
to renewed efforts. Soon the enemy lay dead in
heaps about the field, and Vitiges, losing heart, beat
a retreat. Belisarius followed him for a time, then,
seeing reinforcements from the enemy's camp ap-
proaching, he was forced to retrace his steps and
seek refuge once more in the city. When he reached
the gates his own people delayed to open them for
fear of letting in their opponents also ; and now it
seemed that Belisarius and his little troop must have
succumbed to a superior force. It was already dark,
and he and his men were utterly exhausted ; never-
theless Belisarius fell once more on the foe with a
coolness which convinced the enemy that relays were
issuing from the city. Upon this they fled, and the/
general contented himself with pursuing them only
a short way. As he re-entered the city he was re-
ceived with acclamations by the inhabitants ; and
after examining the guard and giving the necessary
orders for the safety of the garrison, he at length
took food and rest.

The following day the enemy crossed the Tiber,
and divided into six encampments on the eastern
side, between the Praenestian and Flaminian gates.
Here, for three weeks, they laboured at fortifica-
tions and prepared war engines and instruments

184 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

of assault. Within the walls the work was not
less effectual. Directed by able leaders, the citizens
gave their services and were untiring in their efforts ;
and, wonderful to relate, they turned a deaf ear
to the bribes offered them by frequent spies from
the Gothic camp. At the end of three weeks the
besiegers sounded the advance, and an enormous
mass of scaffolding and towers moved towards the
city. The Romans then began to be discouraged,
but Belisarius with his usual fearlessness coolly took
aim at the commander of the first detachment, and
letting fly an arrow killed him on the spot ; while a
second arrow put an end to the leader of the next
troop. This revived the% spirits of his soldiers, who
regarded it as an omen of victory, and they set to
/ work to shoot down the beasts who were drawing
the engines. Vitiges, enraged at the turn affairs had
taken, hastened to the other side of the city, and
ordered an assault near the tomb of Adrian, where
the walls could be more easily scaled. A furious
contest ensued which continued until nightfall, when
Vitiges sounded the recall. Taking advantage of this,
Belisarius made a sally on the retreating foe, and set
fire to their engines. The day's fight had cost the
Goths 3,000 men, and Vitiges had no desire to renew
the experience. He therefore contented himself with
keeping Borne in a state of siege ; but his army was
constantly harassed by Belisarius with small detach-
ments of cavalry that did incredible damage. This,
added to the fact that pestilence raged in his camp,
decided the Goth to come to terms, and he again

BELISARIUS AND VITIGES. 185

treated for peace. Belisarius agreed to a three
months' armistice, during which Vitiges could nego-
tiate with the emperor. At the beginning of the
winter troops arrived from Greece, commanded by
John, surnamed the Bloodthirsty, to reinforce the
Komans.

When the armistice was concluded, Vitiges with-
drew his garrisons from several fortified towns, which
Belisarius immediately occupied ; this action Vitiges
deemed a breach of the armistice, and suspicion was
awakened on both sides. John, with 2,000 cavalry,
was sent to Picenum with orders to invade that
province in the event of Vitiges breaking his promise
of temporary peace. As the Goths had left their
wives and all their treasures in this little strip of
land, the prize proved too tempting ; and without
waiting for a violation of the treaty, John surprised
the small Gothic garrison and took possession of
Rimini, where he distributed the enormous booty he
had captured.

At the same time the Milanese and all the in-
habitants of Liguria sent a pressing invitation to
Belisarius to come and deliver them from the Gothic
yoke, which they detested. A thousand men sufficed
to conquer this province, the most important of all
Italy.

To add to the misfortunes of Vitiges, a man by no
means destitute of a certain greatness of character,
his wife, Mathasuntha, entered into an alliance with
John against her husband, inviting and encouraging
him to seize Ravenna. Vitiges, discouraged and

186 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

indignant at her treachery, made one more desperate
attempt to take Rome, but his efforts again proved
fruitless, and the Goths, having burned their tents,
withdrew in the spring of 538. In one year they
had lost a third of their army.

CHAPTEE XII.

ST. SILVERIUS AND VIGILIUS.

Belisarius, though a man of genuine virtue, was
weak enough to allow himself to be drawn into an
infamous intrigue by his wife Antpnia, a woman both
wicked and crafty, and an abettor in the plots and
designs of the iniquitous Empress Theodora, the wife
of Justinian. Theodora had been exceedingly dis-
pleased with Pope Agapetus for deposing Anthimus,
and though she did all in her power to persuade
Pope Silverius, his successor, to receive the Patriarch
back to communion, it was in vain. Enraged at
his opposition, she sought means to compass his
ruin. She fixed upon Vigilius, a deacon who had
accompanied Agapetus to Constantinople, as a fitting
instrument for the execution of her plans. She had
not miscalculated, for he himself aspired to the
papacy, and was only too ready to assist in the plot.
Theodora gave him 700 pounds of gold as the price of
his undertaking ; she also wrote to Belisarius, urging
him to get rid of the Pontiff and to have Vigilius
elected in his stead. This letter placed Belisarius
in a most difficult position, from which Antonia
sought to save him by a disgraceful forgery. She
caused a brief to be made out and sent to the Gothic

king, in which the Pope was made to offer treacherous

(187)

188 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

terms of peace and friendship. This she pretended
had been intercepted by an officer of the bodyguard.
Belisarius perceived at once that the whole was an
intrigue ; nevertheless, he summoned Silverius to
appear before him, and tried to induce him to accede
to the Emperor's request with regard to the restora-
tion of Anthimus. Of course, he absolutely refused
to do this, and at the same time he protested his
innocence of any treacherous designs. A second
and a third time the Pope was summoned, with the
same result ; and at last Antonia, exasperated, called
out to him : " What have we done to you that you
should betray us all to the Goths?" Without per-
mitting him to reply, she caused two hired deacons
to tear off his pallium, and, throwing a monk's cowl
over him, to carry him away to prison. The follow-
ing day Belisarius, having assembled the clergy,
declared Silverius deposed, and ordered them to pro-
ceed to a fresh election, recommending Vigilius as
best qualified for the dignity. The desired election
took place and, to the scandal of the whole of Chris-
tendom, Vigilius unlawfully ascended the cbair of
Peter, '22nd November, 537.

Silverius meantime was taken to Patara in Lycia.
The pious and undaunted bishop of that city went
immediately to the Emperor, and threatened him
with God's terrible judgments for allowing the Vicar
of Christ to be thus persecuted, telling him that,
though there are many kings, there can be, and is,
but one Pope and ruler over the Church of God.
Some say that the Emperor took this warning to

ST. SILVERIUS AND VICtILIUS. 189

heart, and sent Silverius back to Italy with an order
commanding Belisarius to reinstate him, and if guilty,
though still Pope, to make him reside out of Kome.
Belisarius was now in a greater difficulty than before ;
but having taken the first downward step, he did
not long hesitate to take the second. He consulted
with Vigilius, and agreed to give the Pope into his
keeping until the case was examined. Vigilius gave
Silverius in charge to some men chosen by him, and
sent him to the island of Palmaria. There the stead-
fast Pontiff underwent the most cruel treatment with
unflinching fortitude, and finally pronounced a sen-
tence of excommunication against the usurper of his
throne. Liberatus says that he died of hunger,
while Procopius believes that he was assassinated
at the instigation of Antonia. He died on the 20th
of June, 538, and is honoured as a saint by the
Church.

Vigilius at length opened his eyes to the enormity
of his crime, and wished to abdicate and do penance ;
but the clergy hindered him from this step, and con-
firmed him in the dignity which hitherto he had
usurped, and thus from that time he became lawful
Pope. He at once broke with the schismatics and
did his utmost to atone for the past by his zealous
defence of truth and faithful administration of his
office.

CHAPTEK XIII.

FAMINE IN ITALY. BENEDICT'S GENEROSITY AND
CONFIDENCE IN DIVINE PROVIDENCE.

a.d. 538.

We now come to speak of the terrible famine which

raged throughout Italy in the year 538, and which is

intimately connected with St. Benedict's life, as the

universal distress appealed irresistibly to his great

and fatherly heart, and was the occasion of several

miracles wrought by him.

We can hardly credit the accounts of Procopius

and other historians when they tell us that in the

province of Picenum alone 50,000 victims succumbed ;

and, still more shocking, when they relate deeds of

cannibalism which excite both horror and pity. For

instance, we hear of two women who kept themselves

alive by killing and eating the travellers who came

to their house ; several were despatched in this

way, when at last one came who awoke in time to

avert the deadly weapon, and after hearing from the

women's own lips the avowal of their crime he

murdered them both. Herbs were considered the

greatest luxury ; often the starving wretches who

sought them fell lifeless at their work and lay un-

buried where they fell.

(190)

ST. benedict's confidence in god. 191

This dearth naturally weighed heavily on Benedict
and his monks, so that frequently they also were in
want of bare necessaries ; while the misery which
prevailed gave them ample scope, as we have said,
for exercising charity. On one occasion the monks,
coming to the refectory, found there was nothing for
them to eat except five small loaves, with no prospect
of more. Sadly they looked at the slender meal,
for "what were five loaves among so many"?1
Benedict, seeing they were disheartened, reproached
them for their want of confidence ; but, compassion-
ating their weakness, he encouraged them with the
promise of a plentiful supply for the following day.
And his prophecy was verified when, next morning,
they discovered standing at the monastery gate 200
measures of meal in sacks, nor could they ever find
out from whence the gift came. The monks, seeing
this miracle, gave thanks to God, and never again
distrusted His holy providence.

Nevertheless Benedict's charity and generosity
at this time of sorrow and desolation often tried
the less perfect faith and confidence of his spiritual
sons, as we see by the following instance. All the
provisions of the monastery had been given away
in alms, with the exception of a little oil in a glass
jar, when Agapetus, a subdeacon of the neighbour-
hood, came to beg for succour. Benedict, as St.
Gregory tells us, was resolved to give away all upon
earth that he might find all in heaven, and willingly
acceding to the good man's request, ordered the little

1 John vi. 9.

192 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

remaining oil to be given to him. The cellarer,
however, was not at all willing to part with it, and
delayed in executing the abbot's command. Later
in the day, the saint inquired whether he had given
the oil ; to which he replied that he had not, because
there would be none left for the monks. At this
Benedict was very angry, and told him to throw the
vessel out of the window, as he would not have
anything in the monastery contrary to obedience.
Now, outside, just under the window, was a steep
precipice with sharp rocks, so that, but for a miracle,
the glass jar must inevitably have been broken into
a thousand pieces ; yet not only was the glass un-
injured by the fall, but not even a drop of the oil was
spilt. The saint then sent to have it picked up and
taken to Agapetus, while in presence of the whole
community he severely rebuked the disobedient cel-
larer for his pride and want of faith. In the room
where this took place there stood a large empty barrel
with a cover to it, and Benedict, having administered
the well-merited rebuke, knelt down by it and began
to pray. All the monks joined him in his prayer,
though they knew not what to expect : the monastery
was destitute, and without a direct interposition of
Providence, starvation stared them in the face; al-
ready they were suffering the pangs of hunger,
resulting from their long fast. As they prayed, to
their astonishment they saw the lid of the barrel
begin to rise, and they perceived that it was full of oil,
which was increasing so fast that it began to over-
flow on to the floor, and only ceased when the holy

HIS CHARITY TO THE NEEDY. 193

abbot rose from his prayer. Benedict took occasion
from this miracle to exhort again his disobedient
and distrustful monk to grow in faith and humility.

We may here mention another act of kindness
performed by the saint, though it is not known
whether it happened daring the year of famine. It
is the story of a peasant who owed twelve solidi 1 to a
creditor. Being pressed for payment, he was greatly
troubled, and knew not where to turn for the money.
In his distress he resolved to go to Benedict and seek
help from him. The saint was obliged to confess
that he also was penniless at the time ; but he com-
forted the poor man with kindly words and told him
to come again in two days, and that meantime he
would pray for him. When the peasant returned on
the third day, thirteen solidi were found lying in the
corn bin ; these the abbot gave to him, twelve to pay
his debt, and the other for his own expenses.

These examples give us an insight into the charity
and confidence of our saint, from which we gather
that his whole life must have been full of similar
instances of compassionate solicitude for the needs
of others, with an unshaken trust that God would
always provide and care for those who placed their
faith in Him.

xThe solidus weighed, according to Isidore (Etymolog., lib. xvi.,
chap, xxiv.), one-sixth of an ounce, and therefore was also called a
sextula. St. Gregory, in his Dialogues (lib. i., chap, ix.), gives to the
same coin, which he calls " solidus," the name " aureus " ; therefore
it is supposed that it has the value of four florins ; twelve solidi
were therefore the sum of forty-eight florins.

" Solidus aureus or sextula, 12s. OJd." (Crabbe's Technological
Dictionary). — Translator's note.

13

CHAPTEK XIV.

PROGRESS OF THE GOTHIC WAR.
a.d. 539.

The Gothic army in spite of the severe losses it
had sustained was still sufficiently numerous to be
exceedingly formidable. Vitiges now tried the plan
of dividing it : one half he sent to chastise the
Milanese for their desertion, the other half he des-
patched to Bimini, which had been seized by " John
the Bloodthirsty ". Belisarius went to meet this
last detachment, and was joined by a reinforcement
of 11,000 men, commanded by Narses. Encouraging
as this was to the imperial troops, it struck terror
into the hearts of the Goths, and they fled as chaff
before the wind ; Vitiges himself hastened to take
refuge in Bavenna, and the surrounding country fell
into the hands of the Bomans. The conquest of
Italy must now have been inevitable, had not discord
crept into the imperial army. Narses, who had
risen by his talents from the lowly rank of a slave,
instead of acting as a subordinate, or at least in
conjunction with Belisarius, set himself up as his
rival. The result was disastrous : all who had any

complaints against Belisarius ranged themselves with

(194)

THE GOTHIC WAR. 195

Narses ; if a council of war was held, it was sufficient
for Belisarius to suggest one course, and Narses would
immediately adopt another ; hence it happened that,
when the former ordered the siege of Urbino, the
latter with his army went off in the night to conquer,
as he said, the Aemilian province.

