, the second abbot of Clugni in France, illustrious for his learning
, the second abbot of Clugni in France,
illustrious for his learning and piety, and certainly as
learned and pious as the ignorance and superstition of the
times would permit, was born at Tours in 879. He was
educated by Foluques, count of Anjou, and became a
canon of St. Martin, at Tours, at nineteen years of age,
after which he went to Paris, and was the disciple of St.
Remy of Auxerre. He was fond of solitude, and took the
monk’s habit in the convent of Beaume, in the diocese of
Besangon. After which, he became prior and abbot of St.
Clugni, in 927, where he introduced a new discipline, or
set of ceremonies of a severe and rigorous kind, which,
however, with the sanctity of his life contributed greatly
to increase the congregation of Clugni; and such was the
influence of his personal character, that popes, bishops,
and secular princes, usually chose him for the arbitrator
of their disputes, and the order or discipline of Clugni attained a very high degree of eminence and authority. He
died about 943. He applied himself to study as well as to
the aggrandizing of his order; but his original works are
filled with the grossest superstitions. While he was canon,
he abridged the “Morals of St. Gregory,
” and the “Hymns
in honour of St. Martin.
” While a simple monk, he composed three books of “The Priesthood;
” and another upon
the “Prophecy of Jeremy,
” dedicated to Turpion bishop
of Limoges, which bore the title of “Collations or Conferences, or Occupations.
” After he became abbot, he
wrote the “Life of St. Gerard,
” and of “St. Martial of
Limoges,
” and several sermons, and a “Panegyric upon
St. Benedict.
” All these are prinfed in the.“Bibliotheque
of Clugni,
” together with some “Hymns upon the Sacrament,
” and “The Magdelain;
” but the “History of St.
Martyn’s Translation
” is improperly ascribed to him. It
appears also that he understood music; and besides some
hymns, chaunts, and anthems, still preserved in the Romish
church, there are two copies of a ms tract on music, of
his writing, in the royal library of Paris, and one in Bene't
college, Cambridge. This is noticed by Dr. Burney in
his History of Music.