Cap. LIX
DE FILIIS NOBILIUM VEL PAUPERUM, QUI OFFERUNTUR

[Ms P, fol. 147v – Paulus Diaconus –
Ps.-Basil: Ms K¹, fol. 161r; Ms E¹, fol. 165v; Ms. E², fol. 253r]

Ch. 59
CONCERNING THE SONS OF NOBLES AND THE POOR WHO ARE OFFERED

Translated by: Mayke de Jong

Perseverat adhuc B. Benedictus in expositione sua. Jam quia coepit dicere de ordine novitiorum et dixit de [page 548] his, qui legitimam aetatem habent, nunc [vero] dicit de infantibus hoc capitulum, cujus clavis est ista: De filiis nobilium vel pauperum, qui offeruntur.

Holy Benedict still continues his exposition. Because he began by pronouncing on the order of entry of novices and spoke about [page 548] those who are of age, he now [in] this chapter addresses children, the title of which is about the sons of nobles and the poor who are offered.

Nobiles enim appellat divites, quamquam scriptura divina appellet nobiles liberos, quia solent multi pauperes esse nobiles genere, eo quod de nobili genere sunt orti. Et iterum solent multi divites ignobiles esse, i. e. quia de rustica progenie sunt nati. Unde B. Benedictus sive sint nobiles sive ignobiles, i. e. de illis dicit, qui divitias habent, et iterum nobiles dicit de divitibus.

He calls rich people ‘nobles’, although divine scripture calls nobles free men, because there usually are many poor men of noble birth, because they were of noble descent. And likewise there are usually many rich men who are not noble, that is, because they originate from a peasant family. Which is why Saint Benedict says that they are noble or not – that is, he refers to those who have riches, and then calls the rich men ‘nobles’.

Sciendum est autem, quia tres distinctiones facit B. Benedictus, i. e. divitum, mediocrum et nihil habentium.

One should know, however, that Saint Benedict distinguishes between three categories, namely the rich, those of middling wealth, and those who have nothing.

Ait enim: ₁Si quis forte de nobilibus offert filium suum Deo in monasterio, si ipse puer minor aetate est, parentes ejus faciant petitionem, quam supra diximus, ₂et cum oblatione ipsam petitionem et manum pueri involvant in palla altaris et sic eum offerant.

For he says: ₁If it happens that a nobleman offers his son to the monastery, if the boy is young, his parents should make the petition we mentioned above, ₂and they should tie together the petition and the boy’s hand in an altar cloth, with the oblation, and offer him that way.

Puerum enim non dicit illum, cujus aetas ab octavo inchoatur anno, sed illum puerum vocat, qui per se non potest profiteri secundum legem, quoniam parentes ejus vivunt.¹

They do not call that boy puer whose age group starts with his eighth year, but him who cannot make a lawful profession for themselves according to the law that his parents live by.¹

Parentes enim nominat solummodo patrem et matrem, quia parentes de matre et patre dicuntur a pariendo.

By ‘parents’ he only means the father and the mother, because the father and the mother are called parentes, that is from begetting (pariendo).

Quod enim dicit: faciant petitionem, quam supra diximus, illa intelligitur, in qua dicitur de stabilitate sua et conversione morum suorum et obedientia [Regula Benedicti, c. 58.17] et reliqua.

For where he says they should make the petition we discussed above, the particular document should be understood in which there is a pronouncement about his stability and the conversion of his conduct and obedience, [Regula Benedicti, c. 58.17] etcetera.

Ita faciendum est: debet, si pater est vivus, dicere pater; si autem mortuus est, dicere mater - nam alius propinquus non debet - i. e.: ‘Promitto ego ille coram Deo et sanctis ejus pro filio meo de stabilitate sua et conversione morum suorum atque obedientiam habendum’; [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 58.17] et debet habere petitionem scriptam et promissionem in manu pro filio suo.

This is to be done as follows: if the father is alive, he should pronounce this; if he is dead, however, the mother should pronounce it – for another relative should not do it – namely: 'I promise for my son, in the presence of God and his saints, about his stability and the conversion of his conduct and that he will observe obedience' [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 58.17] and he should have the written petition and vows in his hand for his son.

