Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 24.djvu/348

 Alberic, and Stephen, seeing that their efforts were unavailing, withdrew from the monastery ; but the brethren promised amendment, and they returned. Matters, however went on as before, and in a debate in the chapter-house the monks declared that they lived in accordance with the customs introduced into Gaul by St. Maur, and that there was no reason why they should imitate the hermits of the East. On this the abbot, Stephen, and some of their party went to Hugh, archbishop of Lyons, represented that the rule of St. Benedict was laxly observed in the convent, and requested leave to go elsewhere, in order that they might observe it more strictly. Hugh granted their request, and Robert, Alberic, Stephen, and others of their party, numbering in all twenty-one monks (Exordium ; eighteen with the abbot, ; twelve, ), left the monastery, protesting that it was impossible to keep the rule of St. Benedict in the midst of an abundance of wealth and food. They came to Citeaux, in the diocese of Chalons, a barren and marshy place, which took its name, the 'Cisterns,' from its stagnant pools, and with the consent of the bishop and of Raymond, viscount of Beaune, built some wooden huts there, and adopted a life of extreme severity. Before long Eudes, duke of Burgundy (d. 1102), raised some buildings for them, and the bishop constituted the society an abbey by the gift of a pastoral staff. It is said that abbot Robert repented of the step, and that the severities which delighted Stephen overtaxed his strength. It is certain that the monks at Moleme complained to Pope Urban II of the injury which they had sustained by the secession, and the pope in 1099 ordered abbot Robert to return, and to take with him such of the monks as chose to leave. According to one story (ib.) all followed him except eight ; though this seems a mistake, for twenty-four joined in the election of the prior Alberic to the abbacy, and Stephen took Alberic's place as prior. Alberic died on 26 Jan. 1110, and Stephen, who was absent from the house at the time, was elected abbot. The number of the convent was small, for the strictness with which the monks lived deterred others from joining them, and as the brethren died no new members took their places. The community adhered strictly to the vow of poverty, and depended on alms. Stephen insisted on a perfect observance of the Benedictine rule, and offended the Duke of Burgundy by forbidding him and his household to enter the monastery. This caused a cessation of supplies, and on one occasion Stephen was forced to beg alms from door to door. Sickness still further reduced the number of the brethren, and he began to fear that he and his monks would leave none to succeed them, when in 1113 Bernard and thirty others with him joined the convent (, ii. col. 1062). This was the beginning of an extraordinary influx of prosperity. In that year Stephen established another convent at Ferté in the diocese of Chalons, in 1114 another at Pontigny in the diocese of Auxerre, and in 1115 another at Clairvaux in the diocese of Langres, over which he placed Bernard as abbot. At the request of Guy, archbishop of Vienne, afterwards Pope Calixtus II, who came to visit him in 1117, he founded a house in Guy's province. Stephen personally founded thirteen abbeys altogether. He had great powers of organisation, and instituted general chapters of his order, which was called Cistercian from the parent house at Citeaux. Popularity did not lead him to relax the rigour of his system in the slightest degree, and his constitutions prescribe that the monks of his order should have only the barest possible supply of food and clothing. He carried his rule of poverty so far as to extend it to his churches, which are plain and severe in architecture ; even the altars and sacred vessels were of the commonest materials, no gold or silver was allowed, and instead of a large number of candles and rich candlesticks he permitted only one light on an iron stand. These rules were no doubt meant to mark his disapproval of the costly adornments of the Cluniac churches. It is obvious, from one of his statutes, that his monks received the communion in both kinds. In order to keep all the houses of his order constant to one rule, he drew up the 'Charter of Charity.' This he laid before the bishops in whose dioceses the Cistercian houses were situated in 1119. They approved of the charter and his statutes, and renounced the right of visiting the convents. In the same year the charter was confirmed by Calixtus II. In 1127 he wrote a letter to Louis VI apparently conveying the opinions of a general chapter of the order, and severely blaming the king for his treatment of the Bishop of Paris, who had taken refuge with the Cistercians. In 1129 he wrote, in conjunction with St. Bernard, to Honorius II, complaining of the conduct of Louis towards the Archbishop of Sens, and calling him 'Herodes alter' (Recueil des Historians, xv. 544, 548). He was present at the Council of Troyes in 1127, when his constitutions were approved, and in accordance with a papal decree an order was published that his monks should wear a white habit, to distinguish them from