De sa parfonde humilite

The King's Service to the Poor

Saint Louis demonstrates his profound humility by personally serving the poor and eating from their bowls as if they were Christ himself.

Humility, the beauty of every virtue, settled graciously in the blessed King Saint Louis, just as a precious carbuncle is set in fine gold.¹ The greater this blessed king was in this world, the more humble he showed himself in everything. He made it his custom every Saturday to wash the feet of the poor on his knees in a private place, and after washing them, to dry them and kiss them humbly. In the same way, he devoutly gave them water to wash their hands, and afterward, he gave each a set sum of coins and kissed their hands. He also customarily served six poor people who were fed and abundantly refreshed in his household each day; and on the vigils of solemn feasts and certain fixed days of the year, he served two poor men with his own hand before he ate himself.² And always, at both dinner and supper, he kept three of the poorest people he could find near him, eating after he did, and he charitably sent them some of his own food. And he, putting his mouth as if into the dust, would sometimes—as one who was truly humble—have the bowls and the food brought to him that Our Lord's poor had already held and put their hands into, so that he, truly humble, might eat of their food.^✦³⁴ And it happened once that when the blessed king looked among the three very poor men and saw a very old man who was not eating well, he ordered that they take the bowl that had been brought before that old man; and after the good old man had eaten as much as he liked of the food the blessed king had sent him, he—truly humble—had that bowl brought back so that he might eat from it after that poor old man.⁵⁶ For the man who looked on our Lord Jesus Christ in that poor man neither hesitated nor felt any disdain at eating the leftovers of the poor old man mentioned above.^✦ Beyond all this, several examples described in the treatises mentioned above clearly prove the humility of that blessed king.⁷

A Life of Proven Humility

The author catalogs various historical examples of the king's humility, referencing earlier treatises to validate his character.

For it was great humility when he was already fourteen years old and endured his master's beating him for the sake of discipline. This first example is given above in the second treatise.⁸ Furthermore, in his youth, he would speak to no one except...⁹ The second example is found in that same second treatise. After he returned from overseas, he humbly recalled the insults he had received from the Saracens; this third example of the insults is located above in the third treatise.¹⁰ That when he heard the sermons or the theology lesson, he sat on the ground and the others sat up high; this fourth example, when he heard the sermons and the other things, is above in the seventh treatise. He would not approach relics or sanctuaries to kiss them on the day after he had spent the night with his wife.¹¹ This fifth example, regarding his having been with her that night, is located above in the fifth treatise.¹² Out of devotion, he humbly kissed the stone where the bodies of the dead monks were washed. This sixth example, concerning the stone and other matters, is located above in the sixth treatise. He personally engaged in works of mercy, carrying stones and performing other such tasks. The seventh point: even while overseas for the first time, he personally served the poor with great helpfulness.¹³ The eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth are set out above: that he went on foot to see the Preaching Friars and to summon them to come to his court, as far as the river Loire, over so long a stretch of road; that he visited the sick and the poor in a familiar, careful way in his own person, and especially served them on his knees and wiped their mouths of the blood that ran from their nostrils, and he did not leave this off because of the putrefaction that ran from the sick man's nostrils—putrefaction that defiled and soiled the holy king's hands; and the blessed king put into the mouth of that same sick man the pieces of the pear he had peeled with his own hand; that he served the so very horrible leper so very helpfully and so very kindly and stayed so long on his knees before him; that overseas he gathered with his own hands, so helpfully and so steadily, the bodies of the dead that stank so badly and prepared them for burial; that he was present so devoutly at the death and the service of the dead monk who died in the abbey of Chaalis—all of which things are told more fully above in their places and in their treatises.¹⁴ Even so, we have included further examples of the blessed king's deeds below to illustrate his humility.

Acts of Devotion and Penance

The king performs public acts of penance, such as barefoot pilgrimages and kissing the hands of lepers, to the astonishment of onlookers.

One Good Friday, while at the castle of Compiègne, the king went on a barefoot pilgrimage to visit the local churches, walking along the public roads while his sergeants followed, handing him coins to give to the poor for God's sake.¹⁵ And the blessed king often took coins from those sergeants and gave them for God's sake to the poor, giving more or less to some according as they were more or less needy in his judgment.¹⁶ And as the blessed king was going along a street in this way, a leper who was on the other side of the road, and who could scarcely speak, rang his clapper very loudly.¹⁷ And so, when he took notice and saw this leper, he went over to him and set his foot in the muddy, cold water that was in the middle of the street.¹⁸ For he could not get past any other way properly, and he went to that leper and gave him his alms and kissed his hand.¹⁹ A large crowd had gathered, and many of those watching the blessed king made the sign of the holy cross, saying to one another, "Look at what the king has done—he kissed the leper's hand."²⁰

Humility in the Cloister

Saint Louis consistently rejects royal honors in monastic settings, choosing to sit on the ground and eat from simple wooden vessels.

