HILDEQARD
352
HILDEGARD
was fully convinced of the Divine character of the
revelations. But, continually urged, rebuked, and
threatened by the inner voice, she manifested all to
her spiritual director, and through him to the abbot
under whose jurisdiction her community was placed.
Then a monk was ordered to put in writing whatever
she related ; some of her nuns also frequently assisted
her. The writings were submitted to the bishop
(Henry, 1142-53) and clergy of Mainz, who pro-
nounced them as coming from God. The matter was
also brought to the notice of Eugene II (1145-.5.3) who
was at Trier in 1147. Albero of Chiny, Bishop of
Verdun, was commissioned to investigate and made a
favourable report. Hildegard continued her writings.
Crowds of people flocked to her from the neighbour-
hood and from all parts of Germany and Gaul, to hear
words of wisdom from her lips, and to receive advice
and help in corporal and spiritual ailments. These
were not only from the conmion people, but men and
women of note in Church and State were drawn by the
report of her wisdom and sanctity. Thus we read
that Archbishop Heinrich of Mainz, Archbishop Eber-
hard of Salzburg, and Abbot Ludwig of St. Eucharius
at Trier, paid her visits. St. Elizabeth of Schonau
was an intimate friend and frequent visitor. Tri-
themius in his "Chronicle" speaks of a visit of St.
Bernard of Clairvaux, but this probably was not cor-
rect. Not only at home did she give counsel, but also
abroad. Many persons of all stations of life wrote to
her and received answers, so that her correspondence
is quite extensive. Her great love for the Church and
its interests caused her to make many journeys; she
visited at intervals the houses of Disenberg and
Eibingen ; on invitation she came to Ingelheim to see
Emperor Frederick; she travelled to Wurzburg, Bam-
berg, and the vicinity of Ulm, Cologne, Werden,
Trier, and Metz. It is not true, however, that she
saw Paris or the grave of St. Martin at Tours.
In the last year of her life Hildegard had to imdergo a very severe trial. In the cemetery adjoining her convent a young man was buried who had once been under excommunication. The ecclesiastical authori- ties of Mainz demanded that she have the body re- moved. She did not consider herself bound to obey, since the young man had received the last sacraments and was therefore supposed to have been reconciled to the Church. Sentence of interdict was placed on her convent by the chapter of Mainz, and the sentence was confirmed by the bishop. Christian (V) Buch, then in Italy. After much worry and correspondence she succeeded in having the interdict removed. She died a holy death and was buried in the church of Ruperts- berg. Hildegard was greatly venerated in life and after death. Her biographer, Theodoric, calls her saint, and many miracles are said to have been wrought through her intercession. Gregory IX (1227-41) and Innocent IV (124.3-54) ordered a pro- cess of information which was repeated by Clement V (1305-14) and John XXII (131C-34). No formal canonization has ever taken place, but her name is in the Roman Martyrology and her feast is celelirated in the Dioceses of Speyer, Mainz, Trier, and Limburg, also in the Abbey of Solesines, where a proper office is said (Brev. Monast. Tornac, 18 Sept.). When the convent on the Rupertsberg was destroyed in 1632 the relics of the saint were brought to Cologne and then to Eibingen. At the secularization of this con- vent they were placed in the parish church of the place. In 18.57 an official recognition was made by the Bishop of Limburg and the relics were placed on an altar specially built. At this occasion the town of Eibingen chose her as patron. On 2 July, 1900, the cornerstone was here laid for a new convent of St. Hildegard. The work was begun and completed through the munificence of Prince Karl of Lowenstein and Benedictine nuns from St. Gabriel's at Prague entered the new home (17 Sept., 1904).
All the manuscripts found in the convent at Ei-
bingen were in 1814 transferred to the state library at
Wiesbaden. Of this collection the first and greatest
work of St. Hildegard is called "Scivias" (Scire or
vias Domini, or vias lucis), parts of which had been
shown to the Archbishop of Mainz. She began it in
1141 and worked at it for ten years. It is an extraor-
dinary production and hard to understand, prophetic
throughout and admonitory after the manner of Eze-
chiel and the .Apocalypse. In the introduction she
speaks of herself and describes the nature of her
visions. Then follow three books, the first containing
six visions, the second giving seven visions, and about
double the size of the finst; the third, equal in size to
both the others, has thirteen visions. The "Scivias"
represents God on His Holy Mountain with mankind
at its base; tells of the original condition of man, his
fall and redemption, the hmnan soul and its struggles,
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the times to come, the
son of perdition and the end of the world. The visions
are interspersed with salutary admonitions to live in
the fear of the Lord. Manuscripts of the "Scivias"
are also at Cues and Oxford. It was printed for the
first time at Paris (1513) in a book which contains also
the writings of .several other persons. It was again
printed at Cologne in 162S, and reproduced in Migne,
P. L., CXCVII. The "Liber vita; meritorum",
written between 1158 and 1163, is a picturesque de-
scription of a Christian's life of virtue and its opposite.
It was printed for the first time in Pitra, " Analecta
Sacra", VIII (Monte Cassino, 1882). The "Liber
divinorum operum" (1163-70) is a contemplation of
all nature in the light of faith. Sim, moon, and stars,
the planets, the winds, animals, and man, are in her
visions expressive of something supernatural and
spiritual, and as they come from God should lead
back to Him (Migne, loc. cit.). Mansi, in " Baluzii Mis-
cell." (Lucca, 1761), II, 337, gives it from a manu-
script lost since then. Her " Letter to the Prelates of
Mainz" in regard to the interdict placed upon her
convent is placed here among her works by the Wies-
baden manuscript ; in others it is bound among her
letters. To it the Wiesljaden manuscript annexes
nine small essays: on the Creation and fall of man;
God's treatment of the renegade; on the priesthood
and the Holy Eucharist; on the covenant between
Christ and the Church ; on the Creation and Redemp-
tion; on the duties of .secular judges; on the praises
of God with intermingled prayers. " Liber Episto-
larum et Orationum"; the \Viesbaden manuscript
contains letters to and from Eugene III, .Xnastasius
IV, .\drian IV, and Alexander III, King Conrad III,
Emperor Frederick, St. Bernard, ten archbishops,
nine bishops, forty-nine abbots and provosts of mon-
asteries or chapters, twenty-three abbesses, many
priests, teachers, monks, nuns, and religious commu-
nities (P. L., loc. cit.). Pitra has many additions.
L. Clarus edited them in a German translation (Rati.s-
bon, 1854). "Vita S. Disibodi" and "Vita S. Ru-
perti"; these "Vita?", which Hildegard claims also
to be revelations, were probably made up from local
traditions and, especially for St. Rupert, the sources
being very meagre, have only legendary value. " Ex-
positio Evangeliorum", fifty homilies in allegory
(Pitra, loc. cit.). "Lingua Ignota"; the manu-
script, in eleven folios, gives a list of nine hvmdred
words of an unknown language, niostl}' noims and
only a few adjectives, a Latin, and in a few ca.ses a
German, explanation, together with an unknown
alphabet of twenty-three letters, printed in Pitra. A
collection of seventj' hymns and their melodies. A
manuscript of this is also at .\fflighem, printed in Roth
(Wiesbaden, 1880) and in Pitra. Not only in this
work, but elsewhere Hildegard exhibits high poetical
gifts, transfigured by her intimate persuasion of a Di-
vine mission. " Liber Simplicis Medicin;i' " and " Liber
Compositce Medicina;"; the first was edited in 1533 by
