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Transcriber's Note:

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Illustrations on separate plates have been incorporated in the text.

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THE

Lives of the Saints

REV. S. BARING-GOULD

_SIXTEEN VOLUMES_

VOLUME THE SECOND


 [Illustration: THE REPOSE IN EGYPT, WITH DANCING ANGELS. After Luca
 Cranach.

 By the robbery of the nest in the tree, the painter ingeniously
 points to the Massacre of the Innocents as to the cause of the Flight
 into Egypt. Feb.-Front.]




THE

Lives of the Saints


BY THE

REV. S. BARING-GOULD, M.A.


New Edition in 16 Volumes


 Revised with Introduction and Additional Lives of
 English Martyrs, Cornish and Welsh Saints,
 and a full Index to the Entire Work

_ILLUSTRATED BY OVER 400 ENGRAVINGS_


VOLUME THE SECOND

February


 LONDON
 JOHN C. NIMMO
 14 KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND
 MDCCCXCVII


 _Printed by_ BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO
 _At the Ballantyne Press_


 [Illustration]




CONTENTS


A
                                         PAGE
  S. Abraham                              298
  "  Adalbald                              41
  "  Adelheid                             140
  "  Adeloga                               42
  "  Æmilian                              212
  "  Agatha                               136
  "  Aldetrudis                           413
  "  Alexander                            433
  "  Alnoth                               448
  "  Amandus                              182
 SS. Ananias and comp.                    412
  S. Andrew Corsini                       105
  "  Angilbert                            337
  "  Ansbert                              246
  "  Anskar                                56
  "  Apollonia                            231
  "  Aristion                             366
  "  Athracta                             236
  "  Augulus                              190
  "  Auxentius                            299
  "  Auxibius                             339
  "  Aventine of Chateaudun                86
  "  Aventine of Troyes                    84
  "  Avitus                               138

B

  S. Baldomer                             447
  "  Baradatus                            368
  "  Barbatus                             342
  "  Belina                               344
  "  Benedict of Aniane                   284
  "  Berach                               307
  "  Berlinda                              50
  "  Bertulf                              139
  "  Besas                                442
  "  Blaise                                47
  "  Boniface, Lausanne                   343
  "  Bridget                               14
  "  Bruno                                304

C

  S. Cæsarius                             412
  "  Castor                               289
  "  Catharine de Ricci                   295
  "  Ceadmon                              272
  "  Celerina                              46
 SS. Celerinus and comp.                   46
  "  Charalampius and comp.               248
  S. Chronion                             442
  "  Chrysolius                           189
  "  Clara of Rimini                      256
 SS. Claudius and comp.                   329
  "  Constantia and comp.                 330
  S. Cornelius of Rome.                   314
  "  Cornelius the Cent.                   38
  "  Cuthman                              220

D

  S. Damian                               376
  "  Darlugdach                            22
 SS. Dionysius and others                 212
  S. Dionysius (Augsburg)                 432
  "  Dorothy                              176
  "  Dositheus                            378

E

  S. Earcongotha                          382
  "  Eleutherius                          350
  "  Elfleda                              214
 SS. Elias and others                     314
  S. Ephraem, Syrian                        7
  "  Ermenilda                            292
  "  Ethelbert                            406
  "  Ethelwold                            283
  "  Eubulus                              449
  "  Eucher                               355
  "  Eulalia                              276
  "  Euphrosyne                           264
  "  Eusebius                             306

F

 SS. Faustinus and Jovita                 305
  S. Finan                                325
  "  Fintan                               324
  "  Flavian                              331
  "  Fortchern                            321
  "  Fortunatus                            47
  "  Fulcran                              294
 SS. Fusca and Maura                      286

G

  S. Gabinius                             340
  "  Gelasius, Boy                         83
  "  Gelasius, Actor at Heliopolis        443
  "  George of Amastris                   363
  "  Georgia                              306
 SS. German and Randoald                  361
  S. Gilbert                               99
  "  Gregory II. (Pope)                   293

H

  S. Hadelin                               49
  "  Honestus                             313
  "  Honorina                             444
  "  Hrabanus Maurus                       91

I

  S. Ignatius, Antioch                      1
  "  Ignatius, Africa                      46
  "  Ina                                  186
  "  Indract and comp.                    140
  "  Isaias                               314
  "  Isidore                               84

J

  S. Jeremias                             314
  "  Joan of Valois                       109
  "  John de Britto                       112
  "  John of the Grate                     26
  "  John of Matha                        226
  "  John William                         255
  "  Jonas the Gardener                   263
  "  Joseph of Leonissa                   111
  "  Jovita                               305
  "  Julian of Cæsarea                    320
  "  Julian in Africa                     395
  "  Julian, Alexandria                   442
  "  Juliana                              316
  "  Juventius                            211

L

  S. Laurence, Cant.                       39
  "  Laurence, the Illuminator             49
  "  Laurentinus                           46
  "  Lazarus, B. Milan                    264
  "  Lazarus, Constantinople              386
  "  Leander                              445
  "  Licinius                             292
  "  Limnæus                              367
 SS. Loman and Fortchern                  321
  S. Lucius                               395

M

 SS. Mael and others                      178
  S. Mansuetus                            341
  "  Margaret of Cortona                  371
  "  Mariamne                             318
  "  Martha                               373
  "  Martian                              289
  Martyrs at Alexandria                   449
     "    in Arabia                       367
     "    of Japan                        141
     "    of Ebbecksdorf                   45
  S. Matthias, Ap.                        393
  "  Maura                                286
 SS. Maurice and comp.                    358
  S. Maximian                             369
  "  Maximus                              329
  "  Mary, B. V., Purification of          34
  "  Melchu                               178
  "  Meldan                               193
  "  Meletius                             278
  "  Mengold                              220
  "  Milburgh                             382
  "  Mildred                              354
  "  Modan                                 91
  "  Modomnoc                             291
 SS. Montanus and comp.                   395
  "  Moses and others                     192
  S. Moses of Syria                       376
  "  Mun                                  178

N

  S. Nestor                               430
  "  Nicephorus                           233
  "  Nicolas                               92
  "  Nithard                               56
 SS. Nymphas and Eubulus                  449

O

  S. Odran                                341
  "  Olcan                                349
  "  Onesimus                             312
  "  Oswald, York                         455

P

  S. Papias                               366
  "  Parthenius                           191
  "  Paula                                348
  "  Paul of Verdun                       213
  "  Pepin                                360
  "  Peter Cambian                         45
  "  Peter Damiani                        387
  "  Peter's Chair at Antioch             365
 SS. Phileas and others                    80
  S. Photinus                             358
 SS. Pionius and comp.                      5
  S. Polychronius, B. M.                  319
  "  Polychronius, H.                     376
  "  Polyeuctus                           287
  "  Porphyrius                           434
  "  Prætextatus                          402
  "  Priamianus                           376
  "  Proterius                            451
  Purification of B. V. Mary               34

R

  S. Randoald                             361
  "  Raymond of Fitero                     29
  "  Rembert                               98
  "  Richard                              194
  "  Rioch                                178
  "  Robert of Arbrissel                  426
  "  Romanus                              452
  "  Romuald                              194

S

  S. Sabine                               241
  "  Saturninus                           259
  "  Scholastica                          250
  "  Sebastian                            212
  "  Serenus                              374
  "  Sergius                              402
  "  Severus (Avranches)                   23
  "  Severus (Ravenna)                     12
  "  Severus (Valeria)                    306
  "  Sigebert                              24
  "  Sigfried                             310
  "  Simeon                               328
  "  Soteris                              248
  "  Stephen of Grandmont                 224
  "  Sura                                 252
  "  Susanna                              246
  "  Symphorian                           451

T

  S. Tanco                                317
  "  Taraghta                             236
  "  Tarasius                             416
  "  Teilo                                238
 SS. Thalassius and Limnæus               367
  S. Thalelæus                            444
  "  Theodora, Empress                    275
  "  Theodore of Apamea                   358
  "  Theodore of Heraclea                 190
 SS. Theodulus and Julian                 320
  S. Theophilus, Penitent                  88
  "  Tresan                               192
 SS. Tyrannio and comp.                   346

V

  S. Valentine                            296
  "  Vedast                               179
  "  Verdiana                              31
  "  Veronica                              73
  "  Victor                               410
 SS. Victor and Susanna                   246
  "  Victorinus and comp. in Egypt        410
  S. Vitalina                             359

W

  S. Walburga                             414
  "  Walfrid                              309
  "  Werburga                              52
  "  William of Maleval                   253
  "  Wulfric                              356

Z

  S. Zabdas                               341
  "  Zacharias (Jerusalem)                359
 SS. Zebinus and others                   376
  S. Zeno                                 249




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


 THE REPOSE IN EGYPT, WITH DANCING ANGELS               _Frontispiece_
   _After_ LUCA CRANACH.

 MARTYRDOM OF S. IGNATIUS                               _to face p._ 2
   _From the "Menologium Græcorum."_

 S. EPHRAEM                                                   "      8
   _After_ CAHIER.

 S. BRIDGET                                                   "     16
   _After_ CAHIER.

 TOMB OF JOSHUA                                             _on p._ 33
   _The Greek Menology_.

 PURIFICATION OF S. MARY THE VIRGIN                    _to face p._ 34
   _From the Great Vienna Missal._

 THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT                                        "     36
   _After_ FRA ANGELICO.

 S. BLAISE                                                    "     48
   _From_ CAHIER.

 S. WERBURGA                                                  "     52
   _From_ CAHIER.

 S. GILBERT, PRIOR OF SEMPRINGHAM                     _to face p._ 104
   _From a Drawing by_ A. WELBY PUGIN.

 S. VERONICA (_see p. 73_)                                 _on p._ 135

 SS. AGNES, CECILIA, AND DOROTHY                      _to face p._ 176
   _After_ ANGELICA DE FIESOLE.

 S. AMANDUS (_see p. 184_)                                 _on p._ 188

 S. RICHARD THE SAXON AND HIS SONS                    _to face p._ 192
   _From_ CAHIER.

 FAMILY OF S. RICHARD THE SAXON                               "    194
   _From a Drawing by_ A. WELBY PUGIN.

 A LEARNED DOCTOR AND CHURCH HISTORIAN                     _on p._ 210

 AN ENTHUSIASTIC COLLECTOR OF SAINTLY LEGENDS                 "    230

 S. EUPHROSYNE, FINDING HERSELF AT DEATH'S DOOR,
   MAKES HERSELF KNOWN TO HER FATHER                  _to face p._ 272
   _From the "Menologium Græcorum" of_
   CARDINAL ALBANI.

 THE PAPERMAKER                                            _on p._ 285

 AN EARLY RELIQUARY                                   _to face p._ 318

 S. AGATHA (_see p. 136_)                                  _on p._ 338

 THE PRINTER                                                  "    357

 S. MARGARET CORTONA                                  _to face p._ 370
   _From_ CAHIER.

 THE BOOKBINDER                                            _on p._ 372

 S. MILBURGH                                          _to face p._ 384
   _After_ CAHIER.

 BEHEADING OF S. MATTHIAS                                     "    392
   _From_ CAHIER.

 WINDOW IN THE CATHEDRAL AT TOURS
   (VIRGIN WITH ANGELS)                                       "    408

 ENAMELLED CHEST WHICH CONTAINED THE REMAINS
   OF KING ETHELBERT                                          "    408

 S. WALBURGA                                                  "    414
   _From_ CAHIER.


 [Illustration]


 [Illustration]


LIVES OF THE SAINTS.




February 1.

  SS. CÆCILIUS, _B. of Elvira_, AND COMPANIONS, _MM. in Spain,
      1st cent._
  S. IGNATIUS, _B. of Antioch, M. at Rome_, A.D. 107.
  SS. PIONIUS AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Smyrna_, A.D. 251.
  S. EUBERT, _B. of Lisle, 4th cent._
  S. EPHRAEM SYRUS, _D. C. at Edessa_, A.D. 378.
  SS. SEVERUS, _B._, VINCENTIA _his wife, and_ INNOCENTIA, _V., their
      daughter, at Ravenna, end of 4th cent._
  S. PAUL, _B. of Trois-Chateaux in France, beginning of 5th cent._
  S. PETER THE GALATIAN, _M. at Antioch in Syria, 5th cent._
  S. KINNEA, _V. in Ireland, 5th cent._
  S. BRIDGET, _V. Abs. at Kildare_, A.D. 525.
  S. DARLUGDACH, _V. at Kildare_, A.D. 526.
  S. SEVERUS, _B. of Avranches, 6th cent._
  S. PRÆCORDIUS, _P. at Corbie, 6th cent._
  S. SORUS, _H. at Perigeux, 6th cent._
  SS. AGRIPANUS, _B._, AND URSICINUS, _MM. at Le Puy, after_ A.D. 650.
  S. SIGEBERT III., _K. C. at Metz_, A.D. 656.
  B. WOLFHOLD, _P. at Hohenwast in Bavaria, after_ A.D. 1100.
  S. JOHN OF THE GRATE, _B. of S. Malo_, A.D. 1163.
  S. RAYMOND, _of Fitero, A.C., Founder of the Order of Calatrava_,
     A.D. 1163.
  S. VERDIANA, _V. R. at Castel Fiorentino, in Tuscany_, A.D. 1242.


S. IGNATIUS, B. M.

(A.D. 107.)

  [S. Ignatius is commemorated variously, on June 10th, Oct. 8th, Nov.
  24th, Dec. 14th or 19th; but by the Roman Martyrology his festival
  is fixed for Feb. 1st. In the Bruges and Treves Martyrologies, his
  commemoration was placed on Jan. 31st, so as not to interfere with
  that of S. Bridget on this day. The authorities for his life and
  passion are his own genuine Epistles, the Acts of his martyrdom,
  Eusebius, and S. Chrysostom's Homily on S. Ignatius.]

Saint Ignatius was a convert and disciple of S. John the Evangelist.
He was appointed by S. Peter to succeed Evodius in the see of Antioch,
and he continued in his bishopric full forty years. He received the
name of Theophorus, or one who carries God with him. In his Acts,
Trajan is said to have asked him why he had the surname of
God-bearing, and he answered, because he bore Christ in his heart.[1]

Socrates, in his "Ecclesiastical History," says, "We must make some
allusion to the origin of the custom in the Church of singing hymns
antiphonally. Ignatius, third bishop of Antioch in Syria from the
apostle Peter, who also had conversed familiarly with the apostles
themselves, saw a vision of angels, hymning in alternate chants the
Holy Trinity; after which he introduced this mode of singing into the
Antiochian Church, whence it was transmitted by tradition to all the
other churches."[2]

It seems probable that Evodius vacated the see of Antioch about the
year 70. There are traditions that represent Evodius to have been
martyred; and Josephus speaks of a disturbance in Antioch about that
period, which was the cause of many Jews being put to death.[3] There
is a difficulty in supposing S. Peter to have appointed Ignatius
bishop of Antioch, if he did not succeed Evodius till the year 70. But
it is probable, that later writers have confounded the appointment of
Ignatius to the see of Antioch, with his consecration to the episcopal
office; and it is highly probable that he received this from the hands
of the Prince of the Apostles.

The date of the martyrdom of Ignatius can be fixed with tolerable
certainty as occurring in the year 107. The Acts expressly state that
Trajan was then at Antioch, and that Sura and Senecio were consuls:
two events, which will be found to meet only in the year 107.

Trajan made his entry into Antioch in January; his first concern was
to examine into the state of religion there, and the Christians were
denounced to him as bringers-in of strange gods. Ignatius was brought
before him, and boldly confessed Christ to be God. "Dost thou mean Him
who was crucified?" asked the emperor, scornfully. Ignatius answered,
"The very same, Who by His death overcame sin, and enabled those who
bear Him in their hearts to trample under foot all the power of the
devils."

 [Illustration: MARTYRDOM OF S. IGNATIUS.
 From the "Menologium Græcorum." Feb. 1.]

Then Trajan ordered him to be taken to Rome, and exposed to wild
beasts in the amphitheatre. It was generally a distinction reserved
for Roman citizens, that if they had committed an offence in the
provinces, they were sent for punishment to the capital. This,
however, does not appear to have been the reason in the case of
Ignatius. The punishment to which he was condemned was generally
reserved for culprits of the lowest condition; and the Christians were
perhaps viewed in this light by the heathen. Ecclesiastical history
has scarcely preserved a more interesting and affecting narrative,
than that of the journey of Ignatius from Antioch to Rome. In tracing
the procession of the martyr to his final triumph, we forget that we
are reading of a prisoner who was dragged to his death in chains. He
was committed to a guard of ten soldiers, who appear to have treated
him with severity; and, after taking ship at Seleucia, they landed for
a time at Smyrna. He had here the gratification of meeting with
Polycarp, who was bishop of that see, and who, like himself, had
enjoyed a personal acquaintance with S. John. His arrival also excited
a sensation through the whole of Asia Minor. Onesimus, bishop of
Ephesus; Polybius, bishop of Tralles; and Demas, bishop of Magnesia,
came from their respective cities, with a deputation of their clergy,
to visit the venerable martyr. Ignatius took the opportunity of
writing from Smyrna to the Churches over which these bishops presided;
and his epistles to the Ephesians, Trallians, and Magnesians, are
still extant. Hearing also of some Ephesians, who were going to Rome,
and who were likely to arrive there more expeditiously than himself,
he addressed a letter to the Church in that city. His principal object
in writing was to prevent any attempt which the Roman Christians might
have made to procure a reprieve from the death which was awaiting him.
He expresses himself not only willing, but anxious, to meet the wild
beasts in the amphitheatre; and there never, perhaps, was a more
perfect pattern of resignation than that which we find in this letter.

From Smyrna he proceeded to Troas, where he was met by some of the
neighbouring bishops, and the bishop of Philadelphia became the bearer
of a letter which he wrote to the Christians in that city. He also
wrote from the same place to the Church of Smyrna; and the personal
regard which he had for Polycarp, the bishop of that see, will explain
why he also wrote to him, and made it his dying request that he would
attend to the Church of Antioch. These seven epistles, which were
written by Ignatius from Smyrna and Troas, are still extant.

It appears that Ignatius had intended to write letters to some other
Churches, from Troas; but his guards were impatient to proceed, and
once more setting sail, they followed the course which S. Paul had
taken upon his first journey into Greece, and landed at Neapolis.
Hurrying through Macedonia, he embarked once more on the western coast
of Epirus, and crossing the Adriatic, arrived at Rome. There was now
an exhibition of games, which lasted some days; and it seems to have
been intended that the death of Ignatius should form part of the
spectacle. The voyage had been hurried on this account; and on the
last day of the games, which was the 19th December, the holy martyr
was led into the amphitheatre, and his death seems to have been the
work of a moment. In his letter to the Roman Church, he had prayed
that the wild beasts might despatch him speedily, and not refuse to
touch him, as had sometimes been the case. His prayer was heard; and
the Christians of Rome, who had thought themselves blessed to have
even seen the apostolic bishop of Antioch among them, had now to pick
up a few of the larger and harder bones, which was all that the wild
beasts had spared. These were carried to Antioch, and it is evidence
of the great reverence at that early age shown to the relics of the
saints, that the same honours were paid to the sacred relics as had
been paid to the holy martyr himself, when he touched at the different
cities. The friends of Ignatius speak of his remains as "an invaluable
treasure;" and as such they were deposited near one of the gates in
the suburbs of Antioch.

The relics of S. Ignatius were retranslated to Rome, and are dispersed
among several of the churches of the city. The head, however, is in
the possession of the Jesuits of Prague.


SS. PIONIUS, P. AND COMPANIONS, MM.

(A.D. 251.)

  [Roman and many ancient Martyrologies on this day. The Greeks on
  March 11th; the Martyrology attributed to S. Jerome, on March 12th.
  Authorities:--The genuine Acts of these martyrs, and the brief
  account in Eusebius, lib. iv. c. 15.]

In the persecution of Decius, S. Pionius, a priest of Smyrna, was
apprehended; together with Sabina, Macedonia, Asclepiades, and Linus a
priest, whilst they were celebrating the festival of S. Polycarp, on
February 23. Pionius having fasted on the vigil, was forewarned of his
coming passion in a vision. On the morning, which was the Sabbath, or
Saturday, they took holy bread (the Eulogies) and water, and were then
surprised and taken by Polemon, the chief priest of the idol temple in
Smyrna, and his satellites. Polemon in vain urged them to conform to
the imperial edicts, and sacrifice to the gods; but they set their
faces as flint against his solicitations, and were led into the forum,
where Pionius took the opportunity of haranguing the crowds who
hurried up to be present at their trial.

The Smyrnian Church was then suffering the shame of having seen its
bishop, Eudæmon, apostatize, and his example had been followed by many
timorous Christians.

The interrogatory was conducted by Polemon, and is dryly recorded by
the notary who wrote the acts:--The Idol priest said, "Pionius!
sacrifice." But he answered, "I am a Christian." "Whom," said Polemon,
"dost thou worship?" "The Almighty God," answered Pionius, "who made
heaven and earth, and all things in heaven and earth, and us men; who
giveth to all men liberally, as they need; whom we know through His
Word, Christ." Polemon said, "Sacrifice then, only to the Emperor."
Pionius said, "I cannot sacrifice to any man. I am a Christian."

Then--the notary writing all down--Polemon asked, "What is thy name?"
He answered, "Pionius." Polemon said, "Thou art a Christian?" He
answered, "Certainly I am." "To what Church dost thou belong?" asked
Polemon. "I belong to the Catholic Church," answered Pionius. "There
is none other with Christ."

Then he went to Sabina, and put to her the same questions, which she
answered almost in the same words. Next he turned to Asclepiades, and
asked, "What is thy name?" "Asclepiades." "Art thou a Christian?" "I
am." Then said Polemon, "Whom dost thou worship?" Asclepiades
answered, "I worship Jesus Christ." "What!" asked Polemon, "Is that
another God?" "No," answered Asclepiades, "He is the same God of whom
the others spake."

After this the martyrs were taken to prison, followed by a crowd
jeering and insulting them. On the morrow they were led forth again to
trial, and the idol priest endeavoured to force them to enter the
temple, and by violence to compel them to sacrifice. Pionius tore from
his head the sacrificial garlands that the priest had placed upon him.
Polemon, unable to bend the holy martyrs to submission, delivered them
over to Quintilian, the pro-consul, on his arrival at Smyrna, and he
sentenced Pionius to be hung on a rack, and his body to be torn with
hooks of iron, and afterwards to be nailed to a post, and burnt alive.
Metrodorus, a Marcionite priest, underwent the same punishment with
him.


S. EPHRAEM THE SYRIAN, D. C.

(A.D. 378.)

  [Roman and all Latin Martyrologies, except that of Bede, which gives
  July 9th. Commemorated by the Greeks on Jan. 28th. His death took
  place in summer or autumn. Authorities:--His own narration to his
  monks of his conversion, his confession and testament; also the
  oration upon him by S. Gregory Nyssen; an account of him in the Life
  of S. Basil, attributed to S. Amphilochius, Sozomen, etc.]

Saint Ephraem was the son of poor parents of Nisibis, who had
confessed Christ before the persecutors, under Diocletian or his
successors. In his narrative of his conversion, S. Ephraem laments
some of the faults of his youth. "When I was a boy," says he, "I was
rather wild. One day my parents sent me out of the town, and I found a
cow that was in calf feeding in the road leading to the wood. This cow
belonged to very poor people. I took up stones, and began pelting the
cow, and driving it before me into the wood, and I drove the beast on
till in the evening, it fell down dead, and during the night wild
beasts ate it. On my way back I met the poor man who owned it, and he
asked me, 'My son, have you been driving away my cow?' Then I not only
denied, but heaped abuse and insult upon him." Some few days after he
was sent out of the town by his parents again, and he wandered in the
wood, idling with some shepherds, till night fell. Then, as it was too
late to return, he remained the night with the shepherds. That night
the fold was broken into, and some of the sheep were carried off. Then
the shepherds, thinking the boy had been in league with the robbers,
dragged him before the magistrate, and he was cast into prison, where
he found two men in chains, charged, one with homicide, the other with
adultery, though they protested their innocence. In a dream an angel
appeared to Ephraem, and asked him why he was there. The boy began at
once to declare himself guiltless. "Yes," said the angel, "guiltless
thou art of the crime imputed to you, but hast thou forgotten the poor
man's cow? Listen to the conversation of the men who are with thee,
and thou wilt learn that none suffer without cause."

In the morning, the two men began to speak, and one said, "The other
day, as I was going over a bridge, I saw two fellows quarrelling, and
one flung the other over into the water; and I did not put forth my
hand to save him, as I might have done, and so he was drowned."

Presently the other man said, "I am not guilty of this adultery of
which I am charged, but nevertheless I have done a very wicked thing.
Two brothers and a sister were left an inheritance by their father,
and the two young men wished to deprive their sister of what was her
due, and they bribed me to give false evidence whereby the will was
upset, and the property divided between them, to the exclusion of the
poor girl."

After an imprisonment of forty days, Ephraem was brought before the
magistrate along with his fellow prisoners. He says, that when he saw
the two men stripped, and stretched on the rack, "An awful terror came
over me, and I trembled, thinking I was sure to be subjected to the
same treatment as they. Therefore I cried, and shivered, and my heart
altogether failed me. Then the people and the apparitors began to
laugh at my tears and fright, and asked me what I was crying for? 'You
ought to have considered this before, boy! but now tears are of no
avail. You shall soon have a taste of the rack too, never doubt it.'
Then, at these words, my soul melted clean away."

 [Illustration: S. EPHRAEM SYRUS. After Cahier. Feb. 1.]

However, he was spared this time, and the innocence of his companions
having been proved, they were set free. Ephraem was taken back to
prison, where he spent forty more days; and whilst he was there, the
two men who had defrauded their sister of her inheritance, and the man
who had flung his adversary into the river, were caught and chained in
the dungeon with him. These men and Ephraem were brought forth to
trial together, and the men were sentenced, after they had been
racked, and had confessed their crime, to lose their right hands.
Ephraem, in another paroxysm of fear, made a vow that he would become
a monk, if God would spare him the suffering of the rack. To his
extreme terror the magistrate ordered him to be stripped, and the
question to be applied. Then Ephraem stood naked and trembling beside
the rack, when fortunately the servant came up to the magistrate to
tell him that dinner was ready. "Very well," said the magistrate,
"then I will examine this boy another day." And he ordered him back to
prison. On his next appearance, the magistrate, thinking Ephraem had
been punished enough, dismissed him, and he ran off instantly to the
mountains, to an old hermit, and asked him to make of him a monk.[4]

He was eighteen years old when he was baptized, and immediately after
he had received the Sacrament of Regeneration, he began to discipline
his body and soul with great severity. He lay on the bare ground,
often fasted whole days, and spent a considerable part of the night in
prayer. He exercised the handicraft of a sail-maker. He was naturally
a very passionate man, but he learned so completely to subdue his
temper, that the opposite virtue of meekness became conspicuous, so
that he received the title of the "Peaceable man of God." Sozomen
relates that once, after Ephraem had fasted several days, the brother,
who was bringing him a mess of pottage, let the dish fall and broke
it, and strewed the food upon the floor. The saint seeing his
confusion, said cheerfully, "Never mind, if the supper won't come to
me, I will go to the supper." Then, sitting down on the ground by the
broken dish, he picked up the pottage as well as he could.

"He devoted his life to monastic philosophy," says Sozomen; "and
although he had received no education, he became, contrary to all
expectation, so proficient in the learning and language of the
Syrians, that he comprehended with ease the most abstruse problems of
philosophy. His style of writing was so full of glowing oratory and
sublimity of thought, that he surpassed all the writers of Greece. The
productions of Ephraem were translated into Greek during his life, and
translations are even now being made, and yet they preserve much of
their original force, so that his works are not less admired in Greek
than in Syriac. Basil, who was subsequently bishop of the metropolis
of Cappadocia, was a great admirer of Ephraem, and was astonished at
his condition. The opinion of Basil, who was the most learned and
eloquent man of his age, is a stronger testimony I think, to the merit
of Ephraem, than anything that could be indicted in his praise."[5]

S. Gregory Nyssen gives the following testimony to the eloquence of S.
Ephraem: "Who that is proud would not become the humblest of men,
reading his discourse on Humility? Who would not be inflamed with a
divine fire, reading his treatise on Charity? Who would not wish to be
chaste in heart and soul, by reading the praises he has lavished on
Virginity? Who would not be frightened by hearing his discourse on the
Last Judgment, wherein he has depicted it so vividly, that nothing can
be added thereto? God gave him so profound a wisdom, that, though he
had a wonderful facility of speech, yet he could not find expression
for the multitude of thoughts which poured from his mind." At Edessa,
S. Ephraem was ordained deacon; it has been asserted that he
afterwards received the priesthood from the hands of S. Basil, but
this is contradicted by most ancient writers, who affirm that he died
a deacon. He was elected bishop of one town, but hearing it, he
comported himself so strangely, that the people and clergy, supposing
him to have lost his mind, chose another in his place; and he
maintained the same appearance of derangement till the other candidate
was consecrated. The city of Edessa having been severely visited by
famine, he quitted the solitary cell in which he dwelt, and entering
the city, rebuked the rich for permitting the poor to die around them,
instead of imparting to them of their superfluities; and he
represented to them that the wealth which they were treasuring up so
carefully would turn to their own condemnation, and to the ruin of
their souls, which were of more value than all the wealth of earth.
The rich men replied, "We are not intent on hoarding our wealth, but
we know of no one whom we may trust to distribute our goods with
equity." "Then," said Ephraem, "entrust me with that office."

As soon as he had received their money, he fitted up three hundred
beds in the public galleries, and there tended those who were
suffering from the effects of the famine. On the cessation of the
scarcity, he returned to his cell; and after the lapse of a few days
expired.

S. Ephraem was a valiant champion of the orthodox faith. Finding that
the Syrians were fond of singing the heretical hymns of Bardasanes, he
composed a great number of orthodox poems which he set to the same
tunes, and by introducing these, gradually displaced those which were
obnoxious. One instance of his zeal against heresy is curious, though
hardly to be commended. The heretic Apollinarius had composed two
reference books of quotations from Scripture, and arguments he
intended to use in favour of his doctrines, at a public conference
with a Catholic, and these books he lent to a lady. Ephraem borrowed
the books, and glued the pages together, and then returned them.
Apollinarius, nothing doubting, took his volumes to the discussion,
but when he tried to use them, found the pages fast, and retired from
the conference in confusion.


S. SEVERUS, B. C., OF RAVENNA.

(ABOUT A.D. 390.)

  [S. Severus, B. M., of Ravenna, is commemorated on Jan. 1; S.
  Severus, B. C., of Ravenna, on Feb. 1st. Authorities:--Three ancient
  lives, with which agree the accounts in the Martyrologies.]

S. Severus was a poor weaver in Ravenna. Upon the see becoming vacant,
the cathedral was filled with electors to choose a new bishop. Severus
said to his wife Vincentia, "I will visit the minster and see what is
going on." "You had much better remain at home, and not show yourself
in your working clothes among the nobles and well-dressed citizens,"
said she. "Wife! what harm is there in my going?" "You have work to do
here, for your daughter and me, instead of gadding about, sight
seeing." And when Severus persisted in desiring to go, "Very well,"
said Vincentia, "go, and may you come back with a good box on your
ear." And when she saw that he was bent on going, she said, mocking,
"Go then, and get elected bishop."

So he went, and entering the cathedral, stood behind the doors, as he
was ashamed of his common dress covered with flocks of wool. Then when
the Holy Spirit had been invoked to direct the choice of the people,
suddenly there appeared in the cathedral a beautiful white dove,
fluttering at the ear of the poor spinner. And he beat it off, but the
bird returned, and rested on his head. Then the people regarded this
as a heavenly sign, and he was unanimously chosen to be their bishop.
Now Vincentia was at home, and one came running, and told her that her
husband was elected bishop of Ravenna. Then she laughed, and would not
believe it, but when the news was repeated, she said, "This is likely
enough, that a man who tosses a shuttle should make a suitable
prelate!" But when she was convinced, by the story being confirmed by
other witnesses, her amazement rendered her speechless.

After his consecration, Severus lived with her as with a sister, till
she died, and was followed shortly after by her daughter, Innocentia.
Then he laid them both in a tomb, in the church, which had been
prepared for himself. And after many years he knew that he was to die.
So he sang High Mass before all the people, and when the service was
over, he bade all the congregation depart, save only one server. And
when they were gone, he bade the boy close the doors of the cathedral.
Then the bishop went, vested in his pontifical robes, to the sepulchre
of his wife and daughter, and he and the boy raised the stone, and
Severus stood, and looking towards the bodies of his wife and
daughter, he said, "My dear ones, with whom I lived in love so long,
make room for me, for this is my grave, and in death we shall not be
divided." Having said this, he descended into the grave, and laid
himself down between his wife and daughter, and crossed his hands on
his breast, and looked up to heaven and prayed, and then closing his
eyes, gave one sigh, and fell asleep. The relics were translated to
Mayence, in 836, and Oct. 22nd is observed as the feast of this
translation. In art, Severus is represented as a bishop with a shuttle
at his side.


S. BRIDGET, V. ABSS.

(A.D. 525.)

  [S. Bridget, or Bride as she is called in England, is the Patroness
  of Ireland, and was famous throughout northern Europe. Leslie says,
  "She is held in so great honour by Picts, Britons, Angles, and
  Irish, that more churches are dedicated to God in her memory, than
  to any other of the saints;" and Hector Boece says, that she was
  regarded by Scots, Picts, and Irish as only second to the B. Virgin
  Mary. Unfortunately, little authentic is known of her. The lives
  extant are for the most part of late composition, and are collected
  from oral traditions of various value. One life is attributed,
  however, to Bishop Ultan Mac Concubar, d. circ. 662; another, a
  metrical one, is by the monk Chilian, circ. 740; another by one
  Cogitosus, is of uncertain date; another is by Laurence, prior of
  Durham, d. 1154; and there is another, considered ancient, by an
  anonymous author.]

Ireland was, of old, called the Isle of Saints, because of the great
number of holy ones of both sexes who flourished there in former ages;
or, who, coming thence, propagated the faith amongst other nations. Of
this great number of saints the three most eminent, and who have
therefore been honoured as the special patrons of the island, were S.
Patrick their apostle, S. Columba, who converted the Picts, and S.
Bridget, the virgin of Kildare, whose festival is marked in all the
Martyrologies on the 1st day of February.

This holy virgin was born about the middle of the fifth century, in
the village of Fochard, in the diocese of Armagh. Her father was a
nobleman, called Dubtach, descended from Eschaid, the brother of King
Constantine of the Hundred Battles, as he is surnamed by the Irish
historians. The legend of her origin is as follows, but it is not to
be relied upon, as it is not given by Ultan, Cogitosus, or Chilian of
Inis-Keltra.[6] Dubtach had a young and beautiful slave-girl, whom he
dearly loved, and she became pregnant by him, whereat his wife, in
great jealousy and rage, gave him no peace till he had sold her to a
bard, but Dubtach, though he sold the slave-girl, stipulated with the
purchaser that the child should not go with the mother, but should be
returned to him when he claimed it.

Now one day, the king and queen visited the bard to ask an augury as
to the child they expected shortly, and to be advised as to the place
where the queen should be confined. Then the bard said, "Happy is the
child that is born neither in the house nor out of the house!" Now it
fell out that Brotseach, the slave-girl, was shortly after returning
to the house with a pitcher of fresh warm milk from the cow, when she
was seized with labour, and sank down on the threshold, and was
delivered neither in the house nor out of the house, and the pitcher
of warm sweet milk, falling, was poured over the little child.

When Bridget grew up, her father reclaimed her, and treated her with
the same tenderness that he showed to his legitimate children. She had
a most compassionate heart, and gave to every beggar what he asked,
whether it were hers or not. This rather annoyed her father, who took
her one day with him to the king's court, and leaving her outside, in
the chariot, went within to the king, and asked his majesty to buy his
daughter, as she was too expensive for him to keep, owing to her
excessive charity. The king asked to see the girl, and they went
together to the door. In the meantime, a beggar had approached
Bridget, and unable to resist his importunities, she had given him the
only thing she could find, her father's sword, which was a present
that had been made him by the king. When Dubtach discovered this, he
burst forth into angry abuse, and the king asked, "Why didst thou give
away the royal sword, child?" "If beggars assailed me," answered
Bridget calmly, "and asked for my king and my father, I would give
them both away also." "Ah!" said the king, "I cannot buy a girl who
holds us so cheap."

Her great beauty caused her to be sought in marriage by a young noble
of the neighbourhood, but as she had already consecrated herself by
vow to Jesus, the Spouse of virgins, she would not hear of this match.
To rid herself of the importunity of her suitor, she prayed to God,
that He would render her so deformed that no one might regard her. Her
prayer was heard, and a distemper fell on one of her eyes, by which
she lost that eye, and became so disagreeable to the sight, that no
one thought of giving her any further molestation.[7] Thus she easily
gained her father's consent that she should consecrate her virginity
to God, and become a nun. She took with her three other virgins of
that country, and bidding farewell to her friends, went in 469 to the
holy bishop Maccail, then at Usny hill, Westmeath; who gave the sacred
veil to her and her companions, and received their profession of
perpetual virginity. S. Bridget was then only fourteen years old, as
some authors assert. The Almighty was pleased on this occasion to
declare how acceptable this sacrifice was, by restoring to Bridget the
use of her eye, and her former beauty, and, what is still more
remarkable, and is particularly celebrated, as well in the Roman, as
in other ancient Martyrologies, was, that when the holy virgin, bowing
her head, kissed the dry wood of the feet of the altar, it immediately
grew green, in token of her purity and sanctity. The story is told of
her, that when she was a little child, playing at holy things, she got
a smooth slab of stone which she tried to set up as a little altar;
then a beautiful angel joined in her play, and made wooden legs to the
altar, and bored four holes in the stone, into which the legs might be
driven, so as to make it stand.

 [Illustration: S. BRIDGET. After Cahier. Feb. 1.]

S. Bridget having consecrated herself to God, built a cell for her
abode, under a goodly oak, thence called Kil-dare or the Cell of the
Oak; and this foundation grew into a large community, for a great
number of virgins resorted to her, attracted by her sanctity, and put
themselves under her direction. And so great was the reputation of her
virtues, and the place of her abode was so renowned and frequented on
her account, that the many buildings erected in the neighbourhood
during her lifetime formed a large town, which was soon made the seat
of a bishop, and in process of time, the metropolitan see of the whole
province.

What the rule embraced by S. Bridget was, is not known, but it appears
from her history, that the habit which she received at her profession
from S. Maccail was white. Afterwards, she herself gave a rule to her
nuns; so that she is justly numbered among the founders of religious
Orders. This rule was followed for a long time by the greatest part of
the monasteries of sacred virgins in Ireland; all acknowledging our
Saint as their mother and mistress, and the monastery of Kildare as
the headquarters of their Order. Moreover, Cogitosus informs us, in
his prologue to her life, that not only did she rule nuns, but also a
large community of men, who lived in a separate monastery. This
obliged the Saint to call to her aid out of his solitude, the holy
bishop S. Conlaeth, to be the director and father to her monks; and at
the same time to be the bishop of the city. The church of Kildare, to
suit the requirements of the double monastery and the laity, was
divided by partitions into three parts, Cogitosus says, one for the
monks, one for the nuns, and the third for the lay people.

As S. Bridget was obliged to go long journeys, the bishop ordained her
coachman priest, and the story is told that one day as she and a
favourite nun sat in the chariot, the coachman preached to them the
Word of God, turning his head over his shoulder. Then said the abbess,
"Turn round, that we may hear better, and throw down the reins." So he
cast the reins over the front of the chariot, and addressed his
discourse to them with his back to the horses. Then one of the horses
slipped its neck from the yoke, and ran free; and so engrossed were
Bridget and her companion in the sermon of the priestly charioteer,
that they did not observe that the horse was loose, and the carriage
running all on one side. On another occasion she was being driven over
a common near the Liffey, when they came to a long hedge, for a man
had enclosed a portion of the common. Then the man shouted to them to
go round, and Bridget bade her charioteer so do. But he, thinking that
they had a right of way across the newly made field, drove straight at
the hedge; then the proprietor of the field ran forward, and the
horses started, and the jolt of the chariot threw S. Bridget and the
coachman out of the vehicle, and severely bruised them both. Then the
abbess, picking herself up said, "Better to have gone round; short
cuts bring broken bones."

Once a family came to Kildare, leaving their house and cattle
unguarded, that they might attend a festival in the church, and
receive advice from S. Bridget. Whilst they were absent, some thieves
stole their cows, and drove them away.

They had to pass the Liffey, which was much swollen, consequently the
thieves stripped, and tied their clothes to the horns of the cattle,
intending to drive the cows into the river, and swim after them. But
the cows ran away, carrying off with them the clothes of the robbers
attached to their horns, and they did not stop till they reached the
gates of the convent of S. Bridget, the nude thieves racing after
them. The holy abbess restored to them their garments, and severely
reprimanded them for their attempted robbery.

Other strange miracles are attributed to her, of which it is
impossible to relate a tithe. She is said, after a shower of rain, to
have come hastily into a chamber, and cast her wet cloak over a
sunbeam, mistaking it, in her hurry, for a beam of wood. And the cloak
remained there, and the ray of sun did not move, till late at night
one of her maidens ran to her, to tell her that the sunbeam waited its
release, so she hasted, and removed her cloak, and the ray retired
after the long departed sun.

Once a rustic, seeing a wolf run about in proximity to the palace,
killed it; not knowing that it was the tame creature of the king; and
he brought the dead beast to the king, expecting a reward. Then the
prince in anger ordered the man to be cast into prison and executed.
Now when Bridget heard this, her spirit was stirred within her, and
mounting her chariot, she drove to the court, to intercede for the
life of the poor countryman. And on the way, there came a wolf over
the bog racing towards her, and it leaped into the chariot, and
allowed her to caress it. Then, when she reached the palace, she went
before the king, with the wolf at her side, and said, "Sire! I have
brought thee a better wolf than that thou hast lost, spare therefore
the life of the poor man who unwittingly slew thy beast." Then the
king accepted her present with great joy, and ordered the prisoner to
be released.

One evening she sat with sister Dara, a holy nun, who was blind, as
the sun went down; and they talked of the love of Jesus Christ, and
the joys of Paradise. Now their hearts were so full, that the night
fled away whilst they spoke together, and neither knew that so many
hours had sped. Then the sun came up from behind Wicklow mountains,
and the pure white light made the face of earth bright and gay. Then
Bridget sighed, when she saw how lovely were earth and sky, and knew
that Dara's eyes were closed to all this beauty. So she bowed her head
and prayed, and extended her hand and signed the dark orbs of the
gentle sister. Then the darkness passed away from them, and Dara saw
the golden ball in the east, and all the trees and flowers glittering
with dew in the morning light. She looked a little while, and then,
turning to the abbess, said, "Close my eyes again, dear mother, for
when the world is so visible to the eyes, God is seen less clearly to
the soul." So Bridget prayed once more, and Dara's eyes grew dark
again.

A madman, who troubled all the neighbourhood, came one day across the
path of the holy abbess. Bridget arrested him, and said, "Preach to me
the Word of God, and go thy way." Then he stood still and said, "O
Bridget, I obey thee. Love God, and all will love thee. Honour God,
and all will honour thee. Fear God, and all will fear thee." Then with
a howl he ran away. Was there ever a better sermon preached in fewer
words.

A very remarkable prophesy of the heresies and false doctrines of
later years must not be omitted. One day Bridget fell asleep whilst a
sermon was being preached by S. Patrick, and when the sermon was over,
she awoke. Then the preacher asked her, "O Bridget, why didst thou
sleep, when the Word of Christ was spoken?" She fell on her knees and
asked pardon, saying, "Spare me, spare me, my father, for I have had a
dream." Then said Patrick, "Relate thy vision to me." And Bridget
said, "Thy hand-maiden saw, and behold the land was ploughed far and
wide, and sowers went forth in white raiment, and sowed good seed. And
it sprang up a white and goodly harvest. Then came other ploughers in
black, and sowers in black, and they hacked, and tore up, and
destroyed that beauteous harvest, and strewed tares far and wide. And
after that, I looked, and behold, the island was full of sheep and
swine, and dogs and wolves, striving with one another and rending one
another." Then said S. Patrick, "Alas, my daughter! in the latter days
will come false teachers having false doctrine; who shall lead away
many, and the good harvest which has sprung up from the Gospel seed we
have sown will be trodden under foot; and there shall be controversies
in the faith between the faithful and the bringers-in of strange
doctrine."

Now when the time of her departure drew nigh, Bridget called to her a
dear pupil, named Darlugdach and foretold the day on which she should
die. Then Darlugdach wept bitterly, and besought her mother to suffer
her to die with her. But the blessed Bridget said, "Nay, my daughter,
thou shalt live a whole year after my departure; and then shalt thou
follow me." And so it came to pass. Having received the sacred
viaticum from the hands of S. Nennidh, the bishop, the holy abbess
exchanged her mortal life for a happy immortality, on February 1st,
525.[8] Her body was interred in the church of Kildare; where her nuns
for some ages, to honour her memory, kept a fire always burning; from
which that convent was called the House of Fire, till Henry of London,
Archbishop of Dublin, to take away all occasion of superstition, in
1220, ordered it to be extinguished.

The body of the Saint was afterwards translated to Down-Patrick, where
it was found in a triple vault, together with the bodies of S. Patrick
and S. Columba, in the year 1185. These bodies were, with great
solemnity, translated the following year by the Pope's legate,
accompanied by fifteen bishops, in presence of an immense number of
the clergy, nobility, and people, to a more honourable place of the
cathedral of Down; where they were kept, with due honour, till the
time of Henry VIII., when the monument was destroyed by Leonard, Lord
Grey, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. S. Bridget's head was saved by some
of the clergy, who carried it to Neustadt, in Austria; and from
thence, in 1587, it was taken to the church of the Jesuits at Lisbon,
to whom the Emperor Rudolf II. gave it.

In art, S. Bridget is usually represented with her perpetual flame as
a symbol; sometimes with a column of fire, said to have been seen
above her head when she took the veil.


S. DARLUGDACH, V.

(A.D. 526.)

  [Authorities:--The lives of S. Bridget.]

Amongst the nuns of S. Bridget's monastery of Kildare, there was one
named Darlugdach. When young, she followed S. Bridget, and being very
dear to her, slept with the abbess.

Darlugdach, not guarding her eyes with sufficient strictness, saw, and
fell in love with a man, who also became enamoured of her, and their
ardent glances revealed their mutual passion. A plan was formed that
she should elope with him, on a certain night; and she laid herself in
the bosom of the sleeping abbess with beating heart, troubled by a
conflict between duty and passion. At last she rose, and in an agony
of uncertainty, cast herself on her knees, and besought God to give
her strength to master her love, and then, in the vehemence of her
resolve, she thrust her naked feet into the red coals that glowed on
the hearth, and held them there till the pain had conquered the
passion. After that, she softly stole into bed again, and crept into
the bosom of her holy mother. When morning broke, Bridget rose, and
looked at the blistered and scorched soles, and touching them, said
gently, "I slept not, dear child, but was awake, and saw thy struggle,
and now, because thou hast fought valiantly, and hast conquered, the
flame of lust shall no more hurt thee." And she healed her feet.

Darlugdach, as has been related in the life of S. Bridget, besought
her spiritual mother to let her die with her, but S. Bridget promised
that she should follow on the anniversary of her departure, after the
expiration of a year. And so it was.


S. SEVERUS, B. OF AVRANCHES.

(6TH CENT.)

  [French Martyrologies. Authority:--A life by an anonymous author of
  uncertain date, but apparently trustworthy.]

S. Severus was the child of very poor Christian parents, who hired him
to a nobleman named Corbecan, a heathen, who employed him in tending
his herd of mares. The boy loved to pasture the horses in the
neighbourhood of a little church dedicated to S. Martin, on the excuse
that the herbage there was richer than elsewhere, but really out of
love for the House of God. Unable to bear the sight of the misery of
the poor, during a cold winter, the boy gave them the clothes off his
back, and returned one day through the snow to his master's castle,
stripped of everything save his breeches. Corbecan, in a rage, drove
him out of the house, and forbade him to shelter in it that night. The
lad went to the horses, and crouched among them, taking warmth from
their breath. His gentleness and piety, in the end, produced such an
impression on Corbecan, that he placed himself under instruction in
the faith, and was baptized, he and his whole house. Severus
afterwards retired into a solitary place, and lived as an hermit, till
a number of disciples gathering round him, he was ordained priest.
Against his will he was dragged from his beloved retreat to be
consecrated bishop of Avranches. He ruled that see for several years
with great zeal and discretion, till the burden became intolerable,
and he besought the people to elect a successor. Then he laid down his
staff, and retired once more to his forest cell, where he became the
master of the blessed Giles. The day of his death is uncertain. His
body was translated to the cathedral of Rouen.

In art he is represented with the mares of his master.


S. SIGEBERT, K. C.

(A.D. 656.)

  [French Martyrology. Authorities:--His life by Sigebert of
  Gemblours, d. 1112, and mention by Gregory of Tours, and
  Flodoard.]

This royal saint was the son of Dagobert I., King of France. The
father for a long time refused to have his son baptized, but at length
by the advice of S. Ouen and S. Eligius, then laymen in his court, he
recalled S. Amand, bishop of Maestricht, whom he had banished for
reproving his vices, and bade him baptize his son Sigebert. The young
prince's education was entrusted to Pepin, mayor of the palace, who
carried his charge into Aquitain, to his estates. But at the age of
three, Sigebert was invested by his father with the kingdom of
Austrasia, or Eastern France, including Provence, Switzerland,
Bavaria, Swabia, Thuringia, Franconia, the Rhenish Palatinate, Alsace,
Trèves, Lorraine, Champagne, Upper Picardy, and Auvergne.

Dagobert died in 638, and was succeeded by Clovis II., in the kingdom
of Western France. Pepin of Landen, was mayor of the palace to
Sigebert, and strove to train the young king in godliness and
Christian virtues. By his justice and temperance, S. Sigebert rendered
himself in his youth greatly beloved and respected by his subjects.

Pepin dying in 640, the king appointed Grimoald, mayor of the palace,
in his father's room. The Thuringians revolting, Sigebert reduced them
to their duty; and this is the only war in which he was engaged. His
munificence in founding churches and monasteries, his justice in
ruling, and the private virtues of his spotless life, made him to be
regarded as a model of a saintly king. After a reign of eighteen years
from the date of his father's death, he died at the age of
twenty-five, and was buried in the abbey of S. Martin, near Metz,
which he had built. His body was found incorrupt in 1063, and in 1170
it was enshrined in a silver case. When Charles V. laid siege to Metz,
Francis of Lorraine, Duke of Guise, demolished all the monasteries and
other buildings in the suburbs which could give harbour to the enemy,
amongst others that of S. Martin. The relics of the saintly king were
then removed to the collegiate church of Our Lady, at Nancy, where
they repose in a magnificent shrine.


S. JOHN OF THE GRATE, B. C.

(A.D. 1163.)

  [His festival is observed as a double by the Church of S. Malo, in
  Brittany. His name is inserted in Saussaye's supplement to the
  Gallican Martyrology. Authorities:--The letters of S. Bernard and
  Nicolas of Clairvaux.]

The illustrious prelate S. John, commonly called "Of the Grate,"
because of an iron grating which surrounded his sepulchre, was a
Breton, the son of parents in a middle class of life. He was born
about the year 1098; and from an early age gave indications of piety.
In the schools to which he was sent, in a short time he made rapid
progress. Peter, abbot of Celle, speaking of him, calls him "the holy
bishop, faithful servant of God, a man of courage, loving poverty, a
brilliant light, dissipating the densest darkness." His life, as a
bishop, was spent in a series of lawsuits with the monks of
Marmoutiers. His episcopal seat was at Aleth on the main land, but he
desired to transfer it to the island of Aaron, now called S. Malo, on
account of the peril to which Aleth was exposed through pirates, and
the intestine wars which devastated Brittany. He claimed the island as
belonging to the episcopal property of Aleth, but was opposed by the
monks of Marmoutiers, who claimed the Church of S. Malo. The case was
referred to the Pope, who ordered a commission of French bishops to
try the case, and they decided against John. He considered that his
cause had been prejudged by them, and visited Rome to carry his appeal
in person to the Pope. But Lucius II. would not listen to him, and he
was condemned to lose his see. He then retired under the protection of
S. Bernard, to Clairvaux, till, on the decease of Lucius II., a monk
of Clairvaux was elevated to the papal throne, under the title of
Eugenius III. John at once appealed again, and was heard; a fresh
commission was appointed, and he was restored to all his rights, and
the monks of Marmoutiers were obliged to cede the Church of S. Malo to
the bishop. John obtained decisions conformable to that of Eugenius
III., from his successors, Anastasius IV. and Adrian IV. That the
claim of John was reasonable appears certain. Only three years before
he made it, the inhabitants of Aleth had been obliged to take refuge
in the island of Aaron to escape the ravages of the Normans, who had
already twice pillaged and burnt the city; and it is certain that
several of the predecessors of John of the Grate had borne the title
of bishop of S. Malo, as well as of Aleth.

During his reign a strange heresy broke out. Eon de l'Etoile, a
fanatic, took to himself the title of "Judge of the quick and dead,"
and armed with a forked stick, shared with God the empire of the
universe. When he turned upwards the two prongs of his stick, he gave
to the Almighty the government of two-thirds of the world, and when he
turned the prongs downwards, he assumed them as his own. This poor
visionary was followed by a number of peasants who pillaged churches,
and committed all sorts of disorders. They were condemned, in 1148, by
the Council of Rheims, and were reduced to submission by the temporal
power. John exerted himself, by persuasion and instruction, to
disabuse of their heresy such of the fanatics as over-ran his diocese,
and succeeded in converting many of his wandering sheep.

He died in the odour of sanctity on Feb. 1st, 1163, and was buried on
the Gospel side of the altar in the Church of S. Malo. His reputation
for virtue was so well established, that almost immediately he
received popular reverence as a Saint. Numerous miracles augmented the
devotion of the people. In 1517, one of his successors, Denis
Brigonnet, ambassador of the king to Rome, obtained from Pope Leo X.
permission for him to be commemorated in a solemn office, as a
confessor bishop. This was the year in which began the schism of
Luther.

On the 15th October, 1784, Mgr. Antoine-Joseph des Laurents, last
bishop of S. Malo but one, examined the relics of the blessed one. He
found the bones of S. John enveloped in his pontifical vestments, his
pastoral staff at his side, and ring on his finger. During the
Revolution the relics of the Saint were ordered to be cast into the
sea, but the order was countermanded, and the sexton was required to
bury them on the common fosse in the cemetery. The grave-digger, whose
name was Jean Coquelin, being a good Catholic, disobeyed the order so
far as to lay the bones apart in a portion of the new cemetery as yet
occupied by no other bodies. In November, 1799, he announced the
secret to M. Manet, a priest who had remained through the Reign of
Terror, in S. Malo; and this venerable ecclesiastic assisted by
another priest and some religious, verified the relics. A sealed box
received the precious deposit, and it was restored to its ancient
shrine on 7th March, 1823. Unfortunately the loss of a document which
supplied one necessary link in the chain of evidence authenticating
the relics was missing, consequently they could not be exposed to the
veneration of the faithful. By a strange accident this document was
recovered later; whereupon the bishop wrote to Rome to state the
proofs which were now complete. The necessary sanction having been
received, the sacred relics were enshrined on the 16th November, 1839,
with great ceremony; and are now preserved in the Church of S. Malo.

In French, S. John is called S. Jean de la Grille; in Latin, S.
Joannes de Craticula.


B. RAYMOND OF FITERO, AB. C.

(A.D. 1163.)

  [Cistercian Breviary. Authority:--Radez, Chronic de las ordines y
  Cavall. de Santiago, Calatrava, y Alcantara.]

In the year A.D. 714, the Moors, having conquered King Roderick, took
possession of Andalusia, and fortified the city of Oreto, to which
they gave the name of Calatrava; of which they remained masters for
nearly four hundred years, till Alfonso the Warlike took possession of
it, in the year 1147, and gave it to the Templars, to guard against
the irruption of the infidels. But they held it for only eight years.
The forces which the Moors assembled to recover Calatrava so
discouraged them, that they gave up the city into the hands of Don
Sancho, who had succeeded to the kingdom of Castille, on the death of
Alfonso, and withdrew from it. This prince announced to his court that
if any nobleman would undertake the defence of the place, he should
have and hold it, in perpetuity, as his own property. But no one
offered; the host of the Moors which had so alarmed the Templars,
caused equal dismay in the minds of the nobles at court. A monk of the
order of Citeaux alone had courage to undertake the defence of the
town. This was Don Didacus Velasquez, monk of the abbey of Our Lady of
Fitero, in the kingdom of Navarre. He had borne arms before he assumed
the white habit of Citeaux, and was well known to King Sancho, and
this perhaps was the reason why his abbot, Don Raymond, had taken him
with him on a visit to the king, about some matter concerning his
monastery, at this very time. He entreated the abbot to allow him to
ask permission of Sancho to undertake the defence of Calatrava.
Raymond, at first, rejected the proposal, but at length, gained by the
zeal and confidence of Didacus, he boldly asked the city of the
prince. He was regarded as mad, but Sancho was prevailed upon by the
evident assurance of the two monks to give the town of Calatrava to
the Cistercian Order, and especially to the abbey of Fitero, on
condition that the monks held it against the infidels. This was in
1158.

The abbot Raymond and his companion Velasquez then proposed to the
king to found a military Order of Calatrava, and after having obtained
his consent, they communicated their design to the bishop of Toledo,
who not only approved it, but gave them a large sum of money for the
fortification of the town, and accorded indulgences to all such as
should take arms in its defence, or contribute arms or money for the
purpose. Several persons joined the two monks, and in a short while an
army was raised, at the head of which they entered Calatrava, and took
possession of it. The walls were repaired and completed with such
expedition and strength, that the Moors abandoned their purpose of
attacking it, and withdrew.

The abbot Raymond, having nothing further to fear from the infidels,
applied himself to organise the new military Order, which took its
name from this town. The general chapter of Citeaux prescribed the
manner of life and habit of these warrior monks, but historians are
not agreed as to the colour or shape of the original habit.

As the territory of Calatrava was almost devoid of inhabitants, the
abbot Raymond returned to Fitero, where he left only the aged and
infirm monks, bringing all who were active and young to Calatrava,
together with a great number of cattle, and twenty thousand peasants,
that he might settle them in the newly acquired territory. He governed
the order six years, and died at Cirvelos, in the year 1163. After his
death, the knights of Calatrava, although they were novices of Citeaux
into whose hands he had put arms, refused to be governed by an abbot,
and to have monks among them. They elected as their Grand Master one
of their number, Don Garcias; and the monks, who had chosen their new
abbot, Don Rudolf, retired with him to Cirvelos, where they began an
action against the knights, to eject them, that they might recover
possession of Calatrava, which the king had given to their order, and
especially to their house of Fitero. But a reconciliation was
effected, probably through fear of the Moors, and the knights ceded to
them a house at S. Petro de Gurniel, in the diocese of Osma, with all
its dependencies, and there they built a monastery, leaving Calatrava
in the hands of the knights.

In the year 1540, the knights were allowed to marry, and took only the
vows of poverty, obedience, and conjugal fidelity; since the year
1652, they have added a fourth; to defend and maintain the Immaculate
Conception of the blessed Virgin.


S. VERDIANA, V. R.

(A.D. 1242.)

  [Roman and Benedictine Martyrology, those of Menardus, Ferrarius,
  &c. Authority:--An old contemporary life, falsely attributed to
  Atto, B. of Pistoria.]

Verdiana was the child of poor, though well-born parents; and her
knowledge of the sufferings of the poor from her own experience in
early years made her ever full of pity for those in need. At twelve
years old she was noted for her beautiful and modest countenance, and
humble deportment. A wealthy relation, a count, took her into his
house, and made her wait upon his wife. Her strict probity and
scrupulous discharge of her duties so gained the confidence of her
master and mistress, that they entrusted to her the entire management
of their house. One day that there was a famine raging in the diocese
of Florence, and the poor were in extreme distress, the girl saw some
miserable wretches dying from exhaustion at the door. Her master had a
vessel of beans, and she hastily emptied the box, and fed the starving
wretches with them. This would have been an act of questionable
morality, were it not for the extremity of the case, when, to save
life, an act is justified which would have been unjust were there no
such an imperious necessity. Her master had, in the meantime, sold the
beans, and he shortly after returned with the money. He went to the
vessel, to send it to the purchaser, but found it empty. "Then," says
the contemporary writer, "he began to shout and storm against the
servants, and make such a to-do as to cause great scandal in the house
and among the neighbours. Now when all the house was turned
topsy-turvy about these beans, and was in an uproar, the lord's
hand-maiden, with great confidence, betook herself to prayer, and
spent the night in supplication. And on the morrow, the vessel was
found full of beans as before. Then the master was called, and she
bade him abstain for the future from such violence, for Christ who had
received the beans had returned them."

By the kindness of the Count, her relative, she was enabled to make a
pilgrimage to S. James, of Compostella, in company with a pious lady.
On her return, she resolved to adopt the life of a recluse, and after
long preparation, and a visit to Rome, where she spent three years,
she obtained the desire of her heart, and received the veil from the
hands of a canon of the Church of Castel Fiorentino, her native place,
and bearing the Cross, preceded and followed by all the clergy and
people, she was conducted to her cell, and, having been admitted into
it, the door was walled up. In this cell she spent many years,
conversing with those who visited her, and receiving her food through
a window, through which, also, the priest communicated her. Two large
snakes crept in at this window, one day, and thenceforth took up their
abode with her. She received these fellow-comrades with great
repugnance, but overcame it, and fed them from her own store of
provisions. They would glide forth when no one was near, but never
failed to return for the night, and when she took her meals. On one
occasion they were injured by some peasants who pursued them with
sticks and stones. Verdiana healed them, nevertheless the rustics
attacked them again, killed one, and drove the other away, so that it
never returned to the cell of the recluse.

When the holy woman felt that the hour of her release approached, she
made her last confession and received the Blessed Sacrament through
her window, and then closing it opened her psalter, and began to
recite the penitential psalms. Next morning the people finding the
window closed, and receiving no answer to their taps, broke into the
cell, and found her dead, kneeling with eyes and hands upraised to
heaven, and the psalter before her open at the psalm _Miserere mihi_,
"Have mercy upon me, O God! after Thy great goodness; and according to
the multitude of Thy mercies, do away mine offences."

[1] Vincent of Beauvais, and other late writers, say that the name of
God was found after his death written in gold letters on his heart;
but this is only one instance of the way in which legends have been
coined to explain titles, the spiritual significance of which was not
considered sufficiently wondrous for the vulgar.

[2] Lib. vi. c. 8.

[3] De Bel. Jud. vii. 3.

[4] As S. Ephraem related the incident several times to his monks, and
they wrote it down from what he had related, there exist several
versions of the story slightly differing from one another.

[5] Hist. Eccl. lib. iii. c. 16.

[6] Moreover it contradicts the positive statements of more reliable
authors, that Bridget was the legitimate daughter of Brotseach, the
wife of Dubtach.

[7] But this legend is given very differently in another Life, and
Cogitosus and the first and fourth Lives do not say anything about it.

[8] As near as can be ascertained; see Lanigan, Eccl. Hist. of
Ireland, vol. 1, p. 455.

 [Illustration: Tomb of Joshua. _From the Greek Menology._]




February 2.

The Purification of S. Mary.

  S. CORNELIUS, _the Centurion, B. of Cæsarea, 1st cent._
  S. FLOSCULUS, _B. of Orleans, circ._ A.D. 500.
  S. LAURENCE, _Abp. of Canterbury_, A.D. 619.
  S. ADALBALD, _C. in Belgium and Aquitaine_, A.D. 652.
  S. ADELOGA, _V. Abss. at Kitzingen, 8th cent._
  SS. MARTYRS, _of Ebbecksdorf_, A.D. 880.
  B. PETER CAMBIAN, _O. S.D., M. in Piedmont_, A.D. 1365.


 THE PURIFICATION OF S. MARY, OR THE
 PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE.

The purification is a double feast, partly in memory of the B.
Virgin's purification, this being the fortieth day after the birth of
her Son, which she observed according to the Law (Leviticus xii. 4),
though there was no need for such a ceremony, she having contracted no
defilement through her childbearing. Partly also in memory of Our
Lord's presentation in the temple, which the Gospel for the day
commemorates.

The Old Law commanded, that a woman having conceived by a man, if she
brought forth a male child, should remain forty days retired in her
house, as unclean; at the end of which she should go to the temple to
be purified, and offer a lamb and a turtle dove; but, if she were
poor, a pair of turtle doves or pigeons, desiring the priest to pray
to God for her. This law the Blessed Virgin accomplished (Luke ii. 12)
with the exercise of admirable virtues; especially did she exhibit her
obedience, although she knew that she was not obliged to keep the law,
yet, inasmuch as her Son had consented to be circumcised, though He
needed it not, so did she stoop to fulfil the law, lest she should
offend others. She also exhibited her humility, in being willing to be
treated as one unclean, and as one that stood in need of being
purified, as if she had not been immaculate. Among the Greeks, the
festival goes by the name of _Hypapante_, which denotes the meeting of
our Lord by Symeon and Anna, in the temple; in commemoration of which
occurrence it was first made a festival in the Church by the emperor
Justinian I., A.D. 542. The emperor is said to have instituted it on
occasion of an earthquake, which destroyed half the city of
Pompeiopolis, and of other calamities. It was considered in the Greek
Church as one of the feasts belonging to her Lord (Despotikaì
Heortaì). The name of the Purification was given to it in the 9th
century by the Roman pontiffs. In the Greek Church the prelude of this
festival, which retains its first name, Hypapante, is "My soul doth
magnify the Lord, for He hath regarded the lowliness of his
hand-maiden;" and a festival of Symeon and Anna is observed on the
following day.

 [Illustration: PURIFICATION OF S. MARY THE VIRGIN.
 From the Great Missal. Feb. 2.]

In the Western Church it has usually been called "Candlemas Day," from
the custom of lighting up churches with tapers and lamps in
remembrance of our Saviour having been this day declared by Symeon to
be "a light to lighten the Gentiles." Processions were used with a
similar object, of which S. Bernard gives the following
description:--"We go in procession, two by two, carrying candles in
our hands, which are lighted not at a common fire, but a fire first
blessed in the church by a bishop. They that go out first return last;
and in the way we sing, 'Great is the glory of the Lord.' We go two by
two in commendation of charity and a social life; for so our Saviour
sent out his disciples. We carry light in our hands: first, to signify
that our light should shine before men; secondly, this we do on this
day, especially, in memory of the Wise Virgins (of whom this blessed
Virgin is the chief) that went to meet their Lord with their lamps lit
and burning. And from this usage and the many lights set up in the
church this day, it is called Candelaria, or Candlemas. Because our
works should be all done in the holy fire of charity, therefore the
candles are lit with holy fire. They that go out first return last, to
teach humility, 'in humility preferring one another.' Because God
loveth a cheerful giver, therefore we sing in the way. The procession
itself is to teach us that we should not stand idle in the way of
life, but proceed from virtue to virtue, not looking back to that
which is behind, but reaching forward to that which is before."

The Purification is a common subject of representation in Christian
art, both Eastern and Western. From the evident unsuitableness of the
mystery of the Circumcision to actual representation, it is not
usually depicted in works of art, and the Presentation in the Temple
has been generally selected, with better taste, for this purpose. The
prophecy of Symeon, "Yea, a sword shall pierce through Thine own soul
also," made to the blessed Virgin, is the first of her seven sorrows.

The Christian rite of "The Churching of Women" is a perpetuation of
the ancient ceremony required by the Mosaic Law. How long a particular
office has been used in the Christian Church, for the thanksgiving and
benediction of woman after child-birth, it would be difficult to say;
but it is probably most ancient, since we find that all the Western
rituals, and those of the patriarchate of Constantinople, contain such
an office. The Greeks appoint three prayers for the mother on the
first day of the child's birth. On the eighth day, the nurse brings
the child to church, and prayer is made for him before the entrance to
the nave. On the fortieth day, the mother and the future sponsor at
the child's baptism bring the child. After an introductory service of
the usual kind, the mother, holding the child, bows her head; the
priest crosses the child, and touching his head, says, "Let us pray
unto the Lord; O Lord God Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who didst create by Thy word all creatures, rational and
irrational, who didst bring into being all things out of nothing; we
beseech and entreat Thee, purify from all sin and pollution this Thy
handmaid, whom by Thy will, Thou hast preserved and permitted to enter
into Thy holy Church; that she may be deemed worthy to partake,
without condemnation, of Thy holy mysteries." (If the child has not
survived, the prayer ends here; if it be alive, the priest continues),
"And bless the child born of her. Increase, sanctify, direct, teach,
guide him; for Thou hast brought him to the birth and hast shown him
the light of this world; that so he may be deemed worthy of the mental
light at the time that Thou hast ordained, and be numbered among Thy
holy flock: through Thy only begotten Son, with whom Thou art blessed,
together with Thy all-holy, good, life-giving Spirit, now, always, and
for ever and ever."

Other prayers referring to the mother of the child follow. Allusion is
made to the presentation of Christ, in the Temple. The child is taken
in the priest's arms to various parts of the church as an introduction
to the sanctuary. A boy is taken to the altar; a girl only to the
central door of the screen. There is a separate form in case of
miscarriage.

 [Illustration: THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. After Fra Angelico. Feb. 2.]


S. CORNELIUS THE CENTURION, B.

(1ST CENT.)

  [Roman and other Western Martyrologies. Commemorated by the Greeks
  on Sept. 13th. Authorities:--The Acts of the Holy Apostles, c. 10,
  the notices in the Martyrologies, and allusions in the Epistles of
  S. Jerome. The Acts given by Metaphrastes are not deserving of much
  attention.]