It was the holy king's custom to sit near the ground when listening to sermons in the chapters of religious houses, as I described in the seventh chapter, and I will recount some of his deeds regarding this.²¹ It happened once that the blessed king was in the abbey of Chaalis, and the sermon was held in that abbey's chapter; and in that chapter of that church there are two seats, one lower and the other higher.²² The blessed king arrived there to hear the sermon, and as everyone rose to meet him and begged him to sit in the higher place, as was fitting for him, he would not go up high or sit in the chapter seats; instead he sat in the middle of the chapter house beside the lectern where the customary lesson is read, and had two cushions brought on which he sat there, quite low, with great devotion and humility, and he heard the sermon just mentioned through to the end.²³ Even when the monks, seeing the blessed king sitting on the floor, climbed down from their seats and wanted to sit on the floor themselves, he wouldn't allow it; he insisted they remain in the seats they had occupied when he entered.²⁴ And many times he came to the chapter house at Royaumont when the monks were assembled there and seated in their stalls, where the blessed king had the word of God preached, and he sat beside a pillar that stands in the middle of the chapter house, and the holy king sat on straw that had been laid there, while the monks sat high on their stalls.²⁵ Although the abbot and the monks urged and begged him to move up to the stalls, he refused; he stayed on the ground until the sermon was finished.²⁶ And it happened several times that the blessed king ate at the abbey of Chaalis in the refectory with the community, and he was there with great humility and carried himself more humbly, as far as outward appearance went, than the monks inside.²⁷ And people say that once, when he had a dish of better food than the monks, he sent the silver bowl he was eating from to an old monk, and said that the wooden bowl the said monk was eating from should be brought to him; and they brought it to him, and he ate from that wooden bowl.²⁸ On another day, the vigil of Saint Bartholomew, while the community of Friars Preachers of Compiègne was eating in the refectory, the blessed king had fruit brought in and served it with his own hands at the first table, while the king of Navarre and the holy king's own sons served at the other tables.²⁹

Obedience and Manual Labor

The king submits to the counsel of others and engages in humble manual labor, such as carrying stones for fortifications, to earn spiritual merit.

And so it is that, according to the custom of the Cistercian order, certain monks in each abbey of that order—now some, now others—while the abbot and the community are assembled in the cloister, must wash the others' feet as they perform the Mandatum every Saturday after Vespers, even if the day is a solemn feast; the blessed king mentioned above, who often came to the abbey of Royaumont, which belongs to the order just named, whenever he happened to be at that abbey on a Saturday, wanted to be present at the Mandatum, and he would sit there beside the abbot and watch very devoutly what the monks were doing.³⁰³¹ It happened once, while the blessed king was sitting beside the abbot during the Mandatum, that he said to him, "It would be good if I washed the monks' feet."³² And the abbot answered him: "You can well spare yourself that!"³³ The blessed king asked, "Why?"³⁴ The abbot answered, "People would talk about it." And the blessed king answered and said: "What would they say about it?"³⁵ And the abbot answered that some would speak well of it and others badly; and so the blessed king refrained from it because the abbot advised him against it, as the said abbot believes.³⁶³⁷ When they were building a wall at the abbey of Royaumont, the blessed king would take a handbarrow loaded with stones or mortar and carry it alongside a monk, doing this many times.³⁸ Again, when he had a part of the city of Acre called Mont Musard fortified, and the city of Caesarea and of Jaffa as well, he himself many times loaded the men who carried the handbarrow and the other things needed to rebuild those walls.³⁹ While the walls were being built in Caesarea, the Lord of Tusculum—a man of good memory who served as the Roman legate in those parts—granted an indulgence to everyone who helped with the work. The blessed king often carried stones in a hod on his shoulders, along with other materials for the wall, which was seen as a sign of his great humility.⁴⁰⁴¹ Furthermore, when the blessed king had Caesarea, Jaffa, and Sidon fortified with strong walls, he personally carried earth from the ditches in a basket, as the aforementioned legate had granted an indulgence to all who assisted with the work.⁴² During his first overseas expedition, while he and his men were in Egypt before their capture and moving toward Mansourah, a river branch blocked the army's path. The same legate granted a one-year indulgence to every man who helped fill in the channel, and the work was carried out.⁴³ The blessed king himself carried earth to that spot in the fold of his cloak.⁴⁴

Simplicity of Life and Spirit

Saint Louis adopts a life of material simplicity in his dress and equipment, culminating in his humble self-identification as a servant of Christ.

