historia calamitatum-第7部分

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usanna　was　freed　of　old　from　her　false　accusers。〃

Thereupon　the　archbishop　arose　and　confirmed　the　legate's　statement；　but　changed　the　wording　thereof；　as　indeed　was　most　fitting。　〃It　is　God's　truth；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　Father　is　omnipotent；　the　Son　is　omnipotent；　the　Holy　Spirit　is　omnipotent。　And　whosoever　dissents　from　this　is　openly　in　error；　and　must　not　be　listened　to。　Nevertheless；　if　it　be　your　pleasure；　it　would　be　well　that　this　our　brother　should　publicly　state　before　us　all　the　faith　that　is　in　him；　to　the　end　that；　according　to　its　deserts；　it　may　either　be　approved　or　else　condemned　and　corrected。〃

When；　however；　I　fain　would　have　arisen　to　profess　and　set　forth　my　faith；　in　order　that　I　might　express　in　my　own　words　that　which　was　in　my　heart；　my　enemies　declared　that　it　was　not　needful　for　me　to　do　more　than　recite　the　Athanasian　Symbol；　a　thing　which　any　boy　might　do　as　well　as　I。　And　lest　I　should　allege　ignorance；　pretending　that　I　did　not　know　the　words　by　heart；　they　had　a　copy　of　it　set　before　me　to　read。　And　read　it　I　did　as　best　I　could　for　my　groans　and　sighs　and　tears。　Thereupon；　as　if　I　had　been　a　convicted　criminal；　I　was　handed　over　to　the　Abbot　of　St。　Médard；　who　was　there　present；　and　led　to　his　monastery　as　to　a　prison。　And　with　this　the　council　was　immediately　dissolved。

The　abbot　and　the　monks　of　the　aforesaid　monastery；　thinking　that　I　would　remain　long　with　them；　received　me　with　great　exultation；　and　diligently　sought　to　console　me；　but　all　in　vain。　O　God；　who　dost　judge　justice　itself；　in　what　venom　of　the　spirit；　in　what　bitterness　of　mind；　did　I　blame　even　Thee　for　my　shame；　accusing　Thee　in　my　madness！　Full　often　did　I　repeat　the　lament　of　St。　Anthony：　〃Kindly　Jesus；　where　wert　Thou？〃　The　sorrow　that　tortured　me；　the　shame　that　overwhelmed　me；　the　desperation　that　wracked　my　mind；　all　these　I　could　then　feel；　but　even　now　I　can　find　no　words　to　express　them。　Comparing　these　new　sufferings　of　my　soul　with　those　I　had　formerly　endured　in　my　body；　it　seemed　that　I　was　in　very　truth　the　most　miserable　among　men。　Indeed　that　earlier　betrayal　had　become　a　little　thing　in　comparison　with　this　later　evil；　and　I　lamented　the　hurt　to　my　fair　name　far　more　than　the　one　to　my　body。　The　latter；　indeed；　I　had　brought　upon　myself　through　my　own　wrongdoing；　but　this　other　violence　had　come　upon　me　solely　by　reason　of　the　honesty　of　my　purpose　and　my　love　of　our　faith；　which　had　compelled　me　to　write　that　which　I　believed。

The　very　cruelty　and　heartlessness　of　my　punishment；　however；　made　every　one　who　heard　the　story　vehement　in　censuring　it；　so　that　those　who　had　a　hand　therein　were　soon　eager　to　disclaim　all　responsibility；　shouldering　the　blame　on　others。　Nay；　matters　came　to　such　a　pass　that　even　my　rivals　denied　that　they　had　had　anything　to　do　with　the　matter；　and　as　for　the　legate；　he　publicly　denounced　the　malice　with　which　the　French　had　acted。　Swayed　by　repentance　for　his　injustice；　and　feeling　that　he　had　yielded　enough　to　satisfy　their　rancour　he　shortly　freed　me　from　the　monastery　whither　I　had　been　taken；　and　sent　me　back　to　my　own。　Here；　however；　I　found　almost　as　many　enemies　as　I　had　in　the　former　days　of　which　I　have　already　spoken；　for　the　vileness　and　shamelessness　of　their　way　of　living　made　them　realize　that　they　would　again　have　to　endure　my　censure。

