Letters138 Letter CXXXVIII (A.D. 1133)
Letter CXXXVIII (A.D. 1133)
To HENRY, KING OF THE ENGLISH. He asks for assistance to Pope Innocent from the King. To the most illustrious HENRY, King of England, BER NARD, called Abbot of Clairvaux, wishes health, prosperity, and peace.
To wish to teach you, and especially about what concerns your honour, would be the part either of a fool, or of one who knows nothing at all of you. It is enough for me, therefore, to state the case simply and in as few words as possible; when a hint is enough many words are superfluous. We are on the threshold of the city, salvation is at the doors, righteousness is our companion, but the Roman military want other food than that. And so by righteousness we appease God, by our arms we terrify the foe, but we have not the bare necessaries of life. You know better than I what should be done to finish the good work that you have begun in your magnificent and honourable reception of my lord, Pope Innocent.
HENRICO illustrissimo Anglorum regi, BERNARDUS abbas dictus de Clara-Valle, honorem, sospitatem et pacem.
Velle vos instruere, de his praesertim quae spectant ad honestatem, aut insipientis est, aut vos penitus ignorantis. Eapropter rem simpliciter intimare sufficit, et hoc paucis, quoniam facile omnia tenenti, multa superflue ingeruntur. In ingressu urbis sumus, salus est in januis, justitia nobiscum est; sed Romanis militibus cibus iste non sapit. Itaque justitia placamus Deum, militia terremus hostes: solis necessariis necessaria non habemus. Quid opus sit facto, ut opus vestrum compleatur, quod de domini papae Innocentii magnifica et honorifica illa susceptione fecistis, vos melius nostis.