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( During pestilence in 1361/2 in Famagusta) Adveniente vero die processionis, et ecce nationes Christianorum quaelibet in turmis suis et ordine in lingua paterna cum hymnis, canticis, et lamentationibus versus ecclesiam tendebant. Sed aliquis interrogare posset, quae erant istae nationes Christianorum? Certe ibi erant Graeci, Armeni, Nothorini, Iacobini, Geogiani, Nubiani, Indiani, Aethiopiani, et alii multi Christiani, quorum quilibet ritum diversum et linguam diversum habebatt, necnon et Latini et Iudaei. Legatus vero omnes istas generationes misericordiam Dei invocantes, omnibus ieiunantibus in pane et aqua, et nudis pedibus ambulantes, luminaribus infinitis accensis, in ecclesiam Dei humiliter recollegit, et cum omni multitudine per civitatem Famagustam gradatim processionem devotissimam incepit, et breviter ad tantam devotionem populam provocavit, quod nutu Dei multa infideles Saraceni, Turci, et Iudaei illic existentes in lacrimas prorumpebant, et nudis pedibus ad processionem Christianorum devotissime ambulabant. Tandem processione finita, et omni populo in maxima contritione et devotione existente, legatus sermonem suum incepit, et tantum fructum in sermone suo fecit, quod non solum Latinos ecclesiae Romanae fideles ipsum intelligentes, sed etiam alias nationes sermonem non intelligentes, et etiam a Deo infideles ad lacrimas provocabat.
( During pestilence in 1361/2 in Famagusta) Adveniente vero die processionis, et ecce nationes Christianorum quaelibet in turmis suis et ordine in lingua paterna cum hymnis, canticis, et lamentationibus versus ecclesiam tendebant. Sed aliquis interrogare posset, quae erant istae nationes Christianorum? Certe ibi erant Graeci, Armeni, Nothorini, Iacobini, Geogiani, Nubiani, Indiani, Aethiopiani, et alii multi Christiani, quorum quilibet ritum diversum et linguam diversum habebatt, necnon et Latini et Iudaei. Legatus vero omnes istas generationes misericordiam Dei invocantes, omnibus ieiunantibus in pane et aqua, et nudis pedibus ambulantes, luminaribus infinitis accensis, in ecclesiam Dei humiliter recollegit, et cum omni multitudine per civitatem Famagustam gradatim processionem devotissimam incepit, et breviter ad tantam devotionem populam provocavit, quod nutu Dei multa infideles Saraceni, Turci, et Iudaei illic existentes in lacrimas prorumpebant, et nudis pedibus ad processionem Christianorum devotissime ambulabant. Tandem processione finita, et omni populo in maxima contritione et devotione existente, legatus sermonem suum incepit, et tantum fructum in sermone suo fecit, quod non solum Latinos ecclesiae Romanae fideles ipsum intelligentes, sed etiam alias nationes sermonem non intelligentes, et etiam a Deo infideles ad lacrimas provocabat.
When the day of the procession arrived, all the nations of Christians went to the church in their sections and orders singing hymns, canticles and lamentations in their native language. But one might ask, what were these nations of Christians? Certainly there were Greeks, Armenians, Nothorians, Jacobinians, Georgians, Nubians, Indians, Ethiopians, and many other Christians, each of whom had a different rite and a different language; and there were also Latins and Jews. The legate humbly received all these nations, who called upon the mercy of God, all fasting in bread and water, and walking barefoot with numerous torches aflame, into the church of God. He led the devoted procession slowly with all the multitude through the city of Famagusta, and soon he roused the people to such devotion that with the approval of God many of the faithless who were there, Saracens, Turks and Jews, burst into tears, and in devotion joined the procession of the Christians barefoot. Finally, when the procession was finished and all the people were in a state of great contrition and devotion, the legate began his sermon, and produced such fruit in his sermon that he brought to tears not only the faithful Latins of the Church of Rome who understood him, but also other nations who did not understand the sermon and were also not faithful to God.





Revision as of 14:46, 27 March 2018

Philippe de Mézières

Life of St. Peter Thomas (c. 1365-85)

Le songe du vieil pelerine (1393)

A French soldier, diplomat and hagiographer.

Latin and French.


Life of St. Peter Thomas

( During pestilence in 1361/2 in Famagusta) Adveniente vero die processionis, et ecce nationes Christianorum quaelibet in turmis suis et ordine in lingua paterna cum hymnis, canticis, et lamentationibus versus ecclesiam tendebant. Sed aliquis interrogare posset, quae erant istae nationes Christianorum? Certe ibi erant Graeci, Armeni, Nothorini, Iacobini, Geogiani, Nubiani, Indiani, Aethiopiani, et alii multi Christiani, quorum quilibet ritum diversum et linguam diversum habebatt, necnon et Latini et Iudaei. Legatus vero omnes istas generationes misericordiam Dei invocantes, omnibus ieiunantibus in pane et aqua, et nudis pedibus ambulantes, luminaribus infinitis accensis, in ecclesiam Dei humiliter recollegit, et cum omni multitudine per civitatem Famagustam gradatim processionem devotissimam incepit, et breviter ad tantam devotionem populam provocavit, quod nutu Dei multa infideles Saraceni, Turci, et Iudaei illic existentes in lacrimas prorumpebant, et nudis pedibus ad processionem Christianorum devotissime ambulabant. Tandem processione finita, et omni populo in maxima contritione et devotione existente, legatus sermonem suum incepit, et tantum fructum in sermone suo fecit, quod non solum Latinos ecclesiae Romanae fideles ipsum intelligentes, sed etiam alias nationes sermonem non intelligentes, et etiam a Deo infideles ad lacrimas provocabat.


