XXXII. WHEN GOOD ORDERS GO BAD; NOTHING FAILS LIKE SUCCESS

(outline)

Comment Blog

Cluny

Abbot Benno at Baume

Abbot Robert of Molesme

Waldenses, Albigensians, Cathars

“conversi”

Clairvaux

The camshaft

“necessariae”

“but the principle cause of the decline of the order (which was based on unity and charity) was the spirit of dissension which animated certain superiors.”  New Advent

Clos-Vougeot

Chevaliers du Tastevin

Eberbach:  53,000 gallons annually

Auxerre region:  These people sow nothing, reap nothing and gather nothing into their barns.  They only need to send their wine to Paris on the nearby river which goes straight there.  The sale of wine in this city brings them in a good profit which pays entirely for their food and clothing.”  Gimpel, The Medieval Machine

1237:  The General Chapter forbade the use of wine and intoxicating drinks only during the period from the First Sunday of Advent until Easter Sunday.

Hildegard of Bingen  “…draw a certain other class of men to themselves, whom they call conversi, of whom very many do not convert themselves to God in their habits because they love perversity rather than uprightness and perform their duties with the voice of temerity saying thus of their prelates:  Who and what are they? And what were we?  And what are we?”

1206 at Margam Abby, Wales

Garendon, England, Abbot Reginald

1261, Eberbach

“Normandy for the fish, England for the corn, Scotland for the milk, France for the wine.

Roussillon Hopitaller in Provençe

Champagne:  3 loaves of bread; cup of dried pies …

            1325:  oil, salt, onions.  Meat 3 times a week; fish or eggs the other 4

La Trappe, Abbot de Rancé, 1662

Congregation of the Strict Observance