Verbi gratia, cum lectum fuerit evangelium, quando debent offerre, antequam incipiant offertorium, debet ponere in dextera manu filii sui oblatam cum mappula, in sinistra autem amulam vini. Deinde debet illum pater ante se Cap. MX. [page 549] tenere infantem, et debet involvere manum filii sui in illa mappula, cum qua offert, quia, de ipsa mappula dicitur palla altaris, non de altaris panno sacrato. Deinde debet tenere manu sua manum filii sui involutam in illa mappula et petitionem, qua firmat filium suum in illo monasterio, et debent adesse testes.

For example, when the Gospel is read, when they [i.e. the faithful] faithful have to bring their oblations,² before the Offertory starts, he should put his oblation in the right hand of his son together with the mappula,³ yet in the left hand the jug of wine. Then the father must [page 549] hold the child in front of him, and he should wrap the hand of his son in that mappula with which he offers, because it is this mappula that is referred to as palla altaris, not the consecrated altar cloth. Then he must take in his hand the hand of his son, enveloped in that mappula, and the petition with which he vows⁴ his son to that particular monastery, and witnesses should be present.

Tunc debet abbas interrogare illum isto modo: ‘Quid petis frater?’ Ille debet respondere dicens: ‘Volo tradere filium meum Deo omnipotenti ad serviendum sibi in hoc monasterio, quia sic praecepit Dominus in lege filiis Israel, ut offerrent filios suos Deo; et propterea ego volo hunc filium meum similiter Deo offerre. ’ Deinde debet dicere abbas testibus: ‘Auditis, fratres, et videtis, quid iste dicit.’ Illi debent dicere: ‘Audivimus et videmus.’ Tunc debet ille pater ante se filium suum ducere ad illum locum, ubi homines offerre consueverunt. Deinde debet presbyter tollere oblatam et amulam de manu infantis tenta² in manu patris, et abbas debet recipere infantem et tollere petitionem, ita tamen, ut pater illam petitionem super altare reponat, eo quod abbas illam petitionem desuper altare debet tollere, quia sic in capitulo LVIII dicit: desuper altare ponat, [Regula Benedicti, c. 58.29] et alibi: non reddat illam petitionem, quam desuper altare tulerit.

Then the abbot should interrogate him as follows: ‘What do you seek, brother?’ That man must then answer: ‘I wish to hand over my son to the almighty God to serve Him in this monastery, because thus the Lord commands in the law for the children of Israel, that they offer their children to God; and for this reason I want to offer my son to God in a similar fashion.’ Then the abbot has to say to the witnesses: ‘Have you heard, brothers, and seen what this man said?’ And these have to say: ‘We have heard and seen.’ Then the father must lead his son in front of him to the place where men usually offer.⁵ Then the priest must take the offering and the jug from the hand of the child held in the father’s hand, and the abbot should receive the child and accept the petition, in such a manner, however, that the father places that petition on the altar, because the abbot has to take that petition from the altar, for it says in chapter 58: he puts it on the altar and elsewhere: let him not return the petition that he placed on the altar.⁶

Verumtamen melius est, si potest fieri, ut abbas cantet missam, ut ille accipiat etiam illam oblatam et vinum. Ideo praecepit B. Benedictus, cum oblatione offerri, ut per hoc, quod foris ostenditur, significetur hoc, quod geritur, i. e. sicut oblatio efficitur holocaustum Domino, ita etiam ille infans holocaustum Domino efficiatur. Non enim dicit in illo panno altaris, involvi, qui sacratus est, i. e. qui super altare ponitur, sed de illo panno, cum quo nos offerimus, quem nos mappulam vocamus, et hoc altaris pannus est, quia officium altaris per hoc agitur.

Yet it is better, if it can be managed, that the abbot celebrates the mass, so that he receives the oblation and the wine. For this reason Saint Benedict orders to offer [the child] with the oblation: so that by what is shown externally, what actually happens is signified; that is, like the oblation is made into a holocaust for the Lord, so also that child is made into a holocaust for the Lord. He does not instruct to envelop [the child’s hand] in that altar cloth that is consecrated, that is, the one that is put onto the altar, but he refers to that piece of cloth with which we bring the oblation nowadays, which we call a mappula; and this is an altar cloth, because with it the office of the altar is performed.

