ligneos (nam hoc nomen saltuoso fullonum negocio magis videtur congruere) alternatim eleuans atque deponens, graui labore fullones absoluit, et si ioculare quippiam licet interserere seriis, peccati eorum penas absoluit. Deus bone, quanta pauperibus tuis procuras solatia, ne abundantiore tristitia absorbeantur, quanta penitentibus pene alleuiamenta dispensas, ne laboris violentia nonnunquam fortassis opprimantur. Nam quot equorum dorsa frangeret, quot hominum. fatigaret brachia labor, a quo nos sine labore amnis ille gratiosus absoluit, etiam cum sine ipso nec indumentum nobis pararetur nec alimentum. Ipse vero nobiscum participatur, nec aliud de labore suo (quo laborat sub sole) mercedis expectat, quam vt cum omnia diligenter perfecerit, liber permittatur abire. Tot ergo volubiles rotas rotatu rapido circumducens, sic spumeus exit, vt ipse quasi moli et mollior fieri videatur. Excipitur dehinc a domo coriaria, vbi conficiendis iis que ad fratrum calceamenta sunt necessaria, operosam exhibet sedulitatem. Deinde minutatim se et per membra multa distribuens, singulas officinas officioso discursu perscrutatur, vbique diligenter inquirens, quid quo ipsius ministerio opus habeat, coquendis, cribrandis, vertendis, terendis, rigandis, lavandis, molendis, molliendis, suum sine contradictione prestans obsequium. Postremo, ne quid ei desit ad vitam gratam, et ne ipsius quaquauersum imperfecta sint opera, absportans immunditias, omnia post se munda relinquit. Et iam peracto strenue propter quod venerat, rapida celeritate festinat ad fluuium, ut vice Clareuallis agens ei gratias pro vniuersis beneficiis suis, salutationi eius, resalutatione condigna respondeat, statimque refundens ei aquas quas nobis transfuderat, sic de duobus efficit vnum, vt nullum appareat vnionis vestigium: et quem discessu suo tenuem et pigrum fecerat, mixtus ei morantem precipitat. Sed quia eum loco suo restituimus, redeamus ad riuulos quos post nos reliquimus, qui deriuati a fluuio, passiuis per prata vagantur excursibus, vt inebrient terram et infundant eam, et germinare eam faciant, ne cum verna temperie terra pregnans in partum soluitur, renascentia gramina humorum inopia marcescant, nec opus habeant mendicatis nubium guttulis irrigari, sufficienter cognati fluminis fota beneficio. Hi riuuli vel potius sulci post peractum officium, fluuio qui eos euomuerat absorbentur, et iam totus simul alba collectus, prono decursu per deuexa festinat. Sed quia iam eum longius conduximus, et ipse secundum Salomonem ad locum suum reuertitur, reuertamur et nos unde digressi sumus, et diffusam prati planitiem succincto sermone transiliamus. Multum habet locus ille amenitatis, multum quod mentes fessas alleuet, luctusque soluat anxios, multam quod querentes dominum ad deuotionem accendat, et superne dulcedinis ad quam

