BERNARD, br'enard or he'r-nlird'; Fr. pron. bn r'nfir', SAINT ( 1091-1153 ) . A learned Roman Catholic ecclesiastic. He was born of noble par ents at Fontaine, near Dijon, in Burgundy, 1091; was educated, at Court. but withdrew with his four brothers and some friends into seclusion for six months, and then became a monk of Citeaux, in 1113; founded a new monastery of that order, which was called the Cistercian, at Clairvanx, in Champagne, lived in the monastery, and himself became its first abbot, in 1115. His ascetic life, solitary studies, and stirring eloquence made him, during his lifetime, the oracle of Christen dom. Ile was honored with the title of the 'Mel Billions Doctor.' and his writings were termed 'a river of paradise.' Although a mystical theo logian, lie was a man of eminently practical mind. Be was consulted largely by the poten tates of his day upon policies of state, and exer cised great influence with the appes of his time. In 1128 he gave the rule io the Knights Tem plars and was their ardent advocate. He took"a deep interest in the Christian occupation of the Holy Land, and so, when disaster came upon the Christians there, he preached a. second Crusade, which started in 1147. Charged by the Pope to excite the religions zeal of the people of France and Germany, lie accomplished his mission with fatally memorable success. Fields, towns, cities. and castles were in ninny places almost depopu lated, and innumerable legions, fired by his pro phetic eloquence, hurried to the East, nine-tenths of whom never saw their homes again. lie prophesied their success; hut when, instead, the news of the failure of the Crusade reached Eu rope. lie fairly sank under the weight of the depression which fell upon him. He died August 20, 1153, and was canonized by Alexander II1. in 1174.
Bernard's writings are regarded as among the most exalted in the whole range of mystical the ology. He is one of the most notable exponents of the contemplative theology of the :Medi:rya! Church. and lie ranks in this regard with Hugh and Richard of Saint Victor and Saint Bonaven ture. Ile was a stalwart opponent of the ration alism of Allard. Luther says of Saint Ber nard: "If there ever lived on earth a God-fear ing and holy monk, it wns Saint Bernard of Clairvaux," }le was one of the most enthusias tic advocates of monasticism. His writings are
exceedingly numerous. They consist of epistles, sermons, and theological treatises. Of the first, we possess 439; of the second, 340; and of the third, 12. They are all instinct with genius, though it is difficult for us DOW toappreciatetheir extraordinary influence. Several of his hymns, "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee," "0, Sacred Head, Now Wounded." are found in our hymn books. The best edition of the works of Saint Bernard is that of Mabillon, printed in Paris in 1890 (2 vols.), reprinted in Venice (6 vols.), in Paris in 1835•40 (4 vols.), and again in 1854 (4 vols.). The monks of the reformed branch of the Cistercians, which he instituted, are often called, after him, Bernardines. He gave nauhe also, in France, to the DUDS of the Cistercian Order, which his sister, Saint Humbeline, is said to have founded.
A complete French translation of his works appeared in Paris, 1873, S vols. His letters were translated into English by Samuel J. Eales, D.C.L., 2 vols. (London, 1889), as the opening volumes of a complete English translation; Mr. Eales also published a translation of Bernard's Cuntica Cantironm, 86 sermons on the Song of Solomon (1895) ; from these 31 sermons were selected and published in English translation, The Sony of songs (1901).. Other modern Eng lish translations are: The Holy War, by S. R. Maitland (Gloucester, 1827) ; Four Homilies upon the Incarnation (1813) ; Letter on Con version (London. 1856) ; Sermons for the Sea sons of the Church (1861); The Jubilee Rhythm. 6n the Xame of Jesus (1867) ; The Glories of the Virgin Mother mid Channel of Dirinc Grace (Boston, 1867) : How to Lire Well (Oxford, 1886). For the biography of Saint Bernard, con sult: Neander ( Berlin, 1813 ; new edition, Gotha, 1889: Eng. trans.,' London, 1843) ; :Morison (London, 1863) ; S. J. Eales (London. 1890) ; Ratisbonne (Paris, 1841 ; Eng. trans., New York, 1878) ; R. S. Storrs (New York, 1892) ; E. Vaeandard ( Paris. 1895) ; W. J. Sparrow Simpson (London, 1895) ; T. Halusa (Regens burg. 1898).