Translated by W.L. North from the edition of G. Waitz in MGH SS 4, (Hannover,
1841), 830-46.
The life was composed, it seems, soon after Burchard's death in 1025 by
a canon of Worms, perhaps Ebbo/Eberhard, cathedral master and custodian of Worms and later
bishop of Konstanz (1034-46). The author had known the bishop personally and had been an
eye-witness to many of the events that he reports. The communis opinio of scholars
is that the canon dedicated the work to Walter, bishop of Speyer from 1004-1027 and a
close friend of Burchard.[1]
[1] On this Life, see now Stephanie Coué, Hagiographie im Kontext, Arbeiten zur
Frühmittelalterforschung 24, New York, 1997, 26-40 with earlier bibliography.
Prologue
As I was thinking to myself about writing the life and happy deeds of my blessed father
and dearest lord Bishop Burchard,[1] it occurred to me, most pious bishop N., to consign
and dedicate the work to your name. For your wisdom is known to all and you are recognized
by all to exercise the office of a wise man not only in your own camp but also in that of
the emperor. You build up and rule the church entrusted to you by God with the utmost
authority, you are openly proclaimed to be a man of the highest virtue and are rightly
called "Father of the Poor" and "Solace of the Needy". You have shown
this most plainly in my wretched case, when you mercifully welcomed me — a truly
broken man who was despised and cast out by all — and supported me with you,
consoling me with clemency, as befitted you. O such great deeds, my father, and me
undeserving! For you seek not the things of men but the things of God, as is clear to all;
you contemplate with a pure mind and do not attend to anyone's person but follow the
straight path of the heavenly journey with a step that does not waver. Therefore, because
I love your life (if I may presume to confess my feelings) the seal of Christ's love has
been impressed upon my heart with an eternal glue. Although, to be sure, the poverty of my
family's wealth denied me possibility to show proper mourning, my will shall nonetheless
remain devoted to you always in Christ. This is why I have dedicated this work to your
best and closest friend.
[2] Bishop of Worms, 1000- 1025.
Your dignity should know, however, that these things were written not
out of any pride but, as God is my witness, I wrote to avoid idleness and the laziness of
the heart, and especially for the memory of his blessed life, so that when his most pious
deeds are read out, the iniquitous mouths of those who speak against him may be shut. If I
have woven things together without order or in an unpracticed way, I have decided to offer
to your correction and authority, hoping that it may be corrected and defended with your
mercy. Finally, I would submit this little work to your judgment so that, if it displeases
you, it may be destroyed, but if it pleases, it may remain as a testament of God's
servant.
This little work began in the following way. One day as I was sitting by myself turning
over various things in my mind and thinking not without some heavy sighs, a certain
acquaintance of mine interrupted me and spoke in words like this: My dear friend, why
are you sitting here alone, thinking with a troubled mind? Why do you stare with bowed
head at the ground, sadder than is your wont? For if someone has troubled you through his
words or deeds, he has just troubled me as well. If you tell me what is bothering you and
do not conceal your mind's intent, you shall have my aid and counsel at the ready because
you can call upon me whatever the case may be. Then I said: You do well, beloved
brother, to have found me here, and you have come to me almost as if most desired. For I
have long contemplated revealing to you some aspects of my intent either in something
written or through the conveyance of language. But because many things blocked my
affection, I was delayed until now. Among these impediments, the greatest was this: I
hesitated to make public what I have conceived. For you know how pernicious modern men are
and how full of diverse thoughts. What if someone, driven by envy, saw what I had said and
confounded me by saying in rebuke that it is a great act of brazenness for me, a poor
fool, to set my little proposition, assembled with a naked and thirsting wit, before
prudent men. I confess that I may be a poor fool. But if I am poor, I am not
ashamed to become rich; but a rich man is ashamed to become poor, just as we read a rich
steward said: I am ashamed to beg.[Lk.16:3] It is more precious to me that I live
as a poor man with Lazarus than be cast into the eternal fire with the rich man. We were
all born poor and naked. But He who gave life, also gives food; and He who created the
body has given us clothes. Indeed, He has and He shall give them to me, because the soul
is greater than food and the body greater than clothes. He also does not spurn the poor
but chooses the weak that He may confound the strong. If I am naked and parched in my wit,
he shall nonetheless clothe me with a boldness of speech, because I hope that He is my
helper who said: Open your mouth and I shall fill it.[Ps. 80:11] Truly He Himself
shall perfect, confirm, and make solid in accordance with the promise of His clemency what
I am about to do and say. Therefore I shall no longer delay speaking of these things, and
I shall reveal to your love what our narrative demands should be said.
My mind constantly compels me with repeated urgings to write the holy life of our
Bishop Burchard — a life which was dedicated to God and most worthy of all praise
— according to the small measure of my wit and the testimony of my conscience. To
complete this work, I implore your advice and aid on bended knee, because I know that you
are most learned in divine things, aware of these matters, and very much suited to this
business. For I have still not forgotten how at the time of a certain conversation, you
asked me many things about the virtues of the aforementioned fellow. After I had recounted
to you his holy studies and the honorableness of his behavior as well as with how much
stability he had remained in the works of Christ, in sacred Scripture, in fasts, in
vigils, and in prayers, I confess that I also explained and narrated to you (although not
without tears) how the constancy of his prayer very often quieted the turmoil of the world
and diverse adversities and terrors of the air. Thus did we spend a most pleasant day. Do
you remember? Why not? For afterwards you urged me on, knocking day and night with the
hand of holy desire, and asked that I publish some writings about the life and actions of
this man or suggest someone to write them. Bowing to your pious requests, I shall strive
with your help to narrate some compositions, albeit without eloquence, about his life, if
supernal grace floods the dryness of my mind. But whenever I hear mention of that most
blessed man, tears and lamentation afflict me. Indeed, my beloved, for me writing this is
nothing less than pouring forth tears and sighs incessantly and thinking over these
wretched thoughts silently to myself: Who was I? Who am I? Who shall I be? For I was
raised by that man mercifully but then abandoned miserably. I have been established in
labor and toil, the vilest of almost all men, of low birth, of sinning lineage, unknown to
all but nonetheless aware of myself. There is a likeness in nation and a commotion of the
head among the peoples. Indeed, I am rejected as lazy, I am spat upon as fetid, I am
despised as putrid, and this not without reason. For each day, I, a most unfortunate man,
purtrify in the sty of my own sins and, wretch that I am, I grow hot carrying a heavy
burden that my neck cannot bear. Indeed, like the untested earth on any road, I soften to
carry out whatever my labile mind desires, and having entirely forgotten the salvation of
my mind, I immediately multiply hundredfold the sins committed which I lament once with
tears that barely emerge. This is why my words are full of sorrow. I think that you
recognize these things along with me, my brother, for I am scarcely unaware that you have
sweated not once for similar ends. But where is all this going? Where am I leading you, my
beloved, with my empty rationale? I call rationale empty which we profess in words but do
not follow in deeds. For at the beginning of this account I was summoning you, my beloved,
not to sadness, but to joy, not to sorrow but to happiness, not to vice but to proclaiming
virtue. I shall therefore return to the discourse I had begun and I ask and implore your
love most strongly that either you lead me with your questions and learn as I talk about
the life of this man, or you correct me when I ask and teach by describing fully the
aforementioned virtues.
Giving thanks, he said in response: It seems to me, dearest one, that your petition
or admonition should not be rebuked but rather should be greatly praised. By asking these
things as if you wrote them, you have urged me towards them by telling of wholesome
matters, and thus you have moved me with salvific words. For you said that you still had
not forgotten my question about the actions of our lord. And I, in fact, recall my inquiry
and your exposition of his virtues. I, therefore, asked and I'll ask you again either to
write something about the deeds of that happy man or to suggest scribes who will. For it
is a wicked thing to lower the sail when a prosperous wind does not cease to blow.
