La Vie de Claude Bernard dit le Pauvre Prestre [The Life of Claude Bernard, the Poor Priest]

By Le Gauffre, Thomas
Text in French. Measures 7" X 5" and 567 pages. Very good full vellum binding. Joints are fine and hinges are fine. Vellum covers curling mildly, as vellum does. Provided with a custom cut removable protective Mylar cover. Contents are very good. Some soil and light water stains on first few pages. Otherwise the book is clean and bright inside. Old bookplate. The author, Thomas Le Gauffre, was principal advisor to the King's court, first bishop of New France in 1645, and was designated as spiritual successor of Father Claude Bernard. Father Claude Bernard (December 23, 1588 - March 23, 1641) was a French Roman Catholic priest who was active in ministry to prisoners and criminals, especially those condemned to death. Known as "le pauvre pretre" (the poor priest), he is primarily remembered as the popularizer of the Memorare, over 200,000 copies of which he distributed by leaflets printed in various languages. His father was a distinguished lawyer. Young Bernard was educated at the Jesuit College of Dole and was remarked for his brilliant imagination and wit. Pierre Le Camus, Bishop of Belley, urged him to enter the priesthood, but he declined, saying that he preferred the life of a poor gentleman to that of a poor priest. Shortly afterwards he went to Paris as a protégé of M. de Bellegarde, Governor of Bourgogne. For a while the social life of the capital attracted him. By one account, about this time, he had a dream of his late father warning him against the worldliness to which he was addicted. Gradually, some disappointments and the death of an intimate friend who was killed in a duel, brought about a decided change in his mode of life and led up to his entrance into the priesthood. He was ordained by the Bishop Le Camus and invited to his first Mass the poor of the city, distributing to them all his possessions, and, later, an inheritance of 400,000 livres, or about eighty thousand dollars. Henceforth Bernard devoted himself to the service of the poor, and delighted in the name of "the poor priest". The poor, the sick and the prisoners were his special care; He fed, nursed, consoled, and instructed them with more than motherly tenderness. This life of self-sacrifice seemed rather to increase his personal charms. Wealthy and distinguished persons sought his company, and for honor of entertainment at his modest table contributed abundantly to his charities. His kindly wit never deserted him. When Cardinal Richelieu once pressed upon him the acceptance of some favors he replied that he would be pleased if stronger boards were placed in the tumbril, or cart, on which the condemned were taken to execution. "It is a pity," he said, "that the constant dread of falling through the vehicle should distract our attention from God." Bernard's methods were characterized by some as odd and reprehensible. He continued, however to enjoy the friendship and admiration of saintly priests like Bourdoise, Olier, and St. Vincent de Paul; an ample justification of his character and sacerdotal ministry. In the history of charity, he bears a striking resemblance to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Vincent de Paul, and his beatification has often been urged by the royal court and by the clergy of France. He founded at Paris, for the education of the poor candidates for the priesthood, the seminary of Trent-Trois which still exists. He contributed much to popularize the beautiful prayer to the Blessed Virgin known as the Memorare, sometimes attributed to him but certainly of an earlier date. In addition to this virtually unobtainable contemporary biography, he was the subject of another French biography in 1913 by Commandeur de Broqua, who was the postulator for the cause of Fr. Bernard's canonization.
Published by: Claude Sonnius & Denis Bechet, Paris, 1642
Vendor: Sean Fagan, Rare Books