Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/902

BERN. theses for the debate; but Zwingli wag present and helpful.

BERN, University of. Originally a local school, enlarged about 1528 by the addition of advanced classes, particularly in theology. to meet the increased demand for such instruction made by the Reformation. Early in the Eight- eenth Century it was further enlarged by the addition of chairs in science, medicine, and law. The Napoleonic period seriously affected the uni- versity, as it did others near to the French fron- tier: but in 18.34 it was reorganized, and is now a State institution, supported by the Canton of Bern, and on the same plan as most similar luii- versities. It has an income of about 600,000 francs, and an endowment for special purposes of 1,000,000 francs. Its 1200 students include over 250 women, and are divided among the fac- ulties of evangelical theologv'. Catholic theologv', philosophy, law, medicine, and veterinary medi- cine. The library has 35,000 volumes.

BER'NADOTTE, Fr. pron. bar'na'dot'. See Charles XIV. John, King of Sweden.

BERNARD, bei-'nnrd or ber-nard'; Fr. pron. bfir'niir'. Saint (1091-1153). A learned Roman Catholic ecclesiastic. He v'as 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 Clairvaux. in Champagne, lived in the monastery, and himself became its first abbot, in 1115. His ascetic life, solitai-y studies, and stirring eloquence made him, during his lifetime, the oracle of Christen- dom. He was honored with the title of the 'Mel- lifluous Doctor,' and his writings were termed "a river ot paradise.' Although a mystical theo- logian, he was a man of eminently practical mind. He was consulted largely by the poten- tates of his day upon policies of state, and exer- cised great influence with the li>pes of his time. In 1128 he gave the rule to 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 religious zeal of the people of France and Germany, he accomplished liis mission with fatally memorable success. Fields, towns, cities, and castles were in many 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. He prophesied their success ; but when, instead, the news of the failure of the Crusade reached Eu- rope, he fairly sank under the weight of the depression which fell upon him. He died August 20. 1153, and was canonized by Alexander III. 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 Medieval Church, and he ranks in this regard with Hugh and Richard of Saint Victor and Saint Bonaven- ture. He was a stalwart opponent of the ration- alism of AbGlard. Luther says of Saint Ber- nard: '"If there ever lived on earth a God-fear- ing and holy monk, it wSs Saint Bernard of Clairvaux." He 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 now to appreciate their extraordinary influence. Several of his h-mns, e.g. "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 Jlabillon, printed in Paris in 1890 (2 vols.), reprinted in Venice (G 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 naiiie also, in France, to the nuns of the Ci.stercian Order, which his sister. Saint Humbeline, is said to have founded.

A complete French translation of his works appeared in Paris, 1873, 8 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 Cantlca Canticorum, 86 sermons on the Song of Solomon (1895): from these 31 sermons were selected and published in English translation, The Song of l^onys (1901). Other modern Eng- lish translations are: The Holy War, by S. R. ilaitland (Gloucester, 1827) ; Four Bomilie.s upon the Incirnation (1843); Letter on Con- version (London, 1856) ; Sermons for the Sea- sons of the Church ( 1861 ) ; The Juhilee Rhythm (,n the Name of Jesus (1807) ; The Glories of the Virgin Mother and Channel of Divine Grace (Boston, 1807); How to Live 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. Vacandard (Paris, 1895); W. J. Sparrow- Simpson (London, 1895) ; T. Halusa (Regens- burg, 1898).

BERNARD OF CLUNY, klu'ne' (c.l122-56). A Benedictine monk, muler Peter the Venerable. He was born of English parentage at Morlaix, in Brittany; hence he is called sometimes Bernard of Jlorlaix, or. in Latin form, Bernardus Jlorlanensis. No details of his life are known. Yet he has attained innnortality in liymnology, owing to the circumstance that in the opening of his poem, "De Contemptu Mundi," lie gives a description of heaven, which in the translation of John Mason Neale became the three beautiful hymns, "Jerusalem the CJolden," "The World Is Very Evil," "For Thee, Dear, Dear Country." The poem itself is by no means heavenly in its general contents, but is a fierce castigation of the sins of the mediaeval Latin Church. It is in three thousand lines of dactylic hexameters of such extraordinary difficulty that the author says that he was only enabled by divine help to produce them! There are several early and scarce editions of the original text, and one modern one in the Rolls series in the second volume of Thomas Wright's Anglo-Latin Satirical Poets of the Twelfth Century (London, 1872, 2 vols.). For the translations referred to, see J. M. Neale,