Therefore, fulfill your promise and do not delay any longer because good fortune blows!
But those grave burned which you mentioned and the wretched cares of worldly affairs which
are unknown to me by name until now — I already bear them upon shoulders so stooped
that, alas!, I can neither breath nor look up because of the greatness of the burden.
Those turbulent storms of the world and various attacks of adversities and terrors of the
air which we felt only rarely while our blessed patron was alive, we now suffer almost
every day or every instant because our sins require it. For aided in the eyes of God with
his pious prayers while he was alive, we were protected from all dangers as if with a
wall. But after we were deprived of his blessed presence, from the moment when our pastor
died according to the Lord's word, we have been scattered and reduced to nothing, like
sheep without a barrier. Consequently, when I heard you just now saying such things, I
cried silently at almost every word and not with mere tears but, as my conscience is my
witness, with the real tears of internal compunction. I beseech you, therefore, continue
narrating what you promised about this man and if I can do anything, my brother, I shall
not hesitate to suggest it to you.
I confess, I said, that we have always been protected from deadly darts by his
pious prayers; and therefore I sinned with impunity, and great fool that I was at the
time, I thought that I could sin with impunity because he prayed incessantly for us. Truly
that pious pastor worked hard before God for the flock committed to him and sustained many
calumnies and calamities in the world by resisting them manfully with a brave heart. All
of these things we shall narrate more clearly with God's help in the appropriate places.
But I must respond to the example with which you admonished me about fulfilling promises.
You said that it was wicked to lower the sail when prosperous winds were still blowing.
And I agree that this is true but I do not think this should be done without caution. For
example, if someone decides to cross the greatness of the sea, he first fortifies the ship
against the threats of the waves on all sides. Then, by exploring the depths of the water
for rocks hidden beneath the waves, he cautiously makes sure that when he begins to sail,
he need not fear the sea's threats and that he shall not collide with hidden rocks but
rather shall arrive at the port of safety, steering the ship with the firm tiller of
ruler, under full sail and with prosperous winds. In a similar way, in his greatness, we
should implore faith and should sharpen the meagerness of our wit on both sides so that we
do not collide with the vituperation of envious men but reach the end in safety. For the
envious man often praises with adulation someone's deeds when they are present, but when
they leave attacks them like a rabid dog barking senselessly. But because I fear to say
more about the iniquitous behavior of envious men — behavior which has been dosed
with the poison of envy and established with no trust, I shall lay my finger to my lips so
that my mouth does not speak of the works of men.
Therefore, since I do not fear the envy of adulators or critics, let us begin to
recount at least a few things about the actions of this just man with the help of divine
mercy. Nonetheless, if we must recount all the good things that we have seen and learned
about him from the accounts of religious men, we shall see the day end before the story.
Reaching back to the beginning, let us begin with divine aid from his birth and thus we
shall try to come swiftly to an end as we recount his deeds.
1. Burchard was born in the province of Hesse to parents who were not low according to
the world's dignity. With his parents' commendation, this boy was at first raised as a
canon at Koblenz, and then was sent for the sake of study to various places. Later he
joined himself to Willigis, the venerable archbishop of the see of Mainz.[3] Since,
despite his age, Burchard had been filled with that man's salutary wisdom and instructed
by the model of his noble behavior, he avoided vicious deeds by fleeing them and turned
his mind little by little towards better things. Indeed, after the first flower of his
youth, he shined forth as outstanding in all good things. He stood firm in what was just,
was provident in counsel, not puffed up in prosperity, not upset in adversity, obedient to
his superiors, compassionate towards the needy, friendly to the wretched, merciful to his
subjects, very generous, most honorable in his behavior, and vigorous in every work of
God. There is no need to praise the patience within him, since he never uttered the
slightest word of contradiction against those serving him, even though they often
committed crimes against him.
[3] Willigis occupied the see of Mainz from 975-1011. On his person and career, see now
G. Bayreuther, "Willigis, Erzbischof von Mainz (975-1011)," in Deutsche
Fürsten des Mittelalters, edd. E. Holtz & W. Huschner. Leipzig, 1995, pp.87-95
with earlier bibliography.
2. Shining forth with these and other virtues, he was raised by the
archbishop through each step of the clerical grade to the order of the diaconate and
placed in charge of a certain very poor place. With the help of the archbishop, he
enriched this place with the greatest of efforts and adorned it with all his might. For he
built there an outstanding monastery along with a cloister of canons in honor of St
Victor. After the rulers of the cloister had been established through the election of the
brethren, he ordered that the rounds of the divine office (cursus) be kept and sung
at certain times indicated by signals. And when ecclesiastical affairs had thus been
rightly ordered in accordance with the rule of the canons, he conferred the many
properties and servants that he had acquired either by his parents' transfer or by royal
gift to this church as their property (in proprium). And so by the pious labors of
this man, praise and thanksgiving are rendered unto our God in each day's office at the
aforementioned place. Recognizing the holy intention (meditatio) of the man of God,
the most religious Willigis chose him as his most intimate associate and established him
as the teacher of his chamber and primate of the city. In this office, he gained eternal
rewards not only in the eyes of men but also those of God, because he could not be
deflected from the path of rectitude either by rewards, or gifts, or the consideration of
any person, unlike certain men whom we now see fall easily from right judgment either
through friendship or envy. Since his reputation increased from these and many other
zealous acts of piety, news of him came to the ears of Emperor Otto III.[4] He, being a
most pious man, loved Burchard very much and received him with clemency when he came to
him. He sent him back laden with diverse gifts, after promising that Burchard would have
his grace.
[4] Otto III, king of Germany, 983- January 24, 1002; Roman emperor, May 21, 996-
January 24, 1002.
3. Meanwhile, it happened that Bishop Hildebald of the church of Worms
closed his last day[5] and in his place Franco, brother of the aforementioned Lord
Burchard, was established as bishop. There is more than enough that should be said about
this man, if the smallness of our wit did not prevent us. But now that the mention of him
has interrupted our account, even if we cannot talk about his greater deeds, let us
mention some of his lesser ones. When Franco had accepted the bishopric, he remained for a
time within the boundaries of Worms. Then, when the affairs of the church had been ordered
according to reason, he set off on an expedition to Italy with the emperor. There he was
zealous in the service of the emperor with a vigilant spirit for more than one year and
was often a party to his secrets. Whenever something regarding more important matters was
to be discussed, the emperor treated him with such great familiarity and authority (even
though he was a youth) that only rarely was anything decided without his counsel. To all
he was affable, to all kind, and acquired no modest glory in the eyes of all by giving
many gifts. Whence all held him in the greatest honor and love, and already divined that
he was like a saint. And because he was greatly honored by the emperor and held dear
beyond all others, he both coerced the wicked with his counsel and ruled the republic in
peace. It therefore came to pass that the emperor granted the monastery of Lorsch to the
church of Worms and established this with a charter and a perpetual privilege. He also had
ordered that this concession be recited and proclaimed both in the convent and in the
council of the Romans. At the same time, the emperor and the aforementioned bishop, having
put on hair shirts and with completely bare feet, entered a certain cave next to the
church of San Clemente unbeknowst to all and hid there fourteen days in prayers, fasting,
and vigils. Some say that they were constantly consoled by visions and divine
conversations while in this place.[6] But since we have discovered little on this matter,
we leave it to be chewed over in the judgment of the common people. But we nonetheless
know this for certain, namely that the day and hour of his own death was divinely made
known to the bishop. He announced this news to the emperor, when they returned home. The
emperor was much aggrieved over this and, in the midst of his weeping, asked him whom he
should have in his place or to whom he should commit the bishopric. Finally, as if forced,
Franco responded: I have a brother; if it were pleasing to God, I would ask that he be
my successor. But concerning all these things, may God provide the one in whom He is well
pleased. Then the emperor swore with God as his witness that he would give the
aforementioned bishopric to his brother. And in order that this promise could be better
and more easily recalled, he received a letter of request (epistola deprecatoria)
from the bishop which he placed in his satchel as a witness (ad testamentum). What
more is there to say? On the very day and hour that he had predicted,[7] Franco succumbed
to death and his body was buried in peace in Rome with great honor.
