Blanquerna

It came to pass one day that, as the Abbot Blanquerna held chapter, there came a farmer1 to the chapter, saying that a certain peasant2 had come to dig in one of the vineyards of his farm. This peasant farmer had said that the vineyard was his, and he threatened the brother grievously, and de¬ sired to turn him out of the vineyard. The Abbot asked counsel of the monks concerning that man of whom the farmer spake. Then an old monk spake to the Lord Abbot in these words: “ For a long time there has been dispute between us and this man concerning the vineyard, and much harm has the monastery had thereof, for this man has spoken much evil concerning us in all the land ; where¬ fore it is fitting that we go to the farm and turn him out of the vineyard, or that we commend the matter to the care of some knight who on our behalf will defend the vineyard from him.”

1 pagit, labourer, peasant, rustic. Occasionally, as at certain places in this book, it can bear the meaning of “ small farmer,” but it is quite distinct

BLANQUERNA

1. Deeply did the Abbot think upon the words which the monk spake, and in presence of all he said as follows : “ A thing ill-beseeming is it that for the sake of possessions a religious should place himself in peril of death or kill another, and yet it is contrary to justice that a religious should permit himself to be deprived of that which by right is his ; wherefore, according to charity and hope, it behoves that in this case a man have recourse to God and to the virtues, combating vices with virtues; for with such arms should every man do battle firfl of all, and especially a religious.” When the Abbot had spoken these words, he rode forth, and took with him the Cellarer, and went to that place where the peasant was digging in the vineyard. The Abbot greeted the peasant, saying: “ Dominus tecum ” (The Lord be with thee). The peasant returned not the greeting of the Abbot, but continued to dig in the vineyard, and kept his arms beside him that he might be able to defend himself. Every time that the peasant struck with his spade the Abbot said: “ Dominus tecum,” but the peasant gave no sign that he had heard or seen the Abbot, but continued to dig in the vineyard.

3. The Abbot marvelled greatly that the peasant an¬ swered him not, and especially did he marvel because the virtue of the greeting was of no avail; so he perceived that it behoved him to dismount, and to kneel before the peasant, and greet him with devotion and humility, to the end that from this greeting might come virtue. The Abbot dismounted and kneeled before the peasant, raising his eyes and his thoughts and his hands, and spake these words :

4. “ O Queen of Heaven and of earth 1 Within thee was

God made man and yet was God; and in glory is the Lord within thee as God and as thy Son. In this world our Order is thine and is under thy proteftion. Now through this virtue whereby the Lord was in thee, I pray thee to mediate between this man and us, that through thee we mav receive 246 b 7

DOMINUS TECUM

virtue, whereby we may be servants of the virtue which was thine because the Lord was within thee.”

5. The Cellarer reproved the Abbot fternly, saying that the whole monastery was disgraced by the honour which he did to the peasant ; but the Abbot answered the Cellarer, saying that Christian humility was shown by the Son of God, Who desired to be wholly within the Virgin Saint Mary, as Man and as God, and to be tormented and despitefully used, and put to death upon the Cross; and the weapons of a monk, he said, are humility, charity, patience and prayer. With such devotion and humility did the Abbot continue to pray and repeat the words “ Dominus tecum,” and such great virtue did God set in the words which the Abbot spake, and in his devotion, that the peasant took knowledge of the injury which he did to the abbey, and through this knowledge there came to him contrition, charity and justice. Wherefore the peasant spake these words :

6. “ Lord Abbot 1 What is it that has turned my mind to contrition, charity and justice ? And who has driven avarice, wrath and injury from my mind ? ” The Abbot answered: “ Through the will of God it came to pass that the angel Gabriel greeted Our Lady Saint Mary, and among other words said to Our Lady: ‘ Dominus tecum: the Lord is with thee.’ And by the virtue of these words hope has given me confidence that the same words may give thee virtue whereby the Lord of heaven and earth and of all that is may be in thee and with thee, that the virtues may be in thy mind, and that through the virtues the vices may be displeasing to thee.”

7. When the Abbot had spoken thus, the peasant said that these words “ The Lord is with thee ” had vanquished and overcome him, and that therefore he desired ever to be the servant of these words; so he prayed the Abbot to give him viands from the monastery wherewith he could live the life of a hermit upon a high hill near the abbey. The Abbot granted to the peasant that which he asked of

B LAN QUERN A

him, and made for him a cell in that high mountain whereon he desired to live, that he might contemplate the Lord and Our Lady in the words “ The Lord is with thee." The Abbot gave to that place the name Dominus Tecum. He desired also to build a chapel in that hermitage, but the peasant desired it not, left it should become an occasion of pilgrimages and vigils, and many persons should go there and impede his prayers and mortify his devotion.

8. When the peasant had taken up his abode in the hermitage of Dominus Tecum, the Abbot gave him a rule and manner wherein by means of these words “ The Lord is with thee ’’ he might contemplate God and Our Lady according to the form of these words following: "The Lord of the angels, and of all that is, performed in the person of Our Lady the greateft work which any creature may receive, namely when God was pleased to take within Our Lady human nature. In no creature can God perform a nobler work than this. God is Lord over Nature in Our Lady, and in all things wherein Nature has received its nature; but He exalted Nature in Our Lady more than in any other creature, wherefore the Lord was more truly within her and with her when the Angel spake to her these words, 1 The Lord is with thee,’ than with any other creature; and therefore we should all do reverence and honour to these words.” After this wise and in many a manner beside did the Abbot give rule and doftrine to the hermit as to how he should contemplate God and Our Lady in these words “ The Lord is with thee.”

9. Long time abode the hermit in that place in penance and aufterity of life, and in contemplation of God and of Our Lady. And abundance of deep devotion exalted his underftanding, through the infused science,1 that he might the better comprehend these things, than they are compre-

rsc, mystical theology, and is here con- U. of theology in the usual sense ol

BENEDICT A TU TN MULIERIBUS hended by the understanding of many monks who possess the acquired science, the which, through lack of devotion, may not be capable of such knowledge of the Divine Essence and of its operation. So great was the devotion of the hermit that many monks came to him to revive their devotion and knowledge, by reason of the holy life which he led, and by the devout and lofty matter of his speech concerning the words “ The Lord is with thee.”