Ralph Glaber: On the First Millenium
from Ralph Glaber, Miracles de Saint-Benoit (from
Migne, PL 142:655ff)
[Coulton Introduction] Ralph Glaber was put by his uncle to
a monastic school, and took the vows in due course. His wandering
and somewhat irregular life was partly spent in the Monastery
of St. Bénigne at Dijon, and seems to have ended at Cluny
somewhere about 1044, at which date his Chronicle finishes. In
spite his crabbed style, he is one of the very few French chroniclers
of the tenth and eleventh centuries who are worth reading: "it
is, with the Miracles de Saint-Benoit, the most precious
source we possess for manners and ideas in France at the end
of the 10th and beginning of the 9th century" (G. Monod,
in Revue Historique 28, p 272). Certain exaggerated deductions
drawn from him by modern writers, as to the overwhelming significance
of the year A.D. 1000, have been corrected by Jules Roy in his admirable
little monograph L'An mille, Paris: Hachette 1885)- It
was not only at and about this date that our forefathers expected
strange events: the medieval mind was perpetually haunted by the
expectation of Antichrist, and even Sir Thomas More seems to have
believed that the end of all things was at hand in his own days.
[Added Note, May 1997: Richard Landes (cms@mille.org) informs me that Glaber did not write the Miracula of St. Benedict, but rather the Quinque Libri Historiarum. The quotations made by Coulton here are from all over theis work. For modern studies of the whole subject Look at the web page of The Center for Millennial Studies, especially the page on the Year 1000.
THE FIRST MILLENNIUM
Warned by the prophecy of Holy Writ, we see clearer
than daylight that in the process of the Last Days, as love waxed
cold and iniquity abounded among mankind, perilous times were
at hand for men's souls. For by many assertions of the ancient
fathers we are warned that, as covetousness stalks abroad, the
religious Rules or Orders of the past have caught decay and corruption
from that which should have raised them to growth and progress..
. From this [covetousness] also proceed the constant tumult of
quarrels at law, and frequent scandals arise, and the even tenor
of the different Orders is rent by their transgressions. Thus
also it comes to pass that, while irreligiousness stalks abroad
among the clergy, froward and incontinent appetites grow among
the people, until lies and deceit and fraud and manslaughters,
creeping abroad among them, draw almost all to perdition! And,
since the mist of blindness has darkened the eye of the Catholic
Faith (that is, the prelates of the Church), therefore their flocks,
ignorant of the way to salvation, fall into the ruin of their
own perdition.. . For whenever religion has failed among the
pontiffs, and strictness of the Rule has decayed among the abbots,
and therewith the vigor of monastic discipline has grown cold,
and by their example the rest of the people are become prevaricators
of God's commandments, what then can we think but that the whole
human race, root and branch, is sliding willingly down again into
the gulf of primeval chaos? ... And because, in fulfillment (as
we see) of the Apostle's prophecy, love waxes cold and iniquity
abounds among men that are lovers of their own selves, therefore
these things aforesaid befel more frequently than usual in all
parts of the world about the thousandth year after the birth of
our Lord and Saviour.
For, in the seventh year before that date, Mount
Vesuvius (which is also called Vulcan's Caldron) gaped far more
often than his wont and belched forth a multitude of vast stones
mingled with sulphurous flames which fell even to a distance of
three miles around; and thus by the stench of his breath he began
to make all the surrounding province uninhabitable.. . . It befel
meanwhile that almost all the cities of Italy and Gaul were ravaged
by flames of fire, and that the greater part even of the city of
Rome was devoured by a conflagration. During which fire, the flames
caught the beams of St Peter's church, beginning to-creep under
the bronze tiles and lick the carpenters' work. When this became
known to the whole multitude that stood by, then, finding no possible
device for averting this disaster, they turned with one accord
and, crying with a terrible voice, hastened to the Confession
[Coulton note: The part of the choir in which the celebrant makes
his confession before saying mass. See Dom Martene, De Antiquis
Ecclesiae Ritibus, lib. i, c. iv, art. 2, ad fin. At St Peter's
of Rome, this is the space eastward of the Saint's tomb]. even
of the Chief of the Apostles, crying upon him with curses that,
if he watched not over his own, nor showed himself a very present
defender of his church, many throughout the world would fall away
from their profession of faith. Whereupon the devouring flames
straightway left those beams of pine and, died away.. . . At this
same time a horrible plague raged among men, namely a hidden fire
which, upon whatsoever limb it toned, consumed it and severed
it from the body [Coulton note: this is St Anthony's fire, one
of the curses of the Middle Ages, which modem medicine has traced
to poisons generated in corrupt rye-bread.] Many were consumed
even in the space of a single night by these devouring flames..
