Bishop Myriel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications.
Primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources, or discuss the issue on the talk page.
This article has been tagged since February 2008.

Bishop Myriel is a character in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. ^[1] Charles François-Bienvenu Myriel is the Bishop of Digne, though Hugo refers to him as Monseigneur Bienvenu.

[edit] In the Novel

He earned the title of Bishop through a chance encounter with Napoleon; he is not of the typical disposition of a bishop but more like a common, compassionate country priest. One night Jean Valjean shows up at his door, asking a place to stay the night. Bienvenu graciously accepts him, feeds him, and gives him a bed. Valjean, unable to sleep in a comfortable bed after years of sleeping on boards in Toulon, sneaks away, taking most of the Bienvenu's silver with him. Valjean is taken back to face the Bishop by the police and the police inform Bienvenu of their findings: namely, a load of silver in his knapsack. Bienvenu tells the police that he, indeed, had given them to Valjean as a gift and informs Valjean that he was a fool for not taking the candlesticks as well, as they are worth much more.

[edit] Quotes

As written by Hugo, the Bishop tells Valjean:

Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!

A parallel quote from the musical, the Bishop sings:

But remember this, my brother
See in this some higher plan
You must use this precious silver
To become an honest man
By the witness of the martyrs
By the Passion and the Blood
God has raised you out of darkness
I have bought your soul for God!