The blessed king was remarkably humble in his dress and overall appearance. After he came back from overseas—from the first time he crossed the sea—he always afterward wore only blue or dark blue-gray clothes, or camel-cloth, or black brown-cloth, or black silk; and he gave up all gold and silver ornaments on his saddles, on his bridles, and on other things of that kind, and all colorful clothes except those named above.⁴⁵ From then on, he didn't use furs like vair or gris in his clothing or blankets, opting only for rabbit or lamb. However, he did use blankets made of squirrel backs and black lamb fur, and he sometimes had a tablecloth lined with white lamb fur that he used while eating.⁴⁶⁴⁷ Furthermore, after returning from overseas, he used only iron bridles and spurs, along with plain white saddles. The second time he crossed the sea—his final trip, when he went to Tunis—the holy king arrived on shore and personally instructed Master Pierre de Condé to write: "I proclaim to you the ban of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of his servant Louis, king of France," followed by the rest of the required proclamation.⁴⁸ Those who heard him realized how great his humility was, given how humbly he spoke of himself.

Read the original Latin

Humilité qui est biauté de toutes vertuz s'assist gracieusement eu benoiet roy saint Loys, ausi comme la pierre précieuse de reschai'l)oucle en ■ fin or. Li quex benoiez ' rois, de tant com il fust en cest monde' plus grant, de tant se demoustra J il plus humble en toutes choses. Car il avoit acoustnmé chasoun samedi a laver les piez as povres a genoz ' en lieu secré, et après '" laver, essuier les et besier humblement'. Ausinques il leur donnoit dévotement " de l'iaue a laver leurs mains, et en ' ap ès il donnoit a chascun certaine somme de deniers et li besoit la main. Et il meesmes servoil acoustumeement vj povres qui chascun jour estoient repeuz et refez habondamment en son hostel ; et es vogiles des festes sollempnex et en aucuns jours certains par an, il servoit ainçois que il menjast de sa propre main a ij povres nienganz. Et touzjours il avoit et au disner et au sonper près de lui iij des plus povres qui pooient estre trovez manganz après lui, as " quiex il enveoit de ses viandes charitablement.

Et il, matant sa bouche ausi comme en la poudre, aucune foiz se fesoit aporter , comme cil qui estoit vraiement humbles, les escueles et les viandes (jue les povres Nostre Seigneur avoient ja tenues et mises leur mains dedenz pour ce que il, vrais humbles, mengast de leur viande. Et avint une foiz comme li' benoiez rois regardast entre les iij très povres hommes un très viel qui ne menjoit pas bien, il commanda que l'en nieist l'escuele qui avoit esté aportee devant cel viel homme; la quele escuele, puis que li viex bons lions ot mengié de la viande que li benoiez rois li avoit envoiee tant com il li plot, il vrais humbles la fist arrière aporter pour ce que il en menjast après ce viel homme povre. Car cil qui nostre seigneur Jhesu Crist regardoit en cel povre ne douta pas ne n'ot despit de mengier des remananz du povre viellart desus dit. Et avecques tout ce, pluseurs essamples cjui sont descris es tretiez desus diz desclairent et pruevent l'umilité de cel benoiet roi. Car c'estoit grant humilité quant il avoit ja xiiij anz / et soufroit Cue son mestre le batist por cause de deceplinej \ Cest premier essample est par desus eu secont tretié '. Et' encore que il ne parloit el tens de sa joennece / a nul fors (j/ie en disant a \'oi(s «j.

