observation of the abbot of Clairval. Having studied the subject, his first step was to admonish Abelard in a private conference, but finding that that had no effect, he opposed him in some of his writings, on which Abelard challenged him to dispute the matter at a solemn assembly which was to be held at the city of Sens in 1140. Bernard was at first unwilling to submit these important doctrines to a decision which was rather that of personal talent, than of deliberative wisdom, and would have declined appearing, had not his friends represented that his absence might injure the cause. He accordingly met his antagonist, and began to open the case, when Abelard very unexpectedly put an end to the matter by appealing to the pope. Bernard, who afterwards wrote to the same pope an account of Abelard's conduct, very justly blames him for appealing from judges whom he had himself chosen. Notwithstanding this appeal, however, Abelard's sentiments were condemned, and the pope ordered his books to be burned, and himself confined in some monastery; and that of Cluni being chosen, he remained in it until his death about two years after.

The next opponent of consequence with whom St. Bernard had to contend, was Gilbert de Porrée, bishop of Poictiers. The errors attributed to Gilbert, arose from certain metaphysical subtleties, which induced him to deny the incarnation of the divine nature; but these refined notions being above the comprehension of St. Bernard, he opposed them with great vehemence in the council of Paris, 1147, and in that of Rheims, 1148: but in this latter council Gilbert, in order to put an end to the dispute, offered to submit his opinions to the judgment of the assembly, and of the Roman pontiff, by whom they were condemned. Towards the end of his days, Bernard was chosen to be mediator between the people of Mentz and some neighbouring princes, whom he reconciled with his usual skill. On his return, he fell sick of a weakness in his stomach, and died Aug. 20, 1153, leaving nearly one hundred and sixty monasteries of his order, founded by his

care.

Bernard has had the fate of most of the eminent characters during the early ages of the church, to be excessively applauded by one party, and as much and as unjustly depreciated by the other. Of his austerities and his miracles, little notice need be now taken. The former he was himself willing to allow were unjustifiable, and the latter

are probably the forgeries of a period later than his own. In his conduct as well as his writings we see many intolerant prejudices and much superstition; a strong predilection for the Roman hierarchy, and particularly for the monastic character. On the other hand, although his learning was but moderate, he could have been no ordinary man who attained such influence, not only over public opinion, but over men of the highest rank and power; and he has been praised by the protestant writers for deviating in many respects from the dogmas of the popish religion, and maintaining some of those essential doctrines which afterwards occasioned a separation between the two churches. He denied transubstantiation, allowed of only two sacraments, and placed salvation on the imputation of Christ's righteousness, denying all works of supererogation, &c. As to his talents, one of his modern biographers allows that his style was lively and florid, his thoughts noble and ingenious, his imagination brilliant, and fertile in allegories. He is full of sensibility and tenderness, first gains the mind by a delicate and insinuating manner, then touches the heart with force and vehemence. The Holy Scripture was so familiar to this writer, that he adopts its words and expressions in almost every period and every phrase. St. Bernard's sermons are considered as master-pieces of sentiment and force. Henry de Valois preferred them to all those of the ancients, whether Greek or Latin. It appears that he preached in French; that monks who were not learned assisted at his conferences, and that Latin was then not understood by the people. His Sermons are to be seen in old French at the library of the fathers Fuillautines, rue St. Honoré at Paris, in a MS. which is very near St. Bernard's time; and the council of Tours, held in the year 813, ordered the bishops when they, delivered the homilies of the fathers, to translate them from Latin into Langue romance, that the people might understand them. This proves that it was the custom to preach in French long before the time of St. Bernard. The best edition of the works of St. Bernard, who is regarded as the last of the fathers, is that of Mabillon, 2 vols. 1690, fol. the first of which contains such pieces as are undoubtedly Bernard's. Those in the second volume are not of equal authority. Besides the lives prefixed to this edition by various writers, there are three separate lives, one by Lemaistre, Paris, 1649, 8vo; another by Villefore, 1704, 4to; and a third

by Clemencet, 1773, 4to, which is usually considered as the thirteenth volume of the literary history of France.1

BERNARD of MENTHON, a monk in the tenth century, who was born in the year 923, in the neighbourhood of Annecy, of one of the most illustrious houses of Savoy, rendered himself not more celebrated in the annals of religion than of benevolence, by two hospitable establishments which he formed, and where, for nine hundred years, travellers have found relief from the dangers of passing the Alps in the severe part of the season. Bernard, influenced by pious motives and a love of study, refused in his early years a proposal of marriage to which his parents attached great importance, and embraced the ecclesiastical life. He afterwards was promoted to be archdeacon of Aoste, which includes the places of official and grand-vicar, and consequently gave him considerable weight in the government of the diocese. This he employed in the laudable purposes of converting the wretched inhabitants of the neighbouring mountains, who were idolaters, and made very great progress in ameliorating their manners, as well as religious opinions. Affected at the same time with the dangers and hardships sustained by the French and German pilgrims in travelling to Rome, he resolved to build on the summit of the Alps two hospitia, or hotels, for their reception, one on mount Joux (mons Jovis, so called from a temple of Jupiter erected there), and the other, the colonnade of Jove, so called from a colonnade or series of upright stones placed on the snow to point out a safe track. These places of reception were afterwards called, and are still known by the names of the Great and Little St. Bernard. The care of them the founder entrusted to regular canons of the order of St. Augustin, who have continued without interruption to our days, each succession of monks during this long period, zealously performing the duties of hospitality according to the benevolent intentions of St. Bernard. The situation is the most inhospitable by nature that can be conceived; even in spring, the cold is extreme; and the whole is covered with snow or ice, whose appear-> ances are varied only by storms and clouds. Their principal monastery on Great St. Bernard, is probably the highest habitation in Europe, being two thousand five hun