Sequitur: ₃De rebus autem suis aut in praesenti petitione promittant sub jurejurando, quia nunquam per se, nunquam per suspectam personam nec quolibet modo ei aliquando aliquid [page 550] dent occasionem tribuendi;³ ₄vel certe si hoc facere noluerint, et aliquid offerre voluerint in eleemosynam monasterio pro mercede sua, ₅faciant ex rebus, quas donare volunt monasterio, donationem, reservato sibi, si ita voluerint, usufructuario, ₆atque ita omnia obstruantur, ut nulla suspicio remaneat puero, per quam deceptus perire possit, quod absit, quod experimento didicimus.

Then follows: ₃Concerning his property, they should either promise under oath in this same petition that they will never give him anything themselves, nor through a third party, nor by any means, nor [page 550] offer him the opportunity to own anything. ₄Of course, if they do not want to do that and desire to offer something to the monastery for their own reward, ₅let them make a donation to the monastery of the property they wish to give, keeping usufruct for themselves if they so desire. ₆In this way everything is closed off, so that the boy cannot harbour any hope by which, God forbid, he could be deceived and ruined, which we have learned through experience.

Quod vero dicit: De rebus autem suis in praesenti petitione promittant sub jurejurando et reliqua, - ac si diceret: juret, ut nunquam det illi aliquid aut per se aut per aliquam personam aut certe aliqua occasione, qua ille possit de monasterio exire.

As for the prescription Concerning his property, they should either promise under oath in this same petition and so on, it is as if he would have said: let him swear that he never gives anything to that [child], be it of his own accord or through some other person or by some opportunity by which he [the child] could leave the monastery.

Isto enim modo debet fieri, i. e. quando offert filium suum, tunc debet dicere: ‘Sic promitto per viventem in saecula, quia nunquam do illi hereditatem suam aut aliquid quidquam, sed exheredo illum ab omni mea hereditate, ut exheres sit in perpetuum, ita ut per nullum ingenium possit quaerere de mea hereditate pro successione sua.’

This he should do in the following manner – that is, when he offers his son, then he should pronounce publicly: ‘Thus I swear by Him who lives through the ages, that I will never give that child his inheritance or anything else, but I disinherit him from my entire legacy, so that he will be disinherited forever, to the extent that he can never claim to succeed to my legacy, by whatever means.’

Hoc enim, quod dicit: vel certe si hoc facere noluerint et aliquid offerre voluerint in eleemosynam et reliqua, ita intelligitur, i. e. si hoc noluerint facere, hoc est si eum exheredare de rebus suis noluerint, sed voluerint ejus portionem offerre in monasterium, tunc offerant etiam ejus portionem cum ipso infantulo.

Where it says Of course, if they do not want to do that and desire to offer something and so on, it should be understood as follows: if they do not want to do this, that is to disinherit him, but want to offer his share of the inheritance to the monastery, let them then offer his portion together with that little child.

Debet enim isto modo fieri, i. e. si voluerit offerre ejus portionem in monasterium, tunc debet etiam dicere, quando offert filium suum: ‘Offero etiam ejus portionem pro mercede animae meae in hoc monasterium.’ Si voluerit usufructuario, etiam hoc potest facere, i. e. ita: ‘Offero ejus portionem in hoc monasterium, ut dum ego vixero, ejus portionem usufructuario⁴ habeam; post meum vero decessum, tunc veniat ejus hereditas in hoc monasterium, aut certe aliquid plus quam portionem suam.’

This must be done in this way, that is, if he [the father]⁷ wants to give the portion of the child to the monastery, he must also declare, when he offers his son: ‘I also offer his portion to this monastery, for my salvation.’ If he wants to keep the usufruct, he can do this as well, namely as follows: ‘I offer his portion to this monastery, provided that as long as I live I will have the usufruct of his portion; after my death, let then his inheritance come into possession of this monastery, or indeed something more than his portion.’

Obstruantur, i. e. claudantur, ac si diceret: ita claudantur, ut nullus aditus sit aut remaneat, per quem possit de monasterio [page 551] exire, aut deceptus pereat, quod absit, i. e. quod malum nunquam sit. Experimento, i. e. probatione; didicimus, i. e. cognovimus. Hoc quod dicit quod experimento didicimus, in dubio est, utrum pater adtraxerit filium suum, an filius sponte de monasterio exierit.

Obstruantur, that is, claudantur, as if he said: [everything] is closed off, so that there is or remains no way by which he can leave the monastery, [page 551] or, deceived, can perish, which God forbid – that is, may this evil never happen. Through experience, that is, by trial; we have learned, that is, we have come to know. Where it says, we have learned by through experience, it is not certain whether the father lured away his son, or the son left the monastery of his own volition.

