children to want, was thrown into prison, and had his eyes put out. Bernard immediately wrote to Count Thibaut, urging that whatever might have been Humbert's crime, it was not just that his wife and children should suffer. The letter produced no effect, and Bernard wrote again in a tone of indignant reproof :-"Had I asked of thee, gold, silver, or the like, I am fully persuaded that I should have obtained my request; in truth, I have already experienced your liberality, unasked. Why then am I counted unworthy to obtain from you the only favour I have asked, and asked not in my own but God's name; not for my own sake, but far more for yours? Know you not that 'with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again?' Know you not that it is as easy, ay, a thousand times easier for GOD to cast you out of the heavenly inheritance, than for you to eject Humbert from his patrimony? Cases there are indeed, in which the guilt is so manifest, that justice leaves no room for the exercise of mercy; but even then you must take vengeance in sorrow and trembling, impelled by necessity and judicial duty rather than by any desire of gratifying yourself." Bernard's importunity had at last its due effect. Count Thibaut was induced to investigate the case, and being convinced of Humbert's innocence, reinstated him in his original position. Incidents such as these are not infrequent in Bernard's letters, and he is always to be found throwing his influence on the side of the weak and suffering.

The candour and stern simplicity with which he could administer a reproof, appears in his letters to Ogerius, who had resigned his pastoral post in order to become a monk. Bernard was always angered by what seemed to him a gross dereliction of duty, the abandonment of a post in which a man might be useful to his fellow-men. So he wrote to Ogerius:" Is it not true that you preferred your own ease to the welfare of others? I am glad you enjoy your calm of rest; but do you not enjoy it too much? Every good thing which pleases us so much that we love it, even when it is not expedient or lawful, ceases for that very reason to be good." He then proceeds to offer some good advice :"Be simple among the brethren, devout before GOD, subject to your superior, obedient to your elders, kindly to your juniors, pleasing to the angels, useful in speech, lowly in heart,

gentle to all. Be careful, lest having once been placed in authority, you think yourself entitled to honour, but rather show yourself the more humble to all as one among many.

And another danger may arise to you from this quarter, of which I would wish to give you warning. We are all of us so fickle, that what we wished for yesterday, we refuse to-day, and what we refuse to-day, we shall desire to-morrow. Now, if it should happen, through the Devil's suggestion, that a regret for your lost authority assault your mind, for all that you have manfully despised you would then childishly yearn. What before was so distasteful, would then be invested with fresh charms, the dignity of position, the charge of the house, the despatch of business, the obedience of servants, your own liberty, your power over others; so that you will almost repent having given up what it was painful to keep. If this most evil temptation seduce you, even for an hour, it will not be without grave injury to your soul."

S. Bernard first appears on the European stage in 1127. It would seem that Louis had forcibly deprived the Archbishop of Paris and his clergy of a portion of their goods; in displeasure, according to Bernard, at their reformation of life and conduct, which had led them to abandon the royal court and its gaieties, and endeavour to discharge their high duties with a conscientiousness they had never before displayed. The Archbishop, in conjunction with the Archbishop of Sens, retaliated by placing the kingdom under interdict, and then they fled to Citeaux. Stephen, the illustrious Abbot of Citeaux, immediately addressed a remonstrance to the king urging him to restore what he had unjustly seized, and offering his good services as a mediator between him and the prelate he had wronged. Louis was much moved by the Abbot's earnest appeal, and would probably have yielded to it, when Pope Honorius suddenly raised the interdict, and thus humiliated and disgraced the two Archbishops. His conduct drew from S. Bernard a keen reproach. "Tristes vidimus, tristes et loquimur, honorem ecclesiæ, Honorii tempore non minime læsum." 66 'Sadly we have seen, and sadly we assert, that the honour of the Church has been not a little damaged in the time of Honorius."1

1 S. Bernard, Op., Epist. xcvi.

bold and vigilant, quick in his movements, and prompt to strike ?"

In February, 1130, died Pope Honorius II. Then was seen the scandal of a double election, a majority of the Cardinals raising to the vacant throne Cardinal Gregory with the title of Innocent II., the minority electing Peter Leonis with the title of Anacletus II. The latter was at first so far successful, through a dextrous employment of both gold and iron, as to compel Innocent II. to fly from Rome, and seek refuge in France. At Cluny he was received with a splendid welcome, and there he remained while Louis VI. summoned a council at Etampes to inquire into and decide upon his claims, as compared with those of Anacletus. Bernard was specially invited to the council by the king and the chief bishops. He left Clairvaux in a depressed and uncertain mood; but on the way he was favoured with a vision, in which he saw a large church, filled with people singing harmoniously in praise of GOD, and this gave him new vigour. After fasting and prayer the council proceeded to business, and unanimously resolved that as the business concerned God it should be referred to "the man of GOD," and that by his judgment they should abide. Bernard then examined into the circumstances of the double election, and more particularly into the respective merits of the competitors. When he opened his mouth, he was supposed to speak by the inspiration of the HOLY GHOST, and he unreservedly pronounced in favour of Innocent. The Council accepted this conclusion, and with praises to GOD, and vows of fealty to Innocent, broke up.