Cornelius, the centurion, was officer of the Italian band at Cæsarea.
He was a devout proselyte, who feared God, with all his household, and
gave much alms to the poor and prayed often and earnestly to God. He
saw in a vision an angel, who told him that his prayers and alms had
come up for a memorial before God, and that he was now to hear the
words of Salvation, and to be instructed in the fulness of divine
truth. He was to send to Joppa, to the house of one Simon, a tanner,
for S. Peter, the prince of the Apostles, who would instruct and
baptize him.

This he accordingly did, and S. Peter, hastening to Cæsarea, baptized
him and all his house. And the Holy Ghost fell upon them.

Cornelius was afterwards, by S. Peter, ordained bishop of Cæsarea,
where he strove mightily to advance the kingdom of Christ, and
witnessed a good confession before the chief magistrate. He died at a
ripe old age, and was buried secretly in a tomb belonging to a friend,
a Christian of wealth. And, it is said, that a bramble grew over the
spot and laced the entrance over with its thorny arms, so that none
could enter in till S. Silvanus, bishop of Philippopolis, in Thrace,
in the beginning of the 5th century, hacked away the bramble, and
discovered, and translated the sacred relics.


S. LAURENCE, ABP. OF CANTERBURY.

(A.D. 619.)

  [Roman and other Western Martyrologies. Authorities:--Bede, Hist.
  Eccl. lib. ii. c. 4, 6, 7. Malmesbury lib. de Gest. Pontif. Angl.]

Laurence was one of the first missionaries to the Saxons, who came
over with S. Augustine; and he succeeded the Apostle of England in the
see of Canterbury, in 608, in which he sat eleven years. Bede says,
"Laurence succeeded Augustine in the bishopric, having been ordained
thereto by the latter, in his lifetime, lest, upon his death, the
state of the Church, as yet unsettled, might begin to falter, if it
were destitute of a pastor, though but for one hour. Wherein he
followed the example of the first pastor of the Church, Peter, who,
having founded the Church of Christ at Rome, is said to have
consecrated Clement his assistant in preaching the Gospel, and at the
same time, his successor. Laurence, being advanced to the degree of
archbishop, laboured indefatigably, both by frequent exhortations and
examples of piety, to raise to perfection the foundation of the
Church, which had been so nobly laid. In short, he not only took care
of the new Church formed among the English, but endeavoured also to
employ his pastoral solicitude among the ancient inhabitants of
Britain, as also among the Scots, who inhabited the island of Ireland.
For when he understood that the course of life and profession of the
Scots, as well as that of the Britons, was not truly ecclesiastical,
especially that they did not celebrate Easter at the correct time, he
wrote jointly with his fellow-bishops, an exhortatory epistle,
entreating and conjuring them to observe unity of peace, and
conformity with the Church of Christ spread throughout the world."

But soon troubles arose which obliged Archbishop Laurence to withdraw
his attention from the British bishops to the condition of his own
Kentish diocese. The pious King Ethelbert died, and his son Eadbald,
instead of following his father's example, opposed Christianity, and
caused great scandal by taking to him his step-mother to wife, his own
mother, the saintly Bertha, having died some years before. The
condition of Christianity became so hopeless in Kent, that Laurence
resolved to desert his see, and he was confirmed in his determination
by Mellitus, bishop of London, and Justus, bishop of Rochester, who
fled from the violence of the sons and successors of the Christian
Sebert, king of the East Saxons. Bede says, "Laurence, being about to
follow Mellitus and Justus, and to quit Britain, ordered his bed to be
laid, the night before, in the church of the blessed Apostles, Peter
and Paul; wherein, having laid himself to take some rest, after he had
poured out many prayers and tears to God for the state of the Church,
he fell asleep. In the dead of the night, the blessed prince of the
apostles appeared to him, and scourging him a long time with apostolic
severity, asked of him, 'Why he would forsake the flock which he had
committed to him? or to what shepherds he would commit Christ's sheep
that were in the midst of wolves? Have you,' said he, 'forgotten my
example, who, for the sake of those little ones, whom Christ
recommended to me in token of His affection, underwent at the hands of
the infidels and enemies of Christ, bonds, stripes, imprisonment,
afflictions, and lastly, the death of the cross, that I might be
crowned with Him?' Laurence being excited by these words and stripes,
the very next morning repaired to the king, and taking off his
garment, showed the scars of the stripes he had received. The king
astonished, asked, 'Who had presumed to give such blows to so great a
man?' and was much frightened when he heard that the bishop had
suffered so much at the hands of the apostle of Christ for his
salvation. Then, abjuring the worship of idols, and renouncing his
unlawful marriage, he embraced the faith of Christ, and being
baptized, promoted the affairs of the Church to the utmost of his
power."

In the reign of this same king, Archbishop Laurence died, and was
buried in the Church of S. Peter, close beside his predecessor
Augustine, and was succeeded by Mellitus.


S. ADALBALD, C.

(ABOUT A.D. 652.)

  [Belgian Martyrologies, and in Saussaye's supplement to the Gallican
  Martyrology. Authorities:--Mention of him in the life of his wife S.
  Richtrudis, by Hucbald the monk, A.D. 907; and in the life
  of his daughter, S. Eusebia. In some Martyrologies he is styled
  Martyr, but generally Duke.]

Duke Adalbald was a grandson of S. Gertrude of Hamage. His mother's
name was Gerberta. From his earliest youth he was a model of virtue,
even in the court of the king. He married S. Richtrudis, by whom he
had S. Maurontus, his eldest son, who became afterwards abbot; and
three virgin saintly daughters, Clotsendis, Eusebia, and Andalsendis.
S. Amandus baptized Clotsendis, and Queen Nanthild, wife of King
Dagobert, was sponsor to Eusebia. On his way to Gascony for some
purpose, he was waylaid and murdered, by certain persons who were
displeased at his marriage with Richtrudis. It seems probable,
therefore, that the crime was committed on account of some property,
but nothing for certain is known of the motive actuating the
murderers. Relics at S. Amand, in Flanders.


S. ADELOGA, V. ABSS.

(8TH CENT.)

  [Benedictine Martyrology and those of Menardus, Ferrarius, &c.
  Authority:--An ancient, apparently authentic, life by an anonymous
  writer, published by Bollandus.]

The blessed Adeloga was a daughter of Charles Martel, son of Pepin
l'Heristal, by Kunehilda, whether his wife or concubine is uncertain.
Adeloga was of singular beauty, so that she was greatly sought in
marriage, but she constantly refused all offers, having given her
heart wholly to her heavenly Spouse. Her father, greatly exasperated
against her, on this account, treated her with studied brutality,
subjecting her to public insult; and observing that the bruised spirit
of his child sought refuge and comfort in the advice of her director,
his private chaplain, he was filled with bitterness, and said,
"Hearken, my daughter, you have refused kings, dukes, and peers to
anger me, that you might wanton with a curate." Then calling to him
one of his knights, who stood by, as he thus insulted his daughter, he
bade him "Go and tell the chaplain to be off, he and his woman here,
or they shall both be driven forth with contumely, to-morrow morning."

Hearing this, the priest groaned in spirit, and said, "O God of heaven
and earth, who searchest the secrets of all hearts, and every thought
of man, Thou knowest my innocence in this matter. But, although my
lord has exercised his anger upon me, I will not desert my lady and
mistress, but for Christ's sake will wait upon her with all reverence."

Then Adeloga went forth, and the priest with her, and they journeyed
till they came to a wild and desert place, and there they built a
convent. The name of the place was Kitzingen.

To her came many virgins, and the priest gave her the veil, and made
her abbess, enjoining her to adopt the rule of SS. Benedict and
Scholastica. He, himself, attended to the temporal affairs of the
convent, till he was summoned to his rest.

The story is told that after his death, a young nun, having fallen in
love with a youth, resolved to fly the convent. She waited till night,
and then, when all were asleep, stole to the gates, but there she saw
the form of the white-haired chaplain beckoning her back, and with a
gentle voice addressing her, "Go back, dear virgin! A heavenly Spouse
calleth thee, and no earthly lover! Return to him, my child. I watch
without over this sacred house, and the abbess keeps ward within." And
not many days after, the girl sickened and died.

There was another nun who was also smitten with passion for a young
noble, and harboured in her mind the thought of escaping from her
monastery, and flying to his arms. But in the night, as she slept, she
saw the holy abbess, Adeloga, pass before her with a lamp in her hand,
who turned and looked on her and said, "Lo, Christ cometh, prepare to
meet Him. Awake, the Bridegroom cometh, go forth and trim thy light."
Then she started from sleep, and was moved with compunction, and never
after yielded to sensual thoughts.

Now it fell out that in after years Charles Martel was reconciled to
his daughter, and endowed her monastery with lands, and visited her.
Then, in the night, there stood before him, in vision, the old
chaplain, who said to him, "The Eternal King hath sent me unto thee,
to declare to thee my innocence in that thing whereof thou didst once
accuse me. And if thou believest me not now, then will I cite thee to
appear, and hear me plead my cause, before the just judgment seat of
God." And when Charles awoke, he called to him his daughter, and said,
"Pray for me, my dearest child, that the Lord lay not this sin to my
charge, that once in wrath I spoke falsely against thee and my
chaplain, thy director."

It is related that among the retainers of the abbey was a noble youth
very fond of dogs, and above all, he loved one hound, which was with
him in the field and forest by day, and slept at the foot of his bed
at night. One day that he was in the wood, a couple of ruffians fell
upon him, and murdered him for the sake of his clothes and purse, and
left the body naked under the trees. For three days the faithful hound
kept guard, and then it sought the abbey, and whined at the door of
the lady Adeloga, and when she came forth, plucked at her dress, as
though to lead her into the forest. Suspecting something was amiss,
she called to her some servants, and they followed the dog to where
his master lay slain. The abbess was determined to discover who were
the murderers. She therefore summoned before her all the retainers and
serfs on the land, and questioned them closely, but could obtain no
confession. Then she solemnly warned the culprits to beware how they
left the matter to the judgment of God, and she bade them, for the
last time, confess. When all were silent, the hound of the murdered
man was introduced, and it flew at the throats of the culprits and
tore them so fearfully that one died.

The historian of the life of S. Adeloga, concludes with the following
prayer. "We pray thee, most holy and gentle mother, that, as thou hast
encouraged us in this life with thy good example and virtuous acts, so
mayest thou deign to assist us with God in life eternal; that as we
rejoice in thy commemoration on earth, so may we merit to be
strengthened by thy intercession in heaven; for the sake of Christ
Jesus, our Lord, who of all Saints is the reward, the glory, joy, and
crown, through ages of ages, Amen."


THE HOLY MARTYRS OF EBBECKSDORF.

(A.D. 880.)

  [Authority:--The contemporary Fulda Annals of the Franks. See also
  the Legend in Langebek, Script. Rer. Danicarum II., pp. 57-71.]

These martyrs were Duke Bruno of Saxony, Theodoric, bishop of Minden,
Marquard, bishop of Hildesheim, Erlulf of Fulda, Gosbert, bishop of
Osnabrück, and many others; massacred by the Northmen.


B. PETER CAMBIAN, O. S.D., M.

(A.D. 1365.)

  [Roman Martyrology.]

This Saint was sent by the Sovereign pontiff, into the vallies
inhabited by the Waldensian heretics, as Inquisitor-general in
Piedmont, in 1351, and was murdered by the heretics in the Franciscan
convent of Susa. The person who did the deed stabbed him in the
cloister, on the feast of the Purification of Our Lady, in 1365. His
tomb was opened in 1854, and the relics were elevated to the altars of
several churches to which they were given. Pius IX. confirmed the
devotion of the Catholics towards this martyr.

 [Illustration]




February 3.

  SS. CELERINUS, _D. C._, CELERINA, IGNATIUS, AND LAURENCE, _MM. in
      Africa, 3rd cent._
  S. FORTUNATUS, _M. at Rome_.
  S. CANDIDUS, _M. at Volaterra_.
  SS. TIGRIS AND REMEDIUS, _BB., MM. at Gap, 4th cent._
  S. BLAISE, _B. M._, AND COMPANIONS, _at Sebaste, circ._ A.D. 316.
  S. SIMPLICIUS, _B. of Vienne; beginning of 5th cent._
  S. ANATOLIUS, _B. of Adana, in Cilicia; beginning of 5th cent._
  S. LAURENCE THE ILLUMINATOR, _B. of Spoleto, circ._ A.D. 576.
  S. PHILIP, _B. of Vienne, circ._ A.D. 578.
  S. EVANTIUS, _B. of Vienne_, A.D. 586.
  S. HADELIN, _P. at Celles in Belgium, circ._ A.D. 690.
  S. BERLINDA, _V. at Meerbeeke in Belgium, circ._ A.D. 698.
  S. WERBURGA, _V. Patroness of Chester; beginning of 8th cent._
  S. NITHARD, _P. M. in Sweden, circ._ A.D. 840.
  S. ANSKAR, _B. of Hamburg, Apostle of Sweden and Denmark_, A.D. 865.
  S. LIAFDAG, _B. M. at Ripe in Denmark, circ._ A.D. 980.
  S. ELINAND, _Monk of Froidmont, near Beauvais_, A.D. 1237.


SS. CELERINUS, D. C., CELERINA, IGNATIUS,
AND LAURENTINUS, MM.

(3RD CENT.)

  [Roman and other Latin Martyrologies. Authorities:--The letters of
  S. Cyprian of Carthage, and S. Cornelius of Rome. A letter of S.
  Celerinus to the Confessor Lucian is inserted in some editions of
  the works of S. Cyprian.]

Of Celerina, Ignatius, and Laurence nothing, except their names, is
known, and even these would not have come down to us, but for their
being mentioned as glorious martyrs by S. Cyprian, in a letter to
their nephew, S. Celerinus. This Celerinus was first Reader, and then
Deacon, in the Church of Carthage, and received orders from S.
Cyprian. He was in Rome in the year 250, and confessed Christ there in
the Decian persecution, spending nineteen days in chains; but to his
great sorrow, his sister yielded to her fears, and was numbered among
the lapsed. Afterwards Celerinus was unfortunately drawn away by
Novatian into schism, but when he perceived that the schismatic sought
his own advancement rather than the glory of God, he acknowledged his
error, and returned to the communion of the Catholic Church.


S. FORTUNATUS, M.

S. Fortunatus is mentioned, together with many other martyrs, in the
Roman and other Martyrologies on Feb. 2nd, as having suffered at Rome;
but their Acts have not been preserved. The body of S. Fortunatus was
found in 1606, in the cemetery of S. Callixtus, and was given by Pope
Paul V. to the Rev. Jacobus Tirinus, S.J., for the new and beautiful
Jesuit church he had built in Antwerp, in the year 1622. On account of
Feb. 2nd being the Feast of the Purification, the commemoration of S.
Fortunatus has been postponed in that church till Feb. 3rd.


S. BLAISE, B. M.

(A.D. 316.)

  [Roman and Western Martyrologies. Commemorated by the Greeks on
  Feb. 11th, in some ancient Martyrologies, on Feb. 15th. The Greek
  Acts, of which there are four versions, are modern, and deserve
  little regard.]

Blasius, Blase, Blayse, Blays, or Blaise, was bishop of Sebaste, a
city of Cappadocia, in the Lesser Asia. He spent a great part of his
time in retirement on a hill not far from the city, whither he
withdrew, after the duties of his office were finished, to be alone
with God. During the persecution of the Christians in the reign of
Diocletian, he lay concealed for some time in this retreat; but was at
last taken and brought before Agricolaus, the governor of the
province, and confessing himself a Christian, was thrown into prison.
After enduring many tortures, he received the crown of martyrdom in
the beginning of the fourth century. Some historians refer this event
to the year 316, under the reign of Licinius. Seven holy women and two
young children suffered at the same time. The Acts of his martyrdom
are so untrustworthy that it is not possible to state any further
particulars which are authentic. The Council of Oxford, A.D. 1222,
prohibited servile labour on this day. Its observance in England was
marked by several curious ceremonies. Among others a taper used to be
offered at High Mass; and it was lately the custom in many parts of
England to light bonfires on the hills on S. Blaise's night. Some have
affirmed that these usages arose from an absurd pun on the Saint's
name (sc. "blaze"); but this seems clearly erroneous, as they are not
peculiar to England. In some parts of Germany, S. Blaise's Day is
called "Little Candlemas Day," because of the bonfires that it was
usual (for an uncertain reason) to kindle on that night. At Bradford,
Yorkshire, a festival is holden every five years in memory of S.
Blaise.

In the Greek paintings, S. Blaise is depicted as an old man with a
pointed beard. In Western art he appears in the vestments of a bishop;
his peculiar emblem is an iron comb, such as is used by wool-combers,
which is said to have been an instrument of his torture. Owing,
probably, to this reason, he has been esteemed the patron of
manufacturers of wool, and that trade in the city of Norwich still
observes his day, or did so until lately. S. Blaise is also frequently
represented as surrounded by wild beasts, or birds are bringing him
food; the text, Job v. 23, which occasionally accompanies these
emblems, indicates that, in his case as in that of other saints, by
long continuance in a solitary course of life, the denizens of the
wood had become accustomed to the Saint's presence. Sometimes again,
S. Blaise has a swine's head at his feet, typical of his victory over
the sensual desires of the flesh. Finally, he occasionally holds in
one hand, or has borne before him by a chorister, a lighted taper,
typical of his being "a burning and a shining light."

 [Illustration: S. BLAISE. From Cahier. Feb. 3.]


S. LAURENCE THE ILLUMINATOR, B.

(ABOUT A.D. 576.)

  [The learned Bollandus, S.J., pithily remarks: "Magnas Umbria circa
  veterum suorum Sanctorum res gestas ortum ætatem, contraxit umbras,
  si non tenebras." Little is known of this Saint.]

S. Laurence the Illuminator, is said to have come from Syria with many
other illustrious bishops and confessors, to Italy, in the reign of
Diocletian. He was elected by the clergy bishop of Spoleto; and
illumined his diocese with his teaching and miracles.


S. HADELIN, P. C.

(ABOUT A.D. 690.)

  [Martyrologies of Ado, of Wyon, Menardus, those of Liége, Cologne,
  &c. Authorities:--Two ancient lives, one by Notker, B. of Liége
  (971-1007).]

S. Hadelin was one of the disciples of S. Remacle, and when that Saint
resigned his bishopric of Tongres, that he might retire from the world
into the peaceful monastery of Staveloo, lately founded by S.
Sigebert, King of Austrasia, he took with him the pious and humble
Hadelin. On their way they rested on a bare plain, under a glaring
sun, for their afternoon repose. S. Remacle remained awake, whilst his
companion slept, and saw an angel bending over Hadelin, shading him
with his wings from the burning heat. Remacle sent Hadelin into the
neighbourhood of Dinant, on the Meuse, in 669, and finding a quiet
retreat at Celles, on the Lesse, he dwelt there in a cave, and built a
little chapel, on the site of which rose in after years a collegiate
church. S. Hadelin is the patron of five churches in the diocese of
Liége and Namur. His hermitage still exists, and from his time has
never been without a pious successor. The body of the Saint was buried
there, but was translated to Vise in the diocese of Liége, in 1338.
His translation is commemorated on October 11th.


S. BERLINDA.

(ABOUT A.D. 698.)

  [Molanus in his addition to Usuardus, Wyon, Menardus, and Ferrarius.
  Authority:--An ancient life by an anonymous writer, published by
  Bollandus.]

Berlinda was the daughter of a nobleman named Odelard, who resided at
Meerbeeke, near Ninove, in Brabant, in the reign of King Dagobert, and
of Nona, his wife, the sister of S. Amandus. To a rare beauty,
Berlinda joined all the gifts of intellect, but she had the misfortune
to incur the anger of her father. After the death of his wife and only
son, Odelard was attacked by leprosy, and lived a miserable
languishing life, ministered to by his daughter.

One day that he asked her for something to drink, she filled a bowl
with water, and took it to him, and then, being herself thirsty, she
rinsed out the vessel, and filled it again. The father, highly
offended at her doing this, drove off at once to Nivelles and offered
all his lands to S. Gertrude, by the symbolic gift of a white glove
and a reaping-hook and a branch of foliage. Before accomplishing his
donation, he supplicated the Saint to accept his offering with her own
hands. Then the reliquary, in which the holy abbess reposed, opened,
and the lifeless hands of S. Gertrude were extended to receive the
glove, the branch, and the sickle. Then it closed upon them.

Berlinda, being disinherited, retired to the monastery of Moorsel,
near Alost, where she lived in penitence and prayer. One night she
heard a choir of angels singing, as they sailed across the dark
starlit sky, bearing the soul of her father to Paradise. She at once
besought of the superior permission to return to Meerbeeke for a
while. Her request was complied with, and she flew to her father's
castle. He was dead, so Berlinda buried him in the little church he
had erected there to the honour of S. Peter.

Retained by force in her paternal dwelling by the servants and
tenants, Berlinda remained at Meerbeeke, where she continued her life
of austerities and prayer, and died about 690, on the 3rd of February.

As no stone sarcophagus could be found in which she might be laid, a
large oak was cut down and scooped out to serve as a coffin, and her
body was placed in it. Numerous miracles were wrought at her tomb, so
that at the end of seven years the coffin was opened, and the wood was
found to have become petrified. On this occasion a church was built in
her honour and that of the Blessed Virgin, and thirty years later, her
relics were solemnly enshrined on May 2nd, 728. S. Berlinda has
remained in great honour at Meerbeeke. She is invoked against cattle
diseases; and in accordance with an ancient custom, pilgrims pray
before a wooden image of the saint represented beside a cow, and touch
the udder of the cow, which has become black through the innumerable
touchings to which it has become subjected. According to a popular
saying S. Berlinda protects trees transplanted on her festival.


S. WERBURGA, V. ABSS.

(BEGINNING OF 8TH CENTURY.)

  [English Martyrology. Authorities:--Life of Goscelin, the monk (fl.
  1100), and mention in Bede, John of Brompton, Florence of Worcester,
  Hyden, Langherne, Simeon of Durham.]

Werburga, patroness of Chester, was born at Stone, in Staffordshire,
and was the daughter of Wulfhere, King of Mercia, or the Midland
English. From the lips of her sainted mother, Ermingilde, she received
those first lessons of Christian truth which afterwards produced such
beautiful fruit in her life.

Being one of four children, all trained under the same godly
discipline, she is said to have excelled them all in virtue and
discretion. Her mind was open to receive good impressions, and she
listened with earnest attention to every word of instruction and
advice. Thus, she "daily grew in grace, and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ:" her mind continually expanding under
the influence of holy thoughts and pure desires. At an age when most
persons of her exalted position would have been found joining in the
giddy whirl of pleasure, she found truest joy in contemplation of
heavenly things, and holiest bliss, arising from a pure conscience
chastened by fasting and sanctified by prayer. She daily assisted her
mother in the performance of the whole Church Offices, and spent much
time on her knees in the exercise of private devotions.

Having early resolved to devote herself to a life of virginal purity,
she sought every opportunity to prepare her mind for that holy state.
But she was not to overcome the world without a struggle. Temptations
began to gather around her. The beauty of her person attracted a crowd
of admirers, who eagerly sought her hand in marriage. Foremost among
these was a prince of the West Saxons, who offered her rich gifts and
made flattering proposals. She refused to accept his gifts; and to his
proposals answered that she had resolved to become the bride of
Christ, and wished no earthly spouse.

 [Illustration: S. WERBURGA. From Cahier. Feb. 3.]

Another, and more violent temptation soon presented itself. Werbode, a
powerful knight of her father's court, backed by the influence of her
father, entreated Werburga to become his wife; but to his entreaties
she turned a deaf ear. Imagining that to this refusal she was
influenced by her two brothers, who were then under the instruction of
S. Chad, and resolving by fair or foul means to compass his designs,
Werbode sought an opportunity to murder the two brothers, and thus
remove them from his path. In the accomplishment of this diabolical
design, he was, to a certain extent, assisted by the father, whom he
had incensed against his sons. Werbode soon after died a miserable
death. The king, stung by remorse, saw reflected, as in a mirror, all
the deeds of his past life, and remembered how he had promised to
extirpate idolatry from his dominions, but had failed to perform his
vow. With earnestness he began to atone for his faults; destroyed the
idols and converted their temples into churches, built the great abbey
of Peterborough, founded the priory of Stone, and in every way
endeavoured to propagate the true faith among his people.

Seeing this happy change in his disposition, Werburga revealed to her
father the earnest desire of her heart, and earnestly entreated his
permission to consecrate herself wholly to God. At first he appeared
to be very grieved, but yielding at length to her passionate
entreaties, Wulfhere, attended by his whole court, conducted her with
great state to the convent of Ely. Here they were met at the gates by
a long procession of nuns, singing hymns of praise and thanksgiving to
God. Werburga, falling on her knees, begged of the royal abbess, S.
Etheldreda, that she might be received as a postulant. Having obtained
her request, the voice of praise again ascended to heaven, the virgins
chanting the _Te Deum_, as they returned to the convent. Now followed
the usual trials; Werburga was first stripped of her costly apparel,
her rich coronet was exchanged for a poor veil, purple and silks and
gold were replaced by a rough coarse habit, and she resigned herself
into the hands of her superior, henceforward to live only to Christ.

The virgin, with great fervour, now devoted herself to God. Her
affections being weaned from earthly things, were fixed more firmly
upon those things which are above. By prayer and fasting, by
self-sacrifice and mortification, by obedience and penance, she sought
to sanctify her soul and body, that she might present them, a holy and
acceptable sacrifice, unto God.

After many years she was chosen, at the request of her uncle King
Ethelred, to superintend all the religious houses for women in his
kingdom. When she entered upon this larger sphere of duty, she
laboured with earnest diligence to make all the houses under her care
models of exact monastic discipline. Through the liberality of her
uncle, she was enabled to found new convents at Trentham, in
Gloucestershire; Hanbury, in Staffordshire; and Weedon, in
Northamptonshire. These remained for several centuries as evidences of
her godly zeal. The king also, at her request, founded the collegiate
church of S. John the Baptist, in the suburbs of West Chester, and
gave to S. Egwin the ground for the great abbey of Evesham.

S. Werburga, both by precept and example, sought to develope the
religious life in those committed to her charge, and many through her
influence were won from a life of dissipation and vice to a life of
holiness and love.

God, in answer to continual prayers, had crowned her with many
spiritual and celestial blessings. The old chroniclers say that she
became the most perfect pattern of meekness, humility, patience, and
purity. Her fastings and mortifications were almost incredible. She
never took more than one meal during the day, and that of the coarsest
food: seeking in this to emulate the lives of those fathers of the
desert who shed such radiance over the Eastern and African Church.
Beside the usual monastic offices, she was in the habit of reciting,
upon her knees, the whole of the Psalter daily. She often remained in
the church all night, bathed in tears and prostrate in prayer.

In the exercise of these holy devotions she lived to a ripe old age.
Receiving at last some premonitions of her approaching departure, she
made a farewell visit to all the houses under her care, and exhorted
the inmates to prepare for the coming of the heavenly Bridegroom. Then
retiring to the convent at Trentham, she quietly waited her departure.
The messenger soon came, and found the bride ready, and so with quiet
faith and perfect trust she went to the home of her Spouse, on the 3rd
of February, 699.

Her corpse, in accordance with her own directions, was conveyed to the
monastery at Hanbury. It was interred with great honour, and there
remained until the year 708. Then it was disinterred in presence of
King Ceolred and many bishops, and transferred to a costly shrine. The
old chroniclers say that it was found incorrupt, and remained so until
A.D. 875, when, for fear of the Danes, who were invading the country,
the shrine was carried to Chester. The body, however, fell to dust
soon after its translation. In course of time a stately church was
erected over the relics; this became the cathedral, and as such exists
to this day.

During the reign of Henry VIII., the shrine was desecrated, and the
holy relics of S. Werburga scattered abroad. What remained of the
costly shrine was afterwards converted into an episcopal throne, and
may still be seen, carved with the curious images of kings of Mercia,
ancestors of S. Werburga, who flourished eleven centuries ago. To this
day it is used as the throne of the bishops of Chester.


S. NITHARD, P. M.

(A.D. 840.)

  [From the Life of S. Anskar, c. 6; Adam of Bremen, Hist. Eccl. lib. i.]

Nithard, nephew of Bishop Gauzbert, accompanied him in his mission to
the Swedes; at first he was heard with patience, but the wild pagans,
enraged at his denunciation of their worship of Thorr and Odin, burst
into the house where he was, and killed him.


S. ANSKAR, B.; AP. OF SWEDEN.

(A.D. 865.)

  [German, Scandinavian, and Belgian martyrologies. Authorities:--His
  life by his successor, S. Rembert, who was personally acquainted
  with him, and had shared in his mission. The following outline of
  the life of this illustrious saint is from the pen of the Rev. G. F.
  Maclear, B.D., and is extracted from his "Apostles of Mediæval
  Europe," somewhat curtailed, and with some modifications.]

Charlemagne was once, we are told,[9] at Narbonne, when, in the midst
of the banquet, some swift barks were seen putting into the harbour.
The company started up, while some pronounced the crew to be Jewish,
others African, others British traders, the keen eye of the great
emperor discerned that they were bound on no peaceful errand. "It is
not with merchandise," said he, "that yonder barks are laden; they are
manned by most terrible enemies." And then he advanced to the window,
and stood there a long while in tears. No one dared to ask him the
cause of his grief, but at length he explained it himself. "It is not
for myself," said he, "that I am weeping, or for any harm that yon
barks can do to me. But truly I am pained to think that even while I
am yet alive they have dared to approach this shore; and still greater
is my grief when I reflect on the evils they will bring on my
successors."

His words were only too truly fulfilled. The sight of those piratical
banners told its own tale. The fleets he had built, the strong forts
and towns he had erected at the mouths of the various rivers
throughout his empire, were neglected by his successors, and what he
foresaw came to pass. Year after year, during the ninth century, the
children of the North burst forth from their pine forests, their
creeks, their fiords, and icebound lakes, and prowled along the
defenceless shores of Germany, France, and England. They laughed at
the fiercest storms, landed on the most inaccessible coasts, and
pushed up the shallowest rivers, while Charlemagne's degenerate
successors tamely beheld the fairest towns in their dominions sacked
and burnt by the terrible crews of those terrible barks.

"Take a map," writes Sir Francis Palgrave, "and colour with vermilion
the provinces, districts, and shores which the Northmen visited, as
the record of each invasion. The colouring will have to be repeated
more than ninety times successively before you arrive at the
conclusion of the Carlovingian dynasty. Furthermore, mark by the usual
symbol of war, two crossed swords, the localities where battles were
fought by or against the pirates; where they were defeated or
triumphant, or where they pillaged, burned, destroyed; and the valleys
and banks of the Elbe, Rhine, and Moselle, Scheldt, Meuse, Somme, and
Seine, Loire, Garonne, and Adour, the inland Allier, and all the
coasts and coastlands between estuary and estuary, and the countries
between the river-streams, will appear bristling as with
_cheveux-de-frise_. The strongly-fenced Roman cities, the venerated
abbeys, and their dependent _bourgades_, often more flourishing and
extensive than the ancient seats of government, the opulent sea-ports
and trading-towns, were all equally exposed to the Danish attacks,
stunned by the Northmen's approach, subjugated by their fury."[10]

But while the mind faintly strives to conceive the misery and
desolation thus inflicted, on well-nigh every town and village of
Germany and France, it finds satisfaction in the thought that even now
missionary zeal did not falter; that while every estuary and river
darkened under the sails of the Northmen's barks, there were not
lacking those who had the Christian bravery to penetrate into the
dreary regions whence they issued forth, to seek them out amidst their
pine forests and icebound lakes, and to plant amongst them the first
germs of Christian civilization.

The first mission in Denmark was organized in the year A.D. 826, when
Harold, king of Jutland, his queen, and a large retinue of Danes, were
baptized with great pomp in the vast Dom of Mayence. On this occasion,
Harold solemnly did homage to Louis the Pious, and agreed to hold the
Danish kingdom as a feudatory of the Carlovingian crown. On this
occasion also, Ebbo, the primate of France, determined to seek out a
monk who would be willing to accompany the newly-baptized king on his
return to Denmark, and remain at his court as a priest and teacher.
But the well-known ferocity of the Northmen long deterred any one from
offering himself for such a duty. At length the abbot of Corbey, near
Amiens, announced that one of his monks was not unwilling to undertake
the arduous task.

The intrepid volunteer was Anskar, a native of a village not far from
Corbey. Born in the year A.D. 801, and early devoted by his parents to
the monastic life, he had always evinced the deepest religious
enthusiasm, and his ardent imagination taught him to believe that he
often saw visions and heard voices from another world. When he was
only five years of age, he lost his mother: and a dream, in which he
saw her surrounded by a majestic choir of virgins, the fairest of whom
bade him, if he would join his mother in bliss, flee the pomps and
vanities of the world, exerted a profound impression upon him, and
induced him to devote himself more than ever to prayer and meditation.

But when he was thirteen years of age, A.D. 814, an event occurred
which exercised a still deeper influence over his susceptible mind.
News reached the monastery that Charlemagne was dead. The greatest of
great emperors had passed away, and now, in the sepulchre which he had
made for himself, "he was sitting on his curule chair, clad in his
silken robes, ponderous with broidery, pearls, and orfray, the
imperial diadem on his head, his closed eyelids covered, his face
swathed in the dead-clothes, girt with his baldric, the ivory horn
slung in his scarf, his good sword 'Joyeuse' by his side, the
Gospel-book open on his lap, musk and amber and sweet spices poured
around."[11]

Anskar at this time had relaxed somewhat of his usual austerities, and
now the thought that even that mighty prince, whom he himself had seen
in all the plenitude of his power could not escape the hand of death,
filled him with awe, and he gave himself up more unreservedly than
ever to the severest discipline. Meanwhile his talents had brought him
into general notice, and when his abbot founded another monastic
outpost in Westphalia, in a beautiful valley on the west bank of the
Weser, and called it New Corbey, Anskar was removed to the new
foundation, and at the age of twenty-five was elected, with the common
consent of all, to superintend its conventual school, and to preach to
the neighbouring population.

He was on a visit to Old Corbey, when the news arrived that a monk was
much needed to accompany the Danish Harold to his native land, and
that the abbot Wala had nominated him to the emperor as a fit person
to be entrusted with the arduous mission. Summoned to the court,
Anskar calmly but resolutely announced his willingness to go. In
dreams and visions, he said, he had heard the voice of Christ himself
bidding him preach the word to the heathen tribes: and nothing could
induce him to shrink from the plain path of duty. In vain, therefore,
on his return to the monastery, the brethren learning that he was
about to resign all his hopes and prospects to preach amongst heathens
and barbarians, warned, protested, and even mocked at him for his
madness. Immoveable in his resolution to brave all risks, he began to
prepare himself for his great enterprise by prayer and study of the
Scriptures; and so deep was the impression made by his evident
sincerity and self-devotion, that Autbert, steward of the monastery,
and a man of noble birth, when every one else hung back, declared that
he could not find it in his heart to desert his friend, and was
resolved to become his companion.

A foretaste of the difficulties that awaited them was experienced at
the very outset. No one could possibly be prevailed on to accompany
them as an attendant. The abbot himself shrank from interposing his
authority, and they were fain to set out alone. Before starting, they
had an interview with Louis, and received from him everything they
were likely to need for their undertaking, in the shape of church
vessels, tents, and books. From Harold, however, they met with but
little encouragement, and neither he nor his nobles cared much for
their company.

On their arrival at Cologne, whence they were to sail up the Rhine to
Holland, and so to Denmark, Bishop Hadebold bestowed upon them a ship
with two cabins. The better accommodation promised in such a vessel
induced Harold to share it with Anskar; and the engaging manners of
the missionary gradually won his respect, and inspired him with an
interest in his undertaking.

On landing, Anskar fixed his head-quarters at Schleswig, and commenced
the foundation of a school, purchasing, or receiving, from Harold,
Danish boys, whom he tried to train, so as to form the nucleus of a
native ministry. Two years thus passed away, and some impression
seemed to have been made upon the people, when Autbert sickened, and
was obliged to return to Corbey, where he died. Meanwhile the baptism
of Harold, and still more his destruction of the native temples, was
bitterly resented by his subjects. Before long a rebellion broke out,
and the king was obliged to fly for refuge to a spot within the
ancient Frisian territory, while Anskar finding it necessary to leave
Schleswig, was consoled by an unexpected opportunity of commencing a
similar work in Sweden.

In the year A.D. 829, ambassadors from Sweden presented themselves at
the court of Louis, and after arranging the political object of their
mission, announced that many of their countrymen were favourably
disposed towards Christianity. The commerce carried on at this period
between Sweden and the port of Doerstadt, combined with the teaching
of some Christian captives, whom the Swedes had carried off in their
piratical excursions, had predisposed not a few towards lending a
favourable ear to Christian teachers. The emperor gladly embraced the
opportunity thus afforded, and summoned Anskar to the palace, who,
after an interview, declared his entire willingness to undertake the
enterprise.

A monk named Gislema was therefore left with Harold, and Anaskar
having found a new companion in Witmar, a brother monk of Corbey, set
out in the year A.D. 831 with presents from Louis to the King of
Sweden.

But the voyage was most disastrous. The missionaries had not proceeded
far when they were attacked by pirates. A fierce battle ensued, and
their crew, though first victorious, were overpowered in a second
engagement, and barely escaped to land. The pirates plundered them of
everything, the presents for the king, their sacred books, and all
their ecclesiastical vestments. In this forlorn and destitute
condition they reached Birka, a haven and village on the Mälar lake,
not far from the ancient capital Sigtuna, the residence of rich
merchants, and the centre of the northern trade. Here they were
hospitably welcomed by the king, Biorn "of the Hill," and received
full permission to preach and baptize. The nucleus of a church was
found already existing in the persons of many Christian captives, who
had long been deprived of the consolation of Christian ordinances. The
work, therefore, of the missionaries commenced under fair auspices,
and before long Herigar, the king's counsellor, announced himself a
convert, and erected a church on his estate.

A year and a half was thus employed, and then Anskar returned to the
court of Louis with a letter from the King of Sweden, and an account
of all that had befallen him. Thereupon Louis resolved, without delay,
to give effect to the ecclesiastical plans of his father, and to make
Hamburg an archiepiscopal see, and the centre of operations for the
northern missions. Accordingly, Anskar was elevated to the
archiepiscopal dignity, and was consecrated at Ingleheim by Drogo,
Archbishop of Mayence, and other prelates. At the same time, because
of the poverty of the diocese, and the dangers to which the mission
would be inevitably exposed, the monastery of Thourout in Flanders,
between Bruges and Ypres, was assigned to him as a place of refuge,
and a source of revenue. Then he was directed to repair to Rome, where
he received the pall from Gregory IV., and was regularly authorized to
preach the Gospel to the nations of the North.

These arrangements made, Anskar returned from Rome. Ebbo, who had been
associated with him in the commission to evangelize the northern
tribes, deputed his missionary duties to his nephew Gauzbert, who was
raised to the episcopal dignity, and entrusted with the special care
of the Swedish mission. Thither, accordingly, Gauzbert set out,
received a hearty welcome from Biorn and his people, and laid the
foundation of a church at Sigtuna. Meanwhile Anskar had proceeded to
Hamburg, and, in pursuance of his former plan, bought or redeemed from
slavery a number of Danish youths, whom he either instructed himself,
or sent for that purpose to the monastery of Thourout.

But the times were hardly ripe for successful operations. Three years
had barely elapsed, when an enormous army of Northmen, led by Eric,
king of Jutland, attacked Hamburg, and before relief could arrive,
sacked and burnt it, together with the church and monastery which
Anskar had erected with great trouble. He himself had barely time to
save the sacred vessels, and, before the sun went down, every external
memorial of his mission was reduced to ashes. "The Lord gave, and the
Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord," was the
exclamation of the archbishop, as he surveyed the scene. Driven from
Hamburg, he now wandered for a long time over his devastated diocese,
followed by a few of his clergy and scholars, and at length sought
refuge at Bremen. But the envious Bishop Leutbert refusing to receive
him, he was fain to avail himself of the hospitality of a noble lady
in the district of Holstein. And, as if this was not enough, he now
received intelligence that, owing to similar risings of Northmen, the
hopes of the Swedish missions were utterly crushed.

The pagan party had conspired against Bishop Gauzbert, expelled him
from the country, and murdered his nephew Nithard. But divine
vengeance did not fail to pursue the conspirators. One of them had
carried home some of the property of the missionaries. Before long he
died, together with his mother and sister, and his father found his
own property wasting from day to day. Alarmed at this sudden reverse
of fortune, he began to consider what God he could have offended, to
bring all these troubles on his house. Unable to solve the difficulty
himself, he had recourse to a soothsayer. The lots were cast, and it
was found that none of the native deities bore him any ill will. At
length the soothsayer explained the cause. "It is the God of the
Christians," said he, "who is the author of thy ruin. There is
something dedicated to Him concealed in thy house, and therefore all
these evils have come upon thee, nor canst thou hope to prosper till
the sacred thing is restored."

After vainly trying, for some time, to comprehend what this could
mean, he suddenly recollected the day when his son had brought home
one of the sacred books from the spoil of the missionaries' dwellings.
Stricken with alarm, he immediately called together the inhabitants of
the place, told them all that had occurred, and prayed their advice in
the emergency. Every one declined to receive the terrible relic, and
at last, fearful of further vengeance if he retained it any longer in
his house, the man covered it carefully, and then fastened it to a
stake on the public road, with a notice that any one who wished might
take it down, and that for the crime he had unwittingly been guilty of
against the Christians' God he was ready to offer any satisfaction
that might be required. One of the native Christians took it down, and
the man's terrors were appeased.

Anskar meanwhile was still wandering over his desolated diocese. Even
the monastery of Thourout, which Louis had bestowed upon him for the
very purpose of being a covert from such storms as these, was closed
against him, having been bestowed upon a layman by Charles the Bald.
Under such accumulated misfortunes most men would have sunk, but
Anskar waited patiently in the hope of some change, and comforted
himself with the words addressed to him by Archbishop Ebbo before his
death: "Be assured, my dear brother, that what we have striven to
accomplish for the glory of Christ will yet, by God's help, bring
forth fruit. For it is my firm and settled belief, nay, I know of a
surety, that though the work we have undertaken among these nations is
for a time subject to obstacles and difficulties on account of our
sins, yet it will not be lost or perish altogether, but will, by God's
grace, thrive and prosper, until the Name of the Lord is made known to
the uttermost ends of the earth."

Before long, events occurred which seemed to promise that the clouds
would roll away, and a brighter era be initiated. Mindful of the
converted chief, Anskar sent to Sigtuna an anchoret named Ardgar, with
directions to see how he fared, and to strengthen him against falling
back into heathenism. Thither Ardgar set out, and was rejoiced to find
Herigar still remaining faithful to the faith he had embraced. The
recollection of the Divine vengeance which had attended the previous
outbreak, protected the missionary from injury, and the new king who
had succeeded Biorn was persuaded by Herigar to permit Ardgar to
preach the Gospel without fear of molestation.

That chief was no half-hearted believer, and openly confronted the
malice of the pagan party. On one occasion, as they were boasting of
the power of their gods, and of the many blessings they had received
by remaining faithful to their worship, he bade them put the matter to
an open and decisive proof. "If there be so much doubt," said he,
"concerning the superior might of our respective gods, let us see
whose power is greatest: whether that of the many whom ye call gods,
or that of my one omnipotent Lord, Jesus Christ. Lo! the season of
rain is at hand. Do ye call upon the names of your gods, that the rain
may be restrained from falling upon you, and I will call upon the name
of my Lord, Jesus Christ, that no drop may fall on me; and the god
that answereth our prayers, let him be God."

The heathen party agreed, and repairing to a neighbouring field, took
their seats in great numbers on one side, while Herigar, attended only
by a little child, sat on the other. In a few moments the rain
descended in torrents, drenched the heathens to the skin, and swept
away their tents; while on Herigar and the little child no drop fell,
and even the ground around them remained dry. "Ye see," he cried,
"which is the true God; bid me not, then, desert the faith I have
adopted, but rather lay aside your errors, and come to a knowledge of
the truth."

On another occasion the town of Birka was attacked by a piratical
expedition of Danes and Swedes, under the command of a king of Sweden,
who had been expelled from his realm. The place was closely invested,
and there seemed to be no prospect of a successful defence. In their
alarm, the townspeople offered numerous sacrifices to their gods, and
when all other means failed, collected such treasures as they
possessed, together with a hundred pounds of silver, and succeeded in
coming to terms with the hostile chiefs. But their followers, not
satisfied with the amount, prepared to storm the town. Again the gods
were consulted, the altars raised, the victims offered, but with
results equally unpromising. Herigar now interposed, rebuked the
people for their obstinate adherence to the worship of gods that could
not give aid in trouble, and when they bade him suggest some device,
and promised to follow his council, he urged them to make a solemn vow
of obedience to the Lord of the Christians, assuring them that, if
they turned to Him, He at any rate, would not fail them in the hour of
danger. The people took his advice, went forth to an open plain, and
there solemnly vowed to keep a fast in honour of the God of the
Christians, if He would rescue them from their enemies.

Help came in an unexpected fashion. The Swedish king, while the army
was clamouring for the signal to attack, suggested that the gods
should be consulted by lot, whether it was their will that Birka
should be destroyed. "There are many great and powerful deities
there," said he; "there also formerly a church was built, and even now
the worship of the Great Christ is observed by many, and He is more
powerful than any other god. We ought, then, to inquire first whether
it is the divine will that we attack the place." Accordingly the lots
were cast, and it was discovered that the auspices were not favourable
for the assault; and thus Birka was spared. The arrival, therefore, of
Ardgar was well timed, and he was not only welcomed by Herigar, but
the Christians were strengthened in their adherence to the faith by
his coming.

Nor was it in Sweden only that the prospects of the missionaries
brightened. In A.D. 847, Leutbert, bishop of Bremen, died. Anskar's
own see of Hamburg was now reduced, by the desolating inroads of the
Northmen, to four baptismal churches. It was therefore proposed that
the see of Bremen should be annexed to the archbishopric of Hamburg,
and, after the plan was matured, Anskar no longer found himself
hampered by want of means from devoting all his energies to the wider
planting of the faith. At the same time he was enabled to appoint a
priest over the church at Sleswik, and from Horik, king of Jutland, he
no longer experienced opposition in preaching the word amongst the
people. This encouraged many who had been baptized at Hamburg and
Doerstadt, but who had subsequently conformed to idolatrous practices,
to publicly profess their adhesion to the Christian faith, and they
rejoiced in the opportunity of joining in Christian fellowship. The
trade also of Doerstadt prospered by the change; Christian merchants
flocked thither in greater numbers, and with greater confidence, and
thus helped forward the work of Anskar and his colleagues.

At this juncture the hermit Ardgar returned from Sweden. Anskar, more
than ever unwilling that the mission there should be allowed to drop,
tried to prevail on Gauzbert to revisit the scene of his former
labours. But the latter, discouraged by his previous failure,
declined, and Anskar finding no one else willing to undertake the work
once more girded up his loins, and encouraged by Horik, who gave him
letters to Olaf king of Sweden, set out for Birka. The time of his
landing was unfortunate. The heathen party had been roused by the
native priests, and a crusade was proclaimed against the strange
doctrines. Suborning a man who pretended to have received a message
from the native deities, the priest announced it to be the will of
heaven that, if the people wished for new gods, they should admit into
their company the late king Eric, and allow divine honours to be paid
to him. This wrought up the feelings of the populace to such a pitch,
that the retinue of the archbishop pronounced it absolute madness to
persevere in his undertaking.

But Anskar was not thus to be thwarted. He invited Olaf to a feast,
set before him the presents sent by the king of Jutland, and announced
the object of his visit. Olaf, on his part, was not indisposed to make
the concessions he desired, but as former missionaries had been
expelled from the country, he suggested that it would be well to
submit the affair, once for all, to the solemn decision of the sacred
lots, and consult in an open council the feelings of the people.
Anskar agreed, and a day was fixed for deciding the question.

First, the council of the chiefs was formally asked, and their opinion
requested. They craved the casting of the sacred lots. The lots were
accordingly cast, and the result was declared to be favourable to the
admission of the archbishop and his retinue. Then the general assembly
of the people of Birka was convened, and at the command of the king a
herald proclaimed aloud the purport of the archbishop's visit. This
was the signal for a great tumult, in the midst of which an aged chief
arose, and thus addressed the assembly:

"Hear me, O king and people. The God whom we are invited to worship is
not unknown to us, nor the aid He can render to those that put their
trust in Him. Many of us have already proved this by experience, and
have felt His assistance in many perils, and especially in the sea.
Why, then, reject what we know to be useful and necessary for us? Not
long ago some of us went to Doerstadt, and believing that this new
religion could profit us much, willingly professed ourselves its
disciples. Now the voyage thither is beset with dangers, and pirates
abound on every shore. Why, then, reject a religion thus brought to
our very doors? Why not permit the servants of God, whose protecting
aid we have already experienced, to abide amongst us? Listen to my
counsel, then, O king and people, and reject not what is plainly for
our advantage. We see our own deities failing us, and unable to aid us
in time of danger. Surely it is a good thing to obtain the favour of a
God who always can and will aid those that call upon Him."

His words found favour with the people, and it was unanimously
resolved that the archbishop should be permitted to take up his abode
in the country, and should not be hindered in disseminating the
Christian faith. This resolution was announced to Anskar in person by
the king, who further conceded a grant of land for building a church,
and welcomed Erimbert, a colleague of the archbishop, whom he
presented as the new director of the Swedish mission.

Meanwhile matters had not been so prosperous in Denmark. Eric "the
Red," though not professedly a Christian, had, as we have seen, aided
the archbishop materially in the introduction of Christianity. His
apostasy provoked the inveterate hostility of the Northmen, and the
sea-kings determined to avenge the insult offered to the national gods.

Rallying from all quarters under the banner of Guthrun, nephew of
Eric, they attacked the apostate king near Flensburg, in Jutland. The
battle raged for three days, and at its close Eric and Guthrun, and a
host of kings and jarls lay dead upon the field; and so tremendous had
been the slaughter, that the entire Viking nobility seemed to have
been utterly exterminated.

The new king, Eric II., easily persuaded that the recent reverses were
entirely due to the apostasy of his predecessor, ordered one of
Anskar's churches to be closed, and forbade all further missionary
operations. After a while, however, he was induced to change his
policy, and Anskar, on his return from Sweden, was reinstated in the
royal favour, and received a grant of land for the erection of a
second church at Ripe, in Jutland, over which he placed Rembert, his
favourite disciple, charging him to win the hearts of his barbarous
flock by the sincerity and devotion of his life.

Anskar now returned to Hamburg, and devoted himself to the
administration of his diocese. One of the latest acts of his life was
a noble effort to check the infamous practice of kidnapping and
trading in slaves. A number of native Christians had been carried off
by the northern pirates, and reduced to slavery. Effecting their
escape, they sought refuge in the territory of Northalbingia. Instead
of sheltering the fugitives, some of the chiefs retained a portion of
them as their own slaves, and sold others to heathen, and even
professedly Christian tribes around. News of this reached Anskar, and
at the risk of his life he sternly rebuked the chiefs and succeeded in
inducing them to set the captives free, and to ransom as many as
possible from the bondage into which they had sold them.

This noble act formed an appropriate conclusion to his life. He was
now more than sixty-four years of age, and during more than half that
period had laboured unremittingly in the mission field. His friend and
biographer expatiates eloquently on his character, as exhibiting the
perfect model of ascetic perfection. Even when elevated to the
episcopal dignity, he never exempted himself from the rigid discipline
of the cloister. He wore a haircloth shirt by night as well as by day.
He measured out his food and drink by an exact rule. He chanted a
fixed number of Psalms, alike when he arose in the morning and when he
retired to rest at night. His charity knew no bounds. Not only did he
erect a hospital at Bremen for the sick and needy, distribute a tenth
of his income among the poor, and divide amongst them any presents he
might receive, but every five years he tithed his income afresh, that
he might be quite sure the poor had their proper share. Whenever he
went on a tour of visitation through his diocese, he would never sit
down to dinner, without first ordering some of the poor to be brought
in, and he himself would sometimes wash their feet, and distribute
amongst them bread and meat.

Such a practical exhibition of Christian love could not fail to
exercise a gradual influence even over the rough pirates of the North,
which was increased by the many miracles he wrought. But he was not
one to seek distinction of this kind. "One miracle," he once said to a
friend, "I would if worthy, ask the Lord to grant me; and that is,
that by His grace, He would make me a good man."

He employed his last days in arranging the affairs of his diocese, and
calmly expired on the 3rd of February, A.D. 865.

Relics. At Corbie is preserved an arm of the Saint.

[9] Pertz, "Mon. Germ." vol. ii. p. 757.

[10] Palgrave's "Normandy and England," vol. i. p. 419.

[11] Palgrave's "Normandy and England," vol. i. p. 158.




February 4.

  S. VERONICA, _Matr. at Rome, 1st cent._
  S. PHILEAS, _B. of Thmuis_, S. PHILOROMUS AND OTHERS, _MM. at
     Alexandria_, A.D. 304.
  S. ABRAHAM, _M. B. of Arbela, in Persia_, A.D. 348.
  S. GELASIUS, _C. at Piacenza, beginning of 5th cent._
  S. ISIDORE _of Pelusium, P. Monk in Egypt, 5th cent._
  S. AVENTINE, _H. of Troyes_, A.D. 538.
  S. AVENTINE, _B. of Chateaudun_, 6th cent.
  S. THEOPHILUS THE PENITENT, _C. at Adana in Cilicia_,
     _circ._ A.D. 538.
  S. LIEPHARD, _B. M. at Honcourt_, _circ._ A.D. 640.
  S. MODAN, _Ab. in Scotland, 7th cent._
  S. ULGIS, _Ab. B. at Lobies, 8th cent._
  B. HRABANUS MAURUS, _Abp. of Mainz_, A.D. 856.
  S. NICHOLAS OF THE STUDIUM, _Ab. C. at Constantinople_, A.D. 868.
  S. PROBATIUS, _P. at Nogent_.
  S. REMBERT, _B. of Hamburg and Bremen_, A.D. 888.
  S. GILBERT OF SEMPRINGHAM, _Ab. in England_, A.D. 1189.
  S. ANDREW CORSINI, _B. C. of Fiesoli_, A.D. 1373.
  S. JEANNE DE VALOIS, _Q. of France_, A.D. 1505.
  S. JOSEPH OF LEONISSA, _C. in Italy_, A.D. 1612.
  S. JOHN DE BRITTO, _S.J., M. at Madura_, A.D. 1693.


S. VERONICA.

(1ST CENT.)

  [Ferrarius in his Catalogue of the Saints. Some give March 25th as
  the anniversary of the Crucifixion, and as therefore the most
  appropriate day for the commemoration of the act, which has made
  Veronica famous. The festival of S. Veronica with special office,
  found its way into the Ambrosian Missal printed in 1555 and 1560,
  but it was expunged by the judicious S. Charles Borromeo.]

On the 8th December, 1854, when the Eternal City was crowded with
bishops, assembled to promulgate the dogma of the Immaculate
Conception, Pius IX., at the expressed and urgent desire of the
prelates, allowed the sacred relics of the passion of Christ to be
exhibited in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament at S. Peter's. In the
midst, over the altar, between burning tapers, loomed the veil of S.
Veronica, impressed with the sacred lineaments of the Saviour. None
but bishops were permitted to enter the chapel, all others looked
through a grating, and to them, from the depth of the chapel, the
portrait was wholly undistinguishable. One inferior ecclesiastic
alone, by especial favour, was suffered to enter, accompanying a
prelate. This was M. Barbier de Montault, canon of the basilica of
Anagni; and he took advantage of the opportunity to scrutinize closely
the miraculous portrait. He has fortunately communicated to the world
the result of his examination. His words are full of interest:--"The
Holy Face is enclosed in a frame of silver, partially gilt, and
square, of a severe character and little adorned. The simplicity of
the bordering gives prominence to the interior of the picture, which
is protected by a thin plate of crystal. Unfortunately, a sheet of
metal covers the field, and only leaves apparent the figure by
indicating its outline. By this outline one is led to conjecture
flowing hair reaching to the shoulders, and a short beard, bifurcated,
and small. The other features are so vaguely indicated, or so
completely effaced, that it requires the liveliest imagination in the
world to perceive traces of eyes or nose. In short, one does not see
the material of the substance, because of the useless intervention of
a metal plate, and the place of the impression exhibits only a
blackish surface, not giving any evidence of human features."[12]

The legend of the origin of this portrait is as follows: A holy woman,
named Bernice, or, as it has been Latinized, Veronica, lived on the
way to Calvary. As Christ was on the road bearing the cross, He fell
near her door, and she, moved with compassion, went to Him, and gently
wiped the sweat from His face with her veil or napkin. Then the
impression of the sacred countenance remained on the veil. Marianus
Scotus, the historian (d. 1086), tells the rest of the story thus:
"The emperor Tiberius was afflicted with leprosy. Hearing of the
miracles of Our Lord, he sent to Jerusalem for Him. But Christ was
already crucified, and had risen and was ascended into heaven. The
messengers of Tiberius, however, ascertained that a certain Veronica
possessed a portrait of Christ, impressed by the Saviour Himself on a
linen handkerchief, and preserved by her with reverence. Veronica was
persuaded by them to come to Rome, and the sight of the sacred image
restored the emperor to health. Pilate was then sentenced by him to
death, for having unjustly crucified our Lord." It is hardly necessary
to say that there is no foundation of truth for this addition to the
original story. How far the first part of the story is true it is
impossible to decide. It is by no means improbable that a pious woman
may have wiped the face of Christ.

Mabillon, the learned Benedictine, propounded the theory that each
early portrait of Christ was called, in barbarous jargon, a mixture of
Latin and Greek, _vera icon_, true image; and that later, a fable was
invented to account for the introduction of these representations into
Europe, and the name given to the image was transferred to the person
who was supposed to have brought it to the West. This explanation has
been generally adopted. "By the name of Veronica," says Baillet,
"nothing more was signified than the true image--_vera icon_ of the
Saviour painted on a handkerchief or piece of linen called the Holy
Sudarium, because, ordinarily, only the head of the Saviour from
before was represented on it, that is, the face and hair. Nothing
further was meant at Rome, where was to be seen, dating from the 12th
century, in the Church of S. Peter, one of these Veronicas, before
which lamps were kept burning day and night."[13]

But the legend itself seems to be an importation, not a fabrication,
as Mabillon suggested. For Constantine Porphyrogeneta (d. 959), in
whose reign the sacred Abgarus portrait of Christ was brought to
Constantinople, relates the following story of _that_ portrait:--"As
Christ was on His way to Calvary, bearing His cross, the blood and
sweat streaming from His brow obscured His eyes. Then taking from one
of His disciples a piece of linen, He wiped His face, and left thereon
His sacred portrait. S. Thomas preserved the towel till after the
Ascension, when he gave the miraculous picture to Thaddæus, who bore
it to Edessa. There he lodged with a Jew named Tobias. He began to
work miracles in the name of Christ. Abgarus, king of Edessa, hearing
of his works, sent for him. As Thaddæus entered the chamber of the
sick king, he elevated above his head the sacred picture, and at the
same time, such a blaze of light shot from his face, that Abgarus
could not endure the splendour, and, forgetful of his sickness, leaped
out of bed. Then he took the linen, covered his head and limbs with
it, and was forthwith made whole."

How it was that this venerable picture passed into the hands of the
Emperor of Constantinople we learn from the Arabic historian, El
Matzin.[14] He says that in the year 331 of Hegira, that is A.D.
953--which is a mistake for 944--the Greeks besieged the city of
Edessa, then in the hands of the Saracens, and demanded the surrender
of the holy picture and the accompanying letters of Abgarus and the
Saviour, in exchange for the captives they had made. The treasured
relics were handed over to the Christians, and were brought to
Byzantium, where they were placed in a befitting shrine in the church
of the Eternal Wisdom. What became of the picture when Constantinople
fell into the hands of the Mussulmans is uncertain. The Venetians
claimed to have brought it to Rome, and to have presented it to the
Church of S. Sylvester. The Genoese, on the other hand, lay claim to
the possession of the sacred portrait, and say that it was brought by
Leonard de Montalto, in 1384, to their city, and by him presented to
the Armenian Church of S. Bartholomew, where it is still preserved and
exhibited once a year.

We shall briefly notice such other portraits of Christ as claim to be
authentic, whether in colour or in writing. Of the former, that said
to have been painted by S. Luke is the most interesting. The Greek
monk Michael, in his life of his master, Theodore of the Studium,
relates that S. Luke painted a beautiful likeness of our Saviour. This
assertion was readily adopted by later writers. Among others, Simeon
Metaphrastes (fl. 936) repeats it, and S. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274)
refers to the picture as existing in the Chapel of the Santa Scala, in
the Lateran, at Rome.

Another sacred painting of Christ by S. Luke is in the possession of
the Benedictines of Vallombrosa. This portrait is certainly of very
great antiquity, and is in tempora on a panel of cypress wood. The
features are strongly emphasized, the face long, the eyes large and
bright, with eyelids drooping, and arched brows.

Another sacred picture is that given by S. Peter to the Senator
Pudens, which is exhibited on Easter Day, in the monastery of S.
Praxedes. The story goes that it was sketched by S. Peter for the
daughters of Pudens, one evening at supper, on the napkin of Praxedes.

It will be remembered that when Christ was laid in the tomb, His body
was wrapped in fine linen, and a linen napkin was on his face. These
relics are said to be preserved at Besançon and Turin. The Turin linen
shows the bloodstained outline of the Saviour's body; that at Besançon
is marked with the ointments. The features are impressed on the
napkin, and are of the Byzantine type.

A crucifix, by Nicodemus, is exhibited in the cathedral of Lucca.
Another portrait is the Nazaræum, which is certainly of considerable
antiquity, and is probably the earliest extant copy of the famous
Edessa picture. It is in the Latin convent at Nazareth. This picture
is engraved in Abraham Norow's travels in Palestine. (S. Petersburg,
1844).

Let us now turn to the literary sketches of the portrait of our Lord
which have descended to us.

S. Jerome, (d. 420), says that in the face and eyes of Christ there
was something heavenly, so that from their glory and majesty the
hidden Godhead flashed forth. S. John of Damascus, (d. about 760), in
his letter to the Emperor Theophilus, says, "Christ was tall and
stately, had brows uniting over the nose, beautiful eyes, a large
nose, curled hair, and a black beard. His hair was a gold-brown, like
wheat, resembling that of his mother, and his head was bowed somewhat
forward."

The next, and more precise account is that of the apocryphal letter of
Lentulus, (who is supposed to have lived at the time of Christ, and to
have been about the person of Pilate, to the Roman senate,) which is
said to have been extracted from the Roman annals by a certain
Eutropius. This first appears in the writings of S. Anselm, (d. 1107).
"He is a man of tall stature, comely, having a venerable countenance,
which those beholding must love or fear. His hair is waving and
curled, rolling to his shoulders, having a parting in the middle of
the head, after the manner of the Nazarenes, a brow smooth and serene,
a face without wrinkle or blemish of any kind, rendered beautiful by a
moderate colour. There is no fault to be found with the nose and
mouth; he has a full and red beard, the colour of his locks, not long,
but forked, and eyes bright and changeable." Another version of this
letter adds that the hair was the colour of the hazel-nut, the eyes
greyish-blue, and full of light. "His hands and arms are beautiful. He
is terrible in reprehension, but mild and full of love in instruction;
cheerful, but with steadfast earnestness. No one ever saw Him laugh,
but often has He been seen to weep. Precise and modest in his speech,
he is in all perfect, and the fairest of the sons of men."

But the most precise and complete account is that of Nicephorus
Callistus, (fl. 1330). His description is as follows:--"He was
beautiful in body, his height seven complete spans, his hair was
yellowish, not bushy, and at the ends somewhat curled. His eyebrows
were black, only a little arched, and without break; his eyes were
hazel, of that description called bright-eyed, not dim, in no way
misformed, not wandering. His nose was prominent, his beard reddish,
not profuse, but the hair of his head was abundant, for never had
razor or hand of man shorn it. His neck was somewhat bent, so that he
did not walk perfectly upright; the colour of his face was a
yellow-brown, like ripe wheat; his face was not round, nor pointed,
but, like his mother's, a little drooping, and slightly blushing. His
very countenance indicated a man of intelligence, with manners grave,
calm, and removed from anger. In all things, he was like his most pure
mother."

And this is the account of S. Mary given by Nicephorus:--"Mary was in
everything modest and earnest; she spake little, and then only about
necessaries; she was very courteous, and rendered to all honour and
respect. She was of middle stature, though some assert her to have
been somewhat taller. She spake to all with an engaging frankness,
without laughing, without embarrassment, and especially without
rancour. She had a pale tint, light hair, piercing eyes, with
yellowish olive-coloured pupils. Her brows were arched and black, her
nose moderately long, her lips fresh, and full of amiability when
speaking; her face not round or pointed, but longish; hands and
fingers fairly long. Finally, she was without pride, simple, and
without guile; she had no insipidity about her, but was unassuming. In
her dress she was fond of the natural colour; in short, there was in
all her ways divine grace."[15]


S. PHILEAS, B. M., AND OTHERS.

(A.D. 304.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authorities:--Authentic Acts by Gregory, a
  contemporary. Mention by S. Jerome in his Treatise on Ecclesiastical
  Writers, c. 78; Ruffinus Hist. Eccl. lib. viii. c. 9; Eusebius, lib.
  viii. c. 9, 10.]

Phileas was a wealthy nobleman of Thmuis, in Egypt, who was elected
bishop of that city, but in the persecution of Dioclesian was carried
to Alexandria, before the governor Culcian. In his dungeon he wrote a
letter to his flock to encourage them, narrating the sufferings
endured by the martyrs for the true faith. This letter has been
preserved by Gregory, and in part, by Eusebius. Culcian, who had been
prefect of Thebais, was then governor of all Egypt, under the tyrant
Maximius, but he afterwards lost his head, in 313, by order of
Licinius. The Acts of S. Phileas are scrupulously particular in
detailing every question and answer in the examination of the saint.
They are too long to be given in their entirety, but extracts from
them deserve insertion.

Culcian, the governor, said to him, "Now, then, art thou sober?"
Phileas answered, "I am always sober." Culcian said, "Sacrifice to the
gods." Phileas answered, "I will not." "Why not?" enquired Culcian.
"Because it is forbidden by Scripture to offer sacrifice, save to one
God." "Then offer a sacrifice to Him." "God loveth not such sacrifices
as you make," answered Phileas. "What sort of sacrifices then does thy
God approve of?" asked the judge. Phileas replied, "I offer him a pure
heart and clean senses, and true words." Culcian said, "But Paul
sacrificed." "No, he did not," answered Phileas. "Well, then Moses
did." "Yes," said Phileas, "the command was to the Jews only to
sacrifice to God in Jerusalem; now the Jews sin in celebrating their
solemn rites elsewhere." "Enough of these empty words; sacrifice,"
said the magistrate. "I will not do so, and stain my soul." "Why,"
said the governor, "Paul denied God." "He did not," answered Phileas.
"Wilt thou swear that he did not?" asked Culcian. "I will not swear,"
answered the bishop, "for oaths are forbidden us. It is a matter of
conscience." Culcian said, "Is it not a matter of conscience for thee
to take care of thy wife and sons?" Phileas said, "Yes, but I have a
higher duty to God." Culcian exclaimed, "Hold thy tongue, and
sacrifice." "I will not sacrifice," said the bishop. Culcian asked,
"Is Christ God?" And Phileas replied, "He is." Culcian said, "How
could God be crucified?" "For our salvation," answered Phileas; "He
suffered for our sakes."

The governor said, "I might have tortured thee in the city, but I
spared thee, wishing to shew thee respect." "I thank thee," said the
bishop, "Go on with thy work." "Dost thou desire to die without
cause?" asked Culcian. "Not without cause; I wish to die for God and
the truth." The governor said, "If thou hadst been a poor man I should
soon have despatched thee, but seeing thou art rich enough to feed all
the province, I have shewn patience, and endeavoured to move thee by
persuasion."

Some lawyers standing by said, "Phileas sacrificed in the monastery,"
for they had heard something of the Eucharistic mystery, but
understood it not. Phileas said, "You are right, I did sacrifice, but
I did not immolate victims." Culcian said, "Thy poor wife is looking
at thee." Phileas replied, "Jesus Christ calls me to glory, and He can
also, if He pleases, call my wife."

The lawyers said to the judge, "Phileas asks delay." Culcian said, "I
will grant it willingly, that he may think over the consequences of
his persistency in this course." But Phileas cried out, "I have
thought well over this, and it is my unchangeable resolution to die
for Jesus Christ." Then the lawyers, the emperor's lieutenant, the
other officers of justice, and his relations fell at his feet,
embracing his knees, and conjuring him to have compassion on his
disconsolate family, and not to abandon his children in their tender
years. Philoromus, a Christian present, tribune of the soldiers, moved
with indignation, cried out, "Why strive ye to make this brave man
renounce his God, do ye not see that contemplating the glory of
Heaven, he makes no account of earthly things?" Then with a shout, all
cried that he must be condemned to die along with Phileas, and to this
Culcian assented.

As they were led to execution, the brother of Phileas, who was a
lawyer, exclaimed, "Phileas appeals." Culcian called Phileas back, and
asked if it were so. The bishop denied that he had so done. Then the
procession resumed its way to the place of execution. And when they
had reached the spot, Phileas extended his arms to the east, and
cried, "O my best beloved sons, whosoever worship God, watch over your
hearts, for your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour. We have not yet suffered, dearest
ones, but we are about to suffer. Now are we becoming disciples of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Attend to the precepts of Christ. We invoke the
immaculate, incomprehensible One, who sitteth above the Cherubim, the
maker of all things, who is the beginning and the ending, to whom be
glory through ages of ages. Amen." And when he had thus spoken, the
executioner struck off his head, and that of his companion, Philoromus.


