Letters119 Letter CXIX. To the Duke and Duchess of Lorraine.
Letter CXIX. To the Duke and Duchess of Lorraine.
He thanks them for having hitherto remitted customs [or tolls], but asks that they will see that their princely liberality is not interfered with by the efforts of their servants.
To the Duke and Duchess of LORRAINE, BERNARD, Abbot of Clairvaux, sends greeting, and prays that they may so lovingly and purely rejoice in each other's affection that the love of Christ alone may be supreme in them both.
Ever since the needs of our Order obliged me to send for necessaries into your land I have found great favour and kindness in the eyes of your Grace. You freely displayed the blessings of your bounty on our people when they needed it. You freely remitted to them when travelling their toll, the dues on their purchases, and any other legal LETTER CXX. 3QI due of yours. For all these things your reward is surely great in heaven, if, indeed, we believe that to be true which the Lord promises in His Gospel: Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me (S. Matt. xxv. 40). But why is it that you allow your servants to take away again what you bestow? It seems to me that it is worthy of you and for your honour, that when you have been pleased to bestow anything for the safety of your souls no one should venture to demand it back again. If, then (which God forbid), you do not repent of your good deed, and your general intention in respect to us is still the same, be pleased to order it to be a firm and unshaken rule; that henceforward our brethren may never fear to be disturbed in this matter by any of your servants. But otherwise we do not refuse to follow our Lord's example, who did not disdain to pay the dues. We also are ready willingly to render to Cxsar the things that are Cxsar's (S. Matt. xvii. 26), custom to 'whom custom, and tribute to whom tribute is due (Rom. xiii. 7), especially because, according to the Apostle, we ought not to seek our gift so much as your gain (Phil. iv. 17).
DUCI et DUCISSAE Lotharingiae, BERNARDUS abbas de Clara-Valle, sic suis ad invicem charis et castis delectari amplexibus, ut solus amor Christi superet in ambobus.
Ex quo coepimus mittere pro nostra necessitate in terram vestram, multam semper invenimus in oculis vestrae dignitatis familiaritatem et gratiam. Benedictionem largitatis vestrae nostris hominibus, cum necesse fuit, liberaliter exhibuistis. Passagium transeuntibus, et si quod est aliud juris vestri debitum, mercantibus libenter dimisistis. De quibus omnibus sine dubio merces vestra multa est in coelis, si tamen verum esse credimus quod Dominus in Evangelio promittit: Quandiu fecistis uni ex minimis meis, hoc mihi fecistis. Sed quid est quod ministros vestros, quae vos donastis, exigere rursum permititis? dignum est vobis et honorificum, ut quod vobis pro salute animarum vestrarum placuit donare, nemo vestrorum repetere audeat. Si ergo vos (quod absit!) beneficiorum vestrorum non poenitet, donumque quod in beneplacito vestro a vobis saepe recepimus, aeque adhuc ut habeamus, utrique vestrum complacet; jubete ita firmiter et inconcusse teneri, quatenus ultra fratres nostri a nullo ministrorum vestrorum timeant propter hoc disturbari. Alioquin non renuimus Domini nostri sequi exemplum, qui pro se non dedignatus est solvere censum, parati et nos libenter quae sunt Caesaris Caesari reddere, et vectigal cui vectigal, et tributum cui tributum: praesertim quia juxta Apostolum non tam debemus requirere datum nostrum, quam vestrum lucrum.