A letter from Bernard of Clairvaux, abbot (1153)

Translated letter:

To his beloved daughter in Christ, Melisende, queen of Jerusalem, Bernard called abbot of Clairvaux: mercy from their saviour God. I am surprised that for a long time we have not seen your letters, we have not had the customary greetings, so we have almost forgotten your old devotion to us, which we experienced in many ways. We have heard, I confess, I know not what treacherous things which, although we do not believe them for certain, we grieve that whether by truth or falsehood they stain your reputation. Andreas, my dearest uncle, whom we can not fail to believe in anything, intervened in writing telling us better things, that you hold yourself peacefully and calmly, rule yourself and your things wisely and by counsel of the wise that you love the brothers of the Temple and keep them close to you, and prudently and wisely meet the imminent dangers of the world according to the wisdom God gave you, with salutary counsels and aids. Such works, truly, are suitable for a strong woman, a humble widow, an exalted queen. Not is it unworthy, as you are a queen, for you to be a widow, which you would not be if you did not choose to be. I think that it is your glory, especially among Christians, to live a widow no less than a queen. This is a matter of succession, that of virtue; this from birth, that from the grace of God; this you were felicitously born, that you attained virilely. It is a double honor: one according to the world, the other according to God, both from God. Let the honor of widowhood not seem small to you, about which the Apostle says: honor widows who are true widows. You have certainly in your possession the familiar admonition of the salutary apostolic pronouncement, by which he teaches you to undertake good things, not only before God, but also before men. Before God as a widow, before men as queen. Attend to the queen, whose acts, worthy or unworthy, can not be hidden under a bushel. They are above the candlestick so they are seen by all. Remember the widow, who is no longer concerned with what pleases a man/husband so she can please God alone. You are blessed, if you make the Saviour a wall to protect your conscience and an outer wall to repel infamy. Blessed, I say, if as forsaken and widowed, you commit yourself to be ruled completely by God. You can not otherwise rule well, if you are not ruled well. The queen of the south came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, that she might learn to be ruled and thus know how to rule. And behold this more than Solomon: I speak of Jesus and him crucified. Commit yourself to him to be ruled, to be taught, how you should rule. Learn, as a widow, what is mild and humble of heart; learn, as a queen, what judges the poor in justice and argues for the meek of the earth in fairness. Therefore when you think of your high position, attend to the widowhood since, if I may offer you purely what I feel, you could not be a good queen if you were not a good widow. Do you ask how a good widow is evaluated? Precisely from what the Apostle says: if she brought up children, if she received guests, if she washed the feet of the saints, if she administered to those suffering tribulation, if she has done every good work. If you do these, you are blessed and it will be well for you. May the Lord bless you from Sion, exalted daughter in the Lord and worthy of all veneration. The admonition has been set before you; the accomplishment is awaited from your authority. The occasion has been given: an excuse is not accepted, if intimacy is not renewed on our part let it be repeated from now on with intimate words and letters from you.

Original letter:

Dilectae in Christo filiae Milisendi, reginae Ierosolymorum, Bernardus, Claraevalis vocatus abbas: misericordiam a Deo salutari suo. 1. Miror quod a multo iam tempore non vidimus litteras tuas, non solitas salutationes habuimus, quasi nos obliti simus antiquae tuae erga nos devotionis, quam in multis probavimus. Audivimus, fateor, nescio quae sinistra, quae, etsi non pro certo credidimus, doluimus tamen sive veritate, sive mendacio tuam aliquatenus decolorari opinionem. Sane intervenit Andreas carissimus avunculus meus, cui in nullo decredere possumus, scripto suo nobis significans meliora, quod scilicet pacifice et mansuete te habeas, sapienter et consilio sapientum te et tua regas, fratres de Templo diligas et familiares habeas, periculis imminentibus terrae, secundum sapientiam tibi a Deo datam, salutaribus consiliis et auxiliis provide et sapienter occurras. Talia prorsus, talia decent opera mulierem fortem, humilem viduam, sublimem reginam. Neque enim, quia regina es, indignum tibi viduam esse, quod, si voluisses, non esses. Puto quod et gloria tibi est, praecipue inter christianos, non minus vivere viduam quam reginam. Illud successionis est, hoc virtutis: illud tibi ex genere, istud ex munere Dei; illud feliciter nata es, hoc viriliter nacta. Duplex honor: alter secundum saeculum, alter secundum Deum, uterque a Deo. Nec parvus tibi videatur honor viduitatis, de quo Apostolus: "Honora," inquit, "viduas, quae vere viduae sunt." 2. Habes certe penes teipsam familiare commonitorium apostolicae iterum salutaris sententiae, qua doceris ab eo providere bona, "non tantum coram deo, sed etiam coram hominibus." Coram Deo, ut vidua; coram hominibus, ut regina. Attende reginam, cuius digna indignave non possunt latere sub modio. Super candelabrum sunt, ut appareant omnibus. Memento viduam, cui iam non est quod velit placere viro, ut soli possit placere Deo. Beata es, si Salvatorem ponas tibi murum ad protectionem conscientiae, et antemurale ad repulsionem infamiae. Beata, inquam, si veluti desolatam et viduam totam te Deo regendam commiseris. Alioquin bene non regis, si bene non regeris. "Regina Austri venit audire sapientiam Salomonis," ut regi disceret, et sic regere sciret. "Et ecce plus quam Salomon hic": Iesum loquor et hunc crucifixum. Huic te committe regendam, huic docendam, quomodo regere debeas. Disce, tamquam vidua, quod sit mitis et humilis corde; disce, tamquam regina, quod iudicet "in iustitia pauperes et" arguat "in aequitate pro mansuetis terrae." Ergo cum cogitas dignitatem, attende et viduitatem, quia, ut pure apud te quod sentio proferam, non potes esse regina bona, si bona non fueris vidua. Quaeris unde bona vidua aestimetur? Ex his profecto quae Apostolus dicit: "Si filios educavit, si hospitio recepit, si sanctorum pedes lavit, si tribulationem patientibus subministravit, si omne opus bonum subsecuta est." Si haec facis, beata es et bene tibi erit. "Benedicat tibi dominus ex Sion," eximia in Domino filia et omni veneratione digna. Admonitio praemissa est; prosecutio iam a vestra dignatione exspectatur. Occasio data est: excusatio iam non admittitur, si non renovata a nostra parte familiaritas, familiaribus deinceps a vobis verbis et litteris frequentetur.

Historical context:

Stimulated by some rumors he has heard, Bernard writes to chide the queen for not keeping in touch, and to give her advice about living a good life as a widow, even as she rules as queen.

Printed source:

Sancti Bernardi Opera, ed. J. LeClercq and H. Rochais (Rome: Eds. Cisterciennes, 1979), v.8, ep.289

Date:

1153