This state of affairs gave the Goths breathing time.
As matters stood, Belisarius was unable to send a
reinforcement to his slender garrison at Milan, con-
sisting of 300 men, who, under the brave Mundilas,
had defended the city for over six months. But at
length the Goths with 10,000 Burgundians having
renewed the siege, and the town being a prey to all
the horrors of famine, the little troop was forced to
open the gates in the spring of 539. Belisarius sent
what help he could, but it came too late, and Milan
presented a sad scene of bloodshed and cruelty.
Every man and male child was put to the sword ; the
priests were murdered on the altar steps ; churches
plundered and destroyed, and the women were carried
off to be sold as slaves. Bishop Datius and his
attendants managed to escape and reached Constanti-
nople in safety. This is not the place to discuss
whether or not he was justified in stirring up the
Milanese to shake off the Gothic yoke ; by so doing
he thought to restore the country to a Catholic
emperor, to whom it had formerly belonged before it
had been wrested from him by a foreign conqueror.

On the fall of Milan Narses was recalled to Con-
stantinople, and Belisarius was once more free to
command his army unmolested.

196 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

The year 538 had ended with an event too import-
ant to be passed over in silence, even in the narrow
limits of this sketch, namely, the consecration of the
Church of Sancta Sophia, built by the Emperor
Justinian and consecrated in his presence. For
seven years 10,000 labourers had worked unceasingly
at its erection ; every kind of marble had been used
to cover its walls and to form the eight colossal
pillars which supported the cupola and the four and
twenty which supported the galleries. The altar
was of massive gold raised on six golden pillars and
inlaid with precious stones. Over the altar rose a
tabernacle in the shape of a tower, surmounted by a
golden cupola overshadowed by twelve golden lilies.
In the centre of these was the cross, set also with
precious stones and weighing seventy-five pounds.
With the exception of the doors, no wood was to be
found in the building, and the great entrance door
was of silver richly gilt. Besides the sacred vessels,
which were of purest gold, there were 4,000 golden
candlesticks and twenty-four missals in covers of
gold, weighing nearly a hundredweight. Altogether,
according to many calculations, the cost of that
magnificent cathedral, together with its furniture,
must have been about £40,000,000.

CHAPTEK XV.

TRIUMPH OF BELISARIUS.

A.i). 540.

TROUBLES IN THE EAST. A NEW KING OF THE GOTHS.

a.d. 541.

After the fall of Milan Belisarius marched onwards
towards Kavenna, thinking that if he could but ob-
tain possession of this city the war would speedily
come to an end ; but Vitiges, always brave, even
under defeat, had yet a large and powerful army at
his disposal, and Kavenna was so strongly fortified
as to appear invincible. Thence the Goth sent am-
bassadors to the Persians to obtain their assistance ;
he likewise ceded Provence and part of Rhetia to the
Franks, that by so doing he might gain their good-
will and help, and thus his hopes once more revived.
In the spring of 539 Theodebert arrived from Aus-
trasia with 100,000 men, and was welcomed as an
ally both by the Goths and Romans, who were
equally deceived. He merely came for the sake of
booty, and desolated the whole province of Liguria,
burning every town and village in Aemilia. Famine
and pestilence alone succeeded in checking his fury,
and having lost a third of his army, he led the re-
mainder home again.

(197)

198 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Belisarius at length persuaded Vitiges to come to
terms ; hostilities ceased, and envoys were sent to
Constantinople to treat for peace. Justinian decided
that Vitiges should remain king on one side of the
river Po, and cede the territory on the other side to
the empire. These terms Belisarius considered too
favourable and consequently refused to sign the
treaty, alleging that the emperor's interest forbade
him to obey, since Justinian, when he made the
conditions, evidently did not understand the hopeless
situation of the enemy. Upon this refusal the Goths
held a council and determined to offer the crown to
Belisarius himself, with the understanding that all
property should be secured to them. Belisarius
readily vouched for the safety of their property ; as
to accepting the crown he said that must depend on
a council to be held in the city. The gates were
opened, and Belisarius, at the head of his army,
entered Ravenna ; he treated Vitiges with every
mark of respect, and kept him in honourable cap-
tivity. He then took possession of all the fortified
parts of the city, the treasury, the arsenals and public
granaries. The kingdom was now conquered ; he,
however, had no intention of accepting it for himself,
and when the Goths again offered him the crown he
steadfastly refused it, saying : " I am the emperor's
subject, and such I will remain ".

Matters were in this state when an order came to
recall Belisarius to Constantinople, there to assist
Justinian in some difficult transactions. He set sail
without delay in the year 540, taking with him

CHOSROES. -.199

Vitiges, his wife Mathasuntha, and many notable
Goths as hostages, and the treasures and trophies he
had collected. Vitiges was kindly treated by Jus-
tinian ; he renounced Arianism, and was received
into the communion of the Church ; large possessions
in Asia were assigned to him, and retiring thither,
he lived quietly till his death two years later. His
widow married Germanus, a cousin of the emperor,
and gave birth to Germanus the younger, who united
in his person the two oldest and noblest races in the
world, the Anician and the Amalicean.

Notwithstanding the imperial success in Italy, the
year 540 brought an accumulation of disasters to the
empire. Chosroes, the Persian king, attacked the
East with a mighty army, and spread terror and
desolation in his way, devastating and burning
everything he could not seize, until he arrived before
Antioch, the chief town of the Eastern empire.
Boasting of her position and the strength of her
walls, Antioch defied and dared even to revile her
enemy ; this exasperated Chosroes and hastened
his attack ; he discovered a weak place in the forti-
fications, and, having made a breach, his soldiers
burst like a torrent into the city. The inhabitants
fought with desperate courage, but they were over-
powered by numbers, and all who could not fly were
massacred. Chosroes gave up the town to pillage,
reserving the cathedral as his share of the booty ;
thus the pearl of oriental cities was reduced to a heap
of ruins. The imperial ambassadors now eagerly
treated for peace, and paid down £5,000 pounds, with

200 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

a promise of a yearly tribute of £500. With this
Chosroes retraced his steps, not, however, peaceably,
as the treaty required, but burning and destroying
as before. This breach of treaty induced Justinian
to declare war afresh.

Added to this calamity was the invasion of the
Sclaves, who did incalculable damage and pressed
forward even as far as Constantinople. Earthquakes,
pestilence and disease likewise demanded their
tribute ; and the sectarians, especially the Origenists,
fostered disturbances, doing their utmost to increase
the Emperor's difficulties. In Italy itself there was
anything but peace. The Goths, seeing the empire
pressed on every side, took the opportunity to rebel
against Alexander, the new governor, who, by his
avarice, had estranged the hearts of the people ; even
his own soldiers detested him because he withheld
their pay. The Goths chose Ildebald for their king.
In 541 he gave battle to the Komans under Vitalis
at Treviso in Northern Italy, and gained a decided
victory. Soon after, first Ildebald and then Eraric,
his successor, fell victims to jealousy and were
murdered in 541.

The Goths, however, nothing daunted by their
double loss, unanimously elected Baduilla, Ildebald's
nephew, to fill the vacant throne. He was both
young and brave, and on account of his rare qualities
was surnamed Totila (the immortal). He governed
with a power which eclipsed even that of the great
Theodoric. Brave and enterprising as a soldier, he
was no less prudent and circumspect as a leader of

TOTILA ELECTED KING OF THE GOTHS. 201

his people, and won their universal esteem. Un-
fortunately his Arian tenets made him hard and cruel
to Catholics, especially the clergy. Totila was no
longer satisfied to stand on the defensive, but deter-
mined himself to renew hostilities and to attack the
Romans. He opened the campaign in the spring of
542 at the head of 5,000 men. The rival armies met
between Bologna and Rimini, and Totila won the
day by means of a clever stratagem. He seized the
trophies and baggage of his enemies and took many
prisoners ; these he treated with so much humanity
that he won them over to his own standard. His
army daily increased, while discord prevailed among
the Romans, with the result that he gained victory
after victory, and in a short time had pushed on as
far as Naples. Justinian felt that the only resource
left to him was once more to send Belisarius into the
field, as the most capable general, to cope with the
conqueror. The war lasted many years, causing
untold misery in Italy and degradation to Rome ;
but the completion of its history does not belong to
these pages, as it was not concluded until after the
death of the saint whose life we are studying.

CHAPTEK XVI.

CONTEMPORARY SAINTS.

The turmoil and disturbance created by continual
warfare could not but cast a gloom over the com-
munity at Monte Cassino, yet this sorrow was not
without hope, and it was with great confidence that
the monks begged of God to restore peace, knowing
that His Arm is not shortened and that His wonders
never end. And mingled with the reports of blood-
shed and crime which daily reached their ears came
accounts of the heroic deeds and blessed lives of
many saints who then glorified the Church. In our
own country St. David, Archbishop of Caerleon in
Wales,1 was universally venerated. Trained by
Paulinus, he preached to the Britons and founded
twelve monasteries, which became so many schools
for saints ; subsequently he was elected archbishop
in spite of his intense reluctance, and he held a
synod at a place called Victoria, to complete the
work begun by his predecessor at that of Brevy.
The Church of Britain is indebted to these two
synods for many wise regulations and several canons
relating to her administration and discipline. David
shone as a bright example of virtue to his flock, and
died a good and faithful servant of his Lord and

1 Later he transferred his see to Menevia, now called St. David's.

(202)

CONTEMPORARY SAINTS. 203

Master in the year 544. His soul, carried to heaven
by angels, was shown to St. Kentigern in a vision.

His holy friend Bishop Sennan died the same year.
For a long time he governed not only the extensive
diocese of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardful, but also a
monastery which he had founded on the Shannon.

St. Finian, educated in Wales with St. David,
re-enkindled the fire of charity in Ireland, chiefly
by the erection of monasteries and schools from
which came forth Saints Kieran, Colombkille, Co-
lumba, Brendan, and others. He was chosen to
occupy the See of Clonard, and laboured with unre-
mitting zeal for the salvation of his people. The
abbey he founded at Clonard flourished until the
dissolution of monasteries in England. His name
is one of the most famous among the saints of
Ireland, after St. Patrick.

St. Firmin, sprung from a noble race in Narbonne,
so distinguished himself by his prudence, learning
and piety, that at the early age of twenty-two he
was raised to the See of Uzes, and from thence the
odour of his virtue spread all over Gaul.

Much might be said of St. Gall, Bishop of Cler-
mont in Auvergne, who, renouncing the brilliant
prospects which lay before him, consecrated himself
to a religious life at Cournon, where he remained
until he was made bishop in 527. He was especially
remarkable for patience in bearing injuries, and his
tender charity towards his persecutors transformed
many from enemies into friends ; he was endowed
with a wonderful gift of miracles.

204 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

St. Paternus of Armorica (Brittany) withdrew from
the world while still a youth, and became a monk in
Wales. Here his virtue soon attracted the attention
and admiration of his brethren, and he was chosen
by them as superior. He accompanied St. David
to Jerusalem, where the patriarch John III. conse-
crated him bishop. He was recalled to Brittany
by King Caradoc, and there governed the See of
Vannes, "giving many proofs of his eminent sanctity.

One of the most striking examples of humility
and mortification of this century is found in the
person of St. John the Silent. Born at Nicopolis
in 454, he was early left an orphan with considerable
possessions. At the age of eighteen he caused a
church and monastery to be built, into which be
retired with ten companions. He was made Bishop
of Colonian in Armenia when scarcely twenty-eight,
but after nine years he fled from his see into the
desert. There he lived as a simple monk in the
laura of the famous Abbot Sabas, his identity being
unsuspected. After seven years, the abbot, edified
by his extraordinarily mortified life, determined to
have him ordained priest, when God revealed to him
the episcopal character of his spiritual son. After
that John lived about forty years in yet greater
seclusion, and died at the age of 104, having never
ceased to edify others and sanctify himself.

Besides bishops, there were also at that time
many abbots remarkable for their sanctity ; among
others we notice Kieran, an Irishman. Trained to
the monastic life by St. Finian, he made such won-

CONTEMPOEAEY SAINTS. 205

derful progress in perfection as to astonish his master,
who prophesied that his disciple would compose a
Kule, which should be used by most of the Irish
monasteries. This Kule, called "Law of Heaven,"
was very austere. Kieran died in 549, and is
honoured as patron of Connaught.

St. Fidolus also nourished at the same period. He
was a native of Auvergne, and in his youth was
taken captive by Thierry, King of the Franks ; St.
Aventine of Champagne, however, obtained his re-
lease, and brought him up in a monastery he had
founded. Fidolus surpassed his fellow monks in
the austerity of his life, spending nearly the whole
of Lent without food. Later the community un-
animously chose him for their abbot.

Contemporary with him was St. Lifard. Having
held an honourable post in the magistracy at Orleans,
he forsook the world and retired into solitude, taking
with him one companion named Urbicius. In a
wild mountainous spot they constructed a hermitage
of twisted branches, where they lived in penance
and unbroken communion with God until Bishop
Mark of Orleans induced Lifard to be ordained
priest. He then founded a monastery on the site
of his former hut, and governed it with such wisdom
that he was honoured by all as a saint.

One of the most illustrious men of the time was
Abbot Hilarius of Galeata. Born in Tuscany in
476, even as a child he was accustomed to study
the Epistles of St. Paul and the book of the Gospels.
Meditating one day on those words, " If any man come

206 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife,
and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his
own life also, he cannot be My disciple,"1 he was
much puzzled, and asked an old man what they could
mean. The old man told him he was too young to
trouble about such matters, but the boy would not
be put off, answering that Our Lord said, " Suffer
children to come to Me ".2 The old man, perceiving
from this that he was a child of predilection, ex-
plained to him carefully the passage which perplexed
him. Hilarius at once betook himself to a fertile
spot among the Apennines, where in three years he
succeeded in erecting a church, underneath which
was a cavern. There he dwelt, serving God day and
night by continual prayer and labour. At the age
of twenty-one he delivered a heathen nobleman of
Kavenna from a devil, and this miracle had the
effect of converting both him and his family. Three
days after, the nobleman's wife died, upon which
he, with his two sons, laid all their possessions at
the saint's feet and resolved never to leave him. A
monastery was accordingly built at Galeata, and
numbers flocked thither to learn the way of perfection
under the wise direction of Hilarius. It is related
that King Theodoric, wishing to erect for himself
a palace near this monastery, called on the people
of the surrounding country to assist him, but some
ill-disposed persons spread a report that the saint
would not comply with his request. Hearing this

1 Luke xiv. 26. 2 Luke xviii. 16.

CONTEMPORARY SAINTS. 207

the king was very angry, and set out for G-aleata to
vent his rage on the holy abbot ; however, before he
had gone far his horse became so restive that he
was unable to proceed and was obliged to send for
Hilarius to come to him. Scarcely had they met
when — powerful monarch though he was — he felt
convinced that he was in the presence of one greater
than himself and, falling at the saint's feet, begged
his forgiveness. Hilarius, taking him by the hand,
made him rise, and, conducting him to the monas-
tery, so won his heart that thenceforth the king
became his most staunch friend and benefactor.
Hilarius died at the age of eighty-two, and, as his
biographer says, " So many wonderful things are
told of him, as to seem almost incredible".

