Chapter IV: Appendix

Vita Sti Johannis Epis: Morinorum. Ob: 1130.

[_Acta Sanctorum_, Januarii 27.]

Contigit ut in villa, cui Morchem vocabulum est, hospitii mansionem
haberet [Johannes]. Erat autem secus atrium ecclesiae munitio
quaedam quam castrum vel municipium dicere possumus valde excelsa,
juxta morem terrae illius, a domino villae ipsius multis retro
annis extructa. Mos namque est ditioribus quibuscunque regionis
hujus hominibus et nobilioribus, eo quod maxime inimicitiis
vacare soleant exercendis et caedibus, ut ab hostibus eo modo
maneant tutiores, et potentia majore vel vincant pares, vel
premant inferiores, terrae aggerem quantae praevalent celsitudinis
congerere eique fossam quam late patentem, multamque profunditatis
altitudinem habentem circumfodere, et supremam ejusdem aggeris
crepidinem vallo ex lignis tabulatis firmissime confacto undique
vice muri circummunire, turribusque, secundum quod possibile
fuerit, per gyrum dispositis, intra vallum, domum vel, quae omnia
despiciat, arcem in medio aedificare, ita videlicet ut porta
introitus ipsius villae non nisi per pontem valeat adiri, qui ab
exteriori labro fossae primum exoriens est in processu paulatim
elevatus, columnisque binis et binis, vel etiam trinis altrinsecus
per congrua spatia suffixis innixus, eo ascendendi moderamine per
transversum fossae consurgit, ut supremam aggeris superficiem
coaequando oram extremi marginis ejus, et in ea parte limen prima
fronte contingat.

In hujus-modi ergo asylo Pontifex, cum suo frequenti et reverendo
comitatu hospitali, quum ingentem populi turbam tam in ecclesia,
quam in atrio ejus, manus impositione, et sacri Chrismatis unctione
confirmasset, ut vestimenta mutaret, eo quod coemiterium humandis
fidelium corporibus benedicere statuisset ad hospitium regressus
est, unde illo, ut propositum perficeret opus, iterum descendente,
et circa medium pontis, triginta quinque vel eo amplius pedum,
altitudinem habentis, certa de causa subsistente, populique non
modica caterva ante et retro, dextra lævaque circumstipante,
continuo antiqui machinante hostis invidia, pons ponderi cessit, et
dissipatus corruit, magnamque illorum hominum turbam cum episcopo
suo ad ima dejicit; fragore autem ingenti e vestigio consecuto,
transtris, trabibusque tabulatis, et ruderibus magno cum impetu
pariter et strepitu concidentibus: nebula quaedam tenebrosa ita
omnem illam ruinam repente circumfudit, ut quid ageretur vix
quisquam discernere potuerit.

TRANSLATION.

It chanced that in a town called Merchem, Bishop John had a
guest-house. There was also close to the court of the church a
strong place, which might be regarded as a castle or a municipium,
very lofty, built after the fashion of the country by the lord of
the town many years ago. For it was customary for the rich men
and nobles of those parts, because their chief occupation is the
carrying on of feuds and slaughters, in order that they may in this
way be safe from enemies, and may have the greater power for either
conquering their equals or keeping down their inferiors, to heap
up a mound of earth as high as they were able, and to dig round it
a broad, open, and deep ditch, and to girdle the whole upper edge
of the mound, instead of a wall, with a barrier of wooden planks,
stoutly fixed together with numerous turrets set round. Within was
constructed a house or rather citadel, commanding the whole, so
that the gate of entry could only be approached by a bridge, which
first springing from the counterscarp of the ditch, was gradually
raised as it advanced, supported by sets of piers, two, or even
three, trussed on each side over convenient spans, crossing the
ditch with a managed ascent so as to reach the upper level of the
mound, landing at its edge on a level at the threshold of the gate.

In this retreat the bishop with his numerous and reverend retinue,
after having confirmed a vast crowd of people both in the church
and its court, by laying on of hands and the unction of the sacred
chrism, returned to his lodging that he might change his vestments,
because he had resolved to consecrate a cemetery for the burial
of the bodies of believers. When, in again descending from his
lodging, in order to effect the proposed work, he halted for some
reason about the middle of the bridge, which had there a height of
thirty-five feet or more, the people pressing behind and before,
and on each side, straightway, the malice of the old enemy so
contriving, the bridge yielded to the weight and fell shattered;
and the crowd with the bishop fell to the bottom with a great crash
of joists, beams, and planks, with great force and noise, while a
thick dust at once enveloped the ruin so that scarce any one could
see what had happened.

• • • • •

The following is also curious:—

(Ludovicus Grossus, A.D. 1109.) “Puteolum regreditur antiquam
antecessorum suorum destitutam _Motam_ castro jactu lapidis
propinquam, occupat. Castrum fundibalariorum, balistariorum,
saggitariorum, emissa pericula sustinentes; etc.”