S. GELASIUS, BOY, C.

(BEGINNING OF 5TH CENTURY.)

  [Commemorated as a semi-double in the Church of Piacenza.
  Authority:--The Offices of the Breviary of Piacenza for this day.]

S. Gelasius was a little boy, child of pious and wealthy parents in
Placentia, the modern Piacenza, in Northern Italy. His brother, older
than himself, was S. Olympius, who is commemorated on October 12th.
The children slept in the same room. One evening Gelasius heard his
brother praying, and angels singing, "Suffer little children to come
unto Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." The child died early,
in the white innocence of his baptismal robe, and was laid by S.
Maurus, bishop of Placentia, in the Church of S. Savin, outside the
walls. It was afterwards translated to the new Church of S. Savin
within the city, in 1481, by the Bishop Fabricius, together with the
bodies of SS. Peregrine and Victor.


S. ISIDORE OF PELUSIUM, MONK, P.

(ABOUT A.D. 449.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Same day in the Greek Church.]

S. Isidore of Pelusium, in Egypt, was a monk from his youth. Suidas
asserts that he was promoted to the dignity of the priesthood. In the
time when the turbulent Theophilus was patriarch of Alexandria,
Isidore espoused the cause of S. Chrysostom, praised his writings and
doctrine, and consequently became an object of hostility to the proud
patriarch. On the death of Theophilus, S. Cyril, his nephew, succeeded
him, and, as has already been related in the life of that saint,
inherited his uncle's prejudices against the great Chrysostom, and
after his death opposed the insertion of his name in the diptychs, or
list of persons who were commemorated at the Holy Eucharist. But by
the influence of S. Isidore, who earnestly strove to bring councils of
peace before Cyril, the patriarch of Alexandria was induced to
withdraw his objections. The letters of S. Isidore are extant.


S. AVENTINE OF TROYES, H.

(ABOUT A.D. 538.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and that of Usuardus, on Feb. 4th; but in the
  diocese of Troyes, on Feb. 6th, as a semi-double. Authorities:--A
  very ancient life, written in crude style; mention by S. Gregory of
  Tours, and in two extant lives of S. Fidolus.]

S. Aventine was much beloved and respected for his singular virtues by
S. Camelian, Bishop of Troyes, who made him steward of the possessions
of the church. He afterwards became the abbot of a monastery at
Troyes, and spent all the money he could collect in redeeming
captives. During the reign of Thierry, son of Clovis, he purchased of
a band of soldiers, who were leading captives past his door, the boy
Fidolus, whom for his gentleness and piety he learned greatly to love;
and treating him as a son rather than as a servant, he made of him a
monk, and finally, when he himself was old, and Fidolus had grown to
man's estate, with the consent of the monks, he delivered over into
his hands the government of the monastery, and he himself retired into
a lone hermitage in the forest, and spent many years in a cave. When
he opened his window, and thrust forth his hand full of crumbs,
multitudes of little birds came fluttering up, and perched on his
fingers, and ate the crumbs. He was ministered to by a monk, who, in
bringing water from the river, sometimes caught in the pitcher very
little fish. The gentle Aventine invariably returned the small fish to
the river, for he would not hurt or destroy any animal, unless it were
necessary. One day he trod on a snake and crushed it, so that it lay
numb, and as though lifeless. Then he bent over it, and cherished it,
till life returned, and it glided away. Once a stag, pursued by
hunters, took refuge in his cave, and he closed the door on it, and
hid it, till the hunters had passed further. One stormy night, a bear
came roaring to the door of the cell, and strove to beat it in. The
hermit, in terror, sang the song, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in
hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thy holy one to see corruption!" and
armed himself with prayer. Now when the sky grew white with dawn,
Aventine opened his cell, and there lay the bear crouched on the
threshold, and it stretched out its paw to him, and licked his feet.
Then the hermit perceived that there was a splinter of wood in the
paw, and he said, "Poor beast, thou wast in pain, and didst seek
relief, and I thought that thou wast raging for my life." And he took
the paw on his lap, drew forth the piece of wood, bathed and bandaged
the wound, gave the bear his blessing, and let it depart.

Relics in the parish churches of Creney and S. Aventin and in the
cathedral at Troyes. In Art he is represented drawing the splinter
from the bear's paw.


S. AVENTINE OF CHATEAUDUN, B. C.

(6TH CENT.)

  [Gallican Martyrologies. Authorities:--Mention in the life of his
  brother, S. Solemnis, and an ancient metrical French life.]

In the reign of Clovis there lived a Count John, at Chateaudun, who
was married to Agnes, daughter of the Count of Blois. By her he had
three sons, Solemnis, Aventine, and John, and a daughter Agnes, who
died young.

Flavius, uncle of Agnes of Blois, was bishop of Chartres, and called
thither Solemnis and Aventine for the purpose of attending to their
education. As both showed signs of sanctity, he ordained both, whilst
young; Solemnis was raised to the priesthood, and Aventine was
appointed archdeacon.

On the death of Flavius, the clergy and people, with the king's
consent, proceeded to elect Solemnis to fill the vacant see; but he,
knowing their intention, fled, and hid himself in a cave outside the
city. When he could not be found, the electors with one consent
shouted, "Aventine is worthy!" that being the customary formulary of
election. Thereupon, Aventine, much against his will, was drawn into
the cathedral, and ordained priest, and consecrated bishop. Now
Solemnis, from his place of retreat, heard the shout in the city, and
knew that a bishop had been chosen. Yet he waited till he saw peasants
returning along the road that ran by his retreat, and he overheard
them speaking of the consecration of his brother Aventine. So he,
deeming all further concealment unnecessary, came forth, and entered
the city. Then, at once, a crowd surrounded him, and the roar of a
thousand voices proclaimed, "Solemnis is worthy! Solemnis shall be
bishop!" And he was drawn to the cathedral, vested in white, a mitre
placed on his head, the pastoral staff put into his hands, and the
bishops of the province there present, proclaimed him. And when this
was done, men asked, "What shall be done with Aventine?" and he was
sent to be bishop of Chateaudun, his native town. Then he went his
way. And as he drew near to the city, there met him a leper, who ran
towards him, and stopped, and cried out, "I am John, thy brother." He
would have rejoiced to meet his brother, had he not seen that he was
afflicted with leprosy; for which reason John had retired from the
city, and fled from the society of men. Then the bishop ran to him,
and fell on his neck, and his tears flowed over him, and he kissed
him; and the flesh of John came again as the flesh of a little child,
and he was made perfectly whole.

Of the works of the holy Aventine in his diocese little is known, save
that he laboured in season and out of season in the ministry of God,
and that he lived in a little cell outside the city gates, in the face
of a rock. After the death of Solemnis, about 509, Aventine governed
the whole Chartrain Church, and subscribed the council of Orleans,
511, as bishop of Chartres. Relics translated in 1853 to the parish
church of S. Madeleine in Chateaudun.


S. THEOPHILUS THE PENITENT.

(ABOUT A.D. 528.)

  [Commemorated by the Greeks on this day. Not by the Westerns, though
  the story is quoted by a great number of Latin writers.
  Authority:--The Greek account by Eutychianus, who pretends to have
  been a disciple of Theophilus, and declares that he relates what he
  had seen with his own eyes, and heard from the mouth of Theophilus
  himself. Metaphrastes embodied the narrative of Eutychianus in his
  great collection of the Lives of the Saints. For a full account of
  this strange story, see my "Myths of the Middle Ages."]

The following story must be received with caution. It has not received
the sanction of the Western Church, and is probably a mere religious
romance. It was very popular in the middle ages, and was frequently
represented in sculpture and stained glass.

A few years before the Persian invasion, in 538, there lived, in the
town of Adana in Cilicia, a priest named Theophilus, treasurer and
archdeacon. He lived in strict observance of all his religious duties,
was famous for his liberality to the poor, his sympathy with the
afflicted, his eloquence in the pulpit, his private devotion, and
severe asceticism. On the decease of the bishop, by popular
acclamation he was summoned to the episcopal oversight of the diocese,
but his deep humility urged him to refuse the office, even when it was
pressed upon him by the metropolitan. A stranger was raised to the
vacant seat, and the treasurer resumed the course of life he had
pursued for so many years with credit to himself and advantage to the
diocese, content in his own mind with having refused the office, which
might have aroused his pride, and which certainly would have
diminished his opportunities of self-sacrifice. Virtue invariably
arouses the spirit of detraction, and Theophilus, by his refusal of
the bishopric, was thrust into public notice, and attracted public
attention. The consequence was, that the evil-minded originated
slanders, which circulated widely, produced a revulsion of feeling
towards Theophilus, and, what was generally reported, was accepted as
substantially true. These stories reached the ears of the new bishop,
he sent for the archdeacon, and, without properly investigating the
charges, concluded he was guilty, and deprived him of his offices.

One would have supposed that the humility which had required the holy
man to refuse a mitre, would have rendered him callous to the voice of
slander, and have sustained him under deprivation. But the trial was
too great for his virtue. He brooded over the accusations raised
against him, and the wrongs inflicted upon him, till the whole object
of his desire became the clearing of his character. He sought every
available means of unmasking the calumnies of his malingers, and
exposing the falsity of the charges raised against him. But he found
himself unable to effect his object; one man is powerless against a
multitude, and slander is a hydra which, when maimed in one head,
produces others in the place of that struck off. Baffled, despairing,
and without a friend to sustain his cause, the poor clerk sought
redress in a manner which, a month before, would have filled him with
horror. He visited a necromancer, who led him at midnight to a place
where four cross-roads met, and there conjured up Satan, who promised
to reinstate Theophilus in all his offices, and, what he valued more,
to completely clear his character. The priest, to obtain these boons,
signed away his soul with a pen dipped in his own blood, and abjured
for ever Jesus Christ and His spotless Mother.

On the morrow, the bishop, discovering his error, how we know not,
sent for Theophilus, and acknowledged publicly that he had been misled
by false reports, the utter valuelessness of which he was ready
frankly to acknowledge; and he asked pardon of the priest, for having
unjustly deprived him of his office. The populace enthusiastically
reversed their late opinion of the treasurer, and greeted him as a
Saint and confessor.

For some days all went well, and in the excitement of a return to his
former occupations, the compact he had made was forgotten. But after a
while, as reason and quietness resumed their sway, the conscience of
Theophilus gave him no rest. His face lost its colour, his brow was
seamed with wrinkles, an unutterable horror gleamed out of his
deep-set eyes. Hour by hour he prayed, but found no relief. At length
he resolved on a solemn fast of forty days. This he accomplished,
praying nightly in the Church of the Blessed Virgin, till the grey of
morning stole in at the little window of the dome, and obscured the
lamps. On the fortieth night, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him, and
rebuked him for his sin. He implored her pardon and all-prevailing
intercession, and this she promised him. The following night she
re-appeared, and assured him that Christ had forgiven him at her
prayer. With a cry of joy he awoke; and on his breast lay the deed
which had made over his soul to Satan, obtained from the evil one by
the mercy of the holy Mother of God.

The next day was Sunday. He rose, spent some time in acts of
thanksgiving, and then went to church, where the divine liturgy was
being celebrated. After the reading of the Gospel, he flung himself at
the bishop's feet, and requested permission to make his confession in
public. Then he related the circumstances of his fall, and showed the
contract signed with his blood to the assembled multitude. Having
finished his confession, he prostrated himself before the bishop, and
asked for absolution. The deed was torn and burned before the people.
He was reconciled, and received the blessed Sacrament; after which he
returned to his house in a fever, and died at the expiration of three
days. The story is probably a mere religious romance.


S. MODAN, AB.

(7TH CENT.)

  [Aberdeen Breviary:--from which almost all that is known of his life
  is gathered.]

S. Modan was first monk, and then abbot of Mailros, in Scotland, and
preached the faith in Stirling and at Falkirk. When old he retired
among the mountains of Dumbarton, and there died. His body was kept
till the change of religion, with honour, in the church of Rosneath.


B. HRABANUS MAURUS, B. C.

(A.D. 856.)

  [From his life by Rodolph the priest, monk of Fulda, d. 865; and
  various writers of a later period.]

Rabanus, or Hrabanus Maurus, was one of the most illustrious writers
of the 9th century. He was born at Mainz, in the year 788. When very
young he was sent to the monastery of Fulda, where he was brought up.
From thence he was sent to Tours, where he studied for some time under
the famous Alcuin. He returned afterwards to Germany, into his
monastery, where he was entrusted with the government of the novices,
was afterwards ordained priest in the year 814, and at last chosen
abbot of Fulda, in 822. After he had managed this charge twenty years,
he voluntarily quitted it, to satisfy the monks, who complained that
his studies so engrossed his time that the affairs of the monastery
were neglected. He retired to Mount S. Peter, and was shortly after
chosen archbishop of Mainz or Mayence, in the year 847. He held a
council in the same year for the reformation of discipline; and died
in 856.

As a mystical interpreter to Holy Scripture, his commentaries will
ever be read. He was a voluminous writer on various subjects, sacred
and profane, and was certainly one of the most learned men of his day.


S. NICOLAS OF THE STUDIUM, C.

(A. D. 868.)

  [Greek Menæa for this day. Authorities:--Life by a contemporary monk
  in his monastery.]

This glorious confessor was born in Crete, and was the son of pious
parents, who educated him from earliest infancy in the fear of God. At
the age of ten he was sent to Constantinople, to see his kinsman
Theophanes. He found him a monk of the order of the Sleepless
Ones,[16] in the monastery called the Studium. He entered the same
order, and fulfilled his monastic duties with regularity and devotion.
Having set a brilliant example, he was deemed worthy to be invested
with the priesthood. Then broke out the furious persecution of the
Iconoclasts, about which a few words must be said in this place.[17]

When God was made Man, He was put at once into the most intimate
relation with men; and just as it is lawful for any son to have a
portrait of his father or mother, so did it become lawful and
reasonable that he should have a picture of that God-Man, who is
dearer to him than father or mother. The picture served as a constant
reminder, an evidence for the Incarnation. It is a sermon declaring
God to be made Man. But the Arians, who denied the divinity of our
Lord, were most hostile to sacred representations of Christ, and with
reason, for these pictures were a testimony against them. At first the
Arian attack on the foundation doctrine of the Incarnation was open.
But, when the theological statement of that mystery was made so plain
that there was no opposing it by counter statement, Arianism adopted
other tactics, and appeared as Iconoclasm, or war against sacred
pictures. He who disbelieved, or only coldly acquiesced in the
Incarnation of God, saw that this chief corner-stone of Christianity
could only be uprooted by chilling the ardour of Christian affection.
And no better method of chilling that affection could be devised, than
the obliteration of representations of Christ, His acts, His passion,
and of His mother, and His Saints; then there was some prospect of
religious acceptance of this dogma sinking into cold intellectual
apprehension, and thence it could be dislodged without difficulty.
After the reconciliation of large congregations of Gnostics and Arians
with the Catholic Church, they maintained that icy worship which had
preceded their separation, they adored God as a Spirit, but actually,
though they had ceased to do so formally, overlooked His manhood.
These reconciled bodies afforded a fund of passive prejudice and
aversion of small account so long as Catholic princes were on the
throne, but which, in the fortune of a soldier, might produce serious
results to the Church.

Of such adventurers, the most fortunate was the Emperor Leo III., who,
from the mountains of Isauria, ascended to the throne of the East. He
was ignorant of sacred and profane letters; but his education, his
reason, perhaps his intercourse with Jews and Arabs, had inspired the
martial peasant with a hatred of images; and he held it to be the duty
of a prince to impose on his subjects the dictates of his own
conscience. In the reformation of religion, his first steps were
moderate and cautious; he assembled a great council of senators and
bishops, and enacted, with their consent, that all the images should
be removed from the sanctuary and altar to a proper height in the
churches, where they might be visible to the eyes, and inaccessible to
the devotion of the people. But it was impossible on either side to
check the rapid though adverse impulses of veneration and abhorrence:
in their lofty position, the sacred images still edified their
votaries, and exasperated their enemies. He was himself provoked by
resistance and invective; and his own party accused him of an
imperfect discharge of his duty, and urged for his imitation the
example of the Jewish king, who had broken without scruple the brazen
serpent of the temple. By a second edict, he proscribed the existence,
as well as the use of sacred pictures; images of Christ, the Blessed
Virgin, and the Saints, were demolished, or a smooth surface of
plaster was spread over the walls of the edifice. The sect of the
Iconoclasts was supported by the zeal and despotism of six emperors,
and this topic involved the East and West in an angry conflict of one
hundred and twenty years. It was the design of Leo the Isaurian to
pronounce the condemnation of images as an article of faith, and by
the authority of a General Council; but the convocation of such an
assembly was reserved for his son Constantine Copronymus. This council
was attended by three hundred and thirty-eight bishops of Europe and
Anatolia, but not by those of the Western Church, African Church, or
that of Palestine. It was, in fact, an assembly of those prelates who
were weak enough to assist, fearing condemnation and exile if they did
not submit, ambitious enough to follow the caprice of the reigning
emperor, in hopes of emolument, and also of those who heartily
concurred with his semi-Arianism. After a serious deliberation of six
months, the prelates subscribed such a decree as the emperor desired,
condemning all visible symbols of Christ,[18] except the Eucharist, as
blasphemous and heretical; and denouncing veneration for images as the
idolatry of Paganism. "As if," says a Catholic writer of the time,
"there were not this great difference between the Christian image and
the heathen idol, that the latter is the thing worshipped, whereas the
former is the representation of the person adored."

The first hostilities of Leo had been directed against a lofty Christ
on the vestibule, and above the gate, of the palace, placed there to
exhibit to all men that the emperors had bowed before the King of
kings. A ladder had been placed for the assault, but it was shaken by
a crowd of women and zealots, and for their opposing the execution of
the mandate, severe and savage reprisals were taken. The execution of
the imperial mandates were resisted by frequent tumults in
Constantinople and the provinces, which were quelled by the military,
and much blood flowed.

In the cruel persecution that ensued, the monks, ever the champions of
the Incarnate God, suffered most severely. Nicolas of the Studium,
together with S. Theodore, the abbot, or archimandite, of the
monastery were called to suffer. Nicolas was scourged with leather
thongs on the back and limbs, and his arms extended, so that they
became for a time paralysed. His back, which was lashed and bleeding,
was tenderly bathed with warm water and healing lotions by S.
Theodore, his superior, till it was healed. Both were driven into
exile, and kept for three years in nakedness, and without sufficient
food and drink, in a wretched prison. They were beaten again at
Smyrna, and further imprisoned for twenty-two months, with their feet
in the stocks. On the death of Leo, the confessors were released, and
visited S. Nicephorus at Chalcedon. This took place during the absence
of Constantine Copronymus, who had undertaken an expedition against
the Saracens. During this absence, his kinsman, Artavasdus, assumed
the purple, and everywhere the sacred images were triumphantly
restored. Constantine flew for refuge to his paternal mountains; but
he descended at the head of the bold Isaurians, and his final victory
placed the unfortunate Catholics once more at the mercy of a brutal
tyrant. This monster of crime derived his name Copronymus from having
defiled his baptismal font. This incident of his infancy was accepted
as an augury of his maturity, and he did not belie it. His reign was
one long butchery of whatever was most noble, or holy, or innocent, in
his empire. In person the emperor assisted at the execution of his
victims, surveyed their agonies, listened to their groans, and
indulged, without satiating, his appetite for blood: a plate of noses
was accepted as a grateful offering, and his domestics were often
scourged or mutilated by his royal hand. His long reign was distracted
with clamour, sedition, conspiracy, mutual hatred, and sanguinary
revenge. The hatred borne by this ruffian against monks and images was
implacable. Images were torn down and defaced with wanton malice
throughout the empire by an officer called the Dragon, sent round for
that purpose; all religious communities were dissolved, their
buildings were converted into magazines or barracks; the lands,
moveables, and cattle, were confiscated, and the monks were mutilated
in eyes and ears and limbs, with refined cruelty.

Under this emperor, Theophilus (829), Nicolas and Theodore again
suffered persecution. Theodore, and the abbot Theophanes, kinsman of
Nicolas, were mutilated by certain verses being cut upon their brows.
During the persecution, S. Nicolas remained concealed; on the
accession of the indifferent emperor, Michael III., (842), he emerged
from his hiding place, and was elected archimandite of the Studium,
the abbot Theodore being dead. After exercising the government for
three years, he resigned it to Sophronius, and retired to Firmopolis,
that he might pass the remainder of his days in peace; but it was not
so to be; after four years he was recalled to the abbacy of the
Studium, on the death of Sophronius, and was at once involved in
conflict. For the patriarch Ignatius, having rebuked the Cæsar Bardas
for incest, and then excommunicated him, the emperor Michael III., his
nephew, was persuaded to exile Ignatius, and to intrude Photius into
the Patriarchal see. The abbot Nicolas refused to communicate with the
intruder, and was consequently driven from his monastery, and a monk,
Achillas, was appointed in his room. Nicolas was pursued from one
retreat to another by the hostility of the intruded patriarch, and
after many wanderings, rested in the Crimea. Upon the death of Bardas
and Michael, Bardas having been murdered by his nephew Michael, and
Michael by his successor, Basil I., (867), the patriarch Ignatius was
recalled, and the patriarch persuaded Nicolas to return to his
government of the Studium, where he died the following year.


S. REMBERT, B. C.

(A.D. 888.)

  [Roman Martyrology; this being the day of his consecration to the
  Archbishopric of Bremen and Hamburg. But in some German
  Martyrologies, on June 11th, the day of his death. Authority:--his
  life written by a coeval author or authors].

This saint was born at Thourout, in Flanders, where was a monastic
cell, that had been given by King Louis the Pious to S. Anskar. As
Anskar was at Thourout one day, he noticed some boys going to church,
and amongst them was one who, by his gravity, pleased him; and when
the boy entered the church, he crossed himself, and behaved with so
great reverence, that the archbishop went to him, and asked his name.
He told him that he was called Rembert. Then S. Anskar took him and
placed him in the little monastery, and bade that he should be well
instructed. In after years, the apostle of Sweden called Rembert to
assist him in his mission; and he loved his young friend greatly, and
prayed to God for three days incessantly that He would grant to
Rembert to accomplish the work that he, Anskar, had begun, and to make
them companions together in the Heavenly Zion. After Anskar died, in
865, S. Rembert was unanimously chosen Archbishop of Hamburg and
Bremen, and he superintended all the churches of Sweden, Denmark, and
Lower Germany. He also began a mission to the Wends and Sclavonic race
of Mecklenburg and Brandenburg, which was attended with considerable
success. He sold the sacred ornaments of the Church to redeem captives
from the Northmen. On one occasion he saw a party of these marauders
pass, dragging after them a poor girl, who raised her shackled hands
towards the bishop, and began to chant one of David's psalms. Then S.
Rembert leaped off his horse, and ran to the chief, and offered him
the horse if he would release the captive Christian maiden. And this
he did, well pleased to obtain so valuable a horse. S. Rembert died on
June 11th, in the year 888.


S. GILBERT OF SEMPRINGHAM, AB.

(A.D. 1189.)

  [Roman, Anglican, Belgian, Benedictine, and Cistercian
  Martyrologies. Authority:--his life, by a contemporary, published by
  Bollandus.]

This S. Gilbert, of whom Henricus Chrysostomus, a Cistercian
chronicler, speaks as "a disciple of Bernard the mellifluous, a man of
apostolical zeal, of most severe and rigid life, in purity
conspicuous, illustrious for his gift of prophecy, and the mirific
performer of stupendous miracles," was born about the year A.D. 1083,
near the close of the reign of William the Conqueror. From an
apparently contemporary pedigree he seems to have been related on the
mother's side to that monarch, who may have rewarded the services of
his father, "a bold and skilful warrior," with the hand of one of his
relations, in addition to the manor of Sempringham, where Gilbert
first saw the light. His mother is said to have received, shortly
before his birth, a miraculous presage of the future greatness of her
child, a greatness, however, of which few external tokens would seem
to have manifested themselves during his childhood; since one of his
biographers relates that as a child he was so dull and spiritless as
to provoke the contempt and ill-usage of even the servants of his
father's household. Driven by this maltreatment from his home and
country, or more probably sent from home by the care of his parents,
who discerned in him a greater aptitude for the cloister than for the
camp, he passed some years in Gaul in the peaceful study of letters
and philosophy. His childish education completed, he returned to
England, and took up his abode with one of his father's dependents.
Here he fell in love with the daughter of his host, and gave the first
proof of his vocation to the counsels of perfection; for finding his
passion increase daily in strength, and fearing lest he should be
overcome by it, he fortified his soul by prayer and fasting; and then
seeking the company of his beloved, he so wrought upon her by his
exhortations and entreaties, that he prevailed upon her to join him in
a vow of perpetual chastity, and she was one of the first who
afterwards became nuns under his rule.

He now took to keeping a school, and gathered together a number of
children of both sexes, to be instructed in the rudiments of religion,
and especially taught them to live an orderly and pious life in the
world, without as yet leading them forward to the higher life of the
cloister; and these afterwards became the nucleus (primitiæ plantæ) of
his order.

During this time he seems to have lived in the family of the then
Bishop of Lincoln, and to have been admitted by him to the minor
orders of the ministry; for the next thing related of him is that
being presented by his father to the united benefices of Sempringham
and Torrington he most willingly accepted the charge, and devoted the
whole revenue of his livings to charitable purposes. Such was the
fervour of his devotion at this time, that it is related that having
one day invited one of his companions to join him in his prayers, the
youth was so fatigued by the length of the office, and the punctilious
care with which Gilbert genuflected whenever the holy names of God and
of Christ occurred, that he swore he would never pray with him again.

After a while he was ordained priest by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln,
who held him in such high esteem that he made him his confessor, and
would have appointed him Archdeacon; but this Gilbert resolutely
declined saying, "that he knew not of a shorter road to perdition."

Persevering in his resolve to give his all to the poor, he now for the
first time formally constituted his religious order, by assembling a
number of poor girls, amongst them the object of his youthful
attachment, whom he made cloistered nuns at Sempringham, and
maintained them at his own cost. He next founded a monastery for male
religious, to whom he entrusted all the more responsible affairs of
the order, providing both nuns and monks with a habit "expressive of
humility."

To this time of his life we must probably refer his miraculous escape
from death by fire. The story is that a great fire having broken out
either in his own house, or in the buildings immediately contiguous,
Gilbert remained sitting abstractedly in his window seat, praying and
singing psalms; the fire devoured all before it until it reached the
spot in which he sat; there its progress was arrested, and the flames
died away on every side, leaving the saint and his seat unharmed.

His order continued to expand, many religious flocked to him, and
gifts of manors and farms pouring in from all quarters, many
monasteries arose under his rule.

The charge of his Order now became so onerous that he is said to have
attended the general chapter of the order at Citeaux, in the year
1140, for the purpose of formally resigning his authority. To this,
however, his brother abbots refused their consent, and Gilbert
returned to his labours, which he was to relinquish only with his life.

A peculiar interest attaches to this chapter, from the circumstance
related by the same writer,[19] who tells us of Gilbert's presence
there, that the Pope Eugenius[20] was present and took part in the
proceedings, "not, however, presiding as with apostolical authority,
but in brotherly love taking his seat among the assembled abbots, as
one of themselves."

Returned to Sempringham, Gilbert resumed his life of prayer and
mortification, observing the fasts of the Church with such rigidity
that from Septuagesima to Easter, and throughout Advent, he not only
abstained from flesh-meat, but even a morsel of fish never passed his
lips. He practised also great austerity with regard to sleep, hardly
allowing himself to lie down for months together.

His unwearied devotion and severe asceticism so forwarded his growth
in grace that his influence over the religious under his authority
became almost unbounded; with such prudence and persuasiveness was he
endued, that he allayed without difficulty a serious disturbance which
arose in the order from a spirit of insubordination that had crept in
among the lay brethren. Overcome by his skilful reasonings and loving
exhortations, the greater number returned to their obedience,
"whereas," the chronicler adds, "those who held out and refused to do
so, all perished miserably." His holiness and his acceptance with God
were also attested by many miracles and wonders. Being at one time
afflicted with a very severe fever, a friend came to condole with him;
the saint enquired whether he had ever experienced the sensations of a
fever; finding that he had not, Gilbert asked him whether he would be
willing to take the fever from which he himself was suffering, if he
might be thereby cured. The friend assented, and returning home, was
the next morning seized with the fever, whereas the saint arose
entirely free from it. Another time, a man suffering from gout was
cured by simply wearing Gilbert's list slippers; and another man, sick
of a fever, was healed by drinking out of his cup.

Overcome at length by the infirmities of advancing age, he resigned
the charge of Sempringham to one of his disciples, Roger by name; but
he seems still to have retained his authority, as it is mentioned that
some time after this, he gave shelter to S. Thomas à Becket in one of
his houses when that prelate, worsted in his contest with Henry II.,
was wandering about the kingdom in search of means to escape to the
continent. He also supplied the archbishop with money during his
exile, thereby drawing upon himself the displeasure of Henry, who,
however,--such was Gilbert's popularity in the kingdom,--found it
expedient to refrain from any proceedings against him.

At last, in the year 1189, and the 106th of Gilbert's age, his death
drew near, and the man of God, full of years, and not less full of
grace, prepared to render up his account with joy. He announced to his
disciples his approaching departure, and on the evening of Christmas
Day he was fortified with the last sacraments of the Church. The
remaining time which God vouchsafed him on earth he devoted to the
edification of others, and during this time many prelates, and men of
various degrees, resorted to him in order to be consoled by his
blessing, and instructed by his discourse. The night before the day on
which he died "an immense globe of fire, and an appearance as of many
candles" were seen to hover in the air over the church of Sempringham,
in which his tomb was prepared. Three times the appearance descended
from above, rising again twice towards heaven; the third time it
penetrated the roof of the church, and descended to the floor. Then
the brethren and the nuns knew that the time was at hand when their
abbot must indeed leave them.

And so, on the next day, the 3rd of February, he departed this life,
amid the sighs and lamentations of all, leaving behind him of
religious men about 700, and of sisters in religion 1500; all serving
God night and day without ceasing.

He was interred within the church at Sempringham, his tomb being
placed between the two choirs, the monks on the one side, and the nuns
at the other, so that the religious might offer their prayers at his
sepulchre, and continually bearing in mind his holy life and happy
death, might both be incited to diligence in prayer and good works,
and also might profit by his intercessions for them.

Not long after his death, a certain canon of that order saw in a
vision a brother not long since deceased, who, among other things,
told him of S. Gilbert: "he is not amongst us, a different place
possesses him; for from that place to which he departed (from the
world) he has been translated to the choir of the virgins."

 [Illustration: S. GILBERT,
 Prior of Sempringham. From a Drawing by A. Welby Pugin. Feb. 4.]

The veneration in which he was held may be seen in the eulogium of
William of Newbury:--

"Nor must we in silence pass over the venerable Gilbert, a man
altogether admirable, and of singular skill in the guardianship of
women; from whom also the order of Sempringham took its beginning, and
its rapid advancement. He, as it is said, from his very youth, by no
means contented with being in the way of salvation himself, but
kindled with a zeal for gaining souls for Christ, began eagerly to
rival the weaker sex in the imitating of God, deriving his pious
boldness from the consciousness of his own chastity, and his
confidence in heavenly grace.

"Yet, fearing lest he should fail in his enterprise, he first sought
the advice of the holy Bernard, and being instructed and encouraged by
him, he commenced his work, and proceeding with great prudence and
caution, he was mightily carried forward, both in the abundant
multitude of persons gathered together for the service of Almighty
God, and in the acquisition of temporal things; 'seeking first,' as it
is written, 'the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all necessary
things were added to him.'

"At last he organized a not ignoble monastery of two servants and
eight handmaids of God, which also he replenished with numerous
societies, and, according to the wisdom given him, furnished it with
regular rules. And truly the gift of instructing the servants of God,
divinely imparted to him, abounded especially in the care of women;
indeed, in my judgment, he bears the palm in this respect amongst all
whom we know to have devoted themselves to the instruction of female
religious; moreover, having some years before been loaded with
spiritual gains, the worn-out bridesman of the heavenly Bridegroom now
departed to the Lord. Further, the multitude of his sons and daughters
in religion still remains, and his seed is mighty upon earth, and his
generation shall be blessed for ever."

The Order was peculiarly constituted, the men being Augustinian
Canons, and the women following the rule of S. Benedict.


S. ANDREW CORSINI, B. C.

(A.D. 1373.)

  [S. Andrew died Jan. 6th; he was formally canonized by Urban VIII.,
  in 1629, and his festival was transferred to Feb. 4th.
  Authorities:--Two lives, one by a disciple, the other by Friar Peter
  Andrew Castagna, written a hundred years after his death.]

Nicolas, a member of the illustrious Florentine house of Corsini,
lived with his pious wife, Peregrina, for some time without children,
which was to them a great grief, and they besought God to give them
that blessing which He had hitherto withheld. Their prayer was heard,
and on November 30th, 1302, a son was born to them, who received at
the font the name of Andrew, because he was born on the festival of
that apostle. His parents, who regarded him as the child of prayer,
had already, before his birth, dedicated him to the Lord, and sought,
in his childhood, to inspire him with devotion and morality. But
Andrew was possessed of a vehement, independent spirit, which brooked
no restraint, and he grew up to cause them bitter sorrow by his
disorderly life. Nevertheless father and mother prayed on, hoping
against hope. The wild youth passed for being one among the most
dissolute young men of the city, and was acknowledged as the worst of
a bad set, utterly godless and abandoned. But his parents prayed on.
The mother cast herself before a figure of the Queen of Heaven, and,
in the bitterness of her anguish of soul, cried, "Oh, Mother of my
Saviour! Thou knowest how the soul of my child, for whom thy Son bled,
is sinking to destruction. Thou knowest, Holy One! how, in his
earliest youth, I dedicated my child to thee, and trusted him to thy
protection, how I have done all that earthly mother can do to keep him
clean and unspotted from the world! And now, pity me, weeping over my
guilty son, thou, whose tears flowed for thy innocent Son! Thou, who
art so mighty, entreat thy divine Son, that mine may be moved to true
and broken-hearted repentance."

Thus praying, and with streaming eyes, Andrew lit upon her one day, as
he was going forth to the commission of some new work of evil. He
stood still and looked at her, and a feeling of compunction stirred
his heart. Then, turning her reddened eyes towards him, she said, "I
cannot doubt it; thou art the wolf whom I saw in a dream."

"What mean you, mother?" asked the young man.

She answered: "Before thou wast born, my child, I dreamt that I
brought forth a wolf which rushed into a church, and was there
transformed into a lamb. Thy father and I, on account of this dream,
placed thee under the protection of the Mother of God. My son, thou
art not ours, thou belongest not to the world, but only to the service
of God. Oh, would to heaven, that as the first part of my dream has
been fulfilled, the second part might find its accomplishment also!"

Andrew covered his face, and fell at his mother's feet, and sobbed
forth: "Oh, good, pious mother! the wolf shall indeed become a lamb.
Thou didst dedicate me to God, and to Him will I, also, devote myself.
Pray, pray for me, mother, that I may obtain pardon for all my
grievous offences."

Next day Andrew sought the Church of the Carmelites, and kneeling
before an image of the Holy Virgin, wept bitterly over his past life,
which now appeared to him in all its bare deformity. And he felt so
powerfully called by the grace of God, that he resolved at once to
take refuge from his evil companions and associations, in the
cloister. He, therefore, sought the convent door that same hour, and
asked to be admitted as a novice. He was received, and spent his
novitiate in constant battle with his passions, and in trampling out
the memory of the past, by not suffering his mind for a moment to
repose on the thoughts of the evil he had done, save only for the
purpose of stirring up compunction, and abasing himself in profound
humility. After having been received into the Order, he became a model
of self-restraint and earnestness, so that in the year 1328, at the
age of twenty-six, he was ordained priest. He was shortly after
appointed to preach in Florence; and his fervour and love for sinners
produced very astonishing fruit, in moving many who had lived in sin
to turn in sorrow to the cross, and renounce their evil ways. Andrew
was next sent to Paris, there to prosecute his studies, and was there
invested with the degree of doctor; and after he had completed his
studies with Cardinal Corsini, his uncle, at Avignon, he returned to
Florence, where he was elected prior of his cloister. His renown as a
preacher of righteousness prevailed again, and his sermons produced
such an effect, that he was regarded as the apostle of the land.

After the death of the bishop of Fiesole, the chapter elected Andrew
Corsini to be his successor. But when the news of his election reached
him, he fled away, and hid himself in a Carthusian monastery. He was
sought for long in every direction, without result, and the chapter,
despairing of finding him, were proceeding with the election of
another, in his room, when a child cried out "He who is to be our
bishop is praying in the Carthusian monastery." He was there sought,
and Andrew recognising in this the will of God, yielded, and, in 1360,
was consecrated bishop of Fiesole.

As prelate, he maintained the same discipline over himself, and never
abandoned the penance he had imposed on himself for his youthful sins,
of reciting daily the Seven Penitential Psalms, of sleeping on a
faggot of vine twigs, and of never speaking without necessity. But
however severe he was in his dealing with himself, nothing could
exceed the tenderness and love with which he sought out and dealt with
the greatest sinners in his diocese. And this love which overflowed
from his heart rendered him peculiarly successful in reconciling
enemies. Knowing this, Urban V. sent him to Bologna to appease a
disturbance which had broken out between the nobles and the people,
and he achieved this mission with signal success. In his 71st year, as
he was singing midnight mass on Christmas Eve he felt great
exhaustion, which was followed by a fever, from which he died on
Jan. 6th, 1373.

Relics, in the Carmelite Church at Florence.

In Art he appears between a wolf and a lamb.


S. JOAN OF VALOIS, Q.

(A.D. 1505.)

  [French Martyrology. The process of her canonization began under
  Clement XII., and was completed by Pius VI. in 1775; but she was
  venerated at Bourges from the time of her death.]

Before Louis the son of Charles VII, ascended the throne of France,
his wife, Charlotte of Savoy, bore him a daughter, called Anne of
France. When he succeeded his father, with the title of Louis XI., he
desired greatly to become the father of a son, and when his wife
became pregnant in the third year after his coronation, his hopes were
at the highest. When, however, she gave birth to a daughter, his
disgust manifested itself in bitter antipathy towards the child, who
was baptized Jeanne, or Joan. When she was eight days old, she was
betrothed, May 19th, 1464, according to the custom of the time, to
Louis, son of the Duke of Orleans and Mary of Cleaves, and sent to the
house of her father and mother-in-law. At the expiration of four
years, she was ordered to appear before her father at Plessis-le-Tours,
where she was received by her mother with love, but when she was
brought before her father, Louis turned from her with contempt,
saying, "Bah! I did not think she was so ugly;" and he thrust her
away. She was in fact somewhat deformed, and plain in face. It will be
remembered that Sir Walter Scott has introduced her into his novel of
Quentin Durward, taking, however, considerable liberties with her
history. To such an extent did the spite of the king manifest itself,
that when he saw how devout his daughter was, and that in her
loneliness, she found comfort in the House of God, he forbade her
frequenting churches and even the castle chapel.

When Joan was six years old, a son was born to Louis XI., and this was
to her a day of good fortune, for her brother became her friend and
protector; and because she was now once more permitted to frequent the
churches. Louis XI. then visited Paris, to thank God for the birth of
his son. Joan was in the splendid retinue which on this occasion
entered the cathedral church of Notre Dame. She cast herself before an
image of Our Lady, and taking her gold crown from her head, besought
the holy Virgin to be her protector. Then a voice made itself heard in
her soul, "My daughter, thou shalt found an Order in mine honour!"

The dislike of Louis XI. for Joan increased every day: the Countess of
Linières was allowed to treat her with gross contempt; and the king,
once so far forgot himself as to rush into her room sword in hand, and
threaten to kill her. The Count of Linières threw himself between the
king and his daughter, and saved her life, but could not prevent her
receiving a wound, the scar of which never disappeared. The king
retired in shame, and for a while gave her greater liberty.

In her twelfth year Joan was married, against her will, to Duke Louis
of Orleans; however she fulfilled her duties, as wife, to the best of
her ability. But her husband, who had married her for political
reasons, made no scruple of treating her with coldness and contempt;
deserting her almost entirely, that he might spend his time amidst the
pleasures of the court, scornfully remarking that there was no risk to
his honour in leaving his young bride unprotected, as her diminutive
stature and plain face would be her defence.

Louis XI. died in August, 1483, and his son succeeded him, as Charles
VIII., under the regency of his elder sister Anne, who was married to
Peter of Bourbon. The husband of Joan, thinking that the regency ought
to have been entrusted to him, endeavoured to stir up an insurrection;
but was unsuccessful; and knowing that his life was threatened, fled
to Duke Francis II. of Brittany, the bitter foe of France, and entered
into league with him against Charles VIII. War broke out, and Joan
stood as an angel of peace and reconciliation between the contending
parties. Twice she obtained pardon for her captured and imprisoned
husband, and as often he returned to his perfidy,--once against his
sovereign, and once against his wife.

After the death of Charles VIII., on April 7th, 1498, the Duke of
Orleans ascended the throne, as Louis XII. He at once obtained a
divorce from Pope Alexander VI., by taking an oath that his marriage
with Joan was not complete. Joan offered no opposition, rejoicing to
see herself at liberty; and her husband at once concluded another
marriage with Anne of Brittany, the widow of the young king. As some
recompence to his divorced wife, Louis XII. gave her the Duchy of
Berry, besides Pontoise, and other townships. She resided at Bourges,
where she spent her time in the exercise of charity, to which she
devoted her large revenues.

In 1500, she founded the order of the Annunciation, for women. S. Joan
took the habit herself in 1504, but died on the 4th of February, 1505;
and was buried at Bourges. Her body was torn from its resting place,
in 1562, and burned by the Calvinists.


S. JOSEPH OF LEONISSA, C.

(A.D. 1612.)

  [Roman Martyrology Authority:--The Acts of his Beatification, which
  took place in 1737, and those of his canonization in 1746.]

This Saint was born at Leonissa, in the States of the Church, in 1556.
He entered the Capuchin Order, and laboured at the redemption of
Christian slaves. He died of cancer, at the age of fifty-eight. As the
doctors desired to perform a painful operation on him, to remove the
cancer, they ordered him to be bound, but he placed his crucifix
before him saying, "this is the firmest of all bonds; it will hold me
immoveable. Cut deep, I shall not flinch."


B. JOHN DE BRITTO, M., S.J.

(A.D. 1693.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Beatified on August 21st, 1853. The following
  account is epitomised from his life in "Pictures of Christian
  Heroism."]

John de Britto was born at Lisbon, March 1st, 1647; he was the son of
Don Salvador de Britto Peregra and Beatrix his wife, both of whom were
of noble birth. His father dying when he was only four years old, he
was committed by his mother to the care of the Jesuits; and under them
grew up full of the grace of God.

At the age of nine he was sent to court in the capacity of page to Don
Pedro, the youngest son of the king, and probable heir to the throne
of Portugal. During the six years he spent at court, he persevered in
the pious habits he had formed under his mother's roof, and in the
Jesuit school, frequently retiring for private prayer, and attending
mass daily.

By this exemplary course of life he incurred the hatred of his fellow
pages; for his rigid rule of life was a check upon their profligacy.
They ridiculed his piety, and heaped upon him persecution, not only by
words, but also by blows. He bore their ill-treatment with great
patience; but it produced an illness which brought him into hourly
danger of death. At the very moment of his agony his patron, S.
Francis Xavier, at the earnest prayer of his mother, restored his
health. She had from his birth dedicated her son to the apostle of
India, and she now vowed that if her child were to recover, he should
wear the Jesuit habit for the whole year in honour of his deliverer.
When, therefore, he appeared at court again after his recovery, it was
in a little black robe, with a chaplet of the Blessed Virgin hanging
by his side; and in this garb he served the Prince, and attended the
Jesuit college of S. Antony of Padua. The people stopped in the
streets to see him pass; not on account of the strangeness of such a
dress on a child, but to mark his holy and edifying demeanour. When
the term of his vow had expired, he put off the dress, but with the
intention to assume it one day for ever. Notwithstanding his infirm
health, he had long resolved to leave the world, and lead an apostolic
life as a Jesuit, and at the age of fifteen he carried this resolution
into effect. He applied for admission into the society to the
father-provincial, Michael Tinsco, by whom he was placed in the
novitiate at Lisbon. The Prince, Don Pedro, opposed his resolution,
but the mother rejoiced that her son should possess a vocation for the
Company of Jesus.

It was on the 17th of December, 1662, that John de Britto entered the
novitiate at Lisbon. A novena had just commenced in preparation for
Christmas. At its close each postulant had to present the Infant Jesus
with a petition, according to his wants. De Britto wrote his petition
with the others. It was that he might be sent as a missionary to
Japan, there to live and labour, and at length obtain the crown of
martyrdom. After two years he took the three vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience, having passed through the novitiate a very
model of holiness.

On leaving the novitiate at Lisbon, he went to Evora for two years,
and thence to Coimbra, to study literature and philosophy. He then
removed to Lisbon to teach grammar; and while thus employed, his
thirst to go out as a missionary received an additional impulse from
the visit of Father Balthazar da Costa, who had just returned from
Madura to find recruits. To him he stated the wish of his heart, and
he promised to plead his cause at Rome; the consequence of which was
that a few months afterwards orders were received by the
father-provincial to despatch John de Britto, along with several other
young missionaries, in the first ship which should sail for Madura.

John returned hearty thanks to God for the favour, but his mother was
distracted at the thought of losing her child. She appealed to the
provincial, to her son himself, to the papal nuncio, and to the king,
but without effect; and at length, fearing to offend God by persisting
in her opposition, she offered him up as the dearest sacrifice she
could render. His departure was fixed for the 25th of March, 1674. The
night before, he paid a visit to his mother; but to save her the pang
of parting, he forebore to tell her that it was the last. He carefully
avoided any thing which might interfere with his object; and
therefore, instead of joining the other missionaries, when, with a
great crowd of people, they attended church on the banks of the Tagus,
he embarked secretly, and only appeared when all danger of being
delayed was over. He was ordained priest just before leaving.

During the voyage he won the favour of the captain, and took advantage
of it to exercise his ministry with the utmost freedom. He had to
preach every Sunday, taught the catechism to the ignorant and the
children on board, and continually engaged the passengers and sailors
in exercises of devotion.

Scarcely had the father set foot on shore, than he ran to embrace the
brethren of the college. Having then paid a visit to the Blessed
Sacrament, he prostrated himself at the tomb of S. Francis Xavier,
thus gathering fresh ardour for his apostolic course. At Goa he
commenced the austere life of the Madura missionaries,--which consists
in neither eating flesh-meat nor fish, in sleeping on the ground, and
walking bare-foot,--that he might be ready for his apostolate when his
summons should arrive. In April, 1674, orders arrived from the
father-provincial that he should set sail for Malabar, with Father
Emmanuel Rodriguez and some other companions.

The mission of Madura, to which Father de Britto was called, comprised
a tract of country two hundred leagues long by eighty broad. It
presented the most arduous field of labour for the missionary, on
account of its extent, the denseness of the population, the climate
and nature of the country, and the wild beasts with which it is
infested.

The inhabitants generally are very intelligent; they have made great
progress in many sciences, and their Brahmins are perfectly able to
sustain an argument in defence of their religion. To holiness,
devotion, energy, and courage, the essential qualities of an apostle,
the Indian missionary must add the advantages of a logical mind and a
ready wit. But perhaps the opposition of the Brahmins is less to be
feared by the missionary than the popular veneration for caste.

The first missionaries in India, not possessing caste, found it
impossible to obtain a hearing. With all their holiness, earnestness,
and zeal, no one would listen to a pariah. It was reserved for Father
Robert de' Nobili to surmount, or at least show how to surmount, this
obstacle. He was a Roman Jesuit, nephew of Cardinal Bellarmine, and
grand-nephew of Pope Marcellus II. After carefully studying the
peculiarities of the Brahmins, their laws, traditions, customs, and
tenets, he saw the rock on which his predecessors had split. He
determined to lay aside whatever should denote his European
extraction, and adopt the dress and mode of life of some class of the
natives possessing caste. First he appeared as a rajah, then as a
secular Brahmin, with a long flowing robe and a silk shoulder-knot;
but without success. He then discovered that, over and above caste, a
mortified exterior is required to influence the Indians. He appeared,
therefore, partly in the dress of the Samasks, or Brahmins of Penance;
and in this he was completely successful. This class is in the highest
repute among the natives; they are regarded as the masters of the law,
and their word is final. They are distinguished by their ascetic life,
and their renunciation of the pleasures of the world. They live on a
little boiled rice, which they receive only once a day, at sunset. In
this character Father de' Nobili converted a vast number of Brahmins.

Father de Britto approved the principle of his great predecessor, but
somewhat varied his practice. He adopted the dress of the Pandarists,
a sect in very great estimation on account of their ascetism; they are
not held in equal honour with the Samasks, but they mix more with the
various sects, and their garb therefore affords greater opportunities
of intercourse with the natives. The reader then must imagine our
blessed martyr for the future not in his own black habit, but in the
long yellow wrapping of the Pandarist.

The Pandarists wear no other garment than a piece of yellow cloth
enveloping the whole figure. This dress guards them from the dangerous
rays of the tropical sun, to which they are exposed the whole day.
They sometimes wear a cap, an addition absolutely necessary to the
European who would avoid a stroke of the sun; but they walk barefoot,
except on occasions of ceremony, and in crossing the burning sands of
the country, when they adopt a sandal of a peculiar construction. It
is not fastened by a strap, but attached to the foot by means of a
wooden peg between two toes. This clog is of little value for purposes
of travelling, as it produces violent swellings of the legs and feet;
but it is useful in crossing the deserts. The Pandarists allow the
beard to grow, which is a mark of distinction in India, and carry a
staff as a symbol of authority. Their diet is of the plainest kind,
and entirely vegetable; animal life being held too sacred among them
for the purposes of food, and therefore of course interdicted to all
who would adopt their mode of life.

This rigorous rule might have discouraged souls less ardent than John
de Britto; but to him no sacrifice, no painfulness, seemed too great
in his Master's service; and he cheerfully entered upon it, in spite
of his feeble health and European constitution for the love he bore to
Jesus Christ, and his yearning for the salvation of the idolators.

Father de Britto set sail from Goa for the coast of Malabar, and
landed at Ignapatam; then through Tanjore, where he was detained
nearly a year by illness, he passed on to Ambalgata. In the college at
this station Father de Britto, after a retreat of a month, took his
monastic vows, and received his appointment to the Madura mission.

He set out immediately with one other missionary and a few neophytes
for Colli. They suffered excessive hardships on the route: they had to
climb steep and rugged mountains, to pass through forests dense with
briers and brushwood, and swarming with reptiles, to cross swollen
rivers and pathless deserts; but at length they reached Colli, on the
festival of S. Ignatius.

There he found the plague raging, and he made it the means of
converting very many to the faith by his intrepidity in relieving the
sufferers. After the pestilence had ceased, the conversions increased
so rapidly, that it became necessary to divide the northern and
southern district of the mission, and the latter was committed to
Father de Britto.

His plan was to send on before him two or more catechists to get the
work ready; so that when he arrived himself, he might proceed without
loss of time. On arriving, he assembled the Christians and
catechumens, and preached a sermon; then he visited the sick and
dying, and baptized the infants of Christian parents; after which he
entered the tribunal of penance, in which he sat often for twelve
consecutive hours, for the whole neighbourhood flocked, and made their
confessions to him. He preached on all Sundays and holidays,
catechized the children, and passed from house to house to warn bad
Christians, or to resolve the doubts of inquiring idolators. In the
evenings he assembled the whole congregation to recite the rosary of
the Blessed Virgin, and in this way he made a vast number of converts;
and when he had stayed long enough in one place for the requirements
of the people, he passed on to some other station.

In his dress of a Pandarist, De Britto always obtained a ready
hearing, and hence perhaps the great success of his preaching. But in
all these labours he was obliged, by the universal prejudice against
the pariahs, to direct his endeavours mainly towards the conversion of
the upper classes. To his great sorrow, he found that even as a
Pandarist he could not openly make proselytes among that caste without
exposing his religion to universal contempt. He therefore was
compelled to recognise their distinctions in society for the present,
in order to establish Christianity on the broader basis ultimately.
But, notwithstanding, he took care to advance the cause of the
pariahs, or lowest and most despised caste, by showing to the converts
the universality of the Gospel of Christ; and secretly he effected many
conversions among the pariahs themselves. But the caste-prejudices of
the natives were so strong, that he found it impossible to overcome
them; and he did not consider them incompatible with the most sincere
acceptance of Christianity. As the Apostles had for a time consented
to circumcision, the more effectually to recommend the new faith,--so
the Indian missionaries judged it right to waive for awhile, in the
infant state of Christianity in India, their objection to the social
distinctions between man and man.

In addition to the natural obstacle from caste, and the ability of the
Brahmins, which the Indian missionary has to encounter, the saint had
to labour at a time when the whole country was convulsed with civil
war. Hordes of savage Indians from the interior traversed the country;
fire and the sword destroyed whole villages; and the inhabitants,
being unable to take vengeance on the real aggressors, the tide of
popular fury set in against the Christians. Thus it was that in many
cases prosperous missions had to be given up, and the trembling
Christians fled to celebrate the rites of religion in secret places.
Solitary chapels rose up in the depths of the forest, or by the lone
riverside, and thither the faithful repaired with their beloved
pastor. But here they were exposed to a danger from which they had
been free in the cities. The fury of the inundations rendered their
retreats exceedingly perilous. An instance of this occurred near the
river Corolam, where the Christians, who had been driven from Ginghi,
erected a chapel. De Britto was praying in the chapel with sixteen of
his flock, when the cry was raised that the building was surrounded
with water. They tried to dam the water out, but unsuccessfully; and
were compelled to construct a raft out of the beams of the roof, and
upon that they floated to a wood at a little distance, situated on an
eminence. There they intended to remain till the flood subsided; but
they had no food; and even their place of security threatened to fail
them, for the waters ran with terrible rapidity, and almost covered
the hill; so one of the Christians, at the risk of his life, swam back
to the chapel, and succeeded in obtaining a little rice; this, along
with some bitter herbs, which they procured with difficulty, was all
their sustenance during the three days they were encompassed by the
floods. But this was not all; they were attacked by a number of
serpents, which, driven out of their holes by the water, sought the
same place of safety. But throughout his missionary career, the
blessed De Britto enjoyed that power over venomous beasts which our
Saviour promised to His followers, and the band of Christians were
unhurt. Power over serpents gives its possessor an unbounded influence
with the Indians; and this terrible situation of the little band of
Christians, being perfectly well understood by the idolaters, procured
for De Britto a wonderful reputation. When the waters subsided, the
Christians returned to their chapel, and found it almost swept away;
but the foundations remained, and they set to work with such vigour,
that in a short time the walls were raised again, and the chapel was
ready for the Christmas solemnity. Father de Britto, with streaming
eyes, thanked God for their escape, and besought him to look down with
pity upon the struggling society, and prosper the cause of Christ in
his hands.

In consequence of the wonderful success of De Britto, his superiors
would have made him rector of Ambalucata. This preferment he evaded;
but he accepted the post of superior of both districts of the mission.
His journeys now became longer and more arduous. He travelled on foot,
and was detained neither by the heat of the sun nor by the floods in
the rainy seasons. Rocky mountains, sandy plains, dense forests, broad
and rapid rivers were traversed. At Madura, as he was preparing 200
catechumens for baptism, a band of armed men rushed upon him and took
him prisoner. They struck him with their fists and with sticks, and
kicked him, and threw him into a dungeon with his hands tied behind
his back. But God suffered them not to hurt him; and after trying to
terrify him with threats of death, they at length let him go.

Journeying northward, he made a stay at Marava of three months, in the
year 1686, during which he baptized more than 2000 idolaters; but not
withstanding his success he was anxious to get on, in consequence of
the accounts which reached him of the ripeness of the natives for
Christianity still farther north. This anxiety was the cause of a long
and painful imprisonment.

At Mangalam the idolaters laid wait for the missionary, and seized him
as he was entering the gates of the city. They bound him hand and foot
with iron chains, and conducted him immediately to the presence of
General Conmara, the first minister of state of the King of Marava.
This man had an implacable hatred of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The
father was first accused of being a magician; but he meekly answered
that he was under no guidance of the spirit of darkness, but that he
preached the law of the true God, the Maker of heaven and earth. The
judge then addressed the two catechists and other churchmen who were
taken with him:

"And you," he said, "what do you say?"

"We say the same," they replied.

For which answer they were all condemned to be scourged. And so
cruelly were they scourged, that some of them died from the effects.
The tyrant then ordered the others to be confined in dungeons, and
loaded with irons. Afterwards he tried to shake the constancy of De
Britto, believing that if he could gain over the leader the rest would
follow. After heaping upon him insults and reproaches, he desired him
to sprinkle his forehead with ashes consecrated to the idols, as that
would have been tantamount to an acknowledgement of their divinity;
the saint of course refused, and the judge in a fury exclaimed that he
would have him torn limb from limb.

He was then beaten again, and taken back to his dungeon, laden with
irons, and tied to a pillar.

On the fourth day, the persecutors tried a new kind of torture, common
enough in that country. The sufferer is taken to the bank of a river,
and a cord is fastened to his feet; his hands are tied behind his
back, and he is then allowed to fall into the water; then an
executioner jumps upon his back, and with his whole weight presses the
poor victim to the bottom, where he is kept till he is almost dead;
next he is dragged out gasping for breath, and before he has recovered
is cast in again; and so on, at the pleasure of his executioners,
always being dragged out before life is extinct. It is a torture
enough to overcome the staunchest courage. Up to this moment all the
companions of the blessed father had remained stedfast; but now one of
them, unhappily, entreated the executioners to let him loose. The
wretched man saved his life at the expense of his faith.

After enduring farther hardships for some days, the father and his
fellow-sufferers were brought into the judgment-hall, where all sorts
of instruments had been laid out to terrify their minds,--axes,
scourges, torches, pincers, knives, and all the horrible apparatus of
torture. The sight of these things, however, inspired them with fresh
courage, and a more vehement desire for martyrdom; and as the
spectacle had only been produced to impress their minds, they were led
back again, the better rather than the worse for what they had seen.
But the next day an order came for the execution; and they were taken
to Paganari to be tortured and put to death. The executioners began
with Valentine, a catechist; whom they led full of wounds and with one
of his eyes forced out, to De Britto, and taunted the father with
being the cause of the poor man's sufferings.

"He is a happy man," said Father de Britto; "when will you do the like
for me?"

Amazed at fortitude such as this, the executioners perceived that
while the father lived they could effect nothing by tormenting the
disciples; and leaving Valentine alone, they cast themselves upon
Father de Britto. Valentine's sufferings had been very great, but they
had reserved a special torture for the blessed father. Hard by was a
flag of pumice-stone, which the sun had heated up to blister-heat;
after beating the missionary violently, they stripped off his clothes
and laid him down upon this burning stone; eight of the executioners
then jumped upon his body, so as to press the sharp and heated points
into his back, already raw with the scourges; and then they took him
by the feet and shoulders, and rubbed him up and down till his back
was entirely excoriated. In this miserable plight he was left to
scorch in the sun; but a charitable idolater dragged him into the
shade; and a storm coming on, his murder was deferred till the
following day, and he was thrown back into his dungeon, more dead than
alive. Valentine's eye was miraculously cured by the blessed father.

The most ignominious death which a criminal can die in that country is
by impalement; and the idolaters determined to stamp Christianity in
India with infamy by subjecting its ministers to this punishment. The
next morning Father de Britto and his companions were marshalled for
the execution; in front marched a detachment of armed men; then
followed the man of God in irons, with his eyes raised to heaven and
his face beaming with joy; last came the executioners and an immense
crowd of people. But Almighty God had yet work for him to do, and
suspended the blow as it was about to fall. A messenger arrived from
court, bearing an order to General Conmara to come immediately to the
capital with all his forces, as an insurrection had broken out against
the government. At this news the crowd dispersed, the soldiers made
ready to march, and the officers of justice retraced their steps with
their prisoner. But they revenged themselves upon him for their
disappointment by ill-usage of every kind. At last, after three weeks,
he was ordered up to Ramanadabouram, the capital, to see the prince.

On his arrival, he was to his astonishment received with favour by
Prince Ranganadeven. He made the missionary sit by his side, and
explain the principal doctrines, and practices of the Christian
religion. The prince having listened, said, "I grant you your liberty,
and your companions may go also: worship your God and preach His law;
but do not preach it in my country. It is an excellent law; but it
forbids stealing and polygamy, so it will not suit my subjects. If you
dare to disobey me, depend upon it I will cut off your head." Thus De
Britto obtained his liberty; and as he thought it best to obey the
prince's injunctions, he left Marava.

When Father Rodriguez, Provincial of Malabar, heard of the liberation
of De Britto, he summoned him to the pearl-fishery coast, to regain
his strength after their labours. He obeyed, though he would rather
have continued in the mission while any strength remained to him. But
his journey to the coast had been ordered by God. Father Francis
Paolo, who was returning to Europe in his capacity of procurator of
Malabar, had been shipwrecked; and Father de Britto was sent home in
his place. He left the fishery in 1687; and after a voyage of ten
months he reached Lisbon in September, 1688, having been absent
fourteen years and a half.

On the news of his arrival, the whole city rose to greet him, for the
fame of his sanctity and heroism had reached Portugal long before. The
king, whose page he had been, the infanta Isabella Louisa, the
ministers of state and the grandees, the people and the religious
orders, all showed him a thousand marks of respect and honour.

He maintained in Portugal the same mortified habits which he had
formed in India, wore the same dress, used the same food, and slept on
the bare ground. He set about the work upon which he had been sent
home with great diligence; and in the college of the Jesuits which he
visited, he awoke an extraordinary enthusiasm among the young men;
even old priests were seized with the same fervour. Of the volunteers,
Father de Britto selected six, and to that number he added several who
had been missionaries, but were now occupying chairs in different
universities, and whom he wanted to argue with the Brahmins.

Having once selected his band, he commenced instructing them in the
details of their work; and when all things were ready, and he had
obtained larger funds for the support of this increase to his mission,
from the king, they set sail for India in 1690; but not without great
opposition; for the King of Portugal would have retained him at home,
first to superintend the education of his son, and then to promote him
to a bishopric--both of which _persecutions_, however, as he called
them, he happily surmounted. They started with a favourable wind, and
the voyage was at first prosperous; but presently they were detained
by a calm, when their provisions became tainted, and a fever broke
out. The holy father fell ill, and two of his missionaries died. De
Britto, writing home, gave a horrible account of that voyage, and the
miseries they endured from the sickness of the crew, the stench of the
vessel, the heat and cold, the contrary winds, the incessant fatigues
which they all had to suffer. In his great humility he attributed them
all to his own sins.

On their arrival at Goa, his return was celebrated by the whole
college of Santa Fé and the Christians there with rejoicings. After a
short stay, he passed on to see the Provincial at the pearl fishery,
with whom he held a council on the plan of his future campaign. In
consequence of the maturity of judgment, which the father displayed on
this occasion, he was nominated Visitor of the mission, and
immediately after Easter he set out for Madura on his new charge. Then
he visited in succession all the stations, encouraged the
missionaries, confirmed the faithful, and converted a great number of
idolaters to the faith of Christ. But his chief longings were in the
direction of Marava, where he hoped to find that palm and crown of
martyrdom which five years before had fallen from his grasp. Thither
accordingly he bent his steps.

The kings of Marava and Madura were still at war; and all the
sufferings which he had formerly experienced under the same
circumstances awaited him now upon his second arrival. Soldiers were
ravaging the country, and he and his flock were compelled to skulk
about in the woods. It is difficult to realize the sufferings which
the holy father endured for several months with so much joy and
resignation. It was his zeal for the salvation of sinners, and the
numerous conversions with which God accredited his mission, that
supported him under all. We should scarcely be able to credit the
fact, if it had not been asserted on oath by one of the catechists in
the process of Beatification; that, in the short space of ten days the
blessed father administered Baptism with his own hand to twelve
thousand idolaters; and more than once his right hand fell powerless
through fatigue.

He established his head quarters in the principality of Mouni, on the
borders of Marava. In order to obtain for the Maravians a proper place
for celebrating the holy mysteries, he chose a thick forest not far
from Mouni, and there constructed three chapels, to which catechists
were attached for the instruction of converts in Christian doctrine;
and at night the holy father came to administer the Sacraments. In a
short time he gained to the faith a vast number of heathen. And
Almighty God deigned to confirm the faith of these converts by the
most extraordinary miracles. By the mere touch of the father, devils
were cast out and the sick cured. The same power was possessed even by
the catechists and neophytes. They read the Gospel over the sick, and
made the sign of the Cross, and God restored them to health.

The report of these wonderful cures reached the ears of Prince
Teriadeven, the real heir to the throne of Marava, now in the
possession of Prince Ranganadeven the usurper, a young man who had
before shown some signs of favour towards Christianity. Being taken
ill, he sent to the blessed father to come and heal him. The father
did not go at once himself, but sent one of his catechists, to
instruct the prince in the elements of Christian doctrine, and exhort
him to put his whole trust in Jesus Christ, as at once the Saviour of
soul and body. The catechist went and read the Gospel to him, made him
repeat the Apostles' Creed, and that instant the sickness left him.

Awed by the sudden miracle of which he had been the subject, the
prince no longer delayed his resolution, but expressed his readiness
at once to be baptized. He sent to the father and desired to be made a
Christian, and was the more confirmed in his desire when he had
witnessed on the feast of Epiphany a large assembly of the faithful,
and the holy sacrament of Baptism conferred upon two hundred
catechumens. But the missionary, who knew him to be possessed of five
wives, replied that he could not conscientiously grant him so great a
favour until he had put away all save one, with the firm resolution of
adhering to her alone for the remainder of his life. The noble Indian
upon the spot sent for his wives, selected the first of the five, who
herself wished to be a Christian, and informed the others of the
resolution he had taken in consequence of his miraculous cure by the
holy missionary. Stupefied at this announcement, they assailed the
prince, now with tears and caresses, then with threats and reproaches;
but nothing could change his resolution; and they went away
transported with fury against Father de Britto, whom they looked upon
as the author of their calamity.

Teriadeven received baptism solemnly with two hundred of his court.
This was in the beginning of 1693. Immediately after the ceremony he
returned to Mouni, where a great multitude awaited baptism. The joy of
the Church was raised to its highest pitch by these glorious
conversions, and by the prospect of greater still, when suddenly there
burst out the most terrible persecution that had yet fallen upon them.
It confounded in its fury the whole of that infant society, and tore
from them their sole support, the holy father, to whom they owed their
birth unto Jesus Christ, and whose hour of martyrdom had at length
arrived.

In every one of the four wives put away by Prince Teriadeven, Father
de Britto had raised up an enemy, who would be satisfied with no
sacrifice short of his life. But among them all the youngest, who
happened to be the usurper's niece, was the most furious. In a
transport of rage she ran to her uncle and told him of the outrage she
had suffered from the European. Then she appealed to the Brahmins, who
hated him too bitterly to remain deaf to her cries. They had long
nourished their thirst for revenge, and now they saw an opportunity of
slaking it. A consultation was held as to the best course to be
pursued, and it was decided that they should go in a body to the king,
and make a formal complaint against Father de Britto. They selected
Pomparanam to be their spokesman, an old man, and very spiteful, who
pronounced a set speech on the occasion.

The king saw perfectly well through the motives of the Brahmins in
thus taking up the woman's cause; but as the honour of his own family
was concerned in the person of his niece, he acceded to their request.
He ordered the Christians to be fined, and their houses to be burnt.
The father had foreseen the storm that was gathering, and had warned
his flock of the danger, but they all refused to fly. They determined
to stand by their dear master, upon whom they knew the great fury of
the persecution would fall, and if God required it, die with him. The
king despatched four companies of soldiers to seize the missionary.
Three of them advanced to the chapels which he had built in the woods,
where they arrested the catechists who were in charge of them. The
fourth hastened to Mouni, and there they found the holy father. It was
the morning of the 8th of January, and he was offering, as was his
wont, the Holy Sacrifice, when God revealed to him what was coming;
and after Mass he addressed the people, and said that those who had
not courage to give up their lives in testimony to the faith of Jesus
Christ, had better depart at once and hide themselves. He pronounced
these words in so decided and significant a manner, that they all
perceived he had received some definite intelligence, and, seized with
a sudden panic, they all dispersed except one Brahmin, a convert, and
two children, who preferred remaining with him. In the evening,
warning came of the approach of a troop of mounted soldiery. He knew
their errand, and raising his eyes towards heaven, he offered up his
life as a sacrifice to God, and went forth to meet them. They seized
him violently, and led him off with his three companions.

In a neighbouring village, there was being celebrated at that time a
grand festival to one of their gods. Thither on their arrival they
drew the Christian victims, and harnessed them to the triumphal car of
the idol, and exposed them to the jeers of the multitude. Next day
they were taken to the royal city of Ramanadabouram, and there the
saint was incarcerated in a filthy hovel, and with him the three
catechists who had been arrested in the forest chapels. The holy
father embraced them, and exhorted them to continue firm to the end.
The heroism of the two children is especially recorded. They animated
each other to suffer for Jesus Christ.

The imprisonment lasted for several days. Teriadeven only heard of
their captivity when it was too late to avert it; but he gave orders
that they should be treated with kindness till the king's wishes
should be known. Those orders, however, were not attended to, and the
brutal jailors amused themselves with the sufferings of the martyrs,
and fed them with food which the soldiers rejected.