One word must be said of St. Equitius, who lived
in the province of Abruzzo beyond the Sabine
mountains. Like St. Benedict, he had been vio-
lently tempted in his youth, and had used the same
heroic means to overcome and subdue his passion.
His heart was on fire with the love of God and his
neighbour, and many associated themselves to him
to be trained in the spiritual life. He built several
monasteries, among them one for women. As he
was found preaching in the country villages, being
only a layman, the Pope sent a priest to inquire into
the matter; but meantime God revealed to His
Vicar that Equitius had received an immediate call
from Himself, and from that time he continued his
preaching unmolested. He died in 540. St. Gregory
says of him that " he was a passing holy man, who

k208 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

for his virtuous life was in great admiration with all
men ".

A saintly man called Bernard deserves mention as
founder of the famous monastery of Noblac, in
Limousin. He had begun his career as a nobleman
at the court of Clovis ; subsequently he retired into
the Abbey of Mici under the Abbots Maximian and
Laetus. After some time spent in solitude he was
sent to evangelise his countrymen, and effected
numerous conversions.

We cannot close this chapter without adding the
name of Cassiodorus, the renowned chancellor of the
Ostrogoths, who founded the monastery of Vivaria.1
We might bring many other examples of holiness
and wisdom before our readers, but sufficient has
been said to show how saints abounded, even in
those days of bloodshed and crime.

1 Viviers, in Calabria.

CHAPTEE XVII.

ZALLA THE GOTH.

Benedict's life was now fast drawing to a close ;
but, as the sun seems to shine more gloriously when
about to set, so the gifts with which God had adorned
His chosen servant appeared rather to increase than
to diminish as he drew nearer to the grave. Not
long before his death an event happened which
recalls that scene in the Old Testament where
Samson burst the ropes which bound him as if they
had been so many hairs ; or that miracle of the prison
at Jerusalem when the chains fell from St. Peter's
hands at the touch of an angel.

The occurrence we are about to relate took place
after Totila had succeeded in restoring the dominion
of the Goths in Italy. He had a captain named
Zalla (or, as some authors call him, Galla). This man
was an Arian, and his hatred for Catholics was such
that he considered no cruelty too barbarous to inflict
on any he met ; indeed, no cleric or priest had ever
been known to escape from him with his life.
We may well suppose that a man with such a tem-
perament did not excel in other virtues ; and not the
least among his vices was an excessive greed for
gold. One day, having set out as usual to plunder

and pillage, he met a labourer, and seizing hold of

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210 THE LIFE ANT) TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

him began to ill-use him, with the hope of obtaining
any small savings he might have. The poor man,
terrified by the threats of his tormentor and beside
himself with pain, thought to get out of the difficulty
by referring the case to St. Benedict, and said that
he had entrusted his earnings to the keeping of the
Abbot of Monte Cassino. Upon this the barbarian
ceased tormenting him, and binding him fast with a
rope drove him before his horse to the abbey.
Benedict was sitting at the gate reading, and so
absorbed was he in his book that he did not notice
the approach of his visitors. When the labourer
caught sight of him he pointed him out to Zalla,
saying : " That is Father Benedict of whom I spoke ".
The Goth, thinking to terrify the saint as he had
terrified so many others, shouted in an insolent
manner : " Rise, sirrah ! and hand over this fellow'
property which he tells me you have in your keeping ".
Benedict, far from being disturbed or cowed by this
rough speech, merely raised his eyes from his book
and looked at the ruffian and his prisoner. At the
same moment the cords which bound the peasant
fell from him, loosed by Divine power. On beholding
this Zalla was struck with astonishment and fear ;
and, dismounting from his horse, he threw himself at
the saint's feet, imploring his prayers. Surely this
was the greater miracle of the two : that a man who
had been the scourge of the country, who had faced
armies unmoved, whose pride and passions were un-
governable, should thus be brought to the ground
and forced to humble himself by one look from a

ZALLA THE GOTH. 211

servant of God. Meanwhile Benedict continued his
reading, as if all this commotion was an everyday
occurrence ; and, calling one of his monks, told him
to take Zalla and give him some refreshment. The
Goth, meek as a lamb, followed the brother into the
monastery, and, having taken some food, he returned
to the abbot. Benedict then exhorted him to change
his impious mode of life, and to cease tormenting
innocent victims ; and, overcome by the saint's
words, he retired and left the poor labourer in peace.
Whether his conversion was permanent is not known,
as his name does not appear again in the Monastic
Chronicles.

CHAPTEK XVIII.

REMARKABLE VISION GRANTED TO THE SAINT.

Theke was in Campania, not far from Monte Cassino,
a monastery governed by a deacon named Servandus.
This abbot had such a veneration and love for
Benedict that he could not refrain from often visiting
and conversing with him on spiritual subjects. St.
Gregory says very beautifully that although these
privileged souls could not as yet perfectly feed on the
celestial food of Heaven, yet by means of sweet
discourses they tasted of its joys and ineffable de-
lights.

On one of these occasions, when it was time to
go to rest, Benedict mounted to the upper room of
the tower which flanked the monastery, while Ser-
vandus remained in the lower one. A staircase
joined these two rooms, and near the tower was a
large dormitory in which slept both the monks of
Monte Cassino and those whom Servandus had
brought with him. It was late, and all were buried
in sleep except Benedict, who, kneeling by his window,
watched and communed with his God. Suddenly a
brilliant light shone from heaven, so dazzling as to
change the dark night into the brightest day : then,
marvellous to relate, he saw in the midst of this

stream of light the whole world gathered, as it were,

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A WONDERFUL VISION. 213

within one of the sun's rays. While the holy abbot
gazed on this strange vision with wonder, he saw the
soul of St. Germanus, Bishop of Capua, which, in
the form of a globe of fire, was being carried by angels
to heaven. Desirous that others should witness
so glorious a sight, he called two or three times as
loud as he could to Servandus, who, aroused by the
voice and alarmed at hearing a cry in a time of such
solemn silence, hastened up the little staircase to
ascertain the cause ; looking upwards he saw only
the light which still lingered in the sky, but the
vision had passed away. Benedict then related to
his astonished guest all that he had seen, and im-
mediately sent for Theoprobus, one of his monks in
whom he placed great confidence, and desired him
to despatch a messenger to Capua to inquire after
the bishop. The messenger set out without delay,
but, on arriving, found that Germanus had died at
the very same moment at which Benedict had beheld
his soul being carried to heaven.

St. Gregory, explaining this wonderful vision, says
that " though Benedict saw the whole world gathered
together before his eyes, he did not by this mean to
express that heaven and earth were contracted into
a small compass, but that beholding the Creator his
soul was thereby so enlarged as to comprehend
without difficulty all things created ". Our minds
are so small and we meditate so little on God as the
Creator and Preserver of the universe, that uncon-
sciously we lose sight of His greatness ; self forms
the centre round which our thoughts revolve ; our

214 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

hearts become narrow, and our notions contracted.
But Benedict had spent his whole life contemplating
the immensity of God and his own nothingness ; he
realised that he was but an atom in this vast world,
and the world itself but a fraction of the universe ;
he knew that God holds, as it were, all creation in
the palm of His hand, and in Him all creatures
live and move and have their being. What wonder,
then, that his bodily eyes should see in a vision the
truth his soul had long since grasped, namely, that
in comparison with God our Creator all things created
are as though they existed not, so insignificant do
they appear, and, to quote St. Gregory's words again :
" To the soul which beholds the Creator, all creatures
seem as nothing ".

CHAPTEK XIX.

BENEDICT'S PROPHECY CONCERNING MONTE CASSINO
AND ROME.

After the supernatural favours recorded in the last
chapter the soul of this great patriarch and saint was
ready to be tried once more in the fiery ordeal of
suffering. This time the blow was to be inflicted,
not by the hand of man, but by the direct power of
the Almighty. We many of us know well the pain
of failing in some cherished plan or desire, and the
more perfect and unselfish our designs have been,
the more the heart naturally suffers. This was the
last cross destined by the appointment of God to try
the faith and love of Benedict, and to purify his soul
from the least remaining particles of human attach-
ment or complacency in his great work. He was
allowed to see in prayer the fate which awaited his
beloved monastery, and the events which were to
happen after the lapse of forty years, with all their
details and attendant circumstances. Theoprobus,
coming to look for the saint one day, found him in
his cell weeping bitterly and groaning with anguish.
Theoprobus stood by for some time, sympathetic and
awestruck at the sight of this grief on the part of
one whom he thought almost above such human
feelings, but, after a pause of reverent silence, ven-
tured to ask the cause of such great sorrow. Benedict

(215)

'216 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

replied : " This monastery which I have built, and all
I have obtained for the brethren, are, by the judgment
of God, given over to the heathens, and scarcely could I
obtain from Him the lives of those who dwell therein".

The prophecy was fulfilled when, in later years,
the Lombards invaded Italy. One night, while the
monks slept, they attacked the abbey and, having
plundered it, destroyed it, but they were not able to
find or capture a single monk. Mabillon places the
destruction of the monastery in the year 580, other
authors somewhat later. The former opinion seems
the most probable, from the fact that when St.
Gregory wrote his Dialogues in 593 he expressly says
that Valentinian had for many years presided over the
Lateran monastery which came from Monte Cassino.

The monks who were thus forcibly expelled from
their beloved home fled to Rome, and built them-
selves a monastery near the Lateran Palace. They
brought with them the Rule which St. Benedict had
written with his own hand, also the weight for the
daily allowance of bread, the measure of wine and
some precious relics in the shape of their holy father's
clothing and shoes. Some of the monks from Monte
Cassino went to other monasteries, as in the case of
the saintly Abbot Antoninus, who governed the Abbey
of Sorrento, where he became very famous for his
holy life. Baronius tells us that a few lingered near
the ruins of Monte Cassino, and jealously guarded
the tomb where lay the body of their venerated
founder. The monastery was rebuilt in 718 under
the pontificate of Gregory III.

CHAPTEK XX.

TOTILA VISITS ST. BENEDICT AT MONTE CASSINO.
a.d. 542.

No power can be compared with that conferred by
grace ; it is an interior and mysterious influence
which endows its possessor with a dignity and majesty
that command universal esteem. The saints having
overcome themselves, likewise overcame the whole
world, and as grace gained in them more and more
ascendancy, so, in proportion, did they win the re-
spect of the great ones of this earth, although the
reverence in many cases was anything but voluntary
on the part of those who felt forced to pay it in spite
of themselves.

When Benedict was already advanced in years,
and longing only for the day on which he should be
set free to go to his heavenly home, God allowed the
greatness of his soul so to shine exteriorly as to
confound the pride of an earthly monarch. Totila,
the mighty conqueror who in one short year had
possessed himself of the whole of Italy, who acknow-
ledged no lord and master but himself, felt compelled
to recognise a dignity in Benedict before which he
must needs bow. It happened in the year 542 that

the Gothic king was in the vicinity of Monte Cassino,
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218 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

and having heard much of the holy abbot's gift of
prophecy and discernment, he determined to put it
to the test. As we have already said, this king was
an Arian and very bitter against the true Faith, so
that he was only too anxious to prove that the saint
was an impostor. With this end in view, he caused
his sword-bearer, a man named Riggo, to array him-
self in the royal robes, and instructed him to act as
though he were the king ; to give more colour to the
device, he sent his three personal attendants to wait
upon him. Totila meantime followed at a distance
with the rest of his retinue. Riggo, attired in his
borrowed plumes and attended by his gay courtiers,
rode up the mountain to the abbey gate. Benedict
was sitting near the gate when the cavalcade ap-
peared, and no sooner did he perceive their arrival
than he called out to the leader: " My son, put off
that apparel, for those clothes are none of thine".
The soldier, who had never known fear in the thickest
of the fray, was much troubled at these words ; and,
heartily ashamed of himself for trying to deceive so
holy a man, he, together with his comrades, prostrated
themselves on the ground ; nor did they dare approach
nearer to the saint, but returning to the king they
related what had occurred.

Then Totila went in person to visit the venerable
abbot, and seeing him in the distance he also was
afraid to approach, and overcome with awe he fell
down at his feet. Benedict bade him rise, yet still
the king remained in his humble attitude, till at last
the saint took him by the hand and raised him from

TOTILA VISITS THE SAINT. 219

the ground. All who watched this scene saw that
very strong emotions were conflicting in the heart of
the mighty warrior, and that the recollection of his
many deeds of cruelty and wrong caused him to
tremble before one whom he felt could read his very
thoughts. Benedict, who knew that the fate of Italy
rested with Totila, would not allow the opportunity
to pass, and fearlessly rebuked him for his wicked-
ness, prophesying the evils which would in conse-
quence befall him. He said: "You daily commit
much wickedness, and have done many great crimes,
but now at last amend your sinful life. You will
conquer Eome, you will cross the sea, you will reign
nine years, and you will die in the tenth." The
prophecy was verified when Totila took Eome in 546,
crossed to Sicily in 549, remained there a year, and,
returning to Italy, died in August, 552.

Hearing these things, the king was terrified, and
besought the saint to pray for him. From that time
he was much less cruel, and on some occasions
showed most unexpected magnanimity and genero-
sity. For instance, when Naples surrendered to him
after a long siege, he caused food to be distributed
to the inhabitants, who were perishing from hunger,
and presided in person at the distribution, to see that
the people were properly treated. Even the pagan
historian Procopius avows himself unable to under-
stand the change, and relates that when, on account
of the unsettled state of the weather, the Roman
garrison was unable to leave Naples by sea, Totila
provided them with horses, waggons, mules, food,

2'20 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

and a safe-conduct to Eome. And again, when one
of his officers insulted a Neapolitan girl, he immedi-
ately ordered him to be executed, nor would he listen
to those who begged mercy for him, saying: "An
unpunished crime draws down the wrath of heaven
on a whole race ; choose then between the life of
this criminal and the destruction of our nation, for
victory is not only the outcome of strength and
courage, but even more so the reward of moral
virtue ".

CHAPTEB XXI.

ST. BENEDICT SENDS ST. MAURUS INTO FRANCE.
a.d. 543.

Towards the close of the year 542 Innocent, Bishop
of le Mans, having heard of the fervour and sanctity
of the monks at Monte Cassino, determined, if pos-
sible, to induce them to make a foundation in his
own diocese. With this intention he sent an
embassy to St. Benedict, and entrusted his arch-
deacon, Flodegar or Odegarius, and his chief steward,
Arderadus, with the request he wished to make.
Arrived at Monte Cassino, they were received with
the proverbial monastic hospitality, and the holy
abbot, having learnt the object of their journey
and prayed for guidance in the matter, acceded to
their petition. He felt that the foundation would
be an important one, and he resolved to sacrifice
the son he loved most on earth and to send Maurus
into France.

