The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. AgnesThomas, à Kempis
Religion
The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes
Thomas, à Kempis
Augustinian Canons
This is he that was the glory of rulers, the delight of subjects, that
upheld dignity among the aged, and uprightness amongst the young, he was
a pinnacle of learning, the ornament of the wise; he gave weapons to the
warriors and a shield to them that strove: he inspired terror in his
foes, and courage in his people; he was an ornament to the nobles, an
honour to princes, a glory to the great ones of the land. Who could tell
his praises in worthy wise, for in his days all was well ordered in the
land of Utrecht! Prelates were honest, and priests pious in the worship
of God; the religious were devout, the virgins were chaste, the people
were fervent in the faith, judges were firm, and wealth grew abundantly
in the cities. In these days also, schools for learning flourished,
especially at Deventer and Zwolle, and a vast multitude of learners came
together from divers states and regions, both near and afar off. And
because the Bishop feared God, honoured Holy Church, and loved and
defended all that served the Lord, therefore the Majesty on High
protected him from the enemies that were round about, making rebellious
nations subject to him, especially those Frisians who had invaded his
territories. Moreover, God did make his days illustrious by many
marvellous deeds, so that an age of gold seemed to have been granted to
his land of Utrecht. But this did appear more evidently after the
Bishop's death, when a schism--exceeding lawless and long enduring--arose
and increased among Clerks and people alike. And this the reverend
Bishop feared should come about, for he was a prudent man and a learned;
moreover, he knew the manners of the cities and the seditious ways of
some of the nobles whose insolence he had been able to restrain and
subdue with difficulty, and the exercise of great valour. "After my
death," said he, "they will know that they have had a good lord, for they
all wish to be masters, and to have none set over them, wherefore it
shall be ill with them." And he prophesied truly, for the whole land of
Utrecht suffered grievous loss for her sedition, and shall long mourn the
same, as will be shown briefly in the proper place.
So this illustrious ruler died in his castle that is called Horst, not
far from Utrecht, and his body was brought by a seemly train of followers
to the church at Utrecht where his predecessors were buried, and there in
company with the other bishops in an honoured tomb upon the right side of
the choir he doth rest in peace.
CHAPTER XIX.
Of the death of Brother John Vos of Huesden, who was the second Prior at
Windesem.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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