[5] August 4, 998.
[6] In 999.
[7] August 27, 999.
4. After the bishop died, various petitioners immediately called upon
the emperor to give them the bishopric. Of these, a certain Erpho was distinguished by his
reputation as a pastor (nomen pastorale). But he did not see his fourth day [after
his election], because he died on the third. Once he was dead, there were again not a few
who incessantly filled the emperor's ears with various requests and promises of money for
the bishopric. Of these, one named Razo received the pastoral staff through very hard work
and by promising not a little. But soon thereafter, as he was returned from Italy with
great joy, he came to a place called Chur and there ended his life. Messengers returning
to Italy brought back the episcopal staff to the emperor and told of the bishop's death.
Finally, the emperor remembered his promise, closed his hand, and promised that he would
give this bishopric to no one until he returned to the fatherland. Who shall not count it
among the merits of this blessed father of ours and praise his life for the fact that he
was so much the chosen one of God that the deaths of these men made this fact manifest? It
is a wondrous and truly amazing thing that the one candidate did not see the fourteenth
day after his election and acceptance of the bishopric, while the other had not even lived
to see the fourth day. Here we can both see and understand the miracles of God. For no
wisdom, no prudence nor any counsel is against the Lord. Clearly, what pleased men,
displeased God; what the emperor chose, God rejected, and He chose the weak that they
might confound the strong. For He knew that Burchard feared, loved, and worshipped Him
with all his might; He called for the one who had been foreordained, He justified him once
called, and magnified him, once justified, not with men's praise but with His own mercy.
5. When the emperor returned from Italy,[8] he entered Saxony and came to a place
called Kirchberg. The bishop of Mainz and the venerable Burchard met the emperor there.
Receiving the archbishop with honor, the emperor explained to him the case of the
bishopric of Worms and fully recounted the amazing deaths of the two men. After much
conversation, as the emperor was looking out the window, he spied Burchard whom he quickly
summoned. Seizing his hand, he led him up and carefully explained what his brother had
requested on his behalf and what he demanded of him. Then he revealed to him the letter
that he was keeping in his satchel. And thus he began to offer the priesthood of Worms to
him. Although Burchard greatly resisted and argued that he was unworthy to assume the
episcopal office, the emperor insisted vigorously and compelled him to take it up, almost
by force. In the end, he realized that he could not resist the potentate, and so he asked
if he might discuss the matter with his superior, the archbishop. After he asked for and
received counsel from the archbishop, he promised that he would endure what the emperor
had commanded. When he said this, tears welled up in the eyes of all those present and the
pastoral staff was entrusted to his most worthy merits.
[8] In the year 1000.
6. A few days later, when he had received the emperor's permission, he went with the
archbishop to Heiligenstadt[9] and there received the mitre of the priestly office. On the
following day he was venerably consecrated with the unction of the episcopal blessing.
Then, dismissed with honor by the archbishop after many goodbyes and embraces, Burchard
paid a visit to the bishopric assigned to him and came to Worms, which he found in ruins
and almost deserted. Indeed, it was most suited not to man's use but to the lairs of
beasts and especially wolves, because the flatness of the location and the destruction of
the wall offered easy access to wild animals and robbers. Indeed, they say that wolves had
often devoured sheep in the city while everyone looked on; and when people wanted to
prevent this, the wolves boldly frightened them off with constant attacks and then escaped
unharmed, even though all were pursuing them. Robbers also boasted that this was the most
fitting place to carry out the iniquity of their will, because neither the valley's
fortifications nor the obstacle of a wall ever offered them any difficulty in entering. If
one of the citizens said something against their wishes, they went after him in nocturnal
raids and, seizing everything he had, they took it with them, leaving the man either dead
or half-dead. Such was the peace, such the security, such the fortification to which the
citizens of Worms were accustomed in those days! In the end, the people left the city
deserted, went outside the wall, and there established the houses and buildings necessary
for their uses. They also proctected themselves and their possessions against robbers and
wild animals with hedges, beams, and other wooden structures. Because of all this,
Burchard was greatly saddened upon seeing the abandoned city and so, after receiving
advise from his men, he surrounded the city with a most solidly built ditch. He rebuilt
the wall on all sides and ordered the citizens both to build and to live within the wall.
Indeed, in just five years, he recalled the citizens who had been driven out, strengthened
the peace within these boundaries, and properly restored a city that had been utterly
abandoned. But there was one thing that presented the greatest impediment to this man's
pious labors.
[9] Southeast of Göttingen.
7. Duke Otto and his son Conrad[10] had within the city a fortification
which was very strong in its towers and various buildings. In this house (domus)
robbers, thieves, and all who committed crimes against the bishop had the most secure of
refuges. Indeed, if anyone committed any crime against the bishop or his loyal followers
in word or deed, he immediately betook himself to this area. As a consequence, many limbs
were hacked off and many murders occurred on both sides. The man of God tolerated this
dishonor and these harsh calamities, yet he always resisted their outrageous acts with a
brave heart, as if undaunted. Consequently it came to pass that the man of God considered
this sort of man odious for all the days of his life and despised them all as invaders of
the Church, with the sole exception of one youth whom his parents and the rest of his
relatives rejected, since they considered him unworthy because he was peaceful and loved
life's innocence.[11] The man of God summoned the boy and taught him the fear as well as
the love of God and raised him as if he were an adopted son. And because he perceived in
him a stability of spirit, he loved him more than the rest. It was he that God later
elevated through His clemency to the throne of the kingdom. When the bishop despaired of
resisting the forces of the powerful in any other way, he quickly surrounded his city with
a wall on the model of a castle; on the inside, he built a very strong fortification and
swiftly raised towers and structures suitable for fighting. Once the castle had been built
and strengthened, he bravely resisted the outrageous deeds of the foe and increased hope
among his own people; an intrepid man in word and deed, he often terrified even his
enemies themselves.
[10] Duke Otto of Carinthia (978-85; 995- 1004) and his son Conrad, duke of Carinthia
(1004- 1011). The future King Conrad II's father was Duke Otto's son Henry; by the time
Burchard assumed the bishopric of Worms, Henry was dead and so was probably being raised
in his grandfather's or uncle's household.
[11] This boy would grow up to become Emperor Conrad II. On Conrad
II’s childhold and Burchard’s role in his upbringing, see now T. Schmidt,
"Kaiser Konrads Jugend und Familie," in Geschichtsschreibung und geistiges
Leben im Mittelalter. Festschrift für H. Löwe, ed. K. Hauck & H. Mordek,
Köln/Wien, 1978, pp.312ff.
