Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 2.djvu/861

 BRIDAL

781'

BRIDGE-BUILDING

Jacqu

Undismayed, he put on his surplice and went out in the principal streets, ringing a bell, and inviting the people to hear him. He succeeded in bringing an immense multitude to the church who came out of uriosity, but when he began in a most unusual fashion by singing a canticle about death the con- gregation burst out in loud laugh- ter; whereupon he opened upon them with such fierce- ness of denuncia- tion that silence and amazement took possession of all. He was char- acteristically sen- sational. He ■wTote little and gave way to the inspiration of the moment and as a consequence h i s utterances present at times an inco- herent jumble of in- congrous figures and ideas, which clash with each other and are often even gro- tesque. It was Cardinal Maury who called atten- tion to his exordium in the sermon on Eternity which was said to be improvised. Father Cahour, S.J., inserts it in his " Chefs-d 'ffiu\Te d'^loquence", and Maury who wTote it from memory declares that it was not unworthy of Bossuet or Demosthenes. It was pronoimced at St.-Sulpice, before an audience in which there were many bishops, a vast crowd of ecclesiastics and men of distinction in civil and military life. Bridaine assures them that in spite of their worldly greatness he is not abashed by their presence, and in the most impassioned language de- nounces them as sinners, and bids them, haughty and disdainful as they are, to tremble before him. "To- day I hold your condemnation in my hand." Opin- ions are divided about its excellence as an example of oratory; some finding a self-consciousness in it which is unapostolic.

His voice was so sonorous and penetrating that he could easily be heard by an audience of ten thousand people. To his natural oratorical gifts he added, in order to produce the impression he was aiming at, all the effect that could be obtained by the most gorgeous and elaborate church ceremonial, as well as whatever excitement could be produced by sing- ing, by splendid processions, by unusual prayers, and by novel situations which were all skilfully arranged so as to captivate the eye or ear, or to fLx or startle the imagination. A supreme instance of these "methods" as he called them, and which he always insisted upon being carried out, is narrated by Madame Necker in the "NouveaiLX Melanges" (I, 138). He had just delivered a stirring discourse when addressing himself to the great procession which had followed him he said: "I am now going to bring you homo" and he led them to the grave-yard. Sensational as he was he WTOUght many astounding conversions. In the course of his life he preached two hundred and fifty-six missions, travelling to almost every town of France in the performance of his work. Pope Benedict XIV gave him permission to preach anywhere in Christendom. Medals were •itruck in his honour, and the most distinguished prelates showed him the greatest rtnerence and affec- tion. He was of a sweet, modest, simple disposition, af lively faith and deep piety. His "Cantiques Spirituels" pa.ssed through forty-seven editions. He das also left five volumes of sermons. The Protes-

tants of France are said to have been particularly friendly to him, because of the many good offices he performed in their regard. For fourteen years he followed the spiritual guidance of a missionary like himself named Mahistre. In 1742 Cardinal Fleury proposed to establish a missionary congregation for all France under the direction of Bridaine, but the death of the cardinal caused the project to fall through.

France was wild with excitement about him. His appeals were so powerful that in a mission ^^ hich he preached at Chalon-sur-Saone in 1745 there were restitutions to the amount of 100,000 francs. His reputation as an orator was so great that even Massillon was unwilling to preach in his presence. In the course of his missions he established what he called "peace tribunals", courts composed of some of his associate missionaries, a nimiber of irreproach- able laymen, and the parish priest. To these courts all disputes were submitted and the decisions were ac- cepted as final. His life was written by the Abbe Carron. The book was frequently translated into English, but the last edition was published as far back as 1831.

Cahodr, Chefs-d'CEuvre d' Eloquence (Paris, 1854); GoscH- LER, Diet, encyc. de thiol, cath. (Paris, 1869).

T. J. CAMPBELL.

Bridal Ring. See Ring.

Bridge-Building Brotherhood, The. — During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, we hear of the existence of various religious associations founded for the purpose of building bridges. This work, which tended greatly to the relief of travellers and particularly of pilgrims, was regarded as a work of piety quite as much as of public utility. Even where no rehgious organization was formed it was customary for the bishops to grant indulgences to those who, by money or labour, contributed to the construction of a bridge. Of this the register of Archbishop Grey of York, for instance, in the thir- teenth century, affords many examples. But in the South of France, regular associations were com- monly formed for the purpose, and these it has been the custom to regard as religious orders living under vows. Upon more accurate investigation, however, this idea has proved to be erroneous. The brother- hoods in question seem rather to have been of the nature of guilds or confraternities, or, at most, to have been organized in something the same way as a "third Order", wearing a habit with a distinctive badge, but not being bound by perpetual vows.

In many cases, these associations were constituted of three branches: knights, who contributed most of the funds and were sometimes called donati: clergy who might be in the strict sense monks, and artisans who performed the actual work of building. We also hear sometimes of "sisters" belonging to the same association. Besides the construction of bridges, the lodging and entertainment of travellers, as well as the quete, or collection of alms commonly entered into the scope of the brotherhoods. The origin of these institutions is wrapped in much obscurity. The brotherhood known in particular as the Fratres Pontifices (fon(^■-/ices = bridge-builders) or Frlres Pontijes, is commonly said to have been founded by St. 13(5n^zet (a Provencal variant of the name Benedict), a youth who, according to the legend, was Divinely inspired to build the bridge across the Rhone at Avignon. Although the Bull supposed to have been addressed to the Fratre.^ Pontifice.<i, in 1191, by Clement III may not be au- thentic, it is certain that a number of bridges were built about this time in that part of France; also that the old bridge at Avignon, some arches of which still remain, dates from the end of the twelfth century, and it is certain that St. Bdndzet was a historical personage. The Fratres Pontifices were