.. Moreover, about the same time, a most mighty famine raged for
five years throughout the Roman world, so that no region could
be beard of which was not hunger stricken for lack of bread, and
many of the people were starved to death. In those days also,
in many regions, the terrible famine compelled men to make their
food not only of unclean beasts and creeping things, but even
of men's, women's, and children's flesh, without regard even of
kindred; for so fierce waxed this hunger that grown-up sons devoured
their mothers, and mothers, forgetting their maternal love ate
their babes. [Coulton note: The chronicler then goes on to speak
of two heresies which arose in France and Italy, of the piety
of King Robert of France, etc., etc.]
So on the threshold of the aforesaid thousandth year,
some two or three years after it, it befel almost throughout the
world, but especially in Italy and Gaul, that the fabrics of churches
were rebuilt, although many of these were still seemly and needed
no such care; but every nation of Christendom rivaled with the
other, which should worship in the seemliest buildings. So it
was as though the very world had shaken herself and cast off her
old age, and were clothing herself everywhere in a white garment
of churches. Then indeed the faithful rebuilt and bettered almost
all the cathedral churches, and other monasteries dedicated to
divers saints, and smaller parish churches.. . When therefore,
as we have said, the whole world had been clad in new church buildings,
then in the days following that is, in the eighth year following
the aforesaid thousandth year after. the Incarnation of our Saviour
- the relics of very many saints, which had long lain hid, were
revealed by divers proofs and testimonies; for these, as if to
decorate this revival, revealed themselves by God's will to the
eyes of faithful, to whose minds also they brought much consolation.
This revelation is known to have begun first in the city of Sens
in ;Gaul, at the church of the blessed Stephen, ruled in those
days by the archbishop Leoteric, who there discovered certain
marvellous relics of ancient holy things; for, among very many
other things which. lay hidden, he is said to have found a part
of Moses' rod, at the report whereof all the faithful flocked
together not only from the provinces of Gaul but even from well-nigh
all Italy and from countries beyond the sea; and at the same time
not a few sick folk returned thence whole and sound, by the intervention
of the saints. But, as most frequently befalls, from that source
whence profit springs to men, there they are wont to rush to their
ruin by the vicious impulse of covetousness; for the aforesaid
city having, as we have related, waxed most wealthy by reason
of the people who resorted thither through the grace of piety,
its inhabitants conceived an excessive insolence in return for
so great benefits.. . At that time, moreover, that is in the ninth
year after the aforesaid thousandth anniversary, the church at
Jerusalem which contained the sepulchre of our Lord and Saviour
was utterly overthrown at the command of the prince of Babylon..
. . After that it had been overthrown, as we have said, then within
a brief space it became full evident that this great iniquity
had been done by the wickedness of the Jews. When therefore this
was spread abroad through the whole world, it was decreed by the
common consent of Christian folk that all Jews should utterly
driven forth from their lands or cities. Thus they were held up
to universal hatred and driven forth from the cities; some were
Slain with the sword or cut off by manifold kinds of death, and
some even slew themselves in divers fashions; so that, after this
well-deserved vengeance had been wreaked, scarce any were found
in the Roman world. Then also the bishops published decrees forbidding
all Christians to associate themselves with Jews in an matter
whatsoever; and ordaining that, whosoever would be converted to
baptismal grace and utterly eschew the Customs or manners of the
Jews, he alone should be received. Which indeed was done by very
many of them for love of this present life, and impelled rather
by fear of death than by the joys of the life everlasting; for
all such of them as simulated this conversion returned impudently
within a brief while to their former way of life.. . .