8. Later on, after their conflicts had been settled and peace had just
been confirmed between them, Bishop Burchard and a great retinue, knights from Mainz, the
abbot of Fulda, and the bishop of Würzburg with no small multitude all journeyed to Italy
at the emperor's command. But just after they had passed through Tuscany with the greatest
effort, it was announced to them that the emperor was dead. Truly saddened by this, as was
fitting, they returned by the way they had come. The citizens of Lucca and the surrounding
villages, however, assembled a large multitude of knights and foot soldiers, closed the
roads in every direction, and awaited the arrival of our forces, armed and as though
prepared for war. Catching sight of so great a multitude, our forces were troubled and
hesitated to pass through their territory if they were unwilling. Finally, after taking
counsel, the bishops sent envoys, and these men asked on bended knee that they allow our
forces to pass through their borders in peace. They were barely granted their request, but
on that day they did enjoy peace. When night had passed, however, the local inhabitants
reassembled at first light and began to harass our front lines with a great clamor and
light skirmishes; when a few on both sides had been either wounded or killed, a clamor was
heard from still others. And so, rising swiftly, our men took up arms and all gathered
together. Among them there was a certain Thietmar, a knight of the bishop of Worms and a
man of energy and outstanding in all goodness, who was considered to be the best informed
person in military matters of the entire army. The bishop summoned him and asked him to
help this situation to be resolved without bloodshed, if possible. After promising to
carry out his orders, he departed and, assembling some other men, quietly revealed to them
what he had in mind. With his men, he swiftly ascended a mountain which was most dangerous
to climb with the utmost sweat and labor and secretly went behind the enemy force. When
they saw our men, the enemy was terrified by their miraculous arrival, were devastated in
spirit, and gave themselves over completely to flight. Our men followed, destroying and
cutting down in this flight as many as they were able to catch. Greatly troubled by this
slaughter, the bishop poured forth tears and rebuked Thietmar severely for this affair. In
the end, he sent back not a few denarii to the citizens as if for compensation.
Thus, by God's grace, they returned to the fatherland.
9. Meanwhile, Henry of Bavaria came to Worms with forces assembled from all over and
labored not a little to acquire the scepter of the kingship.[12] He entered into counsel
regarding these matters with the bishops of Mainz and Worms. He explained the reason for
his coming and promised to do everything they wished, if they would consent to his wishes.
Indeed, he promised that he would acquire the fortified house of Otto and deliver it into
the power of the bishop of Worms; and by thus giving and promising many things, he led
these men to incline towards his own opinion. Then he came with them to Mainz and there he
received the scepter of the kingship while all who were present joined in praise. Once
Henry had been raised to the throne of kingship, Bishop Burchard, mindful of Henry's
promise, admonished the king incessantly day and night for the sake of his city's liberty.
Finally, the king summoned Duke Otto; they had a discussion about these matters and the
king made known to Otto the zeal of his will. Since he was a prudent man, Otto responded
prudently in this way: Father, even if you spoke of some great matter to me, I would
certainly have done it. I want you to know for certain that I firmly hope that, together
with you, I shall have an eternal reward in the eternal kingdom of God in exchange for
these properties. With these phrases and the like, the affair was brought to a close,
and a certain village which is called Bruchsal with all its revenues (utilitates)
and appendages was handed over to the duke in exchange for this house. And so Worms, so
long subject to iniquitous servitude, was liberated through the bishop's pious labors.
Hence, on the very day when the duke left this fortification, the bishop and the assembled
crowd fell upon the house as the duke looked on and destroyed it right down to the
foundations with their eager hands. But then, with the same material and same stones, they
built a monastery and cloister in honor of St Paul, marking it with this title: a church
for the sake of the city's liberty. In these ways, the man of God transformed a house of
war into a church of Christ, and what had been a house of contention, became a house of
reconciliation in which praise and thanksgiving were paid out day and night.
[12] Henry was a distant kinsmen of the Ottonian line, since he was the grandson of
Otto I's brother D uke Henry of Bavaria ( 955). He ruled Germany as King Henry II from his
royal consecration in Mainz on June 7, 1002 until his death on July 13, 1024. He became
emperor on February 14, 1014.
10. There is a pine forest two miles away from Worms which abounds in
silver fir, and a muddy swamp winds around it on one side. In the middle of the swamp
stands a beautiful hill to which the man of God commanded that he be transferred; and
because he wanted to avoid the tumults of the world, he levelled the hilltop once the
trees and bushes had been cut down. There he first built an oratory; then, once other
buildings were completed, he constructed a magnificent cell. To this cell he withdrew
after royal councils and conversations with the king, synodal cares, and the diverse
rumblings of the world. There, putting all secular business behind him, he worked
zealously with all his might in the service of God. Indeed, it was at this time that he
labored not a little in this cell on his collection of canons.[13] For he gathered
together the canons into a single corpus with the help of Bishop Walter of Speyer and at
the suggestion and with the encouragement of Brunicho the provost; but he did this not out
of arrogance, but because, as he himself said, the rights of the canons and the judgments
of penances had been utterly neglected and destroyed in his bishopric. He divided up this
corpus or collection and distributed the canons over twenty books.
[13] This collection, known as the Decretum, assumed its final form around 1015
and became one of the most influential collections of the eleventh and early twelfth
centuries; for a brief discussion of Burchard's sources and methods, see B. Brasington
& R. Somerville, Prefaces to Canon Law Books in Latin Christianity. Selected
Translations, 500-1245, New Haven, 1998, 72-75 with earlier bibliography, and R.
Somerville's translation of the preface, 99-104. Brunicho's role in stimulating Burchard's
canonistic efforts is suggested by the latter's dedication of the Decretum to him.
11. Never ceasing from pious labors, the man of God also knocked down
the church of St Peter ad sedem because it was too small, and after laying the
foundation, commissioned a monastery of tremendous size. In just a few years he brought
the project almost to completion; it was done with such great swiftness, in fact, that it
did not seem to have been built through construction but rather to have appeared sudddenly
there because Burchard wished it so.
12. In these days, he summoned his sister Mathilda, a woman most honorable and worthy
of all fame, and nourished her with brotherly love. Using her great talent, this mistress
took the utmost care over the women's work and had women who were learned in a diversity
of textile arts; she herself surpassed many women in the making of precious vestments.
Meanwhile, it happened that the abbess in a monastery of nuns serving God there closed her
final day. After her death, all the sisters begged the bishop as if with one voice,
praying that he might give the abbacy to his own sister and commit the care of protecting
them to her. Consenting to their petitions, the venerable man summoned his sister and
exhorted her with various circumlocutions, but finally spoke thus. My dearest sister,
he said, you see how fragile and fleeting worldly things are and how they are full of
every iniquity. For gold, silver, and stones which seem precious to us, are reckoned as
nothing but filth in the eyes of God. We are doing nothing else amongst them but deceiving
wretched souls with our lust for temporal goods. For wherever we go, the shadow of death
pursues us; and the one who today lives securely amidst delights, tomorrow succumbs
unfortunately to death. But blessed is the man who follows the right road of the just
journey and despises the glory of this world and accepts the things which are God's within
the household of a pure heart. Therefore, my dearest sister, I want you to remove the
bracelets, the earrings, and the delightful clothes and accept the holy veil and thus join
yourself to the eternal king. When she heard this, she was greatly afraid and, amazed
beyond words, she said: O holy lord, do you not know that I have spent all the days of
my life involved in wordly affairs and therefore am utterly ignorant of this office?
Indeed, I am completely ignorant of books except the psalter; I do not know how to behave
in this office; and therefore how can I live in this life, my lord, without scandal? In response, the man of God said: Do not say another word and do not be slow to fulfill
my exhortation with the greatest speed. What blocks you? What stands in your way? It is a
most happy trade to leave behind transitory goods and to acquire happily eternal riches
and perpetual life. With these and other exhortations, he so won over his sister that
she finally swore to do whatever he wanted. When the servant of God heard this, he was
exultant, offering thanks to God with all his heart. He immediately ordered her to learn
the canonical rule, the computus, the lives of the fathers and the dialogue and other
books appropriate to this life. And all the things which he commanded, she strove
constantly to learn and to perfect out of obedience. After the man of God had perceived so
great a will and such pious zeal in this handmaid of God, with the imposition of the veil
he consecrated her to the service of God. When the sisters were assembled, he commended
the abbacy and their care to her. Once she received the veil, she shone forth brilliantly
in every virtue and in her honorable behavior, and she offered divine examples to all as
if she had been raised all her life according to the rule. For she did not want to be
served but to serve, nor did she raise herself up over others in the manner of teachers
but loved and taught all like a mother. It is a wondrous thing, that a woman of the world
was not burdened in this business even for a moment but rather delighted in it. In
addition, all of the land which she had acquired, she transferred into the ownership (in
proprium) of the church over which she ruled with her brother's help. Moreover, upon
her brother's exhortation and with his help, she not only renovated the cloister and the
monastery (which was almost deserted) but also rebuilt and had it dedicated. A woman of
the most stable heart and spirit, she remained in divine service day and night with the
sisters committed to her and with her brother's help ordered their way of life according
to reason, just as the canonical rule demands.