After　a　few　months　had　passed；　chance　gave　them　an　opportunity　by　which　they　sought　to　destroy　me。　It　happened　that　one　day；　in　the　course　of　my　reading；　I　came　upon　a　certain　passage　of　Bede；　in　his　commentary　on　the　Acts　of　the　Apostles；　wherein　he　asserts　that　Dionysius　the　Areopagite　was　the　bishop；　not　of　Athens；　but　of　Corinth。　Now；　this　was　directly　counter　to　the　belief　of　the　monks；　who　were　wont　to　boast　that　their　Dionysius；　or　Denis；　was　not　only　the　Areopagite　but　was　likewise　proved　by　his　acts　to　have　been　the　Bishop　of　Athens。　Having　thus　found　this　testimony　of　Bede's　in　contradiction　of　our　own　tradition；　I　showed　it　somewhat　jestingly　to　sundry　of　the　monks　who　chanced　to　be　near。　Wrathfully　they　declared　that　Bede　was　no　better　than　a　liar；　and　that　they　had　a　far　more　trustworthy　authority　in　the　person　of　Hilduin；　a　former　abbot　of　theirs；　who　had　travelled　for　a　long　time　throughout　Greece　for　the　purpose　of　investigating　this　very　question。　He；　they　insisted；　had　by　his　writings　removed　all　possible　doubt　on　the　subject；　and　had　securely　established　the　truth　of　the　traditional　belief。

One　of　the　monks　went　so　far　as　to　ask　me　brazenly　which　of　the　two；　Bede　or　Hilduin；　I　considered　the　better　authority　on　this　point。　I　replied　that　the　authority　of　Bede；　whose　writings　are　held　in　high　esteem　by　the　whole　Latin　Church；　appeared　to　me　the　better。　Thereupon　in　a　great　rage　they　began　to　cry　out　that　at　last　I　had　openly　proved　the　hatred　I　had　always　felt　for　our　monastery；　and　that　I　was　seeking　to　disgrace　it　in　the　eyes　of　the　whole　kingdom；　robbing　it　of　the　honour　in　which　it　had　particularly　gloried；　by　thus　denying　that　the　Areopagite　was　their　patron　saint。　To　this　I　answered　that　I　had　never　denied　the　fact；　and　that　I　did　not　much　care　whether　their　patron　was　the　Areopagite　or　some　one　else；　provided　only　he　had　received　his　crown　from　God。　Thereupon　they　ran　to　the　abbot　and　told　him　of　the　misdemeanour　with　which　they　charged　me。

The　abbot　listened　to　their　story　with　delight；　rejoicing　at　having　found　a　chance　to　crush　me；　for　the　greater　vileness　of　his　life　made　him　fear　me　more　even　than　the　rest　did。　Accordingly　he　summoned　his　council；　and　when　the　brethren　had　assembled　he　violently　threatened　me；　declaring　that　he　would　straightway　send　me　to　the　king；　by　him　to　be　punished　for　having　thus　sullied　his　crown　and　the　glory　of　his　royalty。　And　until　he　should　hand　me　over　to　the　king；　he　ordered　that　I　should　be　closely　guarded。　In　vain　did　I　offer　to　submit　to　the　customary　discipline　if　I　had　in　any　way　been　guilty。　Then；　horrified　at　their　wickedness；　which　seemed　to　crown　the　ill　fortune　I　had　so　long　endured；　and　in　utter　despair　at　the　apparent　conspiracy　of　the　whole　world　against　me；　I　fled　secretly　from　the　monastery　by　night；　helped　thereto　by　some　of　the　monks　who　took　pity　on　me；　and　likewise　aided　by　some　of　my　scholars。