The monks, however, were inconsolable at the
prospect of losing one who was to them the living
portrait of their father. Benedict, seeing this, took
compassion on their sorrow, and assembling them
together, spoke to them as follows. (His words

have been handed down to us by the monk

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222 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Faustus, who accompanied St. Maurus to France,
and was subsequently canonised) : " My children,"
said he, " I confess that your complaints would be
justifiable if the charity we should have for the
salvation of our neighbour were not preferable to
our own private satisfaction. No one can feel more
than I do the departure of one so dear and useful
to me as Maurus. My loss is certainly great, yet
I am obliged to strip myself of my affection for him
in order not to be wanting in charity to those who
are to profit by our loss ; hence I must exhort you
as a father to moderate a sorrow which through the
malice of our old enemy might become hurtful to
your souls. I know that the thought of my death,
which cannot be far distant, is partly the cause of
your affliction, but remember God will never fail
you if you leave yourselves in the hands of His
Divine Providence ; and when I am gone He will
perhaps give you one more animated with His spirit
and more capable of guiding you. Do not fear that
any distance or separation can sever hearts so
closely united by charity ; for the spiritual eye,
formed after the image of Him Who created it, is
not fettered by corporeal conditions." Then turning
to Maurus and his companions he continued : " As
for you, my well-beloved sons, who are going into
a distant land to labour at God's work, take courage
and strengthen your hearts by remembering the
holy state of which you have made profession ; and
be convinced that the more we suffer in this life
for the glory of God and the salvation of souls,

ST. MAURUS GOES TO FRANCE. 223

the greater will be our reward in Paradise. As
a last counsel I beseech you not to grieve when
you hear of my death, because when I have left
this mortal life I shall be nearer to you and more
able to be useful to you than at present."1 Thus
did Benedict by his sweet words soften the affliction
of his children.

Preparations for departure were soon made, and
on the 10th of January, 543, the monks again
assembled to bid a last farewell to Maurus and
the four who had been chosen to accompany him ;
their names were Faustus, Simplicius, Anthony
and Constantine. As the travellers prostrated at
the feet of their holy father he blessed them, and
raising them pressed them once more lovingly to
his heart, saying : " My sons, this enterprise you
are undertaking for the love of our Lord is a very
important one, therefore I am confident that He
Himself will give you the strength you need. If
when God calls me out of this world I have any
power with Him, rest assured that the help of my
prayers will never fail you." Then he gave St.
Maurus a copy of the Rule which he had written
with his own hand and signed with the humble
words, " Codex peccatoris Bencdicti " ; also the weight
for the daily allowance of bread, and a small vessel
which contained the measure of their drink.

Maurus and his companions, together with the
French clerics who had come to fetch them, having

1 S. Bened. Semi, indiscessu Mauri et Soc; Pair. laL, torn. lxvi.

224 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

set out on their journey, spent the first night in
a house belonging to the monastery ; there they
found everything prepared for their reception, as
Benedict had sent two monks on in advance of
them. The following morning two other monks
came from Monte Cassino, Honoratus and Felicis-
simus, a cousin of St. Maurus, bringing with them
a letter from the abbot, together with some relics,
among others a piece of the true Cross, with which
Maurus afterwards worked many miracles. The
letter ran as follows : " Eeceive, my son, this last
token of the tender love of your father, and keep
what I send you as a perpetual memorial, not only
as a mark of the love which unites our hearts, but
as a support and protection to you and your brethren
in the dangers you will have to encounter in your
perilous journey. It has been revealed to me that
you will receive your eternal reward after sixty
years of religious life. The forty years that still
remain to you will not be without trials, and you
will have great difficulties in the foundation of your
monastery. The devil will spare neither strength
nor address in order to ruin your enterprise, because
he foresees that it will be as much for his confusion
as for the glory of God. But you will overcome
him through the Divine mercy, which will make you
triumph over his malice, by giving you a more
suitable spot for your monastery than we could
have hoped for. I pray God to fill you with His
grace and to bless your journey and bring it to a
happy end." This letter was treasured by Maurus

ST. MAUEUS GOES TO FRANCE. 225

all his life, and at his request laid with him in his
tomb after his death.

No sooner had the little colony of monks arrived
in Gaul than the trials predicted by their holy father
began. First they received the news of the death
of Innocent, the bishop who had sent for them.
This seemed like a death-blow to the young founda-
tion, inasmuch as the new bishop was not at all
eager to receive them, and could not give them any
place to settle in. However, Florus, a wealthy
nobleman of Theodebert's court, hearing of their
arrival, undertook to build a monastery for them
on his own property, where in course of time he
himself became a monk. According to Benedict's
prophecy Maurus governed the Abbey of Glanfeuil
for nearly forty years. Two years before his death
he retired into a hermitage and ended his life in the
practice of heroic penance, 15th January, 583.

15

BOOK III.

LAST DAYS OF THE SAINT.

M I 1

HE Jg l&W

IS 1 iy

1 *H

I 1

Last Meeting of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica.

CHAPTER I.

BENEDICT'S LAST MEETING WITH SCHOLASTICA.

After Maurus' departure, Benedict knew that his
work on earth was done and his days already num-
bered. He sighed yet more ardently for his heavenly
home, and prayed unceasingly that he might be
be dissolved and go to his Lord. Scarcely a month
after the travellers had left, Benedict received a
message from his sister Scholastica, begging him to
come to a little house, not far from the monastery
at the foot of the mountain, where once a year the
brother and sister were accustomed to spend the day
together conferring on spiritual matters. He went,
therefore, to the place appointed, together with some
of his monks, and passed the whole day with her
in praising God and in holy conversation. Both
Benedict and Scholastica now stood on the very
brink of eternity ; and their hearts dilated and over-
flowed with joyful expectancy when they spoke to-
gether of the delights of the Paradise which awaited
them. Towards evening, as was their wont, they
broke their fast, and while they supped they continued
to converse of heavenly things. Scholastica was so
transported with Benedict's inspired and soul-stirring
words that she would fain have prolonged his stay

with her ; so, as evening wore on, she said : " I pray

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230 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

you, brother, remain with me this night and let us
continue till morning to speak of the joys of heaven ".
Benedict, however, would not hear of such a proposal,
urging that no consideration could justify his spending
the night outside the monastery. Thus, refused by
him, Scholastica turned to God, and leaning her head
on the table made her prayer, imploring her Divine
Spouse with many tears to vouchsafe to give her the
pleasure which her brother had refused her. Hitherto
the sky had been so clear that no cloud was to be
seen ; but scarcely had she raised her head from her
hands than a terrific clap of thunder rent the air,
accompanied by such torrents of rain that it was
absolutely impossible for any one to venture out.
St. Gregory tells us that in one and the same moment
as Scholastica lifted her head her petition was granted.
Benedict, seeing that on account of the storm he and
his monks would be unable to return home, was very
much troubled at the thought of such a breach of
monastic discipline ; and, addressing his sister in a
reproachful tone, he said : " God forgive you, sister,
what have you done ? " to which she sweetly
answered : "I asked you and you would not hear me,
I asked my Lord and He has deigned to grant my
petition ; now, therefore, if you can depart, in God's
name return to your monastery and leave me here
alone". Thus, though unwillingly, Benedict was
forced to tarry, and, resuming their conversation, they
watched all night and mutually edified and comforted
one another.

Louis of Granada, in his treatise on the love of

LAST MEETING WITH HIS SISTEE. 231

God, mentions the storm obtained by St. Scholastica's
prayer, and exclaims : " What a proof of the love of
this holy soul ! She never doubted that her Beloved
would vouchsafe to grant her request, for she knew
that God does the will of those who fear Him.1 "
And St. Gregory in one brief sentence pronounces
her panegyric when he says that her prayers prevailed
over the wishes of her brother, " because she loved
the most ". Truly no more sublime praise could have
been bestowed. We have in the foregoing pages
tried to give a faint idea of the exceeding greatness
of Benedict's love for God : a love which absorbed
his whole soul; therefore, to say that Scholastica's
love for her Divine Spouse surpassed his proves the
height of perfection to which she had risen. No
wonder that this world could no longer detain a soul
such as hers : already the voice of her Beloved sounded
in her ears : " Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and
come ! " Her weary exile was at an end. In three
short days her chains would be broken, the gates of
Paradise would open to receive her, and angels would
come to conduct her to her everlasting home.

1 Pa. cxliv. 19.

CHAPTEK II.

THE DOVE OF THE CLOISTER FLIES TO HER HOME.
a.d. 543.

The following day, 8th February, 543, Scholastica
and Benedict parted to meet no more on earth, and
returned to their respective monasteries. Scholastica,
consumed by the fire of charity which burned in her
heart, languished with love ; and her frail body could
no longer contain the soul which craved to be set
free that it might fly to the object of its love. At
length on the 10th of February the voice of the
Bridegroom was heard calling for His spouse to cele-
brate with Him the heavenly nuptials.

At the hour of her death Benedict was in his cell,
when, raising his eyes, he saw the soul of his sister
ascending to heaven in the form of a dove. For one
moment, we may believe, nature asserted itself, and
a cry of anguish escaped from his lips; yet it was
but a passing shadow, and the vision of her sweet
innocence, added to her great glory, filled him with
such inexpressible joy and thankfulness that he burst
forth into hymns and psalms of praise. Then sum-
moning his monks, he told them the glad tidings and
bade them fetch the holy body from St. Mary's of

Plombariola and bring it to the abbey, m order that
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ST. scholastica's death. 233

he might bury it in the grave prepared for himself.
This custom of burying nuns in the church of the
monks was very common. We read that in the
desert of Scete, when a nun died, her sisters brought
the body to the bank of the river which separated the
two monasteries, and that the monks then crossed
the river, carrying palm branches and singing psalms,
and brought the body with great joy to their own
church, where the burial took place.

St. Gregory ends this chapter by saying that as
the souls of Benedict and Scholastica were always
one in God while they lived, so their bodies continued
together after death.1 Truly no brother and sister
had been more united to each other than these two.
Born on the same day, their early years had been
spent together, while they emulated one another in
the practice of every virtue. Both had embraced a
monastic life, both had lived under the same Rule ;
the same aspirations, the same longings had filled
the hearts of both, even the manner of their death
was identical, for they both died consumed with the
fire of Divine love. " Lovely, and comely in their
life, even in death they were not divided." 2

The remains of the holy virgin being brought to the
monastery were laid to rest in the oratory of St.
John the Baptist. We may well picture to ourselves
that funeral on a fresh spring morning : how the
tears that welled up into the eyes of those present

ltlUt quorum mens una semper in Deo fuerat, eorum quoque
corpora nee sepultura separet " (Vita S. Bened., c. xxxiv.).
2 2 Kings i. 23.

234 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

were rather tears of rejoicing at the happiness of one
so dear, than sorrow for her loss. Benedict's grand
faith must have been inspiring and infectious as he
stood by the grave, his venerable countenance aglow
with celestial joy and triumph. Unmindful of his
own loss he could only think and speak of the gain
for one who had been joined to him by a triple tie,
one who had been at once his spiritual child, his
sister in Christ and in holy religion, and his twin
and dear associate in virtue through life.

CHAPTER III.

"PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE
DEATH OF HIS SAINTS/'

a.d. 543.

The earthly tie which had bound the brother and

sister so closely together was now broken, but even

death could not sever the link which united their

souls. It seemed to Benedict that Scholastica had

never been nearer to him than now, and many a

time he would cry out to her, " My sister, fetch me

too, that with thee I may sing the canticle of the

Lamb". As the monks watched day by day his

waning strength they could not but feel that their

father must soon take leave of them. If Benedict

had always lived with the constant thought of death

before him, he now looked for it and longed for it

with an ever increasing desire ; and he had not long

to wait. God, who had made known to him the

secrets of so many hearts, revealed to him also the

time of his release. In the year which was to be his

last he foretold the day of his death to some of the

monks of his own monastery, and also to others who

were at a distance. These last are generally supposed

to have been St. Maurus and his companions ;

indeed, the opinion is confirmed by the fact that

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236 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Faustus, in his life of St. Maurus, relates how Maurus
told the day of Benedict's death to St. Komanus at
Fontrouge. Benedict enjoined silence with regard
to this prophecy on those monks who dwelt with
him, and to whom he gave his confidence. To those
who were absent he gave a token by which they
should know the exact time of his release.

On the 15th of March he had his grave opened.
Scarcely had this been done than he was seized by
a violent fever which consumed the little life still
remaining in him. Day by day his illness gained
ground and he grew more feeble, until at length on
the sixth day, calling his brethren, he bade them
carry his wasted form to the church, there to receive
for the last time the sacred Body and Blood of Our
Lord Jesus Christ. Standing in the oratory, sup-
ported by his sorrowing children, he died as he had
lived, his hands uplifted to heaven in prayer ; and
his great soul, unfettered and unstained, found its
rest at last in the bosom of the eternal God. On
the day of his most happy death two monks, one in
the monastery and the other far distant, had the
self-same vision concerning him. They saw a path
spread with garments and shining with innumerable
lamps which reached from the saint's cell in an
easterly direction even up to heaven. In the far
distance a man of venerable aspect was standing. He
asked them if they knew who had passed that way ;
and when they said they did not, he replied : " This
is the way by which Benedict the beloved servant of
God ascended up to heaven ".

HIS HOLY DEATH. 237

The great patriarch of Western monks died on the
Saturday before Passion Sunday, 21st March, 543, at
nine o'clock in the morning. St. Peter Damian says :
" Escorted by angel choirs singing hymns of praise,
he passed into the Eternal Kingdom. Who can
express or conceive the sublime welcome he received
from all the heavenly citizens ! What wonder that
he went to the dwelling of angels since, even in this
mortal life, he was worthy to hold familiar intercourse
with them."1 St. Bernard declares that Benedict's
glorious death is a pledge of the glory to be attained
by the whole of his Order. He says : " He who was
in all things truly blessed (Benedictus) and filled
with the Holy Spirit has erected for us a ladder, the
top of which rests in heaven, as we know from the
vision seen after his glorious death. What is this
path that leads from his cell to Paradise but the
Order which the holy man founded and the Rule of
life which emanated from him ? By this same path
the beloved of God ascended, for he could not teach
otherwise than he himself had lived."2 And St.
Peter Damain, already quoted, speaks in the like
manner when he says : " We may piously believe that
the ladder which once appeared and reached from
Monte Cassino to heaven is still strewn with garments
and lit with lamps ; and as it was once trodden by the
leader, so now the innumerable army of his followers
cannot fail to follow the same path to glory after

1 Sermo viii. in Vig. S. Bened.

2 Serm. de S. Bened.

238 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

death, if in this exile they have walked faithfully in
the footsteps of their holy founder." J

The monks laid their beloved father to rest beside
his sister in the grave he had prepared for himself in
the oratory of St. John the Baptist. This oratory
stood formerly outside the precincts of the monastery
church. The tomb now lies under the high altar, in
a crypt which is reached by two flights of steps. On
one side of the gate which closes this crypt is the
inscription : —

Quisquis es, ingredere et Benedicti corpus honora
Corde humili, flexo poplite, mente pia.