13. Because of her examples and testimonies, one of the sisters vowed to God named
Charity sought the strictness of a higher and superior way of life from the bishop. And
although he affirmed that the will of God could be well fulfilled in her current life
through just deeds, the virgin of God nevertheless asked in constant petitions to remove
herself from secular matters and be enclosed, because she wanted to do greater things.
Finally consenting to her petition, the man of God ordered that she be enclosed, decreed a
certain day, and came to the nuns' monastery with all the brethren to examine the will of
the God's maidservant. After they arrived and the brothers were called together, he placed
the virgin in their midst and said: My beloved brothers, you see before you this
virgin, aflame with the love and fear of God alike, who is rejecting the slippery delights
of this world and wants to please God. Rather than receiving the word of the Gospel with a
deaf ear, she has rejected her father and mother, her relatives and friends, houses and
fields and decided to join herself to God alone. You should be ashamed of yourselves, old
and young alike, since you are doing nothing like this! Why are you silent? Why do you
struggle with the blush of shame? Behold, this slip of a girl boldly marches ahead of you
with her banner flying high and does not fear to fight against spiritual iniquities.
Behold how, dressed in the mail of the faith and the helmet of salvation, she is prepared
to struggle against the enemy with unflinching spirit. Therefore if you can neither march
ahead nor run with her, at least you should strive to follow her with similar examples of
piety. After these and other divine words and when the offices of the Mass had been
completed, he enclosed her in a small cell; and that virgin, who had died to the world by
divine compunction, he commended to God in the order of the dead. There she lived the
angelic life for three years serving God and, although tempted by diverse torments, in the
end she rendered her soul fully purged to her Creator that God, who is always marvelous in
his saints, might be honored in every way.
14. Now then, at this same time the emperor Henry decided to enter Burgundy[14] with
his army and on this journey he came to Worms. When he saw that that outstanding monastery
was almost completed, he asked with constant requests that it be consecrated while he was
there. Although the man of God long refused, in the end he consented to the emperor's will
as if coerced. Therefore, after all the filth had been cast out and all the soot washed
away, on the following day, in the emperor's presence and at his command, this house was
dedicated to God in the presence of many bishops with great praises and with the great
jubilation of clergy and people.
[14] Possibly the campaign against Odo-William of Burgundy in 1016.
15. After two years, a wretched thing happened in this monastery. One
night, the western part of the building collapsed completely with a sudden crash. But the
amazing thing was that under so great a weight not one bell was broken, except for a small
one. Deeply troubled over this occurrence, as was fitting, the servant of God wore a
certain expression, almost of sadness, upon his face. His disciples, no small crowd of
whom constantly followed him around, came to him and consoled him with these words: We
are rightly amazed, Lord, that you are so upset by the misfortune of this event, since you
ask in every day's offering that things be allowed to happen as it pleases God. Now, God
has heard your prayers, He has publicly fulfilled your will. For what pleases God, is
often tested, as it is written: God corrects whom He loves.[Prov. 3:12] What
displeased God, He rejected, just as you asked. Therefore, put aside your sighs and
receive the strength of patience. This is praiseworthy and acceptable to God. For amidst
the other sentences of His teaching, as you well know, God also offerred sayings of
consolation like this: In your patience you shall possess your souls.[Lk. 21:19]
Attend to these things, Father, attend to these things, and put aside the burden of cares
and forget your sadness, because according to the Lord's promise, your sadness shall be
turned to joy. The man of God, as if aroused from his sadness, responded with his face
full of joy: I owe you great gratitude and many thanks for such great consolation and
such admonition. Indeed, just as it pleased the Lord, so did He do. Truly I rejoice that
what did not please him, He wished to change for the better, just as we asked. But now
listen, I ask, and I shall tell you how I learned this lesson. One day, after entering the
larger of my gardens with just two boys, I saw in the very entrance the devil in human
form and dress. He was standing towards the north, killing the herbs and fruitful trees,
and so with much murmuring, he closed the pathway with the pile he had thus made. When I
angrily asked him (since he walked in the likeness and image of the gardener) why he had
closed off the path, he asked: "Would that I could close off the path of eternal life
to you, I who can gather up so much trouble for you in this short time!" Wondering at
his audacity, since I thought he was the caretaker of the garden, I said: "In the
name of the Lord, you shall not harm me in what you threaten, and unless you cease from
your iniquity, you shall gather for yourself eternal ruin." When I'd said these
things, I went to a chair which is in the garden, but as I looked around, I did not see
him. Greatly surprised at what had disappeared completely so suddenly, I asked the boys if
they had seen him. Both of them said that they had seen no one but me, but they did
confirm that they heard someone arguing with me. Then I said: "I know, my sons, I
know who it is. But I shall not fear his threats, nor shall I place my hopes in his words,
for there is no truth in them, as the Lord says.[Jn. 8:44] Departing from there
immediately, I conceived this verse in my mind: "Because I am prepared for the lash,
my suffering, too, is always in my sight. And on the following night at the hour of
matins, this wretched collapse of the temple occurred. When I heard it, my mind was filled
with consternation and I confess that I repeated that complaint of David not without
tears: I have been beaten the whole night, and my chastisement is in the morning.[Ps.
72:14] Therefore, my brothers, because the Lord has deigned to chastize me through
chastisement, I shall rejoice and I shall be patience according to your exhortation, and I
shall do penance as a convert for my deeds and words, and I shall praise you, my God, that
you may be honored in all things; for You who grows angry, shall show Your favor and
forgive all the sins of men in tribulation. After this, he ordered the wooden beams
and stones to be carried outside the temple, and once the foundation was laid, he built it
firmly and brought it to its original state in just about two years. Then he gilded the
column capitols as well as the squared stones placed around on the monastery's course of
walls, and he adorned the entire temple on all sides with various ornaments.
16. The food allowance of the brothers serving God at the see, which had already given
out due to its great antiquity and had been almost completely neglected, he revoked for
good reason and changed it to a better custom. Then, when all had been canonically
ordained, he ordered all the brothers to eat their daily meals together in the refectory
according to the rule. He likewise mercifully renewed the food allowance of St Cyriacus
that had almost been destroyed by the negligence of usurpers and ordered them to eat
together. With marvelous ingenuity, he renewed all the places belonging to him that were
almost completely destroyed and abandoned due to their age, and he then adorned them
outstandingly with walls and various buildings. The monastery and cloister of St Andrew
which was located outside the city and had been abandoned through neglect, he rebuilt
within the city. And when all the canonical matters had been venerably decided to the
brothers' benefit, he instituted the regular life to the praise and glory of our God.
