Azione Romana

Letters148 Letter CXLVIII. To the same (A.D. 1138)

St Bernard of Clairvaux († 1153) · Epistolae · c. 1120-1153

Letter CXLVIII. To the same (A.D. 1138)

He replies to Peter only in a few words, proposing to write at greater length later.

To dom PETER, Abbot of Cluny, BERNARD sends humble and respectful salutations.

When I had read your letter I was made joyful that one so great as you should trouble to prevent one so insignificant as I with the blessings of goodness. But when shall we have an opportunity of seeing each other, and of conversing with each other? When will there be convenient place, or fitting occasion? Meanwhile I send a few words in reply to your short letter, and will gladly send more, when I know that they will not be burdensome to you. Else how could my littleness dare to write at all, were it not that you in your humility stoop to give me access to your exalted dignity?

Domino PETRO abbati Cluniacensi, BERNARDUS, humile dilectionis obsequium.

Lectis litteris vestris, laetatus sum in eis quod tantillum videlicet tantus in benedictionibus dulcedinis praevenire curastis. Caeterum videndi nos invicem, et colloquendi pariter, quoniam dignum judicatis, quando se offeret illa opportunitas, quando conveniens locus, quando justa occasio? Haec interim paucis vestris pauca reddidimus, ampliora libenter donaturi, cum ea vobis onerosa non fore cognoverimus. Alioquin quando hoc ipsum auderet nostra pusillitas, nisi daret ad dignitatem accessum vestrae dignationis humilitas?

Samuel J. Eales (active by 1879; M.A., Principal of S. Boniface College, Warminster, in 1882), Life and Works of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, edited by Dom John Mabillon, vols. I-III, London: Burns & Oates / John Hodges, 1889-1896. Digital text: OCR of Internet Archive scans saintbernardlife00bernuoft, saintbernardlife02bernuoft, lifeworksofsaint03bern, word-repaired against second copies (lifeworksofsaint01bern, lifeworksofsaint02bern, LifeWorksOfSBernardClairvauxV3). Original text: Corpus Corporum (University of Zurich) TEI of the Patrologia Latina, via the CatholicCorpus mirror. Public domain in the US and Canada: published 1889-1896; translator active by 1879, an M.A. and principal in 1882; necessarily died before 1972. Latin: Migne, Patrologia Latina 182-183 (1854), public domain.

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