And on the other side : —

Aede sub hac celebri Scholastica virgo quiescit
Quam tibi futuram solicitato prece.

1 Opusc. 36, chap. xvi.

CHAPTEK IV.

THE REWARD EXCEEDING GREAT.

" He who soweth in blessings, shall also reap of
blessings " ; 1 and " then will He render to every man
according to his works ".2 Who can estimate Bene-
dict's works, or the blessings that he sowed ? His
whole life had been given to God ; while yet a mere
child he had left all that the world holds dear, and
like a second John the Baptist had fled into the
wilderness. He had preserved his heart unsullied
amid the licence and corruption of Kome ; he had
fought and won a hard battle against flesh and blood,
and by continual mortification had mastered his body.
When called upon to be a guide and teacher to others
he did not refuse this difficult vocation ; and with
the direction of souls he accepted the heaviest burden
God could have laid upon him. He had to endure
the persecutions of the wicked ; but he gave place to
anger, and repaid with blessings those who did him
an injustice. God gave him the mission of an
apostle and entrusted him with the work of uprooting
the last remnants of paganism ; and we have seen
how he fulfilled his task. Though pressed by famine
and want no word of complaint ever passed his lips,
but he was ever willing to share his last morsel with

1 2 Cor. ix. 6. 2 Matt. xvi. 27.

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240 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

the needy and to deprive himself of bare necessaries
for their relief. When God's honour demanded it
he did not hesitate to reprove Totila, the most dreaded
monarch of his age.

These things are historical facts, and have been
recorded as such. But what of those other countless
deeds of virtue, seen only by the eye of God, recorded
only by the angels? Yea, truly, no man could
number these, no book contain their record ! And
now Benedict is enjoying his reward ; that reward
which is none other than God Himself. He gazes
upon the beatific vision, and by reason of his great
glory it is clearer to him than to others who, like
him, have won their crown, but a crown less perfect.
Around him is gathered the innumerable ring of his
brethren, monks and nuns who, by means of his Holy
Eule, have attained to heavenly bliss. St. Odo says :
"If the multitude of his subjects form the glory of
a king, what must we think of that sovereign who
is surrounded by so numerous an army of monks ?
What king has ever ruled in so many different parts
of the universe? or has ever collected around him
such countless legions from every nation under
heaven, as those whom Benedict rules and commands
— souls of every age, race, rank and condition, who
have voluntarily dedicated themselves to the militia
of Christ?"1

To realise more fully the glory enjoyed by this
great saint, we have but to read the Bevelations of

1 Sermo de S. Bened,

VISION OF ST. GERTRUDE. 241

St. Gertrude. On his feast day, while she was
assisting at Matins, she beheld in spirit Benedict,
standing in the presence of the ever-peaceful Trinity
radiant with glory. His countenance was full of
majesty and beauty, his habit shone radiantly, while
bright and living roses seemed to spring forth from
his limbs, each one producing another, and these
again others, the last surpassing the first in fragrance
and beauty, so that the holy father, blessed by grace
and by name, ''gratia et nomine Benedictus," being
thus adorned, gave the greatest pleasure to the ador-
able Trinity and the heavenly court, who rejoiced
with him because of his beatitude. St. Gertrude ex-
plains this vision as follows : " The roses which thus
sprang forth from him signified the exercises which
he had used to subjugate his flesh to the spirit, and
all the holy actions he had performed, and also those
of all whom he had drawn by his persuasions, or
induced by his example, to leave the world and live
under regular discipline, because by following him
in this royal road they had attained, or will yet
attain, to the port of the celestial country and to life
eternal. Each of these souls is a subject of particular
glory to this great patriarch, for which the saints
praise God and congratulate Him continually." St.
Gertrude likewise saw that St. Benedict carried a
sceptre which was embellished on each side with
precious stones of great brilliancy. As he held it in
his hand, the side which was turned towards him
emitted a glorious light, which indicated the happi-
ness of those who embraced his Rule and amended

16

24'2 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

their lives, and on their account God overwhelmed
him with inconceivable joy. On the side which was
turned towards God, the Divine justice shone forth
which had been magnified in the condemnation of
those who had been called to his holy Order, but who
had rendered themselves unworthy of it, and therefore
had been condemned to eternal flames ; x for it is
just that those whom God calls to the holiest orders
should be the most severely punished, if they live
therein an evil life.

1 Revelations of St. Gertrude, part iv., chap. xx.

CHAPTEE V.

MIRACLES WROUGHT AFTER THE SAINT'S DEATH.

As in life God had endowed Benedict with the power
of working miracles, so after death the saint's arm
was not shortened, and many wonderful cures took
place through his intercession. St. Gregory says :
"He continueth even to this very time to work
miracles, if the faith of those who pray to him require
it ". He then goes on to relate how a certain mad
woman had experienced his help. She had lost the
use of her reason, and day and night she wandered
about among the mountains and valleys, the woods
and the fields, only resting when overcome by exhaus-
tion. It chanced one day that in her aimless wan-
derings she came to Benedict's cave. Without
knowing where she was, or the sanctity of the spot,
or any of the associations connected with it, she
entered the holy sanctuary and, being tired and weary,
fell asleep. When she awoke she had perfectly re-
covered her senses, and her cure was so effectual
that she was never again affected by any symptoms
of madness. St. Gregory probably mentions this
miracle because it was worked spontaneously and
unasked ; yet we cannot but regret that he did not
leave us some other examples.

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244 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Leo the Marsican relates how, in the time of
Charlemagne, a certain Englishman who was hoth
deaf and dumb made a pilgrimage with some others
to the tomb of the holy Apostles. From thence they
made their way to Monte Gargano, and on the road
came to Monte Cassino. Entering the church they
venerated the relics of St. Benedict, and then pre-
pared to continue their pilgrimage. But the deaf
and dumb man remained fixed to the spot, and, by
his gestures, they understood that he saw a vision.
Carried away by his feelings of devotion and confi-
dence he cried to Benedict to assist him ; and rising
from his prayers he was able to speak and under-
stand, not only his mother-tongue, but also Latin
and Italian.

The same author gives us another miracle worked
through the intercession of the saint in the time of
the holy Abbot Bertharius, who governed the monas-
tery of Cassino from 857-884. This abbot caused a
small town to be built at the foot of the mountain,
which he named Eulogumenopolis, or Benedict's
town. Among those engaged in the work was a
mason, who, owing to a severe illness, had lost the
power of speech for seven years. It happened on
one occasion that this poor man, overcome with
fatigue, fell asleep behind a pillar in the church while
the monks were chanting Matins. As he slept Bene-
dict appeared to him, and touched him gently on the
head with his staff, saying, " Art thou come hither to
sleep? Get up, and strike the ground three times."
At this the man awoke, and, having done as the saint

MIKACLES. 245

commanded, he suddenly recovered his speech and
in a loud voice began to praise and bless God and
His holy servant who had thus cured him.

Miracles continued to occur, not only in Italy,
but also in other countries, especially at the Abbey
of Fleury in France, which boasted of having a portion
of the saint's body. An account of these miracles
are given in a book written by the monk Adrevald
in the year 870, and in the eleventh and twelfth cen-
turies Aimoinus and Kudolph Tortarius, both monks
of Fleury, continued to chronicle the wonders that
took place ; the dumb spoke, the lame walked, the
blind saw, calamities were averted, and conversions
were obtained.

In the eleventh century devotion to the saint
received a new impetus, and many people came to
Monte Cassino to visit his tomb ; again miracles
were multiplied, an account of them being carefully
kept by Leo the Marsican, Peter the Deacon and the
Abbot Desiderius. St. Henry the Emperor, being
afflicted by a very painful disease, saw the saint in a
vision, and obtained from him his cure. From that
moment his only wish was to devote the remainder
of his life to God as a monk in the Abbey of St.
Vanne at Verdun ; but by the advice of the hoi}
Abbot Kichard he sacrificed his desire for the good
of his subjects.

CHAPTEE VI.

UNIVERSAL VENERATION.

At the period of which we write there was no
formal process of canonisation : the vox populi was
looked upon as the vox Dei, and a saint was recog-
nised as such by the consent of the bishop and the
acclamation of the people.

Benedict was at once universally venerated as a
saint, and his name inserted both in the Eoman
and Greek martyrologies ; the Greeks, however,
keep his festival on the 14th of March.

In the second book of his Dialogues St. Gregory
gives a most perfect and finished eulogium of this
blessed servant of God. He says : "Benedict was
a man of venerable life, blessed by grace and name
. . . one filled with the spirit of all the just . . .
a bright light placed upon a candlestick ... a
teacher of virtue and a model of righteousness".
Pope Zacharias (741-752) calls him "the morning
star, the friend of God, a father of blessings, a
wonder-worker, one raised to the height of angelic
glory, and a faithful and wise administrator ".

Pope Stephen III., who came to Monte Cassino
with the kings Pepin and Carloman and their sons
Carl and Carloman, when brought into the presence

of the saint's relics, filled with holy enthusiasm,

(246)

UNIVEKSAL VENERATION. 247

exclaimed aloud before many bishops and a large
concourse of the faithful : " Hail thou disciple of
Christ ! Hail thou friend of the Divine Bridegroom !
Hail thou preacher of the truth and teacher of
nations ! Hail thou universal shepherd of monks !
Pillar of the faith, 1 am thine ! Thine also these
bishops ; thine the clergy ; thine the people of
Eome ; thine these patricians ; thine the Lateran
basilica ; thine this monastery where thou dwellest
body and soul. Protect the Holy See, defend the
Roman Empire and these renowned patricians who
lie humbly prostrate before thee. Intercede for us
all, and may we enjoy thy clemency in time and
eternity."1

St. Bernard invokes St. Benedict as the master,
leader and legislator of monks ; a great and fruitful
tree ; a perfect model, whose holiness strengthens
us and whose love instructs us ; one beloved by God
and men, blessing us not only by his presence, but
by his continual thought of us, and feeding the flock
of Christ by his life, teaching and intercession.

Our Blessed Lady appeared on one occasion to
St. Bridget, and said to her: "The holy abbot
Benedict increased the gift of grace which he had
received, in that he despised all transient things and
made his flesh subservient to the spirit, preferring
nothing to Divine love. The world was dead to him,
and he thought only of God."

Baronius calls St. Benedict the great patriarch of

1 Anastas bibliotliec. in Chron. MS. Caasin,

248 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

monks, the jewel of the Western Church, a little
sapling from which forests of fruitful trees [have
sprung and filled the whole Church ; a bright light
which shone with so much lustre, even in the period
of terrible darkness, as to enlighten the entire world.

And lastly, we would quote the words of Odo, the
renowned abbot of Cluny. He says : " Christian
piety honours a saint in proportion as he is glorified
by God. Hence it is that Benedict is revered in
such a very special way ; and that Holy Church
considers him as one raised up by God in a wonder-
ful manner, and placed by Him amongst the most
exalted of the fathers and amongst the pillars of the
faith and promoters of discipline. The grace of the
Holy Ghost adorned him with both virtues and
miracles, and these in so high a degree as to make
him in all things worthy to be the leader of a chosen
band." 1

No wonder, then, that devotion to the saint quickly
spread all over Christendom. Princes and peoples,
priests and laymen, learned and unlearned, all vied
with one another in doing him honour ; and in less
than two centuries after his death there was no
corner of the Western Church where his intercession
was not invoked, and no Christian province which
did not boast of Benedictine abbeys, from whence
the Laus perennis arose daily as a sweet smelling
incense to the throne of the Lamb.

1 Sertn. de S. Bened.

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I.

HISTORY OF THE TRANSLATION OF ST. BENEDICT'S
RELICS.

Plato declares that those who have fallen as brave
champions in the fight are to be honoured as guardian
spirits, and their tombs treated with respect and venera-
tion. With far greater truth might the same be said of
those who have fought and won a great battle for the
faith. Holy Church has always reverenced the relics of
her martyrs as most precious treasures ; and we know
how in the days of persecution Christians would risk
their very lives in order to obtain possession of these and
save them from desecration. Though at first this venera-
tion was only shown to the bodies of the martyrs, it
gradually extended itself to the remains of confessors
and holy virgins, because sanctity does not consist in
martyrdom, but rather in charity. This veneration was
also increased by the fact that God allowed miracles to
be worked at their shrines and often permitted their
bodies to remain incorrupt, in many cases causing a
sweet fragrance to emanate from their relics. However,
it sometimes happened that, in times of war and invasion,
these relics have been scattered or irretrievably lost,
and it would seem that God permits this in order to
show that devotion is not to be confined merely to the
bodies of His saints, but that He wishes them to be
equally honoured whether their relics have been pre-

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252 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

served or not. If, then, a dispute has arisen as to whether
the body of St. Benedict is at Monte Cassino or at Fleury,
there is no reason why the controversy should lead to
strife and contention. God honours Benedict not only at
Monte Cassino and Fleury, but in every place where His
servant is reverenced and loved. Besides, Monte Cassino,
whether it possesses the holy body or not, is in itself a
relic of the saint ; and even if Fleury did not take away
the treasure they coveted, at least we cannot but admire
the zeal which prompted them to send an embassy to
Monte Cassino for the purpose. As a life of the saint
would be incomplete without some account of the contro-
versy which has agitated so many minds as to where
his blessed body really is, we will briefly relate both
sides of the question, without however attempting to
solve the difficulty.

In early days we find Adrevald supporting the claims
of Fleury ; Leo the Marsican and Peter the Deacon those
of Monte Cassino. Later, again, we have John Bosco,
Charles Saussy, Simon Millet, Hugh Menard, le Conte
and Mabillon siding with Fleury ; and Matthew Lauret,
Abbot of San Salvador in Castile, and Angelo della Noce,
Abbot of Monte Cassino, both taking the opposite view.
Anthony Yepez and Arnold Wion are both of opinion
that the relics were removed to Fleury, but restored
again to Monte Cassino at a later date ; Baronius, Hens-
chenius and others remain undecided, and Bollandus
inclines to the French side. We will first relate what
the monks of Fleury say, and then give the Cassinese
version.

