WILLIAM BERRUYER, of the illustrious family of the ancient counts of
Nevers, was educated by Peter the Hermit, archdeacon of Soissons, his
uncle by the mother's side. He learned from his infancy to despise the
folly and emptiness of the riches and grandeur of the world, to abhor
its pleasures, and to tremble at its dangers. His only delight was in
exercises of piety and in his studies, in which he employed his whole
time with indefatigable application. He was made canon, first of
Soissons, and afterwards of Paris; but he soon took the resolution of
abandoning all commerce with the world, and retired into the solitude of
Grandmont, where he lived with great regularity in that austere order,
till seeing its peace disturbed by a contest which arose between the
fathers and lay-brothers, he passed into the Cistercian, then in
wonderful odor of sanctity. He took the habit in the abbey of Pontigny,
and shining as a perfect model of monastic perfection, was after some
time chosen prior of that house, and afterwards abbot, first of
Fountaine-Jean, in the diocese of Sens, (a filiation of Pontigny,
founded in 1124, by Peter de Courtenay, son of king Louis the Fat,) and
some time after, of Chaalis, near Senlis, a much more numerous
monastery, also a filiation of Pontigny, built by Louis the Fat in 1136,
a little before his death. St. William always reputed himself the last
among his brethren. The universal mortification of his senses and
passions, laid in him the foundation of an admirable purity of heart,
and an extraordinary gift of prayer; in which he received great heavenly
lights, and tasted of the sweets which God has reserved for those to
whom he is pleased to communicate himself. The sweetness and
cheerfulness of his countenance testified the uninterrupted joy and
peace that overflowed his soul, and made virtue appear with the most
engaging charms in the midst of austerities.
On the death of Henry de Sully, archbishop of Bourges, the clergy of
that church requested his brother Endo, bishop of Paris, to come and
assist them in the election of a pastor. Desirous to choose some abbot
of the Cistercian Order, then renowned for holy men, they put on the
altar the names of three, written on as many billets. This manner of
election by lots would have been superstitious, and a tempting of God,
had it been done relying on a miracle without the warrant of divine
inspiration. But it deserved not this censure when all the persons
proposed seemed equally worthy and fit, as the choice was only
recommended to God, and left to this issue by following the rules of his
ordinary providence, and imploring his light, without rashness, or a
neglect of the usual means of scrutiny: prudence might sometimes even
recommend such a method, in order to terminate a debate when the
candidates seemed equally qualified. God, in such cases is said
sometimes to have miraculously interposed.
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Eudo, accordingly, having written three billets, laid them on the altar,
and having made his prayer drew first the name of the abbot William, on
whom, at the same time, the majority of the votes of the clergy had made
the election fall, the 23d of November, 1200. This news overwhelmed
William, with grief. He never would have acquiesced, had he not received
a double command in virtue of obedience, from the pope, and from his
general the abbot of Citeaux. He left his clear solitude with many
tears, and was received at Bourges as one sent by heaven, and soon after
was consecrated. In this new dignity his first care was to conform both
his exterior and interior to the most perfect rules of sanctity; being
very sensible that a man's first task is to honor God perfectly in his
own soul. He redoubled all his austerities, saying, it was now incumbent
on him to do penance for others, as well as for himself. He always wore
a hair-shirt under his religious habit, and never added, nor diminished,
any thing in his clothes, either winter or summer. He never ate any
flesh-meat, though he had it at his table for strangers. His attention
to feed his flock was no less remarkable, especially in assisting the
poor both spiritually and corporally, saying, that he was chiefly sent
for them. He was most mild to penitent sinners; but inflexible towards
the impenitent, though he refused to have recourse to the civil power
against them, the usual remedy of that age. Many such he at last
reclaimed by his sweetness and charity. Certain great men, abusing his
lenity, usurped the rights of his church; but the saint strenuously
defended them even against the king himself, notwithstanding his threats
to confiscate his lands. By humility and resolution he overcame several
contradictions of his chapter and other clergy. By his zeal he converted
many of the Albigenses, contemporary heretics, and was preparing himself
for a mission among them, at the time he was seized with his last
illness. He would, notwithstanding, preach a farewell sermon to his
people, which increased his fever to such a degree that he was obliged
to set aside his journey, and take to his bed. Drawing near his end, he
received first extreme unction, according to the discipline of that
age;[1] then, in order to receive the viaticum, he rose out of bed, fell
on his knees melting in tears, and prayed long prostrate with his arms
stretched out in the form of a cross. The night following, perceiving
his last hour approach, he desired to anticipate the nocturns, which are
said at midnight; but having made the sign of the cross on his lips and
breast, was able to pronounce no more than the two first words. Then,
according to a sign made by him, he was laid on ashes in the hair-cloth
which he always privately wore. In this posture he soon after expired, a
little past midnight, on the morning of the 10th of January, in 1209.