Cesl secont est en celui meesmes secont traitié •' . "Que puis que il levlnt d Outic ruer que il recordoit humblement les vilanies cue il avoit receues des Sarrazins ; ce tierz des vitupères est par desus el tierz tretié . Que, com il ooit\ les sermons ou la leçon de théologie, il seoit a terre et les autres seoient en haut; cest quart essample, com il ooit les sermons et les autres choses, est par desus el setieme tretié- " . /Que il ne vouloit pas aprochier as reliques ne as saintuaires besier le jour dont il avoit geu la nuit avec sa femme. Ce quint que il avoit esté la nuit> est par desus eu cinquième ' tretié- '. Que il besa humblement par cause de devocion la pierre ou les cors des moines morz estoient lavez. Cest sisieme que la pierre et autres choses est desus eu sisieme tretié .

Que il laboroit en sa persone es oevres de pitié en portant les pierres et en fesant teles choses semblables. Cest septième •'"' Que neis outre mer, la première foiz, il aministroit en sa personne si serviablement aus povres. Cest huitième, novieme, disieme, onzième, douzième et trezieme sont par desus el 6" "Que il ala veoir a pié et pour semoiulro les Frères Preecheeurs de venir a sa court jusques a la rivière de Leii'e par tarant espace de voie K Que il visitoit les malades et les povres familièrement et ententivement en sa propre persone et especiaument les servoit a oeiiouz et leur terdoit leur bouches du sang qui leur decouroit par les narines, ne pas ne lessoit ce a iere pour la porreture qui decouroit par les narines du malade, la (|uele porreture honnissoit et soilloit les mains du saint' ro ; et li benoiez rois metoit les morsiax de la poire que il avoit parée de sa propre main en la bouche de celui meesmes malade ; ce que il servoit au mosel si très horrible si très serviablement et si très amiablement et estoit si longuement a genoz devant lui; ce que il conqueilloit outre mer si serviablement et assiduelment a ses mains propres les cors des morz qui si puoient et les apareilloit a sepouture; ce que il fu si dévotement ala mort et au service du moine mort qui mourut en l'abeie de Chaaliz, les queles choses sont toutes en leur liex et en leur tretiez par desus récitées plus plainemenf. Et nonpourquant ""encores avons mis ci desous aucunes/ essamples des fez du benoiet roy a declerier l'umilité de lui. Lia rois estoit a un jour du Saint Vendredi el chastel de Compiegne; si ala en pelerignage nuz piez juir les églises du dit chastel et aloit par les i'oies communes as ' églises, et ses serganz' le sivoient et avoient en leur mains deniers que il amenistroient au rov a donner pour Dieu aus povres. Et li benoiez rois prenoit souvent des deniers des devant diz serganzct les donnoit )our Dieu as povres en donnant plus ou moins a aucuns selon ce cue il estoient plus ou moins besoigneus a son avis.

Et comme li benoiez rois alast einsipar une rue, un niesel qui csloit de rnutre part de la voie qui a poiues pooit parlci-, sonna inoull forment son llaveU. Et donques (|uant il s'averti et vit ce mescl, il passa a li et mist son )ied en l'iaue boeuse et froide qui estoit en mi la rue. Car " ne peust pas passer autrement en bonne manière et ala au dit mesel et li donna s'aumosne et besa sa main. Et ilecques avoit grant presse de cens qui estoient environ, et mont de cens qui estoient entour le benoiet roy se seiii'noient du siane de la sainte'" (h-oiz et disoient l'un a l'autre : « Esgardez que li rois a fet qui a besié la main du mesel. » Comme la coustume du saint roy fust de seoir soi emprès terre quant il ooit les sermons " qui estoient fez es chapitres des religions, si com il est descrit par desus eu setieme chapitre', de ce raconterai ge aucun fez. Il avint une foiz que li benoiez rois fu en l'abeie de Chaaliz et le sermon fu eu chapitre de celé abeie; en quel chapitre de celé église a ij sièges, l'un plus bas et l'autre plus haut.