At last the prisoners were brought before the chief minister of state.
A small crucifix had been found upon De Britto, and the judge asked
him what that image represented. "It is the image of my God," said the
father, "who being immortal and impassible in his own nature, was made
man, and died upon a cross to rescue us from the slavery of the
devil." At these words the impious wretch threw it down upon the
ground in contempt, and stamped upon it with his feet. The holy man,
although chained and bound, fell upon his knees, and crawling with
difficulty to the crucifix, pressed it to his breast, and watered it
with tears, in reparation of the insult. There was a great crowd of
spectators present, who regarded this action as a contempt of court,
and loudly demanded sentence. But the judge, not knowing what to say,
ordered the confessors back to prison, and there they remained for a
month.

Prince Teriadeven boldly pleaded their cause before the king, in face
of the personal danger he incurred by his advocacy of the Christians.
Ranganadeven, in a rage, ordered him at once to adore the gods. The
prince refused, and said he would rather die than again offer the
worship to idols which was due only to Jesus Christ. The tyrant
answered that he would soon show which religion was the most powerful,
and forthwith gave orders to the magicians to prepare a certain
incantation considered infallible in its operation, to cause the death
of the missionary. The incantation failed, to the shame of the king,
and the discomfiture of his priests; and Father de Britto was sent
for, and asked whether the failure of the sorcerers was owing to the
enchanted book, meaning the Breviary, which he was still allowed to
retain in his possession. The missionary replied that that book was
devoted to the praise of God, and to nothing so hateful as sorcery.
The tyrant ordered the book to be hung round his neck, and the
executioners to shoot at him in the market-place: "And we shall see,"
said he "whether your God can deliver you." He was led away, and the
soldiers were taking aim, when Teriadeven broke through their ranks,
and ordered them to desist. They obeyed, knowing him to be the true
owner of the crown; and as he was very popular, the tyrant feared a
revolt if he should persist in the execution. De Britto's death was
accordingly again deferred; and the tyrant ordered him to be sent to
Oureiadeven, his brother, who lived at Orejour, a distance of two
days' journey from the court, with instructions that he should be put
to death on his arrival.

The father rejoiced when he heard whither he was going, for he knew
that it was to die; but he wept at leaving his dear companions; they
separated, never more to meet again in this world. He had to travel
barefoot, tightly bound, and surrounded by guards, who hurried him
over rocks and briers, through sand and brushwood. The blood gushed
from the wounds he had received in prison, and from his torn and
blistered feet; but instead of receiving pity from these wretches,
they heaped abuse upon him. On his journey, the Christians assembled
to see him pass, and receive his blessing.

He arrived at Orejour on the last day of January, and was immediately
taken before Oureiadeven, the king's brother. This prince laboured
under an incurable leprosy. Having heard of the missionary's gift of
miracles, he doubted not that he would gladly purchase his life by
exerting it for his cure. The father replied, that it appertained to
God alone to cure disease; all that he could do was to apply the
remedies, and entreat Almighty God to bless them; and he added, that
if the prince desired to be made whole of his bodily disease, he must
first heal the sickness of his soul, by accepting the true faith. When
the prince saw that nothing would move the holy man, he turned to one
of his suite named Margharittei, and bade him cut off his head upon
the spot. Margharittei answered, that he was a Christian himself, and
nothing would induce him to imbrue his hands in innocent blood. Then
the prince's own wife rushed in, and threatened her husband with the
judgments of heaven if he dared to execute the sentence of the king.
Moved by these remonstrances, he ordered the servant of God to be
carried back to his dungeon.

As soon as this got abroad, the Brahmins, fearing that their prey
might escape their hands, went to the governor of the town, who was a
bitter enemy of the Christians, and represented the case to him.
Mourougapapoullei, for that was his name, instantly demanded an
audience of the prince, and in the strongest terms reproached him for
not obeying the commands of the king. The cowardly prince yielded
through fear of the king's displeasure, and granted the governor leave
to execute the sentence of death. It was on the morning of the 4th of
February, being Ash-Wednesday, that the servant of God was apprised of
his final sentence. At the joyful news, his countenance lighted up; he
fell on his knees, and returned thanks to God. Then rising up, he said
to the executioners, "I am ready." He walked to the place of execution
without restraint, and with his Breviary hanging from his neck, his
eyes fixed on heaven, and his steps so rapid that his guards were
compelled to restrain him. Along the road a multitude of the faithful
were waiting to see him pass.

The spot which had been selected for the martyrdom was a little hill
by the bank of the river, not far from the city. On arriving there he
was allowed by the guards to retire for a short time to pray. The
executioner who at that moment came up, seeing the servant of God
absorbed in prayer, was afraid to disturb him. More than a quarter of
an hour had elapsed, when the son of the prince ran up and reprimanded
the executioner for his delay in executing the sentence. Then the holy
man approached the side of the river, and, after embracing the
executioner, knelt down, and holding out his head, said, "I am ready;
do as you are commanded." The executioner drew his scymitar, and
raising his arm, was about to give the fatal blow, when he perceived
the martyr's reliquary hanging by a cord from his neck. Taking it for
granted that it was some charm which would ward off the stroke, he had
first to remove it; but he durst not take it away with his hand, lest
he should be bewitched. He therefore severed the string with the
scymitar, and made a frightful gash on the breast and shoulder. The
holy martyr offered to God the first fruits of his sacrifice; and then
the executioner, no longer fearing any amulet to turn the edge of his
weapon, raised the scymitar and hewed off his head.

This glorious triumph of the faith of Jesus Christ took place at
Marava, on the 4th of February, 1693.

After Father de Britto's death the executioner drove a stake into the
ground, on which he impaled the body; and having cut off the hands and
feet, he hung them, along with the head, from the waist. The faithful
tried hard to obtain possession of the relics, but in vain; they were
too well guarded by the soldiers. His crucifix the martyr had given to
a faithful convert, who transmitted it to Father Laine, and from his
hands it reached his house of profession in Paris. And all that could
be collected of the clothing, writing, objects of devotion, and
instruments of penance were forwarded to the same father, by whom they
were laid up in the Jesuit Church at Pondicherry, and thence they
found their way to Goa. But it was some time before any fragments of
the body fell into the hands of the Christians. The soldiers kept
guard over the body while it remained impaled on the stake; but at
last a violent storm came on, and the cord which supported the head
and hands broke; the head rolled into the river, and was saved; but
wild beasts preyed upon the body. When the soldiers had retired, the
catechists came and gathered up all they could find of the body. In
the river they discovered the head; they bought the stake, on which
his limbs had been impaled, of the soldiers, and the scymitar of the
executioner; this scymitar Father John de Corte brought with him to
Europe a few years afterwards, and presented it to the king of
Portugal, Pedro II. And these are all the relics that remain of the
blessed Father John de Britto.

[12] 'Annales Archeologiques,' Tom. xxiii. p. 232.

[13] "Vie des Saints" Tom. ix. p. 22.

[14] Elmasini 'Hist. Sarac.' Lugd. Batav. 1625, p. 267.

[15] This article is condensed from an article by the Author in the
Quarterly Review for October, 1867, on "Portraits of Christ."

[16] For information on this Order, see Jan. 15, S. Alexander.

[17] See for more information on the Iconoclastic heresy the life of
S. Tarasius, Feb. 25th.

[18] This very term "Symbol of Christ," as applied to the Holy
Eucharist, is indication of heretical views on the Presence.

[19] Gofredus in Vita S. Bernardi.

[20] Eugenius III.

 [Illustration: S. Veronica. See page 73.]




February 5.

  S. AGATHA, _V. M. at Catania_, A.D. 251.
  S. AGRICOLAUS, _B. of Utrecht, beginning of 5th cent._
  S. AVITUS, _B. of Vienne, in France, circ._ A.D. 524.
  S. GENUINE, _B. of Savio, circ._ A.D. 640.
  S. BERTULF, _Ab. at Ghent; beginning of 8th cent._
  SS. INDRACT, DOMINICA AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Glastonbury,
      beginning of 8th cent._
  S. VODAL, _Mk. at Soissons, beginning of 8th cent._
  SS. DOMITIAN, _Duke of Carinthia, and_ MARY, _his wife,
      beginning of 9th cent._
  S. POLYEUCTUS, _Patr. of Constantinople_, A.D. 970.
  S. ADELHEID, _V. Abss. at Villich; circ._ A.D. 1015.
  SS. JAPANESE MARTYRS, _at Nangasaki_, A.D. 1592-1642.


S. AGATHA, V. M.

(A.D. 251.)

  [Roman Martyrology and all others. Famous also among the Greeks.
  There are various editions of the Acts of her Martyrdom in Latin and
  in Greek. The latter are not as trustworthy as the former, which are
  very ancient, and though apparently tampered with by copyists, are
  on the whole to be relied upon. The Latin Acts were written by
  eye-witnesses, as appears from a passage in them, "From this we
  supposed he was her angel." There is an older version of the Greek
  Acts than that given by Metaphrastes (fl. 867), and there is a
  sermon on S. Agatha by S. Methodius. The name of S. Agatha occurs in
  the Canon of the Roman Mass; among the first five Virgin Saints
  enumerated in _Nobis quoque peccatoribus_.]

The honour of being the birth-place of S. Agatha is claimed by Catania
and Palermo, in Sicily. The probabilities in favour of either are
nearly equally divided, though there seems to be a slight superiority
in the claims of Catania. It certainly was the scene of her martyrdom,
which took place during the persecution of Decius in A.D. 251, as all
her acts testify. If these are not in all particulars to be relied on,
their main facts seem to be pretty well established. According to
these, S. Agatha was the daughter of an illustrious and wealthy house
in Sicily, and was famed for her beauty and her gentle and amiable
manners. But her love was consecrated to God from her very earliest
youth. Quintianus the Consular of Sicily, as the Governor was then
called, admired her exceedingly, and the holy virgin retired to
Palermo to avoid his importunities. As often happened in those days of
heathen cruelty, his love was turned into hatred when he discovered
that she was a Christian. She was seized and brought to Catania; and
all the way thither she could only weep and pray to the Lord to
strengthen her for the conflict which awaited her. Every means was
tried during the space of a month to prevail on her to forget her vow;
but she was supported by continual prayer, and at last came off
victorious from this lingering martyrdom. She was privately examined
before Quintianus as to her faith, and confessed Christ with undaunted
firmness, declaring the service of the Lord Jesus to be the highest
nobility and the truest freedom: she was then sent to prison, to which
she went joyfully, recommending herself to God, and entreating His
aid. The day after she was tortured on the rack, and suffered with
calmness and constancy. And, when she was put to the cruel torment of
having her breasts cut off, she mildly reproached the inhuman
Quintianus with the remembrance of his own infancy, and with the
tenderness of his mother. She was then led again to prison, and all
sustenance and medical aid were denied her. Four days afterwards she
was put to still further tortures, and then, being taken back to
prison, sweetly fell asleep in the Lord, and was buried by the people
with great honour.

Relics in Catania, and some in the Church of S. Méry, at Paris.

Patroness of Catania, La Mirandola, and the Order of Malta.

In Art S. Agatha is represented as a majestic virgin wearing a long
veil, and over this, in early figures, a crown, the symbol of her
victory over death; she usually holds a clasped book in her left hand,
and a palm branch in the right; occasionally the place of this latter
emblem is supplied by a pair of pincers, having a nipple between the
teeth, in allusion to the fearful torture to which she was subjected.
Sometimes she carries both her breasts cut off in a dish, or a sword
is passed through them.


S. AVITUS, B. OF VIENNE, C.

(ABOUT 524.)

  [Not to be confounded with S. Avitus, P. of Orleans, commemorated on
  June 27th. Roman Martyrology, Usuardus, Gallican, German, and
  others. Commemorated at Vienne on August 20th. Authorities:--S.
  Gregory of Tours, Hist. lib. i. c. 2; and his successor Ennodius.]

S. Avitus was the son of S. Hesychius, archbishop of Vienne after S.
Mammertus, who baptized him. He succeeded his father in the
archiepiscopal throne in 490. Ennodius, his successor, says that he
was a treasure of learning and piety; and adds that the Burgundians
having crossed the Alps, and carried off a large number of captives,
this holy prelate spent all his revenue in redeeming as many as he
could. Clovis, king of France, though still a pagan, and Gundebald,
king of Burgundy, though an Arian, held him in high veneration. The
latter, for fear of offending his subjects, durst not embrace the
Catholic faith, he nevertheless did all in his power to advance the
cause of Catholicism, and in a public conference at Lyons, in his
presence, S. Avitus boldly proclaimed the divinity of Christ and
reduced the Arian bishops to silence. Gundebald died in 516. His
successor Sigismond was brought over by S. Avitus to the true faith.
When this king had executed his son Sigeric on a false charge, brought
against him by his stepmother, S. Avitus wrought by his exhortations
so great a change in the passionate prince, that he retired to
Agaunum, now S. Maurice, in the Valais, where he lived the life of a
recluse in a cell on the face of the precipice above the monastery he
had built at its foot.

Most of the works of S. Avitus have been lost, but a poem by him in
praise of virginity, some epistles, and fragments of homilies remain.
It is a blot on the memory of the saint, that with fulsome flattery he
excused the murder of his brothers by Gundebald. See June 3, p. 26.


S. BERTULF, AB.

(BEGINNING OF 8TH CENT.)

  [Additions to Usuardus and some editions of the Martyrology of Bede.
  No authentic account of S. Bertulf exists. All known of him is from
  a life written in 1703, from old materials, but of what authority it
  is impossible to decide.]

S. Bertulf is said to have been an abbot at Renescure, where the
church is dedicated to him. He is regarded also as the patron of
Harlebeke, near Courtrai. Renescure is a village on the canal between
Aire and S. Omer. His body was taken to Ghent, where it was enshrined
in an iron coffin, and for many centuries it was believed that on the
approach of danger to the city, the dead abbot knocked against the
side of his iron shrine. His bones were scattered by the Calvinists in
1578. S. Bertulf is represented in art in monastic habit distributing
alms, with an eagle over his head with wings expanded, a legend
relating that he was thus protected from rain in a heavy shower.


SS. INDRACT AND COMPANIONS, MM.

(BEGINNING OF 8TH CENT.)

  [Ancient English Martyrologies. Authority:--William of Malmesbury,
  and Capgrave.]

Of old, on the 5th of February, were commemorated in the famous
monastery of Glastonbury, S. Indract, S. Dominica, and nine
companions, martyrs. He was of royal extraction, son of one of the
kings of Ireland; but quitted all this world could give for the love
of God. He left his country, with his sister Dominica or Drusa, and
seven, or according to another account nine, companions, and settled
at Skipwith near Glastonbury, in Somersetshire, where they lived a
retired and eremitical life. At length, some wicked men, thinking to
meet with great booty, murdered them at night; and to conceal their
villainy, cast the bodies into a deep pit. But a column of light
standing over the place warned the neighbours that some sacred bodies
lay there, and the relics were removed to Glastonbury, in the reign of
king Ina.


S. ADELHEID, V. ABSS. OF VILLICH.

(ABOUT A.D. 1015.)

  [Cologne Kalendar, and additions to Usuardus. Commemorated with
  special office at Villich on the Rhine, opposite Bonn. She is
  variously called Adelheid, Alkeid, Adelaide, Alheidis, and Aleidis.
  Her local name at Villich is S. Alen. Her life was written by a
  contemporary, one Bertha, a nun in her convent.]

This holy virgin was the daughter of a Count Megingand of Gueldres,
and became abbess of the convent of Villich, founded by her father and
mother. Her piety, charity, and gravity are celebrated by Bertha, the
nun who wrote her life. She died in 1015. The church and nunnery were
burnt in the war between Truchsess Gerhard, the apostate archbishop of
Cologne, and the archduke Ernest of Bavaria, and again by the Swedes
in the Thirty years' war. It is not known what has become of her
relics.


THE MARTYRS OF JAPAN.

(A.D. 1597.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Pope Urban VIII beatified 26 of these martyrs in
  1627. On June 8, 1862, the twenty-six were canonized as Saints.
  These were Peter Baptist, Martin d'Aguera, Francis Blanco, Philip de
  Las Casas, Gonzalez Garcia, Francis de S. Miguel, all of the Order
  of S. Francis; Cosmo Tachegia, Michael Cozaki, Paul Ibarki, Leo
  Carasumo, Louis, a child, Antony, a child, Thomas Cozaki, also a
  child; Matthias, Ventura, Joachim Saccakibara, Francis Miaco, Thomas
  Dauki, John Kimoi, Gabriel Duisco, Paul Suzuki, Francis and Paul
  Sukegiro, all these Japanese; also Paul Miki, John de Gota, and
  James Quigai, Japanese Jesuits. Authorities: Numerous contemporary
  accounts. The following account is epitomised from the history of
  the Japanese missions by Miss Cecilia M. Caddell. In the brief space
  accorded us it is impossible to give anything like a full account of
  this wonderful history. We refer our readers to Miss Caddell's most
  interesting account.]

The history of the brief existence of Christianity in Japan and of the
terrible persecution by which it was utterly extirpated in that
island, is at once a melancholy and a glorious episode in the annals
of the Church. In the Japanese we behold the most highly-gifted of the
Asiatic races of modern times receiving the Gospel with a joy and a
fervour which remind us of primitive ages, when thousands in one
single day would run at the divine call to fill the apostolic net, and
when the multitude of the faithful, serving God with one heart and one
soul, resembled rather the chosen few who in later days have left the
crowd to follow the higher path of evangelical perfection, than the
mass of ordinary believers. But if the Japanese excite our admiration
in their willing reception of gospel-truth, and their fervour in
obeying its precepts and counsels, no less, or rather still more
exalted are the feelings with which we must regard the spirit in which
they met the fiery trial which came upon them. Never in the times of
the old pagan persecutions was a more glorious spectacle exhibited of
men, women, and children, rushing to claim the martyr's palm, and
seeking sufferings and torments as others seek honours and pleasures.

Wonderful are the ways of the Almighty, and inscrutable as wonderful!
The conversion of China, for which S. Francis Xavier, the apostle of
the Indies, had long and ardently sighed, was denied to his prayers;
while that of Japan, of which apparently he had never even dreamed,
was given to him unasked. China was the object of all his wishes and
aspirations,--the promised land of his spiritual ambition. It was in
his dreams by night and his thoughts by day,--the subject alike of his
penance and of his prayers; when a young Japanese, tormented by
remorse of conscience for a crime committed years ago, and forgotten
probably by everybody but himself, arrived at Malacca, where the Saint
then was, and throwing himself at his feet, besought of him that peace
and pardon which his native bonzes had been unable to bestow. The
great heart of Francis exulted at the prospect of winning another
empire to the banner of his Divine Lord; while his vivid faith saw in
the sinner who had thus sought him from afar a direct ambassador from
Heaven, which had doubtless pursued this youth with the fear of
retribution, not for his sake alone, but also to effect the conversion
of the idolatrous nation represented in his person. Two years
afterwards, on the Feast of the Assumption (1549), he and his chosen
companion, Father Cosmas de Torres, landed at Kagoxima, the birthplace
of the youth who had come to Francis, and who, under his new name of
Paul, accompanied the fathers as their guide and interpreter to the
nations of Japan.

So the little seed of the Word of God was sown in Japan, and from the
time of this visit, Jesuits freely entered Japan, and were established
by Papal brief as the chief missionaries for that country. Their
eminent success is said to have been based upon their invariably
laying down a solid educational foundation, and securing the careful
training of the scholars who flocked to them. To each mission were
attached a public school, in which Christian doctrine, literature, and
ecclesiastical and secular music were taught, and wherever unusual
capacity was evinced, the missionaries gathered those boys together in
their own houses, and there instructed them how to make mental prayer,
to practise virtue, to avoid and overcome sin, and excite the spirit
of penance. Every Friday the boys went in procession to the churches,
singing psalms and motetts. In this way, the fervour generally induced
by corporal austerities, and the generous, uncalculating devotedness
flowing from the continual thought of Christ's Passion, sprang up in
full vigour from the very beginning of the missions, and ripened to
its legitimate harvest, while _to die for Christ_ became the habitual
aspiration of the child-neophytes of Japan.

Meanwhile, no foreboding of coming reverses, or dread of trials which
might prove fatal, hindered the generous missionaries from their work.
Like the Apostles and their early successors, they went about from day
to day, literally fulfilling our Lord's commands to carry neither
purse nor scrip, nor to provide two coats, nor to abide in any one
place, except for the good of the souls around them. When persecutions
sprang up in one town or territory, they took their crucifixes and
their breviaries in their hands, and went on to another, doing
whatever good was nearest at hand, and leaving all the consequences of
it to God to make fruitful or not. As in the early ages of the Church,
noble women were continually raised up to do great things for Christ,
and to show forth that perfection of love in weakness and childlike
faith by which good women so peculiarly glorify God. One of them,
Maria Kiogscou, gained two sons, a daughter, and a daughter-in-law to
the faith, and her house became the centre of good works and
alms-deeds, and a place of meeting for all the upper classes in Osaka,
most of whom either actually declared themselves Christians, or
shielded and helped those who did. Another noble lady named Julia,
being accustomed to frequent the houses of the nobility at Meaco,
baptized great numbers of other ladies with her own hands, and
instructed a crowd of young people in Christian doctrine. One fact,
strikingly like those of the first centuries of the faith, is told of
a Japanese physician, who happening to read a book lent by one of the
missionaries to a friend of his, became convinced that there was only
one true God, but as the book was not one of doctrine, he learnt no
more than this for four years. Every morning and evening he knelt down
and prayed to the "one true God," and as soon as he knew what to do,
he applied for instruction at Osaka, and was baptized.

The persecution, sometime brooding, broke out first in Fingo, and the
governor, with assumed gentleness, issued certain papers for all his
subjects to sign. Those who firmly refused were seized, carried away
from their homes, and banished. They must have taken refuge on some
other governor's territory, or on a wild border-land, for the band of
exiles built themselves miserable straw-wattled huts, and there lived
as they could, without food or necessaries, and deprived of all
countenance and sympathy whatever, as any one speaking to them was
threatened with severe punishment. In this condition, their courage
and constancy was unbroken, and as soon as it was possible, a Japanese
Priest, Father Luis, visited them in the disguise of a peasant, and
comforted them very much. The bishop then sent them books and other
things, with beautiful letters, exhorting them to persevere, looking
to the reward they would surely earn. Some of the letters written in
return are very touching and beautiful, expressing the strongest
desire for martyrdom, and humbly wondering that any among themselves
should be reckoned worthy of so great a grace as to be "the first
fruits of Japan."

They were at length allowed to depart to the town of Nangasaki, where
they were received with tenderness by the bishop and clergy. Scarcely
had the exiles reached this asylum, ere another edict was published in
Fingo, commanding all the remaining Christians to apostatize. Death
was to be the penalty of a refusal; and two noblemen, named John and
Simon, were chosen as examples of severity to the rest. Both were
friends of the governor to whom the order had been intrusted, and he
did what he could to save them. "If they would but _feign_ compliance
with the king's decree," or "have the ceremony privately performed at
their own houses," or "bribe the bonze to allow it to be supposed that
he had received their recantation,"--each of these alternatives was as
eagerly urged as it was indignantly rejected.

The execution of John took place in the presence of the governor; and
from the chamber, still reeking with the blood of one friend, he went
to the house of the other on a similar mission, and with equal
reluctance.

Simon was quietly conversing with his mother when the governor
entered; and the latter could not refrain from beseeching that lady to
have pity upon them both, and by advising compliance with the king's
commands, to spare herself the anguish of losing a son, and himself
that of imbruing his hands in the blood of a friend. The appeal was
made in vain; and the governor left the house, indignantly declaring
that by her obstinacy she was guilty of the death of her son. Another
nobleman entered soon afterwards, charged with the execution of the
sentence. Jotivava was a friend of Simon's, and he proceeded with what
heart he might to his sad and revolting duty. Knowing his errand well,
Simon received him with an affectionate smile, and then prostrated
himself in prayer before an image of our Saviour crowned with thorns,
while his wife and mother called for warm water that he might wash,--a
ceremony the Japanese always observe upon joyful occasions. His wife
Agnes, falling upon her knees, besought her husband to cut off her
hair, as a sign that she never would marry again. After a little
hesitation, he complied with this request; prophesying, however, that
she and his mother would soon follow him to heaven; and then,
accompanied by the three _Giffiaques_, or officers of the
Confraternity of Mercy, whom he had summoned to be present at the
execution, they all entered the hall where it was intended to take
place. Michael, one of the Giffiaques, carried a crucifix; the other
two bore lighted torches; and Simon walked between his wife and
mother, while his disconsolate servants brought up the rear.

Simon and his friends recited the litany; and then, bowing before a
picture of our Saviour, until his forehead touched the ground, the
nobleman, who acted as executioner, took off his head at a single
blow. Foreseeing that her own death would speedily follow upon his,
Agnes and her mother continued in prayer, the three Giffiaques
remaining in attendance, in order to be able to assist at their
execution; and, in fact, twenty-four hours had not elapsed before it
was told them they were to die on the cross; the officer who came to
acquaint them with their sentence bringing with him Magdalen, the wife
of John, and Luis, a little child whom the latter had adopted as his
own, both of whom were condemned to a similar fate.

With eager joy the prisoners embraced each other, praising, and
thanking God, not only that they were to suffer for Jesus, but also
that they were to suffer on a cross like Jesus; and then, robed in
their best attire, they set off for the place of execution in
palanquins which the guards had provided for the purpose. The
Giffiaques walked at their side. Jane, the mother of Simon, besought
the executioner to bind her limbs as tightly as possible, that she
might thus share the anguish which the nails inflicted upon those of
Jesus; and she spoke from her cross with so much force and eloquence,
that the presiding officer, fearing the effects of her words upon the
people, had her stabbed, without waiting for the rest of the victims.
Luis and Magdalen were tied up next. They bound the child so violently
that he could not refrain from shrieking; but when they asked him if
he was afraid to die, he said he was not; and so they took and set him
up directly opposite his mother. For a brief interval the martyr and
her adopted child gazed silently on each other; then, summoning all
her strength, she said, "Son, we are going to heaven: take courage,
and cry, 'Jesus, Mary!' with your latest breath." And again the child
replied, as he had done before when, on leaving their own home, she
had made him a similar exhortation, "Mother, you shall be obeyed!" The
executioner struck at him first, but missed his aim; and more than
ever fearing for his constancy, Magdalen exhorted him from her cross,
while Michael, standing at its foot, spoke words of comfort to him.
But the child needed not their urging; he did not shriek again, nor
did he shrink, but waited patiently until a second blow had pierced
him through and through; and the lance, yet reeking with his blood,
was directly afterwards plunged into the heart of his mother, whose
sharpest pang had probably already passed on the instant when the son
of her love expired before her. And now the fair and youthful Agnes
alone remained, kneeling, as when she first had reached the place of
execution; for no one yet had the courage to approach her. Like the
headsman of her namesake, the loveliest child of Christian story, her
executioners could only weep that they were bid to mar the beauty of
any thing so fair; their hands were powerless to do their office; and
finding at last that no one sought to bind her, she went herself and
laid her gently and modestly down upon her cross. There she lay,
waiting for her hour, calm and serene as if pillowed on an angel's
bosom, until at length some of the spectators, induced partly by a
bribe offered by the executioner, but chiefly by a bigoted hatred of
her religion, bound her, and lifted up her cross, and then struck her
blow after blow, until beneath their rude and unaccustomed hands she
painfully expired. For a year and a day the bodies were left to hang
upon their crosses, as a terror to all others of the same religion;
but Christians were not wanting to watch the blackening corpses, and,
with a love like that of Rizpah, the mother of the sons of Saul, to
drive from thence the fowls of the air by day, and the beasts of the
field by night; and finally, when the period of prohibition was
expired, reverently to gather the hallowed bones to their last
resting-place in the church of Nangasaki.

The Giffiaques were the next who felt the tyrant's rage. The governor
himself urged on their punishment, for the loss of his friends had
made him furious; and, attributing it entirely to the fact of their
religion, he resolved to wreak his vengeance upon all others who
professed it. "What shall I do with these men?" he cried, in a kind of
savage perplexity, upon being told that the Giffiaques had rather
courted than evaded their imprisonment: "Death they rejoice in, as in
the acquisition of an empire, and they go to exile as a slave to
freedom. The cross is a royal throne, which they mount with pleasure
and occupy with pride. I will therefore contrive for them a fate which
shall make death, under any form whatever, a boon to be desired, but
not to be attained." Within the city walls there was a prison which
the king had constructed for the reception of his debtors. Open on
every side, its inmates were exposed both to the curious gaze of the
passing crowds, and to the suffering of alternate heat and cold, as
summer or winter revolved over their heads. There, huddled together in
this enclosure, the prisoners lay, not upon mats, nor yet upon the
damp cold earth, which in comparison would have been a mercy, but upon
heaps of horrible filth, the accumulation of many years; for by a
hideous cruelty of invention, the monster would never permit the
cleansing out of these loathsome places, hoping by the disgusting
condition of their dungeon to extort a speedier payment from his
victims. Into this den of suffering the governor cast the three
Christians whom he had selected for his prey, never doubting that they
would be soon subdued by the anguish of a life more terrible than the
most lingering and painful death; and so for years the Giffiaques
lingered on, breathing this infected air--pillowed, sleeping and
waking, on the loathsome dung which matted all the pavement, feeding
upon such dry crusts and filthy water as their jailors chose to give
them; until at length one among them died, and then the tyrant, weary
of such willing victims, commanded the other two to be cut in pieces.

According to the usual custom of Japan, their children were condemned
to suffer with them; and however hateful such a practice must appear
to the natural heart of man, yet was it ever to the martyrs a most
welcome boon; for theirs was a Christian as well as a parental love,
teaching them to set the spiritual above the temporal welfare of their
children, and therefore rather to rejoice in, than simply to meet with
calm submission, that double condemnation which, by uniting the fate
of their little ones with their own, snatched them from any future
chance of perversion, and put them at once in possession of their
heavenly kingdom.

One of these little victims was sleeping when they came to fetch him:
he was only six years old, and so tiny, that he had to run as fast as
he could in order to keep up with the soldier who conducted him to
execution; yet, so far from being frightened at his fate, he even
gazed without dismay on the disfigured corpses of his father, uncle,
and cousin, who had all suffered ere he reached the spot; and then,
kneeling down and joining his hands together, looked up smiling in the
face of him who was to lay him at their side. That look disarmed his
executioner. The man suddenly sheathed his sword, declaring that he
had not the heart to perform his office; and when two others sought to
do it for him, they also burst into tears, as that innocent smiling
face met their downward gaze; nor was the deed accomplished until a
common slave, compelled by force to the odious duty, literally hacked
and hewed the poor infant to pieces.

While these scenes, and scenes like these, were constantly recurring
at Fingo, the kingdom of Firando was likewise giving its quota of
martyr-triumphs to the Church; Damian, a blind man of Amangucchi,
being almost the first to lay down his life for the faith. From the
time when the Jesuit fathers were forcibly driven out of that city,
the entire management of the infant mission had devolved upon this
poor old man, whose life was henceforth passed in preaching,
catechizing and baptizing, visiting the sick, and burying the dead,
and doing as much of the work of a zealous missionary as could be
accomplished by any one lacking holy orders. This was sufficient for
the tyrant, and Damian received his choice between Christianity and
death on the one hand, and on the other apostasy and life, with all
that could make life most desirable to the heart of man.

The brave old Christian was not long in making his choice; and he died
for a testimony to the faith, as he had lived for its propagation, his
body being cut to pieces, in order to prevent the other Christians
from collecting his relics for more honourable interment.

His death was the signal for innumerable other massacres in this and
other kingdoms of Japan; but nowhere was the heathen enmity more
unrelentingly displayed than in the once flourishing and Christian
kingdom of Arima. The king of that country, Michael, was mean,
heartless, and ambitious, and exerted his authority and power every
day in committing fresh acts of cruelty against the Christians of
Arima. Under the guidance of his chief minister Safiori, he had
already pulled down the churches, overthrown the crosses, sent
hundreds of the principal Christians into exile, and banished the
Jesuit fathers, to whose influence he attributed their constancy in
the struggle; and having thus, as he hoped, destroyed every landmark
to which they could confidently look for guidance, he published an
edict commanding them all to embrace idolatry or die. At the first
mutterings of the coming storm, the Christians, by general consent,
had enrolled themselves in a confraternity, styled especially "of
martyrs," because, beside the usual practices of prayer, fasting, and
penance, common to all similar associations, the members pledged
themselves to suffer loss of property, banishment, or martyrdom
itself, faithfully and joyfully, for the name of Jesus. This
confraternity afterwards extended itself over other parts of Japan;
and it was even adopted by the little children, who were destined to
play nearly as prominent a part in the coming persecutions as their
parents themselves, and to whom it was therefore given by the Jesuit
fathers, with rules and practices adapted to their tender years. Thus
prepared and strengthened for the struggle, the Christians waited in
patient courage its commencement; and they had not long to wait.

Michael sent first for a nobleman of the name of Thomas, renowned for
his prowess both by sea and by land, and with every art of persuasion
in his power, sought to induce him to yield obedience to his orders.
The blunt soldier listened impatiently to the miserable sophisms of
his chieftain, and then flatly told him, that as a soldier would be
deserving of death for deserting his colours, so he should consider
himself the most despicable of human beings, if for fear or favour of
earthly monarch he could desert that King of kings to whom on the day
of his baptism he had sworn allegiance; ending (so great was his
indignation that he could not contain himself) with a rough speech, to
the effect that he hated traitors as he hated treason, and would
prefer death itself to the baseness of committing the one, or of being
associated with the other. Such a speech to such a man the Christian
well knew could only be uttered at the hazard of his head; no sooner,
therefore, had he left the royal presence, than he sent for one of the
Jesuit fathers, then lying hid in the city, and prepared himself for
death. When urged by his friends, for his own sake, and for the sake
of his family, who would otherwise be involved in his ruin, to seek
safety by flight, he answered with characteristic spirit, "that so far
from fleeing martyrdom, he would go to the end of the earth to seek
it; and that he loved his children all too well to think of depriving
them of a blessing which he coveted for himself above the empire of
the world."

The next day the governor of the city invited him to dinner (so
strangely do they manage these affairs in Japan); and Thomas, well
aware of his approaching fate, took an affectionate farewell of his
wife and children before accepting the ominous invitation. While he
sat at table, his host presented him with a sword, asking his opinion
as to its capabilities for the decapitation of a human head. Thomas,
looking at it carelessly, pronounced it well made, and fitted for such
a work; whereupon the governor receiving it out of his hands, stabbed
him dead on the spot. A few hours afterwards his brother, quite as
uncompromising a Christian as himself, suffered a similar fate; his
mother Martha and his two young sons were also condemned; while his
wife and daughter were, by a caprice of mercy, or perhaps of cruelty,
exempted from the sentence. Very different from the ordinary effects
of such opposite judgments were the feelings elicited by them on the
present occasion: those who were to die blessed God, in an ecstasy of
pious joy, that He had called them to suffer for the faith; while she
who was to live--a widow, and now all but childless--gave way to an
agony of grief at the double loss she was destined to endure. While
she wept over her cruel lot, Martha called her grandchildren, and
embracing them tenderly, told them, that as their father had died for
Jesus Christ, so she and they were now to do the same, and then to go
and live with him in heaven. The children quietly answered, "that
there was nothing which they wished for better;" asking, at the same
time, "when it was to be." "Just now," she said; "so go and take leave
of your mother, and prepare yourselves for death." With smiling
countenances, the children hastened to obey; and having distributed
their toys among their playfellows, and made some parting presents to
their nurses, they clothed themselves in the white robes which Martha
had taken care to provide for the occasion, and knelt before their
mother, saying "Adieu, dear mother; we are going to be martyred." She
was weeping at the instant as if her very heart would break; but
fearing to discourage her children, or cast the shadow of her own
maternal grief over their coming hour of trial, she embraced them,
saying, "Go, dear children; and remembering Him who died for you,
tread courageously in the footsteps of your father and your uncle.
Behold them stretching out their arms to help you; behold the saints
and angels with crowns prepared to set upon your heads; behold Jesus
Christ Himself inviting you to His most sweet embraces; and when you
reach the place of execution, show yourselves to be indeed His
followers by your contempt of death. Fall on your knees, loosen your
collars, join your hands, bow down your heads, and cry out Jesus!
Mary! with your latest breath. Oh, how wretched am I that I cannot be
with you in that hour!" Then, hiding her face in the arms of her
little ones, the poor mother burst into an uncontrollable fit of
weeping, moving the very soldiers to such compassion, that, fearful of
yielding to their feelings, they tore the children from her embraces,
and almost threw them into the palanquin which was to convey them and
their grandmother to the place of execution. During the short transit
thither, that venerable Christian took care to occupy the little
victims in prayer and pious ejaculations; nor did she cease her
guardian-care when they reached the fatal spot; for she stood and saw
them one by one butchered before her eyes, and then, advancing with a
grave and stately pace, she in her turn submitted to the sword.

After this execution, eight of the principal citizens of Arima were
summoned to the presence of their king, and there commanded to abjure
the faith; while he, persecuting tyrant as he was, had the face to
tell them that he only required an external submission, since he too
was in heart a Christian like themselves, though compelled for the
present by the emperor's orders to conceal his faith. Five out of the
eight agreed to this infamous proposal; but four of them afterwards
sincerely repented. The others were not to be cajoled out of their
convictions, and were consequently condemned with their families to
the penalty of fire. As soon as their sentence was made known at
Nangasaki, one of the Fathers came privately to Arima to give
spiritual succour to the captives, and thousands of Christians also
flocked from every part of the country to witness their execution.

Never before perhaps had the Church presented such a spectacle to the
world; and possibly never will she offer such another again. For three
whole days that vast multitude remained camped in the open fields,
patiently waiting for the execution of their brethren; but their
presence struck terror into the heart of the craven king; and dreading
lest they should either rescue the prisoners or seize upon the town,
he faltered in his purpose. It never occurred to him that they of whom
he feared such things would as soon have thought of robbing him of his
material crown as of depriving the martyrs of their palm; they had, in
fact, been careful to come without even their ordinary weapons of
defence, in order to avoid the possibility of a doubt as to their
peaceable intentions; and no sooner did they suspect the cause of the
delay, than some of the gravest of their number waited on the governor
to explain that they were merely there to witness the ceremony, and to
promise that there should be neither tumult nor resistance if they
were permitted to remain. Thus encouraged and reassured, preparations
for the martyrdom went on apace. A wide plain just beneath the castle
of the town was chosen for the purpose; the prisoners were confessed
and communicated by a Jesuit father; and on the day appointed they
came forth, dressed in their robes of ceremony, and with their hands
tied behind their backs, accompanied by upwards of 40,000 Christians,
bearing lights in their hands and garlands on their heads, and singing
the Litanies of our blessed Lady as they went along. Among the victims
was a boy not more than eleven years old, and a young girl called
Magdalen, who having already made a vow of virginity, had always led a
life holy and pure as that of the martyr-virgins of old.

These children, as well as their elder companions, all affectionately
embraced the stakes to which they were afterwards tied; then Gaspar,
the chief of the Confraternity of Martyrs, unrolling a banner upon
which was displayed a figure of the Son of God, bound like themselves
to a pillar, made them a brief exhortation to perseverance; and even
as he was speaking, fire was set to the piles of combustible
materials, which had been laid at a considerable distance from the
martyrs, for the cruel purpose of prolonging their tortures. As the
first gleam of this fearful element of death shot upwards to the
skies, the entire multitude fell with one accord upon their knees; and
still, as the fire drew near its victims, the plain re-echoed with the
oft-repeated "Jesus! Mary!"--"Jesus! Mary!" of the spectators, who
sadly struck their breasts in penance for their own sins, and to
obtain the grace of perseverance for their brethren. Nearer and nearer
yet it hurried; but even above the roar of the rapidly-approaching
flames, and the sighs and lamentations of those who watched them, the
voice of the martyrs might be heard praising God, and animating each
other to constancy and courage. At length the fiery sea had reached
them, and their cords were burst; and then every eye was riveted on
the child, to see whether he would stand of his own free will in that
burning scorching furnace. A moment's pause--he leaves his stake; but
it is only to run through the dense flames, until he has reached and
flung his arms around his mother; while the young Magdalen avails
herself of her freedom to stoop to the burning embers, and picking up
the living coals, set them as a garland of roses on her head. She died
almost in the very effort; but the mother of the child James, with a
heroism of even perhaps a higher order, found strength in the midst of
her own tortures to speak words of courage to her little one, until
death released them from their sufferings. The flames had scorched the
bodies, but had not consumed them; and they were carried off, together
with the blackened and half-burnt stakes, as precious relics, by the
assembled Christians. The bodies were laid to rest in the church of
Nangasaki; where over their honoured graves was afterwards erected a
monument, telling alike of their heroic end, and calling upon all who
read to follow in their footsteps.

Enraged at finding himself foiled by the constancy of the Christians,
the emperor resolved to banish them by hundreds out of Japan; and in
this sentence the Jesuit and Franciscan fathers were formally
included. Fortunately most of the former, in anticipation of some such
event, had been dispersed throughout the country in various disguises:
but it was impossible for those living openly in the college to evade
it; and a sad day it was, both for them and for their flock, when they
found themselves forced to depart from a Church, which in sunshine and
in storm they had now governed for upwards of fifty years. They had
dwelt in peace at Miako, even when persecution was rife in other
kingdoms of the country; and their college had become the resort alike
of Christians and of heathens.

Such was the respect and reverence in which they were held, even by
their most determined enemies in the court of Japan, that they were
permitted to say a farewell Mass publicly in their church, and
afterwards to receive the adieus of their sorrowful flock. Vast
multitudes attended on this occasion; and when High Mass was over, the
Jesuits proceeded to the mournful ceremony of stripping the altars,
the people weeping piteously all the while, and the fathers nearly as
broken-hearted as themselves. All was at length removed that could
tempt to sacrilege; the sacred vessels and robes of ceremony were
confided to the care of such of the Christians as could best be relied
on, the church-doors flung open for all who might choose to enter; and
the next morning the fathers, under a guard of soldiers, were far on
their way to Nangasaki, whence they were to embark. At that town they
were joined by numbers of prisoners, both clerical and lay, collected
from all parts of the country, and finally sixty-three Jesuits, with a
crowd of converts of every age, sex, and condition were embarked for
Macao; while twenty-three others, besides a proportionate number of
Franciscans, Dominicans, and Augustinians (for each of these orders
had now missions in Japan), were dispatched to the Manillas.

In the same year (1614) in which this wholesale banishment took place,
the Christians had to mourn for the death of Luis Cerquiera, bishop of
Japan. He is said to have literally died of a broken heart for the
ruin that had fallen on the infant Church committed to his love and
care. It is true, indeed, that from the first he had undertaken the
task in times of great difficulty and danger; but at the period of his
arrival, though there was much to discourage, there had also been much
to strengthen and to cheer his heart. From Nangasaki, where he had
fixed his residence, he had succeeded in making innumerable journeys
to the most distant parts of the kingdom; and withersoever he went,
thousands had flocked around him for instruction and confirmation. No
kingdom or city was too distant, no road too untrodden, no mountains
too high or too rugged to be accessible to his zeal; and when he
returned from these weary wanderings, he could sit down at Nangasaki,
and feel that there at least Almighty God had the entire homage of all
hearts; for not only was it wholly inhabited by Christians, but the
five parishes into which it was divided were governed by native
pastors, the truest test of the conversion of a people, and one which
only the Catholic Church has ever succeeded in presenting to the world
in the history of the propagation of the Christian faith.

Sadly had this fair scene changed within the last few years, and
rapidly had all that was brightest and best disappeared from the
picture. At the moment of the bishop's death the emperor had
fulminated his final edict against the Christians. Fingo, Amangucchi,
and Firando were already deluged in their blood; Nangasaki was the
head-quarters of Safiori, their implacable foe, and an army of ten
thousand men had been let loose upon Arima, to exterminate religion by
fire and sword. Whenever any of these troops were sent into a
district, a judgment-seat, surrounded by a palisade, was set up in the
most public place of the city; the best known among the Christians
were then dragged by the hair and cast into the enclosure, thrown upon
the ground, trampled underfoot, beaten until they were half-dead, and
their legs, by a cruel contrivance, broken between two pieces of wood;
the most intrepid were then put to death, and their bodies, after
having been cut into pieces, were cast to the birds of prey. At
Cochinotzu sixty Christians were taken, five by five at a time, with
their hands tied behind them, lifted high up into the air, and then
dashed upon the ground with such violence, that blood gushed from
their ears, eyes, and mouths. Many of them were dreadfully lacerated,
others had all their bones broken; and as if this were not already
sufficient torture, they were afterwards pricked and pierced all over
their bodies with sharp instruments. The governor all the while was
exhorting them with affected compassion to spare themselves further
torments by renouncing their religion; but when he found that they
were deaf to his entreaties, he proceeded to inflict a new punishment,
so horrible that it is difficult to conceive the cruelty of the mind
by which it was invented. The victim was made to lie flat on the
ground, and a stone, which four men could scarcely lift, was placed on
his back; and then, by means of a pulley, with cords attached to the
legs and arms, he was raised from the earth in such a manner that the
body was bent completely backwards, the limbs cruelly crushed and
broken, and in many instances the eyes forced out of their sockets;
the fingers and toes of the victims were then cut off, their teeth
knocked out, and if the eyesight yet remained, it was next destroyed.
Many were not beheaded until death had indeed become a mercy; while
others, less fortunate, after undergoing a yet further mutilation of
their persons, were compelled in the midst of their agony to climb up
and down a flight of stairs, for the amusement of their tormentors;
after which they were consigned to the care of their friends, until
one by one, as the strength of their constitutions more or less
prolonged the struggle of death, they passed from their painful
martyrdom to the crowns prepared for them in heaven.

The bloody scenes of Cochinotzu were only a sample of those which
likewise desolated Aria, Obama, Simabara, Swota, and every other city
of note in the kingdom of Arima; but more especially the capital,
where Safiori presided in person over the cruelties which he had
invented for his victims.

To prevent any further addition from without to the number of the
missionaries already in the kingdom, all the ports of Japan were
irrevocably closed against the vessels of Europe, with the exception
indeed of Nangasaki and Firando, which were always under the rigid
surveillance of the officers of the emperor. It was also made death to
be convicted as a priest, or to be discovered in the exercise of
priestly functions; death to introduce a priest into the kingdom, and
death to give him shelter; death not only to the person so exercising
hospitality, but likewise to his ten next neighbours, with their
innocent wives and children,--a reward being generally offered for the
discovery of those who, in any of these ways, should have incurred the
penalties of the law. From that hour the life of each individual
priest was at the mercy of every one to whom he had been previously
known; while the lives of those who sheltered him were equally liable
to be forfeited to the curiosity or cupidity of such of their
neighbours as might chance to discover the fact of their delinquency.
To Father John Baptist Machades, a Jesuit, and Father Peter, a
Franciscan, the honour was accorded of taking the first place on this
long list of priestly victims. The former was going to Omura by order
of his superior, when he and his catechist were made prisoners at
Goto, and sent by sea to the capital. Contrary winds, however,
detaining them at Canomi, the magistrates of that place received
Father Machades on his landing with every mark of courtesy and
kindness. An unrestricted communication was permitted with the
Christians, who flocked to him in crowds; and after the due
administration of the Sacraments he made them a most spirit-stirring
address, in the course of which he told them that, at seven years of
age he had been moved by some secret impulse to a strong desire of
preaching the Gospel to the Japanese.

These duties having been fulfilled, the father returned, of his own
accord, to his prison on board the ship. But so great was the
veneration inspired by his virtues, that the sailors refused to bind
him as he wished; and thus unshackled, and almost unwatched, he
remained until he arrived at the prison of Omura. There he found a
Franciscan father lying under the same sentence of death as himself.
Having confessed and communicated each other, they set out to the
place of execution,--each carrying his crucifix and exhorting the
crowd as they went along, until the final moment came, when each
affectionately embraced the other, and then in peace and joyfulness
submitted to his sentence.

About the same time six other religious commenced a still longer
captivity in the prisons of Omura. Three were Dominicans, one a
Franciscan, and the two others Jesuits, Father Charles Spinola, and
Ambrose Fernandez, a Brother of the Society. When first they were
taken prisoners they had been thrown for greater security into a sort
of subterranean cave where they lay huddled together and deprived of
light.

It was not until the close of the year 1622, that an order arrived for
the removal of these religious and other Christian prisoners to
Nangasaki, and for their subsequent execution. They were thirty in
number as they marched out of Omura; and partly by sea and partly by
land, each with a rope round his neck, and an executioner at his side,
they went on their way to the old city of the Christians. It was not
considered prudent that they should enter Nangasaki, so the
inhabitants went forth in multitudes to meet them, and flinging
themselves at their feet, begged with many tears their blessings and
their prayers; and thus escorted, the martyrs stood at length upon a
high hill between the city and the sea. A moment of suspense followed.
Some victim or spectator was yet wanting to the solemnity; and every
eye was directed towards the town, from whence a troop of persons
might be descried approaching,--men, women, and children; thirty of
the former, with, of course a larger proportion of the latter. Every
doubt as to the ultimate destination of this company soon vanished
when it was seen that they were dressed in their robes of ceremony,
and with looks of gladness and of holy joy were ascending to the
calvary of the Christians. One of the new-comers had been guilty of
giving shelter to a missionary; the others were his ten next
neighbours, with their families, besides the wives and children of
some previous martyrs; and of this almost incredible number of
victims, amounting to upwards of a hundred, some were to be beheaded,
while others were to perish by the slower martyrdom of fire. A throne
had been erected overlooking this scene of slaughter, and when the
governor had taken his seat upon it, those who were to undergo the
sentence of fire were fastened to their stakes, but loosely, in order
that they might escape if only they chose to apostatize, and then the
executioners prepared to decapitate the others. Among these last was
Isabella, the widow of the man in whose house Father Spinola had been
taken captive, and her son Ignatius, a child now about four years old,
but at that time a new-born infant, whom he had baptized on the very
evening before his arrest. From the stake to which he was already
bound, the father had been exhorting both natives and Portuguese to
perseverance, telling them, almost in a spirit of prophecy, that they
need not look for any cessation in the persecution, which would go on
increasing in fury from day to day; when chancing to see Isabella
standing in the crowd, and anxious for the fate of her child, he
suddenly cried out, "Where then is my little Ignatius?" The mother
held him up, exclaiming, "Here he is, my father, ready and glad to die
for Jesus;" and then addressing the infant, she bade him ask the
blessing of the good father, who in the waters of baptism had
conferred upon him a spiritual life infinitely more precious than that
which he was now about to forfeit for his God. Instantly the little
creature fell upon his knees, joining his tiny hands together, as if
he would supplicate the blessing of the father. So touching in its
simplicity was this little scene, that the crowd, already interested
by the movement of the mother, now broke into such open murmurs of
compassion, that the officers were obliged to proceed at once with the
execution, in order to prevent the possibility of an attempt at a
rescue. Two or three heads had already fallen close by the child's
side, and now his mother's followed; yet it was observed that he
neither shrank nor changed colour, but his turn being next, he fell
upon his knees, loosened (for there was no one to do the office for
him) with his infant but untrembling fingers the collar that would
have impeded the aim of the executioner, and without a cry or murmur
submitted to the sword.

The remaining victims were speedily despatched; and their heads having
been placed opposite to such of their companions as were to die at the
stakes, fire was set to the piles of wood by which the latter were
surrounded. With the usual diabolical ingenuity of the Japanese
pagans, the faggots had been placed full five-and-twenty feet from the
stakes; and whenever the fire was seen to gain too fast upon its
victims, water was cast upon it, that inch by inch they might taste
the full agony of the sentence to which they had been condemned. Many
of them died from the mere effects of the heated atmosphere;--among
others, Father Rimura, a Japanese priest, after having lived for full
three hours in the midst of the flames; and Father Spinola also, whose
body was afterwards found unburnt, and wrapped in his cassock, which
was literally glued to the flesh by the combined action of the heat
and of the water which had been cast upon his person.

Terrible beyond expression as their sufferings must have been, two
only of this heroic company showed the slightest symptoms of being
even conscious of its anguish. Both were Japanese, and very young; and
both simultaneously, and as if from an absolute physical inability to
endure such frightful torture any longer, rushed out of the flames,
and threw themselves at the feet of the governor, imploring his mercy.
They did not, however, ask for life; they asked only for an easier and
quicker death. But, poor as the boon was, it was denied them, save
upon the condition of apostasy, which they would not accept; and again
they were flung back into the flames.

This martyrdom, which was distinguished among the Japanese as the
"Great Martyrdom," on account both of the rank and number of its
victims, had been preceded by another at Miako, which took place under
circumstances of peculiar barbarity. One of the victims was in daily
expectation of giving birth to a child; nevertheless she was included
in the sentence which sent her husband, a nobleman of the highest
rank, and their six young children, with upwards of forty other
Christians, to the stake.

The tragical situation in which she was placed had however, no terrors
for this heroic woman. She employed her prison-hours in preparing
robes for herself and her children to wear at their execution; and
when she was brought to the destined place, calmly, and without
assistance, she stepped from the cart, and throwing a rich mantle over
her shoulders, prepared to suffer with a modesty and composure that
won her the admiration of all beholders. It was dark night before fire
was set to their several piles; but as soon as the smoke had cleared
away, the martyrs were seen by the light of the bright flames amid
which they stood, with eyes fixed on heaven and their forms motionless
and erect, as though they had been figures chiselled out of stone.

In very horror the spectators were silent, and the stillness and hush
of death was upon the midnight air, when suddenly from out of that
fiery furnace a flood of melody was poured,--men and women and
children singing the praises of the living God as sweetly, and with
notes as true as though the red and thirsty flames had been but the
dews of heaven upon their brows. The sighs and prayers of the
assistants, which could no longer be repressed, the shouts and
execrations of the soldiers and executioners, soon mingled with this
death-song; and these and the dark night, and the fierce fire that
illuminated its gloom, now flashing intolerable light upon the
victims, now glancing lividly on the pale faces and shrinking forms of
the densely-packed spectators, altogether formed an union of sights
and sounds that alternately swayed the feelings to terror and
compassion. But the music of that marvellous choir died gradually
away; the sudden failing of each gladsome voice, the silent sinking of
each upright form, telling that another, and yet another had yielded
to their doom, was marked by the watchers with redoubled lamentations;
though their tenderest sympathies were still reserved for the mother
dying in the midst of her little ones.

From the cross to which they had bound her, Thecla (for such was her
name) still kept her eyes fixed upon her children, animating them by
gentle smiles and words of comfort to suffer well; while the youngest,
an infant only three years old, she held with superhuman courage in
her arms during the whole of the terrible scene that followed. Her own
anguish had no power to extort a single sigh from her lips; but those
who watched her wept to see the useless efforts which she made to
diminish the sufferings of her babe. She caressed it, soothed it,
hushed its cries, wiped away its tears, sought with her own hands to
shelter its tender face from the terrible contact of the fire, and
died at last with the little victim so closely folded to her bosom,
that it was afterwards found almost impossible to separate the bodies
of the mother and the child.

These martyrdoms are only specimens of those which during this period
continually took place in Japan. Some Christians were crucified,
others burnt, others beheaded; numbers again branded upon the cheeks
and forehead with the sign of the cross, their fingers and toes cut
off, and their eyes forced out; and thus maimed and helpless, they
were sent back to their families, who (to their honour be it written)
never failed to receive them with all the more pride and affection,
the more deeply and hideously they had been disfigured for the sake of
Jesus.

The great majority of the martyrdoms hitherto recorded had been
accomplished by fire; but now a different mode of torture was to be
pressed into the service. Water was called into requisition; and
Father James Caravail, with several lay Christians, was the leader of
many heroic confessors who perished from cold. They were left in the
first instance, for three hours in freezing water, during which time
one of them died; the rest on being carried back to prison and
threatened with the martyrdom of fire in case of perseverance, cried
out with one voice; "Oh, happy we, to pass through fire and water to
the place of our repose!" Instead of the stake, however, the next day
they were again placed up to their necks in water; while, the better
to attempt them to apostasy, tents, warm baths, and comfortable
clothing, were made ready on the banks of the pool, and as near as
possible to the spot where their sentence was to be carried into
execution. As the day advanced, the water froze more and more; and
heavy drifts of snow beating continually upon them, added greatly to
their agony. Scarcely able to endure it any longer, one among them
sobbed heavily for breath; but Father Paul hearing it, cried out,
"Have patience, son, for yet a little while; and these torments will
be changed into everlasting repose." At the sound of the father's
voice, and his cheering words, the poor victim regained his courage,
and soon afterwards happily expired, at the very moment when another
reduced to a similar extremity, exclaimed, "Father, my course is
nearly finished." "Depart then," replied the latter; "depart in peace
to God, and die in his holy grace." Thus one by one they perished in
this icy grave; and at length the father, who through the live-long
day had cheered his fellow-martyrs to the combat, was left to suffer
and to die alone. Night had already closed in heavy and chill around
him; and with the exception of his guards and some few faithful
Christians, none were there to watch him, for the spectators had all
retired to their comfortable homes, and it was not until just
midnight, that after fifteen hours of stern endurance, he bowed
himself down to the frozen wave, and placidly expired. This martyrdom
took place in the year 1624, and shortly afterwards four more
religious were burnt at Faco; in June of the same year the provincial
of the Jesuits, with eight of the Society, perished in a similar
manner; and in the following month Lewis Xanch, a Dominican, was put
to death at Omura.

We have mentioned these executions of priests without alluding to the
almost weekly massacres which took place among the lay converts,
merely to show the virulence and success with which the missionaries
were now every where pursued; and when it is remembered that at the
commencement of the persecution there were, besides the Jesuits, but a
few secular priests and about thirty religious of other orders, in
Japan, and that no reinforcement had succeeded in reaching them from
without, words will not be needed to point out the deadly nature of
the blow which the Xoguno was at last inflicting on the church. Having
said thus much, however, upon the fate of the religious, it would be a
crying injustice to the rest of the Christians to pass over their
sufferings altogether in silence.

The Xoguno having once explicitly declared himself opposed to their
religion, the inferior monarchs, as a matter of course, vied with each
other in their efforts to uproot it. It was only on an express
condition to that effect that Bugendono, the new governor of
Nangasaki, had been installed in that office; and taunted continually
by his rivals for courtly favour with his little success, he employed
himself day and night in the invention of more ingenious barbarities
to effect his purpose. The object being rather to produce apostasy
than death, every species of torture was made as slow as possible in
its execution, and was generally eked out with intervals of rest and
refreshment--a thousand times more dangerous to the perseverance of
the victim than the sharpest continued agony. Some were placed in deep
pits, and there nearly buried alive; while executioners appointed for
the purpose, slowly, and with blunt weapons, sawed off sometimes the
arms and sometimes the head, salt being thrown on the bleeding wound
to sharpen its anguish; physicians were also at hand, whose business
it was to prolong the life of the sufferer for as many days as
possible, by carefully ascertaining the amount of his physical
strength, and administering cordials when it was beginning to fail.
Others were hung with their head downwards in a pit, where, with the
necessary precaution of occasional bleeding, they were made to exist
for a considerable time in all the sufferings of an apoplexy; while
others again, by means of a funnel forced far down into their throats,
were compelled to swallow enormous quantities of water, which was
afterwards forced out of the body by violent pressure. Even the Dutch,
themselves more than half the authors of these evils, speak with
horror of the deeds which they witnessed at Firando. The nails of the
victims were violently wrenched off, holes bored into their legs and
arms, great morsels of flesh torn out of their persons by the
insertion of hollow reeds which were turned round like a screw,
burning brimstone and sulphur forced by long tubes up their noses; and
they were, besides, frequently compelled to walk about with
executioners holding lighted torches close to their persons. Nor were
these cruelties inflicted singly, or upon solitary and more noted
delinquents. By tens, by fifties, by hundreds at a time, they were
assembled for their trial; one torture rapidly succeeding another, and
each new one being so cunningly contrived, that the slightest word of
complaint, the most trivial movement of resistance when pain had
become almost intolerable, was to be considered as a signal of
apostasy, and was greeted by cries of "He is fallen! he is
fallen!"--the favourite and most significant words by which the
heathen expressed at once the fact of a Christian's recantation, and
their own opinion of the weakness through which he had succumbed.

Under circumstances such as these, it is not so wonderful that many
failed, as that hundreds and thousands persevered to the end, winning
their crown by a long-suffering and patience which, even in the
primitive Church, were never surpassed. Men offered themselves
willingly to every torture which Eastern ingenuity could devise, or
reckless disregard of human life put into execution. Women looked
calmly on while their infants perished, and then followed with
gladness and joy in the same path to glory. At a city near Omura, a
brave Christian plunged his hand into the burning coals, and never
withdrew it until commanded to do so by the tyrant who had taunted and
dared him to the deed; while at Firando fifty young Christians were
made to kneel naked upon living embers, on the express understanding
that the most involuntary expression of pain should be considered as
apostasy; and having by their unflinching firmness baffled the closest
scrutiny of those who watched them, were sent back to die, half
roasted as they were, to their several homes. In one place eighteen
infants were put to death in the presence of their parents; at
another, a child only seven years old, suspected with the rest of his
family of the concealment of a priest, lived for as many days in the
midst of the torture they inflicted on him, without once flinching or
failing in his heroic resolution. To each fresh invention of their
cruelty he only answered, probably to avoid being betrayed into
imprudent disclosures, "Jesus, Mary! Jesus, Mary! How I long to be in
heaven with my God!" Nor could other words be extorted from his lips,
even when, in their despair of succeeding, they cut open the little
creature's shoulders, and poured boiling lead into the wound; and
finally, he and his family were burnt alive, without a single one
among them having been induced by weakness to give evidence against
the priest.

Opposed to constancy such as this, every ordinary mode of torture must
have seemed only useless and unmeaning; but at length another was hit
upon, and one so barbarous in its nature, that no tyrant, however
cruel or ferocious, who had hitherto ruled in Japan, had ever thought
of inflicting it on the most guilty of his subjects.

Between Nangasaki and Sima-bara lies a mountain, bald, bleak, and
treeless, whitening beneath the masses of cinders with which it is
every where covered, and with a thick and stifling smoke, which can be
seen at a distance of several leagues, for ever rising from its
summit. The soil that covers its steep ascent is every where soft and
spongy, often burning and trembling beneath the footsteps; while so
strong is the smell of sulphur which it continually exhales, that it
is said no bird can live, or will even attempt to fly within breathing
distance of its tainted atmosphere. Deep and unfathomable pools of
boiling water lie hidden amid the clefts and fissures which split this
gloomy mountain into peaks and precipices of various sizes; but one,
deeper and more unfathomable than all the rest, instead of water, is
filled with a mixture of sulphur and other volcanic matter, which
seethe and bubble and boil within its dark abyss, emitting all the
while so horrible a stench as to have gained it the title of the
"Mouth of Hell." One drop alone of this fearful fluid is sufficient to
produce an ulcer on the human flesh; and when Bugendono thought on the
terrible nature of the chastisement he could thus inflict, and upon
the fear and superstition with which the Japanese always regarded the
sulphurous waters of Unsen, and the mysterious cavern in which they
were produced, he felt that he could not have hit upon a more
efficient or infallible means for the intimidation of the Christians,
and the extirpation of their creed. At the very time when he came to
this resolution, there chanced to be dispersed throughout Arima a band
of faithful confessors, upon whom all his previously-invented tortures
had been tried in vain; and for this reason the governor considered
they would prove the fittest objects for his new experiment. Paul
Uciborg was the chief, both for courage and virtue, of this troop of
victims; and he had already witnessed the massacre of every member of
his family, down even to the youngest of his children, who, in company
with fifteen other Christians, had been thrown into the sea, after
having first suffered every possible cruelty that could barbarously be
inflicted upon them.

"Which shall I begin with?" asked the executioner, as he approached
the two youngest of Paul's children for the purpose of chopping off
their fingers.

"That is your affair, not mine," the old Christian answered bluntly,
probably to conceal a softer feeling. "Cut off which, and as many, as
you please."

"And oh!" sighed little Ignatius, as, in the very spirit of the brave
man his father, he watched his brother's fingers falling joint by
joint beneath the knife of the executioner; "how beautiful your hand
looks, my brother, thus mutilated for the sake of Jesus Christ, and
how I long for my own turn to come!"

The child who made this exclamation was but five years old; yet
without shedding a tear, he afterwards endured a similarly protracted
amputation, and then silently and unresistingly suffered himself to be
cast into the ocean. The father and about twenty of the remaining
Christians, who were reserved for a different fate, were, after the
massacre of their companions, brought back to shore; although so
frightfully crippled, from the mutilations they had already undergone,
that one at least of their number was compelled to be carried to his
house in a kind of coffin on men's shoulders. The governor had hoped
that their ghastly appearance would terrify others from following
their example; but he soon found that Jesus was more easily and more
eloquently preached by such wounds and such deeds as theirs, than by
any words that could be uttered; and in his vexation at the numbers
who flocked to them for edification and encouragement, he condemned
them, as we have seen, to the boiling sulphurs of Unsen.

As the little company of martyrs approached this terrible chasm, one
among them, at the bidding of the executioner, and in the spirit of an
Apollonia, rushed forward at once, and flung himself into its depths;
but Paul, with a more measured courage, commanded the others to
restrain their zeal; while to the heathens who taunted him with
cowardice, he contented himself by saying, "that they were not masters
of their own lives, which God having given, God alone had a right to
take away; and that, in reality, there was more real courage in calmly
waiting the approach of death, than in rushing into its arms in such a
way as to put an end to all its terrors in a moment." Silenced by this
answer, so calm and noble in its genuine Christian courage, the
executioners proceeded to their duties; and having tied each of the
martyrs by ropes, in order to prevent their falling entirely into the
chasm, they lowered them one by one into its seething contents. Some
were destroyed at a single plunge; others, by being quickly withdrawn,
were reserved for the torment of a second immersion; but old Paul, who
suffered last, and who had excited the hatred of the heathens by the
courage with which it was believed he had inspired his companions,
they managed, with dexterous cruelty, to let down three several times
into the abyss before life was altogether extinguished; and each time
as he rose to the surface he was heard to exclaim: "Eternal praise be
to the ever adorable Sacrament of the Altar!"

After this first trial of its power, the scalding sulphurous waters of
Unsen became a favourite mode of torture for the Christians. Men,
women, children, and infants were sent hither in crowds. Some expired
after a single plunge; others after two or three successive
immersions; others, again, and the greater number, were with a more
elaborate cruelty sprinkled with the boiling liquor day after day,
often for a period of thirty days together, until their bodies were
one mass of sores and vermin, and they died from the effects of this
universal ulceration.

 [Illustration]




February 6.

  S. BUCOLUS, _B. of Smyrna, circ._ A.D. 100.
  S. ANTHOLIAN, _M. at Clermont, circ._ A.D. 255.
  SS. DOROTHY, _V. M._, AND THEOPHILUS, _M., at Cæsarea, in Cappadocia,
      circ._ A.D. 303.
  SS. SYLVAN, _B. M._, LUKE, _D. M._, AND MUCIUS, _Lect. M. at Emesa_,
      A.D. 312.
  SS. MAEL, MELCHU, MUN, AND RIOCH, _Bishops in Ireland, end of
      5th cent._
  S. AVENTINE, _Ab. H. at Troyes, circ._ A.D. 538.
  S. VEDAST, _B. of Arras, circ._ A.D. 540.
  S. AMANDUS, _B. of Maestricht_, A.D. 684.
  S. INA, _K. of the West Saxons, about_ A.D. 728.
  S. GUARIN, _Card. B. of Preneste_, A.D. 1159.
  S. ALDERICK, _Swineherd at Fussenich_, A.D. 1200.
  S. BRYNJOLF, _B. of Skara in Sweden_, A.D. 1317.


S. DOROTHY, V. M.

(ABOUT A.D. 303.)

  [This Saint, so famous in Western Martyrologies, is unknown to the
  Greeks. Her Acts are not to be relied upon.]

This holy martyr was a native of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, and in the
persecution of Dioclesian she was brought before the governor
Sapricius. After the usual interogatories she was stretched on the
_catasta_, an iron bed over a slow fire. Then as laid thereon, the
servant of God exclaimed, "Do thy worst, I fear not pain, if only I
may see Him, for whose love I am ready to die." Sapricius said, "Who
is he whom thou lovest?" Dorothy answered, "Christ, the Son of God."
Sapricius asked, "And where is this Christ?" Dorothy replied, "In His
omnipotence He is everywhere; in His humanity he is in Heaven, the
Paradise to which He invites us: where the woods are ever adorned with
fruit, and lilies ever bloom white, and roses ever flower; where the
fields are green, the mountains wave with fresh grass, and the springs
bubble up eternally."

 [Illustration: S. AGNES. S. CECILIA. S. DOROTHY.
 After Angelica de Fiesole. Feb. 6.]

Then said a lawyer present, named Theophilus, "Thou spouse of Christ,
send me from Paradise some of these apples and roses." And Dorothy
answered him, "I will."

Now the governor pronounced sentence against her, that she should lose
her head. And as she knelt, and the executioner prepared to smite, she
asked him to delay the stroke for a moment. Then she prayed, and
suddenly there stood by her a beauteous youth, in dazzling raiment,
who held in his hands three apples, and three red roses, the like of
which earthly garden had never produced. Then Dorothy said, "I pray
thee take these to Theophilus, and tell him that they are what I
promised him." And at that instant the sword of the executioner fell,
and she entered into the joy of her Lord.

Now Theophilus, the advocate, was at home with his companions; and to
them he told with great laughter how he had asked the virgin to send
him the flowers and fruit of the Paradise to which she hoped to enter.
And, all at once, as he spake, the angel stood before him, with grave
face, and held out to him the wondrous apples and roses, and said,
"Dorothy sends these to thee, as she promised." Then Theophilus
believed, and going before the governor, he confessed Christ, and was
sentenced to death; and so died, receiving the baptism of blood.

