Letters75 Letter LXXV. To ARTAUD, ABBOT OF PRULLY.* To his very dear friend and colleague, Abbot ARTAUD, Brother BERNARD wishes health. (A.D. 1127)
Letter LXXV. To ARTAUD, ABBOT OF PRULLY.* To his very dear friend and colleague, Abbot ARTAUD, Brother BERNARD wishes health. (A.D. 1127)
Whatever affection and heartfelt kindliness absent friends are able to bestow upon one another I feel is due both from me to you and from you to me, not only because we share the same vows and method of life, but also because we have neither of us forgotten our ancient friendship. And we are in no way better able to show to each other or to recognize how acceptable this is to each of us, and how warmly it exists in the heart of each of us, than not to conceal from each other if either should hear of anything unbecoming or unsuitable concerning his friend. Now, I have heard that you have the intention of founding an abbey in Spain to be dependent on your holy convent. The plan occasioned great surprise to me, nor could I conjecture for what end, with what design or hope of usefulness, you should wish to send some of your monks into exile to a place so distant, and which will cost you so much both in trouble and in money to reach and to build upon, when you have quite near you a house already built and well-fitted up, where you may settle any of them. For you cannot, I suppose, excuse yourself by saying that the place I refer to is not yours, when I know quite well that it may easily be yours if you wish. Do you suppose that the Lord Abbot of Pontigny,l to whom it belongs, would refuse it to you if you asked him for it? On the contrary, it would be most agreeable to him if you were willing to accept it; not because it is not a good house, but because, as you know, he has no need of it. We ought both of us to take great care in our conduct, of the advice which the Apostle gives: Let no man despise thy youth (1 Tim. iv. 12), because we are remarked the sooner for levity, as we are young men. But I trust that you will act with more consideration, and choose this place, as it is nearer to you and already built; which, while it will perfectly meet your wants, is only a burden to our friend the abbot, who at present holds it. Farewell.
Dulcissimo amico et confratri suo ARTALDO abbati, frater BERNARDUS, salutem.
Quidquid gratiae et dilectionis impendere sibi possunt absentes amici, puto et me debere tibi, et mihi deberi a te, non solum ob consortium propositi et professionis, sed etiam ex debito nostrae invicem pristinae societatis quae tam grata utrique; tamque debita devotio quantum in unoquoque nostrum ferveat, in nullo evidentius agnoscere seu innotescere possumus, quam si alterutrum non celemus, si quid forte de alterutro quod non deceat audimus. Audivi autem ego de te, quod de sancto conventu tuo abbatiam in Hispania construere velis. Quod mihi nimirum in magnam admirationem venit, quid causae videlicet sit, quid consilii, quidve utilitatis, quod filios tuos exsulare cupis, in locum utique tam longinquum, tanto sumptu et labore et quaerendum et aedificandum, cum prope te habere possis, ubi eos colloces, jam aedificatum et bene praeparatum. Nec enim, ut reor, hinc te excusare potes, quod locus ille tuus non sit, cum certissime sciam quod facillime, si vis, tuus esse possit. Numquidnam domnus abbas Pontiniacensis, qui illum tenet, tibi requirenti negaret? Imo si velles accipere, gratissimum haberet; non quia bonus non est, sed quia sibi, ut scis, opus non est. Timendum valde tibi pariter et mihi ne, si sollicite in operibus nostris non servamus quod Apostolus dicit: Nemo adolescentiam tuam contemnat, citius, quia juvenes sumus, de levitate notemur. Sed confido quia tu consultius ages, et locum qui vicinior et jam constructus est, eliges; quem amico quidem tenenti nosti oneri esse, tibi autem necessarium fore. Vale.