17. In those days, when Brunicho, the venerable provost of this see about whom we
spoke above,[15] saw the constancy of the blessed man — how he had rejected the pomp
of the world, how he had been fervent in God's service, and how he had fled human praise
through avoidance — he went within himself and approached the monastic life; and
through the examples of God's servant, he deceived the devil and with a contrite heart and
spirit strove to please God alone. Other illustrious men, also leaving behind the world
because of the constant testimony of God's servant, fled the city and subjected themselves
to the life of monks. Finally, the bishop feared that the monasteries (monasteria)[16]
would be abandoned, and so he summoned the brothers from all the monasteries and spoke to
them in these words: I do not wish you to forget, brothers, that everyone who fears God
and does justice, is acceptable to Him — not only monk, but also canon and layman. It
is not good for all who labor in one boat, to persist in one task, either that all be
captains and no one a navigator, or all navigators and no one a captain. It is more
advisable that, when the captain has been appointed, each get on with his own work —
some navigate, some test the depth of the water, others, if it is necessary, look out for
evil, still others bail out the bilge-water, and thus all guide the ship in peace. We
should likewise understand, brothers, that we all cannot be all things. For if all are
monks and canons, where are the laity? Who then shall minister to the monks or who shall
serve the canons? If all are laymen, where then are the praises and service of God?
Various indeed is the family in God's Church, not only monks, but also canons and faithful
laymen. And all of these need God's grace. Therefore, whoever is a canon, let him not
depart from his monastery for the monastic life without permission, but rather work in
common with his brothers; and if he desires to lead a stricter life, let him devote
himself to works pleasing to God and keep himself from evil within his own monastery, and
thus he shall not cease to offer God a fatted holocaust upon the hidden altar of the
heart. With this opinion, he quieted the spirits of the young men and encouraged them
to remain in the service of God with a more stable mind.
[15] See above §10.
[16] Monasterium here seems to be a generic term used to describe a
community living together; in this case, it appears that these "monasteries"
were communities of regular canons.
18. In addition, he firmly ordered them all to present him each day with
learned sayings or writings according to the capacity of each man's intellect. Then,
because they perceived that the servant of God was given to study, erudite in the pages of
sacred Scripture, and filled with the knowledge of God, they were not afraid to
present sermons, letters, and various little questions. Consequently, one of them, among
the other opinions which he often uttered, composed the words of a question about the fast
of Moses and Elias, and with a humble hand offered it to Burchard while we were there, as
if giving him an opportunity to lecture (occasio dictandi). Thus he had written:
If I did not fear the arid understanding of my mind and wit, I would not on any
account have proferred to the lordship of your clemency certain passages of sacred
Scripture which constrain the smallness of my mind and force it to fall into a tangle of
doubt, in order that I, once instructed by the most learned witness of your probity, might
learn the truth of the matter. But whoever falls into the danger of wavering because of
certain passages of sacred Scripture, becomes guilty of a grave sin unless, once emended,
he be cleansed by the satisfaction of confession and come to know the truth itself.
Therefore, since I truly regretted the wound in my conscience and feared to conceal it
further, I faithfully reveal it to your most worthy sanctity, in order that what lies
hidden within may become manifest without. Indeed, as God is my witness, I offer the
composition of this letter to your sanctity, not because I am girded with the boldness of
any sagacity but because I have been truly compelled by the meagerness of my thirsty wit.
For thus you may correct me and make me more certain about this inquiry of mine this
investigation. I know that you bear the time and hold the place of those to whom it is
said in the Lord's word: To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of
God."[Mk. 4:11] After making a true confession of my conscience, I shall come,
with your prudence guiding me to the knowledge of the truth and I hope and firmly believe
that I shall be cleansed of all the filth of my sin and shall share in your innocence and
sanctity. Because, if this were not true, the Psalmist would not have said: You shall
be made holy with the holy, and you shall be innocent with the innocent.[Ps. 17: 26]
But because the constant pain of my ulcer forces me to approach your clemency, I do not
cease from expressing to your prudence (whom I do not doubt shall help me) to the best of
my ability and with all doubt set aside,this little question, on which I have composed
this little heap of words.
In the volumes of sacred Scripture we read that Moses and Elias fasted for forty days,
but many of us are in doubt as to whether they abstained from all food. I know and truly
believe that our lord Christ fasted over the course of forty days and bore a three-fold
temptation; but I doubt whether any human being has done this. Because even if Moses and
Elias or any of the prophets had abstained from food for forty days, I would say that he
would not have escaped the temptations of diabolic testing. For, if I may speak thus, it
would have been easier to test a passible human being than to tempt the Lord of all
creation. I shall now leave this to you to discuss, because I fear to speak further about
such things. For it is written: Every idle word which men have spoke, they shall render
an account for it on the day of judgment.[Mt. 12:36] I have already posed the
question to many wise men, but because I have not been taught, the aforementioned disease
grows a hundred-fold. May your holy wisdom therefore teach me the truth, so that I shall
not fall into the pit of sin but rather gain the fruit of penance or true confession,
which the wisdom of the Apostle promised when he said: Confession becomes salvation.[Rom.
10:10]
19. When the servant of God saw these things, on the third day he wrote back to this
youth these words of correction:
I do not want you to be in doubt any long, dear son, regarding what you asked me, as
if in doubt, about the forty day fast of Moses and Elias. And because, with God's
assistance, this explanation is most clear, I want to instruct you in it. For as you
yourself confessed, if someone is in doubt about the statements of the holy Scriptures, he
incurs the fault of a grave crime, unless he should recover his senses in satisfaction.
And if he falls into the danger of wavering either through the aridity of his wit, the
temerity of his age, the darkness of his ignorance, or the trampling of neglect, someone
should correct him. He should know that whoever converts the sinner from the error of his
way, shall save his soul from death, as the apostle James said. [cf. James 5:19-20]
Therefore, we shall save your soul from death, if you store up with a pure mind the
sayings which we shall set forth after examining each of them carefully. Now then, you
wrote: In sacred Scripture we read that Moses and Elias fasted for forty days, but many
of us doubt whether they abstained from all food. You seek a knot on the scrip; truly
he loses his labor who seeks a knot on the scrip. For to seek the knot on a scrip is to
tie a knot of doubt out of the plainest and truest reasoning and to draw together the
thickness of the densest cloud from the most serene light. I mean by "the most serene
light" sacred Scripture in which each of the faithful is corrected in their words and
deeds, and for this reason, it is rightly called the mirror of life. Indeed, sacred
Scripture is the declaration of both laws and of the Old and New Testament. If someone
crazy in the head is not corrected by its most lucid judgments, he has been deluded in the
mockery of vanity. Anyone is deceived by the mockery of vanity who is captured by the most
vain vice of stupidity and neither seeks virtue nor flees vice. Therefore we should flee
every vice, and certainly we should flee stupidity, for certainly it is a human vice. In
contrast, we should seek every virtue, we should seek wisdom, for it is the virtue of God.
Whoever wishes to know the strong virtue of God shall seek wisdom with the utmost zeal and
greatest diligence. For what is stronger than the virtue of God, what is brighter than
what is illuminated by the ray of God, the true sun, and what more truthful than what the
hand of the Truth itself has written? Indeed, Scripture says: Moses came down from the
mountain bearing two stone tablets in his hands, both inscribed by the finger of God. Also
on these tablets it was added: Moses, the servant of God, fasted forty days and nights
that he might merit to receive the law of the Lord. Why is it so amazing if Moses
fasted, when the God ordered it, in Whose kingdom no one ever goes hungry and under whose
persona the prophet proclaimed words of correction to correct the people of Israel: If
I am hungry, shall I not say to you that the world is mine.[Ps. 49:12-13] And
again: Shall I not eat the flesh of bulls, or shall I not drink the blood of goats? Truly He who created everything from nothing has never hungered in his kingdom, never
thirsted, nor ever slept, as Scripture says: Behold the man who guards Israel does not
nor shall sleep.[Ps. 120:4] Therefore, my child, understand what I say by way of
example. If one of us had been at the council of a king or some very powerful emperor as
he was inspecting the various riches of his kingdom, the sweetness of which food or drink
would have captured him? For he would haveseen ministers dressed in clothes of different
kinds., a noble house distinguished by various ornaments, the purest gold adorned with
signs and precious stones, and the king himself, shining in his crown and royal diadem,
handling the wealth of his kingdom with care, and explaining in detail the mystical
reasons of his own counsel. And if the slippery and transitory glory of this world so
delights a man that an excellent nature does not consider what is natural, how much more
did the heavenly and eternal glory of the Most High make Moses, who feared God and
followed his precepts, forget worldly things. For he was present in the holy counsel of
the eternal king; he had also seen the glory of the Lord, that is the tabernacle not made
by hand, i.e. not of this creation. Indeed, he had heard the voice of the Lord saying to
him: I love you more than the rest and I know you by name.[Ex. 33:12] deed for
forty years, not forty days, God led His people through the desert with the hand of Moses
and, as Scripture says, He spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man usually speaks to
his friend.[Ex. 33:1] He transformed days into years, fed His people with celestial
sustenance, and man ate the bread of angels. What is this heavenly food, or what is the
food of angels? What do you answer, my son? If you were seeking the knot, behold you have
found it. Now untie the knot, and come to know this method. Do you suppose that the
citizens of heaven seek their bread by sweating in labor over the rake and plow, as do
those of earth? Absolutely not. Rather, God, the son of God, the creator and lord of
angels is the inexhaustible bread of the just, and about Him it is written: In the
beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.[Jn.1:1] Behold
the bread of angels! And the Word became flesh and lived among us.[Jn. 1:14]
Indeed, He himself says: I am the living bread which came down from heaven,[Jn.