Li benoiez rois seurvint ilecques pour oyr le sermon, et comme touz se levassent contre lui et le priassent que il se seist eu plus haut degré, si com il li apartenoit, il ne volt monter en haut ne seoir es sièges du chapitre, ainçois sist en mi le chapitre delez le letrin ou l'en lit la leçon acoustumee, et fist aporter deux quarriax sus quoi il sist ilecques tout bas par grant devocion et humilité et oy le sermon desus dit jusques en la fin. Et ja fust ce que les moines qui ilecques estoient qui virent que li benoiez rois seoit a terre descendissent de leur sièges et vosissent seoir a terre, il ne le volt soufrir, ainz les fit seoir en la manière que il seoient quant il entra eu ehapitre. lt moût de foiz il vint au chapitre de Roiauniont quant les moines estoient ilecques assemblez et se seoient ilecques en leur sièges, la ou li benoiez rois fesoit proposer la parole Dieu, et seoit delez un piler qui est" en mi le chapitre et seoit le saint roy sus fuerrc qui ilecques estoit mis et les moines seoient haut sus leur sièges. Kt ja lust ce que li abbes et les moines le semonsissent et priassent (jue il alast haut as sièges, il ne voloit, ainçois se seoit a terre tant que li sermons fu finez. Et pluseurs foiz avint que li benoiez rois menga a 1 abeie de Chaeliz eu relVetoier avecques le couvent et estoit ilecques par grant humilité et se maintenoit plus humblement, selon ce que il aparoit par dehors, que les moines de leenz. Et dit l'en que, com il eust une foiz une eseuele de meilleur viande (jue les moines, que il envoia s'escuele d'argent en la quele il menjoit a un A'iel moine, et dist que l'escuele de fust en la (uele li diz moines menjoit li fust aportee; et l'en li aporta, et il menga en celé eseuele de fust. Ht un autre jor, la veille saint Bertelemi, comme li couvenz des Frères Preecheeurs de Compiegne mengast en refretoier, li benoiez rois (ist aporter Iruiz des quex il servi de ses propres mains en la première table du couvent, et li rois de Navarre et les fiuzdu saint roy devant dit servirent (/use ans autres tables.

Et com il soit einsi que selon la coustume de l'ordre de Cystiax, certains moines en chascune abeie de celé ordre, ore les uns, ore les autres, li abbes et li couvenz assemblez en cloistre, doivent laver les piez des autres '" en (esant le Mandé chascun jour de samedi après vespres, combien que li jors soit sollempnez, li benoiez rois devant diz qui venoit souvent a l'abeie de Roiauniont qui est de l'ordre devant dite, quant il avenoit que il fust en la dite abeie a jour de samedi, il voloit estre au Mandé et se seoit ilecques delez l'abbé et regardoit moût dévotement ce que les moines fesoicnt. Or avint, comme li benoiez rois se seist une foiz delez l'abbé comme l'en fesoit le Mandé, il dist a rai)l)é : « Ce lust bon que je lavasse les piez des moines. » l'it li abbcs li rcspoiuli : « Vos vos pocz bien de ce soufrir ! » VA li beiioiez rois li dist : « Iourquoi .' » Et li abbes respondi : « Les genz en parleroient. » Et li bcnoie/ rois respondi et disf : « Qu'en diroient-ii ? » Et li abbes respondi que les uns en diroient bien et les autres mal, et einsi li benoiez rois s'en soufri par ce ce que li abbes li desloa, si comme li diz abbes croit.

Et comme l'eu (eist un mur en l'abeie de Roiaumont, li benoiez rois prenoit la civière charchiee de pierres ou de mortier et la poitoit avec un moine qui le sivoit, et ce fist pluseurs foiz li benoiez rois. De rechief quant il fesoit fermer une partie de la cité d'Acre qui est apelee Mont Musart, et de la cité de Cesaire et de Jopem ', il meemes charchoit pluseurs foiz les hommes qui portoient la civière et autres choses qui couvenoient a réfère ces murs. Et comme l'en fesoit les ' murs en la cité de Cesaire, messires Tusculam -, homme de bon ' mémoire, légat du sieg-e de Romme en ces parties, avoit donné pardon a touz cens qui aideroient a fere celé oevre ; dont li heiieoiz rois porta pluseurs foiz les pierres en la hôte sus ses espaules et les autres choses qui estoient couvenables a 1ère le mur; la quele chose li estoit tenue a grant humilité. Et avecques ce, comme li benoiez rois feist fermer, si com il est dit desus, de bons murs Cesaire, Jopem et Sydoiue, li sainz rois meemes en sa propre persone portoit la terre des fossez en un panier, pour ce que mes sires Tusculam, le légat devant dit, avoit otroié pardon a touz cens qui a l'uevre devant dite aideroient. Et el tens de son premier passage, com il et les siens fussent en Egypte ainçois que il eussent esté pris et alassent vers la Maçoure, por ce que un bras d'un- flueve- empeechoit l'ost a passer, li legaz devant diz otroia pardon a chascun un an qui aideroient a emplir le chanel tlii br;iz de la dite vaue; la qiiele chose lu fête. Et doiu|ues li benoiez rois meenies portoit eu giron de sa chape la terre a cel lieu.

