Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/34

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

CLEMENS


12


CLEMENT


first his superiors commissioned hira to edit the "Bibliotheca" (Myriobiblion) of Photius. Clemen- cet soon retired from this task and devoted all his powers to a chronological work for which Dantme, another member of the congregation, had made the preparatory studies. This chronology, CMmencet's principal work, had the very prolix title: "L'art de verifier les dates ou faits historiques des chartes, des chroniques, et anciens monuments depuis la nais- sance de J^sus-Christ, par le moyen d'une table chronologique, oii I'on trouve les ann^es de Jesus- Christ et de I'Ere d'Espagne, les Indictions, le Cycle pascal, les Paques de chaque annee, les Cycles solaires et lunaires. Avec im Calendrier perp^tuel, I'Histoire abregee des conciles, des papes, des empereurs ro- mains, grecs, frangais, alleraands et turcs; des Rois de France, d'Espagne et d'Angleterre, d'Ecosse, de Lombardie, de Sicile, de Jerusalem, etc., des Dues de Bourgogne, de Normandie, de Bretagne ; des Comtes de Toulouse, de Champagne et de Blois par des re- ligieu-x b^nedictins de la congregation de Saint- Maur" (Paris, 1750). The work was compiled with extraordinary industry, and contains, as the title shows, a large amount of historical material. In its judgment of persons and facts, however, it betrayed a strong bias to Jansenism and Gallicanism, and was, consequently, frequently attacked, one opponent in particular being the Jesuit Patouillet. The asser- tion was made, and not without reason, that the title ought to read: "L'art de verifier les dates et falsifier les faits".

Clemencet also wrote volumes X and XI, issued at Paris, 1756 and 1759, of the monumental work " His- toire litteraire de la France". The volumes prepared by CMmencet are a rich collection of authorities, and are of importance not only for the literary history of France but also for the history of the development of all the nations of the Middle .\ges. It was intended that he should edit volume XII of the "Histoire lit- teraire", preparing for it the life of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, but he gave up the undertaking and wrote instead an independent work entitled: "Histoire des vies et Merits de Saint-Bernard et de Pierre le Vener- able" (Paris, 1773). His strong predilection for Jansenism is shown in two of his writings, namely: " Histoire generale de Port^Royal depuis la reforme de cette abbaye jusqu'a son entiere destruction (10 vols., Amsterdam, 1755-1757), and "Conferences de la Mere Angglique de Saint-Jean, Abbesse de Port- Royal" (3 vols., Utrecht, 1760). Of the former of these two works only the first half could be published, as the second part contained too strong a defence of Jansenism. On account of his leaning to Jansenism, Clemencet was a bitter opponent of the Jesuits. He attacked them in several exceedingly sharp pamph- lets and worked for the suppression of the Society. .'Vmong his literary labours should also be mentioned his share in an excellent edition of the works of St. Cregory of Nazianzus. Prudentius Maranus, an- other member of the Congregation of Saint-Maur, had begun the task. Clemencet issued the first volume unilcr the title: "Gregorii Theologi opera qua; extant omnia" (Paris, 1778). This edition is still valuable and far surpasses all the earlier editions. Ti .^-fo.-. "'"•'■e lilleraire de la Conoregation de Saint-Maur, 11, J.I-SJ; DE Lama, BMiothtque des icrivains de la Congrc- galion de Hamt-Maur, 599-010.

Pathicius Schl.^ger.

Clemens, Fkanz Jacob, a C.erman Catholic phil- osopher, b. l October, 1S15, at Coblenz; d. 24 Febru- ary, ist).', at Rome. After spending .some time in an educational institution at Metz. be entered, at the age of sixteen, the J.-suit Colleg.. of Kriboiirg, Switzer- land. attended MicClyninasium at Coblenz. and thence pa.s.-*<|d to the University of Bonn. In 1835 he ma- triculated at the University of Berlin, where he de-


voted special attention to the study of philosophy and received the doctorate in philosophy (1839). At the end of a literary journey through Germany and Italy, he became, in 1843, instructor in philosophy at the University of Bonn, and taught there with great success until 1856. In 1848 he was elected a member of the Frankfort Parliament, and attended, at Mainz, the first General Congress of German Catho- lics, at which he suggested the foundation of the St. Vincent de Paul Societj' in Germany. In 1856 he was appointed professor of philosophy in the Academy of Munster. So great was his popularity as a teacher at Bonn that, when he removed to Miin- ster, he was followed by some seventy students. The attendance at his lectures in the Westphahan capital was an e.xtraordinarily large one; but his health failed after a few years. In 1861, upon the advice of his physicians, he sought relief in a southern climate; he died at Rome in the beginning of the following year and was buried at the tiesCi.

Clemens was a layman of sound Catholic principles, who ably defended the Church even on theological questions. He published his first great work, ' ' Gior- dano Bruno und Nikolaus von Cusa", in 1847, at Bonn. He also wrote in defence of the Holy Coat of Trier, " Der heilige Rock zu Trier und die protest- antische Kritik " (1S45), against Gilderaeister and von Sybel. His other principal writings were connected with two controversies in which he became involved. His book, "Die speculative Theologie A. Gunthers" (Cologne, 18.53), a clear demonstration of the contra- diction between Catholic doctrine and the views of Gunther, elicited answers from Professors Baltzer and Knoodt, to which Clemens replied. His " De Scholasticormn sententia, philosophiam esse theo- logise ancillam, commentatio" (Milnster, 1856) treated of the subordinate position which philosophy should occupy in regard to theology. It brought him into conflict with Professor Kulin of Tubingen, against whom he published, in defence of his posiljpn: "Die Wahrheit etc." (Munster, 1860) and "Uber das Verhaltniss etc." (Mainz, 1860).

Der Kalholik (1862), I. 257-80; Lit. Handweiaer (1862), S.S-S9; Stockl in .4%. deut. Biog. (Leipzig, 1876), IV, 315-17; Dublin Rev. (1862-63). LII, 417-18.

N. A. Weber.

Clemens non Papa (Jacques Clement), repre- sentative of the Flemish or Netherland School of music of the sixteenth century; d. 155S. All that is known with reasonable certainty of his life is that he pre- ceded Nicolas Gombert (1495-1570) as choirmaster at the court of Charles V. An indication of his fame is his nickname 7>on Papa, given to distinguish him from the contemporaneous Poi>e Clement VII (1523- 34). While his style is always noble and fluent, he shows the fault of his time and school of elaborating contrapuntal forms at the expense of a clear and dis- tinct declamation of the text. Clemens was. never- theless, one of the chief forerunners of Palcstrina and Orlandus Lassus, who alone were able to overshadow him. Some of his more important works are: ten masses, one for six, five for five, and four for four voices, published by Petrus Phalesius at Louvain (1555-80), a large number of motets, and fo\ir vol- umes of "Souter Liedekens", that is psalms set to familiar Netherland melodies, published by Tylmann Susato at Antwerp (155G-57).

Ambros. Gesch. der Musih (I^eipzig, 1881); Riemann, Hand- bitch der Musikge^chichte (Leipzig. 1907).

Joseph Otten.

Clemens Prudentius. See Prudentius, Marcus

AURELIUS CLEMEN.S.

Clement I, Satnt, Pope (called Clemens Romanus to distinguish him from the Alexandrian), is the first of the successors of St. Peter of whom anything definite is known,and he is the first of the "Apostolic