When the day of the procession arrived, all the nations of Christians went to the church in their sections and orders singing hymns, canticles and lamentations in their native language. But one might ask, what were these nations of Christians? Certainly there were Greeks, Armenians, Nothorians, Jacobinians, Georgians, Nubians, Indians, Ethiopians, and many other Christians, each of whom had a different rite and a different language; and there were also Latins and Jews. The legate humbly received all these nations, who called upon the mercy of God, all fasting in bread and water, and walking barefoot with numerous torches aflame, into the church of God. He led the devoted procession slowly with all the multitude through the city of Famagusta, and soon he roused the people to such devotion that with the approval of God many of the faithless who were there, Saracens, Turks and Jews, burst into tears, and in devotion joined the procession of the Christians barefoot. Finally, when the procession was finished and all the people were in a state of great contrition and devotion, the legate began his sermon, and produced such fruit in his sermon that he brought to tears not only the faithful Latins of the Church of Rome who understood him, but also other nations who did not understand the sermon and were also not faithful to God.



Le songe du vieil pelerine

Quant les dames orent bien ledit royaume et que elles virent et cogneurent que leur monnoye ne seroit pas bien agreable au roy et a sa gent, pour ce qu’il avoit longtemps que nul vray arque miste n’estoit venu ou royaume de par le riche Monnoyeur, qui porte en sa forge un aigle a duex testes, et de par le Grant Prevost du Grant Maistre de la Monnoye, lequel Prevost a la teste cornue, et porte les deux clefz en sa main de la souveraine forge; et pour ce le noir roy de Nubie, seigneur d’Ynde la Mineur et d’Ethyope, et tous ses subgiez avoient, grant temps avoit passe, oublie la belle forge du besant; et si ne recognurent pas bien les belles dames, pensant que ce fussent fees ou visions controuvees. Lors la Riche Precieuse, estant en la court du roy, dist a ses compaignes: ‘Je recognoys assez et me souvient bien comment jadis en ce palays cy et par tout le royaume je faisoie mes œuvres tomber, et chacun me besoit. Ce fu ou temps que cestui roy jadis, par ma puissance et par vostre sainte arquemie, ousta du fleuve du Nyl son cours d’aler parmy Egypte. Et feit par force au dit du Nyl prendre son cours parmy les desers et par autres pais, dont il advint que le Soltan de Bailonne et tous les Egypciens, mourans de soif, pour recouvrer ledit fleuve, devindrent tributayres au dessusdit roy de Nubie. Et pour celle remembrance encores aujourduy les Nubiens, toutes le fois qu’il leur plaist, passent parmy le Cayre en Babilonne portans en leurs mains une belle croix de fer bien taillee, trespassans parmy tous les Sarrazins et jusques en Jerusalem, sans payer nul truage’. Et ce que dit est de la croiz, le Vieil Pele[r]in l’a plusieurs foys veu.

...

La Riche Precieuse es sa belle compaignie se partirent de Nubie et entrerent en Ynde la Majeur. Trespasserent par mer et par quatre mil ysles, grandes et en partie bien habitees, esquelles sont gymgybre, canelle, poyvre, noix muscades, et le fin ambre, et en plusieurs autres lieux les perres precieuses. Et en certaines ysles fait si tresgrant chault que les hommes sont vestuz de rayz de saye, et a chacun neue est atachee une pierre precieuse. Au tres ysles y a ou il y a tant d’or que l’apparoiz des gens d’estat soit toutes couvertes de grandes lames de fin or. Et sans alleguer aucune escipture vraye ou apparant, ou temps quo le Vieil Pelerin servoit un grant roy d’orient, il vint ung Genevoys marchant qui en Ynde la Majeur avoit demoure cinquante ans.

...

Le royne et les troys dame passerent oultre et tant errent devers le soleil de mydi que elles se trouverent en Ethyope, que saint Mathieu l’apostre et evangliste convertit a la foy. Les hommes et les femmes de ceste region sont noirs relusians pour la force du soleil, maigres de corps er de foible complexion. Et ont grant deffaulte d’eaue doulce, et grant habondance de fin or et de pierres precieuses. En ladicte region de Ethyope a une riviere descendant en la mer de Mede, dont la gravelle de ladicte riviere est reluisant comme or, et en grant partie de fin or. En ladicte contree d’Ethyope, la Riche Precieuse et ses compaignes furent bien receues commes elles avoyent este en Ynde la Majeur. Et faicte l’enqueste par les chambrieres des dames, trouverent en la monnoye de Ethyope le signe de Thau, aussi comme sans cheville et sans superscripcion. Et que pis est, les touverent plourans et languissans, car grant partie de Ethyope estoit en servage des roys d’Affrique la Grant, adorans Mahommet. Grant pitie ot la royne et toutes ses compaignes des Ethyopiens, qui sembloient bien gens debonnayres. Mais pour les causes sustouchees en celle region ne porent lievrer leurs forges.

...

Ilz estoient lors seigneurs et possedoyent a la foy catholique et obendience de l’empire de Rome et du pape de Romme, vicaire general de Jhesucrist, les regions et royaumes et toutes les parties d’Europe et d’occident, d’Aufffrique et d’Ethiope, d’Egipte et de Nubie, d’Ynde et de Perse (list includes 10 more nations)…. Si n’estoit pars merveille se par la loy, pour avoir la cognoissance d’aucunes particulieres causes, estoient octroyez deux ans oi iii, les grandes et longues distances des royaumes et regions soustouchees considerees.


Selected Editions

P. de Mézières, The Life of Saint Peter Thomas, ed. J. Smet (Rome, 1954).

P. de Mézières, Le songe du vieil pelerine, ed. G. W. Coopland, 2 vols. (Cambridge, 1969).