6:51] and through this bread the world exists, and through it the Lord's people lived for
forty years; from it Moses had already tasted, when he answered the burning bush: I
beseech you, O Lord, send whom you are going to send.[Ex. 4:13] Elsewhere he
tasted of it, too, when, among the many words of his teaching, he says to the children of
Israel: God shall summon up a prophet for you from among your brethren, and you shall
listen to him.[Deut. 18:15] From this bread Moses ate when he fasted forty days;
because man does not live by corporeal bread alone , but upon every word of God.[Lk.
4:4] Through this Word all things were created, and all things came into existence as if
from nothing, because God Himself is the Word. Clearly in this we understand that God the
Father is Himself the Son, and the Son, that is the Word, is the bread of heaven, and the
bread of heaven, that is the Word, became Flesh, when He Himself confessed and said: The
bread which I shall give is my flesh, given for the life of the world.[Jn. 6:52] Truly
He Himself is the life and food of angels and men, who makes the two one; Christ Himself
also sated Moses spiritually, when Moses fasted corporeally for forty days. But when the
devil proposed that three-fold temptation to Christ, the devil did not recognize His
exalted power, great mercy, and ancient counsel. For the devil was from the very beginning
an accuser of the brethren, an arbiter of iniquity, an inventor of lies, and the shrewdest
teacher of Egyptian trifles. He was indeed hiding in the heart of Pharaoh, attacking Moses
through the tests of various questions. He therefore recognized Moses as a man, but he did
not understand that the divinity of Christ was veiled by the flesh and therefore he
doubted that God was perfect man. Indeed, even though he vexed the wife of Pilate for the
sake of her redemption, that poisonous being doubted that God was man. For he doubted that
there was such mercy with God that He would have wished to put on our humanity and renew
and redeem his servants in a wondrous trade. For if he was not in doubt and did not envy
the just man, he would not have aroused the unfortunate Jews to disobedience and perfidity
against God nor would he have shouted through their mouths: Crucify him!. But
because he doubted, he did not know. Therefore, because he was from the very outset false
and doubting, amidst the suspension of doubt, he fell into the hazard of desperation, and
through ruinous desperation, he suffered the eternal damnation; he was cast out into the
outer darkness and rightly suffered eternal torments.
Now learn what you asked about the fast of Elias in this opinion. You have read, I
assume, and have understood how after the curse (imprecatio) which he called down upon the
inhabitants of Galaath, Elias hid from King Achab in the torrent of Carinth and, at God's
command, was restored and fed by ravens. After three years, he showed himself to Achab
upon God's command, when he, zealous for the zeal of the Lord, ordered him to kill four
hundred and fifty priests of Baal.[I Kings 17-18] And on that day he beseeched rain from
God and received it. Then, fearing the threats of the raging queen Jezebel, he fled into
the desert and rested in the shadow of a juniper because of the weariness of his soul. He
was awakened by an angel, instructed concerning the course of his long journey, fed with
bread baken in ash and water, and on the strength of that food, he walked forty days and
forty nights. Whence do you suppose this bread came, or from what spring was this water
drawn? Of course, as we read, Elias was seized by God into heaven in a whirlwind while he
still was alive in the body. But with what bread was he fed or from what spring do you
suppose he drank? I am telling you the truth when I say that the very one who is the bread
of the just undoubtedly gave Elias the food of satiety. The water he drank poured forth
from spring of that one who said: He who drinks of the water I shall give, shall never
be thirsty; and again, Whoever drinks of the water I give, there shall arise in him
a spring of water that shall well up forever.[Jn. 4:13-14] Elias was indeed a just
man, and therefore he was fed with the food of justice; he lives and lived, as it is
written: The just man lives on faith.[Gal. 3:11] Let these few words of correction
be enough for you, my son. Indeed, from these very little things you shall learn to
understand greater things perfectly and easily untie the knot of a similar question,
because whatever has been written, has been written for our teaching in order that,
through patience and the consolation of Scripture, we may have hope in our Lord Jesus
Christ Who lives and reigns as God forever and ever. Amen.
At a time suitable for discussion, the aforementioned youth, as he himself confessed,
called a few of his friends together and doled out these words to them with a generous
hand, lest he conceal such delightful delicacies of the soul by chewing on them alone.
They devoured them head, feet, innards and all, as it is written,[Ex. 12:9] and what was
left over, they shared with the other brothers, and thus it came to our attention. But
because I have strayed too far from the rectitude of our path, I shall try to return as
quickly as possible to the journey that I had begun.
20. Now then, because God chose our pious pastor for His service, with His customary
mercy He took care to beat him, as we read: God corrects whom He loves, and pleases
himself upon his son, like a father.[Prov. 3:12] For touched by the disease of
paralysis, Bishop Burchard was oppressed by the gravest illness. Yet he was never
conquered by this discomfort or dissolute in spirt but always kept the same demeanor and
high spirits with the utmost patience. Recovering from this castigation of God, he
conceived this salubrious thought, namely that worldly goods are an abomination in the
eyes of God and that they pertain not just to the soul's detriment but even to its eternal
ruin. Whence he ordered diligent inquiry to be made throughout the family of St Peter, if
he had unjustly taken anything from anyone and if he had done anyone injury. And if anyone
said that an injury had been done to him, he ordered that the seized goods be restored to
him twofold. His words were so tempered by discretion that the firmness of his heart was
easily comprehended by those listening. For whatever he said, he seasoned with the
sweetest examples from sacred Scripture. Justice, judgments of the laws, or assiduous
sacred reading were never absent from his mouth. It is unnecessary to praise the prudence
in him, because an incredible number of people not only from the palace but also from
various regions gathered to know his advice. He was so intent on the frequency of his
fasts, almsgiving, vigils and prayers, that few men of our age could rival him. Indeed, if
his illness or the greatest necessity did not force him to do otherwise, he ate only
bread, vegetables, and fruit. Although everyone always supposed that he drank wine, he in
fact refreshed himself with water. Very often after the third or fourth vigil of the
night, he went silently through all the squares of the city and examined all the corners
and ditches with a very close friend of his (whom he forbid absolutely to say anything,
lest anyone learn of this from him), and wherever he found the poor or the sick, he gave
them the solace of alms with a generous hand. Each day before dawn, he closed himself
within the oratory and remained there until the first hour of the day, and what he did
there is known not to us but to God alone. In the daily offices of the Mass he, with a
tireless spirit, did not put off offering sacrifices for the living and the dead. The poor
considered him to be like a father and they often came to him from far-off places, and he
allowed not one of them to leave without consolation. Whenever an attack of sudden death
or a terror in the sky or the savagery of enemies or the danger of some adversity
threatened, after swiftly assembling the brethren, he vanquished it with the constancy of
prayers and fasts. Behold, I am writing the truth before God and His angels. Therefore
when we, gathered together, constantly praise his various virtues, I confess that we have
already divined what is true, namely that, now that he is dead, there shall never be
anyone like him in leading so outstanding a life in this place. For although he was held
back by illness, he nevertheless remained unvanquished in the service of God. In fact, he
planned a monastery in honor of St. Martin. But, after the wall was only partially
completed, he was, alas, unable to finish it, because he was impeded by the constancy of
royal service and especially by his constant ill-health and various adversities. And so
that monastery has remained half-built to this very day.
