LETTERS

 LETTER I (circa 1120)To the Canons Regular of Horricourt[1]

 LETTER II (A.D. 1126)To the Monk Adam[1]

 LETTER III (A.D. 1131)To Bruno,[1] Archbishop Elect of Cologne

 LETTER IVTo the Prior and Monks of the Grand Chartreuse

 LETTER V (circa A.D. 1127)To Peter, Cardinal Deacon

 LETTER VI (circa A. D. 1127)To the Same

 LETTER VII (towards the end of A.D. 1127)To Matthew, the Legate

 LETTER VIII (circa A.D. 1130)To Gilbert, Bishop of London, Universal Doctor

 LETTER IX (circa A.D. 1135)To Ardutio (or Ardutius, Bishop Elect of Geneva

 LETTER X (in the Same Year)The Same, When Bishop

 LETTER XI (circa A.D. 1120)The Abbot of Saint Nicasius at Rheims

 LETTER XII (A.D. 1127)To Louis, King of France[1]

 LETTER XIII (A.D. 1127)To the Same Pope, in the Name of Geoffrey,Bishop of Chartres.

 LETTER XIV (circa A.D. 1129)To Alexander,[1] Bishop of Lincoln

 LETTER XV (circa A.D. 1129)To Alvisus, Abbot of Anchin

 LETTER XVI To Rainald, Abbot of Foigny

 LETTER XVIITo the Same

 LETTER XVIIITo the Same,

 LETTER XIX (A.D. 1127)To Suger, Abbot of S. Denis

 LETTER XX (circa A.D. 1130)To Guy, Abbot of Molêsmes

 LETTER XXI (circa A.D. 1128)To the Abbot of S. John at Chartres

 LETTER XXII (circa A.D. 1129)To Simon, Abbot of S. Nicholas

 Letter XXIII (circa A.D. 1130)To the Same

 LETTER XXIV (circa A.D. 1126)To Oger, Regular Canon [1]

 LETTER XXV. (circa A.D. 1127)To the Same

 LETTER XXVI. (circa A.D. 1127)To the Same

 LETTER XXVII (circa A.D. 1127)To the Same

 LETTER XXVIII (circa A.D. 1130)To the Abbots Assembled at Soissons [1]

 LETTER XXIX (A.D. 1132)To Henry, King of England

 LETTER XXX (circa A.D. 1132)To Henry, [1] Bishop of Winchester

 LETTER XXXII (A.D. 1132)To Thurstan, Archbishop of York

 LETTER XXXIV (circa A.D. 1130)Hildebert, Archbishop of Tours, to the Abbot Bernard. [1]

 LETTER XXXV (circa A.D. 1130)Reply of the Abbot Bernard to Hildebert, Archbishop of Tours.

 LETTER XXXVI (circa A.D. 1131)To the Same Hildebert, Who Had Not Yet Acknowledged the Lord Innocent as Pope.

 LETTER XXXVII (circa A.D. 1131)To Magister Geoffrey, of Loretto. [1]

 LETTER XXXVIII (circa A.D. 1135)To His Monks of Clairvaux.

 LETTER XXXIX (A.D. 1137)To the Same.

 LETTER XLTo Thomas, Prior of Beverley

 LETTER XLITo Thomas of St. Omer, After He Had Broken His Promise of Adopting a Change of Life.

 LETTER XLIITo the Illustrious Youth, Geoffrey de Perrone, and His Comrades.

 LETTER XLIIIA Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey.

 LETTER XLIVConcerning the Maccabees But to Whom Written is Unknown. [1]

 LETTER XLV (circa A.D. 1120)To a Youth Named Fulk, Who Afterwards Was Archdeacon of Langres

 LETTER XLVI (circa A.D. 1125)To Guigues, the Prior, And to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse

 LETTER XLVIITo the Brother of William, a Monk of Clairvaux. [1]

 LETTER XLVIIITo Magister [1] Walter de Chaumont.

 LETTER XLIXTo Romanus, Sub-Deacon of the Roman Curia.

 To Geoffrey, of Lisieux [1]

 LETTER LITo the Virgin Sophia

 LETTER LIITo Another Holy Virgin.

 LETTER LIIITo Another Holy Virgin of the Convent of S. Mary of Troyes [1]

 LETTER LIVTo Ermengarde, Formerly Countess of Brittany [1]

 LETTER LVTo the Same

 LETTER LVITo Beatrice, a Noble and Religious Lady

 LETTER LVIITo the Duke and Duchess of Lorraine [1]

 LETTER LVIIITo the Duchess of Lorraine

 LETTER LIXTo the Duchess of Burgundy [1]

 Letter LX

 LETTER LX (A.D. 1140)To the Same, Against Certain Heads of Abaelard’s Heresies.

 LETTER LXI (A.D. 1138)To Louis the Younger, King of the French.

 LETTER LXII (A.D. 1139)To Pope Innocent.

 LETTER LXIII (A.D. 1139)To the Same, in the Name of Godfrey, Bishop of Langres.

 LETTER LXIV (A.D. 1139)To the Above-Named Falco.

 LETTER XLV (circa A.D. 1140)To the Canons of Lyons, on the Conception of S. Mary.

 LETTER LXVI (A.D. 1135)To the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

LETTER IVTo the Prior and Monks of the Grand Chartreuse

He commends himself to their prayers.

To the very dear Lord and Reverend father Guigues, Prior of the Grande Chartreuse, and to the holy brethren who are with him, Brother Bernard of Clairvaux offers his humble service.

In the first place, when lately I approached your parts, I was prevented by unfavourable circumstances from coming to see you and to make your acquaintance; and although my excuse may perhaps be satisfactory to you, I am not able, I confess, to pardon myself for missing the opportunity. It is a vexation to me that my occupations brought it about, not that I should neglect to come to see you, but that I was unable to do so. This I frequently have to 32endure, and therefore my anger is frequently excited. Would that I were worthy to receive the sympathy of all my kind friends. Otherwise I shall be doubly unhappy if my disappointment does not excite your pity. But I give you an opportunity, my brethren, of exercising brotherly compassion towards me, not that I merit it. Pity me not because I am worthy, but because I am poor and needy. Justice inquires into the merit of the suppliant, but mercy only looks to his unhappiness. True mercy does not judge, but feels; does not discuss the occasion which presents itself, but seizes it. When affection calls us, reason is silent. When Samuel wept over Saul it was by a feeling of pity, and not of approval (1 Samuel xv. 13). David shed tears over his parricidal son, and although they were profitless, yet they were pious. Therefore do ye pity me (because I need it, not because I merit it), ye who have obtained from God the grace to serve Him without fear, far from the tumults of the world from which ye are freed. Happy those whom He has hidden in His tabernacle in the day of evil men; they shall trust in the shadow of His wings until the iniquity be overpast. As for me, poor, unhappy, and miserable, labour is my portion. I seem to be as a little unfledged bird almost constantly out of the shelter of its nest, exposed to wind and tempest. I am troubled, and I stagger like a drunken man, and my whole conscience is gnawed with care. Pity me, then; for although I do not merit pity I need it, as I have said.