Relics at Arles; where March 28th is observed as the feast of their
translation; also at Cologne, in the churches of S. Gereon, S.
Severinus, S. Andrew, S. Paul, SS. John and Cordula, &c.; the head at
Prague.

In Art, S. Dorothea is easily recognized by the sword she holds, and
the apples and roses at her side, or in her hand.


SS. MAEL, MELCHU, MUN, AND RIOCH, BISHOPS.

(END OF 5TH CENTURY.)

  [Inserted in the Sarum Martyrology by Richard Wytford from the Irish
  Kalendar, in these words: "In Ireland the feast of S. Mel, S.
  Melkus, S. Munys, Bishops, and Riockus, Abbot: these four were
  brothers, nephews of S. Patrick, by his sister S. Darerca, all
  famous for their singular holiness and great miracles." They are
  also given by Colgan. Authorities:--Joselyn's Life of S. Patrick;
  The Life of S. Bridget, &c.]

These four brothers are said to have been the sons of Darerca, the
saintly sister of S. Patrick, and his coadjutors in his apostolic
labours in Ireland.[21] S. Mael, or Mel, who was ordained Bishop of
Ardagh, in Longford, lived there in a poor cell with his mother's aged
sister, Lupita. She watched and prayed till midnight, and then woke
her nephew, who continued the watch and prayer till day broke, and she
retired to bed. S. Mel died about the year 488, and was buried at
Ardagh. S. Melchu was the companion of his brother Mael, in his
missionary labours and preaching, and lived with him in the monastery
founded by Mael at Ardagh, and was ordained Bishop by his uncle
Patrick. S. Mun, or Munis, after having for a long time accompanied S.
Patrick, was raised to the episcopate, and founded the Church of
Forgney in Longford, in the year 486. S. Rioch, after many labours in
the Gospel, with the leave of S. Patrick, retired to the island of
Inisbofinde in Lough-ree; and thus devoted the remainder of his days
to a contemplative life, in a monastery, which he founded in the
island.


S. VEDAST, B. OF ARRAS.

(ABOUT A.D. 540.)

  [Roman, Gallican, Belgian, and other Martyrologies. Double feast
  with octave at Arras. In the Salisbury Martyrology, he is inserted
  on this day under the name of S. Zawster. In many Kalendars, SS.
  Vedast and Amandus are commemorated together. Authorities:--A very
  ancient life, published from an imperfect copy by Bollandus. Another
  life revised or rewritten by Alcuin, (d. 804). Another erroneously
  attributed to the Venerable Bede.]

Clovis, King of the Franks, began his reign in 482, on the decease of
his father, Childeric. He extended his dominions in every quarter by
force of arms, and in the space of thirty years conquered part of
Germany, and nearly the whole of Modern France. In the early part of
his career, the King of the Franks signalized himself by repelling
with success the attacks of Syagius, the Roman general, who had been
ordered to advance and check his progress. This impediment in the path
of victory removed, the five ensuing years were actively employed by
Clovis in the reduction of Soissons and of Rheims; in a successful
expedition against the Thuringians and other neighbouring nations, in
the course of which he extended his territories from the Seine to the
Loire; and lastly in the conquest of the Alemanni, at that time the
possessors of Switzerland. The Alemanni attacked the Franks with the
fury of men actuated by despair, and were irrevocably defeated on the
field of Tolbiac.

The great soul of Clovis had long been agitated by religious
doubts--should he cling to the gods of his family, from whom he
claimed to be lineally descended, or should he submit to the faith of
Christ which his gentle wife, Clothildis, made so attractive to his
better nature? His ancestral gods alarmed him. To their anger he
attributed the death of his first-born; he hesitated to abandon them
for that "new, unarmed God," said he, "who is not of the race of Thor
and Odin." He dreaded also his people, of whose consent he wished to
be assured. The peril of the field of Tolbiac constrained him to
decide. When the scale of success seemed turned against him, he vowed,
if he conquered, to adopt the faith of Christ. The victory remained in
his hands, and he hastened to fulfil his vow. On his return from the
subjugation of the Alemanni, he passed through Toul, and asked for
some priest who might instruct him in the Christian religion. S.
Vedast was presented to him for this purpose. Whilst he accompanied
the king at the passage of the river Aisne, a blind man begging on the
bridge besought the servant of God to restore to him his sight. The
saint, divinely inspired, prayed, and made the sign of the cross on
his eyes, and he immediately recovered it. The miracle confirmed the
king in the faith, and moved several of his courtiers to embrace it.

But Clovis was not a man to yield at once. Nicetius of Trèves, writing
to the grand-daughter of Clovis says, "You have learnt from your
grandmother of happy memory, Clothildis, how she attracted to the
faith her lord and husband, and how he, who was a most shrewd man,
would not yield, till he had been thoroughly convinced of the truth."
Clovis was baptized at Rheims, whither in after times the kings of
France went to be crowned. S. Vedast assisted S. Remigius in
converting the Franks, and was consecrated by that prelate bishop of
Arras, in the year 500. His diocese, together with that of Cambrai,
which was also entrusted to his care, had once been the seat of a
flourishing Christian community, but the ravages of the Vandals and
Alani had eradicated every trace of Christianity, save that here and
there was to be seen a ruined church, overgrown with briars, and
nettles waving where the altar had stood. Vedast wept over these sad
relics, and made earnest supplication to God to enable him faithfully
to accomplish his mission, and once more to plant the seed of life in
this devastated field.

His own Cathedral Church of Arras he found had become the den of a
huge bear, which came shambling towards him, as he knelt weeping over
the broken altar stair. The saint started up and drove the wild beast
forth, and bade it never again enter to pollute by its presence that
holy ground; a type, surely, of that brutality which had invaded and
desolated the Church of God in that land, which he had come to
exorcise.

He ruled the diocese for forty years, and died on Feb. 6th, in, or
near, the year 540. All Martyrologists are agreed as to the day of his
death, but historians differ as to the year.

The name of S. Vedast has gone through strange transformation. He is
called Vaast, Vaat, Wâst, Wât; and in French, Gaston; in English,
Foster, a corruption marked by Foster Lane, (properly S. Vedast's
Lane) in the City of London.

Relics at Arras, of which he is patron, and at S. Waast. In Art he
appears with a child at his feet, or with a wolf, from whose mouth he
saves a goose, a popular tradition being to the effect that he saved
the goose belonging to some poor people from the wolf that was running
away with it; or, with a bear.


S. AMANDUS, B. OF MAESTRICHT.

(ABOUT A.D. 684.)

  [Roman Martyrology, also an ancient addition to the so-called
  Martyrology of S. Jerome, which addition is earlier than 741. Bede
  (so-called), Notker, Rabanus, German and Belgian Martyrologies, &c.
  In the Church of Maestricht, the 6th Feb. is celebrated as the Feast
  of S. Amandus and the other Bishops of Maestricht, with a double.
  His ordination and translation are celebrated variously on 26th
  October, or on 20th, 25th, 27th, and even on the 19th Sept. Various
  other days commemorate translations of his relics. Authorities:--An
  ancient anonymous life. Another by Bandemand, monk of Elno, about
  680; another by Milo, monk of Elno, d. 871; another by Philip
  Harveng, d. after 1180; another by Justus, the Archpriest, about
  1128.]

This great apostle of Flanders was a native of Herbauges, near Nantes.
His father, Serenus and his mother, Amantia, were of noble family, and
were wealthy. But Amandus, renouncing all these advantages, left his
paternal house, in his youth, and retired into the isle of Oye, near
La Rochelle, where he embraced the religious life in a monastery which
was there. His father, who looked to his worldly advantage, followed
him, and threatened to disinherit him, if he did not quit the habit he
had assumed. He replied, "My father, I care not for thy property; all
I ask of thee is to suffer me to follow Jesus Christ, who is my true
heritage."

This reply did not satisfy his father, and Amandus, to escape his
solicitations, fled the island, and visited the tomb of S. Martin at
Tours. Kneeling by this shrine, with many tears, he besought God to
grant that he might never more return to his native place. Shortly
after he received the clerical tonsure. He soon distinguished himself
among the clergy of Tours; but the fame of S. Austragisle drew him to
Bourges, when this holy bishop, together with S. Sulpicius, then his
archdeacon, and afterwards his successor, received him with great joy.
They built him a little cell, near the cathedral, in which he lived as
a recluse, to die and be buried to the world. There, lying on ashes,
clothed in sack-cloth, and eating only barley-bread, and drinking
water alone, he spent fifteen years. It was the preparation for his
future apostleship.

At the end of these years, Amandus felt an inspiration to visit Rome.
It was at the tomb of the great Apostles, that he was to receive his
call and mission. One night, as he prayed with fervour before the door
of the basilica of S. Peter, because it was locked for the night, the
prince of the apostles appeared to him, and ordered him to return
instantly to Gaul, and to preach the glad tidings of salvation to the
heathen there. Amandus obeyed promptly, and on his return, he preached
with such success, that King Clothaire II. ordered him to be
consecrated bishop, that he might preach with more authority, but
without any particular see, over which he was to exercise jurisdiction.

The new apostle maintained his dignity by his virtues. He knew how to
make the poor love him, and the rich respect him. He found means of
ransoming young slaves, whom he baptized, instructed in letters, and
ordained; sending them through the country to minister the Word of
God. S. Amandus chose for his mission Belgic Gaul, especially the
territory of Ghent, where idolatry still held its sway. The people
there had rejected former missionaries; their savage manners, and
inflexible obstinacy seemed insurmountable barriers to the stream of
Grace. Amandus visited S. Acharius, bishop of Noyon and Tournai in
whose diocese Ghent then was; and besought him to obtained for him
letters from King Dagobert, to oblige his idolatrous subjects to
listen to Christian instruction. The zeal of the prince seconded that
of the missionary, who, in spite of this powerful support, had much to
endure; but his patience and sweetness triumphed over every obstacle,
and his virtues were more efficacious in persuading the people, than
all the orders of the king.

Whilst S. Amandus was at Tournai, he learnt that a Frankish Count,
named Dotto, had condemned a robber to death. He hastened to implore
pardon for the unhappy man, but was unsuccessful, and the robber was
executed. But Amandus ran to the gallows and cut down the man, and
bore the body home, laid it on his bed, and passed the night in
prayer. Next morning, he summoned his clerks, and bade them bring him
water. They supposed this was for the purpose of washing the corpse,
before burying it; but, what was their surprise on entering the
chamber, to find the man, who had been hung, alive and conversing with
their bishop. He still bore the marks of the rope, but they
disappeared when Amandus had washed them. Bandemand, who relates this
incident, says that he heard it from the mouth of an eye-witness. The
fame of this miracle spread through the country, and many of the
heathen were so convinced thereby, that they cast away their idols,
and submitted their necks to the yoke of Christ's commandments.

After having reaped an abundant harvest in Flanders, Amandus resolved
to preach the faith to the heathen races in Germany; and he made a
second journey to Rome, to obtain approval of his design. Accordingly,
armed with the blessing of the successor of S. Peter, he went to the
Sclavonic races, hoping to convert them to the Gospel, or to receive
the palm of martyrdom. But finding that the people were neither
sufficiently docile to receive the Word, nor ferocious to shed the
blood of him who declared it, he quitted these ungrateful people, and
returned to Gaul, where he found the opportunity of suffering for the
truths he announced, which had been denied him among the barbarians.
Dagobert, the king, was guilty of gross licentiousness; he had, at
once, three wives, not to mention Gomatrudis whom he had repudiated at
Reuilli, nor Ragntrudis, the mother of Sigebert III.; and beside these
wives he had numerous concubines. S. Amandus boldly rebuked him for
the scandal he caused, and for his audacity in so doing was ordered
into exile. He retired to the territory of Charibert, who reigned on
the further side of the Loire; but was soon recalled. A son was born
to Dagobert, in 630, and the king desired to have the child baptized
by some holy bishop, who might draw down on it the benediction of
heaven. He remembered the fearless Amandus, who alone had had the
courage to reprimand him for his iniquities; showing, thereby, that if
princes do not always love those who tell them disagreeable truths,
they can sometimes respect them. Amandus obeyed, and came to salute
the king at Clichy, near Paris. As soon as Dagobert saw him, he cast
himself at his feet, to ask him pardon for what was passed. After
which he said: "The Lord has given me a son, though I merited it not.
I pray thee, baptize him, and regard him as thy spiritual child."
Amandus, at first, refused the honour, but at the entreaty of Ouen and
Eligius, two pious laymen of his court, he yielded and baptized the
child at Orleans, in the year 630; Charibert, his protector in exile,
standing as sponsor at the font. The child was called Sigebert, and is
reckoned among the Saints.[22]

In the year 647, Sigebert, who loved him as a father, and was now king
of Austrasia, obliged him to accept the bishopric of Maestricht, and
thenceforth he exchanged his missionary work over scattered districts
for the supervision of a single diocese. But he soon found that this
was not his vocation, and that it was easier for him to convert the
heathen than to discipline the clergy. He therefore visited Rome,
after holding his diocese three years, and obtained the sanction of
the Pope to his resignation of it into the hands of S. Remacle, then
abbot of Stavelot. Amandus, relieved of the burden of his diocese,
visited Gascony, to preach to the Basques who were still heathen, but
met with little or no success. He therefore returned to Flanders,
where he supervised the many monasteries he had founded. The date of
his death is very uncertain; some place it in 661, others in 676, and
others in 684.


S. INA, K. C.

(ABOUT A.D. 728.)

  [Anglican Martyrology of Wyon, Ferrarius, Menardus, &c. Authorities:
  Malmsbury and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.]

Ina, king of Wessex, which consisted of Wiltshire, Hampshire,
Gloucestershire, Dorsetshire, and Oxfordshire, was the son of Cerdic,
and his wife was Ethelburga. He reigned as much as thirty-eight years;
from 688 to 726. He put together the laws of the West Saxons, so as to
form a code, and this is the oldest code of West Saxon laws that we
have, though there are Kentish laws which are older still. He also
divided the kingdom into two bishoprics. Hitherto all Wessex had been
under the bishops of Winchester; but now that the kingdom was so much
larger, Ina founded another bishopric at Sherborne in Dorsetshire. He
also in 704, founded S. Andrew's Church in Wells, which is now a
Cathedral. And at Glastonbury Ina did great things. He built the
monastery and richly adorned it, he also translated to it the bodies
of SS. Indract and his companions.

Ina fought with the Welsh under their King Gerent, and also with the
other English kings. He fought against the men of Kent, and made them
pay him much gold for his kinsman Mul, whom they had slain. He had
also wars in Sussex and East Anglia, and in 714 he fought a great
battle with Ceolred, king of the Mercians, in which neither gained the
victory, at Wanborough in Wiltshire. Towards the end of his reign, Ina
seems to have been troubled by some rebellions among his own people,
and also to have been less successful than before in his wars with the
Welsh. In 726 he gave up his kingdom and went to Rome and died there.
William of Malmesbury relates a curious story about the occasion of
this which is deserving of record.[23]

Ina once made a feast to his lords and great men in one of his royal
houses; the house was hung with goodly curtains, and the table was
spread with vessels of gold and silver, and Ina and his lords ate and
drank and were merry. Now on the next day, Ina set forth from that
house to go to another that he had, and Ethelburga, his queen, went
with him. So men took down the curtains and carried off the goodly
vessels and left the house bare and empty. Moreover, Ethelburga, the
queen spake to the steward who had care of that house, saying "When
the king is gone, fill the house with rubbish, and with the dung of
cattle, and lay in the bed where the king slept a sow with her litter
of pigs." So the steward did as the queen commanded. And when Ina and
the queen had gone forth, about a mile from the house, the queen said
to Ina, "Turn back, my lord, to the house whence we have come, for it
will be greatly for thy good so to do." So Ina hearkened to the voice
of his wife, and turned back to the house. There he found all the
curtains and the goodly vessels gone, and the house full of rubbish
and defiled with the dung of cattle, and a sow and her pigs lying in
the bed where Ina and Ethelburga his queen had slept. So Ethelburga
spake to her husband, saying, "Seest thou, O king, how the pomp of
this world passeth away? Where are all thy goodly things? How foul is
now the house which but yesterday was thy royal abode! Are not all the
things of this life as a breath, yea as smoke, and as a wind that
passeth away?"

Then the old king entered into himself, and he resolved to lay aside
his dignity and rule, and to devote the rest of his days to the
custody of his soul. So he and his wife went to Rome to pray at the
tomb of the Apostles, and Pope Gregory II. received them gladly; and
he died there.

[21] The story is without any foundation in fact. The brothers were
probably no relations to S. Patrick. According to the fabulous history
of the relatives of S. Patrick, his pretended sister Tigridia had
seventeen sons all bishops, priests, or monks, and five daughters all
nuns. Some of Darerca's sons are attributed to Tigridia, and some to
Liemania. Lupita, another pretended sister is said by some to have
remained a consecrated virgin, by others to have been the mother of
bishops.

[22] See Feb 1.

[23] It is only found in Malmesbury's English Chronicle, lib. i.,
c. 2; and is not found in all copies of Malmesbury.

 [Illustration: S. Amandus. See page 184.]




February 7.

  S. CHRYSOLIUS, _B. M. in Flanders_, A.D. 302.
  SS. ADAUCTUS AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Antandris, circ._ A.D. 303.
  S. AUGULUS, _B. M. in London_.
  SS. ONE THOUSAND AND THREE MARTYRS AT NICOMEDIA, _circ._ A.D. 302.
  S. MAXIMUS, _B. of Nola_ (_see_ S. FELIX, _Jan. 15_).
  S. THEODORE, _M. at Heraclea_, A.D. 319.
  S. PARTHENIUS, _B. of Lampsacus, 4th cent._
  S. MOSES, _B. of the Saracens in Arabia, end of 5th cent._
  SS. MOSES AND SIX MONKS, _MM. in Egypt, 5th cent._
  S. JULIANA, _W. at Bologna, circ._ A.D. 435.
  S. TRESAN, _P. C. of Mareuil, 6th cent._
  S. LAURENCE, _B. of Manfredonia, circ._ A.D. 550.
  S. FIDELIS, _B. of Merida, circ._ A.D. 570.
  S. MELDAN, _B. at Peronne, end of 6th cent._
  S. RICHARD, _C. at Lucca_, A.D. 719.
  S. LUKE THE YOUNGER, _C. at Soterio, in Greece, circ._ A.D. 946.
  S. ROMUALD, _Ab. Founder of the Order of Camaldoli, circ._ A.D. 1027.


S. CHRYSOLIUS, B. M.

(A.D. 302.)

  [Molanus in his additions to Usuardus. Ferrarius in his General
  Catalogue of Saints. Authorities:--The Lections in use in the Church
  of Comines.]

On this day at Comines, in Flanders, is celebrated the Feast of S.
Chrysolius, the patron of the church, who is said to have founded the
first sanctuary of the B. Virgin in Flanders. This saint, a native of
Armenia, accompanied S. Piatus and S. Quentin in their apostolic
mission to France and Belgium. From Tournai he started on a preaching
expedition through Flanders, but the pagans cut off his scalp, in
derision of his tonsure, at Vrelenghem, and he died at Comines, two
leagues distant, on the river Lys. His body was taken up by S.
Eligius, and is, to this day, honoured in the collegiate church there,
originally erected under the invocation of Our Lady.


S. AUGULUS, B. M.

  [Martyrology of S. Jerome, falsely so-called, and others.]

Little or nothing is known of this Saint, but all Martyrologies place
him in Britain, and at Augusta, which is probably London. It is
questionable if he was a martyr.


S. THEODORE OF HERACLEA, M.

(A.D. 319.)

  [Roman Martyrology on this day. By the modern Greeks on Feb. 8th,
  but anciently on the 7th. The Acts purport to be written by one
  Augarius, a notary; he says, "I, the Scribe Augarius, was present,
  and saw these cruel punishments, and hearing also the pain of his
  stifled sighs, casting aside my parchments, I threw myself weeping
  at his feet." He says also that he wrote this account at the request
  of the dying martyr. If this be not a forgery, the original Acts
  have been sadly tampered with. To the account of the martyrdom is
  prefixed--very probably by a later hand--a story of the fight of S.
  Theodore with a dragon, which belongs to the Western version of the
  story of S. George. These Acts certainly existed in their present
  condition in 550, for they were then translated into Latin.]

S. Theodore of Heraclea, who is not to be confounded with S. Theodore
of Amasea, surnamed Tyro, also a warrior martyr, is numbered among the
Great Martyrs by the Greek Church.

Theodore of Heraclea was a general of the forces of Licinius, and
governor of the country of the Mariandyni, whose capital was Heraclea
of Pontus. Here he was sentenced to death by order of the emperor.
After having been scourged, and his flesh torn by hooks, and burnt
with fire, he was for a short while attached to a cross, and then
beheaded.

Relics at S. Saviour's, Venice. S. Theodore is regarded as one of the
chief patrons of the Venetian republic. The body of this glorious
martyr was brought from Constantinople to Venice by Mark Dandolo, in
1260.

In Art, S. Theodore appears as a warrior in armour, very generally
trampling on the dragon. He is to be distinguished from S. George by
being represented on foot, whereas S. George usually appears mounted.


S. PARTHENIUS, B. OF LAMPSACUS.

(4TH CENT.)

  [Greek Anthology and Menæa. Authority:--A life written by one
  Christinus, a contemporary, and native of Lampsacus, and probably a
  disciple.]

S. Parthenius, a native of Melitopolis, as a boy, occupied his leisure
in fishing. He sold the fish he caught, and gave the proceeds to the
poor. He was afterwards ordained Bishop of Lampsacus, and having
obtained from Constantine authority to overthrow the heathen temples
and idols, he destroyed those in his city. The story is told of him
that having ordered an evil spirit to leave a man who for many years
had been possessed, the evil spirit asked first to be given an
habitation. "I know thee," cried the demon, "thou wilt cast me out,
and bid me enter into a swine." "Nay, verily," answered the saint, "I
will offer thee a man to dwell in." Then the devil came out of the
man, and the Bishop said, "Come now, thou foul spirit, I am the man.
Enter into me if thou canst." Then the devil cried out that he could
not abide in a tabernacle kept holy to God, and so fled away.


SS. MOSES, AB. AND SIX MONKS, MM.

(5TH CENT.)

  [Salisbury Martyrology of Wytford, and all other Western
  Martyrologies. This S. Moses is not to be confounded with the S.
  Moses, B. among the Arabs, nor with S. Moses the Ethiopian.
  Authorities:--The Lives of the Fathers of the Desert and Rufinus.]

This holy abbot ruled a community of monks at Scete, in Egypt. He was
once sent for to judge a brother who had been overtaken in a fault;
but he would not go. Then he was sent for again, and told that all the
brethren awaited him. So he arose and filled a basket with sand, laid
it on his back, and went to them. Then they asked, "Oh, Father! what
art thou doing?" He answered, "My sons, all my sins are behind my
back, following me, and I see them not; and shall I judge, this day,
the sins of another man?"

A party of Arabs fell upon him in his cell and killed him, together
with six of his monks.


S. TRESAN, P. C.

(6TH CENT.)

  [Gallican Martyrology. Authorities:--Mention by Flodoard in his
  Hist. Eccl. Remensis, lib. iv. c. 9; and a life from the Lections of
  the Avenay Breviary; a life given in Colgan; all late.]

Tresan, with his six brothers and three sisters, left Ireland, their
native place, and settled at Mareuil on the river Marne, in France,
where Tresan hired himself as swineherd to a nobleman. He was wont to
drive the pigs to the door of a little church dedicated to St. Martin,
and to stand at the door and listen to the recitation of Matins, and
assist at the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. By this means he became
gradually so thoroughly acquainted with the divine office, that S.
Remigius, hearing of him, and having evidence of his sanctity,
ordained him priest. The legend is told of him that one day having
celebrated Mass in this little Church of S. Martin, where he had
learnt the holy offices, he returned to Mareuil, but being weary, he
thrust his staff into the ground, and laid himself down and slept. And
when he woke up, behold the staff had taken root and budded. Then he
left it there, and it grew to become a great tree.

When he was dying, the Holy Eucharist was brought to him. He rose from
his bed, and casting himself down on the ground, exclaimed, "Hail,
most blessed hope, and most holy redemption! Hail, true flesh of
Christ, to me precious above gold and topaz and all most goodly
stones! Hail, most blessed blood of Christ, poured forth to ransom me,
a sinner, and wash away my stains! Hail, Jesus Christ, defend me
against the ancient enemy, that the prince of darkness secure me not!
I pray thee, number me with thine elect." Then he received the holy
Viaticum, and sighed, and his soul had fled.

Relics at Pont-aux-Dames, in Brie. In Art he is represented with a
budding staff.


S. MELDAN, B.

(END OF 6TH CENTURY.)

Of this Irish saint and bishop, who left his native land and died at
Peronne, nothing is known. His acts have been lost. Yet, at one time
he must have been famous, for many churches are dedicated to him. He
is sometimes called Medan. In the revelations of S. Fursey, reference
is made to S. Meldan.


S. RICHARD, C.

(A.D. 719.)

  [Roman Martyrology. German Mart., and that of Sarum by Wytford. His
  life is to be gathered from the Acts of his sons SS. Willibald and
  Wunibald; the life of S. Willibald was written by his cousin, a nun
  of Heidenheim.]

This saint was, according to the belief of the people of Lucca, a
prince in Wessex; but there is not only no evidence that he was of
royal rank, but there is strong contemporary evidence that he was
merely a petty noble.

Taking with him his two sons, Willibald and Wunibald, he undertook a
pilgrimage to Rome; and sailing from Hamblewich, _i.e._ Southampton,
landed in France. He made a brief stay at Rouen, and paid his
devotions at all the principal shrines on his way through France. On
his arrival at Lucca, in Italy, he was taken ill and died. He was
buried in the Church of S. Fridian, there, where his relics are still
preserved; and his festival is kept with singular devotion. See
further the life of S. Willibald (July 7).

 [Illustration: S. RICHARD AND HIS SONS. From Cahier. Feb. 7.]

 [Illustration: FAMILY OF S. RICHARD THE SAXON.
 S. WALBURGA, Virg. Abbess.
 S. WUNIBALD, Abbot. S. WILLIBALD, Bishop.
 From a Drawing by A. Welby Pugin. Feb. 7.]


S. ROMUALD, AB. C.

(A.D. 1027.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--a life by S. Peter Damian written
  fifteen years after his death.]

S. Romuald, who was destined to be the restorer of the religious life
in Italy, came into the world, according to the most credible account,
about the year A.D. 907, at a time when the universal lawlessness and
corruption of life and manners which had overflowed Europe, had
penetrated to the recesses of the cloister, and had filled the
monasteries of his native land with unworthy monks, who made the
religious profession a mere cloak for vice, or at best as a pretext
for an idle self-indulgent life.

He belonged to the noble family of the Onesti, the Ducal race of the
state of Ravenna; he is said in his youth to have been much given to
sins of the flesh, but nevertheless to have been strongly drawn
inwardly towards God. It is said that when in hunting he got separated
from his companions in the woods, he would allow his horse to come to
a standstill, and overcome by the peaceful beauty of nature, would
give way to reflections on the happiness of those to whom it was given
to live retired from the world far from the clash of arms, the whirl
of pleasure, and the struggles of civil life.

The immediate cause of his forsaking the world was as follows. His
father Sergius Onesti, a man of a proud and passionate disposition,
and wholly given to worldly things, had a violent quarrel with a
relative about the possession of a certain meadow; so resolutely
determined was he to press his quarrel to the end, that perceiving
Romuald to be but half-hearted in it, and more fearful of
blood-guiltiness, than desirous for the victory of his house, he
threatened to disinherit him unless he displayed more zeal in the
cause. The relation being equally resolved, the dependents on both
sides were armed, and a fight ensued; at which Romuald, in spite of
his scruples, was obliged to be present. The relation fell by the hand
of Sergius himself; and Romuald, horror-stricken at the crime, of
which his enforced presence at its perpetration seemed to make him a
partaker, fled to the Monastery of S. Apollinaris in Classe, intending
there to expiate his guilt by a penance of forty days.

During the performance of this penance he was by some means attracted
to the society of a lay-brother in the monastery, and in the intervals
of his penitential exercises had many conversations with him. This
lay-brother, a truly spiritual man, perceiving in Romuald signs of a
vocation to the religious life, strongly urged him to forsake the
world altogether and at once. For this, however, Romuald was not yet
prepared, and, without absolutely rejecting the advice of his friend,
yet resisted, and put him off from day to day. At last one day in the
course of a talk upon the visions of the Saints, the lay-brother asked
him what he would give for a sight of the blessed martyr Apollinaris,
the patron of the monastery. Romuald replied that for such a favour he
would consent to forsake the world. That same night watching in prayer
in the monastery church, they beheld a supernatural brightness issue
from the high altar and fill the whole church. This was the precursor
of the appearance of the blessed martyr, who came forth from the midst
of the high altar habited in priestly vestments, and with a golden
censer in his hand; with this he went round the church and censed each
altar in its turn; and having done this, retired as he had come,
leaving the church once more in darkness. His friend immediately
claimed the fulfilment of the promise. But even a second vision of the
martyr failed to overcome his reluctance, and he still held off. But
one day praying in the church before this very altar, a sudden access
of the love of God came over his soul. In a moment all his fears, all
his lingering affection for worldly things vanished; he hastened to
the brethren, and humbly besought them to receive him as a novice.
This, however, in dread of his father's resentment, they refused to
do; Romuald, once resolved, would yield to no difficulties, and betook
himself at once to the Archbishop of Ravenna, laid his case before
him, and asked for his help. The Archbishop, moved by the earnestness
and fervour of the youth, took up his cause, and on his assurances of
protection against the violence of Sergius, the brethren consented to
receive him; and Romuald entered upon the course from which throughout
a long life he was never to swerve, in which his ardour was to know no
cooling, and which was to end in peopling many of the solitary places
of Italy with refugees from the wickedness and perils of, perhaps, the
most troublous time which Europe has ever known.

He passed three years in this monastery in the strictest observance of
S. Benedict's rule, in the daily practise of mortification, and
incessant prayer. The greater part of the monks, however, were of a
different mind. They bitterly resented both Romuald's literal
interpretation of the monastic vow, and the rebukes of their laxity
and unfaithfulness, which he did not hesitate to address to them; and
at length, in their rage, conspired to murder him, by throwing him out
of the dormitory window, near which it was his custom to pray in the
early morning, while they were yet in their beds, and the door of the
oratory was not yet open. Romuald, however, aware of their design,
prayed that morning just as usual, and by the mere power of prayer,
without other effort of his own, he escaped the threatened danger, and
saved the brethren from the guilt which they meditated.

Soon after, hearing by report of one Marinus, who was leading a hermit
life in a desert in the Venetian territory, he resolved to retire from
the fruitless struggle with the unfaithful monks, and to place himself
under his guidance. He made known his desire to the abbot and the
brethren, and craved permission from them to retire from the
community, and this was granted with great alacrity. He immediately
made his way to the neighbourhood in which Marinus dwelt, found him
out, and was accepted by him as his disciple.

Marinus, who was a man of singular simplicity of character, and most
rigid in his asceticism, took in hand the training of his neophyte in
good earnest. His first task was to teach Romuald to read; for up to
the time of his forsaking the world his literary education had been
altogether neglected. Master and pupil would go forth together to roam
about the wild, and recite the Psalter, sheltering now under one tree,
now under another, and sitting always face to face at their work.
Romuald, wearied by incessant poring over his book, would sometimes
yield to the overwhelming lassitude which came over him, and seek a
moment's repose; on which Marinus would strike him smartly on the left
side of his head with a roll which he held in his right hand. At last,
quite unable to bear the pain, Romuald one day said to him humbly,
"Master, if you please, strike me next time on the right side of my
head, for I am becoming quite deaf in my left ear," "On which," says
the biographer, "Marinus, marvelling at his patience, relaxed the
indiscreet severity of his discipline."

Before long they were joined in their solitude by Peter, Duke of
Dalmatia, and a comrade of his, who had been moved to embrace the
religious life. Romuald who, in time, had mastered the difficulties of
the Psalter, kept so far in advance of his companions in devotion, and
in the acquisition of every virtue, that they unanimously deferred to
him in everything, and even Marinus, his whilom master, now became his
scholar, and submitted to his direction in everything. The whole party
maintained themselves by bodily labour, cultivating a piece of ground,
all the time fasting most rigidly, but, as it would appear, living
together in one common dwelling. However, reading one day in the Lives
of the Fathers, that certain of the brethren in old time had lived a
solitary life, fasting the whole week through, but on Saturdays and
Sundays met together and relaxed the rigour of their fast, they at
once resolved to adopt this way of life; viz., to live each in his own
hut, apart from the rest, in silence and mortification, for five days
of the week, and to allow themselves the solace of community life only
on the Saturday and Sunday; and thus they lived for the space of
fifteen years.

Once, during this time, it is related that Duke Peter came to Romuald
with a piteous complaint that he could not subsist on the
half-cake,[24] which formed the daily allowance of the brethren, and
urging that his huge and corpulent frame really required more
sustenance. Whereupon Romuald, condescending to the weakness of a
brother, and willing to hold out a helping hand to save him from
falling, increased his allowance to three-quarters.

Another occurrence tended greatly to increase the reputation of the
hermit Saint. A peasant farmer in the neighbourhood, who had often
ministered of his subsistence to Romuald and the brethren, was robbed
of his only cow by the dependents of a certain Count, a proud and
arrogant man. The poor man came to Romuald bewailing his loss with
many lamentations. Romuald at once sent a messenger to the Count,
beseeching him in all humility to restore his beast to the poor man.
The Count turned a deaf ear to the message, sent back a haughty and
insolent reply, adding moreover that he expected highly to enjoy the
cow's sirloin at dinner that very day. But he had better have yielded
to Romuald; for at dinner-time the meal was set before him, he inhaled
its rich savour with a greedy joy, and at the first mouthful was
choked and died miserably.

Romuald's sojourn in the Venetian territory was brought to an end, by
the death of several of his companions. On this he returned to the
neighbourhood which he had left years before, and erected a cell for
himself, in the marsh of Classe, in the place called "Pons Petri,"
removing it subsequently to the locality in which afterwards arose the
church of the Blessed Martin "in sylva." Here he experienced many and
violent temptations of the devil, who plied him sometimes with
terrifying visions, sometimes with distressing doubts about the
reality of his vocation, and his hope of final salvation. But as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ he combated the evil one with the
spiritual weapons of prayer and fasting, and meeting him boldly at
every turn, repelled all his assaults.

After a while, he removed again to another place, where he built a
monastery in honour of Michael the Archangel, which he peopled with
monks, he himself still living solitary in his cell. While he was
living here, a friend one day sent him a sum of money, about £21
sterling, intending it as a relief to his bodily necessities. He
immediately sent off a portion of the money to the brethren of a
monastery which had been just burnt down, to help towards the
rebuilding, and put the remainder away for some similar purpose. This
coming to the ears of the monks at S. Michael's they were so enraged
that they came down to his cell in a body, gave him a good beating,
and drove him from the neighbourhood with insults and reproaches.
Highly delighted with their exploit, they returned to the monastery,
and made preparations to celebrate the occasion by a great feast. But
their triumph was short; for the ringleader in the attack on Romuald,
on his way to obtain some honey to make mead for the carouse, had to
cross a bridge which overhung a furious torrent; in the midst of the
bridge something tripped him up, he stumbled, and falling headlong
into the stream, perished by the just judgment of God; and that very
night the rest of the monks were all but buried in the ruins of their
dwelling, which fell upon them as they were sleeping heavily after
their banquet, and bruises and broken bones convinced them that they
had made a bad bargain in revolting against Romuald's severe rule.

After this, the martyr Apollinaris appeared to Romuald in a vision,
and commanded him to return to Classis, and assume the government of
the monastery there. He at once removed to the vicinity, probably
taking up his quarters in his old cell. At this same time the brethren
at the monastery being without an abbot were desired by the Emperor
Otho III. to choose one for themselves. Their choice fell unanimously
upon Romuald. The emperor himself went to announce his election to
him, and to obtain his consent. He did not arrive at the cell until
nightfall, and was glad to accept Romuald's invitation to spend the
night there. The next morning the emperor broached the subject of the
Abbacy. Romuald at first refused to listen to the proposal; but Otho
threatening him with "excommunication and anathema from all the
bishops and archbishops and the whole Synod of Council," he at last
yielded, at the same time telling the emperor that the matter was by
no means new to him, for that he had had a divine intimation of it
some time before, and accompanied him to the monastery, where he was
duly installed. Before long however, the brethren took offence at the
severity of his rule, and began to repent of their choice. Perceiving
this, Romuald, as eager to lay down his office as he had been backward
to accept it, hastened to seek an interview with the emperor; and in
his presence and that of the Archbishop of Ravenna, broke his rod of
office, and formally dissolved the monastery, probably judging the
traditions of laxity which had grown up in the place too strong to be
disturbed except by the extirpation of the community.

About this time, hearing of one Venerius, a holy man, who was leading
a solitary life in great austerity, but not under obedience to anyone,
Romuald sought him out and persuaded him to return to the monastery
which he had forsaken in consequence of the persecutions of unworthy
brethren, and seek permission of his abbot to live apart from the
community. "If thou bearest the Cross of Christ," said he, "it yet
remains that thou forsake not the obedience of Christ." Venerius took
Romuald's advice, obtained leave from his abbot, and returned in great
peace of mind to the beloved solitude. Romuald remained with him for
some time, and gave him much needful instruction in spiritual things.

It is a good illustration of the reality and thoroughness of the
religious sentiment at that time, that men of the highest rank were
found to submit themselves readily to the discipline of the Church. It
is related that the famous Crescentius, Senator of Rome, had incurred
Otho's displeasure, and apprehensive of the consequences, had taken
sanctuary. Thammus, one of Otho's courtiers, had induced Crescentius
by an oath of safe conduct to leave the sanctuary, and so to place
himself in the emperor's power. The oath was violated, and Crescentius
perished by the hand of the executioner. Before long the pangs of
conscience drove both the emperor and his satellite to unburden their
souls in confession to Romuald. He ordered Thammus to embrace the
solitary life and

  "His every future year,
  In ceaseless pain and penance dree;"

a command which was unhesitatingly obeyed; while Otho himself accepted
a severe penance for his share in the crime, which was avenged on him
later by his victim's widow.

We now come upon a story which shows how Romuald's rule succeeded in
training such as had the true vocation to be real heroes of the
kingdom of heaven, and how the supernatural sanctity of his character
impressed itself on his faithful followers.

Boleslas, king of Poland, had besought Otho to send him a missionary
to convert his subjects, a people then, as ever, noted for a wild and
lawless ferocity. Otho at once appealed to Romuald, who communicated
the matter to his disciples, explaining to them the perils attending
the mission, and saying that he would lay no command upon any of them,
but that if any were willing to go and meet danger and death for
Christ's sake, he would gladly send him. At once two of his monks, by
name John and Benedict, came forward and offered to go. Before they
had been long in the country, they were set upon at midnight in their
hut, and murdered for the sake of treasures which they were supposed
to possess. In order to conceal their crime, the murderers set fire to
the hut, hoping to consume the bodies of their victims with the
dwelling. To their horror the flames refused to approach the bodies of
the holy men, and even the hut, built as it was of light and
inflammable materials, could not be made to burn. Trembling and
terror-struck, they then attempted to fly from the place; but an
invisible power compelled them to wander round and round the scene of
their crime, and held them enchained to the spot until daylight. The
matter came to the ears of the king, who went with his guards and
apprehended them. The soldiers would have put them to death at once,
but the king prevented them, saying that the criminals should be
reserved for the judgment of the martyrs. With their hands tied
together they were dragged into the hut, and forced up to the couch on
which the bodies yet lay, when in a moment their bonds fell off; and
the king, saying that the martyrs had forgiven and acquitted them,
ordered them to be set at liberty.

Meantime Romuald after vainly endeavouring to persuade Otho to lay
down the sceptre, and retire from the world, and predicting his
approaching death, which accordingly took place, had betaken himself
into Istria, and built a monastery in the neighbourhood of Parenzo.
Near this he lived, built into a cell, for two years, during which
time he made great advance in piety and in knowledge of the
Scriptures. At this time he experienced a great dryness of spirit,
which caused him to long and pray earnestly for the gift of holy
contrition. One day while in this state, singing the Psalter in his
cell, the words "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way
wherein thou shalt go, and I will guide thee with Mine eye," came upon
him with a strange light and force; his dryness of spirit vanished in
a moment, he dissolved into tears, and from that day forward he never
again experienced lack of contrition.

His mission in Istria being accomplished, he prepared to return into
Italy. But the bishop of Parenzo left no stone unturned to keep him in
his diocese; when persuasion and entreaty failed, he resorted to
force, and forbade anyone to let Romuald have a boat in which to make
the voyage across the bay. Romuald, no way discomposed, sat down on
the shore to wait, saying that other boats from Italy were on their
way, and would soon come purposely to take him off. Before long the
vessels made their appearance, with an invitation to Romuald to
return; and in one of them the journey was safely accomplished.

Immediately on his arrival, he founded a new monastery, and filled it
with monks; labouring meanwhile with great zeal and success for the
conversion of the people in the vicinity. One day there, as Romuald
and the brethren were sitting in chapter, the brethren who had been
left in charge of the door came running in to give the alarm that a
thief was breaking into one of the cells. The monks ran to the place,
and caught the robber in the very act. They brought him to Romuald to
know what was to be done with him. "Well but, brethren," said the holy
man, looking pleasantly at them, "I really do not know what can be
done with such a rascal. If we put his eyes out, he won't be able to
see; if we cut off his hands, he won't be able to work; or his
feet--there will be no more walking for him. Bring him in, and give
him something to eat, while we consider what _is_ to be done with
him." And so says the story, "having ministered to his bodily wants,
and given him a sweet and gentle reproof, he dismissed the robber in
peace."

About this time intelligence of the martyrdom of the blessed martyr
Boniface reached Romuald, and inspired by the desire to win for
himself the martyr's crown, he at once formed a plan to take a
missionary journey into Hungary. But, before setting out, he proceeded
to consolidate his order by the foundation of three new monasteries,
one the parent house in the Val di Castro, and two others. Having
appointed an abbot and priors over these houses, he obtained a
commission from the Apostolic See for the conversion of the Huns, and
set forth on his expedition, accompanied by a party of twenty-four
monks; and such was the ardour and zeal that burned in the breasts of
all his disciples to encounter death for Christ, that he had great
difficulty to reconcile to their lot those whom he had decided to
leave behind.

Hardly, however, had they entered the confines of Hungary, when
Romuald was seized with a mysterious malady, which arrested their
progress; for as often as he attempted to renew his journey and push
forward to his destination, his sickness so increased in severity, as
to compel him to desist; whereas, whenever he only thought of giving
up the enterprise and returning homewards, the symptoms abated and his
strength returned. Judging this to be a divine warning, he resolved to
retrace his steps. Two of the brethren returned with him; the
remainder pursued their journey with Romuald's consent, though he
warned them that the crown of martyrdom would be granted to none of
them. Accordingly they met with all manner of persecution and
ill-treatment from the barbarious Huns, but to none of them was it
given to lay down his life for Christ.

On his return, hearing that some one had obtained the abbacy of the
monastery "in Classe," which would seem to have been reconstituted, by
perjury and simony, he made all haste hither to rebuke the intruder,
and exhort him to lay down his ill-gotten authority. The bad abbot in
a rage attempted to murder Romuald, who was only saved by the special
interposition of Providence. He returned to the monastery in the Val
di Castro, and occupied his cell in the neighbourhood. But before long
he experienced one of the many afflictions which befel him in the
course of his life through false brethren; for the abbot of his own
appointment, an unworthy monk, annoyed at the daily rebuke of his own
laxity, conveyed by Romuald's silent example of ascetic holiness,
managed to procure his expulsion from the territory. He did not move
far, however, but settled for a time at a place in the Apennines
called Agua Bella, where the disciples gathered round him, and began
to erect huts or cells for the hermit life. One day in the midst of
this work a secular priest who was helping the brethren in their work
was attacked by an intolerable toothache, and after bearing up against
the pain for some time, was reluctantly obliged to excuse himself to
the brethren, and to desist from his work. Moaning piteously he was
making his way home, when he encountered Romuald, who, from age and
infirmity, was unable to take any active part in the manual labour of
the brotherhood, and in answer to an enquiry from him explained why he
was leaving them. Romuald bade him open his mouth, and placing his
finger on the offending tooth desired him to apply to it a
rough-and-ready remedy much in vogue among the country folk. The
priest proceeded on his way, but scarce had he traversed a rood of
ground when the pain left him of a sudden, and he felt that he was
cured. Forthwith he returned to his work, loudly declaring the praises
of God, who had sent among them so bright a light, so eminent a worker
of miracles, as Romuald; and with great difficulty could the disciples
succeed in silencing him; for if such expressions reached Romuald's
ears, great was his displeasure.

In connection with this story, the biographer mentions an occurrence
which took place at Camaldoli; his cell there was overshadowed by a
large beech tree, which, for some reason or other, he desired might be
felled. The workmen began to cut it down, and were in the midst of
their work, when it became evident that the tree must fall right
across the hut and crush both the dwelling and its occupant. They all,
with one voice, besought him to come out; but, making the sign of the
cross towards the tree, he desired them to proceed; they obeyed, and
to the amazement of all, the tree swerved and fell wide of the cell.

"They all, therefore, thunderstruck at so great a miracle, raised
their voices to heaven in praise, and gave grateful thanks to God."

After setting everything in order in his monasteries in the Apennines,
Romuald revisited Istria, where he is said to have lived, built up[25]
in his cell, and in unbroken silence, for seven years.

"But though his lips were silent, his life preached," and innumerable
conversions were the fruit of his sojourning there. As the infirmities
of age began to creep over him, he became more and more austere in his
acts of self-mortification, pressing forward incessantly to new
victories over the flesh, and yielding less and less indulgence to
even the most innocent infirmities of his lower nature. But there was
no sourness in his asceticism; in the midst of his bitterest
mortifications his countenance bore at all times the impress of an
unruffled serenity and cheerfulness of spirit.

But the wanderings of Romuald's long life were not yet at an end. He
made a further excursion to the north, and settled for a while in
Styria. And these many wanderings, says his biographer, arose not from
fickleness of spirit, as if he were unable to rest long in one place,
but solely from the wonderful attraction which his presence exercised
where-ever he went. No sooner did he erect his cell anywhere, than men
flocked to him from every quarter to be guided by his teaching, and to
be edified by his life; so that the most complete solitudes speedily
become populous. And as soon as he had duly instructed those who came
to him in the discipline of a holy life, he would form them into a
community, appoint one of their number to be prior over them, and then
betake himself to some other solitude, soon to people that also, and
to be driven from it in the same way.

In Styria it is related that those who gathered around him, all lived
so devoutly, that the rage for mortification reached even to the
herdsmen and shepherds of the neighbourhood, who vied with the monks
and hermits in all the exercises of the religious life, fasting,
keeping silence, and administering the discipline to each other with
great zeal and earnestness. On which Peter Damian ejaculates, "Oh!
holy time of Romuald! in which, though the torments of persecution
were unknown, yet there was no lack of spontaneous martyrdom!"

The whole career of Romuald from the time of his profession, is one
continuous illustration of the two-fold force of reality in
religion--a force of attraction on the one hand, of repulsion on the
other. We see in him one, who in the depth and fervour of his
penitence, stedfastly adhered through a long life to his first
renunciation, not only of the pomps and vanities of this world, but of
the most necessary and innocent refinements of life, and by the mere
force of reality drew after him crowds of disciples of every class,
and peopled the waste places of his native land with monks and
hermits. We see, on the one hand, those in whom the grace of a true
vocation responded to the example and teaching of their master, led on
by degrees to vie with him in the fervour of his self-devotion; and
those, on the other hand, who sought in monasticism only a coward's
refuge from the temptations and trials of secular life, repelled
almost at once by the stern thoroughness of his religion, and by their
own unreality forced into rebellion against his rule.

At the age of 102 he visited the Apennines, seeking a new retreat, and
one day falling asleep beside a fountain in a pleasant plain among the
mountains, he dreamed that he saw a ladder set up between heaven and
earth, up which his monks ascended in white habits. On awaking, he
resolved to change the colour of the dress of his monks, and to found
a monastery on the spot. It was the property of a gentleman named
Maldoli, who at once gave it him, and the monastery was called Campo
Maldoli, whence the order assumed its name of Camaldoli.

Romuald died on June 19th, 1027. He is said to have attained the age
of 120, but this has been disputed with every show of reason by
Bollandus and Baronius. He died in his monastery of the Val di Castro,
in the Marches of Ancona, and was there buried. The elevation of the
relics took place in 1467, and they were translated to the Church of
S. Blase, in the town of Fabri, where they remain to this day. The
Roman Breviary celebrates his festival on the day of the translation,
which took place in the year 1481.

In Art he appears with his finger on his lips, and the ladder, he saw
in vision, at his side.

[24] Paximatium. A cake baked under the ashes on the hearth.

[25] Inclusus.

 [Illustration: A learned Doctor and Church Historian.]




February 8.

  S. JUVENTIUS, _B. of Pavia, 2nd cent._
  SS. DIONYSIUS, ÆMILIAN, AND SEBASTIAN, _MM., in Lesser Armenia_.
  SS. MARTYRS IN PERSIA, _under Cabades, beginning of 6th cent._
  S. HONORATUS, _B. of Milan_, A.D. 570.
  S. NICETIUS, _B. of Besancon, beginning of 7th cent._
  S. PAUL, _B. of Verdun, circ._ A.D. 649.
  S. ELFLEDA, _V. Abss. of Whitby_, A.D. 716.
  S. MENGOLD, _M. at Huy in Belgium, circ._ A.D. 892.
  S. CUTHMAN, _C. at Steyning in Sussex_.
  B. PETER ALDOBRANDINI, _Card. B. of Albano, circ._ A.D. 1000.
  S. STEPHEN, _Ab. Founder of the Order of Grandmont_, A.D. 1124.
  S. JOHN OF MATHA, _C. Founder of the Trinitarians_, A.D. 1213.
  B. ISAIAH BONER, _C. at Casimir and Cracow, circ._ A.D. 1380.
  S. JEROME ÆMILIAN, _Founder of the Order of Somasch_, A.D. 1537.


S. JUVENTIUS, B. C.

(2ND CENT.)

  [Roman Mart., and that of Usuardus. Juventius is sometimes called
  Eventius, but it seems that Eventius, B. of Pavia, was a later
  prelate, and ought not to be confounded with Juventius. The Acts are
  late, written by Paulus Diaconus, or at all events re-written by him
  in what was regarded as a more polished style. These Acts belong to
  S. Syrus, see December 9th; but contain much concerning S.
  Juventius.]

Hermagoras, the disciple of S. Peter the Apostle, and S. Mark the
Evangelist, who was also Bishop of Aquileia, sent Syrus and Juventius
to preach the Gospel in Ticinum, or Pavia. When it was known that SS.
Celsus and Nazarius had shed their blood for the faith at Milan, and
that SS. Gervase and Protasius were in bonds, Syrus sent Juventius to
Milan, to comfort the church there, and to animate the Confessors. On
his return he was ordained by S. Syrus, who had received episcopal
consecration from S. Hermagoras. He succeeded Syrus, his master, in
the see of Pavia. But few traditions of his episcopate have been
wafted down to us. Perhaps the most interesting is this. A collector
of taxes in crossing the river was nearly drowned, and lost the money
for which he was held responsible. In great tribulation, the man
hastened to the bishop, who, commiserating his trouble, advanced with
him to the banks of the Ticino, and cried, "I say unto thee, O water,
on which Christ the Lord walked, in His name restore the money for
which this man is distressed!" Immediately the bag of coins was washed
to their feet.

Porphyrius, præfect of Rome, having made the circuit of the country,
came to Pavia, holding inquisition upon the Christians and other
reputed disturbers of the Commonwealth. Juventius was brought before
him, and Porphyrius was so won by his gentleness and innocence that he
let him go, with an admonition to abstain from preaching the doctrine
of Christ to the people; and the bishop, to prevent a persecution,
abandoned public orations and discussions, and confined himself to
private expositions of the truth.


SS. DIONYSIUS, ÆMILIAN, AND SEBASTIAN, MM.

(DATE UNCERTAIN.)

  [Roman Mart., and those of S. Jerome, Bede, Notker, Ado,
  Usuardus, &c.]

Of these saints, who suffered in Lesser Armenia, though noticed in
nearly all Martyrologies, nothing whatever is known; and Bollandus
supplies the place of their lost Acts with the Acts of certain other
saints,--Æmilian, Hermippus, and Dionysius, commemorated on Jan. 28th,
with the caustic heading: "Acta horum sanctorum martyrum, vel potius
quatuor aliorum."


S. PAUL, B. OF VERDUN.

(ABOUT A.D. 649.)

  [Roman Martyrology, Usuardus, &c. Authority:--A very ancient
  anonymous life, of which Restarius, Canon of S. Vito, who flourished
  in 887, made use in his "Hist. brevis episcoporum Virdunensium."]

This saint, a native of Autun, and not, as some have maintained, of
Flanders, was of noble birth. He received an excellent education in
his youth, whereby his parents, unintentionally, prepared him for the
service of the church, their desire being that he should distinguish
himself in the world. But he, despising the pomps and pleasures of a
secular life, retired into the Vosges mountains, and lived as a hermit
on that mountain which has since borne his name, the Paulsberg, within
sight of Trèves. On one occasion, having visited the monastery of
Tholey, near S. Wendelin, he was so moved by the piety of the monks,
and their earnest desire to number him amongst them, that he entered
the monastery, where he soon endeared himself to all the brethren by
his gentleness and holy example. Amongst the pupils at Tholey was
Grimo, a kinsman of king Dagobert, on whose property the monastery was
situated. On the death of Ermenfried, bishop of Verdun, on the
recommendation of Grimo, Paul was nominated to the vacant see. He
found that on account of the disorder of the times, his church was in
the most profound debasement. The cathedral was without clergy to
celebrate mass and recite the psalter, and it was served occasionally
by a priest who visited it at wide intervals, and was unendowed. The
bishop at once sent for his friend and patron, Grimo, and exposed to
him the spiritual and temporal distress; and by the intercession of
Grimo with Dagobert, the king, Paul was provided with land, by means
of which he could support a staff of clergy. By his diligence and zeal
he was enabled, before he died, to organise the diocese, and to
provide for its spiritual supervision.

In Art, he is represented, for some unknown reason, with a taper in
his hand, also with an oven, for he is said to have been baker at
Tholey for the community, and to have, on one occasion, gone into the
oven to place the loaves, when the shovel was lost.


S. ELFLEDA, V. ABSS. OF WHITBY.

(A.D. 716.)

  [Inserted in Anglican Martyrology by J. Wilson, and in the
  Benedictine by Hugh Menard; and Ferrarius in his Gen. Catalogue.
  Authorities:--Bede and Malmesbury.]

Throughout his life, Penda, the fierce heathen king of Mercia, or the
midland counties of England, waged war with the kingdom of
Northumbria, which included Yorkshire, Durham, and Northumberland. But
this bloodthirsty and stubborn hatred led him to his destruction.
Oswy, son of Ethelfrid, the ravager, and grandson of Ida, the Man of
Fire, was king of Northumbria, which had been so wasted and exhausted
by the former ravages of Penda, that it could ill withstand another
attack. It was only at the last extremity, that king Oswy resolved to
engage in a final conflict with the terrible enemy who had conquered
and slain his two predecessors, Edwin and the saintly Oswald. He had
married his son and his daughter to children of Penda; and he gave him
another of his sons as a hostage. But Penda would not consent to any
durable peace. During the thirteen years that had elapsed since the
overthrow of Oswald, and the accession of Oswy, he had periodically
subjected Northumberland to frightful devastations. In vain Oswy,
driven to desperation, offered him all his jewels, ornaments, and
treasures, of which he could dispose, as a ransom for his desolated
and hopeless provinces. The arrogant and fierce octogenarian refused
everything, being resolute, as he said, to exterminate the whole
Northumbrian race, from first to last. "Well, then," said Oswy, "since
this heathen despises our gifts, let us offer them to one who will
accept them--to the Lord our God." He then made a vow to devote to God
a daughter who had just been born to him, and at the same time to give
twelve estates for the foundation of as many monasteries. After this
he marched at the head of a small army against Penda, whose troops
were, according to a Northumbrian tradition, thirty times more
numerous, and a battle was fought near the site of the present town of
Leeds, in which Penda was defeated and slain. Thus perished, at the
age of eighty, after a reign of thirty years, the conqueror and
murderer of five Anglo-Saxon kings, and the last and indefatigable
champion of paganism among the Anglo-Saxons.

Oswy faithfully kept his word. He set apart twelve estates to be
thenceforward monastic property--six in the north, and six in the
south of his double kingdom. He then took his daughter Elfleda, who
was but yet a year old, and consecrated her to God by the vow of
perpetual virginity. Her mother, the daughter of Edwin, first
Christian king of Northumbria, had been also dedicated to God from her
birth, but only by baptism, and as a token of the gratitude of a still
pagan father for the protection of the Christian's God. The daughter
of Oswy was to be the price of a yet higher gift of heaven--the
conclusive victory of his race, and of the Christian faith in his
country; the sacrifice reminds us of that of Jepthah's daughter; but
she, far from desiring to escape her vow, showed herself, during a
long life, always worthy of her heavenly Bridegroom. The king took her
from the caresses of her mother, to intrust her to the abbess Hilda of
Hartlepool, who nearly ten years before had been initiated into the
monastic life by S. Aidan.

In 658, when Elfleda was three years old, S. Hilda founded her
monastery of Streaneshalch, now called Whitby, and moved thither with
her little spiritual daughter.

Elfleda was scarcely twenty-five years of age, when S. Hilda died, and
she was called to succeed her as abbess of Whitby. She is described by
Bede as a most pious mistress of spiritual life. But like all the
Anglo-Saxon princesses whom we meet within the cloister at this epoch,
she did not cease to take a passionate interest in the affairs of her
race and her country, and to exercise that extraordinary and salutary
influence which was so willingly yielded by the Anglo-Saxon kings and
people to those princesses of their sovereign races who became the
brides of Christ.

She maintained that reverent and affectionate relation with S.
Cuthbert which had been maintained by S. Hilda.

Before he became bishop, while he lived on a desert rock near
Lindisfarne, she prevailed on him to grant her an interview in an
island on the Northumbrian coast, called then, as now, Coquet Island.
She was anxious and alarmed for her brother Egfrid, and she desired to
consult the holy Cuthbert on the affairs of the state and her family.
The hermit and the abbess went each to their meeting by sea; and when
he had answered all her questions, she threw herself at his feet, and
entreated him to tell her, by virtue of those prophetic powers, with
which he was known to be gifted, whether her brother, Egfrid, would
have a long life and reign. "I am surprised," he answered, "that a
woman well versed, like you, in the Holy Scriptures should speak to me
of length with regard to human life, which lasts no longer than a
spider's web, as the Psalmist has said. How short then must life be
for a man who has but a year to live, and has death at his door!" At
these words, she wept long; then, drying her tears, she continued,
with feminine boldness, and inquired who should be the king's
successor, since he had neither sons nor brothers. "Do not say," he
replied, "that he is without heirs; he shall have a successor whom you
will love, as you love Egfrid, as a sister." "Then tell me, I entreat
you, where this successor is." "You see," returned Cuthbert, directing
the eyes of his companion towards the archipelago of islets which dots
the Northumbrian coast around Lindisfarne, "how many isles are in the
vast ocean; it is easy for God to bring from them some one to reign
over the English." Elfleda then perceived that he spoke of a young
man, Aldfrid, supposed to be the son of her father Oswy, by an Irish
mother, and who, since his infancy, had lived as an exile at Iona,
where he gave himself up to study.

The troubles concerning S. Wilfrid which had vexed the Northumbrian
Church still prevailed. Wilfrid was still in banishment for his
persistence in introducing the Roman customs into the Keltic Church of
the north of England. The new king, Aldfrid, had brought with him from
Iona attachment to the ritual of SS. Columba and Aidan. Elfleda
inherited the prejudices of her spiritual mother, Hilda, against the
stern and inflexible innovator; but there was on their side a desire
for reconcilation with the Church of the province of Canterbury, which
was of Roman foundation, and they hoped that now Wilfrid was an aged
man, some of his harshness might have been softened.[26]

To the new king, as well as to his sister, the Abbess Elfleda,
Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury wrote, to exhort them both to lay
aside their enmity against Wilfrid, and to receive him with unreserved
kindness. They yielded, and recalled Wilfrid, but were mistaken in
supposing that age had altered his determination. He returned in 687
to excite storms throughout his diocese, and was again exiled, in 691.

Aldfrid died in 705, and the Northumbrian crown descended to a prince
named Eadwulf. Wilfrid had taken advantage of the death of Aldfrid to
return to Ripon, but was ordered to leave the country in six days. But
Eadwulf was dethroned, and a son of Aldfrid, Osred, aged eight, was
given the realm of Bernicia, the counties of Northumberland and
Durham. By means of some mysterious influence, the nature of which is
unknown, the aged exile Wilfrid, who had been expelled from the
country for fourteen years, and was to all appearance forgotten,
became, all at once, the master of the situation, and the arbiter of
events. He soon acquired a more powerful protector than the young
sovereign in the person of Earl Bertfrid, who was considered the most
powerful noble in the kingdom, and who was at the head of Osred's
party. King Eadwulf marched against the insurgents, and obliged them
to retreat to the fortress of Bamborough, where the earl, shut up in
the narrow enclosure of this fortified rock, and reduced to the last
extremity, vowed that, if God would deliver him and his charge, the
young prince and his people should bow to the Roman subjection. An
opportune desertion of Eadwulf's followers gave victory to Bertfrid,
and Eadwulf was exiled after a short reign of two months. As soon as
the royal child was placed on the throne, the Archbishop of Canterbury
made his appearance, perceiving that the time was come for reinstating
Wilfrid, and settling his affairs in a general assembly. This was held
in the open air on the banks of the Nid. Wilfrid was present, and met
there Bertfrid and the Abbess Elfleda, who had come over to his side,
and to Roman obedience. All the Northumbrians regarded her as the
consoler and best counsellor of the kingdom. The bishops and abbots
present opposed the claims of Wilfrid, and refused to accept him,
though he came armed with the authority of the Holy See. At this
point, the Abbess Elfleda interposed: in a voice which all listened to
as an utterance from heaven, she described the last illness and agony
of the king her brother, and how he had vowed to God and S. Peter to
accomplish the papal decrees which he had so vigorously rejected.
"This," she said, "is the last will of Aldfrid the king; I attest the
truth of it before Christ." Bertfrid afterwards spoke and announced
his vow. Nevertheless the three bishops would not yield, they retired
from the assembly to confer among themselves, and with Archbishop
Britwald, but above all with the sagacious Elfleda. Thanks to her, all
ended in a general reconciliation.

Shortly before his death, and during his last pastoral visitation, S.
Cuthbert went to see Elfleda in the neighbourhood of the great
monastery of Whitby, to consecrate a church which she had built there,
and to converse with her for the last time. They dined together, and
during the meal, seeing his knife drop from his trembling hand in the
abstraction of supernatural thoughts, she had a last opportunity of
admiring his prophetic intuition, and his constant care for the
salvation of souls. The fatigue of the holy bishop, who said
laughingly, "I cannot eat all day long; you must give me a little
rest"; the eagerness and pious curiosity of the young abbess, anxious
to know and do everything, who rushed up breathlessly during the
ceremony of the dedication to ask the bishop a _memento_ for a monk,
whose death she had just heard of,--all these details, says a modern
writer,[27] form a picture complete in its simplicity, upon which the
charmed mind can repose amid the savage habits and wild vicissitudes
of the struggle, then more violent than ever, between the
Northumbrians and Picts, the Saxons and the Celts.

S. Elfleda died at the age of sixty. No account of her last illness
has been transmitted to us.


S. MENGOLD, M.

(ABOUT A.D. 892.)

S. Mengold, second patron of the town of Huy on the Meuse, where a
church is erected under his invocation, was count of Huy, and was
murdered by some knights of his court, whose vices he attempted to
restrain.

His relics, along with those of several other saints of Huy, are
preserved in the noble church of Our Lady in that town.


S. CUTHMAN, C.

(DATE UNCERTAIN.)

  [In Ancient Anglo-Saxon Kalendar belonging to the Abbey of Fécamp,
  and French Martyrology. Authority:--Two lives of uncertain date, by
  anonymous writers.]

The blessed Cuthman was by birth a native of Devonshire or Cornwall,
and his youth was spent in pasturing his father's sheep on the granite
moors. One day, when dinner time came, he was hungry, and not having a
companion to whom he could entrust his flock during his absence, he
drew a circle in the heather and gorse with his staff, and then
planted it in the soil, and said, "In the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, I command you sheep not to transgress the bounds I have drawn,
till I return from my dinner." And, wonderful to relate, the sheep
obeyed his command. Now there was a grey moorstone on which he was
wont to sit; and this moorstone has been ever since regarded with
singular veneration, says the ancient writer of his life.

After some years his father died, and the widow was reduced to great
poverty. Cuthman ministered to her with the tenderest care and filial
devotion, and worked for their joint subsistence. When the poor woman
fell sick, he was unable to leave her, at the same time he was so
destitute that, unless he went forth to work or beg, they must starve.
He, therefore, contrived a wooden truck or barrow on two wheels, and
laid his mother on it, and went behind, thrusting her on with his
hands, and supporting her by a rope slung round his neck, and begged
from door to door, as her condition incapacitated him from working.
One day, as he was thus thrusting his little cart through a field
where the hay-makers were mowing the grass, the rope broke, and the
holy youth stood a while hesitating what to do. Then he tore from an
elder tree a bough, and twisted it, and attached it to his mother's
cart, and supported it therewith. But the mowers laughed at him as a
fool for endeavouring to supply the place of a rope with hollow elder
wood. Their mockery was, however, soon arrested by a pelting rain,
which drove them from their work, and by seeing the bough hold as
firmly as a rope.

And when Cuthman saw that God assisted and avenged him, he vowed to
build a church to his holy Name. But how to do so he knew not. So he
continued his wanderings, ever journeying East way, and thrusting his
mother before him, till he came to Steyning, in Sussex, where the rope
suddenly broke, and his mother was much shaken, but, mercifully, was
not injured. Then he thought that this was to be the place of his
rest, and he said, "O Lord, on me has fallen to undertake the work of
building Thee a house; for to do this thou didst inspire me with the
will. Whither shall I fly from Thy Spirit? This is the place where I
shall finish my wanderings, this shall be my habitation, in which I
shall offer and pay Thee my vows, day by day. Almighty Father, who
hast brought my journey to an end, bless my work of building to thee a
temple. Thou knowest how poor I am, and a labourer from my youth, and
of myself I can do nothing, unless thou dost succour me."

The place was still and solitary, trees surrounded it, and hard by
flowed the tidal river Adur. The land was little populated; here and
there only a farm, buried in a nook of the great chalk downs. He chose
a spot at the foot of these downs, and there he built a hut and laid
his poor mother in it, and at once began to measure out the ground for
his proposed church. He found favour with the people round about, and
they contributed to his sustenance and the support of his mother, as
they watched him single-handed dig the foundations, cut the timber,
and rear the walls of the church he had vowed to God. He was given two
oxen to help him in his work of carrying stones. Now, one day, these
oxen strayed into the field of a woman who had two grown up sons. The
young men at once seized on the oxen, and took them into their house.
Cuthman went after the oxen, and when he could not find them, asked
the young men for them, but they refused to surrender them. Then he
said angrily, "I need them not to do my own work, but to labour for
God. See I have laded my cart with those logs, and must move them to
the house of God. Come then you and draw them." And he grasped the
youths, and yoked them to the wain, and made them drag the stones to
their destination.

Now as the church approached completion, Cuthman was grieved one day
to find that a wooden pillar he had set up, was bent with the weight
imposed upon it, and he feared to remove it, lest he should bring down
a part of the building. Then there came a traveller to the door, of
very grave and beautiful aspect, and asked Cuthman why he was
troubled. And Cuthman pointed to the bent post. Then said the
stranger, "O man of little faith! to those who fear God, nothing is
impossible. Stretch forth thine hand and let me help thee, and we will
straighten it." And he did so, and the pillar became upright. Then
Cuthman fell at the stranger's feet, and said, "My lord, tell me thy
name!" And he answered, "I am Jesus, to whom thou buildest this
house;" and so vanished.

Now Cuthman not only built and laboured for his old bed-ridden mother,
but he also preached to the people, and stirred up the love of God,
and zeal for His commandments in their hearts. And as his church
approached completion, he was glad, and he worked without, and then
rested for a while in prayer within. And chipping at the logs without,
he wore thick gloves, and when he went within he took off his gloves,
and hung them on a little ray of light that pierced through one of the
small windows he had made in the walls. And there, where he worked, he
died, but what was the nature of his illness, and his disposition at
death is not recorded. He was buried at Steyning, and the Adur, then
navigable as far as this place, long bore the name of S. Cuthman's
Port. Steyning was given by Edward the Confessor, and afterwards by
the Conqueror, to the abbey of Fécamp, in Normandy, from which
circumstance Bollandus supposed Steyning was in Normandy, and many
have been misled thereby. The church of Steyning, dedicated to S.
Cuthman, was built by monks of Fécamp to replace his wooden one.

The Monasticon Anglicanum of Dugdale, (II. p. 992), Leland, Collect.
I. p. 96; II. p. 409; III. p. 82; and Camden asserts plainly that S.
Cuthman was buried at Steyning in Sussex. "Cella de Stening Nigrorum
Monachorum in quâ sepultus Stus. Cudman;" "S. Cudmannus in Stenig
prope Brambre flumen." "Stus. Caudmannus in loco qui dicitus ad
Staning requiescit prope amnem Brembre;" this Brembre is Bramber; the
name is no longer given to the river, but to the castle hard by, upon
it.