21. After this the emperor Henry died and his body was brought to Bamberg where it was
buried with the greatest honor.[17] After his death, Conrad, the youth whom we said above
was raised and educated by the bishop in the fear of God, became master of affairs through
the favor of the highest grace of God.[18] Two years after the king was raised to the
throne of the kingship, the weakness of the servant of God's powers began to increase more
than usual. And when he was afflicted by a great languor, he kept himself within the city,
awaiting the day and hour of his redemption. And when he was detained for a time by a
great illness, the king's legates came to him and announced that the king was going to
come in the following week. Troubled by this legation, the servant of God lamented his
infirmity, because he would be unable either to receive the king fittingly or offer
service worthy of himself on account of his infirmity. Having turned, amidst these words,
to his customary consolation, he entered the oratory, closed the door after him, and
remained the whole day in prayer. When evening fell, in his usual way he ordered his
disciples to be called, and when the praises of Vespers were finished, he returned with
happiness and appeared strong to all of us by the grace of God. Thus, for the entire time
the king was with us, Bishop Burchard was strong, as if he had achieved an armistice with
his illness. When the king departed, Burchard went with him to Tribur and remained there
three days. Then, when he received permission to leave, he predicted as he was leaving, as
if in jest, that he would not see the king again, and many people heard him. When he
arrived in Worms, he was oppressed beyond measure by the disease of dysentery.
[17] Henry II died on July 13, 1024. Henry had been instrumental in establishing the
see of Bamberg in November of 1007.
[18] Conrad was elected king in September of 1024. For an account of his
election, see Wipo, The Deeds of Conrad II, trans. K. Morrison in T. Mommsen &
K. Morrison (trans. & eds.), Imperial Lives and Letters of the Eleventh Century,
Columbia, 1962, 57-68. On the election, see M. Lintzel, "Zur Wahl Konrads II,"
in Festschrift für E.E. Stengel, 1952, pp.289-300.
22. One day, when he realized that his body was drawing near its fall,
he summoned his disciples and entered his oratory. He then forgave his debtors the sins
which they had committed against him and absolved with clemency all those whom he had
placed under the bann or anathematized, and he sent the text of their absolution to them
all individually. He washed himself completely with pure water, ordered that his throat,
beard, and the crown of his head to be shaved, and, after putting on pure vestments,
ordered that his knights, clients, and the others who were there to come in. As all gasped
with their great weeping, the man of God, who was barely able to request silence with his
hand, said: Venerable fathers, loveable brethren, most beloved sons — now I need
your help with God. For I greatly lament that until now I have been leading you
negligently and that I pridefully exalted myself over you beyond measure, and that I
neither honored nor loved you as was just. But that pride — what does it profit me
now? Or the arrogance — what help does it offer me? Now it hinders me and bears many
offenses for me. For yesterday I was one of the richest men, but now I expect that I shall
become like filth and ash. Truly such is our glory, such is our worldly dominion! Of
course, I emerged naked from the womb of my mother, and I shall return there naked,
bringing back nothing but sins, unless I have done something good at the exhortation of
God's mercy, and someday I hope that I shall find this with God. Behold, now I am clean;
behold, as I set off on the longest of journeys, I stand ready, awaiting the hardest
embassy. From these wretched bones, you who envy the glories of worldly affairs can
recognize how fragile and unstable they are, how full of evil, how blind to the future.
These glories I now recognize through a glass darkly, although I am still somewhat subject
to them. Therefore, I commit myself and all my goods without hesitation to my God, the
eternal king, whom I have served since the beginning, that He may defend me and take me
with him to where my soul shall not fear terrible attacks. With such words, he
admonished and taught us, sounding forth God's word not man's. Finally, he proclaimed
openly the dissolution of his body. When he had finished speaking, we went out with the
greatest sadness and all cried together, lamenting the end of so great a pastor. Then the
princes who were there went in and carefully examined the treasury, the room where
they though the money was stashed, and all the corners. At length, they overturned
cabinets full of volumes of books in hope of money but they were deluded by the empty
labor of fortune. For besides the treasury of the church, they found no gold or silver
there except for three denarii, which the holy man had left in his wallet, when he
distributed the others to the poor. Then his sister, the venerable abbess about whom we
spoke above, stayed there in prayers and vigils, never leaving his side.
23. For a few days he was sick with the greatest illness, but one night, just before he
died, the servant of God sat bolt upright in bed with his eyes and hands raised to heaven
and prayed for a long time. Those who were with him saw his lips moving but they could not
understand at all what he was praying, even though they listened intently. Laying back
down, he touched the right hand of his sister and said: Look! now I see what I have
desired. Then he said: May the Lord be with you. When he said this the third
time, he rendered his immaculate spirit to our Redeemer whom he served, whom he loved,
whom he sought, and whom he always desired.
The servant of God had a certain cabinet which none of us ever saw open. He entrusted
the key to it to his sister so that whatever she found inside, she would keep in love and
memory of his life. Immediately after the death of her brother, she summoned several of us
and after telling us his words, she opened the cabinet. We found in it the roughest
possible hair-shirt and an iron chain worn down on one part from use. When we first saw
this, we all lamented beating our chests that we had so often acted negligently against
the servant of God. But then we were fittingly amazed that his deeds, which were pleasing
in the eyes of God, had been so covered and concealed, and we gave thanks to our God
(although not without tears) for his life. Present at his funeral were his knights —
venerable and illustrious men — who bore his body through all the monasteries until
they finally brought it to his principal see. There, the body was received by all the
brothers and looked after with the customary offices. On a later day, he was buried with
honor in this same church in the western choir, namely before the altar of St
Lawrence.[19]
[19] A hemispherical stone closed off the end of the sepulcher with this epitaph: Here
lies Burchard, formerly bishop of this place.
24. But now, where are those pestilential persons who carped at the life
and deeds of the man of God with poisonous tongues and told many lies against him and his
faithful in the course of various insults, lies that it is not permitted even to mention?
O wretched and profane men, devoid of all honor! O men ignorant of all virtue, stripped of
all piety, and fattened by the gluttony of the stomach alone! O men sterile in all
goodness, who do nothing like Burchard but place their salvation beneath the grave, who
tear apart the deeds of the servant of God with their lies but are incapable of doing such
things themselves, men whose God is the stomach and whose glory lies in confusion, men who
know only earthly things and are utterly ignorant of the things which are God's. After he
was converted to God with all his mind and all his strength, this priest of Christ
diligently hid whatever good he did as something which should be known to Christ alone;
and he passed over with a deaf ear the empty favors and criticisms of men alike,
considering them of little account. Instead he strived to please God alone. We therefore
hope and firmly believe that he has achieved the eternal fruit with God for such things
and received the eternal reward for his secular actions and that, as he remains with
Christ, he may hold the eternal priesthood under the leadership of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to whom be praise and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Source.
Translated by W.L. North from the edition of G. Waitz in MGH SS 4, (Hannover,
1841), 830-46
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