29 - Michael De Mentmore

Summary

The birth, learning, religion and election to the abbacy of Abbot Michael

Abbot Michael was born in the village of Mentmore in the vale of Aylesbury. He was the child of parents who were neither highly respected for their worldly wealth nor despised for their poverty, but whose resources were quite sufficient for the needs of frugality.

When he left boyhood behind him, his thoughtful parents apprenticed him to the liberal arts, and he was sent to Oxford with his contemporaries. He did so well there, that in a short time he outdistanced the students of his day. His knowledge increased daily, until he reached the peak of a mastership in the Arts. But after this success, although he laudably performed the things required of a master, he began to think that ‘The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God’ and that worldly philosophy is vanity, since they did nothing to make a man complete or holy. And conscious that another philosophy was necessary to gain perfect wisdom, he suddenly changed course and decided to reap the harvest of a better life in monastic religion and to philosophise among monks and he hurried to this monastery in a spirit of great devotion to beg for the religious habit. He was received by Abbot Hugh of blessed memory, who gave him his habit and blessed his profession. After spending only a short time with the brothers he had already given clear signs that it was with some divine foreknowledge that he had been given the name Michael, for in his wholehearted labours he linked the life of an angel to an [arch]angel's name. His outstanding merits ensured that he was the one chosen to look after the scholars and their studies and programmes. He did not abandon the holiness of his previous life but heightened and increased it, so that he gave examples of perfection to many, both seculars and regulars. But he also worked to advance his learning and got so far that in the judgement of all he rightly gained his degree of bachelor of arts.

About this time, Abbot Richard of blessed memory died. On the day appointed for the election, Michael, the future abbot, was summoned with the others to take part in the election, as the custom of the church required.