Li benoiez rois estoit merveilleusement humbles en robes et en apareil. Puis que il vint d'outre mer, a la première loiz que il passa, il vesti puis touzjors robes de blou ou de pers tant seulement ou de camelin ou de noire brunete ou de soie noire et lessa touz paremenz d'or et d'argent en ses seles, en ses freins et en autres choses de tele manière et toutes robes de couleurs fors de celés desus dites i. Ne il n'ot puis pennes" de vair ne de gris en ses robes ne en ses couvertoiers, mes de connins- ou d'aigniax, et nonpourquant il avoit covertoiers de dos d'escureus et de pennes de noirs aigniax, et ot aucune foiz niantel forré de pennes de blans aigniax, el quel il menjoit aucune foiz 3. Etavecques ce, puis que il revint d'outre mer, il n'avoit freins ne espérons fors que de fer, et blanches seles. Et a la seconde foiz qui fu la derreniere foiz que il passa la mer, c'est a savoir quant il ala en Thunes, comme li sainz rois fust descendu a terre es parties de Thunes, il commanda de sa propre bouche et dist a mestre Pierres de Condé que il escrisist einsi : « Je vous di le ban de Nostre (( Seigneur Jhesu Crist et de son sergant Loys, rov de (( France' » et ce que l'en doit dire après. De quoi cil qui l'oirent aperçurent la grant humilité de lui, por ce que il parla einsi humblement de soi meemes '.

Scripture echoes

↩Lam.3.29 — Let him put his mouth in the dust—perhaps there is hope.
↩Matt.25.40 — And the King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Notes