According to Adrevald, who first wrote fully on the
subject, Mummolus, Abbot of the Monastery of Fleury,
which was founded in the year 644, having read St.

APPENDIX I. 253

Gregory's life of St. Benedict, and understanding the
sad plight of the monastery at Monte Cassino since its
destruction by the Lombards in 580, was filled with a
desire to possess himself of the precious relics buried
amongst its ruins. In order to accomplish this he chose
a monk named Aigulph, a man both pious and intelligent.
Whilst he was making preparations for the journey, two
delegates arrived at Fleury on their way to Monte Cassino
to execute a commission for the Bishop of le Mans. This
bishop, Borcarius, had been admonished in a vision to try
to procure the relics of St. Scholastica for a convent he
was founding. The cautious delegates, however, did not
reveal the real object of their journey, and consented to
take Aigulph as their travelling companion and fellow-
pilgrim. Having reached Eome, they occupied them-
selves in visiting the holy places, and while so engaged
Aigulph, unable to brook the delay and eager to accom-
plish his mission, slipped away from his companions and
hurried on to Monte Cassino. Arrived there, he carefully
explored the ruins, but without result. He then had
recourse to prayer ; and as he knelt, an old man with a
venerable countenance approached him. They exchanged
a few words of greeting, and Aigulph determined to make
the old man his confidant, and, if possible, obtain assist-
ance from him. The old man told him to notice the
direction of a bright ray of light which he would see at
dawn, saying that it would guide him to the object of
his search. Aigulph followed his directions, and quickly
discovered the precious tomb ; at first he was somewhat
perplexed, as a heavy stone closed the coffin and he had
no means of lifting it ; but perceiving that the sides were
formed of stones joined with mortar, he patiently loosened
them, and thus was enabled to obtain possession of the

254 THE LIFE AND TTMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

two bodies he so much coveted. These he carefully laid
in a basket he had brought.

He had just completed his work when his former
travelling companions appeared on the scene, and seeing
that he had already taken the relics they had come in
search of, they were reluctantly obliged to make known
to him the object of their mission. Both parties mutu-
ally agreed to leave the decision as to who should
eventually keep the treasures till they reached Fleury ;
recognising the necessity of carrying away the bodies
in all haste over the frontier, before the news of their
theft reached the ears of Pope St. Martin I. This they
succeeded in doing, though they were closely followed
by a troop of soldiers sent by the pontiff in pursuit of
them as soon as he discovered what they had done.

These holy men were so overjoyed at having the sacred
relics in their possession that it never seemed to occur
to them that their pious theft was, to say the least of
it, very unjustifiable and contrary to the wishes of the
Sovereign Pontiff; however, it may be that tradition
has somewhat exaggerated the true state of the case.
When the travellers arrived at a village near Orleans,
named Bonney, two striking miracles were wrought
through the intercession of the saint : a blind man re-
covered his sight, and a cripple who could scarcely crawl
was restored to health and strength. They reached
Fleury on 11th July, and the monks, coming in proces-
sion to meet them, bore their treasure in triumph to the
church amid universal rejoicing. Aigulph was loath to
allow the body of St. Scholastica to be separated from
that of St. Benedict ; but he was at length obliged to
submit to the decision of higher authorities, and St.
Scholastica was taken to le Mans. Such, in short, is

APPENDIX I. 255

the history of the translation, and though it is impossible
to vouch for the details of this story, or to separate the
bare truth from that which is legendary, still there is
little doubt as to the truth of the main facts. The
authority of Aigulph and the miracles which took place
at Fleury tend to prove the identity of the relics ; while
Paul Warnefried, secretary to Charlemagne and subse-
quently a monk at Monte Cassino, adds his testimony to
the translation. He says : " The Franks from le Mans,
while they feigned to pass the night by the venerable
body, took away the bones both of the saint and his
sister, and brought them to France, where two separate
monasteries were built, one in honour of St. Benedict,
the other of St. Scholastica ". But he adds, for his own
consolation and that of his fellow-monks at Monte
Cassino : " Although the bones have been taken from us,
nevertheless, it is certain that the blessed mouth once
overflowing with the nectar of all sweetness, and the
eyes which ever gazed heavenwards, and all those por-
tions of the sacred body which have fallen into dust
remain with us". Probably after the removal of the
relics the grave was examined, and it was found that
many of the smaller bones, teeth and fleshy portions of
the bodies had been left ; at least, this seems implied
by the words just quoted, which were written 120 years
after the translation, and coming from a Cassinese monk
they are a very important testimony.

A feast was very soon instituted to commemorate the
translation of the holy relics, and in Venerable Bede's
Marlyrology we find the words, " Quinto Idus Julii : depo-
sitio S. Benedicti Abbatis". It is likewise found in
Wandelbert's Martyrology, published in 842, and is men-
tioned by Pope John III. in a brief to the Abbot of Fleury.

256 THE LIFE AND TTMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

Next we will state the theory maintained by Yepez
and Arnold Wion, to the effect that the relics were restored
to Monte Cassino during the pontificate either of Pope
Zachary or Stephen III. This seems more than impro-
bable, since it is not even mentioned by Paul Warnefried
and others who lived after these two Popes, and wrote
about the translation of the relics. If they believed that
the bones had been restored they would have written in
a very different strain.

Let us now return to the Cassinese side of the question.
The monks of Monte Cassino, who maintain that they
are still in possession of their holy founder's body, rest
their conviction on the testimony of Leo the Marsican and
Peter the Deacon. The former, in his Chronicle, speaks
of the rebuilding of the great church at Monte Cassino,
which took place under Abbot Desiderius, who ruled the
monastery from 1065 till 1071 ; he was afterwards raised
to the pontificate and took the name of Victor III. Leo
relates that, as the builders were excavating, they came
suddenly on the tomb of St. Benedict, and that the abbot
immediately gave strict orders that no one was to touch
it or take any portion of the precious relics. He then
caused the tomb to be re-covered and adorned with costly
stones, the whole being closed with a lid of Parian marble
of exquisite workmanship. This evidence, as it stands,
does not prove much ; but Peter the Deacon, who wrote
in 1110, many years later, gives further details as follows.
He says : "At the discovery of the tomb, a wonderful
perfume emanated from the relics, an earthquake shook
the mountain, and two possessed persons were cured.
As the monks watched all night by the tomb, Brother
George, the sacristan, proposed that they should raise the
stone and look into the grave ; this being done, they found

APPENDIX r. 257

in it two divisions and two bodies lying with their heads
towards the choir, and their feet towards the altar of St.
John the Baptist. Brother George, in spite of the abbot's
prohibition, took a tooth from one of the bodies, but he
was seized with such a violent pain that he was forced
to restore it." Peter then relates how Abbot Desiderius
invited cardinals to come and visit the relics, and showed
them the entire bodies of the two saints.

The question now arises as to how far Peter's evidence
may be relied on. It seems incredible that such astonish-
ing facts, if they really happened, should not have been
mentioned either by Leo the Marsican or by Abbot
Desiderius himself, especially as the latter wrote two
books of Dialogues concerning the miracles wrought in
his time through the intercession of the saint. We can
only assume, with Abbot Angelo della Noce, that Peter
was a man of lively imagination, who wrote chiefly from
hearsay ; and we may well believe that during the inter-
vening years facts had been considerably coloured. In
consequence, his evidence is of little or no value. We
are inclined to give more weight to Leo's account of
St. Henry's vision. This emperor was staying at Monte
Cassino when St. Benedict appeared to him and told him
to lay aside all doubts as to his body being really there,
in proof of which he promised to cure him of the painful
disease from which he suffered. This promise was verified,
as we have already seen. However, it does not follow,
even from this, that all the relics are at Monte Cassino :
no one doubts that a portion of them still remain there ;
and, after all, a dead body has no organised whole ; it is
simply an aggregate of inanimate component parts of
which one portion is not of more value than another,
since both flesh and bones gradually crumble into dust.

17

258 THE LIFE AND TIMES OP ST. BENEDICT.

Leo also relates two other visions in which St. Benedict
appeared, respectively, to Pope Urban II. and a monk
named Adam, saying : " From this place both Scholastica
and myself will rise again on the last day". Yet even
this does not prove that some of the relics were not
removed to Fleury.

The Bull of Pope Urban II. forbidding the celebration
of the feast of the " Translation " would, if genuine, have
been the strongest testimony, but Baronius has incontro-
vertibly proved it a forgery, and shows that the feast has
always been celebrated, not only at Fleury, but in many
other monasteries. The heat of the quarrel somewhat
abated in the eleventh century, when Oderisius, Abbot of
Monte Cassino, wrote a most affectionate letter to the
Abbot of Fleury. Mabillon gives it as follows : " We
have determined with great affection and sincere love to
write in a friendly manner to your lordship, in order that
our monasteries may be but one, and that we may be
ever united by a spiritual and inviolable love. For there
is a very special reason why our brotherhood and yours
should love each other above the rest, namely, that we
both rejoice in being possessors of the incomparable trea-
sure of St. Benedict's relics ; and although our possession
has been proved by miracles, signs and revelations, yet, if
you also have become possessed of some portions of the
relics, we still remain debtors to each other by a singular
and special love."

The strife began afresh towards the middle of the
seventeenth century. Men of recognised authority dis-
puted, without coming to a satisfactory conclusion on
either side. About the year 1760 Angelo della Noce,
Abbot of Monte Cassino, caused excavations to be made
under the high altar, when a tomb was discovered con-

APPENDIX I. 259

taining bones, but no inscription was to be found, or any
sign by which to identify them as the precious relics.
Angelo published these facts in order to refute Mabillon,
whose sympathies were with Fleury. Still Mabillon was
not convinced, owing to the absence of any inscription ;
and concluded that they might be the bones of some other
Cassinese abbot. There the matter rests ; and it seems
most probable, after weighing well the argument, that the
greater part of the sacred relics are at Fleury, while the
dust and smaller portions remain in their original resting
place.

After the first translation, the holy bones were frequently
carried about for safety during the Norman invasion in
the eleventh century ; for a long time they remained at
Orleans, but finally returned again to Fleury. On 20th
March, 1107, in presence of Louis VI., then crown prince,
the Bishops of Orleans and Auxerre, and a large assembly
of priests, monks and laymen, the relics were removed
from the copper case where they had hitherto rested, and
placed in a gold and silver chdsse adorned with precious
stones. Later in the year Philip of France died, and at
his own express desire, and on account of his great
veneration for St. Benedict, he was buried at Fleury.
During his lifetime he had made many rich offerings to
the shrine.

In 1217 the relics were placed under the high altar
amid great rejoicings, in presence of many distinguished
prelates. In 1364 Urban V., having built a church at
Montpellier in honour of Our Lady and St. Benedict,
received from Fleury a portion of the saint's head and
one of his arm bones for the spiritual enrichment of the
same. When in 1561 Odet of Coligny, Cardinal and
Abbot of Fleury, allowed himself to be blinded by the

260 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

false doctrines of Calvin, he had the audacity to carry off
all the gold and precious stones from the reliquaries
which contained the holy bones. These last were only
preserved through the efforts of the Prior Fulbert, who
placed them in a wooden chest, where they remained till
27th May, 1581, when they were transferred to a gilded
reliquary by Prior Pothin. In the following century
the zeal of the newly erected Congregation of St. Maur
directed its energies to raising the necessary funds for pro-
curing a more suitable shrine for the precious treasure.
Gaston Bourbon, uncle to Louis XIV., was the first
benefactor of the undertaking, and many followed his
example ; with the result that a silver tomb richly gilt
was constructed, three and a half feet long, and two feet
wide, the whole surmounted by a silver head containing
the saint's skull. The holy relics were solemnly installed
therein, 3rd May, 1653, by John, Bishop of Caen, during
a general chapter of the Maurist Congregation.

Belies of the saint are also to be found in the Church
of St. Denis at Paris ; this church received one of the
arm bones from Fleury in 1393. A bone was also given
to the Valladolid Congregation in 1594 at the request of
Henry III. of Castile. A part of the jawbone is kept at
the monastery of St. Peter at Chartres, and a rib bone
at St. Theodore's near Eheims. A bone was also sent
to Monte Cassino by Abbot Medon.

APPENDIX II.

EARLY WRITERS ON THE LIFE OF ST. BENEDICT.

I. Vita S. Benedicti Abbatis — auctore S. Greg or io
Magno, Papa. — St. Gregory wrote four books of Dialogues
about certain men who, shortly before his time, had been
famous in Italy for the holiness of their lives. The
second book is filled with the life of St. Benedict. The
author worked at this with a special predilection, show-
ing thereby the preference and appreciation he had for
that saint. In this book of Dialogues miracles are re-
lated which excite the ridicule of modern sceptics ; but
miracles have happened, and always will happen, to
witness to the truth of the teaching and authority of
Christ and His saints. St. Gregory's narrative was not
taken merely from hearsay or idle rumour, but wTas
founded on the testimony of men who were disciples
of the saint, eye-witnesses of all they affirm, and the
veracity of whose statements cannot be called in ques-
tion. In his prologue St. Gregory says : " All the
notable things and acts of his life I could not learn ; but
those few which I mind now to report, I had by the
relation of four of his disciples, to wit, of Constantinus,
a most rare and reverend man, who was next abbot after
him; of Valentinus, who many years had the charge of
the Lateran abbey ; of Simplicius, who was the third
general of his order ; and, lastly, of Honoratus, who is

(261)

262 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

now abbot of that monastery in which he first began his
holy life ".'

St. Gregory's biography of the saint has a very special
value which none have ever denied. It consists of a pro-
logue and thirty-eight chapters ; the style is colloquial.
St. Gregory speaks, while Peter, his disciple, asks oc-
casional questions and receives suitable explanations
where the meaning might be obscure.

Pope Zacharias translated the Dialogues into Greek,
and in 779 an Arabic edition was published. St.
Gregory's life of St. Benedict has been copiously com-
mented upon by many learned men, among whom we
may mention : —

1. Matthew Lauretus, a monk of Montserrat, subse-
quently Abbot of San Salvador. In the year 1616 he
published at Naples a book of commentaries on the Cas-
sinese Chronicles. This book begins with a commentary
on St. Gregory's life of St. Benedict.