S. STEPHEN OF GRANDMONT, AB.

(A.D. 1124.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority: a life by Gerald Itherius, prior of
  Grandmont.]

S. Stephen was born in the year 1046, in the castle of Thiers, in
Auvergne, belonging to his father, the Viscount de Thiers. At an early
age of twelve he was taken by his pious father a pilgrimage into
Italy. On their return, the lad fell ill at Benevento, and the father
was obliged to leave him in the charge of Milo, archbishop of that
city, a native of Auvergne. This prelate took the greatest care of the
young Stephen and reared him in all holy lore; and as he grew up
intent on serving God in a spiritual and ecclesiastical state, he
ordained him, first sub-deacon, and afterwards deacon.

After the death of the archbishop, Stephen, being then twenty-four
years old, went to Rome and remained there four years. There the
vocation to the religious life growing stronger in him, he formed the
resolution of imitating certain monks of Calabria, living in great
holiness, of whom he had heard Milo speak, and whom he had once
visited. He therefore asked permission of Pope Gregory VII. to live
apart in some solitude, following the rule of the Calabrian hermits.
The pope hesitated for some while, thinking him too delicate of
constitution, but at length yielded to his pressing solicitations in
1073. Stephen then returned to France, and resided at Thiers for a
short time with his parents; and then, departing, established himself
at Aureille or Soviat, a few leagues from Limoges, where he placed
himself under the direction of S. Gaucher, who had built a monastery
of regular Canons, called S. Jean d'Aureille. But S. Gaucher having
erected a nunnery in the neighbourhood, S. Stephen disliking the
proximity to women, left Aureille, and retired to Muret, in 1076. This
is a mountain near Limoges, where, amongst the rocks and trees, he
built a small cabin, and vowed himself to Jesus Christ in a very
special manner. Having retained a ring, the only thing belonging to
his father and home, that he had not given away or refused, he placed
it on his finger saying, "I, Stephen, renounce the devil and all his
pomps, and offer myself to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the One
true God in Three Persons." Then having written these words, he placed
them on his head, and added, "O God Almighty, who livest eternally,
and reignest One in Three Persons, I promise to serve Thee in this
hermitage in the Catholic faith; in sign whereof I place this writing
on my head, and place this ring on my finger, that at the hour of my
death this promise may serve as my defence against my enemies." Then
addressing himself to the Holy Virgin he said, "Holy Mary, Mother of
God, I commend my body, soul, and senses to thy Son and to thee."

In this wild solitude, amidst rocks and trees, Stephen passed
forty-six years in prayer, and the practice of such austerities as
almost surpassed the strength of a human body. He lived at first on
wild herbs and roots. In the second summer he was discovered by
certain shepherds who brought him a little coarse bread; which some
country people from that time continued to do as long as he lived. He
always wore next his skin a hair-cloth with iron plates and hoops
studded with sharp spikes, over which his only garment, made of the
coarsest stuff, was the same both in summer and winter. When overcome
by sleep, he took a short rest on rough boards, laid in the form of a
coffin. By degrees, disciples gathered about him, and placed
themselves under his rule. He would not suffer them to call him abbot
or master, but only corrector. To them he was ever compassionate,
urging them not to discipline their bodies by excessive fasting, but
with himself he was never lenient.

Gregory de Papercesis and Pierre de Léon, two legates of the Holy
Father, having visited him in his retreat, asked him what he was, a
monk, a hermit, or a canon. "I am a sinner," was his answer.

Eight days after their departure, he knew that his end was nigh. He
therefore called his disciples about him, and said to them, "My sons,
I leave you only God, to whom all things belong, and for whom you have
renounced all things, and your own selves. If you love poverty, and
cleave to God constantly, He will give you all things that you shall
need." Five days after he was carried into the chapel, where, having
heard Mass, and received extreme Unction and the Holy Viaticum, he
died on Friday, February 8th, 1124, at the age of nearly eighty.


S. JOHN OF MATHA, AB.

(A.D. 1213.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--the Bull of his Canonization by
  Innocent III.]

S. John was born of pious and noble parents, at Faucon, on the borders
of Provence, June 24th, 1169, and was baptized John, in honour of S.
John the Baptist. His mother dedicated him to God by a vow from his
infancy. His father Ephemius sent him to Aix, where he learned
grammar, fencing, riding, and other exercises fit for a young
nobleman. But his chief desire was to advance in virtue. He gave the
poor a considerable part of the money his parents sent him for his own
use; he visited the hospital every Friday, assisting the sick poor,
dressing and cleansing their sores, and affording them all the comfort
in his power.

On his return home he begged his father's leave to continue the pious
exercises he had begun, and retired to a little hermitage not far from
Faucon, with a view of living at a distance from the world, united to
God alone. But finding his solitude interrupted by the frequent visits
of his friends, he desired his father's consent to go to Paris to
study divinity, and this he easily obtained. He accomplished his
studies with extraordinary success, and received the degree of doctor
of divinity with uncommon applause. He was soon after ordained priest,
and said his first mass in the chapel of the bishop of Paris, at which
the bishop himself, Maurice de Sully, the abbots of S. Victor and of
S. Geneviève, and the rector of the university, assisted; admiring the
graces of heaven in him, which appeared in his extraordinary devotion
on this occasion, as well as at his ordination.

On the day he said his first mass, by a special inspiration from God,
he resolved to devote himself to the ransoming of Christian slaves
from captivity. But before he entered upon so important a work, he
thought it needful to spend some time in retirement, prayer, and
mortification. And having heard of a holy hermit, S. Felix of Valois,
living in a great wood near Grandlieu, in the diocese of Meaux, he
repaired to him, and begged he would admit him into his solitude.
Felix soon discovered him to be no novice, and would not treat him as
a disciple, but as a companion.

One day, as they were sitting together on the bank of a spring, John
disclosed to Felix the design he had formed on the day on which he
said his first Mass, of succouring the Christians under Mahomedan
slavery, and spoke so movingly upon the subject, that Felix was
convinced the design was from God, and offered to assist him in
carrying it into execution. They took some time to recommend it to God
by prayer and fasting, and then set out for Rome in the midst of a
severe winter, towards the end of the year 1197, to obtain the Pope's
benediction. They found Innocent III. promoted to the chair of St.
Peter, and he being already informed of their sanctity and charitable
design by letters of recommendation from the Bishop of Paris, received
them as two angels from heaven; lodged them in his own palace, and
gave them many long private audiences. After which he assembled the
cardinals and some bishops in the palace of S. John Lateran, and asked
their advice. After their deliberations he ordered a fast and special
prayers, to ascertain the will of heaven. At length, being convinced
that these two holy men were led by the Spirit of God, and that great
advantage would accrue to the Church from such an institute, he
consented to their erecting a new religious order, and declared S.
John the first general minister. The Bishop of Paris, and the abbot of
S. Victor, were ordered to draw up the rules, which the Pope approved
by a bull, in 1198. He ordered the religious to wear a white habit,
with a red and blue cross on the breast, and to take the name of the
Order of the Holy Trinity. He confirmed it some time after, adding new
privileges by a second bull, in 1209.

The two founders having obtained the Pope's blessing and certain
indulgences, returned to France, presented themselves to the king,
Philip Augustus, who authorized the establishment of their Order in
his kingdom, and favoured it with his liberalities. Gauthier III.,
lord of Châtillon, gave them land whereon to build a convent. Their
number increasing, the same lord, seconded by the king, gave them
Cerfroid, near Grandlieu, the place in which S. John and S. Felix
concerted the first plan of their institute. It is situated in Brie,
on the confines of Valois. This house of Cerfroid, or De Cervo
frigido, was the chief of the order. The two saints founded many other
convents in France, and sent several of their religious to accompany
the counts of Flanders and Blois, and other lords, to the Crusade.
Pope Innocent III. wrote to recommend these religious to the Emir of
Morocco; and S. John sent thither two of his religious in 1201, who,
on the first voyage, redeemed one hundred and eighty-six Christian
slaves. The year following, S. John went himself to Tunis, where he
purchased the liberty of one hundred and ten more. He returned into
Provence, and there received great charities, which he carried into
Spain, and redeemed many in captivity under the Moors. On his return
he collected large alms among the Christians towards this charitable
undertaking. His example produced a second order of Mercy, instituted
by S. Peter Nolasco, in 1235.

S. John made a second voyage to Tunis, in 1210, in which he suffered
much from the infidels, enraged at his zeal and success in exhorting
the poor slaves to patience and constancy in their faith. As he was
returning with one hundred and twenty slaves he had ransomed, the
barbarians took away the helm from his vessel, and tore all its sails,
that they might perish in the sea. The saint, full of confidence in
God, begged Him to be their pilot, and hung up his companions' cloaks
for sails, and, with a crucifix in his hands, kneeling on the deck,
singing psalms, after a prosperous voyage they all landed safe at
Ostia, in Italy. Felix, by this time, had greatly propagated his order
in France, and obtained for it a convent in Paris, in a place where
stood before a chapel of S. Mathurin, whence these religious in France
were called Mathurins.

S. John lived two years more in Rome, which he employed in exhorting
all to penance with great energy and fruit. He died on the 21st of
December, in 1213, aged sixty-one. He was buried in his church of S.
Thomas, where his monument yet remains, though his body has been
translated into Spain.

[26] For an account of the conflict with S. Wilfrid, and the
opposition of the Northumbrian Church and princes to his innovations,
see his life, Oct. 12.

[27] Montalembert, Monks of the West, iv. p. 412.

 [Illustration: An enthusiastic Collector of Saintly Legends]




February 9.

  S. APOLLONIA, _V. M. at Alexandria_, A.D. 249.
  S. NICEPHORUS, _M. at Antioch in Syria_, _circ._ A.D. 258.
  S. ATHENODORUS, _B. M. at Pontus_, _circ._ A.D. 270. (_Translated in
     Modern Roman Martyrology to October 18th._)
  SS. PRIMUS AND DONATUS, _DD. MM. at Lemele in Africa, 3rd cent._
  S. ROMANUS THE WONDER-WORKER, _Monk at Antioch in Syria, 5th cent._
  S. ATHRACTA, _V. in Ireland, 6th cent._
  S. NEBRIDIUS, _B. of Egara, near Barcelona, 6th cent._
  S. TEILO, _B. of Llandaff_; _circ._ A.D. 560.
  S. SABINE, _B. of Canosi_; _circ._ A.D. 566.
  SS. SABINE AND EUNOMIUS, _Bishops of Lesina, in Italy_.
  SS. VICTOR, _M_. AND SUSANNA, _V. at Mouzon_.
  S. ANSBERT, _B. of Rouen_, A.D. 695.
  S. AUDOBERT, _B. of Senlis_; _circ._ A.D. 700.
  S. ALTO, _Ab. in Bavaria_; _circ._ A.D. 760.
  B. MARIANUS SCOTUS, _Ab. at Ratisbon_, A.D. 1088.
  S. RAYNALD, _B. of Nocera, in Umbria_, A.D. 1225.


S. APOLLONIA, V. M.

(A.D. 249.)

  [This saint is named in the Roman and all Western Martyrologies.
  There is, however, another Apollonia, martyr under Julian the
  Apostate, 114 years her junior, commemorated in some churches on
  this day, and some apocryphal Acts of this latter saint are extant.
  There is much doubt whether this Roman Apollonia ever really
  existed, and whether the Martyrologists have not fallen into an
  inaccuracy in writing S. Apollonia "of Rome," instead of "of
  Alexandria," because her relics were brought to Rome. The account of
  the martyrdom of S. Apollonia of Alexandria is perfectly authentic,
  it occurs in a letter from S. Dionysius B. of Alexandria, during the
  persecution, to Fabius, B. of Antioch, giving him an account of the
  sufferings of his church. This letter is preserved by Eusebius, in
  his Ecclesiastical History, lib. vi. c. 41.]

The following is the account of the martyrdom of S. Apollonia, by
Dionysius, the bishop of Alexandria, himself a confessor at the time,
in the persecution. "The persecution with us did not begin with the
imperial edict, but preceded it a whole year. And a certain prophet
and poet excited the mass of the heathen against us, stirring them up
to their native superstition. Stimulated by him, and taking full
liberty to exercise any kind of wickedness, they considered this the
only way of showing their piety--to slay us. First, then, seizing a
certain aged man, named Metras, they called on him to utter impious
expressions, and as he did not obey, they beat his body with clubs,
and pricked his face and eyes; after which they led him away to the
suburbs, where they stoned him. Next, they led a woman called Quinta,
who was a believer, to the temple of an idol, and attempted to force
her to worship; but when she turned away in disgust, they tied her by
the feet, and dragged her through the whole city, over the rough
stones of the paved streets, dashing her against the millstones, and
scourging her at the same time, until they brought her to the same
place, where they stoned her. Then, with one accord, all rushed upon
the houses of the pious, and whomsoever of their neighbours they knew,
they drove thither in all haste, and despoiled and plundered them,
setting apart the more valuable of the articles for themselves; but
the more common and wooden furniture they threw about and burnt in the
roads, presenting a sight like a city taken by the enemy. They also
seized that admirable virgin Apollonia, then in advanced age, and
beating her jaws, they broke out all her teeth, and kindling a fire
before the city, threatened to burn her alive, unless she would repeat
their impious expressions. She appeared at first to shrink a little,
but when suffered to go, she suddenly sprang into the fire, and was
consumed."

Relics in the Church of S. Apollonia, at Rome; her head in S. Maria
Transtiberina; her arms in S. Laurence, outside the walls; part of her
jaw in S. Basil's; other relics at Naples, Volaterra, Bonona, at
Antwerp in the Jesuit Church; in S. Augustine's, at Brussels; in the
Jesuit Church at Mechlin; in S. Cross at Liége; at Cologne, in the
Jesuit Church; and in those of S. Gereon, S. Maurice, S. Alban, S.
Cunibert, and others; and elsewhere. These relics consist in some
cases of a tooth only, or a splinter of bone.

S. Apollonia is invoked, and the application of her relics is sought
against toothache, and other pains in the jaw.

In Art, she is always to be recognized by her being represented
holding a tooth, sometimes pincers grasping a tooth, in her hand.


S. NICEPHORUS, M.

(ABOUT A.D. 258.)

  [The Roman and Greek Churches commemorate this Saint on the same
  day. Authorities:--The ancient Acts by an anonymous author, and
  another life, by John, B. of Sardis.]

There dwelt in Antioch, a priest called Sapricius, and a layman, named
Nicephorus, who had been linked together for many years by the
strictest friendship. But the enemy of mankind, sowing between them
the seeds of discord, their friendship was succeeded by the most
implacable hatred, and they no longer accosted each other when they
met in the streets. Thus it continued for a considerable time. At
length, Nicephorus, entering into himself, and reflecting on the
grievousness of the sin of hatred, resolved on seeking a
reconciliation. He accordingly deputed some friends to go to Sapricius
to beg his pardon, promising him all reasonable satisfaction for the
injury done him. But the priest refused his forgiveness. Nicephorus
sent other friends to him on the same errand, but though they pressed
and entreated him to be reconciled, Sapricius remained inflexible.
Nicephorus sent a third time, but to no purpose; Sapricius having shut
his ears not to men only, but to Christ Himself, who commands us to
forgive, as we ourselves hope to be forgiven. Nicephorus, finding him
deaf to the remonstrances of their common friends, went in person to
his house, and casting himself at his feet, owned his fault, and
begged pardon for Christ's sake; but this also was in vain.

Persecution suddenly began to rage under Valerian and Gallienus, about
A.D. 258. Sapricius was apprehended and brought before the governor,
who asked him his name. "It is Sapricius," answered he. The governor:
"Of what profession are you?" Sapricius: "I am a Christian." The
Governor: "Are you of the clergy?" Sapricius: "I have the honour to be
a priest. We Christians acknowledge one Lord and Master Jesus Christ,
who is God; the only and true God, who created heaven and earth. As
for the gods of the heathen they are but devils." The president,
exasperated at his answers, gave orders for him to be put into an
engine, like a screw press. The excessive pain of this torture did not
shake Sapricius's constancy, and he said to the judges, "My body is in
your power, but my soul you cannot touch; only my Saviour Jesus Christ
is master of that." The governor seeing him so resolute, pronounced
this sentence: "Sapricius, priest of the Christians, who is
ridiculously persuaded that he shall rise again, shall be delivered
over to the executioner of public justice to have his head severed
from his body, because he has disregarded the edict of the emperors."

Sapricius seemed to receive the sentence with great cheerfulness, and
was in haste to arrive at the place of execution, in hopes of his
crown. On his way to martyrdom, Nicephorus ran out to meet him, and,
casting himself at his feet, said, "Martyr of Jesus Christ, forgive me
my offence." But Sapricius made him no answer. Nicephorus waited for
him in another street, through which he was to pass, and, as soon as
he saw him coming up, broke through the crowd, and falling again at
his feet, conjured him to pardon the fault he had committed against
him, through frailty, rather than design. This he begged by the
glorious confession he had made of the divinity of Jesus Christ.
Sapricius's heart was more and more hardened, and now he would not so
much as look on him. The soldiers laughed at Nicephorus, saying, "A
greater fool than thee was never seen, in being so solicitous for a
man's pardon who is upon the point of execution." On their arrival at
the place of execution, Nicephorus redoubled his humble entreaties and
supplications, but all in vain; for Sapricius continued as obstinate
as ever, in refusing to forgive. The executioners said to Sapricius,
"Kneel down that we may cut off your head." And now, for the first
time, there was a sign of wavering in the Confessor. He grew pale and
trembled, and asked, "Upon what account?" They answered, "Because you
will not sacrifice to the gods, or obey the Emperor's orders, for the
love of that man that is called Christ." The unfortunate Sapricius
cried out, "Stop, my friends; do not put me to death: I will do what
you desire: I am ready to sacrifice." Nicephorus, dismayed at his
apostasy, cried aloud to him, "Brother, what are you doing? renounce
not Jesus Christ, our good Master. Forfeit not a crown you have
already gained by tortures and sufferings." But the holy Spirit of
Fortitude had been withdrawn from him, who would not show forgiveness
to his brother, and he tremblingly renounced his Lord and Master. Then
Nicephorus, with tears of bitter anguish for the fall of Sapricius
said to the executioners, "I am a Christian, and believe in Jesus
Christ, whom this wretch has renounced; behold me here ready to die in
his stead." All present were astonished at such an unexpected
declaration. The officers of justice, uncertain how to proceed,
despatched a messenger to the governor for further orders. The
governor, on hearing the account of the confession of Nicephorus,
dictated the following sentence: "If this man persist in refusing to
sacrifice to the immortal gods, let him die by the sword:" which was
accordingly put in execution. Thus Nicephorus received the three
immortal crowns of faith, humility, and charity, triumphs of which
Sapricius had made himself unworthy.


S. ATHRACTA OR TARAGHTA, V.

(6TH CENT.)

  [There is great uncertainty as to the day on which this Irish Saint
  is commemorated. Some say Feb. 9th; some Feb. 3rd; and others
  Aug. 11th. She is mentioned in the Tripartite Life of S. Patrick.
  Her life, which exists only in a fragmentary condition, given by
  Colgan from an ancient imperfect MS., is of no authority.]

The same caution must be renewed, which has been given so often in
writing the lives of the Irish Saints,--not to trust the records we
have, too implicitly. Doubtless, the main outline of their histories
is true, but lively fancies, through many centuries, have filled those
outlines with wondrous details which it is impossible to accept, and
which have made an almost inextricable confusion in their history.

The virgin Athracta, was of noble race. She dedicated herself at an
early age to God, and built a lodging where seven roads met, that she
might have abundant opportunity of showing hospitality to wayfarers.
She is said in her legend to have received the veil from the hands of
S. Patrick, when he was founding a church in Druimnea. Lanigan says
that this is a mistake, as S. Athracta did not live till some time in
the sixth century. He adds, "The statements relative to her are indeed
so contradictory that the period in which she flourished cannot be
precisely ascertained. According to some accounts she was contemporary
with S. Patrick. But we find her spoken of as living in the times of
S. Corbmac, brother of S. Erin, and, consequently, in the sixth
century. S. Nathy, that is, according to every appearance, Nathy of
Achonry, who lived in the same century, is also mentioned as a
contemporary of hers. On these grounds it may be fairly concluded that
S. Athracta belonged to the same period. She is said to have been the
daughter of Talan, of a princely family of Dalaradia, in Ulster, and
sister of S. Coeman, of Aird-ne-Coemhain, a consanguinity which it
would be difficult to reconcile with her having been a native of
Ulster. Whatever were her family connexions, S. Athracta presided over
a nunnery called Kill-Athracta (Killaraght), near the lake Techet, now
Lough Cara, in the county of Sligo."[28]

The legend of the saint contains the following incidents, the first of
which, as will be seen from what has been said above, it is impossible
to reconcile with history:--

This virgin was of noble race; she dedicated herself at an early age
to God, and built a lodging where seven roads met, that she might have
abundant opportunity of showing hospitality to wayfarers. She received
the veil from the hands of S. Patrick, at Dromanna, the modern
Kill-Athractha, Connaught. The story goes that on a visit to the
church, built there by the Holy Apostles, S. Patrick prepared to
celebrate Mass, when it was discovered that his attendants had
forgotten to bring a paten. He was, therefore, about to lay aside his
vestments, when the virgin said, "Proceed, father! with God all things
are possible." So he began the confession. Then, as Athracta knelt
bowed forward, she felt something lightly fall on her shoulder, and
she put up her hand, and lo! there was a paten resting upon it. She
rose, and, going to the altar, handed it to S. Patrick. On one
occasion the King of Connaught desired to build a strong castle, and
for that purpose summoned all his vassals to contribute their
assistance. Athracta in vain pleaded to be excused; the King roughly
ordered her to take her part in the erection of his fortress. Then
she, and her servants, and horses, went into the wood to cut timber
and transport it. But her maid exclaimed, "Oh, if the stags drew our
logs of wood, instead of these old broken-down horses, it would humble
the King's pride." Then Athracta called the stags to her, and because
the ropes or chains for dragging the timber were broken, she harnessed
the stags to the felled trees by some of her long delicate hairs, and
these proved as strong to draw the timber as the stags proved docile
for the draught.

These quaint legends are, it must be repeated, on no account to be
estimated above what they are worth.


S. TEILO, B. OF LLANDAFF.

(ABOUT A.D. 560.)

  [Patron of Llandaff. His name occurs in the Salisbury Martyrology of
  Wytford, and in the Anglican Mart. of John Wilson, who placed him on
  Dec. 26th, and was followed by Ferrarius. The correct day is,
  however, certainly Feb. 9th. He is recorded in the Welsh triads as
  one of the three canonized Saints of Britain; the two others are S.
  David and S. Cadoc. Authorities:--The Life, by Galfredus, of
  Llandaff (circ. 1120); another anonymous life in Capgrave; the
  Regestum Landavense; and the Liber Landavensis.]

S. Teilo or Theliav was descended from a noble British stock. His
father's name was Enlleu, son of Hydwn Dwn, and the place of his birth
was Eccluis Cunnian, near Tenby. From his infancy he bent his neck
beneath the gentle yoke of Christ, and, despising worldly vanities,
was given to prayer and alms-deeds. He studied first under S.
Dubricius, by whose assistance he attained great proficiency in the
knowledge of the Scriptures; his next instructor was Paulinus, under
whom he pursued the same study, and in whose school he was the
associate of S. David. Under the patronage of Dubricius he opened a
college, at Llandaff, which was called Bangor Deilo, or the great
choir of Teilo; and his settlement at that place may serve to account
for his appointment to fill the See of Llandaff upon the retirement of
his patron to the Isle of Bardsey. The idea that he was made bishop of
Llandaff at the time S. Dubricius was raised to the Archbishopric of
Caerleon, is irreconcilable with chronology. The original diocese
governed by S. Teilo, as ascertained by the absence of churches
founded by S. David, was co-extensive with the ancient lordships of
Glamorgan, containing the present rural deaneries of Croneath,
Llandaff, and Newport. How long he continued to preside over this
limited district is uncertain; but, in the reign of Maelgwn Cwynedd,
the Yellow Plague desolated the Principality. Upon this occasion S.
Teilo, with several others, retired to Cornwall, and thence into
Brittany, where he was honourably received by S. Samson, Bishop of
Dol. After he had remained seven years and as many months in Brittany,
he returned, with several of his disciples, to his native country, and
on his arrival was elected to the Archbishopric of Menevia, vacant by
the death of Cynog. Like S. David, he, however, retained a
predilection for the seat of his original bishopric, and, appointing
Ismael to the situation of Bishop of Menevia, he removed the
archbishopric to Llandaff. In order to maintain his title to the
primacy undisturbed, he appears to have kept under his immediate
government the whole of the diocese held before by S. David, with the
exception of the part north of the river Tivy, which was henceforth
attached to the diocese of Llanbadarn.

There is a story told of his having made a pilgrimage, before all
this, to the Holy Land, in company with S. David and S. Padarn, and of
their having received episcopal consecration from the Patriarch of
Jerusalem; but it is probable that this was a story, borrowed by
Giraldus from one of the lost Triads, and was invented to establish
the independence of the Welsh bishops of the See of Rome.

In the Triads, S. Teilo is called one of the Three Blessed Visitors to
the Isle of Britain, and he is associated with SS. David and Padarn.
"They were so called," says the Triad, "because they went as guests to
the houses of the noble, the plebeian, the native, and the stranger,
without accepting either fee or reward, or victuals, or drink; but
what they did was to teach the faith in Christ to every one without
payment or thanks. Besides which, they gave to the poor and needy,
gifts of their gold and silver, their raiment and provisions." His
companions, or pupils, playing on his name, compared it to _Helios_,
which, in Greek, means the sun; because, by his heavenly doctrine and
example, he illumined the Church in South Wales, and warmed the hearts
of the faithful. Twelve churches in the diocese of S. David's, and six
in that of Llandaff, claim to have been founded by S. Teilo.[29]

A curious, late, and utterly worthless story, save as an example of
the manner in which the popular tongue forges marvels, is related of
his relics. At his death, three priests of different parishes were
present, one from Llandaff, where he had been bishop; one of Llandeilo
Fawr, where he died; and one of Penaly, near Tenby, where his
ancestors had been buried. Each wished to claim the body for his
church. The contention grew sharp between them, and was only
terminated by the oldest of the three exhorting his brethren to leave
the decision to God. Then they retired to rest, and, next morning,
when they entered the room where the dead saint lay, lo! his one body
had become three, perfectly identical in every particular, and each
priest was able to carry off a S. Teilo to his own church. The origin
of this foolish story is self-evident. It is an attempt to account, by
a miracle, for the existence, in three places, of bodies of S. Teilo;
a portion of his relics being probably preserved in each of these
churches, and the popular tongue having magnified each portion into an
entire body.


S. SABINE, B. OF CANOSI.

(ABOUT A.D. 566.)

  [There is great uncertainty whether there were one or two bishops of
  Canosi of this name, as it is impossible to fit all that is recorded
  of the Acts of S. Sabine into the life of one man; as a S. Sabine of
  Canosi was certainly present, in 493, at the dedication of the
  Church of S. Michael, on Mount Gargano; and a S. Sabine of Canosi is
  mentioned as meeting Totila, K. of the Goths, in 549, fifty-six
  years after. That there were two is, therefore, most probable, the
  name being that of the great and wide-spread Sabine family, occurs
  repeatedly among the bishops and saints of Italy, and has led to
  much confusion. It is impossible to distinguish, from the confused
  Acts of S. Sabine of Canosi, which events belong to the first, and
  which to the second, bishop of that name. S. Sabine is the second
  patron of Canosi, and also of Bari, after S. Nicolas. His life was
  written by an anonymous writer of the eight century.]

This saint belonged to a noble family at Canosi, in the present
arch-diocese of Bari, in Italy. He was elected to the see of his
native city, and distinguished himself by his zeal in building and
adorning churches, as also by his learning. He was one of the prelates
present at the consecration of the Church of S. Michael, on the scene
of the apparition of the archangel, on Monte Gargano, journeying
thither in company with the blessed Roger of Canosi. And as the sun
was hot in the heavens, and they fainted with the burning of its rays,
Sabine raised his eyes to heaven, and prayed that a cool breeze might
spring up and fan their fevered brows. But his prayer was heard and
answered in other sort, for a great eagle came between the travellers
and the sun, and floated over their heads with wings expanded,
accompanying them, so that they walked on in the shadow. Now, Sabine's
ardour in prosecuting his studies raised the suspicion of the
multitude, and they denounced him as addicted to the arts of magic; so
this report came to the ears of the Pope, and he summoned him to Rome,
to clear his character from the aspersion cast upon it. Then Sabine
hasted and went to Rome, and arrived in the evening, and was lodged in
the palace of the Holy Father, who, prejudiced against him, received
him coldly, and harshly bade him not set foot outside the house till
his case were heard. And at midnight, a strange, unearthly music
resounded through the courts, and men started from sleep to listen.
Then they were aware of chanting, as of a multitude, and they rose,
and the Pope also, and they followed the sound, and till they came to
the door of the hall in which the Bishop of Canosi lay. And beneath
the door was a streak of dazzling light. Then they burst in, and
beheld the accused prelate standing in a blaze of heavenly radiance,
amidst angel forms, chanting the Psalms of David. So the Pope cast
himself at his feet, and acknowledged his complete innocence.

Now, on his way home, the holy bishop doubtless visited S. Benedict,
at Monte Cassino, for between them there existed a warm friendship;
and we find that S. Placidus, the loved disciple of Benedict, often
visited and was entertained by the Bishop of Canosi, for the love he
bare to the great Patriarch of the Monks of the West.

A pretty incident of his life is as follows,--it is but a trifle, but
these trifling anecdotes give the character of the man. He was walking
in his garden one day, among the flower-beds, reciting psalms and
hymns, when a bright smile broke out over his face. Those accompanying
him were surprised, and asked the reason of that smile. "Listen to
those sparrows," said he, "there is a wagon upset yonder, which was
laden with corn, and they are all eagerly communicating to one another
the joyful news of an abundant feast. Oh! the charity to one another
of those dear little birds!"[30]

In the year 535, Pope Agapetus sent an embassy to the Emperor
Justinian at Constantinople, of which the bishop of Canosi was a
member. Agapetus was himself obliged to follow his embassy, the
following year, on a deputation to the emperor from Theodatus, the
Gothic king. Theodoric, king of the Goths, had been succeeded by
Athalaric, son of his daughter Amalasvintha, but he, being a minor,
the public affairs were administered by his mother, who did not spare
any pains in the education of her child. But the young king fell a
victim to intemperance, before he had attained the age of manhood. On
the failure of issue in the male line, Amalasvintha, in order to
maintain herself on the throne, gave her hand to Theodatus, her
cousin, and allowed him to participate in the sovereign power. But
Theodatus grasping at supreme sovereignty, suffocated his wife and
benefactress in a bath, and then, in abject terror for the
consequences, sent off Pope Agapetus to Constantinople, to deprecate
the wrath of the Emperor Justinian. Agapetus arrived in
Constantinople, when that see was vacant, Epiphanius, the patriarch,
being dead. He found the Empress Theodora in power, favouring the
Eutychian heretics, and encouraging Anthimus, bishop of Trebizond, a
ringleader of the sect. Agapetus at once deposed Anthimus, and
ordained one Mennas, a Catholic, in his place; then, feeling his end
approach, he exhorted Sabine and his companions to stand by and
maintain the new bishop of Trebizond. Agapetus died in 536, and the
same year a council was held against Anthimus the heretic, at which
Sabine was present, and the anathemas of which he subscribed. In
consequence of this decided action, the bishop of Canosi suffered much
from the anger of the Empress Theodora. In 537 he returned to Italy,
and according to some accounts, died on his way, and was buried at
Tripalta on the Sabbato, above Benevento, near Avellino, where his
body, entire, still rests enshrined. But at Bari is the body of S.
Sabine, bishop of Canosi, and it is believed that there were two
saints of this name, and that the first Sabine, bishop of Canosi, is
at Bari, and that the events we are about to relate, occurred to the
second bishop of this name, who lies at Tripalta. That there were two
is most probable, as it is hardly possible that he who was bishop in
493, could have sat till 566, which would give an episcopate of over
seventy-three years.

Totila, king of the Goths, the seventh of that race who had governed
Italy, swept Campania and Samnium with his barbarian army, occupied
Naples, and in the midst of his victorious course, visited S. Benedict
on his rock of Cassino. The incident of the meeting between the
barbarian king and the ascetic patriarch shall be recorded in the life
of S. Benedict. S. Gregory relates in his Dialogues, (lib. iii. c. 5),
that Totila, hearing of S. Sabine of Canosi, now blind with age, that
he was endued with the spirit of prophecy, visited him and invited him
to dinner, and to prove the old bishop, when the page brought wine
round, the king took the goblet from the boy's hand, and himself
offered it to the prelate. Then Sabine, taking the goblet, and turning
his darkened eyes on the royal bearer, said, "May that hand that
offers live long!" And the king blushed, joyous at receiving this part
blessing, part prophecy. S. Gregory relates another story of this
saint. The Archdeacon of Canosi, a man full of ambition and pride,
desiring the episcopate, and impatient of the long life of Sabine,
bribed his butler to poison him. The deadly cup was offered him, and
the aged prelate drank it off, but instantly the Archdeacon was seized
with all the symptoms of having been poisoned, and died in agony,
whereas the bishop remained unhurt.

It is unfortunate, that owing to the carelessness of the historian,
who wrote two hundred years after the death of S. Sabine I., the
records of the two bishops of that name should have been so run
together as to render it almost impossible to dissever them.

There seems also to have been a third S. Sabine of Canosi, bishop of
Lesina, a ruined and deserted city, on the lagoon of the same name in
the Capitanta. Lesina, in the 10th century, was the seat of a bishop.
No records of this saint exist, but in November, 1597, the cathedral
and second church of Lesina being thoroughly ruinous, officials were
deputed to remove from the deserted churches such relics as could be
found, and works of value that remained. They found the roof of the
cathedral fallen in, doors and windows broken and open, and grass
growing on the sacred floor. The crypt was in better preservation, and
there they found altars standing, containing sacred relics. In one of
these they found a marble sarcophagus, on which was inscribed, S.
Sabinus Canusinus, "S. Sabine of Canosi." Within was a leaden coffin,
on which was engraved, S. Sabinus Canusianus, pontifex Lesinensis. "S.
Sabine of Canosi, bishop of Lesina." The skeleton in this was perfect.
This body, together with others there discovered, was removed to
Naples, where it now reposes in the church of the Annunciata.


SS. VICTOR, M., AND SUSANNA, V. C.

(DATE UNKNOWN.)

  [Of local celebrity at Mouzon, on the Meuse, above Sedan. The names
  occur, however, in some Martyrologies of minor importance.
  Authority:--A MS. life published by Bollandus.]

SS. Victor and Susanna were peasants at Mouzon, or the neighbourhood,
Victor being the brother and protector of Susanna, a modest and
beautiful girl. The Lord of Mouzon having cast his lustful eyes on
Susanna, endeavoured to deceive her, but her virgin modesty withstood
his threats and promises; and finding her inflexible, in a paroxysm of
rage, he tore out her eyes. Victor, her brother, denounced the tyrant
to his face, and threatened him with the vengeance of the God of the
fatherless, and protector of the poor, whereupon the noble, furious at
being insulted by a vile peasant, ordered his retainers to despatch
him, which they did.


S. ANSBERT, B. OF ROUEN.

(A.D. 695.)

  [Roman and other Martyrologies. Authority:--Life by Ansgrad, the
  monk, dedicated to Abbot Hilbert, the successor of S. Ansbert. This
  life has, however, suffered from interpolators.]

This saint was at one time chancellor to Clothaire III., and in the
midst of the temptations of a court, preserved his integrity and
purity. At length, quitting the court, he assumed the monastic habit
at Fontenelle, and on the election of the abbot Lantbert to the see of
Lyons, he succeeded him as abbot of that famous monastery. He was
confessor to Thierri III., and was, with his consent, chosen
archbishop of Rouen, on the death of S. Ouen, in 683. Pepin, mayor of
the palace, afterwards banished him, on a false accusation of treason,
to the monastery of Hautmont in Hainault, where he died on the 9th
February, 695. His body was transported to the abbey of Fontenelle,
and afterwards to Boulogne, but in 944, through fear of the Northmen,
it was translated to the convent of S. Peter in Ghent; but was dragged
from its resting-place by the furious Calvinists, under William of
Orange, in 1578; some portions of the sacred relics have, however, we
believe, been preserved.

S. Ansbert is often called S. Aubert.

[28] Dr. Lanigan's Eccles. Hist. of Ireland, Dublin, 1827; Vol. iii.,
p. 39, & i. p. 243.

[29] Rees: Essay on the Welsh Saints, pp, 245-6.

[30] In the original, the simplicity of this story is quite spoiled by
what is evidently added by the monkish author, unable to see the
beauty of the unadorned incident; for, it is said, this was a proof of
miraculous power in the saint, that he was able to see through a stone
wall the upsetting of a corn-cart.

 [Illustration]




February 10.

  SS. CHARALAMPIUS, _P. and Companions, MM. at Magnesia_, A.D. 202.
  S. SOTERIS, _V. M. at Rome, 4th cent._
  S. ZENO, _Monk at Antioch, in Syria; circ._ A.D. 419.
  S. SCHOLASTICA, _V. at Monte Cassino_, A.D. 543.
  S. PROTADIUS, _B. of Besancon_, A.D. 626.
  S. TRUMWINE, _B. of the Picts, circ._ A.D. 700.
  S. AUSTREBERTHA, _V. in French Flanders_, A.D. 704.
  S. SURA OR ZUWARDA, _V. M. at Dortrecht_.
  S. WILLIAM OF MALEVAL, _H. in Italy_, A.D. 1157.
  B. JOHN WILLIAM OF THE OLIVE, _P. H. at Mariemont, in Belgium_,
     A.D. 1241.
  S. ARNALD OF CATANEA, _Ab. at Padua_, A.D. 1255.
  S. CLARA OF RIMINI, _Matr._, A.D. 1346.


SS. CHARALAMPIUS, P. AND COMPANIONS, MM.

(A.D. 202.)

  [Commemorated in the West on this day; in the East on Sept. 17th.
  The Acts are not trustworthy.]

Saint Charalampius was priest at Magnesia, in the reign of Severus. He
was brought before the governor, Lucianus, and was flayed with iron
scrapers; the governor himself, in his rage, assisting the
executioners in their barbarous work. With him suffered two soldiers
and three women.


S. SOTERIS, V. M.

(4th CENT.)

  [Modern Roman Martyrology, and those of Usuardus and Ado. But the
  ancient Roman Martyrology, bearing the name of S. Jerome, and those
  of Notker Bede (so-called), Rabanus, and others, on Feb. 6th. Nor
  are the Martyrologies agreed as to where she suffered, some saying,
  "in the East," others "at Rome." Authority:--S. Ambrose, who was of
  her family, gives an account of her martyrdom in his Exhort.
  Virginit. lib. iii.]

S. Ambrose boasts of this saint as the greatest honour of his family.
She was descended from a long series of consuls and prefects; but her
greatest glory was in despising, for Christ's sake, her wealth, birth,
and beauty. When the edicts of persecution were issued under
Diocletian and Maximian, against the Christians, she was summoned
before the judge, and her face was beaten because she would not deny
Christ. She, however, counted it all joy to suffer in the like manner
of her Master, and, though cruelly beaten, shed not a tear. At length,
overcome by her constancy, the judge ordered her head to be struck off.

One of the Roman catacombs on the Appian way, bears the name of S.
Soteris. This catacomb was restored by Pope Stephen III., when the
roof had fallen in. It has been erroneously supposed, by some, that
this catacomb was called after Pope S. Soter; but Anastasius the
Librarian, in recording the restoration of the cemetery, calls it
"Cemeterium Sanctæ Soteris." Stephen III. (II.) reigned from 752 to
757. The body was removed from this catacomb by Pope Symmachus,
(498-514,) to the church of S. Sylvester, in the city of Rome. A
portion of the relics were given to the church of Sezanne, in the
modern department of Marne, in France. One of her bones is preserved
in the Jesuit Church at Luxembourg. A body of S. Soteris is preserved
in the Cistercian Church at Madrid; but as the history of the Acts of
this S. Soteris cannot be adapted to the saint of Rome, it is probable
that she is some local Spanish saint, of whom nothing authentic is
known.


S. ZENO, H.

(ABOUT A.D. 419.)

  [Theodoret in his Philotheus, c. 12, gives an account of this
  venerable monk, whom he had visited, and knew personally.]

This venerable hermit lived in an old tomb cut out of the rocks in the
neighbourhood of Antioch, in Syria. He observed the monastic rule for
forty years, living on bread and water, and on Sunday visiting a
church, that he might partake of the divine mysteries, and listen to
sermons. Theodoret makes a quaint little remark about him: "That he
used to borrow one book at a time from his friends, read it through,
and return it when read, and then borrow another."


S. SCHOLASTICA, V.
(A.D. 543.)

  [Famous wherever the name of S. Benedict, her brother, is known.
  Authorities for her life, the same as those for his. The following
  sketch of her life is extracted from Montalembert's Monks of the
  West.]

In the history of most saints who have exercised a reformatory and
lasting influence upon monastic institutions, the name and influence
of some holy woman is almost invariably found associated with their
work and devotedness. These bold combatants in the war of the Spirit
against the flesh seemed to have drawn strength and consolation from a
chaste and fervent community of sacrifices, prayers, and virtues, with
a mother or a sister, by blood or choice, whose sanctity shed upon one
corner of their glorious lives a ray of sweeter and more familiar
light. To instance only the greatest: Macrina is seen by the side of
S. Basil, and the names of Monica and Augustine are inseparable; as in
later ages are those of S. Francis of Assisi and S. Clara, S. Francis
of Sales and S. Jeanne Chantal. S. Benedict had also a sister, born on
the same day with himself, named Scholastica; they loved each other as
twins often love, with fraternal regard, elevated into a passion. But
both loved God above all. Still earlier than her brother, Scholastica
had consecrated herself to God from her infancy; and, in becoming a
nun, she made herself the patroness and model of the innumerable
family of virgins who were to acknowledge, adopt, and follow the code
of her brother. She rejoined him at Monte Cassino, and established
herself in a monastery, in the depths of a valley near the holy
mountain. Benedict directed her from afar, as he did many other nuns
in the neighbourhood. But they met only once a year, and then it was
Scholastica who left her cloister, and sought her brother. He, on his
side, went to meet her: they met upon the side of the mountain, not
far from the door of the monastery, in a spot which has long been
venerated. There, at their last meeting, occurred that struggle of
fraternal love, and the austerity of the rule, recorded by S.
Gregory,[31] which is the only known episode in the life of
Scholastica, and which has insured an imperishable remembrance to her
name. They had passed the entire day in pious conversation, mingled
with praises of God. Towards the evening they ate together. While they
were still at table, and the night approached, Scholastica said to her
brother, "I pray thee, do not leave me to-night, but let us speak of
the joys of heaven till the morning." "What sayest thou, my sister?"
answered Benedict; "on no account can I remain out of the monastery."
Upon the refusal of her brother, Scholastica bent her head between her
clasped hands on the table, but prayed to God, shedding torrents of
tears, to such an extent, that the table was flooded with them. The
weather was very serene: there was not a cloud in the air. But
scarcely had she raised her head when thunder was heard, and a violent
storm began; the rain, lightning, and thunder were such, that neither
Benedict, nor any of his brethren, who accompanied him, could take a
step beyond the roof that sheltered them. Then he said to Scholastica,
"May God pardon thee, my sister, but what hast thou done?" "Ah, yes,"
she answered him, "I prayed thee, and thou would'st not listen to me;
then I prayed God, and he heard me. Go now, if thou canst, and send me
away, to return to thy monastery." He resigned himself, against his
will, to remain, and they passed the rest of the night in spiritual
converse. S. Gregory, who has preserved the tale to us, adds that it
is not to be wondered at, that God granted the desire of the sister
rather than that of the brother, because, of the two, it was the
sister who loved most, and that those who love most have the greatest
power with God.

In the morning they parted, to see each other no more in this life.
Three days after, Benedict, being at the window of his cell, had a
vision, in which he saw his sister entering heaven under the form of a
dove. Overpowered with joy, his gratitude burst forth in songs and
hymns to the glory of God.

Her body was translated to Le Mans, in France, of which city she is
patroness, but her relics were dispersed by the Huguenots, in 1562.
However, some portions have been preserved, some in the Jesuit Church
at Antwerp, and a bone in the Carthusian Church at Cologne.


S. SURA, V. M.

(DATE UNKNOWN.)

This Saint, called in Dutch, Zuwardt, is said to have built the first
Christian Church at Dordrecht. She was murdered by some ruffians, who
hoped to possess themselves of her money, wherewith she paid for the
edification of the house of God, but found only three pennies in her
purse, whence arose the tradition that she had only that sum the whole
time, and that as often as she paid it away, the same sum remained in
her purse.


S. WILLIAM OF MALEVAL, H.

(A.D. 1157.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--His Life, by his friend and
  disciple, Albert, in whose arms he died. Several modern writers have
  confused S. William of Maleval with S. William of Mariemont, and
  even with S. William I., Duke of Aquitaine, and S. William IX., Duke
  of Guienne, who died 1137.]

Nothing is known of the birth of this saint, or of his early life, on
which he preserved an impenetrable secrecy. It is said that he made a
pilgrimage to S. Jago of Compostella, but even this is uncertain, as
S. William of Guienne, his contemporary, is known to have made this
expedition, and it is quite possible that the act of one S. William
has been transferred to the other.

In the year 1153, there appeared in Tuscany a man, who sought to hide
himself from the eyes of his fellow-men. The islet of Lupocavio, in
the district of Pisa, seemed to him to answer his desire; there he
constructed a small habitation, and remained there. His edifying
example attracted several persons to him, who settled near his cell,
and undertook to follow his rule of life. But their fervour soon
cooled down, and their undisciplined manners obliged him to withdraw
from his solitude, and retire to Monte Prunio, where he hoped to be
alone with his God, and where he erected in a dense wood, a hut of
boughs, and thatched it with leaves and fern. He was soon joined by
idle vagrants, who, under the pretence of a religious life, attempted
to impose on the charity of pious persons. S. William soon discovered
that these men were actuated by no religious vocation, and their
hypocrisy drove him again from his resting-place. He was, indeed,
compulsorily ejected by these miscreants, who could ill bear his
sanctity subsisting as a reproach upon their irregularities. He then
returned to the island of Lupocavio, but not finding his former
associates there disposed to receive him, he fixed his habitation in a
desert valley, called at that time "The stable of Rhodes," but since
known as "the bad valley," Maleval. It was situated in the territory
of Sienna, about a league distant from Castigline, Pescara, and
Buriano. It was in 1155, that he hid himself in this solitude, having
at first only a hole in the earth, in which he could shelter from the
inclemency of the weather, till the Lord of Buriano, taking compassion
on him, built a little cell for his lodging. For four months he lived
only on roots and herbs, having no other companions than the wild
beasts; but, in the beginning of the year 1156, he received a
disciple, named Albert, who wrote the account of the close of his
life. The saint practised surprising austerities; thrice in the week
he took only very little bread, and wine much diluted; on the other
days he took bread, and herbs and water. He wore sackcloth next his
skin, and slept on the bare ground. He was endowed with the gift of
prophecy, of which Albert had himself experience, for when the saint
was dying, and his disciple was lamenting that he should be left
alone, S. William bade him be of good cheer, for God would give him a
companion shortly. This seemed so improbable, that Albert could not
trust it; but going forth from the cell shortly after, he met a man,
named Raynald, a physician, who had come to renounce the world and
place himself under the direction of the pious hermit. Albert, fearing
that the death of the saint might make him change his purpose, cast
himself at his feet, and implored him to come and make his profession
before the dying saint at once. Raynald did so, and Albert submitted
himself to the direction of his new companion on the death of his
first master. S. William died in the arms of Albert, after having
received the last sacraments from a priest of Castigline, who had been
warned of the illness of the hermit.

Raynald and Albert buried S. William in his little garden. After his
death they preserved the spirit of penitence and mortification with
which he had inspired them during his life, and they endeavoured to
follow his maxims as their rule of life; and thus originated the Order
of the Guillemites, which rapidly spread from Italy, through France,
the Low Countries, and Germany. At first they followed the institutes
of S. William only, and fasted almost perpetually, and walked
barefoot. But Pope Gregory IX. moderated their great austerities,
allowed them to be shod, and required them to follow the rule of S.
Benedict.


S. JOHN-WILLIAM, H.

(A.D. 1241.)

  [Day unfixed for his commemoration, but locally, he is commemorated
  on the same day as his namesake. He is called Saint in Belgium, but
  is of local canonization only. Authorities:--Life by an anonymous
  Cistercian monk, of undecided date, published by Bollandus, and
  another life in the annals of Jacobus Guisius.]

This venerable hermit of Brabant was the founder of the ancient abbey
"of the Olive," whose ruins may still be seen at some little distance
from the ancient castle of Mariemont, near Binche in Hainault.

Having lived a life of great irregularity during his youth,
John-William retired, in a moment of remorse, to the abbey of
Chérailles, near Vervins; but he shortly afterwards quitted it, being
drawn into the world again by his passions. But God, says the legend,
gave him a warning which brought him once more to his senses, and he
retired to a lonely place near Morlanwelz, where he built a little
hermitage of branches, and lived for some time, unknown, exercising
himself in prayer and vigil, and living on roots and wild fruit. If we
may believe a popular legend, to punish himself for having yielded to
his animal passions so long, he would not stand upright, but walked
about like a beast, on all fours. Later on, Dame Bertha, the widow of
Eustace de Ræulz, having heard of his piety, offered him the choice of
any spot on her lands, where he might cultivate the soil to supply his
necessities. He accepted her offer, and began diligently to till the
ground. John of Béthune, Bishop of Cambrai, informed of the perfection
of the hermit, conferred upon him priest's orders; after which,
John-William undertook the construction of a stone church on the
ground given him by the lady Bertha. When this was complete, the
hermit asked the abbess of Fontenelle to send some of her nuns to
establish themselves there. She complied with his request, but the
place not suiting them, they returned to their convent. At his
request, seven nuns from Monstres-sur-Sambre were then sent to him,
and they placed themselves under his direction; the institution was
incorporated in the order of Citeaux, an abbess was elected, and the
place which had formerly borne the designation of "The Hermitage," was
now called "The Olive." There are many hypotheses to account for the
origin of this name. One is, that it was derived from the number of
cures wrought by olive oil, from the lamp burnt before the image of
the Holy Virgin in the church. The founder died in 1240, on the 10th
February, at the age of sixty-six, and was buried in the monastery
church.


S. CLARA OF RIMINI, MATR.

(A.D. 1346.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--Life by Cardinal Joseph Garampi.]

Clara was born at Rimini, her father's name was Chiarello, and her
mother's Gaudiana; they belonged to a noble family, and were very
wealthy. Clara was married early, but shortly after lost her husband.
Having been exiled on account of a civil war, she returned to Rimini,
to see her father and one of her brothers perish on the scaffold.

She was married again, but after a while, with the consent of her
husband, devoted her life to the practice of self-mortification. She
slept on a hard board, and encircled her neck and wrists with iron
rings to punish herself for her extravagance in jewelry when young.
Her food was bread and water, and a little oil on Sundays.

Not content with these austerities, and the rigorous fasts she imposed
on herself from the feast of S. Martin till Christmas, and from
Epiphany till Easter, she spent the greater part of many nights in
prayer, and during Lent she retired into an old look-out box on the
town walls, where, exposed to the cold and rain, she spent the time in
confessing her faults, and reciting the Lord's Prayer, a hundred times
a day. Her close communing with God made her heart overflow with
charity towards all men. Hearing that her brother had been banished a
second time from his native town, and was sick at Urbino, she flew to
his bedside, and nursed him with the utmost tenderness, escaping
occasionally into an ancient ruined tower, near the cathedral at
Urbino, to refresh her spirit with prayer. On the restoration of
tranquillity, she returned to Rimini with her brother, where she
became shortly the solace of all the afflicted. One day, hearing that
the poor Clares were without fuel, she ran into the country, and
getting a large log of wood, laid it on her shoulder, and carried it
through the streets to their door. A noble kinsman, not liking to see
her thus demean herself, as he considered it, sent a servant to
relieve her of the load, but she refused to surrender it, saying that
her Lord was not ashamed to bear His cross for the sake of sinners,
and that, therefore, it was no dishonour for her to carry wood for the
use of His servants.

Once, hearing that a man was sentenced to pay a heavy fine, or have
his hand chopped off, and that he was unable to ransom his hand, she
sold herself as a slave, and with the money would have redeemed the
hand from amputation, had not the magistrates, touched by her charity,
pardoned the man. Having once given way to intemperate speech towards
someone who had annoyed her, she punished herself by nipping her
tongue with a pair of pincers, so that she was unable to speak for two
or three days after.

She built a convent for those women who had placed themselves under
her direction, near the old watch-box on the walls, and gave it the
name of "The Annunciation," but the title was changed afterwards to
that of "Our Lady of the Angels."

Towards the end of her life she lost her sight. She died on Feb. 10th,
1346, and was buried in the church of her convent, where her relics
are still preserved. The cult of her was approved in 1784 by Pope Pius
VI., and her commemoration was fixed for the 10th February.

[31] Dialog. ii., c. 12, 23, 33.

 [Illustration]




February 11.

  S. CALOCERUS, _B. of Ravenna, 2nd cent._
  S. TIGRINUS, _M. at Rome; relics at Turin, 2nd cent._
  SS. SATURNINUS AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Carthage_, A.D. 303.
  S. JONAS THE GARDENER, _Monk in Egypt, 4th cent._
  S. LAZARUS, _B. of Milan; circ_. A.D. 449.
  S. CASTRENSIS, _B. of Volterra; circ_. A.D. 450.
  S. SECUNDINUS, _B. of Troja in Southern Italy; circ._ A.D. 450.
  S. EUPHROSYNE, _V. at Alexandria; circ._ A.D. 470. (_Transferred
     from Jan. 1st._)
  S. SEVERINUS, _Ab. of S. Maurice in the Valais_, A.D. 506.
  S. ECIAN, B. in Ireland; circ. A.D. 587.
  S. CEADMON, _Monk at Whitby; circ._ A.D. 680.
  S. THEODORA, _Empress at Constantinople_, A.D. 867.
  S. MARTIN, _P. at Leon in Spain_, A.D. 1221.
  S. ADOLPH, _B. of Osnaburgh_, A.D. 1222.


SS. SATURNINUS AND COMPANIONS, MM.

(A.D. 303.)

  [Roman Martyrology. In the ancient African Church, as we learn from
  S. Augustine, their commemoration took place on Feb. 12th, and on
  that day they are given by Usuardus. The Acts are genuine. They were
  appealed to in the reign of Honorius, in 412, during the Donatist
  controversy to prove that even in the stress of persecution,
  Christians had not failed to attend Divine Service on the Lord's
  Day. S. Augustine also quotes them in his book against Cresconius,
  lib. iii. c. 17, 26, 27, and 29, written in 406. The Synodical
  Epistle of the Council of the Catholic Bishops held at Cirta which
  quotes these Acts, is included among the works of S. Augustine in
  the Benedictine Edition, numbered Ep. 141. It is dated the 14th
  June, 412.]

The persecution of Diocletian having broken out in Africa, the
magistrates of Abitina broke, one Sunday, into the house of a citizen,
Octavius Felix, during the celebration of the Divine Mysteries, and
took the priest Saturninus, his four children, and forty-four other
Christians who were assisting at the Holy Sacrifice. The two elder
sons of the priest, Saturninus and Felix, were both lectors; Mary, his
daughter, had consecrated her virginity to God; Hilarion, the
youngest, was still quite a child. Among the other prisoners were
Dativus, a noble senator, Ampelius, Rogatianus, Januarius, Cassian,
Victorian, in all thirty men, and nineteen women.

Dativus marched at the head of the troop which surrounded Saturninus,
standing as children about their father.

When brought before the magistrates, they confessed Christ so
resolutely, that their very judges applauded their courage.

The confessors were shackled and sent to Carthage, the residence of
the pro-consul. They rejoiced to see themselves in chains for Christ,
and sang hymns and canticles during their whole journey to Carthage,
praising and thanking God. The pro-consul, Anulinus, addressing
himself first to Dativus, asked him of what condition he was, and if
he had assisted at the collect or assembly of the Christians. He
answered that he was a Christian, and had been present at it. The
pro-consul bade him declare who presided, and in whose house those
religious assemblies were held: but without waiting for his answer,
commanded him to be put on the rack and torn with iron hooks, to force
the information from him. The martyrs underwent severally the tortures
of the rack, iron hooks, and cudgels. Felix was asked if he had been
at the collect or assembly[32] on the Lord's day. Felix answered, "I
am a Christian." "I did not ask that," said the magistrate, "but
whether you had been at the collect." "Oh, foolish judge!" cried
Felix, "Could I be a Christian and not be present? As if the Lord's
day gathering should be without the Christian, and the Christian
without the Lord's day gathering. Knowest thou not that the one was
made for the other, and the one cannot be without the other?" Then he
was savagely beaten and sent to prison. The weaker sex fought no less
gloriously, particularly the illustrious Victoria; who, having been
converted to Christ in her tender years, had signified a desire to
lead a single life, but to this her pagan parents would not agree
having promised her in marriage to a rich young nobleman. Victoria, on
the day appointed for the wedding, full of confidence in the
protection of Him whom she had chosen for the only spouse of her soul,
leaped out of a window, and took refuge in a Christian church, where
she consecrated her virginity to God, with the ceremonies then used on
such occasions at Carthage, in Italy, Gaul, and all over the West.[33]
To the crown of virginity she earnestly desired to join that of
martyrdom. The pro-consul, on account of her quality, and for the sake
of her brother, a Pagan, tried all means to prevail with her to
renounce her faith. He inquired what was her religion. Her answer was,
"I am a Christian." Her brother, Fortunatianus, undertook her defence,
and endeavoured to prove her lunatic. The saint, fearing his plea
might be the means of her losing the crown of martyrdom, made it
appear by her intelligent answers that she was in her perfect senses,
and she protested that she had not been brought to Christianity
against her will. The pro-consul asked her if she would return with
her brother. She replied, "Being a Christian, I acknowledge none as
brethren but those who keep the law of God." The pro-consul then laid
aside the quality of judge to become her suppliant, and entreated her
not to throw away her life. But she rejected his entreaties with
disdain, and said to him, "I have already told you my mind. I am a
Christian, and I assisted at the holy assembly." Anulinus, provoked at
this constancy, ordered her to prison with the rest, to wait the
sentence of death which he not long after pronounced upon them all.

However, he made an effort to gain the little boy, Hilarion, not
doubting that he would easily prevail with one of his tender age. But
the child showed more contempt than fear of the tyrant's threats, and
answered his interrogatories, "I am a Christian: I have been at the
collect,[34] and it was of my own voluntary choice, without any
compulsion." The pro-consul threatened him with those little
punishments with which children are accustomed to be chastised, little
knowing that God himself fights in his martyrs. The child only laughed
at him. The governor then said to him, "I will cut off your nose and
ears." Hilarion replied, "You may do it; but I am a Christian still."
Then the governor ordered the child to be taken to the prison with the
rest, and Hilarion, with his shrill voice cried, "God be
thanked!"--and so was led away.

At this point these interesting Acts break off abruptly, but a
fragment which has been tampered with by some Donatist hand has, at
the end, this passage, which has been lost from the genuine
Acts:--"These blessed martyrs, being deprived of all nourishment for
their bodies, one by one, and by degrees, sank, overcome with hunger,
and migrated to the heavenly kingdom with the victor's palm, our Lord
Jesus Christ sustaining them, who, with the Father, reigns through
ages of ages. Amen."


S. JONAS THE GARDENER, MONK.

(4TH CENT.)

  [Roman Martyrology, not to be confounded with the S. Jonas, monk,
  commemorated by the Greeks on Sept 21st. Authority:--Mention in the
  Life of S. Pachomius.]

In the monastery of Muchon, in Egypt, lived an old monk who acted as
gardener. For eighty-five years he cultivated the fruits of the
monastery garden, and gathered them, and gave of them to the monks,
and to guests, and to travellers, as much as they would, but in all
those years he never tasted so much as a grape, a date, or a fig; but
lived on raw herbs with a little vinegar. Now, there stood in the
midst of the monastery a very fruitful fig-tree, and the boys were in
the habit of climbing it to gather and eat the luscious figs. And when
S. Pachomius came one day to inspect the monastery, he saw that this
fig-tree was a cause of self-indulgence and gluttony to some of the
younger aspirants after an ascetic life. So he said to Jonas the
gardener, "Cut that tree down!" Then the gardener lifted up his hands
in dismay, and when Pachomius saw how greatly it would grieve the good
man, he let him spare it. But lo! on the morrow the fig-tree was
withered away, and Jonas knew that he had acted wrongly in opposing
his will to the command of his superior. Jonas wore a dress made of
three sheep-skins sewn together, and over this he cast a linen
surplice without sleeves,[35] when he approached the Divine Sacrament
of the Body and Blood of Christ; but as soon as he had communicated,
he laid it aside. Jonas, after supper, was wont to retire to his cell,
sit on his chair weaving rushes in the dark, reciting passages of
Scripture, till the midnight call to the monks to rise for the night
office. Then, when that was concluded, he returned to his seat, and
slept seated till dawn. And one day he was found dead in his chair
with the rushes in his stiff hand. Then the monks buried him as he
sat, with the half-plaited mat on his knees.


S. LAZARUS, B. OF MILAN.

(ABOUT A.D. 449.)

  [Roman Martyrology. He died on March 14th, but as by the Milan use
  no saint is commemorated in Lent, his festival has been there thrown
  back to Feb. 11th; and adopted thence into the Roman Martyrology.
  His life from scattered notices is given by Bollandus.]

Of the acts of this saint, who was bishop of Milan before 440, but in
what year consecrated is unknown, we have scarcely any records. He
lived in the stormy time of the Gothic invasion of Italy. It is
disputed whether he or S. Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, was the first to
institute the use of litanies. It is certain that Bishop Lazarus
ordered their use for three days in succession in all the principal
churches of Milan.


S. EUPHROSYNE, V.

(ABOUT A.D. 470.)

  [Roman Martyrology on Jan. 1st, but anciently on Feb. 11th; with
  great solemnity by the Greeks on September 25th. She is sometimes
  erroneously called Euphrosia or Euphrasia by martyrologists. The
  life of S. Euphrosyne is found inserted in the _Vitæ Patrum_.
  The authors of some of these lives are known, as S. Ephrem, S.
  Jerome, Sophronius of Jerusalem, Paulus Diaconus, but it is not
  known by whom the life of S. Euphrosyne was written. In gravity and
  purity of style it is not behind any of the others. That after her
  death a Greek life was written, which was translated into Latin,
  seems probable, from the extension of her cultus in the ancient
  Latin Church. Her life exists in an ancient Greek ode, and in a
  Latin heroic poem; another life is given by Simeon Metaphrastes, in
  all particulars of importance agreeing with that in the Lives of the
  Fathers, but without its freshness and ring of antiquity.]

The history of S. Euphrosyne, as given in the "Lives of the Fathers of
the Desert," written, apparently, shortly after her death, is told so
simply and beautifully by the ancient historian, that it shall be
given here, somewhat abbreviated, but otherwise literally translated.

There was a man of Alexandria named Paphnutius, honourable, and
observing the commandments of God. He married a wife worthy of his
race, and of honest manners, but she was barren. Thereat the man was
troubled much and sorrowful, likewise his wife was sore afflicted,
seeing the distress of her husband. And after some time he told a
certain abbot his desire; and he, compassionating him, besought the
Lord to give him a child. Then God heard the prayers of these twain,
and gave to Paphnutius a daughter. After that, Paphnutius brought his
wife to the monastery, that she should be blessed by the abbot and the
brethren. And when the little girl was seven years old, she was
baptized, and called Euphrosyne, and her parents rejoiced over her,
because they had received her of the Lord, and she was comely of face.
Now when she was twelve years old, her mother died, and she lived with
her father, who taught her her letters, and to read, and all the rest
of the world's knowledge. The good report of her spread through the
town, for she was wise in knowledge, and very comely, and composed in
face and spirit. Thus many desired to mate her with their sons, and
tried to come to terms with the father, but could not gain their
point; for he said, "God's will be done." But one man excelled all in
wealth and honour, and he sought the father and asked him to give his
daughter to his own son in marriage; and he consented; so the usual
betrothal gifts were made.

And after some time, when she was aged eighteen, Paphnutius, taking
her, went to the monastery with her, and gave monies for the need of
the brethren, and said to the abbot, "I have brought to thee the fruit
of thy prayers, that thou mayest pray for her, for I am about to
deliver her in marriage."

Then the abbot bade that she should be taken to the guest-house, and
he spake with her, and said much about purity, humility, and meekness.
Now she was there three days, and she gave ear to the psalmody every
day, and saw the holy conversation of the monks, and she wondered at
their life, and said, "Blessed indeed are these men." So her heart
began to be solicitous in the fear of the Lord.

And when three days were accomplished, Paphnutius led her to the abbot
and said, "Come, my father, that thy handmaiden may salute thee, and
pray for her, for we are going home to town." And the maiden cast
herself at the abbot's feet, saying, "I pray thee, my Father, entreat
the Lord to give me my heart's desire," so he, extending his hand over
her, blessed her, saying, "God, who knewest man before ever he was
born, take care of this thy handmaiden, that she may merit a portion
and fellowship in thy heavenly kingdom." So they returned to the city.
Now, it fell out, one day, that the abbot was about to be ordained,
and he sent a monk to Paphnutius, to invite him to the solemnity. Then
the brother asked after him, and the servants said, "He has gone out."
Then Euphrosyne called to her the monk, and began to question him.
"Tell me of your charity, my brother, how many brethren are there in
the monastery?" He answered, "There are three hundred and fifty-two."
The maiden said, "If anyone desired to go there for conversion, would
your abbot receive him?" He answered, "He would receive him with the
greatest joy, for the Lord said, 'He that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out.'" Euphrosyne said, "Do all of you chant in your church,
and all fast together alike?" The monk answered, "We all chant
together, but every one fasts following his own way, as much and how
suits him best; there is no constraint, but ready will." Presently
Paphnutius returned from his walk, and the monk, seeing him, told him
the message of the abbot. Then Paphnutius was glad, and went with him
in a little boat to the monastery. Now, when he was gone, Euphrosyne
sent a trusty servant, saying, "Go into the monastery of Theodosius,
enter the church, and bring hither any monk you find there." Now, by
the goodness of God, there was a monk just coming from the monastery,
and when the boy saw him, he bade him come to the house of Euphrosyne.
And when the maiden saw him, she rose and saluted him, saying, "Pray
for me, my Father!" So, praying, he blessed her, and sat down. Then
Euphrosyne said to him, "My lord, I have a Christian father, but my
mother is dead. My father wishes to give me to this world, and I
shrink from being defiled thereby, but I fear to be disobedient to my
father, so I am in a strait and know not what to do. I spent all last
night without sleep, asking God to show me His way, and this morning I
have sent into the church for a father, who might tell me what I
should do. I know that God hath sent thee to me; declare to me, now,
His will." Then the old man said, "This is the Word of the Lord. If
any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he
cannot be my disciple. (Luke xiv., 26.) This is the saying of the Lord
Christ. I have nothing to add thereto." Then said Euphrosyne, "I trust
in God and in thy prayers. Cut off my hair." So the old man arose, and
shore off the hair of her head, and laid on her the tunic of
profession, and praying, he blessed her, saying, "The God, who hath
delivered all His saints, protect thee from all evil." And when he had
thus spoken, he departed, and went on his way rejoicing.

But Euphrosyne thought in herself, "If I go to a convent of maidens my
father will make inquiries and drag me violently away, and give me to
the bridegroom. I will go to a monastery of men, where none will
suspect me." So saying, she put off her female attire, and clothed
herself in the habit of a man, and, leaving her house in the dusk of
evening, taking with her 500 pennies, concealed herself all night.
Next morning her father came to the city, and went, by the will of
God, to church, before going home. Now, Euphrosyne made her way to
that monastery where her father was so well known, and announced to
the abbot, through the porter, that an eunuch of the palace was
without desiring to speak with him. Then, when the abbot came forth,
Euphrosyne cast herself on the ground, and when they had prayed they
sat down. Then said the old man, "Wherefore hast thou come hither, my
son?" And she answered, "I desire to dwell here and follow your holy
conversation." Then said the old man, "Thou hast done well, my son!
Here is the monastery. If it please thee, dwell with us. But tell me,
what is thy name?" She answered, "Smaragdus (Emerald)." He said, "Thou
art very young, and not able to dwell alone, but needest a master to
teach thee the rule and conversation of the monks." To whom she made
answer, "As thou willest, my father." So she put the five hundred
pence in his hand, and he called to him an aged brother, named
Agapitus, a holy man, and gave to him Smaragdus, saying, "Henceforth
he shall be to thee a son and disciple." Then, having knelt, he
blessed them, and they responded Amen, and Agapitus led her away to
his cell.

