St. NORBERT.
ST. NORBERT, a Native of Santen, a Village of the Country of Cleves; the Son of Herbert and Hatwiga, was educated in the Palace of Frederick Arch-bishop of Colen, and * 1.1 afterwards brought to the Court of the Emperor Henry V. He was admitted among the Clergy, and receiv'd the Orders of a Deacon and Priest on the same day. He was made a Canon in his native Country, and enjoy'd divers other Spiritual Livings: But being after∣wards transported with an extraordinary Zeal, he addicted himself to Preaching, with the Permission of Pope Gelasius II. and having quitted his Benefices, and distributed his whole Estate to the Poor, he embrac'd a more regular Life. He converted by his Preaching, many Hereticks and a great number of Sinners. Upon his arrival at Laon, being entreated by Bartholomew Bishop of that City, not to leave his Diocess, he was prevail'd upon, by the request of that Prelate, and chose for the place of his abode, a dismal solitude call'd Premontre, where he retir'd A. D. 1120. and there founded the Order of Regular Canons which bears that Name, and which was confirm'd five Years after, by Pope Honorius II. in 1126. Some time after, St. Norbert was sent for to Antwerp to confute Tanchelin or Tanchelm, accus'd of Heresie, and was constrain'd the next Year to accept of the Arch-bishoprick of Magdeburg. He assisted in the Council held at Rheims, A. D. 1131. in favour of Innocent II. took a Journey to Rome, when that Pope was re-established by the Emperor Lotharius, and died in 1134.