I　made　my　way　to　a　region　where　I　had　formerly　dwelt；　hard　by　the　lands　of　Count　Theobald　（of　Champagne）。　He　himself　had　some　slight　acquaintance　with　me；　and　had　compassion　on　me　by　reason　of　my　persecutions；　of　which　the　story　had　reached　him。　I　found　a　home　there　within　the　walls　of　Provins；　in　a　priory　of　the　monks　of　Troyes；　the　prior　of　which　had　in　former　days　known　me　well　and　shown　me　much　love。　In　his　joy　at　my　coming　he　cared　for　me　with　all　diligence。　It　chanced；　however；　that　one　day　my　abbot　came　to　Provins　to　see　the　count　on　certain　matters　of　business。　As　soon　as　I　had　learned　of　this；　I　went　to　the　count；　the　prior　accompanying　me；　and　besought　him　to　intercede　in　my　behalf　with　the　abbot。　I　asked　no　more　than　that　the　abbot　should　absolve　me　of　the　charge　against　me；　and　give　me　permission　to　live　the　monastic　life　wheresoever　I　could　find　a　suitable　place。　The　abbot；　however；　and　those　who　were　with　him　took　the　matter　under　advisement；　saying　that　they　would　give　the　count　an　answer　the　day　before　they　departed。　It　appeared　from　their　words　that　they　thought　I　wished　to　go　to　some　other　abbey；　a　thing　which　they　regarded　as　an　immense　disgrace　to　their　own。　They　had；　indeed；　taken　particular　pride　in　the　fact　that；　upon　my　conversion；　I　had　come　to　them；　as　if　scorning　all　other　abbeys；　and　accordingly　they　considered　that　it　would　bring　great　shame　upon　them　if　I　should　now　desert　their　abbey　and　seek　another。　For　this　reason　they　refused　to　listen　either　to　my　own　plea　or　to　that　of　the　count。　Furthermore；　they　threatened　me　with　excommunication　unless　I　should　instantly　return；　likewise　they　forbade　the　prior　with　whom　I　had　taken　refuge　to　keep　me　longer；　under　pain　of　sharing　my　excommunication。　When　we　heard　this　both　the　prior　and　I　were　stricken　with　fear。　The　abbot　went　away　still　obdurate；　but　a　few　days　thereafter　he　died。

As　soon　as　his　successor　had　been　named；　I　went　to　him；　accompanied　by　the　Bishop　of　Meaux；　to　try　if　I　might　win　from　him　the　permission　I　had　vainly　sought　of　his　predecessor。　At　first　he　would　not　give　his　assent；　but　finally；　through　the　intervention　of　certain　friends　of　mine；　I　secured　the　right　to　appeal　to　the　king　and　his　council；　and　in　this　way　I　at　last　obtained　what　I　sought。　The　royal　seneschal；　Stephen；　having　summoned　the　abbot　and　his　subordinates　that　they　might　state　their　case；　asked　them　why　they　wanted　to　keep　me　against　my　will。　He　pointed　out　that　this　might　easily　bring　them　into　evil　repute；　and　certainly　could　do　them　no　good；　seeing　that　their　way　of　living　was　utterly　incompatible　with　mine。　I　knew　it　to　be　the　opinion　of　the　royal　council　that　the　irregularities　in　the　conduct　of　this　abbey　would　tend　to　bring　it　more　and　more　under　the　control　of　the　king；　making　it　increasingly　useful　and　likewise　profitable　to　him；　and　for　this　reason　I　had　good　hope　of　easily　winning　the　support　of　the　king　and　those　about　him。

Thus；　indeed；　did　it　come　to　pass。　But　in　order　that　the　monastery　might　not　be　shorn　of　any　of　the　glory　which　it　had　enjoyed　by　reason　of　my　sojourn　there；　they　granted　me　permission　to　betake　myself　to　any　solitary　place　I　might　choose；　provided　only　I　did　not　put　myself　under　the　rule　of　any　other　abbey。　This　was　agreed　upon　and　confirmed　on　both　sides　in　the　presence　of　the　king　and　his　councellors。　Forthwith　I　sought　out　a　lonely　spot　known　to　me　of　old　in　the　region　of　Troyes；　and　there；　on　a　bit　of　land　which　had　been　given　to　me；　and　with　the　approval　of　the　bishop　of　the　district；　I　built　with　reeds　and　stalks　my　first　oratory　in　the　name　of　the　Holy　Trinity。　And　there　concealed；　with　but　one　comrade；　a　certain　cleric；　I　was　able　to　sing　over　and　over　again　to　the　Lord：　〃Lo；　then　would　I　wander　far　off；　and　remain　in　the　wilderness〃　（Ps。　iv。　7）。

CHAPTER　XI
OF　HIS　TEACHING　IN　THE　WILDERNESS
NO　SOONER　had　scholars　learned　of　my　retreat　than　they　began　to　flock　thither　from　all　sides；　leaving　their　towns　and　castles　to　dwell　in　the　wilderness。　In