Now Paphnutius, her father, went home, and when he found her not he
sought through Alexandria. He searched every convent of women. Now,
there were ships in the harbour, and his servants by force entered
them, and searched them through, and they hunted the country round,
the deserts and the caves, not to mention the houses of their friends,
and they found her not. Then he bewailed her as one dead, together
with the bridegroom and his father; but Paphnutius could not be
comforted, he had no rest, not knowing where his daughter was. And at
last, unable to bear his anguish longer, he hastened to the abbot of
whom we have already spoken, and fell at his feet, and cried, "I pray
thee, cease not from supplication that the child of thy prayer may be
found, for I know not what has befallen my daughter." Hearing this,
the venerable old man was mightily troubled, and he summoned all the
brethren, and said, "Show your charity, my brothers, and let us all
entreat the Lord, that he may declare to us what has befallen the
daughter of our good friend, Paphnutius." So they all fasted and
prayed for the space of a week, and nothing was revealed touching
Euphrosyne, as was wont, when they at other times besought the Lord.
Now when nothing was revealed to any, the abbot began to console the
father, saying, "Do not be downcast, my son, at the Lord's discipline,
for whom He loveth He chasteneth. Know this, of a surety, that no
sparrow falls to the ground, without His knowledge, how then can
anything have happened to thy daughter without His consent? If any
evil had befallen her--which God forbid!--would not the Lord have
showed it to one of the brethren praying for her? I have confidence in
God, that thou shalt see thy daughter again in this life." So the
father went away comforted. But he often returned to commend himself
to the prayers of the brethren, and one day he cast himself down
before the abbot and said, "I cannot bear my anguish, O my father!
because of my lost daughter, but the wound in my heart bleeds more
every day, and my spirit is vexed within me." Now when the old man saw
him so broken, he said, "Wouldst thou converse with a spiritual
brother here, from the palace of Theodosius?" But he knew not that he
spake of the daughter of Paphnutius; and the man said "I am willing."
Then the abbot called Agapitus, and said, "Take Paphnutius, and
introduce him to the cell of Smaragdus." And he did so, knowing
nothing. Now, when she suddenly heard her father's voice, and knew
him, her eyes filled with tears. But Paphnutius did not recognize her,
for her face was much shrunk with fasting, vigils, and tears; and she
drew her hood over her face, that he might not see her distinctly. And
when they had prayed, they sat down. Then she began to speak to him of
the future kingdom of happiness and eternal glory, and how it was to
be won through humility and purity, and a holy life, and tender love.
For she saw that her father was much depressed, and she pitied him;
yet fearing lest he should recognize her, and it would prove a
hindrance in her path, and willing to comfort him, she said, "Believe
me, God will not despise thy groaning. If thy child were living in
wickedness, God would shew thee the way to her, that thou mightest
pluck her away. No! trust God, she has chosen the better course, and
is serving God somewhere. He is able to lead thee to her. Be of good
courage, He will reveal her to thee some day." Then she said "Go,
sir!" And as he retired, she grew deadly pale, and tears flowed from
her eyes. But he was full of comfort, and he said to the abbot, "I go
comforted as though to-day I had seen my child." And he returned home
magnifying the Lord.

Now after Smaragdus had lived thirty-eight years in the cell, she fell
sick, and knew that she must die. And when, on a certain day, as was
his frequent custom, Paphnutius came to the monastery, and asked to
see Smaragdus, the abbot bade that he should be conducted to the cell.
But when he found that Smaragdus lay sick, he kissed him, and weeping,
said "Woe is me! where are all the promises, and sweet hopes, that
thou didst give me, of seeing my daughter again? Not only do I not see
her, but thou in whom I have found some consolation, thou goest away,
and there is none left to be the comfort of my old age. For thirty and
eight years I have lost my daughter, and nothing has been revealed to
me concerning her, though I have prayed for her night and day." And
when Smaragdus saw the old man's distress and tears, he said, "Be of
good courage, is the hand of the Lord shortened, that He cannot
perform what is promised? Lay aside thy sorrow. Remember how Joseph
was revealed by God to the patriarch Jacob, who bewailed him as one
dead. But I pray thee, tarry here three days, and leave me not." So
Paphnutius remained beside him three days, for he said, "May be, the
Lord will reveal somewhat to him;" and he was all that while full of
anxiety. And on the third day he said, "I have waited, my brother!"
Then Smaragdus knew that he should not survive that day, and he said
to Paphnutius, "Draw near to me." And he drew near. Then said
Smaragdus, who is also Euphrosyne, "Because the Almighty Lord hath
brought me to the end of my contest, not by might of mine, but by His
help, there remaineth to me the crown. And now I would not have thee
troubled about thy daughter--I am thy daughter, Euphrosyne, and thou
art my father, Paphnutius. And now I pray thee, (for none know that I
am a woman), when I am dead, do thou, my father, wash and lay me out
for my grave, and pray for me." And when she had said this, she gave
up her soul. And it was the first of January.

 [Illustration: S. EUPHROSYNE FINDING HERSELF AT DEATH'S DOOR, MAKES
 HERSELF KNOWN TO HER FATHER.
 From the "Menologium Græcorum" of Cardinal Albani. Feb. 11]

Then when Paphnutius heard these words, and saw that she was fallen
asleep, all his bowels were moved, and he fell on the ground, and was
as one dead. Now Agapitus came running in, and saw Smaragdus dead, and
Paphnutius lying senseless on the ground, so he cast water on his face
and said, "What aileth thee, Master Paphnutius?" Then said Paphnutius,
"Let me go that I may die." And when he was risen up, he cast himself
on the face of the dead monk, and cried, "Woe is me! my sweetest
daughter, why didst thou not tell me before, that I might have died
with thee?" So Agapitus, having guessed the truth, was amazed, and
hasted and told the abbot, who came, and cried "Euphrosyne, spouse of
Christ, forget not thy fellow-servants, who dwell in this monastery,
but pray for us to our Lord Jesus Christ, that he may make us manfully
contend to reach the port of safety, and to have our portion with Him,
and with all His saints." Then he called all the brethren together,
and they buried Euphrosyne reverently. And after that her father came
and dwelt in the same cell, and was there for ten years, and after
that he migrated to God, and they laid him beside his daughter.


S. CEADMON, MONK.

(ABOUT A.D. 680.)

  [Anglican Martyrology, published by John Wilson. Authority:--Bede:
  Hist. Eccl. iv. 24.]

According to an usage very general in the 7th century in England, but
principally prevailing in Celtic countries, monasteries and nunneries
were placed under the rule of one abbot or abbess. This was the case
at Whitby, where the abbess Hilda governed a community of men, as well
as one of women; and she inspired the monks subject to her authority
with so great a devotion to their rule, so true a love of sacred
literature, that this monastery, ruled by a woman, became a true
school of missionaries, and even of bishops. But not all the bishops
and saints nurtured in her school, occupy in the annals of the human
mind a place comparable to that held by an old cowherd who lived on
the lands belonging to Hilda's community. It is on the lips of this
cowherd that Anglo-Saxon speech first bursts into poetry, and nothing
in the whole history of European literature is more original or more
religious than this first utterance of the English muse. His name was
Ceadmon. He had already reached an advanced age, having spent his life
in his humble occupation without ever learning music, or being able to
join in the joyous choruses which held such a high place at the feasts
and social gatherings of all classes, both poor and rich, among the
Anglo-Saxons as among the Celts. When it was his turn to sing at any
of these festal meetings, and the harp was handed to him, his custom
was to rise from the table and go home. One evening, when he had thus
withdrawn himself from his friends, he went back to his humble shed
and went to sleep by the side of the cattle. During his slumber he
heard a voice, which called him by name, and said to him, "Sing me
something"; to which he replied, "I cannot sing, and that is why I
have left the supper and am come hither." "Sing, notwithstanding,"
said the voice. "But what, then, shall I sing?" "Sing the beginning of
the world: the Creation." Immediately on receiving this command he
began to sing verses, of which before he had no knowledge, but which
celebrated the glory and power of the Creator. On awaking he
recollected all that he had sung in his dream, and hastened to tell
all that had happened to him to the farmer in whose service he was.

The Abbess Hilda, when the story was repeated to her, called for
Ceadmon and questioned him in the presence of all the learned men whom
she could assemble around her. He was made to relate his vision and
recite his songs, and then the different passages of sacred history
and various points of doctrine were explained to him that he might put
them into verse. The next morning he was again called, and immediately
began to repeat all that had been told him, in verses, which were
pronounced to be excellent. He was thus discovered all at once to
possess the gift of improvisation in his mother tongue. Hilda, and her
learned assessors, did not hesitate to recognise in this a special
gift of God, worthy of all respect and of the most tender care. She
received Ceadmon and his whole family within the monastic community of
Whitby, and afterwards admitted him to the number of monks who were
under her rule, and made him carefully translate the whole Bible into
Anglo-Saxon. As soon, accordingly, as the sacred history and the
gospel were narrated to him, he made himself master of the tale,
ruminated it, as Bede said, and transformed it into songs, so
beautiful that all who listened to him were delighted. He thus put
into verse the whole of Genesis and Exodus, with other portions of the
Old Testament, and, afterwards the life and passion of Our Lord, and
the Acts of the Apostles. His talent and his poetic faculty thus went
on, day by day, to fuller development, and he devoted numerous songs
to such subjects as were best calculated to induce his companions to
forsake evil, and love and practise the good: the terrors of the last
judgment, the pains of hell, the joys of paradise--all these great and
momentous subjects were in their turn woven into verse. The fragments
that remain enable us to estimate the earnest and impassioned
inspirations, strongly Christian and profoundly original, which
characterised these first efforts of genius, barbarous, but subdued
and baptized. But it would be a totally mistaken idea to recognise in
the Abbess Hilda's dependant, nothing but a poet or a literary
pioneer; he was, above all, a primitive Christian, a true monk, and,
in one word, a saint. His mind was simple and humble, mild and pure;
he served God with tranquil devotion, grateful for the extraordinary
grace that he had received from heaven. But he was full of zeal for
monastic regularity. No frivolous or worldly subjects ever inspired
his verse; he composed his songs only that they might be useful to the
soul, and their solemn beauty did even more for the conversion than
for the delight of his countrymen. Many were moved by them to despise
this world, and to turn with ardent love to the divine life. He died
as poets seldom die. At the very beginning of his illness he desired
his bed to be made in that part of the infirmary which was assigned to
the dying, and, while smiling and talking cheerfully with his
brethren, asked for the _viaticum_. At the moment when he was about to
administer the Communion to himself, from the pyx brought from the
Church, according to the usage of the period, and while holding in his
hands the Holy Eucharist, he asked all those around him, if any one
had any grudge against him, or any complaint to make? All answered,
"No." Then said he, "I, too, my children, have a mind at peace with
all God's servants." A little while after he had received the
venerable Sacrament, as they were about to waken the monks for Matins,
he made the sign of the Cross, laid his head on the pillow, and fell
asleep in silence, to awake no more.


S. THEODORA, EMPRESS.

(A.D. 867.)

  [Commemorated by the Greeks; not regarded as a Saint by the Western
  Church.]

Theodora, wife of Theophilus, the Byzantine Emperor, has the glory of
having brought to an end the triumph of the Iconoclasts in the East.
After the death of her savage husband she ruled during the minority of
her son, Michael III. Her claim to sanctity is certainly very
questionable.

[32] The term used throughout in the Acts is "the Collect."

[33] These were, by laying her head on the altar to offer it to God,
and all her life after wearing her hair long, as did the ancient
Nazarenes: Act. p. 417. S. Optatus, c. 6. S. Ambr. and Virg. c. 8. But
in Egypt and Syria the ceremony of this consecration consisted in the
virgin cutting off her hair in the presence of a priest.

[34] An instance of a child being, in the fourth century, allowed to
assist at Mass.

[35] _Lebito_, or _Levitonarium_, described thus in the life of S.
Pachomius, c. 14. Levitonarium est colobium lineum sine manticis,
quali Monachi Ægyptii utuntur.




February 12.

  S. EULALIA, _V. M. at Barcelona_, A.D. 303.
  S. MELETIUS THE GREAT, _Patr. of Antioch_, A.D. 381.
  S. RIOCH, _Monk in Brittany_, 5th cent.
  S. ETHELWOLD, _B. of Lindisfarne_, A.D. 740.
  S. BENEDICT OF ANIANE, _Ab._, A.D. 821.
  S. ANTONY CAULEAS, _Patr. of Constantinople_, A.D. 896.
  S. BENEDICT, _B. of Albenga, in N. Italy_, A.D. 900.
  S. GOSLIN, _Ab. of Turin_, A.D. 1061.
  S. LUDAN, _C. near Strasbourg_, A.D. 1202.


S. EULALIA, V. M.

(A.D. 303.)

  [There are two saints of this name very celebrated in Spain, whereof
  one is of Merida, the other, the subject of this notice, of
  Barcelona. The former is commemorated on the 10th of December; the
  latter on Feb. 12th. The former is said to have been aged twelve or
  thirteen, the latter aged fourteen. There is also a striking
  similarity in their acts and their legends; and it seems that
  writers have often confounded the one with the other, that is,
  supposing there were two saints, virgins and martyrs of this name.
  But it seems not improbable, that the Eulalia of Barcelona and her
  namesake of Merida are the same. Such a mistake as the making one
  saint into two might easily arise, if a portion of the relics of
  Eulalia of Barcelona had been transferred to Merida. Martyrologists
  as generally name a saint as "of such a place" by the place where
  his or her relics are, as by the scene of the martyrdom. The Roman
  Martyrology says, on Feb. 12th, "At Barcelona, in Spain, S. Eulalia,
  V., who endured the little-horse, hooks, and flames, in the reign of
  Diocletian, the Emperor, and was finally fastened to a cross,[36]
  and received the crown of Martyrdom." Usuardus says much the same.
  The Martyrologies of Bede, Ado, and Notker enter into fuller
  details. The feast of S. Eulalia is observed with an octave
  according to ancient custom, sanctioned by a decree of the
  Congregation of Rites, Dec. 6th, 1608, at Barcelona, even when it
  falls in Lent. It is difficult to fix the date of the Acts, but it
  is certain that we have not got them in their original form, though
  there is no reason for doubting their substantial authority.]

Eulalia, the daughter of Christian parents, lived on a farm outside
the gates of Barcelona. Now, when she heard that persecution had
broken out, she cried, "Thanks do I render to Thee, Lord Jesu Christ,
and glory to Thy holy Name, for now I behold that which I have
desired, and I believe that with Thy help all my desire shall find
accomplishment." Then the young girl at night escaped from her home,
and, entering the city in the morning, presented herself before the
magistrate, and defied him and his gods. The magistrate ordered her to
be whipped, thinking that the lashes on her tender skin would subdue
her constancy. But he was mistaken. She accepted the sufferings with
joy, and was then stretched on the little-horse and her sides torn
with iron hooks and burnt with torches. And in her agony she looked up
to heaven and cried, "Lord Jesu Christ, hear my prayer, and perfect
Thy work in me, and bid me be numbered among Thine elect in the rest
of life eternal." And when she had so prayed, her soul sped from her,
and entered into the Paradise of God, as a dove flies to its nest.
Then the executioners cast her off from the rack upon the
blood-stained soil; but the magistrate ordered, "Let the body hang to
be devoured by the birds of the air." Then a light snow began to fall
out of heaven and softly cover the virgin's naked and mangled body
with a pure white pall. Then the executioners, astonished, withdrew,
and on the third day the Christians were allowed to bear away the
sacred relics.

Patroness of Barcelona and of sailors. Her relics are preserved at
Barcelona, in the Cathedral. She is represented in art, with her soul,
as a dove, issuing from her mouth, or lying covered with snow before a
rack. It seems to be an error to regard her as having been crucified.
In the Acts the command of the magistrate is, "Let her hang on the
cross"; but this refers to the rack on which she was stretched. She
is, however, sometimes represented with a cross.


S. MELETIUS, PATR. OF ANTIOCH.

(A.D. 381.)

  [Commemorated by Greeks and Romans on the same day. But Maurolycus,
  by mistake, inserts him along with S. Meletius, B. of Pontus, on
  Dec. 4th. Authorities:--Sozomen, Socrates, Theodoret, and the
  oration of S. John Chrysostom in his honour.]

The history of this noble Confessor is a sad one, for it opens up to
us a picture of the dissensions which tore the Church in the 4th
century. It will be remembered that the Church was at that period
suffering from the prevalence of Arianism, which denied the Eternal
Godhead of the Son. Favoured by the Court, Arianism had penetrated
into the Church on all sides; many of the bishops were Arian, others
were semi-Arian, unwilling to pronounce decidedly against the Godhead
of Christ, and unwilling also to declare that great doctrine to be the
Truth. The election of the bishops being in the hands of the people,
if among the laity and clergy low views of Christ's nature prevailed,
an Arian was chosen to be their bishop. It was none the better when
the emperors interfered to nominate, for they would expel an orthodox
prelate and substitute for him one who was an Arian. And it must be
remembered that Arians were at that time mixed up with Catholics, as
parties in the Church, and did not at first stand to one another in
the position of separate and antagonistic communions. By the
predominance of the votes of Arians, Meletius was elected and
consecrated bishop of Beroea, and was afterwards by the same
influence translated to the See of Sebaste.[37] He was present at the
council of Seleucia (359), where he sided with the shifty semi-Arian
Acacius of Cæsarea. But his eyes seem to have opened to the truth, and
that gentle and peace-loving disposition which made him at first
willing to soften differences was braced up by the imminence of the
danger to true religion, to take a bold step. A council, assembled at
Antioch in 361, placed Meletius in the see. This excellent man had a
persuasive eloquence and a disposition which endeared him both to
Catholics and Arians. A rumour began to spread that he was positively
Catholic. After some sermons of a general character, he was desired to
take part in a series of expositions of the great controverted text,
Prov. viii. 22. After George, bishop of Laodicea, had given a strongly
Arian address, and Acacius, bishop of Cæsarea, had read a paper which
seemed to aim at a safe ambiguity, Meletius rose, and asserted, in
unequivocal language, the essential doctrine of Nicæa. The church rang
with cries of applause and wrath, proceeding from Catholics and
Arians. The Arian archdeacon stopped the new patriarch's mouth with
his hand. Meletius held out three fingers, then one; and when his lips
were freed by the archdeacon's seizing his hands, he repeated aloud
his former words, and exhorted the people to cling to the Nicene
faith. This could not be borne; the council, at another session,
deposed Meletius; the Emperor Constantius drove him into exile;
Euzoius, an old comrade of Arius, was made bishop of Antioch; and a
new creed was published which affirmed that the Son was in nowise like
to the Father, and was made out of what once was not. This led to a
separation between the Catholics and the Arians. The latter were put
in possession of all the churches, by imperial authority.
Unfortunately, the Catholics were divided. Many held with the orthodox
banished patriarch, Meletius, but some of the more obstinate refused
to acknowledge him, and to communicate with those who did, because he
had been ordained through Arian influence at Sebaste. On the accession
of the Emperor Julian the Apostate, Lucifer, bishop of Cagliari, and
Eusebius of Vercelli resolved to do what was possible to allay the
miserable schisms which devastated the East and Egypt. Accordingly a
council was summoned at Alexandria, to which Eusebius betook himself,
but Lucifer, sending a representative to the council, hasted to
Antioch, where, with that unfortunate precipitancy which characterised
all his actions, he ordained one Paulinus to the Patriarchate, a man
belonging to the extreme orthodox side, without waiting the return of
Meletius, who had been recalled from banishment. As soon as the
council of Alexandria had reinstated S. Athanasius, Eusebius of
Vercelli arrived at Antioch, and found that the visit of Lucifer of
Cagliari had made matters worse instead of healing divisions. There
were now three Patriarchs of Antioch: one, Euzoius, the Arian, in
possession of all the churches except one, which, out of personal
friendship for Paulinus he had ceded to him; another, Meletius, the
banished and now recalled patriarch, against whose orthodoxy no breath
of doubt was raised; and Paulinus, acknowledged by the Roman pontiff,
at the head of a small party who rejected Meletius, because he had
once been mixed up with Arians. Eusebius regretted what had been done,
but his respect for Lucifer, says Socrates, induced him to be silent
about it, and, on his departure, he engaged that all things should be
set right by a council of bishops. Subsequently, he laboured with
great earnestness to unite the dissentients, but without effect.
Shortly after the departure of Eusebius, Meletius arrived in Antioch,
and was obliged to assemble the faithful who clung to him outside the
walls of the city. This was in 362. On June 26th, 363, Julian died,
and his successor, Jovian, was a Catholic. Instantly the party of
Acacius held a conclave, and agreed to become orthodox, conforming to
the Catholic creed, showing very plainly, says Socrates, that their
great object was to be in agreement with the imperial mind. Acacius
had a meeting with Meletius, and joined his party.

The Emperor Jovian was succeeded by Valens in the East, in 364, and
Meletius was again driven into exile, for the cruel tyrant was an
Arian. As he was being taken out of the city in the chariot of the
governor, the mob, exasperated at losing their beloved prelate, would
have stoned the chief magistrate, had not Meletius screened him with
his mantle. He was banished into Armenia, and during his absence, the
Catholics were left without pastors through the severity of the
imperial orders. Valens fell before the Goths, in the great battle of
Hadrianople, in 378, and was succeeded by Gratian, who recalled the
bishops that had been banished, and ordered "that the churches should
be given up to those who held communion with Damasus, bishop of
Rome."[38] Paulinus promised to communicate on the subject with
Damasus. "Meletius, the mildest of men," continues Theodoret,
"addressed Paulinus in a kind and affectionate manner: 'As God,' said
he, 'committed to me the care of this flock, and as you have received
the charge of another, and as our respective sheep hold the same
doctrines, let us, O friend, unite our flocks. Let us throw aside all
contests for superiority, and tend with equal assiduity the sheep
entrusted to us. If the episcopal chair of this city be to us a matter
of contention, let us place the holy gospel upon it, and let us seat
ourselves on each side of it. If I die first, thou, O friend, wilt
become the only ruler of the flock; but if your death occur before
mine, I will, as far as I am able, tend the flock alone.' Paulinus,
however, refused to comply with the offer so kindly and affectionately
made by Meletius. The general sent by Gratian to execute his orders,
after reflecting on what had been stated, gave up the churches to the
holy Meletius. Paulinus continued to rule those who had from the
beginning separated themselves from the rest of the flock."

S. Athanasius, S. Eusebius of Samosata, S. Gregory Nazianzen, S.
Gregory Nyssen, S. Basil the Great, S. Cyril of Jerusalem, S. Pelagius
of Laodicæa, S. Amphilochius of Iconium, and nearly the whole of the
East were in communion with Meletius, whereas Paulinus alone was
acknowledged by Pope Damasus of Rome, the whole of the West, and
Egypt. The Pope sent to him a synodal letter denouncing various
heresies which prevailed in the East. Meletius at once summoned a
council at Antioch, in 378, and accepted the synodal letter, though
addressed to his rival.

Two great saints arose from the rival parties: S. Jerome, who was
ordained priest by Paulinus, and S. John Chrysostom, who was the
disciple of Meletius, from whom he received deacon's orders.

The Emperor Theodosius resolved to assemble a council in order to
settle various affairs concerning the welfare of the Church, and to
crush the Macedonian heresy. The bishops, 150 in number, met at
Constantinople on May 2nd, 381, and Meletius was appointed to preside.
"When the whole assembly of bishops had been ushered into the palace,"
says Theodoret, "the emperor, without noticing the others, ran up
directly to the great Meletius, and embraced him kissed his eyes,
lips, breast, head, and the right hand which had crowned him, and
exhibited all those demonstrations of affection which would be shown
by a dutiful son on beholding a beloved father after a long
separation."[39] During the council, Meletius was attacked by an
illness which proved fatal. He exhorted the bishops to peaceful
courses, and died while the council was sitting. "Where now," asked S.
Gregory of Nyssa, in the funeral sermon, "is that sweet calm look,
that radiant smile, that kind hand which was wont to second the kind
voice?" His name, as S. Gregory observed, expressed the sweetness of
his character; and S. Chrysostom adds, that so dear had the gentle
patriarch become to the people of Antioch that they had engraved his
likeness on their rings, their cups, and the walls of their bed-rooms.
His funeral was magnificent; lights were borne before the embalmed
corpse, and psalms sung--this latter was "a practice quite contrary to
the usual Roman customs," curiously says Sozomen.[40] These honours
were repeated in all cities through which it passed, until it rested
beside the grave of S. Babylas, at Antioch.


S. ETHELWOLD, B. OF LINDISFARNE.

(A.D. 740.)

  [Anglican Martyrology of Wilson. Authorities:--Simeon of Durham and
  Malmesbury.]

There is nothing of much importance to relate concerning this saint,
who was minister to S. Cuthbert in Farne, afterwards abbot of Mailros,
and finally bishop of Lindisfarne.


S. BENEDICT OF ANIANE, AB.

(A.D. 821.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--His life by Ardo Smaragdus, his
  disciple.]

This Benedict, the reviver of monastic discipline, was the son of
Aigulf, Count of Languedoc, and served King Pepin and his son
Charlemagne as cupbearer. But, at the age of twenty, he resolved to
seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness with all his heart. From
that time forward he led a mortified life in the Court for three
years, eating sparingly and allowing himself little sleep. In 774,
having narrowly escaped drowning, he made a vow to quit the world
entirely. Returning to Languedoc, he was confirmed in his resolution
by the advice of a hermit, named Widmar, and, under pretext of going
to the Court at Aix-la-Chapelle, he went to the abbey of S. Seine,
five leagues from Dijon, and became a monk there. His discipline of
himself was most severe. He frequently spent the whole night in
prayer, standing barefoot on the ground in a keen frost. On the death
of the abbot, the brethren desired to elect Benedict, but he, knowing
their aversion to a reformation, left them, and retired to a
hermitage, in 780, on the brook Aniane, on his own estate in
Languedoc. Here he was joined by the hermit Widmar and other
solitaries, who placed themselves under his direction. They earned
their livelihood by their labour, and lived on bread and water, except
on Sundays and great festivals. In a short while Benedict had three
hundred monks under his rule, and he built a monastery; and also
exercised the office of general inspector to all the monasteries of
Provence, Languedoc, and Gascony. King Louis the Pious, who succeeded
his father, Charlemagne, in 814, committed to the saint the inspection
of all the abbeys in his kingdom. In 817 he presided at an assembly of
abbots, to enforce restoration of discipline in their monasteries. He
died at Inde, a monastery near Aix-la-Chapelle, on February 11th, 821,
at the age of seventy one; but his festival is usually observed on the
following day, which is that of his burial.

[36] This is a mistake, as Bollandus has pointed out; the cross means
the little-horse on which she was extended.

[37] It is uncertain whether he was first at Sebaste or at Beroea.
Socrates says he was translated from Beroea to Sebaste, but there
are circumstances which make this statement impossible to reconcile
with other facts.

[38] Theodoret, lib. v. c. 2.

[39] Lib. v., c. 7.

[40] Lib. vii., c. 10.

 [Illustration: The Papermaker.]




February 13.

  SS. FUSCA, _V._, AND MAURA, _MM. at Ravenna, 3rd cent._
  S. POLYEUCTUS, _M. at Melitene, in Armenia; circ._ A.D. 259.
  S. JULIANA, _Matron at Turin, 9th cent._
  S. DOMNINUS, _B. of Digne in France, 4th cent._
  S. CASTOR, _P. at Coblenz, end of 4th cent._
  S. MARTIAN, _H. in Palestine; circ._ A.D. 400.
  S. STEPHEN, _of Lyons, B. C.; circ._ A.D. 512.
  S. MODOMNOC, _of Ossory, C. 6th cent._
  S. STEPHEN, _Ab. of Riete in Italy, 6th cent._
  S. LICINIUS, _B. of Angers; circ._ A.D. 617.
  S. ERMENILDA, _Q. Abbess of Ely; circ._ 700.
  S. GREGORY II., _B. of Rome_; A.D. 731.
  SS. AYMON AND WEREMUND, _Counts of Turbio in Italy; circ._ A.D. 790.
  S. FULCRAN, _B. of Lodeve in France_, A.D. 1006.
  S. GISLBERT, _B. of Meaux, after_ A.D. 1000.
  B. JORDAN, _O. S.D._ A.D. 1237.
  S. CATHERINE, _of Ricci, V., O. S.D_., A.D. 1590.


SS. FUSCA AND MAURA, MM.

(3RD CENT.)

  [Roman Martyrology. It is doubtful whether these martyrs suffered
  under Caracalla, or under Decius. The Roman Martyrology says "under
  Decius;" the Acts are silent on this point. Baronius says under
  Decius, in the year 254; but Decius fell in 251. There exist several
  editions of the Acts, all apparently derived from the original
  authentic account of their passion, and differing from one another
  in no important particular.]

The blessed Fusca was a young girl of Ravenna, aged fifteen, who, with
her nurse Maura, had been instructed in the faith of Christ, and had
been baptized by S. Hermolaus. Her parents, who were heathens, were
exceedingly annoyed, and endeavoured by persuasion and threats to turn
their daughter from her confidence in God; and on one occasion her
father was so far exasperated as to rush upon her to strike her, but
the mother interposed and restrained him. The Præfect Quintianus,
hearing of the conversion of Fusca, sent for her, together with her
nurse, and having scourged her, ordered the executioner to run her
through with his spear. The maiden fell into the arms of Maura, and
the old woman, clasping her bleeding mistress, implored the man to
despatch her also; this request was readily complied with, and the
nurse and her young charge died together.

The relics of these holy martyrs are preserved at Torcelli. In Art
they are represented holding a spear.


S. POLYEUCTUS, M.

(ABOUT 259.)

  [Commemorated by Greeks, Armenians, and Latins. The ancient Roman
  Martyrology, called that of S. Jerome, on Jan. 7th, as also the
  Armenians; another on Feb. 13th; another on Feb. 14th; by the Greeks
  on Jan. 9th. Usuardus, Ado, and the modern Roman Martyrology on
  Feb. 13th; some ancient ones on Jan. 10th. There are two editions of
  the Acts of S. Polyeuctus, one in Latin, the other in Greek, based
  on the original by Nearchus, who took his body to burial after his
  death. The following account is a literal translation of the later
  Acts.]

Whilst the Christians, especially those in the East, were suffering
persecution under the Emperors Decius and Valerian, there were two men
very friendly, Polyeuctus and Nearchus by name. Now Nearchus was a
Christian, but Polyeuctus was a heathen. But when Decius and Valerian
could not be satiated with the blood of the saints, they issued an
edict that those Christians who would sacrifice to the gods, should be
favoured by the majesty of the empire, but that those who refused
should be cruelly punished. Which things being heard, Nearchus, who
desired to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, lamented because his
comrade, whom he loved as a second self, would be left in peril of
eternal damnation. Going therefore to his friend, Polyeuctus, he
announced to him that on the morrow their friendship must come to an
end. And when he answered that death alone could terminate this,
Nearchus said, "You speak the truth, we are about to be separated by
death." And he showed him the imperial edict. Then Polyeuctus narrated
to Nearchus how Christ had appeared to him in vision, and had taken
off his dirty vestment, together with his military harness, and had
thrown over him a gorgeous silk robe, linking it at his shoulder with
a golden brooch, and had mounted him on a winged horse. Hearing this,
Nearchus was glad, and having expounded the vision, and instructed
Polyeuctus more fully in the faith, his friend believed perfectly, and
began to thirst for martyrdom.

Now when Polyeuctus declared himself openly to be a Christian, and
rebuked idolatry, being tried by the persecutors, he was for a long
time tortured. And when he had been a long while scourged with rods,
the tormentors were weary, and endeavoured to persuade him with bland
speeches and promises, to return to the worship of the gods. But he,
remaining immoveable in the confession of the Lord, and deriding them,
was more furiously beaten.

Then came his wife and only son, and she filled the place with her
cries, and held out to him his son, alleging his marriage ties, with
many tears and sighs, and laboured to call the saint from martyrdom,
by the thoughts of his son, of his wealth, and of his friends. But he,
divinely inspired, could not be separated from Christ by any
temptations, but all the more exhorted his wife to desert her idols
and believe in Christ.

Now when the governors saw that the constancy of the martyr was not to
be shaken, they pronounced capital sentence against him. And when the
martyr heard this, he gave thanks, and praising God, was led to the
place of execution, confirming the faithful with his holy
exhortations, so that not a few of the unbelievers were converted.
Then, turning to the Blessed Nearchus, he announced to him that he
should follow him according to mutual agreement; and bidding him
farewell, died a glorious death.


S. CASTOR, P. C.

(END OF 4TH CENTURY.)

  [Cologne, Belgian, Treves Martyrologies. The accounts we have of him
  are not of any great antiquity.]

S. Castor was ordained first deacon, and then priest, by S. Maximus,
second bishop of Trèves. He was appointed to preach the Gospel at
Carden, on the Moselle, where is a church founded by him. A popular
legend represents him as having asked of a boat which was going up the
river with a load of salt, a small quantity of that useful condiment,
which was however refused him; but when the vessel was shortly after
nigh sinking in a storm, Castor saved it by making the sign of the
cross over the tossing waves. His body, or part of it, was translated
in after years to Coblenz.


S. MARTIAN, H.

(ABOUT 300.)

  [Commemorated by the Greeks with special solemnity on this day.
  Authority:--A Life written by a contemporary. Anciently, S. Martian
  was venerated at Constantinople in the Church of S. Peter, with
  great honour, probably because his relics reposed there.]

Martian was a native of Cæsarea in Palestine. At the age of eighteen
he retired to a mountain near that city, where he lived for
twenty-five years among many holy solitaries in the practice of all
virtues. A courtesan of Cæsarea, called Zoe, having heard of his
sanctity, moved by an evil spirit, resolved to endeavour to lead him
into sin. One stormy night she presented herself at his door, and
cried to be admitted. "Have pity on me!" she pleaded, "I fear the wild
beasts, I have lost my way!" Then he admitted her, and when she used
all her efforts to fascinate him, and he felt his heart rebel against
the law of God, by a sudden act of resolution, he thrust his legs into
the fire, crying, "O Martian! how feels this fire to thee now? Yet it
is not comparable to that which the devil kindles to consume the
sinner."

The woman, horror-struck at his proceeding, was filled with shame at
her wicked purpose and manner of life. She burst into tears, and
entreated the holy man to give her a rule whereby she might conform
her life to the will of God. Then he sent her to S. Paula,[41] who
governed a convent at Bethlehem, who received her; and Zoe became a
model of penitence, eating only once a day, and sometimes spending two
days without food; sleeping on the bare ground, and ever bewailing
with many tears her former wicked life.

Martian, after his legs were healed, resolved to escape to some place
where he could not be tempted so readily. He therefore found a rock at
some little distance from the shore, in the sea, and in that was a
cave. Martian spent six years in this solitude, deprived of all human
consolations, but full of joy in being separated from all creatures
who might draw his heart from God. After the lapse of six years, one
stormy day a vessel was wrecked near his islet, and a girl, who was
one of the passengers, managed to save herself upon the rock of
Martian. The hermit was placed in a sore predicament; he had no wish
for the society of a young damsel in his place of retreat, and yet he
had no power to drive her from her refuge. He therefore said to her,
"My daughter, we must not both live here together. In two months a
ship will touch on this island to bring me what is needful for my
support. Till then there is bread and water in my cave. Take it, and
live here; when the ship arrives, tell the captain how you came here,
and he will take you on board and convey you to the main land." Then
he flung himself into the sea and swam ashore. For two years he
wandered without finding a home, but at last died at Athens. The girl
left on the island, had, in the meantime, become attached to the
solitary life, and when the boat arrived, she besought the ship-master
to give her a warm dress, some wool to spin, and bread and water. The
captain readily promised to do as she required, and returned shortly
after with his wife, bringing her all she needed; and from that day he
came to the island every three months, bringing her what she needed,
during the six years she lived there.


S. MODOMNOC, C.

(6TH CENT.)

  [Irish Martyrologies. Sometimes called S. Domnoc.]

This saint, who is greatly reverenced in Ossory, was a pupil of S.
David in Wales, but a native of Ireland, a member of the princely
house of the Nialls, son of Saran, and fourth in descent from Eugene,
one of the sons of Neill Neigilliach. After having spent some time in
Wales in the little monastery cultivating flowers and vegetables and
bees, he returned to his native island. And as he mounted the ship,
his bees swarmed, and settled on the boat. So Modomnoc took the swarm
with him to the Emerald Isle. After his return home he served God at
Tiprat Fachtua, in the west of Ossory, near the Suir, now Tibrach, in
Kilkenny.


S. LICINIUS, B. C.

(ABOUT A.D. 617.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Usuardus, Gallican Martyrologies, &c.
  Authorities:--Two ancient lives, one by an anonymous author, the
  other by Marbod, archdeacon of Angers, and afterwards Bishop of
  Rennes.]

This saint was born about the year 540, and at the age of twenty was
sent to the court of King Clothaire I., whose cousin he was. He was
made Count of Anjou by King Chilperic, and was about to be married in
578, when, on the wedding morning, the bride was struck with leprosy.
This incident so affected Licinius, that he renounced the world; and
in the year 600, was elected bishop of Angers, where he set an example
of great piety and zeal. He is called in French _Lessin_.


S. ERMENILDA, Q. ABSS.

(ABOUT A.D. 700.)

  [Wytford, Maurolycus, Carthusian Mart. of Cologne, Ferrarius and
  Cansius. Authorities:--Bede, John of Brompton, the Historia
  Eliensis, &c.]

Ermenilda was the daughter of the saintly queen of Kent, Sexburga, who
after the death of her husband, and regency till her son was of age,
retired to Ely, where she became abbess. Ermenilda was married to
Wulfhere, king of Mercia, and became the mother of S. Wereburga. She
used all the influence which the love of her husband gave her to
extirpate the last vestiges of idolatry in the country which had been
the centre and last bulwark of Anglo-Saxon heathenism. The example of
her virtues was the most effectual of sermons, and it was, above all,
by her incomparable sweetness, her pity for all misfortunes, her
unwearied kindness, that she touched the hearts of her subjects most.
Like her mother, it was her desire to offer herself entirely to God;
to whom she had finally led back her people; as soon as she became a
widow, she took the veil like her mother, and under her mother--for it
was to Ely that she went to live in humility and chastity, under a
doubly maternal rule. The mother and daughter contended which should
give the finest examples of humility and charity. At last, and still
following in her mother's steps, Ermenilda, on the death of Sexburga,
became abbess, and was thus the third princess of the blood of the
Uffings who ruled the flourishing community of Ely. The local
chronicle affirms that it was not her birth, but her virtues, and even
her love of holy poverty, which made her preferred to all others by
the unanimous suffrages of her numerous companions. She showed herself
worthy of their choice; she was less a superior than a mother. After a
life full of holiness and justice, her soul went to receive its
eternal reward in heaven, and her body was buried beside those of her
mother and aunt, in the church of the great abbey, which had thus the
singular privilege of having for its three first abbesses, a queen of
Northumbria, a queen of Kent, and a queen of Mercia.


S. GREGORY II., POPE.

(A.D. 731.)

  [Roman and other Western Martyrologies on this day, though he died
  on Feb. 10th.]

S. Gregory II. was ordained sub-deacon by pope Sergius I., and under
the four succeeding popes he acted as treasurer and librarian to the
Church in Rome. When elected pope, he signalized himself by his
unwearied zeal in defending the pure faith against heresy, and in
combating the Iconoclasts who, protected by the Emperor Leo the
Isaurian, waged war against sacred pictures and images.

The tyrant sent officers on several occasions to murder the holy pope;
but he was so faithfully guarded by the Romans, that he escaped
unhurt. He held the pontificate fifteen years, eight months, and
twenty-three days, and died on Feb. 10th, 731.


S. FULCRAN, B. C.

(A.D. 1006.)

  [Gallican Martyrology, Authority:--A Life by Bishop Bernard Guido,
  compiled from ancient notices and lives of this saint, published by
  Bollandus.]

The blessed Fulcran was a native of Lodeve, in the archdiocese of
Narbonne, in France; and from his childhood exhibited marked piety. He
was educated by Theodoric, Bishop of Lodeve, who also ordained him. On
the death of Theodoric, the city elected Fulcran to be his successor;
and he was consecrated at Narbonne by Archbishop Imerick, on the 4th
February, 949. His zeal and humility endeared him to his flock, as did
also his abundant charity in time of famine. Having been told of a
certain neighbouring bishop that had fallen into heresy, Fulcran, in a
moment of indignation, without weighing his words, exclaimed, "The man
deserves to be burnt!" Shortly after he heard that the people had
burnt the bishop alive. He was at once filled with remorse, fearing
lest his rash and uncharitable speech should have been reported, and
encouraged the people to commit this crime. Unable to find rest of
conscience, he went to Rome, and entering the city, tore the clothes
off his back, and bade his companions beat him through the streets
with thorn branches, till he reached the Church of S. Peter, where he
made his confession with many tears. After this, he returned to his
diocese, but again feeling agonies of remorse, revisited Rome, and
again a third time, subjecting himself to various penances. When his
end drew near, he announced it to his friends, and the rumour
spreading, multitudes poured to Lodeve to see him for the last time,
and receive his parting benediction. Though consumed with fever, he
said Mass in the Cathedral before all, and weeping, prayed for his
flock; then he blessed the tomb he had ordered to be prepared for
himself, and died peacefully shortly after.


S. CATHARINE DE RICCI, V.

(A.D. 1590.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Canonised by Pope Benedict XIV, in 1746.]

S. Catharine, born of the noble Ricci family at Florence, from her
infancy exhibited a precocious piety. Being placed in a convent when
young, she prayed every day before a crucifix, shedding many tears,
and meditating continually on the passion. She afterwards entered the
Dominican convent of S. Vincent, in the town of Prato. She was asked
to come home, but refused to revisit her parents till they had given
her a promise that they would not oppose her vocation. At the age of
thirteen she embraced the religious profession.

The grace of God descended upon her in abundant measure, and she is
said to have received from our Blessed Lord the ring of espousal, and
the stigmata. Being at Prato, she is said also to have seen and
conversed with S. Philip Neri, who was then in Rome. At length after a
life of great self-denial and continual ecstasy, exhausted by grave
sickness, and strengthened with the sacraments of the Church, she
departed to her rest, in the year 1590, in the sixty-ninth year of her
age, on Feb. 2nd.

[41] See Jan. 26th.




February 14.

  SS. VITALIS, FECHULA, ZENO, _MM. at Rome_.
  S. ELEUCODIUS, _B. of Ravenna_, A.D. 112.
  S. VALENTINE, _P. M. at Rome_, A.D. 269.
  S. VALENTINE, _B. M. at Teramo in Umbria; circ._ A.D. 273.
  SS. MODESTINE, _B._, FLORENTINE, _P._, AND FLAVIAN, _D., at Avellino
      in Italy_.
  S. MARO, _H. in Syria; circ._ A.D. 370.
  S. ABRAHAM, _B. at Carrhæ, in Mesopotamia; circ._ A.D. 390.
  S. AUXENTIUS, _Ab. in Bithynia; circ._ A.D. 470.
  S. ANTONINE, _Ab. at Sorrento; circ._ A.D. 830.
  SS. BRUNO, _B._, AND EIGHTEEN COMPANIONS, _in Prussia, MM._
      A.D. 1008.


S. VALENTINE, P. M.

(A.D. 269.)

  [All Western Martyrologies. Acts contained in those of SS. Marius,
  Martha, Audifax, and Habachuc.]

This saint was a priest of the Roman Church, and was put in chains by
Claudius II. for having assisted the martyrs during the Emperor's
persecution of the Christians. Calpurnius, the prefect of the city,
who had charge of him, intrusted him to the care of Asterius, his
chief officer. S. Valentine used his opportunity, and preached the
faith to his guard, and restored sight to his adopted daughter.
Asterius was converted and baptized with his whole family, and
confirmed by a bishop named Callistus. Claudius hearing this,
condemned Valentine to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards beheaded.
He suffered on the Flaminian Way, on February 14th, A.D. 269.

The body of S. Valentine is preserved in the Church of S. Praxedis, in
Rome; but the head in that of S. Sebastian. Much difficulty is caused
by the great number of relics of saints called Valentine, commemorated
on the same day, but of whose acts nothing is known.

There is a S. Valentine, bishop and martyr, whose body is preserved at
Baga, in the Asturias, and the head at Toro, on the Douro.

The body of a S. Valentine, together with that of a S. Albinus, and S,
Paulianus, Bishop of Rieux, are preserved at Annecy. The body of
another S. Valentine, M. at Rome, was extracted from the cemetery of
S. Calixtus, and given by Pope Urban VIII. to the monastery of
Socuellamos, in Albacete, in Spain. Another body claiming to be that
of a S. Valentine, Roman martyr, is venerated in Belgium, at Hamme;
this body was extracted from the catacomb of S. Laurence on the
Flaminian Way, and given by Pope Gregory XV., in 1623, to Count Louis
Egmont; part of these relics were translated to Armentières on the
Lys, upon the French frontier. Again, another body of a S. Valentine,
martyr at Rome, was found in the catacomb of S. Cyriac, and was given
in 1651 to the Jesuits of Ghent. The name was so common in the later
period of the Roman Empire, that it is probable there were many
martyrs of the same name. This is proved by the discovery in the
catacombs of three, with the palm branch and bottle of blood. Besides,
the ancient Martyrology, called that of S. Jerome, mentions on this
day, "In Africa, Valentine and twenty-four soldiers, martyrs," of whom
nothing further is known. There was also a S. Valentine, first Bishop
of Teramo, in Umbria, who having healed the crippled son of one Crato,
a citizen of distinction, was seized and beheaded by order of the
governor, about the year 273.


S. ABRAHAM, B. C.

(ABOUT A.D. 390.)

  [Greek Menæa. Authority:--The Philotheus of Theodoret, c. 17.]

Abraham was a native of Cyrus in Syria, and a monk, who, moved by
desire to spread the kingdom of God, visited the Lebanon in the
quality of a merchant buying nuts. And whilst there he collected the
Christians into his hut, and together they recited the divine office
in a low tone. But when the heathen heard the subdued strains of
music, they supposed that they were engaged in incantations, and
assembled about the house, then climbed upon the roof, broke it, and
poured down dust and sand upon those within, to choke and bury them.
However some of the elders of the village interfered, and the
half-stifled Christians were drawn out of the house, and bidden to
depart. After this the taxgatherers of the Emperor came round, and the
people being hardly able to pay, Abraham went to Emesa and begged the
money, and then, returning, paid the tax for the whole village,
thereby completely conciliating the barbarous people, who at once
insisted on his remaining among them, and teaching them the way of
God. He accordingly sought priest's orders, and became their pastor
for three years, till he was elected Bishop of Charan. In his new
position he remained a monk, living on lettuces and water, and never
using a bed for rest, nor fire for warmth. Every night he chanted
forty hymns, interspersed with prayer, and slept seated in his chair.
The Emperor Theodosius visited him, having heard of his fame, and
found him a poor old man in a country smock, unable to speak a word of
Greek.


S. AUXENTIUS, AB. P.

(ABOUT A.D. 470.)

  [Commemorated on the same day by Greeks and Latins. Authorities:--A
  life by a contemporary and a disciple; mention also by Sozomen, who
  wrote his history before Auxentius had retired from the world, and
  whilst the saint was setting a holy example in the court of
  Theodosius the Younger.]

S. Auxentius was the son of Abdas, a Persian Christian, who had fled
to Syria from the persecution of king Sapor. In the reign of
Theodosius the Younger, Auxentius visited Constantinople, to see his
uncle, who had a charge in the imperial guard; but finding that he was
dead, he attached himself to the court, and was placed in the fourth
company of the guards. He was well built, handsome, active, and
strong, and to these bodily perfections was added a lively
intelligence, and rigid rectitude. Sozomen says that he was especially
commendable at this period for his piety towards God, the purity of
his morals, his learning in profane and ecclesiastical sciences, and
his courtesy and gentleness.

By this conduct he preserved himself from the contagion of the world,
and drew upon himself such heavenly benediction, that, before
renouncing a secular life, he received of God the gift of miracles. He
associated with pious persons, but chiefly with a solitary named John,
who lived as a recluse in the Hebdon, a suburb of Constantinople. He
visited this man frequently in company with Marcian and Anthimius,
both at that time laymen like himself, but afterwards priests.

At length the voice of God spake so clear in the soul of the young
officer, that he could not mistake its import, and renouncing his
position in the court, about the year 446, he retired to a mountain in
the neighbourhood of Chalcedon, in Bithynia, where he hoped to live
unknown to men. His dress consisted in a sheep-skin, and he had no
shelter from the rain and snow. When he prayed, he ascended a rock,
and then, raising his hands and eyes to heaven, his heart swelled with
joy at the thought of his disengagement from all creatures. But he had
not spent a month in this retreat before he was discovered by some
shepherd boys, who sought, crying, some strayed sheep. When they first
saw him, they ran away screaming, thinking he must be some mountain
goblin, but he called after them, and asked them the cause of their
sorrow; and when they plucked up courage and told him their grief, he
bade them be of good cheer, their sheep were on the left side of the
mountain. The boys, having recovered their sheep, returned to their
parents, who hastened to visit the strange man. They found him on his
rock in the attitude of prayer, with uplifted hands. After this, many
people resorted to him, and he instructed them in their duty to God,
and healed many that were sick and possessed.

The heresy of Eutyches, which consisted in denying the duality of
natures in Christ, then imperilled the Church. Nestorius had denied
that "God and Man made one Christ." Eutyches denied that in Christ the
nature of man and the nature of God remained distinct. "Was Christ of
two natures after the Incarnation, or of only one?" he was asked at
his trial. Eutyches replied, "Of two natures before the union; but
after it, I acknowledge but one." Eutyches being the chief abbot in
Constantinople, his views had influenced many of the religious there
and throughout Asia Minor. A general council met at Chalcedon, in 451,
to try Eutychianism, into which so many had fallen in their eagerness
to escape Nestorianism. The Emperor Marcian sent messengers to
Auxentius to demand of him a confession of his faith, and his presence
at the council. He now inhabited a little cell, which had been built
for him. The messengers spoke to him through the window; Auxentius
refused to be mixed up with the controversy, and shut his window in
their faces. They beat at his door, and endeavoured to break in, but
in vain. Then he opened to them his window once more, and asked, "My
fathers and my brethren, of what error am I accused?" They replied
that his presence was required at Chalcedon. Auxentius said that he
believed that the Word had truly taken flesh in the womb of the holy
Virgin, ever virgin; and that he adored Him as the only Son of God the
Father, and that He was without beginning as to His Godhead, but that
He assumed flesh in the end of time; and that it was heresy to declare
that the Son of God was man only. This reply showed that Auxentius was
profoundly ignorant of the subject of dispute; it was a theologic
point that had not been raised when he lived in the world, and it had
not invaded and troubled his retreat on Mount Oxia. As the messengers
still insisted on his accompanying them, he opened his door
reluctantly, and came forth, so fearfully emaciated, ragged, and
covered with sores, that their hearts were moved with pity and
veneration. As he stepped over the threshold one of his nails fell
from off his foot, and one of the company reverently stooped to pick
it up. Then the hermit recoiled in shame and indignation, exclaiming,
"What! am not I a man like you? I pray you, spare me this distress."
As he was too feeble to ride, he was mounted on a car, and thus
conveyed to Chalcedon, followed by troops of poor, amongst whom he had
distributed the charities placed at his disposal by rich visitors, and
surrounded by multitudes bearing their sick, so many of whom were
healed by the benediction of the saint, that his guards were
astonished and irritated, believing him, at heart, to be an Eutychian.
Under the same impression, the monks of the monastery of Phileas, with
whom he was placed, treated him with roughness, lodging him in an
obscure cell without window; but placing a candle and a basket of
dates beside him, to prove him; as also a little child, to watch him.
At the end of a week they opened the cell, and found the candle still
burning, and the fruit untouched. The child said that the holy man had
spent the time in prayer and praises, and that angelic forms had
surrounded him, and a dove had brought him food. The saint was next
taken to the monastery of the abbot Hypacius, where he was received
with much cordiality; and thence he was brought before the Emperor at
Constantinople, and required to subscribe to the decrees of the
Council of Chalcedon. "If the council has decided nothing contrary to
that of Nicæa, if it has declared that Jesus Christ our Lord was truly
incarnate, and that the holy Virgin is truly the Mother of God, I will
gladly communicate with it." The prince, satisfied with this answer,
embraced him, and commanded him to be conducted to the great church.
He sent also to the patriarch of Constantinople, to show him the
decrees of the Council of Chalcedon, concerning the errors of
Eutyches. The saint went to the church followed by a crowd. He read
the Acts of the council, and declared that he thoroughly and heartily
agreed with them. It is probable that he was then ordained priest, but
his historian does not state the time of his reception of holy orders.
He then returned to the monastery of Hypacius, and asked to be allowed
to inhabit Mount Sinope, instead of Mount Oxia. This mountain was
nearer to Chalcedon than that on which he had before resided. It was
very high, barren, and deficient in springs. Thither he was conducted
by the monks of the monastery of Hypacius, singing hymns; a little hut
was erected for his accommodation in a cave, with a window, through
which he could receive food, and converse with his visitors. Here he
spent some years, becoming more and more emaciated and covered with
wounds. Those who visited him in the morning, he retained with him
till the hour of Tierce, after which he dismissed them; those coming
after, he kept till Sext, which he repeated with them, and then sent
them away. He composed hymns and spiritual songs, which he taught to
those who came to him, and made them sing them along with him. He
daily preached to the people, and gave them instruction in the faith,
and how to conduct themselves in the most difficult circumstances. His
sermons produced a most striking effect, and many who heard him
renounced the world, and adopted the religious habit.

As the saint was one night saying Matins, he suddenly opened his
window, and exclaimed thrice, "The Lord be praised!" Then he bent his
head and said, "Simeon, the great father, is dead." And it was so, for
the news reached Bithynia afterwards, that Simeon Stylites,[42] the
great anchorite, had died that night.

Many women having renounced the world, and placed themselves under the
direction of Auxentius, a convent was built to receive them not far
from his cavern, at the foot of the mountain, and the nuns visited his
cell once a week, to receive instruction from his lips. At length,
when he knew that he had not many days to live, he came forth from his
hut, and visited the convent, where he prayed with many tears for the
spiritual welfare of his children. Then he returned to his cave
followed by a great multitude. Three days after he was stricken with a
sickness which proved fatal; and he died on the 14th February.


S. BRUNO, B. M.

(A.D. 1008.)

  [Roman Martyrology on October 15th, that being, as Baronius
  conjectures, the commemoration of a translation of the relics, as it
  is certain that S. Bruno died on Feb. 14th. Authority:--His life by
  his kinsman Ditmar, bishop of Merseburg, in his Chronicles, lib. 6;
  and mention by Marianus Scotus, and other chroniclers of Germany.]

The Sclavonic races in Prussia were some of the last to receive
Christianity in Germany. S. Adalbert, bishop of Prague, had gone
amongst the Lithuanians and Prussians, bearing the gospel, and, in
997, had fallen a victim to his zeal. Probably obeying the call of S.
Adalbert, Bruno, a monk of Magdeburg, a man of good education, and
kinsman to Ditmar, bishop of Merseburg, went on the mission to these
heathen. Boleslas, king of Poland, sent, urging his coming, and, after
having visited Merseburg, where he received episcopal ordination,
Bruno, with many companions, entered on his apostolic mission. But the
Pagans refused to hear the word of salvation, and, falling on the
little band, hacked off Bruno's hands and feet, and put to death with
him eighteen men who accompanied him.

[42] See January 5th.

 [Illustration]




February 15.

  SS. FAUSTINUS, _P._, AND JOVITA, _D., MM. at Brescia_, A.D. 120.
  SS. CRATO, HIS WIFE AND SERVANTS, _MM. at Rome, circ._ A.D. 273.
  S. AGAPE, _V. M. at Teramo, in Umbria, circ._ A.D. 273.
  S. EUSEBIUS, _H. in Syria, after_ A.D. 400.
  S. GEORGIA, _V. at Clermont_.
  S. SEVERUS, _P. in Valeria, circ._ A.D. 530.
  S. QUINIDIUS, _B. of Vaison in Vaucluse, circ._ A.D. 578.
  S. BERACH, _B. Ab. in Ireland, circ._ A.D. 615.
  S. FAUSTUS, _Monk, O. S. B.; circ._ A.D. 607.
  S. WALFRID, _Ab. of Monte Virido, circ._ A.D. 765.
  S. SIGFRIED, _B., Ap. of Sweden, circ._ A.D. 1045.


SS. FAUSTINUS, P., AND JOVITA, D., MM.

(A.D. 120.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and those of Bede, Usuardus, and others; but
  Usuardus, misled by the name, makes Jovita a virgin martyr. Three
  different versions of their Acts are published by Bollandus. None of
  these are the original.]

Faustinus and Jovita were brothers, nobly born. Faustinus, the elder,
was a priest; Jovita was in deacon's orders. During a time of
persecution under Hadrian, the bishop of Brescia lay concealed, and
the brothers strengthened and encouraged the fainting flock. The Acts
of their Martyrdom are of such doubtful authority that it is unsafe to
affirm concerning them more than that their zeal provoked the fury of
the heathen against them, and procured them a glorious death for their
faith, at Brescia. Their constancy, under the torments of boiling lead
and red-hot iron, was the means of converting one Calocerus, who
afterwards also suffered for the faith.

These saints are venerated as the chief patrons of Brescia, where
their relics are preserved in the church dedicated under their
invocation.


S. EUSEBIUS, H.

(AFTER A.D. 400.)

  [Greek Menæa. Life from the Philotheus of Theodoret, c. 18.]

Was a hermit at Aschia, in Syria. Theodoret visited him, and was
admitted into his cell. There is nothing remarkable related concerning
him.


S. GEORGIA, V.

(DATE UNCERTAIN, BUT PROBABLY IN THE 5TH CENT.)

  [Gallican Martyrology. Authority:--S. Gregory of Tours, De Gloria
  Confess., c. 34.]

This pious virgin was a native of Clermont, in Auvergne, where she
served God like Anna, constantly attending in the temple. Very little
is known of her life, which flowed on in calm simplicity, and would
hardly have required a more particular notice than the insertion of
her name, were it not for one graceful incident narrated by S. Gregory
of Tours, to the effect that as her body was being carried to the
cathedral for sepulture, a great company of doves or pigeons fluttered
above the mourning train, and settled on the roof of the minster,
whilst the last rites were being performed; and this the pious and
simple people regarded as a token of divine favour.


S. SEVERUS, P.

(ABOUT A.D. 530.)

  [Roman Mart. Authority:--S. Gregory the Great, Dialog., lib. i.,
  c. 12.]

S. Severus was priest to a church in the district of Valeria, which is
that part between the Tiber and the Velino, occupied by the cities
Riete, Terni, and Narni. S. Gregory relates that on one occasion a
message was brought him, whilst he was pruning his vines, that a dying
man needed his pastoral assistance. Severus promised to go as soon as
he had done cutting the vine he was then engaged upon. When he drew
near to the sick man's house, the people ran out to meet him, saying,
"Oh, sir! why didst thou delay? the man is dead." Then Severus
entered, full of self-reproach, praying to God for pardon. And when he
saw the dead body, he burst into tears, and beat his head against the
ground, reproaching himself for his neglect. Then the dead man's
spirit returned, and he opened his eyes, and sat up. So he made his
confession and received absolution, and died shortly after.

The relics were translated to the monastery of Münster-Maifeld, near
Coblenz, about the year 980, by S. Egbert, bishop of Trèves.


S. BERACH, B., AB.

(ABOUT A.D. 615.)

  [Irish Kalendar. Two lives of this saint exist, but both are late,
  collected from oral tradition, and full of fable.]

The lives of the Irish saints were, for the most part, written from
popular tradition, many centuries after their decease. They are
characterised by a love of the marvellous and the grotesque,
diminishing their historical value. The same quaint legends re-appear
in almost all, or with slender modifications. It seems that every
Irish saint yoked stags to his plough, and made bells come to him over
the water. If some of these fanciful stories are here inserted, it is
not that we desire a ready credence to be yielded to them, but rather
because it is all that there is to be told about these saints, and
some of them possess a strange beauty or are characteristically
grotesque.

Berach is said to have been the son of Nemnald, descendant of Brian,
Prince of Connaught, by his wife, Finmaith, who took him to be
baptized by his uncle, S. Froech. And here follows a strange tale.
When Berach was taken from the font, the mother wished to resume her
charge of him, but "No," said the bishop, "let me have the bringing up
of this little one; God will provide for his sustenance." So S. Froech
took him, and when the babe cried for the breast of his mother, his
uncle gave him the lobe of his ear to suck, and thence flowed a
copious supply of honey. Now, when the boy was grown up, guided by an
angel, he went to Glendalough, and there he settled, leading a
monastic life under S. Coemgen. One day a wolf fell on a calf,
belonging to the monks, and devoured it, then the cow ran lowing
painfully about, and Berach, pitying her, bade the wolf come and suck
her, and be to her in place of the calf he had eaten.

Now there was in the charge of S. Coemgen, a lad, the son of Duke
Colman, who was very ill, and consumed with fever. As the boy fretted
in his bed, and cried for apples and sorrel to quench his burning
thirst, S. Coemgen said to Berach, "Go forth, my son, taking my staff,
and bring me what the sick boy needs." So Berach went forth. And it
was midwinter. Then he prayed to God, with whom nothing is impossible,
for he was stirred with pity for the fevered child, and he went to a
willow, and blessed it; then it thrust forth its little silky flowers,
and these swelled and ripened into red apples, and beneath the willow
the snow dissolved, and green sorrel thrust up its shoots and spread
its delicate leaves; so he gathered of the apples a lap-full, and
picked a large bunch of sorrel, and came with them to his master.[43]

And after some time, Berach went forth and built a monastery in a
remote spot, Clon-cairpthe, in the desert of Kinel-dobhtha; but a
certain wealthy man interfered to pull it down, and to disturb him in
many ways. So Berach appealed for protection to the king; and when he
came to the court his adversary arrived also, and was admitted by the
porter, for he was well-dressed; but the door was shut against the
abbot in his tattered clothing. Now it was winter, and the ground was
white with snow, and rude boys, seeing the poor man, scantily clothed,
shivering outside the gate, began to pelt him with snow-balls, but
suddenly they were struck as by an icy blast, that they could not
stir. And Berach saw that the snow had been scraped from the
palace-door into a great heap. So he approached it, and blew upon it,
and a flame crackled in the snow heap, and leaped up, and he stood and
warmed himself at the flaming snow. Then, when the king heard what had
taken place, he was full of wonder, and went forth, and besought the
man of God; so he restored the boys to their usual activity, and
quenched the blazing snow-heap.


S. WALFRID, AB. OF MONTE VIRIDO.

(ABOUT A.D. 765.)

  [On this day Benedictine Kalendar; but Wyon, Menardus, and
  Ferrarius, on April 17th. The life of this saint was written by his
  friend and companion in monastic life, Andrew, who was third abbot
  of the monastery. Walfrid was founder and first abbot; he was
  succeeded by his son, Gimfrid, and then by Andrew.]

Walfrid, a native of Pisa, was married to a virtuous wife, by whom he
had five sons. Both he and his wife then resolved to retire from the
world. He founded and governed the abbey of Monte Virido, in Tuscany,
near Volterra. There is nothing of remarkable interest in his life.


S. SIGFRIED, B. AP. OF SWEDEN.

(ABOUT A.D. 1045.)

  [Anciently venerated in Sweden; named in the Cologne and other
  German Kalendars. Authority:--Joannes Magnus, Archb. of Upsal, Hist.
  Goth. lib. xvii., c. 18, 19, 20.]

The faith of Christ was first preached in Sweden, as has been already
related (February 3rd) by S. Ansgar, in the ninth century; but the
Swedes soon relapsed into their former heathenism, partly from want of
a sufficient supply of teachers, till the reign of Olaf Scobkongr.
This prince sent ambassadors to King Edred (others say Ethelred) of
England, to renew the ancient alliance between the two crowns, and
desired that some persons might be sent to him, knowing the Christian
law, to instruct him and his people. Edred received the proposition
with joy; and, assembling the prelates and chief clergy of his
kingdom, exhorted them to make choice of proper missionaries for this
great work. Sigfried, archdeacon of York, perceiving that most of
those present shrank from the undertaking, as one hazardous and
laborious, sprang to his feet, and offered himself for the mission.
His offer was at once accepted. He was consecrated bishop, and then
sailed to Sweden, taking with him his three nephews Sunaman, Unaman,
Wiaman, and other companions. He landed in South Gothland, where now
stands the cathedral of Wexiö, which, by the admonition of an angel,
he caused to be erected; and there he made some stay, the king being
at that time absent in West Gothland. The chief Jarl or earl of those
parts came to see the strangers, and observed their conduct with
interest; he was even present when Sigfried celebrated the Holy
Sacrifice; of all which he gave an account to the king, informing him
that he had seen the old man, as he called him, whilst he was standing
at the table of his religion, raise above his head a most radiant and
beautiful infant, who extended his arm towards him with a smile. The
king sent for the saint, and, at his coming, went forth to meet him,
and received him with joy; and, after he had been sufficiently
instructed in the Christian faith and moral law, was baptized with his
queen, and many of his nobles, and gave the saint the royal castle of
Husaby to be converted into a church. For this it was well adapted,
for the palaces of the Scandinavian kings and nobles consisted of huge
halls with sleeping-apartments in what might be termed the aisles, and
doors at both ends. By removing the partitions and beds, and blocking
up one door, the building at once assumed the appearance of a stately
church, of nave and side aisles, separated by huge square pillars of
pine-wood. At Husaby, Sigfried long resided, till he had converted all
West Gothland to the faith of Christ. But this was not effected
without opposition, and his three nephews, Sunaman, Unaman, and
Wiaman, to whom he had committed the care of the Church of Wexiö, were
murdered, and their bodies cast into a neighbouring pool. The
murderers were discovered, and the king would have put them to death,
but they were spared at the intercession of S. Sigfried, but the king
forced them to pay a blood-fine, which he offered to the bishop as the
nearest kinsman of the deceased. Sigfried, however, refused to receive
the money. The relics of the three brothers were miraculously
discovered by a light hovering above the pool in which they lay. Their
names have been recorded among the saints on Feb. 15th, along with
their uncle, S. Sigfried. This loss of his coadjutors did not
discourage the saint from the work of the Gospel, which he carried on
with great success. He was buried in the cathedral of Wexiö, and
canonized by the Pope in 1155.

[43] See Giraldus Cambrensis, who refers to the legend in his book, De
Mirabilibus Hiberniæ, c. 28, but relates it of S. Keiven.




February 16.

  S. ONESIMUS, _Disciple of S. Paul_, A.D. 95.
  S. ONESIMUS, _B. M. of Ephesus_, A.D. 109.
  S. HONESTUS, _P. M., Ap. of Pampeluna, circ._ A.D. 270.
  SS. PROCLUS, EPHEBUS, APOLLONIUS, _MM. at Teramo, circ._ A.D. 283.
  S. CORNELIUS, _M. at Rome, relics at Ghent_.
  SS. ELIAS, JEREMIAS, ISAIAS, SAMUEL, AND COMP., _MM. at Cæsarea,
      in Palestine_, A.D. 309.
  S. JULIANA, _V. M. at Nicomedia, circ._ A.D. 309.
  S. FLAVIAN, _H. in the East_.
  S. EULALIUS, _B. of Syracuse, after_ A.D. 503.
  S. TANCO, _B. of Verden, in Hanover, circ._ A.D. 800.


S. ONESIMUS.

(A.D. 95.)

  [There is much confusion between the S. Onesimus, disciple of St.
  Paul, and his namesake, bishop of Ephesus. Indeed, by many it is
  supposed that there was only one Onesimus, and that the runaway
  slave spoken of by S. Paul was afterwards bishop of Ephesus. The
  Greeks commemorate the first on Feb. 15th, and the second on
  December 1st.]

Onesimus was a Phrygian by birth, slave to Philemon, a person of note
of the city of Colossæ, converted to the faith by S. Paul. Having run
away from his master, he providentially met with S. Paul, then a
prisoner at Rome, who there converted and baptized him, and sent him,
with his canonical letter of recommendation, to Philemon, by whom he
was pardoned, set at liberty, and sent back to his spiritual father,
whom he afterwards faithfully served. The apostle made him, with
Tychicus, the bearer of his Epistle to the Colossians,[44] and
afterwards, as S. Jerome[45] and other fathers witness, a preacher of
the gospel and a bishop. The Greeks say he suffered under Domitian.
There was a bishop of Ephesus, after S. Timothy, of the same name, who
showed great respect for S. Ignatius, when on his journey to Rome, in
107, and is highly commended by him.[46] He was conducted to Rome two
years after, and was stoned to death.


S. HONESTUS, P. M.

(ABOUT A.D. 270.)

  [Commemorated at Pampeluna, as the apostle of that place, and at
  Amiens with nine lections, and at Toulouse, where his head is
  preserved. Besides being mentioned in these Breviaries, his name
  occurs in the Anglican Martyrology of Wytford, and in the additions
  to Usuardus, by Molanus. All that is known of him is found in the
  Acts of S. Firmin, B. M. See Sept. 25th.]

Honestus, a native of Nismes, was found by S. Saturninus, as he passed
through that city, to be of so pious and zealous a disposition that he
called him to follow him, as a disciple, and after he had fully
instructed him, he ordained him priest, and sent him into Spain. He
preached with great effect at Pampeluna, where he converted one
Firmus, a senator, with all his house, and his son, Firmin, became his
most devoted pupil. He so completely succeeded in the destruction of
superstition in the minds of the people of Pampeluna, that he
persuaded them to entirely overthrow a temple of Diana, which adorned
their town. In some martyrologies he is called a martyr, but nothing
is known of the place or manner of his death.


S. CORNELIUS, M.

(DATE UNKNOWN.)

The relics of this martyr, found in one of the Roman catacombs, were
given by Pope Innocent X., in 1649, to the Jesuit church at Ghent,
where they are enshrined in a silver reliquary, and are exhibited on
Feb. 16th.


SS. ELIAS, JEREMIAS, ISAIAS, AND COMP., MM.

(A.D. 309.)

  [Commemorated on this day by the Greeks, and in some Western
  Martyrologies. On this day also the Roman Martyrology.
  Authority:--Eusebius; Martyrs of Palestine, c. ii.]

