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Jacob of Vitry

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(Jacobus de Vitriaco, or Jacobus Vitriacus), so named after his native place, was born in the second half of the 12th century. He was a presbyter at the village of Argenteuil, near Paris, when, attracted by the celebrated sanctity of Maria of Ognies, he removed to her place of residence, the diocese of Liege. She received him kindly, and influenced him to take a position in the diocese. At the request of the pope, he began preaching against the Albigenses, and finally devoted himself to the interests of the sacred tomb at Jerusalem, traveling through France to levy contributions. While thus engaged he was elected bishop of Acre, and at the request of pope Honorius III went to the Holy Land. He there performed a noble work: among other things he provided for the children of the Saracens whom the Christians had taken, baptized them, and entrusted them to the care of pious Christian women.

After the retirement of the Christians from Damietta, he resigned in 1225 the episcopal office, and returned to Ognies. In 1229 pope Gregory IX appointed him cardinal and papal legate of France, Brabant, and the Holy Land. He died at Rome May 1,1240. The writings of Jacob de Vitry are valuable. He profited greatly by his stay in the Holy Land, gathering much of the material necessary for the preparation of his principal work, the Historia Orientalis, generally entitled History of Jerusalem., published entire as "Cura Andres Hoji Brugensis" (1597); also by Martine and Durand, Thesaur. nov. Anecdotorum, t. 3 (Par. 1717). This work of Jacob de Vitry is divided into three parts. The first contains the history (this as well as the others are mainly ecclesiastical) of Jerusalem in brief; the second, a short review of the history of the West, paving particular attention to the history of the different Church orders, and the extent and value of pilgrimages; in the third he returns to the East, and, beginning with ‘ the General Lateran Council, closes with the surrender of Damietta.

This last part of the work does not seem to be the production of Jacob, but, in all probability, was written by some other hand, to add to the completeness of the work. Ceillier, however, attributes the whole work to Jacob, and defends his view by stating, in commendation of part third, "L'auteur avait vu de ses yeux ce qu'il raconte" (in accordance with the statement in the preface of the work, p. 1048). This work has been translated into French, and inserted in the Collection des memoires relutifs ai l'histoire de France, Hom. 22. His letters are also of great importance to the historian: Jacobi de Vitriaco epistole messa in Lotharingiam de capitione Damiatae (published by Bongarsius in the first part of the Gesta Dei per francos), and l'Ejusdem episiohel quatuor ad Honorium III Papam (in Martene and Durand's above-named work, and same volume); a life of the celebrated St. Mary of Ognies; and sermons on the Gospels and Epistles, of which a portion was published at Antwerp in 1575. See Ceillier, Hist. des Auteurs Sacres, 13, 537 sq.; Bibliotheca Belgica, 1, 542; Herzog, Real-Encyklopadie, 6, 398. (J. H. W.)