2. Simon Millet, a monk of Saint-Germain-des-Pres in
Paris. He wrote a still more detailed work on the same
subject.

3. Angelo della Noce, Abbot of Monte Cassino, and
subsequently Archbishop of Eossana. He brought out
a new book of commentaries on the Cassinese Chronicles,
also beginning with a commentary on St. Gregory's life
of the saint.

4. Angelus Quirinus, a Cassinese monk, who became
Cardinal-Bishop of Brescia. He was made librarian at
the Vatican, and published the text of the Greek life,
carefully noting the differences found in earlier editions ;
to this work he added some poems, epilogues and homilies
in honour of St. Benedict.

1 Dialogues, quart, series. Prologue.

APPENDIX II. 263

5. Philip James, Abbot of St. Peter's in the Black
Forest. After carefully studying all the commentaries
then extant, he, with great diligence and discernment,
selected the best, and having added some Latin poems,
published the whole in 1782.

II. Cabmen de S. Benedicto — auctore Marco, ejus

discipulo. — Unfortunately we know nothing of this author

beyond the fact that, according to Paul the Deacon, he

was a disciple of the saint (de gest. Longob.). The

poem consists of thirty-three distichs, and treats chiefly

of St. Benedict's journey from Subiaco to Cassino, the

abolition of idolatry from the mountain, and the perfection

of the monks in the monastery there erected. Speaking

of himself the poet says : —

Hue ego cum scelerum depressus fasce subissem,
Depositum sensi pondus abesse rnihi.
Credo quod et felix vita f ruar insuper ilia,
Oras pro Marco si Benedicte tuo.

III. Carmen de S. Benedicto — auctore Paulo diacono.
— This poem consists of only fifty-six trochaics ; never-
theless it contains all the principal facts of the saint's
life : it might well be called " mirabile compendium vitae
S. Benedicti".

IV. Vita S. Mauri — auctore S. Ferns to ejus aequali. —
The life in its present form is the work of Odo, Abbot of
Fosse (Saint-Maure-sur-Marne), near Paris. Under this
abbot, the relics of St. Maurus were translated from
Glanfeuil (Saint-Maure-sur-Loire) to Fosse. Odo, in his
history of the translation, relates that the monks flying
from Glanfeuil for fear of the Normans, and carrying
with them the relics of St. Maurus, came to the river
Saone on their way to Burgundy. There they fell in by
chance with some pilgrims returning from Borne, and

264 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

among these was a certain cleric, who had in his posses-
sion a very old manuscript containing lives of St. Bene-
dict, and of his disciples Maurus, Simplicius, Honoratus,
Theodorus and Valentinian. Odo bought the manuscript
for a considerable sum, and set to work to transcribe the
life of St. Maurus. The facts and the miracles he left
unchanged, but he endeavoured to "make the style some-
what more readable. He would, however, have done
better if he had not changed the incultus sermo, as he
calls it, and had given the manuscript word for word.
As it is, there are several errors as to dates, and he
calls the bishop who had invited St. Benedict to make
a foundation in his diocese Bertigraimus instead of
Innocent. Nevertheless, the publication has proved
invaluable to Church history.

Kuinart proves that this manuscript was originally
the work of the monk Faustus, alleging the following
reasons : —

First, that the author writes of facts in a way which
would have been impossible for any one not an eye-
witness, and that the style is very ancient.

Second, Odo's own testimony, who, being a man of
great piety, conscientiousness and discretion, calls God
to witness that he has altered no facts.

Third, that Adrewald, a monk of Fleury, speaks of St.
Maurus' life written by Faustus, as of a work everywhere
recognised. Adrewald was Odo's contemporary.

Faustus wrote in the most simple style. In his book
he mentions his own person, saying that as a child of
seven years old he had been offered by his parents to St.
Benedict, and had lived fourteen years at Monte Cassino
with St. Maurus ; after which he had accompanied Maurus
to France, where he remained with him till his death ;

APPENDIX II. 265

he then returned to Monte Cassino in 584, and had
written the life of the saint at the command of Abbot
Theodore, dedicating his book to Pope Boniface. Leo
the Marsican thinks this was Boniface III., who only
governed the Church eight months ; but Mabillon says
it was Boniface IV. his successor. Besides jbhe preface,
the life only contains ten chapters.

V. Carmina de S. Benedicto — auctore S. Berthario. —
St. Bertharius was nineteenth Abbot of Monte Cassino.
He wrote both an elegy and a poem in honour of St.
Benedict. His language is fluent and harmonious, his
thoughts sublime, his descriptions most touching and
true to life, but the poetic value of the whole necessarily
suffers from the way in which he enumerates every event
of the saint's life. At this period the Saracens were
ravaging Italy, and destroying with fire and sword every-
thing which came in their way. As they approached
Monte Cassino, Bertharius fled with his monks to the
monastery of S. Salvator at the foot of the mountain.
The barbarians, after setting fire to the monastery
of Cassino, followed them to S. Salvator and martyred
Bertharius before the altar of St. Martin, 22nd October,
884.

VI. HlSTORIA TRANSLATIONS S. BENEDICTI ET S. SCHO-

lasticae — auctore Adrevaldo. — The author of this work
is called Adalbert by Kudolph Tortarius of Fleury, who
mentions him in his poem on the miracles of St. Benedict ;
but Aimoinus speaks of him as iVdrevald, whence both
Sigebert of Gemblours and Trithemius infer that the two
names belong to the same person. Mabillon is of the-^
same opinion. Aimoinus says that Adrevald was a very
eloquent man ; otherwise we have few details concerning
him. Of himself he writes that he was still pf youth

266 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

when Louis the Pious was king. From his writings one
cannot fail to perceive his evident sanctity. His history
of the translation contains only three chapters, but it is
important inasmuch as it is the foundation on which the
monks of Fleury lay their claim to the relics of St. Benedict.

VII. HlSTORIA MIRACULORUM S. BENEDICT! — CLUCtore

Adrevaldo. — To the history of the translation just quoted
Adrevald added an account of St. Benedict's miracles
written in the year 870. The book contains five chapters,
and a supplement taken from the writings of the monk
Adelerius, his contemporary.

VIII. Miraculorum S. Benedicti libri nvo—auctore
Aimoino monacho Floriacensi. — Aimoinus was born of
noble parents at Villefranche in Perigord, 965. He be-
came a monk at Fleury, and lived successively under the
rule of the abbots Amalbert, Oibold and Abbo. Abbo
was not only his spiritual father, but also his master and
instructor. In 1004 he went in the suite of this abbot
to Beole, where he had the sorrow of witnessing the
assassination of his much loved father and guide. He
only survived him four years. Besides two books con-
cerning the miracles of St. Benedict, he wrote a history
of the Franks in four books (extending from 253-654)
dedicated to St. Odo. In the year 1005 he wrote the
life of St. Abbo, and shortly before his death he com-
posed a sermon for the festival of St. Benedict. To
Aimoinus we owe the fullest known account of St.
Benedict's miracles.

IX. Miracula S. Benedicti — auctore Budolpho Tor-
tario monacho Floriacensi. — Eudolph lived in the eleventh
and twelfth centuries. Besides a voluminous work treating
of St. Benedict's miracles, he composed a poem on the
same subject.

APPENDIX II. 267

X. Carmen de miraoulis S. Benedicti — auctore
Giraldo, monacho Floriacensi. — This poem contains 257
distichs. It was found at Rome in the library of Queen
Christina of Sweden. Of the author little is known ; he
lived in the eleventh century. In the year 1095 we hear
of him as a monk at Fleury, where he was still living in
1114.

XI. Chronica sacri monasterii Cassinensis — auctore
Leone Ostiensi, continuatore Petro diacono, monacho Gassin-
etisi. — Leo's chronicles embrace the period between 542
and 1078 ; they are in three volumes. Peter the Deacon
has added a fourth. Leo is sur named " the Marsican,"
after Marsia, his birthplace ; this little town no longer
exists, but formerly it was situated on a summit of the
Apennines east of Subiaco. At fourteen years of age he
became a monk at Monte Cassino, and enjoyed for some
time the guidance of Abbot Desiderius, who became
eventually Pope Victor III. Under Abbot Oderisius he
was ordained deacon, and made librarian of the monastery.
The same abbot imposed on him the task of writing the
Cassinese Chronicles. Baronius says that in this work
he proves himself a most reliable and trustworthy his-
torian, and Ciaconius speaks of him as one both learned
and saintly ; while Angelo della Noce is loud in praise of
his eloquence, sound judgment, knowledge, faith and love
of truth. In 1101 Leo was created Cardinal-Bishop of
Ostia. The year of his death is unknown ; he was still
alive in 1115, as he affixed his signature to a Bull of Pope
Paschal II.

Peter the Deacon, who continued the chronicle, was
the son of a Roman named Egidius, and grandson of the
patrician Gregory ; he was born in 1110, and was sent to
Monte Cassino as an alumnus when only five years old.

268 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

In 1131 the Abbot Oderisius II. was compelled by his
enemies to go into exile, where he was followed by Peter ;
but after the deposition of the Abbot Bgidius they returned,
and during the pontificate of Alexander III. Oderisius
again governed the monastery. Peter's chronicle is not
to be compared with Leo's, inasmuch as his lively imagi-
nation and hasty judgment often led him astray. He
continues the Chronicles up to 1140. He also wrote de
viris Ulustribm Gassinensibus — de disciplina Cassinensi —
hiitorica relatio do corpore S. Benedlcti — Acta SS. Giiiui-
zonis ct Januarii — vita S. Adelmarii, and other treatises.

XII. Acta SS. Placidi et fratrum ejus Eutychii,

VlOrORINI, AC FLAVIAE SORORIS NEC NON DONATI, FlRMATI
DIACONI, AC FAUSTI ET ALIORUM TRIGINTA MONACHORUM

Martyrum— <XMc£ore Gordiano. — This manuscript, pre-
sumably written by a disciple of St. Benedict and a com-
panion of St. Placid, was brought to light in the twelfth
century. Peter the Deacon and Abbot Octavius Cajetan
tell us that it was discovered by an aged Greek priest 110
years old, who brought it from Constantinople to Salermo,
translating and writing it out in his own style. A certain
Stephen Aniciensis, a man otherwise unknown, also
boasted of the work as his. The many erroneous state-
ments and contradictions render the book practically
worthless, except that it proves that either an account
of St. Placid's martyrdom did exist from which the above-
mentioned acts were taken, or else that there must have
been a well-known tradition about it current among the
people. The book is very voluminous.

XIII. Sol occidentis, magnus Pater Benedictus —
auctore Alphonso de S. Victore. — Alphonsus was a Bene-
dictine gifted with splendid talents ; he was chosen by
Philip IV. to fill the office of court preacher, and subse-

APPENDIX II. 269

quently became Bishop of Zamora. The above-mentioned
work consists of two volumes, and was published at
Madrid in 1645.

XIV. Laudbs S. Patris nostri Benedicti Abbatis —
auctore Carol. Stengelio Abb. — Charles Stengelus, Abbot
of Anhusano, wrote very fully and with great taste. He
gathered the Laudes, as he calls them, from Haeften's
Disquisition, and divides his work into three volumes; it
was published in 1647.

XV. Vie de S. Benoit, par Bernard Planchette, Paris,
1652. — This life is in three volumes, and dedicated to the
Queen of France.

XVI. Vita S. Benedicti . . . didactica — auctore Ar-
senio Sulger, Priore Zwifaltersi. Typis monast. S. Galli,
1691.

XVII. Vita S. Benedicti . . . moraliter exposita ab
Ignatio Glavenau, monacho Admontensi. Saiisb., 1720.

XVIII. Gloria SS. Benedicti in terris adornata a
Tkoma Aquino Erhard, monacho Wessofontano, 1719.

XIX. Besides the above-mentioned works there are
also the Annals of Yepez, Baronius, Mabillon, Bucellin,
Arnold Wion's Lignum vitae, and the learned Prolegomena
of Haeften, Abbot of Afflighem.

APPENDIX III.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE
EVENTS WHICH TOOK PLACE DURING THE LIFE-
TIME OF ST. BENEDICT.

A.D.

480. Peace is concluded between the Emperor Zeno and

Huneric, King of the Vandals.
The Goths make further conquests in Gaul.

481. Clovis, a youth of fifteen, succeeds his father as King

of the Franks.

Pherozes, King of the Persians, and thirty of his
sons, killed in a battle against the Nephtalites.

Theodoric the Goth begins his conquests in Mace-
donia and Thessalia.

482. The Emperor Zeno's edict regarding the Henotikon

only causes greater disturbances.

483. A conference between Catholics and Arians, under

King Huneric.

484. Great persecution in Africa ; more than 40,000 Chris-

tians suffer martyrdom.

485. Death of Huneric.

486. Clovis defeats Syagrius, the Roman commander, near

Soissons, and makes himself master of Soissons,
Rheims, Troyes, Beauvais, Amiens and the
whole of Belgium.

487. Gundamund, King of the Vandals, recalls Eugenius,

Bishop of Carthage, from banishment.
Boetius sole consul.

(270)

APPENDIX III. 271

A.D.

The Emperor Zeno leaves to Theodoric the conquest
of Italy.

489. The Ostrogoths advance on Italy.

490. Theodoric is victorious over Odoacer, King of Italy,

both at Milan and Verona.

491. Odoacer is again defeated near the river Adda.
Death of Zeno. Anastasius I. succeeds him.

493. Clovis marries Clotilde.

Theodoric concludes a peace with Odoacer, and then
treacherously murders him. Theodoric becomes
sole master of Italy, and establishes the Gothic
rule in that country.

494. Pope St. Gelasius writes an apology for the Catholic

faith to the emperor.

495. Clovis defeats the Alemanni at Tolbiac. He is

baptised with 3,000 Franks, and is surnamed
" the most Christian king and eldest son of the
Church ".

497. Germanus of Capua and Cresconius of Todi are

sent to Constantinople to put an end to the
schism and restore union between the two
Churches.

498. Opposition of the anti-Pope Lawrence.
The Arabs invade Palestine and Syria.

499. Gondebaud, King of Burgundy, assists at a conference

between the Christians and Arians.

500. Theodoric enters Eome amid extraordinary rejoicings.

502. The Persians invade Armenia, and seize Theodosio-

polis.
Clovis conquers Brittany.

503. Conquest of Amida by the Persians at the cost of

30,000 lives.

272 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

A.I).

504. War between Clovis and Alaric II., King of the Goths.

505. Thrasimund, King of the Vandals, renews the perse-

cution in Africa, and exiles over 200 bishops
Anastasius makes peace with Persia.

506. The Emperor Anastasius causes great disorder in the

Eastern Church.

507. Clovis defeats the Goths at Poitiers, and becomes

king over nearly the whole of France.

