The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes, by Thomas a Kempis

This eBook was produced by Les Bowler from the 1906 Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd. edition.

The Chronicles of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes
written by Thomas À Kempis.
Translated by J. P. Arthur.

M.

Τι δητα οιομεθα, ει τω yενοιτο αυτο το καλον ιδειν, ειλικρινες καθαρον, αμικτον, αλλα μη αναπλεων σαρκων τε ανθρωπινων και χρωματων και αλλης πολλης φλυαριας θνητης, αλλ' αυτο το θειον καλον δυναιτο μονοειδες κατιδειν.

CONTENTS

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

PREFACE

THE CHRONICLE OF THE CANONS REGULAR OF MOUNT ST AGNES

I.      Of the first founders of the Monastery at Mount St. Agnes, and how Master Gerard Groote first pointed out this place to them.

II.     Of the building of the first House on Mount St. Agnes.

III.    Concerning the names of the first Brothers and their labours.

IV.     Of the scanty food and raiment of the Brothers, and how wondrously God did provide for them.

V.      Of the consecration of the first chapel and altar at Mount St. Agnes.

VI.     Of the year and place in which the first four Brothers were invested.

VII.    How the monastery was removed from Westerhof to Mount St. Agnes.

VIII.   How John Kempen was chosen as the first prior of Mount St. Agnes.

IX.     How the Burial-ground at Mount St. Agnes was consecrated.

X.      Of the Brothers who were invested by John of Kempen, the first Prior.

XI.     Of the death of Brother Wolfard, Priest in the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes.

XII.    How Brother William Vorniken was chosen to be the second Prior in the House of Mount St. Agnes.

XIII.   Of the death of Brother Nicholas Kreyenschot.

XIV.    Of the consecration of our Church and of four Altars in the House of Mount St. Agnes.

XV.     Of the death of the beloved Father John Ummen, the first Founder of the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes.

XVI.    Of the pestilence that afflicted mankind, and how some of our Brothers died in this plague.

XVII.   Of the death of William, son of Seger, a Priest in Hasselt.

XVIII.  Of the death of our most reverend Lord Frederic, Bishop of Utrecht.

XIX.    Of the death of Brother John Vos of Huesden, who was the second Prior at Windesem.

XX.     How Brother Theodoric of Kleef was chosen to be the third Prior of the House on the Mount.

XXI.    Of the death of Brother Egbert formerly Sub-Prior at the House on the Mount.

XXII.   How our Brothers and other Religious were driven from the land by reason of the Interdict.

XXIII.  Of the return of our Brothers from Frisia to Mount St. Agnes.

XXIV.   Of the death of Brother John of Kempen, the first Prior of Mount St. Agnes.

XXV.    How Theodoric of Kleef, third Prior of the House on the Mount laid down his office, and was absolved therefrom.

XXVI.   How Brother Henry of Deventer was chosen to be the fourth Prior of the House of Mount St. Agnes.

XXVII.  How Father Henry, the fourth Prior, resigned his office, and how Father George was chosen to be the fifth Prior.

XXVIII. Of the ancient Reliquary of St. Agnes, and how it was gotten.

XXIX.   Of the death of Brother Henry, son of William, the fourth Prior of our House.

SO FAR THE CHRONICLE WAS WRITTEN BY THOMAS OF KEMPEN; THE RESIDUE THEREOF WAS DONE BY ANOTHER.

FROM THE CHRONICLE OF OUR BROTHER THOMAS OF KEMPEN CONCERNING MATTERS NOT PERTAINING TO OUR HOUSE.

I.       Concerning the year in which that reverend man, Florentius of Wevelichoven, was made Bishop of Utrecht.

II.      Of the death of John Ruysbroeck, first Prior of the Groenendaal.

III.     Of the death of the venerable Master Gerard Groote, a man most devout.

IV.      Of the great eulogy passed upon Gerard by a certain doctor.

V.       How, after his death, the number of the Devout and the Order of Regulars did increase.

VI.      Of the consecration of the Church, and the investiture of the first Brothers in Windesem.

VII.     Of the death of John de Gronde, a Priest.

VIII.    Of the death of the most Reverend Florentius of Wevelichoven, Bishop of Utrecht.

IX.      How Frederick of Blanckenhem was chosen to be Bishop.

X.       How the monastery at Northorn was founded.

XI.      Of the death of that most devout Priest Florentius, Vicar of the Church of Deventer.

XII.     Of the death of Everard of Eza, a Curate in Almelo and a great master of physic.

XIII.    Of the death of the Priest Amilius that succeeded Florentius at Deventer.

XIV.     Of the first investiture of the Sisters of our Order in Diepenvene near Deventer.

XV.      How the monastery in Budiken was reformed.

XVI.     Of the death of Gerard Kalker, a devout Priest, and Rector of the House of Clerks.

XVII.    Of the death of Henry of Gouda, a devout Priest, at Zwolle.

XVIII.   How the Sisters in Bronope were invested.

XIX.     The death of Wermbold the Priest.

XX.      Of the death of John Cele, Rector of the School at Zwolle.

XXI.     Concerning John Brinckerinck, a disciple of Master Gerard.

XXII.    Of the death of Gisbert Dow, Rector of the Sisters at Amsterdam.

XXIII.   As to the gaining of Indulgences at the stations in Rome.

XXIV.    The letter of the Cardinal of Bologna.

A LETTER CONCERNING THE FIRST INSTITUTION OF THE MONASTERY AT WINDESEM.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

The Chronicle of Mount St. Agnes is the only work of Thomas à Kempis of which no English translation has yet appeared, and even in its original form the book is not readily accessible to readers, since the only text is that published by Peter and John Beller of Antwerp in 1621.  The ordinary collections of the works of à Kempis do not contain the Chronicle, although there is no doubt as to the authenticity of the book, which is of considerable importance to students of the movement known as “The New Devotion,” and to those who are interested in the Brotherhood of the Common Life.  The last nine pages of the Latin text have been added by an anonymous writer, and carry on the chronicle from the year 1471, in which à Kempis died, to 1477, but since this portion of the book is included in the first printed edition, and contains a notice of the author written by a contemporary member of the community, I have included the addition in the present translation of the Chronicle.

The Mother House of the Chapter to which the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes belonged, was the Monastery at Windesheim, of which we have a full account from the pen of John Buschius, a younger contemporary of à Kempis.  This work is too long to be included in the present volume, although the Antwerp edition before mentioned puts the two Chronicles together; Busch’s “Chronicon Windesemense” will therefore appear separately; but as the account of the foundation of the Mother House, written by William Voern, or Vorniken, supplements the information given by à Kempis, a translation of it is annexed to this book.  The writer was Prior of Mount St. Agnes before his promotion to the same office in the Superior House, and it was under his rule that à Kempis spent the early years of