The King immediately despatched Suger, Abbot of S. Denys, with words of greeting to his new spiritual father; and at Saint Benoit-sur-Loire met him in person, with the Queen and the royal children. Bowing his "oft-crowned head," he knelt at the feet of the pontiff, and pledged to him his affectionate and faithful service. At Chartres appeared Henry I. of England, with a brilliant train of prelates and nobles. He was undecided which Pope to prefer, but his clergy were fain that he should acknowledge Anacletus. Into his presence, however, Bernard made his way, and his fiery eloquence and strength of character decided Henry's choice. Are you afraid," said Bernard,

"that you may sin by yielding obedience to Innocent? Think how you may answer to GOD for your other sins, and let this sin rest on me." Henry then acknowledged Innocent, and made him many magnificent presents.

Secure in the support of the two great rulers of Western Europe, Innocent proceeded to test the disposition of Lothair, the German Emperor. Accompanied by Bernard, and attended by cardinals and bishops, he repaired to the monastery of Morigny, where he remained three days, and met with Peter Abelard, the hero of the sad romance that is for ever associated with the name of the impassioned Heloise. Thence the brilliant company travelled to Liége (March 22, 1131), where Lothair received the Pope with profoundest reverence, holding the rein of his horse as he ambled through the bannered streets; and in return was crowned by Innocent's hands, along with his wife Richenza, in the cathedral. He promised to march into Italy and seat the Pope in S. Stephen's chair; but in consideration of this direct assistance, asked that the privilege of episcopal investiture, which Henry V. had surrendered by the concordat of Worms, should be restored to the Imperial crown. To the Romans present this demand foreshadowed great and certain evils; they trembled when it was put forward; but they were on the point of yielding when Bernard boldly stood forward, and revived their sinking courage. He addressed the Emperor with the utmost freedom, and plied him with such arguments of force that Lothair abandoned his position, and without further demur admitted Innocent's claims. With bared head, and on foot, he made his way through the crowd to the Pope on his white palfrey, and with one hand took the rein, while in the other he held a wand, as symbolic of protection to his acknowledged lord.

Returning into France, Pope Innocent celebrated Easter at S. Denys. On the vigil of that "Queen of Festivals" he passed the night in prayer, and with the first streak of dawn, repaired to the church, accompanied by all his retinue. There they made the preparations usual at Rome. On the Pope's head was placed the phrygium, or helmet-shaped cap circled with gold, and then, sitting on a cream-white palfrey,

"Cogita quomodo de aliis peccatis tuis respondeas Deo, istud mihi relinque, in me sit hoc peccatum."-S. Bernard, ii. 1094.

which glittered with costly trappings, he was led forth. His clergy and officials preceded him, two abreast, on horseback, singing a triumphal chant. The barons and noble feudatories of the abbey attended on foot, and led the Pope's palfrey by the rein; while others went in advance, and distributed largesse among the crowd. The road was strewn with willows, and along the side gorgeous hangings fluttered on a line of posts. An immense multitude thronged to see the sight; including even the Jews of Paris, who offered to their arch-persecutor a copy of their law covered by a veil. "May God Almighty," was the Pope's epigrammatic reply, "remove the veil which is on your hearts!" In this fashion he proceeded to the church of the Holy Manger, which shone resplendent with golden coronæ and precious stones. And the Abbot Suger and the Pope having offered up mass, the whole company retired to the cloister, to partake of a splendid banquet.

In strange contrast with this brilliant scene was Innocent's reception at Clairvaux, which he afterwards visited. "CHRIST'S poor" received him with no display of purple and fine linen, with no blare of trumpet or flutter of banners; but carrying a cross of stone, and chanting psalms in subdued accents. The Pope and his attendant bishops were moved to tears by this austere spectacle, but the monks themselves fixed their eyes upon the ground, looking neither to the right nor to the left. The rude stone church, with its naked walls, the refectory with its cold earthen floor, the simple fare of the monks, who, if a fish were placed on the table, reserved it for the Pope, astonished the visitors; and we can well believe that the Romans saw nothing to desire. The solemn service of the choir was grievously disturbed by a monk who suddenly exclaimed, "I am the CHRIST!" but we are told that the demon who instigated this outbreak was quickly silenced by the exhortations of S. Bernard.

Innocent spent upwards of a twelvemonth in France, and his entertainment began to be felt as a heavy burden. He was a Pope without revenues, and he was accompanied by a large gathering of bishops and courtiers. In October, 1131, he held a grand council at Reims, which was attended by thirteen archbishops, and two hundred and sixty-three bishops. Louis VI. was present in person; the Emperor