508. He makes Paris the capital of his kingdom. Siege

of Aries.

509. Many Christians are martyred at the siege of Aga-

rener in Palestine.
Peace is concluded between Clovis and Theodoric.

510. Vitalian revolts against the Emperor Anastasius.
Clovis endeavours to rid himself of all dangerous

rivals among his relations.

511. Death of Clovis.

Anastasius attempts to deprive the Church of her
inalienable rights.

512. Eebellion at Constantinople.

The Eutychians put to death 300 Maronite monks.

513. Plague of grasshoppers and faminenn Palestine.

514. Vitalian again threatens to revolt if Anastasius per-

sists in his persecution.
Cassiodorus consul at Eome.

515. The orthodox monks of the East persecuted by

Severus, leader of the Eutychians.
Macedonia invaded by Northern tribes.
518. Anastasius is killed by lightning. Justin I. succeeds

him.
The decrees of the Council of Chalcedon solemnly

accepted by the new emperor and his subjects.

APPENDIX III. 273

A.D.

By an edict, heretics are excluded from civil and

military service.
519. After thirty-five years of separation, the Eastern

Church is once more united to Borne, on Easter

Sunday, 28th March.
John, Patriarch of Constantinople, for the first time

styles himself Patriarcha " oecumenicus ".
Eutharic, son-in-law to Theodoric, makes a solemn

entry into Borne as consul.
523. Sigismund, King of Burgundy, is defeated by one of

Clovis' sons, and having been delivered over to

Clodomir is murdered, together with his wife

and children.
Death of Thrasimund, King of the Vandals.
The Manicheans are banished from the empire.

525. Boetius and Symmachus, his father-in-law, are

murdered by Theodoric' s command.

526. Pope John I. dies in prison.

Death of Theodoric. Alliance between Athalaric,
his son and successor, and the Emperor Justin.

527. Death of Justin I. He is succeeded by Justinian.

528. Fearful earthquake at Antioch, Laodicea and Seleucia.
Justinian recovers the churches which had fallen

into the hands of heretics.

529. Publication of the famous code of laws drawn up by

Tribonian and his colleagues at the emperor's
command, and called the "Justinian Code".

530. Gelimer dethrones Hilderic, King of the Vandals.
Closing of the Pagan schools at Athens.

531. Continuous war between Justinian and the Persians.

Death of Cobad ; conclusion of the war.
Beginning of the terrible plague which lasted fifty
18

274 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

A.D.

years, and spread in different forms over all the

known world.

532. Dionysius publishes his famous cycle.
Kebellion at Constantinople, 30,000 lives lost.

533. Belisarius' expedition into Africa.

534. He subdues the whole country and exterminates

the Vandals.

Death of King Athalaric, the Goth. Theodatus
succeeds him.

Gundomar, King of Burgundy, is captured and his
kingdom incorporated into that of the Franks.

Belisarius conquers Sardinia, Corsica, Ceuta, Ma-
jorca and Minorca.

535. He conquers Italy.

536. Also Naples and Eome.

Death of Theodatus. Vitiges is elected king.

537. Expulsion of Pope Silverius.

538. Belisarius and Narses are victorious in Upper Italy.

Terrible famine throughout that country.

539. King Vitiges is taken by Belisarius as prisoner to

Constantinople.

540. Ildebald is chosen king of the Goths.

541. Totila succeeds him and is successful against the

Eomans.

542. Totila reconquers all the cities taken by Belisarius.
Plague at Constantinople.

543. Totila besieges Eome.

APPENDIX IV.

PRINCIPAL COUNCILS AND SYNODS, PROM a.d. 480 to 543.

A.D.

481. At Laodioea, in favour of Stephen III., Patriarch
of Alexandria.

484. At Rome, under Felix III., on which occasion the

legates Vitalis and Misenus were excommuni-
cated, Peter Mongus of Alexandria and Acacius
of Constantinople condemned, and Zeno's
" Henotikon " rejected, 28th July.

485. At Rome, for the purpose of condemning Peter the

Fuller, Patriarch of Antioch.

492. At Constantinople, under the Patriarch Euphemius,
for the ratification of the decrees of the Council
of Chalcedon.

495 or 496. At Constantinople, when the bishops unjustly-
deposed the Patriarch Euphemius, and elected
Macedonius at the bidding of the Emperor
Anastasius.

496. At Rome, when Misenus the legate was absolved
from excommunication.

496. At Rome, when a list was drawn up of the Canoni-
cal books, the (Ecumenical Councils, and the
Fathers of the Church beginning with St.
Cyprian.

499. At Rome, 1st March, several decrees were made, to

prevent abuses at the election of popes.

(275)

'27(5 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.
A.D.

500. A conference was held at Lyons, for the refutation

of the Arians, at which many of the heretics
were converted.

501. At Rome, to put an end to the contest between Pope

Symmachus and the anti-Pope Lawrence.

502. At Rome (synodus palmaris), in defence of Pope

Symmachus.
511. At Orleans, 10th July, when some points of Church
discipline were settled.

518. At Constantinople, 15th July, when the four

(Ecumenical Councils were solemnly accepted,
St. Leo's name placed on the diptychs, and
Severus of Antioch condemned.

519. At Constantinople, John the Patriarch sought a

reconciliation with the Pope, and Rome and
Constantinople were again united.
525. At Carthage, 5th February, in thanksgiving for
the peace enjoyed by the Church, and for the
settlement of some questions of discipline.

529. At Orange, against the Semi-Pelagians.

530. At Valence, also against the Semi-Pelagians.

531. At Rome, when Pope Boniface II. drew up a decree

empowering him to appoint his own successor ;

this he withdrew at a subsequent council, when

he understood that it was contrary to Canon

Law.
533. At Orleans, 23rd June, against simony and other

abuses.
535. At Carthage, called " de Justinianaea," to recover

from the Emperor Justinian the property stolen

from the African Church. This was restored
■ 1st August.

APPENDIX IV. 277

A.D.

536. At Constantinople, presided over by Pope St.

Agapetus, when Anthimus was deposed and

Mennas elected.

541. At Gaza, for the deposition of Paul, Patriarch of

Alexandria, on account of many accusations
brought against him.

542. At Antioch, for the condemnation of the errors of

Origen.

543. At Constantinople, when the emperor's edict con-

demning the Origenists was solemnly approved.

APPENDIX V.

TABLE OF CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS.

Taken from the " Groundivork of Christian Literature,"
by Dr. T. Busse.

1. Euthalius — an Egyptian bishop, who published two

works (490-497). The first consisted of a treatise
on the life and Epistles of St. Paul ; the second
was a book on Catholic literature, with a biogra-
phical account of the various authors quoted ;
this last he dedicated to the Eutychian Patriarch,
Athanasius II.

2. Malchus — of Philadelphia, in Syria, who wrote a

Byzantine history extending from 474-480 ; of
this work the only fragment that remains is
the Eclogae legationum.

3. Aeneas of Gaza — a platonic philosopher, converted

to Christianity in 484, who wrote a dialogue on
the immortality of the soul and the resurrection
of the body ; twenty-five of his letters are extant.

4. Denis of Antioch — first a pagan philosopher, after-

wards a Christian, who has left us forty-five letters.

5. Victor — a bishop in Mauritania, an ardent defender

of the faith against the Arians under Genseric
(429-478), who wrote, Liber de poenitentia — Trac-
tatus de consolatione.

(278)

APPENDIX V. 279

6. Vigilius — Bishop of Tapsus in Africa, present at the

Council of Carthage, and afterwards exiled. He
was in the habit of writing under an assumed
name, and used his pen against the heresies of
Sabellius, Photinus, Arius, Nestorius and Euty-
ches ; he also wrote twelve books de Trinitate.

7. Victor — Bishop of Vita in Africa, exiled by Huneric

in 484, who wrote a history of the Vandal perse-
cution : a very important work.

8. Titian — Bishop of Trevigo, who wrote the life of

Vindemialis, a holy confessor, who assisted at
the Council of Carthage in 484 ; also the life
of St. Florentius.

9. Gennadius — a priest at Marseilles, who continued

the Catalogus scriptorum of St. Jerome, and wrote
some other books.

10. Pope Gelasius — who wrote Liber sacramentorum —

De dnabus in Christo naturis, adv. Eutychiatios
et Nestorianos — Dicta adv. Pelag. haeres. — and
Decretum contra Manichaeos.

11. Possessor — an African bishop, who sent Pope Hor-

misdas the Belatio de libro Fausti Bhegiensis.

12. Eugippius — Abbot of a monastery near Naples named

Lucullanum, who wrote in the year 511 a bio-
graphy of St. Severin, his spiritual guide, and
apostle of Austria.

13. Paschasius— a Koman deacon, who wrote an epistle

to Eugippius and Libri II. de Spiritu Sancto.

14. Magnus Felix Ennodius — Bishop of Pavia, 510-521,

who was sent to Constantinople by Pope Hor-
misdas, as his legate, to put an end to the schism
(515). He wrote 296 letters, a life of St. Anthony
of Lerins, a eulogy of King Theodoric, an apology

280 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

for Pope Symmachus, thirty orations, "twenty-one
poems, 151 epigrams, and the life of his prede-
cessor, Epiphanius.

15. Anicius Manlius Torquatus Severinus Boetius —

born 455, made consul 510, imprisoned 524, and
put to death 526 ; he wrote several theological
and philosophical works, the most celebrated being
De consolatione philosophiae, libri V.

16. Dionysius surnamed Exiguus — an abbot in Rome,

who was the first to count the years from the
birth of Christ instead of from Alexander the
Great, as the Greeks were accustomed to do,
or from the persecution of Diocletian, as the
Western Christians did. His chronology is now
universally adopted. He also made a collection
of all the ecclesiastical canons and decrees ; he
compiled the Dionysian cycle, and wrote two
treatises de ratione Paschae — also Epistola ad
Eugippium presb. — Vita S. Pachomii, and a
translation of the Paschal letters of Proterius
Alex.

17. Adrian- — who wrote Isagoge in scripturis Sanctis,

a very useful Greek work.

18. Magnesius Aurelius Cassiodorus — born 470. He

became " Comes rerum privatarum, et sacrarum
largitionum," under King Odoacer ; in the reign
of Theodoric he was made prefect and consul
(514). On the accession of King Vitiges he re-
tired from Court and built a monastery at Vivarese,
near his native town, where he died in 465. He
wrote a history of the world, a calculation regard-
ing the time for celebrating Easter, an explanation
of the Psalms, an instruction as to the reading of

APPENDIX V. 281

Holy Scripture, grammatical and other treatises,
and also left many letters.

19. Epiphanius Scholasticus — who wrote a Historia

tripartita, in twelve volumes, and a collection of
synodical letters. Some have attributed to him the
Latin translation of Flavius Josephus' Archaeology.

20. Theodore — a lector at Constantinople, who wrote

Hist. eccl. eclogae in Greek ; the work consists
of two volumes.

21. Ruricius — Bishop of Limoges, who wrote Episto-

larum libri II.

22. Sedatus — Bishop of Beziers ; he left Epistolarum

libri III. ad Buriciwn, and a homily for the feast
of the Epiphany.

23. Remigius— Bishop of Rheims (461-533), Apostle of

the Franks ; his writings consist of Epistolae IV.,
a Testamentum, and other small treatises.

24. Avitus — Bishop of Vienne, who presided over the

Council against the Arians (500) ; he wrote eighty-
four letters, two homilies and some poems.

25. Viventius — Archbishop of Lyons (516) ; Ep.adAlcim.

Avitum — Epistola tractoria, and an oration de-
livered at the Council of Epaone (517).

26. Faustus — a priest and disciple of St. Severin, abbot,

who wrote his life (524).

27. Caesarius — Bishop of Aries, renowned for sanctity,

learning, zeal and long-suffering; his writings are:
Homil. XL. — Homil. XIV. — Sermones CVI1. —
Begulae ad Monachos, etc.

28. Cyprian — Bishop of Toulon and disciple of St.

Caesarius, whose life he wrote in two volumes.

29. Aegidius — Abbot of Narbonne, author of Libellus

pro privilegiis eccl. Arelat.

282 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. BENEDICT.

30. Tetradius — of Chalons, a priest at Lerins, who wrote,

in 540, Begulae monachorum et sanctimonialium,
dictated by St. Caesarius.

31. Procopius— -of Gaza, a rhetorician, who after his

conversion to Christianity wrote Commentarius in
Octoteuchum — Commentarius in Isaiam — Scholia
in IV. libr. Beg. et II. Chron. — Epistolas LX.

32. Hesychius — of Milet, surnamed "w illustris,"

who under the Emperors Anastasius, Justin and
Justinian wrote a history of the world in six
volumes and a Greek work de viris illustrious.

33. Agapetus — the Deacon, instructor to the Emperor

Justinian, who wrote in Greek Scheda regia, re-
garding the duties of Christian rulers.

34. Fulgentius — Bishop of Euspa 508-533. His works

are very numerous, Liber responsionum ad X. ob-
jections Arianorum — Libri III. ad Trasimundum
regem — Lib. III. ad Moninum — Lib. II. de remiss,
pecc. ad Euthymium — Tract, de grat. et incarn.—
Lib. III. de ver. praedest. — Lib. X. adv. Fabianum
Arian.

35. John Maxentius — defender of the refractory monks

of Scete. He caused great disturbance by the
sentence : "Unus ex trinitate crucifixus est ". He
wrote several works against the Nestorians and
Pelagians, also a creed addressed to Pope Hor-
misdas, and the opinions of the monks of Scete.

36. Fulgentius Ferrandus — a deacon at Carthage and

a disciple of his namesake the Bishop of Euspa,
whose life he wrote ; also the author of a work
on the Three Chapters and a Breviatio Canonum.

37. Laurence the Mellifluous — Archbishop of Milan ;

has left several orations.

APPENDIX V. 283

38. Faustus — a disciple of St. Benedict. He wrote a

life of St. Maurus, whom he had accompanied to
Glanfeuil.

39. Aurelian — Bishop of Aries and Vicar- Apostolic of

Gaul. He founded two monasteries in 547, and
wrote for them Instituta regulae ad monachos et
virgines.

40. Avator of Liguria — a poet sent as ambassador to

the Emperor Theodoric in 534. He was made
Cornea privatorum at the Court of the Ostrogoth,
which post he renounced to receive the sub-dia-
conate, and died 556. He put the Acts of the
Apostles into verse.

41. Jornandes — the Goth, who after his conversion be-

came a monk, and some affirm that he subse-
quently became a bishop under the Emperor
Justinian. He wrote a history of the Goths,
and De regnorum et temporum successione.

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