suspiramus admoneat, dum ridens terre facies multiplici colore, vernanti pictura oculos pascit, et suaueolentem naribus spirat odorem. Set et dum video florem, dum sentio floris odorem, historias veterum memorant mihi prata dierum. Nam cum odoris delicias haurio, occurrit animo fragrantiam vestimentorum patriarche Iacob, suaueolentie agri pleni fuisse assimilatam. Dumque oculos colore reficio, hanc recordor speciem purpure Salomonis fuisse prelatam, qui in omni gloria sua liliorum agri decorem equiparare non potuit, cum tamen nec ars ipsius sapientie, nec potentie deesset materia, et sic dum foris fruor ministerio, non parum latenti delector mysterio. Hoc ergo pratum intercurrentis fluuii fouetur irriguo, et ad humorem eius mittit radices suas ideo non timebit cum venerit estus. In longum autem tanto tractu distenditur, vt cum tonsum vellus gramineum sol in fenum torruerit, bis denis diebus conuentum lassare sufficiat. Nec tamen solis monachis labor ille relinquitur, sed cum monachis, tam conversorum, donatorum, quam conductitiorum innumerosa multitutudo desectas colligit herbas, et tonsam raro pectine vertit humum.' Hoc pratum inter se due grangie diuidunt, quibus Alba ad dirimendam litem, equus arbiter et mensor accedit, qui sui cuique partem in funiculo distributionis assignans, seipsum limitem facit, quem altera ad inuadendam alterius partem transire non audeat. Grangias has non conversorum esse habitacula, sed claustra monachorum crederes, nisi vel iuga boum, vel aratra, vel instrumenta alia rusticanis apta laboribus, habitatores suos proderent, et nisi quod in eis libri non explicantur. Nam quantum ad edificia spectat, ea magno monachorum conuentui diceres et situ conuenire, et decere venustate, et capacitate sufficere. In parte prati que est muro contigua, de campo solido factus est lacus liquidus, vbi prius estuans operarius fenum falce secabat acuta, ibi frater aquarius sedens mobili per lubricam liquentis campi planitiem equo vectus ligneo, leuem remum remum pro calcaribus habet, quo cursum vrgeat, et pro freno quo flectat. Explicatur rete sub vndis quo implicetur pisciculus, et parentur ei esce quibus libenter vescitur, sed latet hamus in illis quo capitur incautus, quo exemplo docemur spernere voluptates, quia nocet empta dolore voluptas; cuius tristes esse exitus nemo nescire permittitur, nisi qui vel non peccauit, vel non bene de peccato penituit. Longe autem faciat deus a nobis delectationem, secus cuius introitum mors posita est: que secundum sapientis descriptionem, apum par volantum, vbi grata mella fudit, fugit, et nimis tenaci ferit icta corda morsu. Laci ambitus per altum ripe marginem conserti vimineis ligatur radicibus,

1 "Et tonsam," etc., is a quotation from Ovid, Remedia Amoris, 192, where

verrit is the preferable reading. Migne retains vertit here.

ne vnde alluenti cedat terra fathiscens. Preterfluenti rivo lacus hic pascitur, qui vix sexies senis pedibus seiunctus per meatus exiles infundit ei aquas quibus alatur, et ipsas quoque eadem exilitate refundit. Unde et sic in eodem statu permanet, vt nec maior sit influentibus, nec effluentibus minor; quia eadem mensura et recipit et eijcit eas. Sed dum per plana cursu feror volatili, dum anhelus in arduis ilia duco, vel purpuream prati superficiem manu ipsius sapientie pictam, vel comata arboribus montium iuga describo, arguit me ingratitudinis fons ille dulcissimus sepenumero mihi bibitus, et bene quidem meritus de me, sed a me male remuneratus. Obijcit mihi cum exprobratione quod sepe extinguende siti mee seruierit, quod se meis non solum manibus, sed et pedibus lauandis humiliauerit, quod multa mihi impenderit humanitatis ac benignitatis officia bono merito, mercede mala me respondisse; se in locorum catalogo locum vltimum, et pene nec vltimum fuisse sortitum; cui tamen pro sui reuerentia primus deberetur. Et vere diffiteri nequeo sero me ipsius meminisse, quando ante ipsum alicuius memini. Verum ipse per decursus et discursus subterraneos tacite labens, ita ut nec leni murmure transitus eius valeat deprehendi, instar aquarum siloe quæ cum silentio vadunt, quasi prodi metueret, vbique caput suum cooperit, et suos declinat aspectus. Quidni crederem velle taceri, quem video non nisi sub tecto velle videri? Hic ergo fons (quod boni fontis esse fertur indicium) ex opposito solis orientis oritur, ita ut estiuo solstitio roseam rutilantis aurore faciem ex aduerso salutet. Tugurio vel (ut maiori reuerentia dicam) tabernaculo paruo et pulchro cooperitur et clauditur, ne vndecunque sordes admittat. Ubi eum mons euomit, vallis deglutit; et in loco quo oritur, eodem quasi moritur, quin et sepelitur. Sed ne expectes signum Ione prophete, vt tribus diebus et tribus noctibus delitescat absconditus, statim ad mille passus intra claustrum monasterij, quasi de corde terre resuscitatus progreditur, et quodammodo rediuiuus apparet, visui tantum et vsui fratrum se offerens, ne cum alijs quam cum sanctis sors illius amodo sit futura.

Clereuauly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION OR SITUATION OF THE

MONASTERY OF CLAIRVAUX.

