Alberic of Trois-Fontaines
Albericus Trium Fontium.
(c. 1241)
Cistercian chronicler.
Chronica Albrici Monachi Trium Fontium.
Latin.
In partibus Asie Maioris versus Mesopotamiam et Armeniam quidam Ionas vir venera
bilis patriarcha erat in civitate Susis. In huius Ione manibus, dum missam celebraret
more sue gentis ,hoc est secundum consuetudinem Surianorum, tale fertur accidisse
miraculum, quod panis ille magnus fermentatus, unde fiebat sacrificium, in parvam et
pulchram convertitur hostiam ad morem sacrificii Latinorum, et calix ligneus adnichilatur
cum cochlearibus, recepto vero sanguine in argenteo calice; et hoc accidit in festo
beati Iohannis baptiste huius anni, unde plures Surianorum ecclesie, Armenii, Georgiani,
Lubiani, Nubiani et Iacobite ad consuetudinem sancte catholice et Romane ecclesie de die
in diem per hoc miraculum ceperunt converti. Et iste Ionas patriarcha magno concilio
Romano, de quo suo loco tractabitur, interfuit et postmodum in patriarcham Alexandrinum promotus est.
...
In partibus transmarinis tempore induciarum veniebant multi de remotis terris ad sepulchrum Domini; et inventum est novem esse leges seu novem speciales esse ordines christianitatis, de quibus singulis ad sepulchrum Domini peregrini ibi more suo celebrant presbiteri de omnibus videlicet ordinibus istis … Septimus ordo dicitur Nubianorum christianorum, quorum terra maxima est, et multa ex eis tributarii Sarracenorum sunt. Octavus ordo totam illam multitudinem christianorum continet, que presbitero Iohanni subiecta est.
(In the parts of Asia Major in the direction of Mesopotamia and Armenia, was the patriarch of bile, a venerable man, in the city of Susis. While he was celebrating the custom of the mass of the nation, that is to say, according to the custom of the Syrians, a miracle by his own hands is said to have happened. The bread was in the most prosperous state of fermentation, from which an offering was made. The manner of the sacrifice was that the Latins received a small and beautiful host in which the blood was in a silver cup instead of a wooden cup without spoons. This is the case, and in the feast of blessed John the Baptist, of this year, the majority of the Syrian Church, the Armenians, Georgians, Lubians, Nubians, and the Jacobites, and the customs of the Holy Catholic and Roman Church, took the turn from day to day, by this miracle. And this is the great synod of decrees that Jonah was present, who was the patriarch of Rome, and was later promoted to be the Patriarch of Alexandria, of which we shall treat in its proper place.
...
In the parts across the sea many come to the sepulcher of our Lord at the time of the truce; and there was found to be nine laws or special orders of Christians, separated by custom, each is a pilgrim to the tomb of our Lord, this is the order of them ... The seventh order are called the Nubian Christians, whose land is very great, and many of them pay tribute to the Saracens. The eighth is the order of a multitude of Christians, who are subject to Prester John.)
Selected editions
Monumenta Germaniae Historia, Tomus XXIII (Hannover: 1874).