1 ↩Source reading 'reschai'l)oucle en ■ fin or' is corrupt; translated as OF escharboucle ('carbuncle') set en fin or ('in fine gold'), the usual jewel-in-gold simile.
2 ↩'nienganz' treated as OCR error for mangeanz ('eating'); 'servoil' as servoit; 'vogiles' as vigiles.
3 ↩Reading matant as metant (putting), and (jue as que; both are plausible OCR/typographic damage in an otherwise coherent clause.
4 ↩matant sa bouche ausi comme en la poudre echoes the biblical abasement of putting one's mouth in the dust (cf. Lam 3:29), used here as a figure of deep humility.
5 ↩li viex bons lions almost certainly for li viex bons homs (the good old man); lions is not a plausible reading in context.
6 ↩nieist is corrupt or rare; sense reconstructed from the following arrière aporter (bring back) as an order to take/handle the bowl set before the old man.
7 ↩cjui read as qui.
8 ↩Cue read as que; deceplinej as discipline; light editorial cleanup of slash/backslash noise in the source line.
9 ↩Only the opening is recoverable: Et encore que il ne parloit el tens de sa joennece a nul fors…. The remainder ((j/ie en disant a 'oi(s «j.) is too corrupt to restore without inventing content.
10 ↩Corrupt span 'levlnt d Outic ruer' taken as 'revint d'outre mer' (returned from overseas), which fits Louis's crusade captivity and the Saracen insult motif; 'cue' read as 'que'.
11 ↩'geu... avec sa femme' is marital intercourse; the restraint is ritual reverence before relics/sanctuaries, not a condemnation of marriage.
12 ↩Brief cross-reference to s4's 'night with his wife'; trailing OCR marks after nuit and tretié ignored.
13 ↩"neis outre mer, la première foiz" read as "even overseas, the first time" (first crusade/passage); "aministroit…serviablement" as personal, ready service to the poor.
14 ↩Several OCR corruptions emended from parallel full narratives in ch. 11 and internal sense: "semoiulro"→semondre (summon); "Leii'e"→Loire (Leire); "tarant"→tant; "a oeiiouz"→a genouz (on his knees; cf. 11.22); "a iere"→ariere (did not leave it aside); "mosel"→mesel (leper); "plainemenf"→plainement. Edition footnote markers (el 6") ignored as non-text.
15 ↩Emended OCR: "Lia rois"→Li rois; "juir"→veoir/visiter (visit; cf. Good Friday church-visiting elsewhere in the work); "i'oies"→voies; "au rov"→au roy.
16 ↩Emended OCR: "serganzct"→serganz et; ")our"→pour; "cue"→que.
17 ↩Normalized corrupted fro (niesel→mesel; csloit→estoit; rnutre part→l'autre part; a poiues pooit parlci→a peines pooit parler; inoull forment→mout forment; llaveU→clavel/clapper of a leper).
18 ↩Normalized (|uant→quant; mescl→mesel; )ied→pied; iaue boeuse→muddy water).
19 ↩en bonne manière rendered as 'properly' (decently/in an orderly way), not as moral 'good manners' alone.
20 ↩Normalized (cens→gens; se seiii'noient→se seignoient; siane→signe; sainte (h-oiz→sainte croiz).
21 ↩religions here means religious orders/houses (OF religions), not abstract 'religion'.
22 ↩Chaaliz rendered as Chaalis (Cistercian abbey); ij = two.
23 ↩quarriax rendered as cushions (square pads/cushions for sitting low on the floor).
24 ↩Normalized OCR 'ehapitre' as 'chapitre' (chapter house).
25 ↩Opening 'lt' read as 'Et'; 'Roiauniont' as Royaumont; 'fuerrc' as feurre (straw).
26 ↩Opening 'Kt' and 'lust' read as 'Et' and 'fust'; '(jue' as 'que'.
27 ↩Read 'a 1 abeie de Chaeliz eu relVetoier' as 'à l'abeie de Chaalis eu refretoier' (at Chaalis abbey in the refectory), matching neighboring Chaaliz context.
28 ↩Read 'A'iel moine' as 'vieil moine' (old monk); 'eseuele/escuele' as bowl/dish; 'fust' as wood.
29 ↩Read 'Ht' as 'Et'; '(ist' as 'fist'; 'Iruiz' as 'fruiz' (fruit); 'fiuzdu' as 'fiuz du'; '(/use ans' as 'aus' (at the other tables).
30 ↩Source shows OCR noise: 'Roiauniont' read as Royaumont; 'en (esant le Mandé' as 'en fesant le Mandé' (while performing the Mandatum); 'fesoicnt' as 'fesoient'.
31 ↩Mandé / Mandatum: the Cistercian Saturday foot-washing rite after Vespers, named from the mandatum of John 13.
32 ↩Source 'a rai)l)é' and 'Ce lust bon' corrected to 'a l'abbé' and 'Ce fust bon'.
33 ↩Source 'l'it li abbcs li rcspoiuli : « Vos vos pocz bien de ce soufrir !' restored as 'Et li abbes li respondi : « Vos vos poez bien de ce soufrir !'
34 ↩Source 'VA li beiioiez rois li dist : « Iourquoi .'' restored as 'Et li benoiez rois li dist : « Pourquoi ?'
35 ↩Source 'bcnoie/ rois... disf... diroient-ii' restored as 'benoiez rois... dist... diroient-il'.
36 ↩'s'en soufri' rendered as 'refrained from it' (forbore); 'desloa' as 'advised against / dissuaded'.
37 ↩'par ce ce que' treated as dittography for 'par ce que' (because).
38 ↩Reading normalized through OCR noise: l'en fesoit for l'eu (eist; portoit for poitoit; Royaumont for Roiaumont.
39 ↩Reading refaire for réfère; Jopem as Jaffa (Joppé); Mont Musart as Mont Musard.
40 ↩Reading benoiez for heiieoiz; hotte for hôte; fere for 1ère; siège for sieg-e; bone mémoire as the conventional memorial formula.
41 ↩pardon here is an indulgence (remission of temporal penalty), not a mere civic pardon.
42 ↩Reading Sydoine (Sidon) for Sydoiue; Jopem as Jaffa.
43 ↩Reading du bras de la dite eaue for tlii br;iz de la dite vaue; la quele chose fu fete for la qiiele chose lu fête; Maçoure as Mansourah.
44 ↩Reading adonques for doiu|ues; meesmes for meenies; eu giron as in the fold/lap of his cape.
45 ↩Source ends with trailing 'i', treated as OCR debris, not translated. 'loiz' read as 'foiz' (time/occasion).
46 ↩'niantel' is corrupt in the witness; rendered as tablecloth (OF nape) because of 'el quel il menjoit' (at/in which he ate). Could also be a fur-lined mantle if the form is for mantiel.
47 ↩Stray quotation marks, hyphens, and trailing '3' in the source are treated as OCR debris.
48 ↩'rov de France' read as 'roi de France' (king of France). Nested quote markers and double parentheses treated as editorial/OCR noise.

Vie et miracles de saint Louis by Guillaume de Saint-Pathus companion

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