ad alicuius superfluitatis ▬▬▬▬▬1 sicut nec camelus uult quoquomodo procedere ultra
spacium itineris
sui consuetum nec etiam plus recipere de onere quam consueuit portare ut
innuit
Plinius libro2 viii capitulo xix & talis quidem comparacio recte consuetudinis
admodum idonee
comparata uirtuose frugalitati▬ Simonis in nullo uidetur derogare consuete modestie sanctitatis eius
de cuius cilicio videamus aliquid adhuc cum debeat esse non sine causa sanctum, si
enim sete ca
meli medicinales sunt ut docet Plinius libro supradicto capitulo viii
& ponit ibi setas pro pilis, multo
magis cilicium cuiuslibet sancti hominis ex
pilis cameli uel alterius animalis contextum debet esti
mari sanctum. Compara,
igitur cilicium Simonis strenuissimi militis & pallium & tunicam
sanctissimi piscatoris de quibus aliquid prefatum est & inuenies ni fallor
austeritatem
cilicii Simonis non minus habentem de penalitate in Simone quam
pallium nudum & tu
nica nuda excellencioris Simonis habuit in tanto Simone quas
eius res iam non ar
bitror causandas propter nouitatem dum magis creduntur fuisse
uetuste quam noue ⁊ ideo
frigide in // sane rebus
credendum est quod hyemis tempore frequenter alguit, cuius algoris austeri
tas
magna erat illi penalitas, in quibus etiam rebus cum estuaret estiuo tempore nunquid
defuit ei aliquid de calore maximo? Non utique, nisi forte insinuosa pallii eius
refrige
ratiua obumbracio non erat illi aeris frigidi aggregatiua consolacio contra
ardorem calo
* ris maximi. Habuerunt igitur isti duo Simones austeritatem
austeritatem in se
metipsis ad sufficientiam propter amorem uite eterne ad quam
aspirabant, propter quod Simon
petrus ait de se ipso libro viii itinerarii
Clementis, Mens mea non ad hec praesencia
sed ad illa que eterena sunt
asspicit, & ideo me nichil rerum presencium uisibilium
que delectat, quarum
rerum delectacio nec Simonem comitem delectabatur, unde dice
bat quod a causa
tuicionis Anglie quam propter deum iuste susceperat tuendam nunquam
resiliret nec
pro morte qualicunque nec pro uita, quoniam inquid moriturus sum propter illam.
Principalis igitur causa mortis huius Simonis fuit prestatio iuramenti fidelis pro
An
glia a cuius iuramenti die ⁊ in posterum cepit artare conuersacionem suam usque
ad diem defunctionis sue ut ante expressum est, ut qui iam pridem non
abstinue
rat ab amplexibus uxoris proprie nunc longe fieri inciperet extra amplexus
eius
more Simonis Petri qui \ab/ amplexibus sue uxoris
penitus credebatur abstinuisse
que tunc temporis de consuetudine ibat in retro
comitatu discipulorum Petri cum
matre sancti Clementis & aliis sanctis
mulieribus ut innuitur libro viii itinerarii eiusdem
* multorum caumate preferuente
quando circuibat diuersas hominium naciones ewangelizando eis regnum dei non sine dierum
one
step beyond the length of the journey to which he has been accustomed, nor will he carry
more than his usual load; concerning which see Pliny, book 8 chapter 19.1 This excellent
habit may well be compared with the virtuous moderation of our Simon, which by no means
suffers by the comparison. We now have something to say about his shirt of hair, whose
sanctity must be acknowledged. For if, as Pliny says (in the 8th chapter of the same book),2 there is healing power in a camel’s bristles—by
bristles, meaning hairs—so much more ought the hair shirt of every saintly man which is
made of a camel or some other animal’s hair be venerated for its holiness. Now compare
the hair shirt of our valiant Simon the knight with the tunic and cloak of the most holy
fisherman, about which we have already spoken; and, unless I am much mistaken, you will
find that the sharpness of Simon’s haircloth inflicted upon the wearer a punishment no
less sharp than the bare cloak and tunic of the more illustrious Simon did. I cannot
imagine that Simon’s garments would need to have been criticised for their newness. I
should suppose, rather, that they were old, not new, and therefore thin and chilly. So,
in these circumstances, it is indeed believed that during the winter he often suffered
from the cold, and the severity of the cold was a great hardship for him. When placed
under the influence of the burning sun in such clothing, did he fail to feel its burning
heat? Certainly not, unless perhaps the cool voluminous shade of his garment afforded
him some protection against the heat. *
There was no lack of austerity austerity in
each of these two Simons, arising out of the excess of their love for the eternal life
for which they yearned. And so, indeed, Simon Peter says of himself in the 8th book of the Itinerary of Clement, ‘My mind is fixed not
upon the things which are present, but upon those which are yet to come; and therefore I
have no delight in that which is present and visible.’ Nor did Earl Simon have any
pleasure in gratifications like this; and therefore he said that he would never retreat
from the cause which he had justly undertaken for God’s sake—the defence of
England—neither for life nor for death of any sort, since, as he added, ‘I am about to
die for it.’ The main cause of Simon’s death was the loyal oath he had made for England;
for from the day he took it, he ever afterwards grew stricter in his manner of life,
until the day of his death, as has been said before. Up to this point he had not
withdrawn from the loving embraces of his own wife, but from then on, he estranged
himself from it, following the example of Simon Peter, about whom it is believed that he
wholly abstained \from/the embraces of his wife, who was at that
time in the habit of following behind the train of Peter’s disciples, along with the
mother of St Clement and other holy women, as is stated in the 8th book of the Itinerary of Clement.
*
This was especially the case when he journeyed about from nation to nation,
preaching to them the kingdom of God, and so was exposed, while doing so, for many a weary day, to the burning sun of summer.