If you wish to become acquainted with the site of Clairvaux, let this account serve as your guide. Not far from the abbey begin two hills, which at first are separated by a narrow valley, but the nearer they approach to the abbey the more the sides of the valley open out, and one of these "occupies" one half side of the abbey,

the other its whole extent.1 One side is fruitful with vineyards, while the other abounds in corn, rendering a service delightful to the sight and convenient for use, while along the slopes there grows on the one side what men may eat, and on the other what they may drink. On the tops of the hills there is plenty of work for the monks, pleasant indeed, and more agreeable than doing nothing, in the gathering of old sticks, and binding them in faggots, for burning.2 Again, in the rooting up of the rough brushwood, fit for nothing but to be burnt, and making fires of it; in the stubbing up of briars; in the pulling up, destroying, and scattering abroad of (if I may use an expression of Solomon's) bastard slips, which either wind round the branches of growing trees or encroach on their roots, so labouring, that the sturdy oak may not be hindered in greeting the stars with its lofty top, nor the pliant linden, in spreading out its branches, nor the ash, so readily split and bent, in freely stretching itself up. on high, nor the spreading beech, in reaching far and wide. Further on, the back part of the abbey terminates in a wide level space, a considerable portion of which is enclosed by the wall that makes a large circuit to surround the abbey." Within the bounds of this enclosure many and various trees, abounding in all kinds of fruits, form an orchard amounting to a wood, which is close to the infirmary, and alleviates the infirmities of the brethren with no small. solace, while it affords a wide space in which they can wander about, and a delightful spot to lie down in when they are overcome by the heat. The sick man sits on the green turf, and when the inordinate heat of the dog-days parches the lands and dries up the streams, he retires into safety and concealment and a shade from the heat of the day; he tempers the fervent heat under the foliage of the trees, and, for a solace to his pain, the spicy odours of the herbage are sweet in his nostrils. The charming verdure of the trees and of the plants feeds his eyesight; hanging and growing before him are his boundless delights, so that he may well say, "I sat down under the shadow of that tree with great delight, and its fruit was sweet to my

1 See p. 9. The meaning must be

that while the north side of the valley extends the whole length of the abbey, the south side does not reach so far eastward. See the plan, where the Aqueductus ex Alba turns round into the Clairvaux valley.

2 The tops of the hills are well wooded

now.

3 Wisd. iv. 3.

4 There is still a good deal of ivy.

5 At its eastern end the enclosure takes in part of the level valley of the Aube; this eastern portion is still occupied by gardens and orchards, as shown in the plan.

Read 'pomarium.'

2

taste." A concert of birds of varied plumage soothes his ears with sweet modulation, and for the remedy of one disease divine goodness provides many comforts; while the clouds smile in the beautiful weather, the earth is alive with fertility, and he himself, with his eyes, his ears, and his nostrils, drinks in the delights of colours, of songs, and of odours. Where the orchard ends, begins a garden, laid out in beds separated by ditches, or rather divided by streams of water running between them. For although the water appears to be at rest, it is really flowing down in a very slow stream. And here is afforded a pretty sight for the sick brethren, while they sit on the green bank of the pure stream to watch the fishes sporting under the crystal wave, and to see how, in their swimming in shoals, they meet one another, representing a military encounter. This water serves the double purpose of providing for the fishes and watering the vegetables, and that famous river the Aube keeps up the supply by its unwearied flow. This river, making its way through the many offices of the abbey, everywhere, by virtue of its faithful service, leaves a blessing behind it, and embarks on this task with many a toil indeed, as not in its whole strength, nor yet in idle ease, it passes through the abbey. Intersecting the middle of the valley in a tortuous stream not made by nature's hand, but by the industry of the brethren, it discharges one half of itself into the abbey, as if to salute the brethren, and to excuse itself because the whole has not come, the reason being that it has not found a channel large enough to take it. And if ever the river itself, in time of flood, rushes on in its impetuous course, being driven back by the obstacle of the wall under which it has to pass, it returns upon itself, and the descending stream embraces it in its backward flow. But so much of it as the intervening wall, performing the function of a porter, has allowed to pass, first makes a rush upon the mill, where it is careful and troubled about many things, as well the bulk of the millstones grinding the corn, as the

1 Cant. ii. 3.

2 There are not many, if any, birds to be seen or heard there now; we miss the little birds, and notice the silence there, as in France generally at the present time.

3 On the irrigation, see p. 3.

4 This would be in some of the larger streams that are now done away with (p. 3). The only stream now passing

through the garden is too small and shallow for shoals of fish.

5 That of the Aube, where the artificial stream, brought by the monks from the river, of course begins.

6 Nothing like half; this is a rhetorical flight.

The stream passes under a low arch in the enclosing wall of the monastery, about half way up the present village, where the road is carried over it by a stone bridge. (See p. 2.)