CHAPTER XVII

Of the noble eulogy passed upon Gerard by a Cantor at Paris

(1)

MASTER GERARD of holy memory, he who was called “The Great,” has passed happily to the Lord. Truly he was “The Great,” for in his knowledge of all the liberal sciences, both natural and moral, of civil law, canon law and of theology, he was second to no one in the world, and all these branches of learning were united in him.

He was a man of such saintliness and gave so good an example in his mortification of the flesh; his refusal of temporal advantages; his contempt for the world; his brotherly love for all; his zeal for the salvation of souls; his effectual preaching; his reprobation and hatred of wickedness; his withstanding of heretics; his enforcement of the canon law against those that broke the vow of chastity; his conversion to the spiritual life of divers men and women who had formerly lived according to the world; and his loyalty to our lord Urban the Sixth—in all those things I say he gave so good an example, that many thousands of men testify to the belief that is in them that he was not less great in these virtues than he was in the aforesaid sciences. Master William de Salvarvilla, Cantor at Paris, Archdeacon of Brabant in the Church of Liege, an eminent doctor in Theology, compiled the above eulogy from that which he heard from the lips of men worthy of credit, and from his own knowledge of Master Gerard, and he believes beyond all doubt that it is true.

(2) (The novice.)

“The words of this doctor as to the praise justly due to Master Gerard, the first founder of our Brotherhood, agree with what thou hast written. For that which the doctor hath written as a brief summary, thou hast told at greater length—wherefore the more testimonies I hear of that revered man, the more do I rejoice, and give the greater credence to his sayings.”

(2) (The elder Brother.)

“That thou mayest be fashioned to a knowledge of the faithful Master not by the testimony of others only, I will set forth certain of the very words of his mouth. So shalt thou know clearly what he taught and openly declared during his lifetime, when thou dost read his public profession of faith.”