Letters of Saint Bernard

Letters of Saint Bernard

Bernard of Clairvaux
Sixty-six letters from the Abbot of Clairvaux to kings, popes, monks, nuns, and seekers — spiritual direction in real time from the most commanding churchman of the twelfth century.

Source: ccel.org · Modernized for readability

✦ Table of Contents · 67 Chapters
1 Introduction 2 Letter I: To the Canons Regular of Horricourt 3 Letter II: To the Monk Adam 4 Letter III: To Bruno, Archbishop Elect of Cologne 5 Letter IV: To the Prior and Monks of the Grand Chartreuse 6 Letter V: To Peter, Cardinal Deacon 7 Letter VI: To the Same 8 Letter VII: To Matthew, the Legate 9 Letter VIII: To Gilbert, Bishop of London, Universal Doctor 10 Letter IX: To Ardutio (or Ardutius, Bishop Elect of Geneva 11 Letter X: The Same, When Bishop 12 Letter XI: The Abbot of Saint Nicasius at Rheims 13 Letter XII: To Louis, King of France 14 Letter XIII: To the Same Pope, in the Name of Geoffrey, Bishop of Chartres 15 Letter XIV: To Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln 16 Letter XV: To Alvisus, Abbot of Anchin 17 Letter XVI: To Rainald, Abbot of Foigny 18 Letter XVII: To the Same 19 Letter XVIII: To the Same 20 Letter XIX: To Suger, Abbot of S. Denis 21 Letter XX: To Guy, Abbot of Molêsmes 22 Letter XXI: To the Abbot of S. John at Chartres 23 Letter XXII: To Simon, Abbot of S. Nicholas 24 Letter XXIII: To the Same 25 Letter XXIV: To Oger, Regular Canon 26 Letter XXV: To the Same 27 Letter XXVI: To the Same 28 Letter XXVII: To the Same 29 Letter XXVIII: To the Abbots Assembled at Soissons 30 Letter XXIX: To Henry, King of England 31 Letter XXX: To Henry, Bishop of Winchester 32 Letter XXXI: To the Abbot of a Certain Monastery at York, from Which the Prior Had Departed, Taking Several Religious with Him. 33 Letter XXXII: To Thurstan, Archbishop of York 34 Letter XXXIII: To Richard, Abbot of Fountains, and His Companions, Who Had Passed, Over to the Cistercian Order from Another 35 Letter XXXIV: Hildebert, Archbishop of Tours, to the Abbot Bernard. 36 Letter XXXV: Reply of the Abbot Bernard to Hildebert, Archbishop of Tours 37 Letter XXXVI: To the Same Hildebert, Who Had Not Yet Acknowledged the Lord Innocent as Pope 38 Letter XXXVII: To Magister Geoffrey, of Loretto. 39 Letter XXXVIII: To His Monks of Clairvaux 40 Letter XXXIX: To the Same 41 Letter XL: To Thomas, Prior of Beverley 42 Letter XLI: To Thomas of St. Omer, After He Had Broken His Promise of Adopting a Change of Life 43 Letter XLII: To the Illustrious Youth, Geoffrey de Perrone, and His Comrades 44 Letter XLIII: A Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey 45 Letter XLIV: Concerning the Maccabees But to Whom Written is Unknown. 46 Letter XLV: To a Youth Named Fulk, Who Afterwards Was Archdeacon of Langres 47 Letter XLVI: To Guigues, the Prior, And to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse 48 Letter XLVII: To the Brother of William, a Monk of Clairvaux. 49 Letter XLVIII: To Magister Walter de Chaumont 50 Letter XLIX: To Romanus, Sub-Deacon of the Roman Curia 51 Letter L: To Geoffrey, of Lisieux 52 Letter LI: To the Virgin Sophia 53 Letter LII: To Another Holy Virgin 54 Letter LIII: To Another Holy Virgin of the Convent of S. Mary of Troyes 55 Letter LIV: To Ermengarde, Formerly Countess of Brittany 56 Letter LV: To the Same 57 Letter LVI: To Beatrice, a Noble and Religious Lady 58 Letter LVII: To the Duke and Duchess of Lorraine 59 Letter LVIII: To the Duchess of Lorraine 60 Letter LIX: To the Duchess of Burgundy 61 Letter LX: To the Same, Against Certain Heads of Abaelard's Heresies 62 Letter LXI: To Louis the Younger, King of the French 63 Letter LXII: To Pope Innocent 64 Letter LXIII: To the Same, in the Name of Godfrey, Bishop of Langres 65 Letter LXIV: To the Above-Named Falco 66 Letter LXV: To the Canons of Lyons, on the Conception of S. Mary 67 Letter LXVI: To the Patriarch of Jerusalem