His body was interred in his cathedral; and being honored by many
miracles, was taken up in 1217; and in the year following he was
canonized by pope Honorius III. His relics were kept with great
veneration till 1562, when they were burnt, and scattered in the winds
by the Huguenots, on occasion of their plundering the cathedral of
Bourges, as Baillet and Bollandus mention. A bone of his arm is shown
with veneration at Chaalis, whither it had been sent soon after the
saint's body was taken up; and a rib is preserved in the church of the
college of Navarre, at Paris, on which the canons of St. Bourges
bestowed it in 1399.[2] His festival is kept in that church with great,
solemnity, and a great concourse of devout persons; St. William being
regarded in several parts of France as one of the patrons of the nation,
though his name is not mentioned in the Roman Martyrology. The
celebrated countess Maud, his niece, out of veneration for his memory,
bestowed certain lands in the {122} Nivernois, on the church of
Bourges.[3] B. Philip Berruyer, a nephew of St. William, was archbishop
of Bourges from the year 1236 to 1260, in which he died in the odor of
sanctity. Nangi ascribes to him many miracles, and other historians bear
testimony to his eminent virtue.[4] Dom Martenne has published his
edifying original life.[5]
* * * * *
If we look into the lives of all the saints, we shall find that it was
by a spirit and gift of prayer that the Holy Ghost formed in their
hearts the most perfect sentiments of all virtues. It is this which
enlightens the understanding, and infuses a spiritual knowledge, and a
heavenly wisdom, which is incomparably more excellent than that in which
philosophers pride themselves. The same purifies the affections,
sanctifies the soul, adorns it with virtues, and enriches it with every
gift of heaven. Christ, who is the eternal wisdom, came down among us on
earth to teach us more perfectly this heavenly language, and he alone is
our master in it. He vouchsafed also to be our model. In the first
moment in which his holy soul began to exist, it exerted all its powers
in contemplating and adorning the divine Trinity, and employed his
affections in the most ardent acts of praise, love, thanksgiving,
oblation, and the like. His whole moral life was an uninterrupted
prayer; more freely to apply himself to this exercise, and to set us an
example, he often retired into mountains and deserts, and spent whole
nights in prayer; and to this employment he consecrated his last breath
upon the cross. By him the saints were inspired to conceive an infinite
esteem for holy prayer, and such a wonderful assiduity and ardor in this
exercise, that many renounced altogether the commerce of men to only
that of God, and his angels; and the rest learned the art of conversing
secretly with heaven even amidst their exterior employments, which they
only undertook for God. Holy pastors have always made retirement and a
life of prayer their apprenticeship or preparation for the ministry, and
afterward, amidst its functions were still men of prayer in them, having
God always present to their mind, and setting apart intervals in the
day, and a considerable part of the nights, to apply themselves with
their whole attention to this exercise, in the silence of all creatures.
Footnotes:
1. See Bellarmin, de Arte moriendi. Iuenin, de Sacram. t. 2, et Hist.
des Sacr. t. 7.
2. See Chatelain. Not. p. 161, Brev. Paris.
3. Gallia Christ. Nov. t. 2, p. 63{?}.
4. Ib. p. 69.
5. Martenne Anecdot. t. 3, p. 1927.