Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/836

 PETER

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PETER

history, composed for students, and at their own request. The author begins the sacred narrative at the Creation, and continues it to the end of the in- cidents related in the Acts of the Apostles; all the books of the Bible are contained therein, except those whose nature is purely didactic, the Book of Wisdom, the Psalms, the l'roi)hets, the Epistles, etc. The dis- courses are abbreviated. He borrows fre(|uently from profane authors, especially from Fla\ius .losephus for the beginning of the Gospels, and very often tlic text is as though paraphra.sed in a commentary where all data, cosmological and iihysical, philo.so[)hical, theo- logical, allegorical, historical, geogi'a|iliical, etc., are found. It is easj- to understand, of course, that there are numerous inaccuracies and fables. The work consists of twenty books and often small "additions" supply geographical or etymological appendixes at the end of the chapters. This Biblical history met with great success, as witness the large number of manu- scripts, the mention of his name in all the libraries of the Middle Ages, the lists of classical books for the universities and schools, the quotations and the eulogies w-ith which the name of its author is every- where accompanied (cf. the canonist Huguccio, about 1 190) and its numerous translations. In the fifteenth century, the work was still in great demand, as can be seen by the editions made before 1500 of the Latin tex-t, or of the French translation (Strasburg, 1469, 1483, 1485, 1847; Reutlingen, 1473; Lyons, 1478; Basle, 1486; Paris, 1487, etc.). Mighe (P. L., CXCVIII, 1053-1844) reproduces the Madrid edition of 1699.

The sermons of Peter Comestor have been left to us in numerous manuscripts, often under other names, but the complete and continued series has not yet been pubUshed. We ought to mention here a series of fifty-one sermons placed wrongly under the name of Peter of Blois and printed among his works (Migne, CCVII, and CCVIII, 1721, etc.); some figure also in the works of Hildebcrt de Mans (Migne, CLXXI, sermon 7, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, etc.). The sermon in which the word " transubstantiation " occurs, the 93rd (not the 73rd), is not Hildebert's but Peter Comcstor's; let us remark, however, that the word is already found in Roland Bandinelli (Alexander II) before 1150. Other collections, like that of the 114 sermons copied at St. Victor before 1186, are still un- published, more than twelve manuscripts are in the libraries of Paris, and all has not yet been unravelled in this assortment. As a preacher, Peter was subtle and pedantic in his style, in keeping with the taste of his time and of his audience of scholars and professors assembled around the pulpit of the chancellor. The sprmons attributed to him during his stay at St. Victor are simple in style, instructive, and natural in tone. Also some verses are attributed to Peter Comestor and a collection of maxims entitled "Pan- crisis", perhaps that which still exists in a manuscript of Troyes.

Hisl. liU. de la France, XIV, ) 2-17; Denifle-Chatelain, Charlul. Univ., I (Paris), 8; Foohier-Bonnard., Hisl. de I'abb. de Sauit- Vtctox (Paris, 1907), 123,etc.; F^ret, La Facullede Theol.de Paris. I (Pari.i, 1894), 42-48; Bouroain, La Chaire Fran^aise au XII' sticfc (Paris. 1879), 12.3; Havr6\tj, Notices el Exlraits de OMlgues vianuacriu I, 28, 37, etc.; II, 18, 80, etc.; IV, 2, 3, etc.

J. DE GhBLLINCK.

Peter Damian (or Daml^ni) Saint, Doctor of the ("hurch, Cardiii.d-Bishop of Ostia, b. at Ravenna " five 3-ears after the death of the Emperor Otto III," 1007; d. at Faenza, 21 Feb., 1072. He was the youngest of a large family; his parents were noble, but poor. At his birth an elder brother protested against this new charge on the resources of the family with such effect that his mother refused to suckle "him and the babe nearly died. A family retainer, however, fed the 8tar\lng child and by her example and reproaches recalled his mother to her duty. Left an orphan in

early years, he was at first adopted by an elder brother who ill-treated and under-fed him while ein])loyinR him as a swineherd. The child showed signs of gn at piety and of remarkable intellectual gifts, and after some years of this servitude another brother, who wa.s archpricst at Raveiuia. huil jiity on him and took him away to be educated. This bnil'her was called Damian and it is generally accept. 'd that St. Titer ad.led this name to his own in grateful recognition of his brother's kindness. He made rapid i)i-ogiiss in his studii s, first at Ravenna, then at Faenza, fin;illv at the I'nivc rsity of Parma, and when about twenty-five years old was already a famous teachi i- at P;irnia and Ravenna. But. though even then much given to fasting and to 1 1 other mortifications, he could not endure the scandals I and distr;ictions of uni\-ersity life and decided (about r 1035) to retire from the world. While meditating on his resolution he encountered two hermits of Fonte- Avellana, was charmed with their spiritu.ality aijd detachment, and desired to join them. Encouraged by them Peter, after a forty days' retreat in a small cell, left his friends secretly and made his way to the herrnitage of Fonte-Avellana (q. v.). Here he was received, and, to his surprise, clothed at once with the monastic habit.

Both as novice and as professed religious his fervour was remarkable and led him to such extremes of penance that, for a time, his health was aiTected. He occupied his convalescence with a thorough study of Holy Scripture and, on his recovery, was appointed to lecture to his fellow-monks. At the request of Guy of Pomposa and other heads of neighbouring monasteries, for two or three years he lectured to their subjects also, and (about 1042) wrote the life of St. Romuald for the monks of Pietrapertosa. Soon after his return to Fonte-Avellana he was appointed economus of the house by the prior, who also pointed him out as his successor. This, in fact, he became in 1043, and he remained prior of Fonte-A\ellana till his death. His priorate was characterized by a wise moderation of the rule, as well as by the founda- ; ■ tion of subject-hermitages at San Severino, Gamugno, 11 Acerata, Murciana, San Salvatore, Sitria, and Ocri. fl It was remarkable, too, for the introduction of the ' ' regular use of the discipline, a penitential exercLse which he induced the great abbey of Monte Cassino to imitate. There was much opposition outside his own circle to this practice, but Peter's persistent ad- vocacy ensured its acceptance to such an extent that he was obliged later to moderate the imprudent zeal of some of his own hermits. Another innovation was that of the daily siesta, to make up for the fatigue of the night office. During his tenure of the priorate a cloister was built, silver chalices and a silver pro- cessional cross were purchased, and many books added to the library. (See Fonte-Avellana.)

Although living in the seclusion of the cloister, Peter Damian watched closely the fortunes of the Church, and like his friend Hildebrand, the future Gregory VII (q. v.), he strove for her purification in those deplorable times. In 1045 when Benedict IX resigned the supreme pontificate into the hands of the archpriest John Gratian (Gregory VI), Peter hailed the change with joy and wrote to the pope, urg- ing him to deal with the scandals of the Church in Italy, especially with the evil bishops of Pesaro, of Citta di Castello, and of P^ano. (See Benedict IX; Gregory VI.) He was present in Rome when Clem- ent II crowned Henry III and his wife Agnes, and he also attended a synod held at the Lateran in the first days of 1047, in which decrees were passed against simony. After this he returned to his hermitage (.see Clement II; Damasu.s II). Pope St. Leo IX (q. v.) was solemnly enthroned at Rome, 12 Feb., 1049, to succeed Damasus II, and about two years later Peter Damian published his terrible treatise on the vices of the clergy, the " Liber Gomorrhianus ",