V. Item de puritate et innocentia vitae ejus
V. Item de puritate et innocentia vitae ejus
I, though insufficient, was the confessor of the lord king for about twenty years, and I heard his general confession so often that I could hardly count the number of times. To the honor of God, I say that he never knowingly committed any mortal sin throughout his entire life, a judgment I would hesitate to make. Some people, observing his actions from the outside, were afraid of him, lest he might fall into too much negligence in correcting his bailiffs and other officials due to his usual and natural kindness; and they thought he was slow to administer justice. But those who paid close attention were very diligent and careful in investigating and examining the good and faithful officials and bailiffs; perhaps they would have excused him more for what had been said. And truly, I believe that few of those who accused him over these matters were themselves without blame; if they were in such a position as he, they might have found even more reprehensible things in themselves than in him.
Read the original Latin
Ego, quamvis insufficiens, dicti domini regis confessor extiti per viginti annos vel circà, et confessionem ejus generalem audivi toties quod vices numerare vix scirem. Ad honorem igitur Dei dico, quod ipse per totam vitam suam nunquam aliquod peccatum mortale commisit scienter, quod ego auderem judicare mortale.
Nam aliqui facta ejus exterius attendentes timebant ei, ne ex solita et naturali benignitate ipsius negligentiam nimis remissam incurreret super correptione baillivorum et aliorum officialium sive collateralium suorum ; et quod tardus videbatur ad justitiam exhibendam. Sed qui benè attenderet quàm sollicitus erat et diligens in inquirendis et undique investigandis bonis ac fidelibus officialibus et baillivis, forsitàn super praemissis ipsum ampliùs excusatum haberet. Et verè aestimo quod pauci sunt etiam de illis qui ipsum super his arguebant, qui, si essent in tanto officio sicut ipse, in quibus non invenirentur forsitàn plura reprehensibilia quàm in ipso.
Life of St Louis IX — Selections companion
Louis kept his rule with the help of fixed daily readings. Keep yours the same way.
Chosen Portion supplies the sacred-reading line of your checklist automatically: one historic portion every morning.
Geoffrey records that Louis bound himself to fixed daily devotions and sacred reading; Chosen Portion covers that fixed-reading commitment with a scheduled historic portion each morning.
- Check off the daily-reading habit in under 10 minutes each morning
- Readings from the saints and texts Louis's own generation prayed with
- Track a 30-day run at your rule with daily streaks and reminders