After the manifold signs and prodigies which came
to pass in the world, some earlier and some later, about the thousandth
year from our Lord's birth, it is certain that there were many
careful and sagacious men who foretold other prodigies as great
when the thousandth year from His Passion should draw nigh. [Coulton
note: Glaber here goes on to. relate the rival claims of the Greek
Church, the growth of heresy in Italy, the success of false miracles
wrought by evil spirits, and another three years of famine and
cannibalism; after which a series of church councils were held
for peace and reform.] Then were innumerable sick folk healed
in those conclaves of Holy men; and, lest men should think lightly
of mere bursten skin or rent flesh in the straightening of arms
and legs, much blood flowed forth also when the crooked limbs
were restored; which gave faith to the rest who might have doubted.
At this all were inflamed with such ardour that through the hands
of their bishops they raised the pastoral staff to heaven, while
themselves with outspread palms and with one voice cried to God:
Peace, peace, peace! -that this might be a sign of perpetual covenant
for that which they had promised between themselves and God; on
condition that, after the lapse of five years, the same covenant
should marvellously be repeated by all men in the world in confirmation
of that peace. That same year, moreover, so great was the plenty
and abundance of corn and wine and other fruits of the earth,
that men dared not hope to have so much during all the five years
next to come; for no human food was aught accounted of save flesh
or choice Victuals, an4 this year was like unto the great Jubilee
of ancient Mosaic times. Next year again, and again in the third
and fourth years, the fruits were no less abundant. But, alas
for shame! the human race, forgetful of God's loving kindness
and prone from its very beginning to evil, like the dog returning
to his own vomit again or the sow that was washed to her wallowing
in the mire, made the covenant of their own promise of none effect
in many ways; and, as it is written, they waxed fat, and grew
thick, and kicked. For even the princes of both orders, spiritual
and secular, turned to covetousness and began to sin in theft
and greed as grievously as before, or even worse. Then those of
middle rank and the poorer people, following the example of the
greater, declined into horrible Crime. For who ere now had heard
of such incests, adulteries, and illicit alliances between close
kindred, such mockery of concubines and such emulation of evil
men? Moreover, to fill up the measure of so great wickedness,
since there were few or none among the people to correct the rest,
and to rebuke such crimes, therefore the prophecy was fulfilled
which says, "And it shall be as with the people, so with
the priest"; seeing especially that all the rulers in those
days, both secular and spiritual were mere boys. For in those
days through the that saying of Solomon's was fulfilled: "Woe
to you, O land, when your king is a child." For even the
universal Pope of Rome himself, the nephew of the two popes Benedict
and John who had preceded him was a boy scarce ten years old,
whose money and treasures had procured his election by the Romans;
by whom in process of time he was dishonourably treated and oftentimes
cast forth, so that he had no power. [Coulton note: "The
foulness of his conversation and life is horrible to relate,"
notes Glaber about same Pope on a later page (698). This was the
lowest ebb reached by the papacy until t6 fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries.] Moreover, as we have already said, the rest of the
prelates in those days owed their promotion rather to their gold
and silver than to their merit. Alas for shame! It is of such
that the Scripture says - -nay rather God's own mouth - "They
have been princes, and I knew not." At this same time so
innumerable a multitude began to to flock from all parts of the
world to the sepulchre of our Saviour at Jerusalem, as no man
could before have expected; for the lower orders of people led
the way, after whom came those of middle rank, and then all the
greatest kings and counts and bishops; lastly (a thing which had
never come, to pass before), many noble ladies and poorer women
journeyed thither. For many purposed and desired to die before
they should see their homes again.. . . Moreover, some of those
were then most concerned in these matters, being consulted by
many concerning the signification of this concourse to Jerusalem,
greater than the past age had ever heard of, answered with some
caution that it portended no other than advent of that reprobate
Antichrist, whose coming at the of this World is prophesied in
Holy Scripture.
From C.G. Coulton, ed, Life in the Middle Ages,
(New York: Macmillan, c.1910), Vol 1, 1-7 [text slightly modernized]
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