1 Dupin.-Mosheim.-Milner's Church History.-Moreri.-Saxii Onomast. -Cave.-Freytag's Adparatus Litterarius,-Fabric. Bibl. Med. et Infim. Latin. -Butler's Lives of the Saints, &c.

dred toises above the sea. Morning and evening their dogs, trained for the purpose, trace out the weary and perishing traveller, and by their means, many lives are saved, the utmost care being taken to recover them, even when recovery seems most improbable. After thus establishing these hospitia, Bernard returned to his itinerant labours among the neighbouring countries until his death, May 28, 1008. The Bollandists have published, with notes, two authentic lives of St. Bernard de Menthon, one written by Richard, his successor in the archdeaconry of Aoste, by which it appears that he was neither a Cistertian, nor of the regular canons, as some writers have asserted. The two hospitals possessed considerable property in Savoy, of which they were deprived afterwards, but the establishment still subsists, and the kind and charitable duties of it have lately been performed by secular priests.1

BERNARD (ANDREW), successively poet laureate of Henry VII. and VIII. kings of England, was a native of Tholouse, and an Augustine monk. By an instrument in Rymer's Fœdera, Vol. XII. p. 317, pro Poeta laureato, dated 1486, the king grants to Andrew Bernard, poetæ laureato, which, as Mr. Warton remarks, we may construe either "the laureated poet," or "a poet laureat," a salary of ten marks, until he can obtain some equivalent appointment. He is also supposed to have been the royal historiographer, and preceptor in grammar to prince Arthur. All the pieces now to be found, which he wrote in the character of poet laureat, are in Latin. Among them are, an "Address to Henry VIII. for the most auspicious beginning of the tenth year of his reign," with "An epithalamium on the Marriage of Francis the dauphin of France with the king's daughter." These were formerly in the possession of Mr. Thomas Martin of Palgrave, the antiquary; "A New Year's gift for 1515," in the library of New college, Oxford; and "Verses wishing prosperity to his Majesty's thirteenth year," in the British museum. He has also left some Latin hymns, a Latin life of St. Andrew, and many Latin prose pieces, which he wrote as historiographer to both monarchs, particularly a "Chronicle of the life and achievements of Henry VII. to the taking of Perkin Warbeck," and other historical commentaries on the reign of that king, which are all in the Cot

1 Biog. Universelle.-Dict. Hist.

1

tonian library. He was living in 1522, but is not mentioned by Bale, Pits, or Tanner. 1 BERNARD (CATHARINE), of the academy of the Ricovrati of Padua, was born at Rouen, and died at Paris in 1712. She acquired some poetical fame, her works being several times crowned by the French academy, and that of the Jeux floraux. Two of her tragedies were represented at the French theatre, "Laodamia," in 1689, and "Brutus" in 1690. It is thought she composed these pieces conjointly with Fontenelle and the two Corneille's, who were her relations. She wrote also some other poems with ease and delicacy. Some distinction is set upon her poetical petition, which has some wit, to Louis XIV. to ask for the 200 crowns, the annual gratification given her by that prince; it is inserted in the "Recueil de vers choisis du pere Bouhours." She discontinued writing for the theatre at the instance of madame de Pont-Chartrain, who gave her a pension. She even suppressed several little pieces, which might have given a bad impression of her manners and religion. Three romances are likewise ascribed to her: "The count d'Amboise," in 12mo; “The miseries of Love;" and "Inès of Cordova," 12mo. Some of the journalists have attributed to mademoiselle Bernard the account of the isle of Borneo, and others to Fontenelle. "It may be doubted," says the abbé Trublet, "whether it be hers; and it is to be wished that it is not." It is an allegorical account of the religious disputes of that period. Beauchamps says she wrote the tragedy of "Bradamante," represented in 1695, which is certainly the same with that in the works of Thomas Corneille. Her Eloge is in the "Histoire du Theatre François."

BERNARD (CHARLES), king's counsellor, and historiographer of France, was born at Paris Dec. 25, 1571, and died in 1640. The chief part of his labours were directed to the history of France; on which he wrote, 1."La Conjunction des mers," on the junction of the ocean with the Mediterranean by the Burgundy canal, 1613, 4to. 2. "Discours sur l'etat des Finances," Paris, 1614, 4to. 3. "Histoire des guerres de Louis XIII. contre les religionnaires rebelles," ibid. 1633, fol. Of this only about three dozen copies were printed, but the whole was afterwards

1 Warton's Hist. of Poetry, vol. II. p. 132.—Malone's Life of Dryden, vol. I. P. 82. 2 Dict. Hist.-Biog. Universelle.-Moreri.