BERNARD GUI

Also known as Bernardus Guidonis, historian, inquisitor, bishop; b. Royère, Roche l'Abeille (Limousin), c. 1261; d. Lodève, Hérault, France, Dec. 30, 1331. Bernard became a dominican and was professed at Limoges on Sept. 16, 1280. A student of philosophy (1283), he lectured on logic at Brives (1284). He studied theology at Limoges (1285–88) and at Montpellier (1289–90). He was appointed sublector at Limoges (1291); lector at Albi (1292–93) and at Castres (1294); then prior at albi (1294–97), at Carcassone (1297–1301), and at Castres (1301–05); and then lector at Carcassone (1305). By August he was prior at Limoges (1305–07) and then inquisitor at Toulouse from Jan. 16, 1307, to 1323 or 1324, at the same time serving as procurator general (1317–21) under Master General Hervé de Nedellec. Bernard served on a peace embassy to Lombardy and Tuscany in 1317 and 1318 and to Flanders in 1318. He was later made bishop of Túy in Galicia (Spain) on Aug. 26, 1323. On July 20, 1324, he was transferred to Lodève and died at the castle of Lauroux and was buried by his own wish in the Dominican church at Limoges.

As a historian and compiler Gui showed love for research, exceptional precision, and a sound and selective appreciation of the sources. The lack of any literary elegance in his writings is compensated for by his preservation of numerous documents and much information, whose original sources have since been lost. His most important work is the Flores chronicorum (no crit. ed.), a universal chronicle. His numerous other works include Reges Francorum and Priores Artigiae, the De quatuor in quibus Deus Praed. Ord. insignivit [ed. T. Kaeppeli, Monumenta Ordinis Fratrum Praedicatorum historica 22 (1949)], the De fundatione et prioribus conv. prov. Tolos. et Provinciae O.P. [ed. P. A. Amargier, Monumenta Ordinis Fratrum Praedicatorum historica 24(1961)], his hagiographical work called Sanctorale, and the De actibus fidei and De peccato originali. His writings on heresy and the inquisition include Practica officii inquisitionis [ed. C. Douais (Paris 1886)] and the Liber sententiarum inquisitionis Tolosanae [ed. P. a Limborch (Amsterdam 1692)].

Bibliography: j. brequet, "Aux origines du prieuré de l'Artige …," Bulletin de la Société archéologique et historique du Limousin 90 (1963) 85–100. l. delisle, "Notice sur les manuscrits de Bernard Gui," Notices et extraits des manuscrits de la B. N. et autres bibliothèques 27.2 (1879) 169–455. Histoire littéraire de la France 35:139–232, list of works. g. mollat, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al., (Paris 1912–) 8:677–681; Dictionnaire de droit canonique, ed. r. naz, (Paris 1935–65) 2:779–781. j. quÉtif and j. Échard, Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum (New York 1959) 1:576–580.

[s. l. forte]