Sequitur: ₇Similiter autem et pauperiores faciant. Qui vero ex toto nihil habent, simpliciter petitionem faciant et cum oblatione offerant filium suum coram testibus.

Then follows: ₇Let poorer people do likewise. Those who have no property at all should simply draw up the petition and offer their son before witnesses. Where it says let poorer people do likewise.

Quod vero dicit pauperiores similiter faciant, - ac si diceret: sicut dixi facere divites, ita per omnia faciant pauperiores, i. e. mediocres.

It is as if he said: just as I have admonished to act concerning the rich, let the poorer people do the same in all respects, that is, those of middling wealth.

Quod autem dicit qui vero ex toto nihil habent, simpliciter petitionem faciant et cum oblatione offerant filium suum coram testibus, ita intelligi debet, i. e. si tales sunt, qui per omnia nihil habent, non est opus, ut alio modo faciant promissionem, sicut divites et mediocres, sed simpliciter petitionem faciant.

What he says about those who have no property at all, let them simply draw up the petition and offer their son before witnesses, should be understood in the following way: that is, if they are of the kind that has nothing at all, it is not useful that they make another kind of vow, like the rich and the middling rich, but let them simply do the petition.

Simpliciter, i. e. sine datione.

Simply meaning without a gift.

Et cum oblatione offerant filium suum coram testibus, i. e. sine ulla datione substantiae, sed solummodo cum oblatione offerant filium suum, quia oblatio attinet ad panem et vinum, quae in sacrificium offeruntur.

And let they offer their son before witnesses, with the oblation, that is, without any donation of property, but let them offer their son just with the oblation, for oblatio refers to the bread and wine that are offered as a gift during Mass.

Quod enim dicit parentes ejus faciant petitionem, quam supra diximus, intelligitur: quia sic debet ille pater vel mater promittere pro filio suo, i. e. de stabilitate et conversione morum ejus et obedientia coram Deo et sanctis ejus, sicut illi faciunt, qui in legitima aetate veniunt ad monasterium.

Where he says the parents should make the petition we mentioned above, one should understand that this father or mother should make the vow for their son, that is about his stability and the conversion of his conduct and obedience towards God and His saints, just like those do that come to the monastery when they are of age.

Quaeri potest, quare S. Benedictus praecepit, hic jurare, cum Dominus dicat, non jurare omnino. Ita enim solvitur: Dominus enim non omnino prohibuit jurare, sed prohibuit, ut juramentum pro omnimodo non esset bonum appetendum, quia juramentum non omnimodo est bonum; sed quia sunt quaedam res, quae pro se non sunt appetendae, tamen pro aliis omnimodis bonis accipi debent; sicut Paulus legitur jurasse, non ut cognovisset, juramentum omnimodo bonum esse, sed pro aliis omnimodo bonis rebus juravit, sicut habes suprascriptum.

One can question why St Benedict prescribes an oath here when the Lord says not to swear oaths at all.⁸ Yet this is solved as follows: The Lord did not forbid any kind of swearing, but he forbade this in view of the fact that one should not apply the oath as something appropriate in all circumstances, because the oath is not appropriate in all circumstances. But there are certain matters that, although one should not attempt these for oneself, one must nonetheless accept as appropriate for others – just as one reads of St Paul having sworn an oath, not because he thought that an oath was appropriate under any circumstances, but he swore in view of other in all respects appropriate matters, as you find mentioned above.

Ita S. Benedictus in hoc loco facere videtur, cum dicit jurare, non ut pro omnimodo bonum esset appetendum, sed pro salute animae pueri, quae pro [page 552] omnimodo bona est appetenda, quatenus parentes pueri timeant et timendo occasionem non dent puero peccandi, ut puer pereat in aeternum, ac per hoc timorem incussit parentibus, ne dent aliquam occasionem peccandi, et per ipsam occasionem puer pereat.

When St Benedict orders to swear here, he seems to do so not because this is to be applied as appropriate in all circumstances, but in view of the salvation of the soul of the boy, [page 552] in order that the parents of the boy become fearful, and through their fear do not give the boy any occasion to sin, so the boy perishes for all eternity; and thus he has instilled fear in the parents, lest they provide any opportunity for sin and the boy perishes by this.