Complete Works of Saint Ephrem the Syrian, Volume 3

and that incredible modesty, innocence, and gravity, which stood out not only in all your conversations but also shone in your countenance, your mouth, and your eyes, and the singular power of your genius, by which you joined History, the witness of times, Philosophy, the mistress of life, Theology, the knowledge conscious of Divine things, and finally Chronology, Mathematics, the Sacred Canons, and Philology with Latin, Greek, and Hebrew letters—that, I say, both the sharpness of your mind and the probity of your morals recommended you incredibly to the most learned and grave men. What is new, therefore, if, while you were so dear to outsiders, you were held as the love and oracle of the Cassinese family? For at a very flourishing age, when you were far surpassing age itself in virtue and learning, the Cassinese youth heard you interpreting the Sacred Scriptures; what do I say, heard? Rather, they marveled with a certain singular pleasure of joy and an almost incredible stupor at the mysteries you revealed—which you yourself had primarily known and clearly imbibed—with an even and not at all affected manner of speaking, clarifying if hidden, declaring if obscure, and elucidating if confused. So that I may not seem to speak flatteringly, that most excellent Oration On the Excellence of Mosaic History, written marvelously by you, still stands as a witness, whose gravity and learning, like the statue of Phidias—as is recorded of the genius of Hortensius—is seen and approved at the same time.

Meanwhile, however, as your learning spread everywhere more daily, you seemed to yourself alone to know little. Therefore, not for pleasure, as many do, but with an insatiable study of doctrine, you undertook very difficult journeys, namely, you traveled through Britain, Batavia, and Gaul. In Lutetia original: "Lutetiae" i.e., Paris, however, as in a certain port and most celebrated emporium of letters, you chose to stay for two years, during which time you most studiously frequented all the gatherings of learned men in that city: (these, since they had long since admired your Wisdom, most recently co-opted you with all votes into the Royal Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres;) with your Benedictine colleagues, however, you were so joined and almost glued that you used their disputations like air for breathing. Plutarch says that the friendship of Socrates offered Alcibiades no small opportunity for attaining clarity and glory: furthermore, to you, not only now clearly learned but a master of all five disciplines, what did the friendship of the most learned men contribute to a fuller understanding of things? The City, mistress of affairs, proclaims it, which, when you returned to Italy, declared how much estimation it had for your learning.

I allow to lie hidden here how much your entire Order valued you, when in the general chapters—that is, in the most crowded and flourishing assembly of religious men—not even one was found who did not acquiesce in that excellent judgment of you, by which you alone out of all were chosen to give the History of the Cassinese Congregation of Italy, written diligently and faithfully as far as it reaches. Furthermore, I will pass over a matter that I would not pursue, but rather showcase, concerning anyone's praises except your learning: namely, that CLEMENT XI, a most keen explorer of geniuses, moved you to the most grave negotiations and, which is the head of the matter, found your prudence equal not only to his expectations but even to his prayers. These, I say, I will pass by in silence, however great they are, which are certainly very great. But I can by no means omit that when a certain unusual and ancient virtue was being investigated and searched for, it came to you most especially. The Bishopric of the Church of Corfu was vacant; an Archbishop had to be given to that island, where heretofore there had been perpetual rivalries and confrontations between the Latin and Greek prelates. Therefore, a Bishop was sought who, like a cornerstone, would make both one, who by the precepts and institutes of the disciplines could both exhort in good doctrine and wisely argue with those who contradicted, who would consider that not only the people were given to him, but that he also was given to the people, and in a word, who would both excel in all things to all and appear as a form of the flock from the heart. This perfect image of an Archbishop, which he contemplated in his mind, INNOCENT XIII, who desired it most especially at that time with his eyes, found nowhere more expressive and illustrious than in you, ANGELUS, whom he well knew to be wise, strong, severe, sober, and a kind of image of antiquity. And the thing itself indeed confirmed this excellent opinion of you.