Letters116 Letter CXVI. To ermengarde, formerly Countess of Brittany.l
Letter CXVI. To ermengarde, formerly Countess of Brittany.l
He gently and tenderly assures her that he has for her all the sentiments of pure and religious affection.
To his beloved daughter in Christ, ERMENGARDE, once the most noble Countess, now the humble handmaid of Christ, BERNARD, Abbot of Clairvaux, offers the pious affection of holy love.
Would that, as I now open this page before me, so I could open my mind to you! Oh! that you could read in my heart what God has deigned to write there with His own linger concerning my affection for you! Then, indeed,, you might understand, how no tongue or pen can suffice to express, what the spirit of God hath been able to impress on my inmost heart! And even now I am present with you in the spirit, though absent in the body. It is neither in your power nor mine to be in the presence of the other. Yet you have with you the means whereby you may not yet know, but at any rate guess what I mean. Within your own heart behold mine; and ascribe to me as great affection toward you as you know to be in yourself towards me. Yet do not think that you have more for me than I for you; nor have a better opinion of your own heart than of mine, in respect of affection. Besides, you are too humble and modest not to believe that He who has brought you so to love me and to follow my counsel for your salvation has inspired me also with feelings of affectionate concern for you. So you are thinking how you may keep me with you; and I, to confess the truth, am nowhere without you or away from you. I was anxious to write this short note to you about my journey while on the way, hoping to send you a longer one when I have more leisure, if God will.
Dilectae in Christo filiae suae ERMENGARDI, quondam eximiae comitissae, nunc humili Christi ancillae, BERNARDUS abbas Clarae-Vallis, pium sanctae dilectionis affectum.
Utinam sicut chartam nunc praesentem, ita et meam tibi mentem expandere possem! O si legere posses in corde meo, quod ibi de amore tuo, suo digito Deus scribere dignatus est! certe agnosceres quam nulla lingua vel penna sufficiat exprimere quod in intimis mihi medullis Dei spiritus imprimere potuit. Et nunc quidem praesens sum spiritu, licet corpore absens; sed nec mihi, nec tibi est unde appaream. Est tamen penes te unde possis de me utcunque conjicere, etsi nondum cognoscere, quod dico. Intra ergo cor tuum, et inspice meum; et vel tantum mihi tribue amoris erga te, quantum tibi erga me inesse sentis: ne, si nos quidem minus, te vero amplius amare praesumpseris, eo te nobis praeferre puteris, quo et vincere nos charitate putaveris. Caeterum tuae modestiae est id potius sentire de nobis, ut qui te affecit ita me diligere et eligere ad consilium tuae salutis, aeque affecerit et me in obsequium tuae dilectionis. Tu ergo videris quomodo me tecum retinueris: ego, ut verum fatear, nusquam abs te absque te recedo. Haec tibi interim de via breviter in transitu scribere volui; sperans me majori otio majora missurum, si Deus annuerit.