[847] St. Bernard's life-long and ever-increasing frailty is constantly alluded to by his biographers. It was largely due to his extreme austerity. In this incident we have an example of the way in which, on many occasions, the strength of his mind conquered the weakness of his body (V. P. v. 4).
[848] Gen. xxix. 13.
[849] Cant. iii. 4.
[850] Ps. cxxxiii. 1.
[851] Matt. xii. 42; Luke xi. 31.
[852] October 18. Malachy had therefore reached Clairvaux on October 13 or 14. In the interval he met St. Gilbert of Sempringham and presented him with a pastoral staff (Dugdale, vi. 2, p. xii.). In France Malachy travelled alone—having been parted from his companions in England—and probably on horseback (§ 36). He may, therefore, have left England about September 30, and traversed the 270 miles from Wissant to Clairvaux by October 14. He apparently intended to start for Rome on St. Luke's Day (Serm. i. § 1).
[853] That is, in the presence of the community.
[854] Prov. xiv. 13 (inexact quotation).
[855] Luke x. 40.
[856] Cp. 2 Tim. iv. 6, in which the phraseology of the vg. differs entirely from that of the text.