In the year 309, the Emperors Galerius and Maximinus continuing the
persecution begun by Diocletian, five pious Egyptians went to visit
the confessors condemned to the mines in Cilicia, and on their return
were stopped by the guards of the gates of Cæsarea, in Palestine, as
they were entering the town. They readily declared themselves
Christians, together with the motives of their journey; upon which
they were apprehended. The day following they were brought before
Firmilian, governor of Palestine, together with S. Pamphilus, and
others. The judge, before he began his interrogatory, ordered the five
Egyptians to be laid on the rack. After they had long suffered all
manner of tortures, he addressed himself to him who seemed to be their
chief, and asked him his name and his country. They had changed their
names, which, before their conversion, were those of some heathen
gods, as was customary in Egypt. The martyr answered according to the
names they had given themselves, which were those of prophets, as
Elias, Jeremy, Isaiah, Samuel, and Daniel.[47] Firmilian then asked
their country; he answered, Jerusalem, meaning the heavenly Jerusalem,
the true country of all Christians. The judge inquired in what part of
the world that was, and ordered him to be tormented with fresh
cruelty. All this while the executioners continued to tear his body
with scourges, whilst his hands were bound behind him, and his feet
squeezed in stocks. The judge, at last, tired of tormenting them,
condemned all five to be beheaded, and this command was immediately
executed.

Porphyry, a youth, the servant of S. Pamphilus, hearing the sentence
pronounced, exclaimed that the honour of burial ought to be accorded
to these men. Firmilian, provoked at this boldness, ordered him to be
apprehended, and, finding that he confessed himself a Christian, and
refused to sacrifice, "commanded," says Eusebius, "that they should
scrape and mutilate him, not as though they were dealing with flesh of
a human being, but as with stone and wood, to the very bones, and the
inmost recesses of the bowels. This being continued for a long time,
he at length perceived that he was labouring in vain, as he continued
without uttering a sound, or evincing any feeling, and almost totally
lifeless, although his body was dreadfully mangled. But, as the judge
was of an inflexible cruelty, he condemned him to be committed to a
slow fire. One could then see Porphyry covered with dust, but with his
countenance bright and cheerful, advancing on his way to death,
covered only with his philosophical garb thrown round him like a
cloak, and, with a calm and composed mind, beckoning to his
acquaintance and friends, and preserving a cheerful countenance at the
stake. When the fire was kindled, which was done at some distance from
him, he attracted and inhaled the flame, and then, most nobly
persevering in silence, until his last breath, he uttered not another
word, save that which he uttered when the flame reached him, a call
upon Christ, the Son of God, his helper."

Seleucus, an eye-witness of this victory, was heard by the soldiers
applauding the heroism of these martyrs, whereupon he was apprehended,
and his head was struck off.

S. Pamphilus is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on June 1st;
Elias, Jeremias, Isaiah, Samuel, Daniel, Porphyry, and Seleucus, on
Feb. 16th.

The relics of S. Daniel are preserved at Bologna, in the churches of
S. Cecilia and S. Gabriel.


S. JULIANA, V. M.

(ABOUT A.D. 309.)

  [Commemorated by the Greeks on December 21st. The ancient Latin
  Martyrologies on Feb. 16th. The Acts are very ancient. They were
  certainly written before 600, when her relics were at Puteoli.
  Usuardus, whose Martyrology dates 800, speaks of her relics as at
  Cumæ, to which place they had been translated about the year 600.
  The Acts are not, however, to be trusted. They have apparently been
  interpolated by those who were not satisfied with their original
  brevity.]

S. Juliana was a Christian maiden, the daughter of heathen parents,
very beautiful, and of good birth. Her father resolved on marrying her
to the prefect Eleusius, but she refused, alleging, as her excuse,
that she was resolved not to marry a heathen. Her father, much
exasperated, beat her severely, and when he could not shake her
constancy he gave her over to the prefect, hoping that the terror of
appearing in court would quell her courage. But he was deceived. She
enthusiastically confessed Christ, and her betrothed, brutally ordered
her to be stripped and beaten before him, for his love was turned into
rage and hatred. The more cruelly she was treated, the more resolved
she seemed to become, and the more exasperated grew Eleusius. At last
he ordered molten metal to be poured over her, and then that she
should be thrown into prison, with her feet made fast in the stocks.
On the following day he ordered her to be let down into a vessel of
molten lead, and then he bade the executioner strike off her head.

The head of S. Juliana is preserved at Hal, in the Tyrol, but the
chief portion of her relics is in the church of Notre Dame de Sablon,
in Brussels.


S. TANCO, B. OF VERDEN.

(ABOUT A.D. 800.)

  [Authorities:--Krantzius, Leslie, and Wion, in Mart. Benedict.]

Patto, abbot of Amabaric, in Scotland, having gone to preach the faith
to the heathen in Germany, and being appointed bishop of Verden, in
the kingdom of Hanover, Tanco, monk of Amabaric, was chosen abbot;
but, desiring to follow his former superior, he resigned his charge,
and sought Patto at Verden, whom he succeeded after a while, being the
third bishop of that see. He is said to have fallen a victim to a
barbarous mob who were enraged with him for denouncing their
licentious and savage manners.

[44] Colos. iv.

[45] Ep. lxii. c. 2.

[46] Ep. ad Ephes.

[47] It is, perhaps, inaccurate to say that these were the names of
the five brethren, Eusebius does not affirm as much. He says, "The
governor asked the chief of them who he was, when, instead of his
proper name, he heard him repeat some name of the prophets, which was
done by them, if they happened to have had names given to them by
their parents from the names of idols, in which case you would hear
them calling themselves Elias, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel and Daniel....
When Firmilian had heard some name like this from the martyr, &c."




February 17.

  S. MARIAMNE, V., _sister of S. Philip the Apostle, 1st cent._
  S. POLYCHRONIUS, _B. M. of Babylon_, A.D. 251.
  SS. DONATUS, CASTULUS, MAGNUS, AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Teramo,
      circ._ A.D. 273.
  SS. DONATUS, SECUNDIAN, ROMULUS, AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Concordia,
      in N. Italy_, A.D. 303.
  SS. THEODULUS AND JULIAN, _MM. at Cæsarea, in Palestine_, A.D. 308.
  SS. LOMAN AND FORTCHERN, _BB. in Ireland, 7th cent._
  S. FINTAN, _P. Ab. of Cluain-Ednech, in Ireland, 6th cent._
  S. FINAN, _B. of Lindisfarne_, A.D. 661.
  S. SILVINE, _B. of Auxy-les-Moines, circ._ A.D. 720.
  S. FULRAD, _Ab. of S. Denys, in France_, A.D. 784.
  S. CONSTABILIS, _Ab. of Cavia, in Italy_, A.D. 1124.
  S. EVERMOD, _B. of Ratzeburg_, A.D. 1178.


S. MARIAMNE, V.

(1ST CENT.)

  [Commemorated by Greeks only. Authority:--Nicephorus Callistus,
  Hist. Eccl. lib. ii. c. 89, of no weight, as he wrote in 1341.]

After the Ascension of our Blessed Lord, S. Philip, with Bartholomew,
and Mariamne, his sister, came to Hierapolis, where the people held in
special veneration a monstrous serpent. The apostles, filled with holy
zeal, rushed into the temple and drove the serpent from its sanctum,
but the people, enraged, fell on them, and hung S. Philip to a pillar,
and would have executed S. Bartholomew and S. Mariamne, had they not
been terrified by the shock of an earthquake. They released SS.
Bartholomew and Mariamne, who buried Philip, and then went into India.

 [Illustration: AN EARLY RELIQUARY. Feb. 17.]


S. POLYCHRONIUS, B. M.

(A.D. 251.)

  [Roman, and almost all Martyrologies. The Acts of this martyr,
  somewhat fragmentary, are extant.]

The following fragment is all that remains of the Acts of S.
Polychronius, slightly epitomized at the commencement:

"In those days the storm rose under Decius Cæsar, and many Christians
were slain in the city of Rome. Galba being regent in Rome, Decius
went against the Persians. Coming to the city Ponticum, he stayed
there, but he was warring. Then Decius went up into the Median
hill-country, and gained a victory, and took several cities of the
Persians, as Babylon, Bactria, Hyrcania, Cordula, where he found many
Christians, whom he slew with tortures. At that time he found in the
city of Babylon, a bishop named Polychronius, with the priests
Parmenias, Elymas, Chrysotelus, and the deacons Luke and Mucius; whom,
when he had taken, he ordered to be led forth and to sacrifice to
idols. Then Polychronius answered promptly, 'We offer ourselves to the
Lord Jesus Christ, and will not bow to devils, or idols made with
hands.' Then Decius ordered him and his clergy to prison. And he built
there a temple to Saturn, and made a gypsum image, and gilded
it....[48] And when it was ready, he ordered Polychronius, his
priests, and deacons, to be led before him, and he questioned them,
saying, 'Thou art the sacrilegious Polychronius, who will not keep the
commandments of the gods of the Emperor.' But Polychronius answered
not. Then Decius said to the clergy, 'Your chief is silent.' Parmenias
answered, 'Our chief will not defile his mouth; he keeps the command
of Our Lord, Cast not your pearls before swine. Dost thou deem it
seemly that what has once been purified should be defiled with dung?'
Decius said, 'Ha! we are dung, are we?' and he ordered their tongues
to be cut out. Now when they had cut out the tongue of Parmenias,[49]
Parmenias exclaimed, 'O blessed father Polychronius, pray for me, for
I see that the Holy Spirit rules thee, signs thy mouth, and distils
honey thereunto.' Decius said, 'Polychronius, sacrifice to the gods;'
but he answered not a word. Then Decius ordered his mouth to be beaten
in with stones; and he, as they beat him, raised his eyes to heaven,
and spread forth his hands, and so expired."


SS. THEODULUS AND JULIAN, MM.

(A.D. 308.)

  [Roman Martyrology. The Greeks on Feb. 16th. See account of SS.
  Elias, Jeremias, Isaiah, and Companions, Feb. 16th. Authority the
  same.]

"Immediately after Seleucus, (see p. 316) came the aged Theodulus, a
grave and pious man," says Eusebius, "who was of the governor's
family, and who, on account of his age, had been treated with more
regard by Firmilian than any of his domestics, as also, because he was
now a father of the third generation, and had always evinced great
fidelity and attachment to himself and family. He, however, pursuing
the same cause as Seleucus, when arraigned before his master, was
condemned to endure the same martyrdom as our Saviour on the cross.
After all the rest came Julian. He had just come from abroad, and had
not yet entered the city; but learning on the road the death of the
martyrs, he hastened at once, just as he was, to the sight. Then, when
he saw the earthly tabernacles of the holy men lying on the ground,
filled with joy, he embraced every one, and kissed them all. Upon
this, he was immediately seized by the ministers of death, and
conducted to Firmilian, who consigned him to a slow and lingering
fire. Then Julian, exulting with joy, gave thanks to God with a loud
voice, who had honoured him with martyrdom. He was a native of
Cappadocia; in his manner he was most religious, and eminent for the
sincerity and soundness of his faith."


SS. LOMAN AND FORTCHERN, BB.

(7TH CENT.)

  [Colgan is the only authority for their insertion; he says that in
  Ireland these saints are venerated on Feb. 17th, and Oct. 11th.
  These saints are mentioned in the Tripartite Life of S. Patrick, and
  in that by Jocelin.]

S. Loman is said to have been the son of Tigridia, sister of S.
Patrick; his brothers Brochan and Mogenoch, were, like him, also
bishops; and his cousins, Mel, Rioch and Mun, (Feb. 6th), sons of his
aunt Darerca, were saints and prelates. S. Loman accompanied S.
Patrick to Ireland, and when they landed at Temora, the great apostle
left Loman in charge of the boat, ordering him to bring it up the
river Boyne to Trim. And when one Fortchern, son of Fethlemid, chief
of Trim, heard the sweet chanting of Loman on his boat, a great
longing came over him to hear the doctrine which exhaled such
sweetness. Therefore he came to him and received instruction out of
the boat, and he sang with him the songs of Zion. Then came the mother
of Fortchern, seeking her son, and she was a Scottish princess, and
she saluted the priest of God reverently, and rejoiced that the Gospel
of Christ was wafted to the shores of Ireland. And Fethlemid came
also, and received instruction, and himself believed, and his whole
house; and they were baptized; and he gave Antrim to the church as a
possession. Then came Patrick and founded there a church, and placed
Loman over it, as chief pastor. Jocelin, the writer of the life of S.
Patrick, states that he used a life of the great apostle of the Irish,
written by S. Loman, his nephew.

Now when Loman was dying, he called to him Fortchern, that he might
consecrate him to be his successor in the See of Antrim, but he would
not, "Lest," said he, "it should be thought that the government of
this diocese was mine by hereditary right, for my father owned it till
he gave it to God." Then Loman recognised this reason as fitting, and
he was succeeded by one named Cathald.

Such is the legend, and a sad confusion of history and fable does it
prove to be. These are Dr. Lanigan's judicious remarks: "The
Tripartite Life makes S. Loman or Luman a nephew of S. Patrick, left
in charge of the boat, and adds that, in consequence of the order of
the saint, he sailed up against the current of the river as far as
Trim. This was too good a story to be slightly passed over by Jocelin,
who, to make it still more marvellous, subjoins that, the sails being
hoisted, he went up, without the assistance of oars, notwithstanding
furious blasts of wind in the direction opposite to its course. He
might as well have said that it had been carried in the air; for the
channel of the Boyne is so unfit for navigation, that it would be
impossible for a boat to proceed as far as Trim, even were both the
current and the winds favourable."[50]

There can be no doubt that Loman lived much later, and that he is no
other than the bishop Loman of Trim, who lived in the 7th century, of
whom nothing authentic is known. Dr. Lanigan carefully traces the
fable of the donation of Antrim, and shows that it is partly blunder,
partly wilful invention. Colgan patched up the Acts of S. Loman from
the stories in the Tripartite Life of S. Patrick, and in Jocelin, who
quotes from the Martyrologum Tamlachtense the following
passage:--"Loman of Trim and his companions, who were (of the list two
only are worth noting) Ossan and Fortchern." "If," says Dr. Lanigan,
"by _sociis suis_ we should understand disciples of Loman, Loman must
be brought to much later times than those of S. Patrick, for Ossan
was, in all appearance, the person of that name whose memory was
revered at Rath-Ossan, near the west gate of Trim, and whose death is
marked at A.D. 686. Some of them are placed by Colgan himself in still
later times. It may be objected that Tirechan, who is supposed to have
lived in the 7th century, speaks of Loman as being in S. Patrick's
days. But if Tirechan lived so early, the account given of Loman is
undoubtedly an interpolation thrust into his work. For no author of
that country would have written certain nonsense therein contained,
such as that prince Fethlemid, a son of king Leogaire, made a grant of
_all_ his territory, property, and family, to Saints Patrick and
Loman, and thus to the Church of Trim. Such fables, relative to
ecclesiastical endowments, did not appear in Ireland until a much
later period."[51]

With regard to Fortchern the same difficulty exists. Notwithstanding
that he is made the son of Fethlemid, prince of Trim, he is spoken of
in the Tripartite Life as blacksmith to S. Patrick; and if he were a
disciple of S. Loman, he must be moved from the 5th to the 7th
century. Anyhow he is not to be confounded with Bishop Fortchern of
Ross, as does the legend; if he was a bishop at all, it was of Trim.


S. FINTAN, AB. OF CLONENAGH.

(6TH CENT.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and those of Bede, Usuardus, Ado, &c. Colgan
  says there were twenty-four saints of this name in Ireland, which
  has led to some confusion. Authority:--An ancient life published by
  Colgan, and also by Bollandus, but, like all the lives of Irish
  saints, late, and resting on tradition.]

S. Fintan, abbot of Cluain-Ednech, (Clon-Enach), was born in Leinster,
in the sixth century. He was brought up in piety and letters by a holy
man, who led a religious life in a place called Cluain-mhic-Trein,[52]
under whom he made such progress, as to give early evidence that God
was with him. When he was grown to man's estate, he took leave of his
spiritual father, and went for further improvement to S. Columba of
Trydaglas, (December 13th), with whom he remained, till he was ordered
to Cluain-Ednech, in East Meath, where he laid the foundations of a
famous monastery, to which many resorted from all parts of Ireland, to
place themselves under his direction, (about A.D. 548.) The rules he
gave his monks were very strict; they abstained from all kind of meat,
butter, and milk; living only upon vegetables; they laboured like
hermits in the fields, and tilled their ground with their own hands.
This rigour appeared excessive to the other holy solitaries in those
parts, and assembling together, they resolved to send a deputation to
remonstrate with the saint for imposing a rule which it was impossible
for flesh and blood to endure. The night before they were to come to
him, with S. Cannech at their head, Fintan was admonished from heaven
of their coming; and for further instructions how he was to proceed,
was ordered to go out in the morning, and follow the directions of one
whom God would send to meet him. The first person he met was one born
dumb. Fintan blessed him, and bade him declare to him the will of God.
Then the dumb man spake, "All these good things that thou thyself hast
begun for God carry out unto the end; but beware of scandalizing
others; for some vessels are weaker than are others." The saint
observed this lesson, and when the deputation reached him, he was in a
compliant mood, and ready to remit the rigour of his rule with regard
to those under his direction; but with respect to himself, he
persevered in his penitential exercises. Amongst the disciples of S.
Fintan was the famous S. Comgal, who afterwards founded the monastery
of Bangor, where S. Columbanus, and many other saints, received their
education. When this holy abbot had served God in great perfection,
from his very childhood to a venerable old age; after a long exercise
of humility, charity, patience, meekness to others, and severity
towards himself, he called his children about him, and recommending to
them his successor, gave them his benediction, and arming himself with
the Holy Sacrament, fell asleep in the Lord.


S. FINAN, B. OF LINDISFARNE.

(A.D. 661.)

  [Anglican Martyrology. Colgan in his Acts of the Irish Saints notes
  him on the same day. Same day in the Aberdeen Breviary, but Dempster
  says he was commemorated in Scotland on Feb. 16th. Among the Irish,
  Jan. 9th was regarded as a day on which S. Finan was honoured.
  Authority:--Bede, Hist. Eccl. lib. iii. c. 17, 21, 25, &c.]

England was Christianized from two quarters; Kent and all the south
received the Gospel from Rome through the mission of S. Augustine; but
the whole of the north-east of the island, called Northumbria,
including the modern Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire, was
Christianized from Iona, the great monastery of S. Columba.

The first four successors of Augustine at Canterbury were all chosen
from the Italian monks who had accompanied him to England; but they
all belonged to that first mission; whereas the See of Lindisfarne, as
it became vacant, was filled from Iona. The Scottish monks, thus
placed during thirty years at the head of the Church in the North of
England, showed themselves worthy of the saintly school whence they
issued, and of the glorious mission to which they were consecrated.

The first monk sent from Iona to replace the noble Aidan, (Oct. 22nd),
was S. Finan. His episcopate was prosperous; it lasted ten years, and
was not interrupted by any melancholy event, such as those which had
troubled the life of Aidan, by taking from him his two royal friends.
S. Finan always lived on good terms with king Oswy, and before going
to join his predecessor in heaven, he had the happiness of introducing
to the Church the heads of the two great Saxon kingdoms. Sigebert,
king of the East Saxons, and Peada, king of the Midland English, came
to seek baptism at the gates of Lindisfarne. This made way to the
conversion of their respective provinces, which this holy prelate
furnished with proper missioners; and after some time, he ordained the
Scot, Diuma, bishop of the Midland English, and S. Cedd (January 7th),
bishop of the East Saxons. In the island sanctuary of Lindisfarne, S.
Finan caused a cathedral to be built, not of stone, like that which
Paulinus and Edwin had commenced at York, but according to the Keltic
custom, and like the churches built by Columba and his Irish monks, it
was made entirely of wood, and covered with bent, that long rough
sea-grass, whose pivot-like roots bind together the sands on the
seashore, and which is still found in great abundance on the island,
as well as on the sandy beach which has to be crossed before the
traveller can reach Lindisfarne.

Vast as was his diocese, which embraced the two great Northumbrian
kingdoms, and great as must have been his influence over the other
Saxon provinces, S. Finan seems to have preserved and exercised an
authority not less complete over the country of his origin, the
kingdom of the Dalriadian Scots. The Scotch annalists all speak of a
certain king Fergus, who, by his violence and exactions, had raised
the indignation of the Scottish clergy, and called down upon himself a
sentence of excommunication from the bishops of Lindisfarne, Finan and
his successors. Bede, who is prejudiced against this holy prelate,
because of his adhesion to the Keltic ritual, and resistance of the
introduction of the Roman usages in vogue in the South of England,
nevertheless admits his great virtues, his contempt of the world, love
of poverty and disinterestedness, and great diligence in preaching the
Word of Life.[53]

[48] Portion lost.

[49] A mistake of a copyist for Polychronius, apparently.

[50] Lanigan, i. p. 222.

[51] Lanigan. ii., p. 345.

[52] Whence it appears that S. Fintan was a native of Ross, (in
Wexford), for Ross is _Ros_-mhic-Trein; _i.e._, Ross of the Sons of
Trein.

[53] Montalembert: "Monks of the West."

 [Illustration]




February 18.

  S. SIMEON, _BM. of Jerusalem_, A.D. 107.
  SS. LEO AND PAREGORIUS, _MM. at Patara (commemorated by Greeks only)_.
  SS. MAXIMUS, CLAUDIUS, PRÆPEDIGNA, ALEXANDER, AND CUTIAS, _MM. at
      Rome_, A.D. 295.
  SS. CONSTANTIA, AUGUSTA, ATTICA, AND ARTEMIA, _VV. at Rome, 4th cent._
  S. FLAVIAN, _BM. of Constantinople_, A.D. 449.
  S. HELLADIUS, _B. of Toledo_, A.D. 632.
  S. ANGILBERT, _Ab. of S. Riquier, in France_, A.D. 814.
  S. THEOTONTIUS, _Prior of S. Cruz, at Coimbra_, A.D. 1166.


S. SIMEON, B. OF JERUSALEM.

(A.D. 107.)

  [Roman, and all ancient Martyrologies, but commemorated by the
  Greeks on April 27th. Authorities:--Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., lib.
  iii., c. 10, 32; Hegesippus quoted by Eusebius.]

After the martyrdom of S. James, and the capture of Jerusalem by the
Romans, the surviving apostles and disciples of our Lord are reported
to have assembled at Jerusalem to consult who should be appointed
bishop in the room of S. James. They unanimously declared Simeon, the
son of Cleopas, as deserving to succeed to that important office. He
is said to have been cousin-german to our Saviour, for Hegesippus
asserts that Cleopas was the brother of Joseph. Hegesippus gives the
following account of his martyrdom:--"There are those that take the
lead of the whole Church as martyrs, even the kindred of our Lord.
Profound peace had lasted for the Church till the days of Trajan, when
Simeon, the relative of our Lord, being the son of Cleopas, was
waylaid by the heretics, and was accused to the Consul Atticus. After
he had been tormented many days, he died a martyr, with such firmness
that all wondered, even the president himself, that a man of one
hundred and twenty years of age should endure such tortures. At last
he was ordered to be crucified."

In art, S. Simeon appears with a cross, and as a very aged man. Some
of his relics are preserved in the church of S. James the Great, at
Bologna; his head in the Jesuit church at Brussels; other portions of
the body at Lisborne, near Lipstadt, in Westphalia.


SS. CLAUDIUS, MAXIMUS, AND COMP., MM.

(A.D. 295.)

  [Almost all Martyrologies. Authority:--The very ancient, but
  fabulous Acts of S. Susanna, VM. See Aug. 11th.]

Claudius and Maximus were brothers of Pope S. Caius, and S. Gabinius,
priest in Rome. Maximus was count of the privy purse to Diocletian,
and Claudius also held a post of distinction about the person of the
emperor. Their family was one of the most noble in Rome, and when
Galerius Maximianus, the Cæsar, had lost his wife, Valeria, daughter
of Diocletian, the emperor resolved on finding for his son-in-law
another wife, of good repute and honourable birth. Hearing of the
beauty and modesty of Susanna, daughter of Gabinius, he sent Claudius
to the father, to ask the hand of Susanna for the young Cæsar. But
Susanna had resolved to love and devote herself to none, save Jesus
Christ. When she was brought into the room by her father to hear the
flattering announcement, her uncle Claudius would have kissed her, but
she gently withdrew her face, saying, "Pardon me, my uncle, but no man
has ever kissed me." Then she declared that she was resolved to
continue in celibacy, loving none save Jesus. Claudius was surprised
and alarmed, for the request of an emperor is the same as a command.
He had already received some Christian teaching from his brothers, the
bishop and the priest, and now was fully convinced of the power of
that religion which could make a young girl reject a princely lover
and the prospect of a throne, with every prospect of death as an
alternative. He consulted with his brother Maximus, and with his wife
Præpedigna, and they, together with his sons, Alexander and Cutias,
forseeing an explosion of imperial rage, which would sweep them all
away, hastened to receive the sacrament of regeneration, and then
Claudius and Maximus calmly informed the emperor that the maiden
preferred a heavenly to an earthly crown. Diocletian was furious, and
gave over Maximus, Claudius, and the whole family to be disposed of by
one Julian, a heathen favourite, and apparently personally hostile to
Maximus and Claudius. He hurried these brothers, with the wife and
sons of Claudius, to Cumæ, where they were burnt alive, and their
ashes cast into the river. Gabinius and his daughter Susanna were
reserved in prison to suffer later.


SS. CONSTANTIA, AND HER COMPANIONS, VV.

(4TH CENT.)

  [In some authors on Jan. 28th; in others, on Feb. 17th; in others,
  on Feb, 25th; also on Feb. 18th. Authority:--The Acts of S. Agnes,
  attributed to S. Ambrose, but of questionable authenticity; and the
  apocryphal Acts of SS. John and Paul.]

S. Constantia, daughter of Constantine the Great, was afflicted with a
distressing disease, apparently scrofula. The Roman general,
Gallicanus, being much in favour with Contantine, and having lost his
wife, was offered Constantia in marriage by the emperor. Gallicanus
was called off to oppose an inroad of the barbarians on Thrace, and he
vowed, if he obtained the victory, to accept the faith of Christ. He
succeeded in repulsing the enemy, and returned to Rome to find that
Constantia had been healed of her scrofula at the tomb of S. Agnes,
and that she had persuaded his three daughters, Augusta, Attica, and
Artemia, to live with her, as consecrated virgins, near the shrine of
the virgin martyr, to whose intercession she attributed her cure. It
is difficult to decide what shadow of historical foundation there is
for this story.


S. FLAVIAN OF CONSTANTINOPLE, B. M.

(A.D. 449.)

  [Roman Martyrology; but by the Greeks on Feb. 16th.
  Authorities:--Nicephorus Callistus, Evagrius, and the letters of S.
  Leo the Great to Flavian.[54]]

It is not easy to understand the position of any great man of the
eventful 4th and 5th centuries, without a general knowledge of the
struggles of the Church against one heresy after another for the
maintenance of the true doctrine, as to the natures and person of
Christ Jesus, and this it is almost impossible to compress into a
single article on the life of one actor in that eventful period. S.
Proclus, author of the famous "Tome," as it was called, or doctrinal
statement on the Incarnation, was patriarch of Constantinople. S. Leo,
pious, earnest, Roman-spirited, was bishop of Rome. Domnus was
patriarch of Antioch. The great S. Cyril of Alexandria was dead, and
had left a large bequest to his successor, conjuring him, "by the
venerable and awful mysteries," to befriend his kindred. The
archdeacon Dioscorus was elected in his place, and forthwith extorted
from the family of Cyril considerable sums, and imprisoned and
otherwise outraged the nephews of the deceased patriarch. The new
patriarch had previously borne a fair character, but his exaltation
revealed a spirit at once tyrannous and sensual. His life became
openly scandalous. He deposed from their functions those whom Cyril
had favoured; he burnt the house, felled the trees, and hacked up the
land of one deacon against whom he bore a grudge.

S. Proclus of Constantinople died on October 24th, 447, and Flavian,
the treasurer of the church, was elected to succeed him. He
immediately became obnoxious to the eunuch Chrysaphius, by refusing
him the fee which the creatures of the court attempted to impose on
the patriarchs on their appointment. Theodosius, the younger, was then
emperor; his sister, Pulcheria, was at the head of the orthodox party
in the Church, and the royal chamberlain, Chrysaphius, godson of
Eutyches, supported the heretical party out of motives of hostility to
the rival power of Pulcheria, and affection for his godfather.
Dioscorus of Alexandria took the same side as Chrysaphius, and these
men used their influence to expel from their dioceses bishops who did
not satisfy them. Theodoret, bishop of Cyrus, the famous
ecclesiastical historian, was anathematized by the haughty patriarch,
Dioscorus, in his cathedral at Alexandria; and Theodoret wrote to
Flavian of Constantinople, complaining of the outrage. Domnus of
Antioch took part with Theodoret, and sent envoys to Constantinople in
his favour, whom Theodoret charged with letters, in which he protested
his orthodoxy, declaring that he believed in one Christ, truly God,
and truly man. "I give Him one worship," he wrote, "yet I know that
the Godhead and the flesh are distinct, for the union is without
confusion." But now began the great Eutychian struggle. Eutyches,
abbot of the principal monastery of Constantinople, denied that
Christ, at His incarnation, was "perfect God and perfect man--one, not
by confusion of substance, but by unity of person." On November 8th,
448, a council of bishops assembled in the synod-room of Flavian's
palace, at Constantinople. One of these bishops was Eusebius of
Dorylæum, who begged the council to summon Eutyches, asserting that he
would convict him of heresy. Flavian observed that an accusation
against one so respected was simply astonishing. Could not Eusebius
visit Eutyches before invoking the judgment of the council? Eusebius,
who was greatly excited, declared that Eutyches had once been his
friend; he had repeatedly warned him to desist from heterodox
language, he could not, after these vain remonstrances, "go and hear
him once again blaspheme." It was, therefore, agreed that Eutyches
should be summoned; the council adjourned to the 12th, and the
patriarch Flavian, having made profession of his faith in Christ as
perfect God and perfect man, of one substance with the Father as to
his Godhead, and with Mary as to his manhood, called on the other
bishops to declare the true faith on this great doctrine. When they
had done so, the council was adjourned till Nov. 15th, when the
messengers who had been sent to Eutyches reported that he would not
leave the monastery; that he regarded Eusebius of Dorylæum as his
personal enemy; and that, as to his faith, he denied that Christ's
flesh was of one substance with ours, and that, after the incarnation,
there was more than one nature in Him. He also sent a brother abbot to
inform the council that he was ill. Flavian answered, kindly, "We have
no idea of pressing hardly upon him. We are old friends of his; we
will wait till he is better, and then let him come and confess that he
has erred." He added, after the sitting was broken up, that "fire
itself seemed cold to Eusebius," whose vehemence he had endeavoured to
calm down. A third summons was followed, on Nov. 27th, by the personal
attendance of Eutyches. His great influence and position was shown by
the officers, soldiers, and monks who escorted him, and by an imperial
order that the patrician Florentius should have a seat in the synod to
see that justice was shown to the accused. The patriarch Flavian asked
if Eutyches confessed an union out of two natures. He replied that he
did. "My lord abbot," asked Eusebius, "do you confess two natures
after the incarnation?" Eutyches attempted to fence with the question,
but, when brought to the point, he denied the existence of two natures
in the one Christ. Then, all the bishops rose, and Flavian, in the
name of the synod, passed sentence of deposition and excommunication
against Eutyches. After the council was broken up, Eutyches said, in a
low voice, to Florentius, "I appeal to Rome, Alexandria, and
Jerusalem." He at once wrote to S. Leo of Rome. Flavian also wrote,
and sent a record of what had passed. On Feb. 18th, before Flavian's
letter, which was unaccountably delayed, had reached Rome, Leo wrote
to Flavian, marvelling at his silence, and requesting him to explain
the grounds on which Eutyches had been thus severely punished.
Dioscorus of Alexandria was forward in espousing the quarrel of
Eutyches. He at once admitted him into his communion, and worked, in
conjunction with the chamberlain Chrysaphius, in support of his
petition for a general council. Flavian now replied to Pope Leo's
letter; he entreated Leo to give a written approval of the sentence
against Eutyches, and thereby to preserve Christendom from any fresh
disturbance. Before S. Leo could receive this letter, the Emperor
Theodosius wrote on March 30th to Dioscorus, announcing his will that
a general council should meet at Ephesus, on August 1st. S. Leo sent
three legates to attend this council: Julius, bishop of Puteoli;
Renatus, a priest; and Hilarus, a deacon. On the 13th of June, he
wrote several letters, one of them was his famous "Tome," a doctrinal
epistle addressed to S. Flavian, a clear, forcible, intelligible
text-book on both aspects of the incarnation-mystery. On the 8th of
August, 449, the council met in the church of S. Mary at Ephesus.
About a hundred and thirty bishops were present. Dioscorus of
Alexandria presided. Next to him sat the papal legate, Julius. It was
evident from the first that this council was not free. The eunuch
Chrysaphius was at hand to support his godfather Eutyches; veteran
troops of Asia, a band of archers, were collected to obey the summons
of Dioscorus. After the writ of convocation had been read in due form,
Hilarus explained the reason of Leo's absence, and announced that Leo
had sent a letter. "Let it be received." The letter was handed in,
but, by a pre-concerted scheme, it was put aside unread, as Dioscorus
dreaded its effects on the assembled fathers, in its place being read
a letter of the emperor to Dioscorus. Eutyches was then introduced.
The records of his trial were read, and Dioscorus still kept back the
letter of Leo of Rome, promising to read it afterwards. During the
reading of the trial a scene of tumult took place. One bishop
exclaimed, when he heard that Christ was of two natures, "This
language turns the Church upside down!" Another cried, "Let him who
says that in Christ are two natures be cut in twain." "Will you
endure," asked Dioscorus, "to hear of two natures after the
incarnation?" His followers, among the bishops, responded, "Anathema."
"I want your voices, and your hands too," said Dioscorus, "if anyone
cannot shout, let him hold up his hand." In the uproar, one bishop
after another yielded, and re-habilitated Eutyches. Hilarus again
vainly attempted to procure a hearing of Leo's letter. Dioscorus, not
content with having restored Eutyches, determined on having Flavian of
Constantinople and Eusebius of Dorylæum deposed and excommunicated.
The scene now became really terrific. The bishops who had acquitted
Eutyches against their conscience, struggled hard to escape this new
degradation. Several started up, and clasped the knees of the
president, Dioscorus. Onesiphorus of Iconium cried, imploringly, "By
the feet of your piety, I pray you forbear; Flavian has done nothing
worthy of condemnation. If he deserves rebuke, rebuke him; but do not
condemn a bishop for the sake of a priest." Dioscorus rose from his
throne, and, standing upon the footstool, made a signal with his hand,
and exclaimed, "Look you, he that will not sign the sentence has to
deal with _me_. If my tongue were to be cut out for it, I would say,
'Depose Flavian.' Are you making a sedition? Where are the counts?" At
the signal, which had been pre-concerted, a body of soldiers, with
clubs and swords, rushed in; monks followed; the trembling bishops hid
themselves behind the altar, or under the benches, and as they were
not inspired with a zeal of martyrdom, they successively subscribed a
blank paper, which was afterwards filled with the condemnation of the
patriarch of Constantinople. Flavian was instantly delivered to the
wild beasts of this spiritual amphitheatre, the monks and soldiers,
and the bishops even, most hostile to him, fell on him. Dioscorus, the
patriarch of Alexandria, buffeted and kicked,--like a wild ass, says
Zonaras,--and trampled his brother of Constantinople. Some of the
bishops were locked up in the vestry of the church, and not allowed to
leave till they signed the sentence. Hilarus escaped without
compromising his fidelity. Nothing is known of the conduct of Julius.
Renatus was not there; he had died on his way. Flavian was ordered
into exile, but was so bruised by the treatment he had received in the
church at Ephesus, that he died three days after, August 11th, in a
village of Lydia.

So closed the assembly, which has received its name from an indignant
letter of S. Leo: "It was no court of justice, but a gang of robbers."
This _Latrocinium_, it is almost needless to say, has been rejected by
the Church; its decrees were reversed by the council of Chalcedon; and
S. Flavian, "that second Abel," as he was called by S. Leo, was
re-vindicated with honour.


S. ANGILBERT, AB.

(A.D. 814.)

  [Some French Martyrologies. Authorities:--A life by Hariulph the
  Monk, which is, however, much interpolated; and a later life.]

Angilbert, a man of noble birth, was much loved by Pepin the Short,
son of Charles Martel, and by his sons, Charles and Carloman. He was
destined to rule one of the Archiepiscopal sees. Nevertheless, he
married Bertha, daughter of Charlemagne, after he was ordained priest,
with the king's consent, and by her had two sons, Nithard and
Harnid.[55] Charlemagne now made his son-in-law duke of the northern
coast, and his office was to watch against, and resist the attacks of
the Norman pirates. In his perigrinations he often stopped at
Centulum, where was a monastery, and prayed with fervour at the tomb
of S. Richarius (Riquier). Falling into a dangerous illness, he vowed
that, should he recover, he would embrace the monastic life. On his
restoration to health, he was summoned to resist the Danes, who had
run their boats up the Somme, and were devastating the country on both
sides. Angilbert at once went to the tomb of S. Richarius, renewed his
vow, and then, buckling on his harness, fell like a thunderbolt on the
pirates, and utterly defeated and exterminated them. He at once
communicated his intention to his wife and to the king; neither raised
any objections, and the gentle Bertha herself took the veil at the
same time that her husband donned the monastic habit, in the same
house of Centulum, though, probably, in a different part of the
monastery.

S. Angilbert was sent on several missions to Rome. On one occasion he
was charged to conduct thither Felix, bishop of Urgel, who had been
condemned by a provincial council at Ratisbon, for having affirmed
that Christ was merely the adopted son of God.

He died twenty-two days after Charlemagne.

[54] To a great extent taken from Canon Bright's Church History.

[55] This is stated by the author of his life, and Nithard himself
(lib. 4) says of his father, "He begot me, Nithard, and my brother,
Harnid, of the daughter of this great king, called Bertha"; but, on
the other hand, Eginhard does not mention Angilbert, and this has led
Bollandus to express a doubt on the matter.

 [Illustration: S. Agatha. See page 136.]




February 19.

  S. AUXIBIUS, _B. of Solias, in Cyprus, circ._ A.D. 102.
  S. GABINIUS, _P. M. at Rome_, A.D. 296.
  S. ZABDAS, _B. of Jerusalem_, A.D. 304.
  S. ODRAN, _M. in Ireland; about_ A.D. 451.
  S. CONON, _Ab. in Palestine; circ._ A.D. 555.
  S. MANSUETUS, _B. of Milan; after_ A.D. 680.
  S. BARBATUS, _B. of Benevento_, A.D. 682.
  S. BEATUS, _P. at Valle-cava in Asturia_, A.D. 798.
  S. BELINA, _V. M. at Landreville_, A.D. 1153.
  S. BONIFACE, _B. of Lausanne_, A.D. 1265.
  B. CONARD, _H. at Noto in Sicily_, A.D. 1351.


S. AUXIBIUS, B. OF SOLIAS.

(A.D. 102.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Greek Menæa on Feb. 17th. Authority:--A Greek
  life of uncertain authority, written by a native of Solias.]

Saint Auxibius was a Roman, who coming to Cyprus after the martyrdom
of S. Barnabas, was baptized and ordained priest by John Mark, the
companion of the apostle whose sister's son he was, and sent to
Solias, the modern Lerka, in the north of the island, where he
succeeded in converting to the faith a priest of Jove. After Mark had
visited Alexandria, he went to S. Paul,[56] who, hearing that there
was a deficiency of apostles in Crete, sent Epaphras and Tychicus to
Heraclias, the bishop of Crete, ordering him to place Epaphras in the
See of Paphos, and Tychicus in that of Neapolis, and to seek out
Auxibius, at Solias, who had been ordained by Mark, and consecrate him
bishop. Amongst the converts made by Auxibius was one, a native of
Solopotamus, his namesake, who was afterwards bishop. Auxibius of
Solias is said to have foreseen his future elevation in the following
way. One day that he and his pupil were out walking, they came to a
tree, where there was pleasant shade, and beneath this they sat down
to rest; whereupon Auxibius of Solopotamus fell asleep with his head
against the trunk. Then a great multitude of ants, which were running
over the bark, came down on his head, and the bishop thought it was a
token of the future industry which his namesake would exhibit, and a
sign that he would be a suitable person to receive the grace of
episcopal orders. Auxibius had the happiness of converting and
baptizing his brother Themistagoras, and his sister-in-law Tima; and
when he was dying, he bade his disciples not open his sepulchre till
the death of Themistagoras, when his brother was to be laid beside
him. He then appointed his namesake to succeed him, and expired. But
when Themistagoras was about to die, he felt himself unworthy to lie
beside his brother, and bade that he should be entombed elsewhere, and
"thus it follows," says the writer of the Life of S. Auxibius, "that
to this day the sepulchre of the saint remains unopened."


S. GABINIUS, P. M.

(A.D. 296.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and those of Usuardus, Bede, Notker, &c.; by
  some of these however on the 18th.]

S. Gabinius, priest at Rome, and brother of S. Caius, the pope, was
father of S. Susanna, (August 11th), and was brother of the martyrs
Claudius and Maximus, (February 18th), to the account of whose Acts
the reader is referred. It is uncertain by what death Gabinius
glorified God.


S. ZABDAS, B. C.

(A.D. 304.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Name mentioned by Eusebius among the Bishops of
  Jerusalem. He is also called Zambdas and Bazas. He is said to have
  baptized a portion of the Theban legion, but nothing authentic is
  known of him.]


S. ODRAN, M.

(ABOUT A.D. 451.)

  [Irish Martyrologies of Tamlach and Donegal; another Odran on
  October 27th. Authorities:--The Life of S. Patrick, by Jocelyn, the
  Tripartite Life, and others.]

There was a noble named Faigle, who bore a bitter hatred against S.
Patrick and the Christian faith, and who resolved to murder the
apostle. Now Odran, the chariot-driver, heard of his threats, and
fearing for his master's life, one day, as they passed near the castle
of Foilge, he said to S. Patrick, "Master, for long have I driven
thee. For this once let me ride in the chariot, and do thou run beside
the horse, and urge it on."

Then Patrick consented, and changed places with Odran. Shortly after
Faigle rushed out upon them from an ambush, and thrust his spear
through Odran, deeming him to be the apostle. Then Patrick raising his
eyes, saw angels bearing the soul of his faithful servant to the
mansions of eternal bliss.


S. MANSUETUS OF MILAN, B. C.

(AFTER A.D. 680.)

  [Roman Martyrology.]

S. Mansuetus is alluded to by many writers, but nothing of interest
connected with him has survived; except the fact that he was present
at the Roman Synod in 680, under S. Agatho, in which the heresy of the
Monothelites was condemned.

His relics are preserved in the Church of S. Stephen at Milan.


S. BARBATUS OF BENEVENTO, B. C.

(A.D. 682.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and some others. Authorities:--Two lives, one of
  which, very ancient, is found in MS., in Lombardic characters. Both
  lives seem to be genuine, and may be trusted.]

Of the early life of S. Barbatus nothing authentic is known.[57] He
first comes before us as a priest, zealously combating the
superstition of the people of Benevento, who, though nominal
Christians, retained much of their ancient heathen belief. The great
objects of their veneration in the city were a golden image of a
viper, and a sacred tree; and Romuald, the Lombard Duke, son of the
famous Grimoald, was not more enlightened than his subjects. It is
said of the tree to which they offered religious honours that they
were wont to hang on it the skin of a wild beast, and shoot over their
shoulders at it. S. Barbatus preached for long zealously against these
abuses, but with no result; however he did not desist, but joined to
his exhortations fervent prayer and rigorous fasting, for the
conversion of the unhappy people. At length he roused their attention
by foretelling the distress of their city, and the calamities which it
was to suffer from the army of the emperor Constans, who landing soon
after in Italy, laid siege to Benevento. In their extreme distress,
and still more grievous alarm, they listened to the holy preacher, and
renounced their idolatrous practices. Thereupon S. Barbatus gave them
the comfortable assurance that the siege should be raised, and the
emperor worsted: which happened as he had foretold. Upon their
repentance, the saint with his own hand cut down the tree, which was
the object of their superstition, and afterwards melted down the
golden viper which they adored, of which he made a chalice and paten
for the use of the altar. Hildebrand, bishop of Benevento, dying
during the siege, S. Barbatus was consecrated bishop on the 10th of
March, 663. Barbatus, having been invested with the episcopal
character, pursued and completed the good work he had so happily
begun, and destroyed every trace of superstition in the diocese over
which he presided. In the year 680, he assisted in a council held by
pope Agatho at Rome, and the year following, in the sixth general
council, held at Constantinople against the Monothelites. He did not
long survive this great assembly, for he died on the 29th of February,
682, being about seventy years old, nineteen of which he had spent in
the episcopal chair. He is honoured at Benevento among the chief
patrons of the town; in Art he appears with the golden viper under his
foot, and an axe in his hand.

His relics are said to be preserved in the monastery of Monte Vergine.


S. BONIFACE OF LAUSANNE, B. C.

(A.D. 1265.)

  [Molanus, in his additions to Usuardus. Not extensively known.
  Authority:--A Life by an anonymous monk of the Cistercian Order,
  date uncertain, but probably very little posterior to the death of
  S. Boniface.]

Boniface, son of a goldsmith at Cantersteen, was trained in the
Cistercian monastery of Cambre, near Brussels; he afterwards studied,
and in 1258, became lecturer on theology in the university of Paris.
But after a while his pupils fell off, and he went to Cologne, where
he taught with success for two years. He was then appointed bishop of
Lausanne, where he laboured to enforce celibacy on the clergy, and
some, enraged, armed themselves, and entered the church where he was
celebrating mass, with intent to kill him. But a Franciscan friar,
seeing his peril, ran through the streets of Lausanne calling for
help; and the people crowding into the cathedral, rescued him.
Boniface, despairing of his power to accomplish the work, with the
consent of the Holy Father, resigned his charge, and returned to
Cambre, where he died in 1265. He was buried in the choir. A small
chapel has been recently erected at Cambre, by a Recollet father,
Francis Vancutzen, in his honour. His festival is solemnized in
Brabant in virtue of a bull of Pope Clement XI., in the year 1702. On
June 25th, 1600, his relics were exhumed, and placed in a wooden
coffer, by Robert Van Ostebaere, abbot of Cambron, and Hautmont,
acting under authority for the archbishop of Mechlin. This reliquary
was translated to the Church of Notre-Dame de la Chapelle, at
Brussels, in 1796, whence a portion was transported on May 9th, 1852,
to the Church of Ixelles, of which S. Boniface is patron.


S. BELINA, V. M.

(A.D. 1153.)

  [Venerated in the diocese of Troyes in France. Canonized in 1203.]

Belina was a little peasantess of Landreville, in the diocese of
Troyes, the daughter of pious parents, who were the serfs of John,
Lord of Pradines and of D'Arcy, in the popular legend called John
Paterne. She was engaged to a young man in her village of the same
humble rank; and her parents asked the Lord of Pradines' permission to
allow the marriage to take place, for no serf could marry without the
consent of his or her lord. The nobleman made some demur, and declared
he chose the beautiful little maiden to be his mistress. She
indignantly rejected his sinful proposals, and one day as he surprised
her when she was keeping her sheep in a little glen, she defended
herself against his violence with such vehemence that he lost all
control over himself, and drawing his sword struck at her, and the
blade falling on her slender neck, dealt her her death-wound. The
peasants, enraged at this act of barbarity, rose in a body and burnt
the castle, and would have killed the Lord of Pradines, had he not
escaped in disguise. Shortly after, pope Anastasius IV. excommunicated
him for the crime, and laid the lordship of Landreville under an
interdict for a brief space, till the king confiscated the territory,
and the parliament of France condemned John de Pradines to perpetual
exile.

Most of the relics of the saintly virgin were dispersed and lost at
the Revolution, but some particles of bone remain in a bust at
Landreville. The day on which she was killed was September 8th, but
her festival is observed with great solemnity at Landreville, on
Feb. 19th.

[56] Col. iv. 10; 2 Tim. iv. 11.

[57] Butler gives an account of his early life, and his ministry at
Moncona, but nothing of all this is found in the two ancient lives. It
is taken from a life by Ovid, a monk of Monte Vergine, quoted by
Vincent Chiarlanti, but this seems to be no authority.




February 20.

  SS. TYRANNIO, _B. M._, AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Tyre_, A.D. 304
      _and_ 310.
  S. PAULA, THE BEARDED, _V. at Avila, in Spain_.
  SS. SADOTH, _B. M._, AND CXXVIII. COMPANIONS, _MM. in Persia_,
      A.D. 345.
  SS. EUCHER AND FALCO, _HB. at Mæstrecht, circ._ A.D. 500.
  S. OLCAN, _B. in Ireland, circ._ A.D. 500.
  S. ELEUTHERIUS, _B. of Tournai_, A.D. 531.
  S. MILDRED, _V., Abs. in Thanet, circ._ A.D. 700.
  S. EUCHER, _B. of Orleans_, A.D. 743.
  S. LEO, THE WONDERWORKER, _B. of Catanea, circ._ A.D. 780.
  S. WULFRIC, _P. H. at Haselborough, in Wiltshire_, A.D. 1154.


SS. TYRANNIO, B. M., AND COMPANIONS, MM.

(A.D. 304 AND 310.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Not mentioned in any Martyrologies earlier than
  that of Usuardus. Among these martyrs are some commemorated
  separately on other days. Sylvanus, by the Greeks, on Jan. 29th; by
  the Latins, on Feb. 6th. Zenobius, on Oct. 29th. Peleus and Nilus,
  on Sept. 17th or 19th. Tyrannio is not noticed on any other day, nor
  named by the Greeks, but they celebrate four martyrs at Tyre, on
  Jan. 21st, without name given, and, possibly, Tyrannio may be one of
  these. In the old Roman Martyrology, published by Rosweydus, on this
  day, Feb. 20th, the notice is of martyrs at Tyre, without any name
  given, save that of the governor who sentenced them. The authorities
  for these martyrdoms are Eusebius, lib. viii., c. 7, and Ruffinus in
  his paraphrase thereon.]

Eusebius, an eye-witness of what he relates concerning these martyrs,
gives the following account of them:--"Several Christians of Egypt,
whereof some had settled in Palestine, others at Tyre, gave
astonishing proof of their patience and constancy in the faith. After
innumerable stripes and blows, which they cheerfully underwent, they
were exposed to wild beasts, such as leopards, wild bears, boars, and
bulls. I, myself, was present when these savage creatures, accustomed
to human blood, being let loose upon them, instead of devouring or
rending them, as it was natural to expect, refused to touch them, but
turned upon their keepers, and others that came in their way. They
utterly refused to touch the soldiers of Christ, though these martyrs,
pursuant to the order given them, tossed about their arms, which was
thought a ready way to provoke the beasts, and stir them up against
them. Sometimes, indeed, they were perceived to rush towards them with
their usual impetuosity, but, withheld by a divine power, they
suddenly withdrew; and this many times, to the great admiration of all
present. The first having done no execution, others were let out upon
them, a second and a third time, but in vain; the martyrs standing all
the while unshaken, though many of them were very young. Among them
was a youth, not yet twenty, who had his eyes lifted up to heaven, and
his arms extended in the form of a cross, not in the least daunted,
nor trembling, nor shifting his place, while the bears and leopards,
with their jaws wide open, threatening immediate death, seemed just
ready to tear him to pieces; but, by a miracle, not being suffered to
touch him, they speedily withdrew. Others were exposed to a furious
bull, which had already gored and tossed into the air several infidels
who had ventured too near, and left them half dead: only the martyrs
he could not approach; he stopped, and stood scraping the dust with
his feet, and though he seemed endeavouring to rush forward, butting
with his horns on every side, and pawing the ground with his feet, and
was urged on by red-hot iron goads, yet it was all to no purpose.
After repeated trials of this kind with other wild beasts, with as
little success as the former, the saints were slain by the sword, and
their bodies cast into the sea. Others, who refused to sacrifice, were
beaten to death, or burned, or executed divers other ways." This
happened in the year 304, under Veturius, a Roman general, in the
reign of Diocletian.

The church on this day commemorates the other holy martyrs, whose
crown was deferred till 310. The principal of these was S. Tyrannio,
bishop of Tyre, who had been present at the glorious triumph of the
former, and encouraged them in their conflict. He had not the comfort
to follow them till six years after; when, being conducted from Tyre
to Antioch, with S. Zenobius, a holy priest and physician of Sidon,
after many torments, he was thrown into the river Orontes. Zenobius
expired on the rack, whilst his sides were being laid open with iron
hooks. S. Sylvanus, bishop of Emesa, in Phoenicia, was, some time
after, under Maximin, devoured by wild beasts in the midst of his own
city, with two companions, after having governed that church forty
years. Peleus and Nilus, two other Egyptian priests, in Palestine,
were consumed by fire. S. Sylvanus, bishop of Gaza, was condemned to
the copper mines of Phoenon, near Petra, in Arabia, and afterwards
beheaded there with thirty-nine others.


S. PAULA, THE BEARDED.

(DATE UNCERTAIN.)

  [Venerated at Avila, in Spain, where her relics are preserved. No
  authority for her story except popular tradition.]

This saint was the daughter of poor parents, near Avila. She was very
beautiful, and a youth fell in love with her, and pursued her one day
to an oratory, whither she was wont to resort, in the forest. Knowing
that his intentions were evil, and that there was no human assistance
at hand, according to the popular legend, Paula fled to the crucifix,
and, embracing it, besought the Saviour to be her deliverer from the
young pursuer. At once a beard sprouted on her chin, and moustaches on
her lip. The youth coming in, shortly after, did not recognise her,
and asked the bearded personage if he had seen a young damsel pass
that way. Paula replied that no one had come into the chapel except
herself, whereupon the youth withdrew. It is impossible to say what
foundation of truth there is in this curious story, which bears some
resemblance to that of S. Wilgifortis (July 20th). The festival of S.
Paula is observed on Feb. 20th, at Avila. This story would not deserve
notice, but that it is sometimes represented in Spanish art.


S. OLCAN, B. OF DERKAN.[58]

(ABOUT 500.)

  [According to Wytford, S. Olcan or Bolcan is on this day
  commemorated in Ireland. In the Tamlacht Martyrology he is called
  Olcan; in the Donegal Martyrology he is Bolcan. Authorities:--The
  Tripartite Life of S. Patrick, and that by Jocelin.]

A wild legend is connected with this saint. His mother is said to have
been an Englishwoman, married in Ireland, whose husband died, leaving
her pregnant. She fell into a fit, and was buried, as dead. But a
certain nobleman, passing near her tomb, heard, from within, the
wailing of a child, and, opening it, found that a new-born babe lay by
the dead mother. It is probable that this is an exaggeration of the
simple fact that Olcan's mother died in childbirth, and that he was
taken up by a noble. He grew up to be admitted to holy orders, and to
receive episcopal consecration. A certain chief, named Saran, had
incurred the malediction of S. Patrick, for having driven him from his
territories and overthrown the churches he had erected. Saran, having
made many captives in war, would have massacred or sold them, had not
Olcan hastened to him to implore him to show pity upon them. Saran
answered that he would spare the captives, if Olcan would promise him
eternal life. Olcan hesitated. Then Saran gave orders for a general
butchery. The bishop, rather than see so much innocent blood flow,
consented to baptize Saran on the spot. When S. Patrick heard of this
he was very angry that the holy Sacrament of Regeneration should be
administered thus to an unrepentant and uninstructed tyrant. Olcan,
hearing of S. Patrick's anger, ran to seek him, and, seeing him in his
chariot, he fell on his knees and implored pardon. Patrick sternly
averted his head. Then Olcan flung himself prostrate in the road
before the horses. The driver stopped. Patrick ordered him to whip the
horses on. The charioteer replied that he dare not drive over a
bishop. Then Patrick, after having reproached Olcan, forgave him.

He is said to have studied in Gaul.


S. ELEUTHERIUS OF TOURNAI, B. M.

(A.D. 531.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Additions to Usuardus by Molanus; all modern
  Martyrologies. Authorities:--A very ancient life written before 880,
  but not until long after the death of the saint; a second, written
  before 900; a third by Guibert of Tournai, is late, 1257. The
  authority of these lives is much diminished by the length of time
  which elapsed between the death of Eleutherius and their
  composition.]

Tournai was evangelized by S. Piatus, in 287. During its early history
it had seen the blood of martyrs shed. The Vandals had taken
possession of it in 407; then it had become the principal seat of the
Salic Franks. In the reign of Childeric, there lived in this city a
rich and noble citizen, named Serenus, with his wife, Blanda. They had
been converted from heathenism, and they honoured the religion they
had adopted by their virtues, and especially by their abundant charity
to the poor and infirm. In 456, they became parents of a son, whom
they named Eleutherius. All their care tended towards educating him in
every science befitting his condition. The young Eleutherius so
thoroughly responded to their hopes, that S. Medard, who frequented
along with him the school of S. Quentin, foretold that his friend
would one day become a bishop.

About the year 484, whilst Clovis was marching upon Soissons, the
governor of Tournai, an inveterate heathen, profited by his absence,
to banish from the city all who bore the name of Christians, or to
seize on their goods. Serenus and Blanda were included in the number
of exiles. They took their son with them, and found a place of refuge
at a distance of about six miles from Tournai, where they built a
church, in honour of S. Peter. A number of Christians settled on the
same spot, and many heathen, converted by Serenus, helped to swell the
colony, which was called Blandinium.[59] The number was now so great
that they asked for, and obtained, a bishop, Theodore by name, who
died immediately after his ordination. The faithful assembled at
Blandinium, charmed by the virtues of Eleutherius, elected him to
succeed Theodore, and sent him to Rome. The Pope approved of the
choice, and the new pastor was consecrated in the year 487, at the age
of thirty. Now it fell out that the daughter of the governor of
Tournai was passionately in love with the young and handsome
Eleutherius, and she resolved to make the attempt to withdraw him from
the ministry of God, that he might serve the world, reposing in her
love, and the favour of her father. She found him engaged in prayer,
but, regardless of what he was about, she arrested his attention, and
declared to him her passion. He started to his feet, and she held him
by the mantle. Then, like another Joseph, he cast his mantle from him,
and fled from her presence. The unfortunate girl, heart-broken, sank
upon the ground, breathless and motionless. When she had been buried,
Eleutherius returned, and now, touched at her misfortune, as much as
he had been irritated at her offence, he summoned the father, and
promised to restore to him his daughter, if he would embrace
Christianity. The governor readily consented. Then Eleutherius
celebrated the holy sacrifice, and followed by all his clergy and the
faithful, went to the tomb, and struck it with his pastoral staff. But
God revealed to the bishop that the promise of the father was made
without purpose of observing it. The earth shook, but the dead rose
not. Eleutherius passed the night in prayers, and returned to the
grave on the morrow; again, the earth trembled, but the heart of the
heathen governor remained unshaken. On the third day the father came
with tears, and all tokens of true contrition, to promise sincere
repentance; then the bishop went again to the sepulchre. At his
command the stone was rolled away. He called thrice to the dead girl
to rise. Then she sat up, and the people uttered a shout of joy.
Eleutherius took her by the hand, and presented her to her father.
After that, he bade her fast for six days, and, on the seventh, he
baptized her, his mother, Blanda, standing as god-mother, and giving
her her name. The father, however, would not keep his promise, but
withdrew his child from the hands of the Christians, and threatened to
disinherit her unless she returned to the worship of idols. A plague
breaking out shortly after, in Tournai, was attributed to the
incantations of Eleutherius, who was seized at night, severely beaten,
and thrown into prison, from which, however, he escaped, and returned
to his flock. The plague continued its ravages with such fury, that
the city of Tournai was deserted of its inhabitants, who fled into the
country, in hopes of escaping the epidemic by isolation. Then the
governor was humbled, and, coming to Eleutherius, implored him to
forgive his past resistance to the truth, and to baptize him in the
faith of Christ. Eleutherius, after having instructed him, and made
him prepare, by fasting, for the holy sacrament, afterwards baptized
him. The submission of the governor led to the recall of Eleutherius,
who re-entered the city of Tournai on the 22nd September; a day which
has ever since been celebrated as a feast in that place. Eleutherius
at once overthrew the temple of Apollo and the altars of the heathen
deities in Tournai; and his labours to convince the pagans were
followed by such effect that, in one week, probably that of Pentecost,
he baptized as many as eleven thousand persons.

As soon as heathenism was overcome, heresy manifested itself, and, as
Eleutherius was himself accused, he visited Rome, in 501, to vindicate
his orthodoxy before Pope Symmachus. He combated Arian false doctrine
with word of mouth, and with his pen, and made a second journey to
Rome, to Pope Hormisdas, to obtain confirmation of his writings. On
his return some of the heretics fell upon him, as he left the church
after mass one morning, and wounded him so cruelly that he died of his
injuries five weeks later, in the 66th year of his age. He was laid in
the church built by his father at Blandain, but his relics were
afterwards removed to Tournai, of which city he is patron.


S. MILDRED, V. ABSS.

(END OF 7TH CENT.)

  [Anglican Martyrology, Molanus, and Saussaye. It is uncertain which
  of her two festivals, Feb. 20th or July 13th, is the day of her
  death, and which the day of her translation. In the first edition of
  Wilson's Anglican Martyrology, Feb. 20th is given as the day of her
  death; in the second edition as that of her translation; and he is
  probably right, for he follows in this William Thorne's Chronicle.]

Domneva, or Ermenberga, the wife of Merewald, son of Penda, King of
Mercia, had by him three daughters and a son, who were all reckoned by
our ancestors among the saints. These were Milburgh, Mildred,
Mildgitha, and Mervin. King Egbert having built and endowed the
nunnery of Minster, in the isle of Thanet, Domneva became its first
abbess, and the house was soon occupied by seventy nuns. But she soon
gave up the government to her daughter Mildred, whom she had sent to
France, to Chelles, to receive a literary and religious education. The
Abbess of Chelles, far from encouraging the young princess to embrace
monastic life, employed every kind of threat and ill-usage to compel
her to marry one of her relations. But Mildred resisted victoriously.
She returned to England to govern the abbey founded by her mother, and
to give an example of all monastic virtues to her seventy companions.
Very few details of her life have been preserved, which makes the
extraordinary and prolonged popularity which has attached to her name,
her relics, and everything belonging to her, all the more wonderful.
Her popularity eclipsed that of S. Augustine, even in the district
which he first won to the faith, and to such a point that the rock
which had received the mark of his first footsteps, and which lies a
little east of Minster, took and retained, up to the last century, the
name of S. Mildred's Rock.


S. EUCHER, B. OF ORLEANS.

(A.D. 743.)

  [Roman Martyrology. In those of Bede, Notker, and Rabanus, on
  Feb. 21st. Authorities;--A Life by a contemporary, published by
  Bollandus.]

This saint was dedicated to God from his infancy. About the year 714,
he retired to the abbey of Jumièges, on the banks of the Seine, in the
arch-diocese of Rouen. After having spent six or seven years there,
his uncle Suavaric, bishop of Orleans, died, and Eucher was elected in
his room, with the consent of Charles Martel, mayor of the palace, in
721. But he shortly afterwards incurred the anger of Charles Martel,
for some political reason not mentioned by the author of the life of
the saint, and Charles, on his return from defeating the Saracens near
Tours, in 732, took the bishop from his see, and sent him into exile
to Cologne, where, however, his piety and gentleness attracted such
general admiration, that Charles ordered him to be removed into the
less populous county of Hasbain, or Haspengau, in the territory of
Liége, under the guard of Robert, the governor of that county, who
allowed him to retire into the monastery of S. Trond, where he passed
the rest of his days in prayer, glad to rest once more in the peaceful
round of cloister life. He was buried at S. Trond, and there his
relics are preserved.

In Art, S. Eucher is often represented contemplating a man in the
flames of hell, on account of a legend which relates that he saw
Charles Martel undergoing torment in the place of the damned.
Sometimes he is depicted lying in his sepulchre, with a serpent marked
with the arms of France, symbolising Charles Martel, writhing beneath
it.


S. WULFRIC, P. H.

(A.D. 1154.)

  [S. Wulfric is also called Ulric. Wilson's Anglican Martyrology;
  also the Benedictine Kalendar. Authorities:--John Fordun, Roger of
  Wendover, Henry of Huntingdon, and other historians.]

S. Ulric was born at Lenton, eight miles from Bristol. When he had
reached man's estate, he entered holy orders, and was made priest,
without much thought of the responsibilities of his calling. He
allowed himself to follow the sports of hunting, hawking, and other
diversions inconsistent with his profession. One day, whilst out
hunting, there came to him a man, who by his dress seemed needy, and
begged of him a new piece of money, as alms; for at that time there
was a new coinage in England, but it was rare, on account of its
recency. Wulfric replied that he did not know whether he had any of
the new coins or not; upon which the man said, "Look in thy purse and
thou wilt find two pieces and a half." Wulfric did as he was bidden,
and found the money, which he at once bestowed on the beggar. Then the
man said, "May He, for whose love thou hast done this, give thee a
fitting reward. Behold, in His name, I tell thee that thou shalt
remove hence, and at length find repose; and He will summon thee to
join the communion of His saints." Musing on these words, S. Wulfric
felt that his life must undergo a change; and he resolved at once to
embrace a very austere life. He therefore retired to Haselbury, in
Dorsetshire, to a cell given him by a knight of his acquaintance, and
there he served God in cold and want and tears. He wore a suit of
chain mail next his flesh, even in winter. One Easter Eve he was
troubled by impure thoughts. Then, next day, he went to the church and
made public confession of what had befallen him, and humbly besought
the prayers of the congregation. His shirt of mail hindering him from
kneeling, he privately called to him his patron, and asked him to
shorten it. The knight said that he would send the coat to London, and
have it cut shorter. "Take a pair of shears and cut," said the
recluse. The knight obeyed, and found that he was able to cut it as if
it had been cloth.

[58] In Antrim.

[59] Blandain, on the high road from Tournai to Lisle.

 [Illustration: The Printer.]




February 21.

  SS. MAURICE, PHOTINUS, THEODORE, AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Apamea,
      circ._ A.D. 298.
  SS. VERULUS, SECUNDINUS, AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Adrumetum,
      in Africa_.
  S. VITALIANA, _V. at Artonne, in Auvergne, circ._ A.D. 390.
  S. SEVERIAN, _B. M. of Scythopolis_, A.D. 452.
  S. ZACHARIAS, _Patriarch of Jerusalem_, A.D. 631.
  S. PATERIUS, _B. of Brescia; beginning of 7th cent._
  B. PEPIN _of Landen, C. at Nivelles, in Belgium_, A.D. 646.
  S. GONDEBERT, _B. of Sens, in France, 7th cent._
  SS. GERMAN, _Ab. M._, AND RANDOALD, _Prior, M. of Munsterthal, in
      Switzerland, end of 7th cent._
  S. PETER _of Majuma, M. in Palestine_, A.D. 743.
  S. GEORGE, _B. of Amastris, in Paphlagonia, beginning of 9th cent._


SS. MAURICE, PHOTINUS, THEODORE, AND
COMPANIONS, MM.

(ABOUT A.D. 298.)

  [Commemorated by the Greeks on this day, and also on December 27th.
  Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, speaks of the festival of S. Maurice
  being observed in his time, (A.D. 400); the Acts in
  Metaphrastes are not altogether trustworthy. This S. Maurice is not
  to be mistaken for the S. Maurice who suffered at Agaunum,
  commemorated by the Westerns on September 22nd.]

During the persecution by the tyrant Maximian, which began in the
army, Maurice and seventy soldiers, amongst whom was his son Photinus,
boldly confessed Christ, and refused to sacrifice to the gods. They
were deprived of their military belts, a humiliation similar to the
striking off the spurs of a knight in the Middle Ages, and were
consigned to prison. The head of Photinus, who was only a lad, was
struck off; the others were tormented with iron hooks and fire; and
then, with cruel malice, they were conducted to a low, marshy spot,
near Apamea, were smeared with honey, and tied to stakes, that they
might be tormented by wasps, hornets, and musquitos. The brave
soldiers of Christ lingered without food for many days, but by the
tenth day all were dead; their heads were then cut off, and they were
buried.


S. VITALINA, V.

(ABOUT A.D. 390.)

  [Commemorated as Patron at Antonne, between Riome and Gannat, in
  Auvergne. Commemorated also at Metz. Nothing is known concerning her
  except a strange story of her having spoken to S. Martin out of her
  tomb, and told him she was still mourning for having washed her head
  on a Friday,--a story related by Gregory of Tours. De gloria
  Confessorum, c. v.]


S. ZACHARIAS, PATR. OF JERUSALEM.

(A.D. 631.)

  [Greek Menæa, Authorities:--The Chronicon Alexandrinum, Theophanes,
  the Annals of Eutychius, Anastasius Bibliothecarius, Paulus
  Diaconus, Cedrenus, &c.]

Zacharias was made Patriarch of Jerusalem in the year 609, having been
previously warden of the sacred vessels at Constantinople. During his
reign, in the year 614, the holy city was taken by the Persians, and
as many as 90,000 Christians are said, by Theophanes, to have perished
in the massacre which ensued, the Jews taking the opportunity to
revenge themselves on the worshippers of the Crucified: Chosroes
having swelled his army with twenty-six thousand Jews, who fought with
fury, in the hopes of recovering Jerusalem for themselves. The
sepulchre of Christ, and the stately churches of Helena and
Constantine, were consumed, or at least damaged, by the flames; the
devout offerings of three hundred years were rifled in one
sacrilegious day; the patriarch Zacharias, and the true Cross, were
transported into Persia. The fugitives of Palestine were entertained
at Alexandria, by the charity of John, the Patriarch, who is
distinguished by the epithet of the Alms-giver, (Jan. 23rd), and
Modestus, abbot of S. Theodosius, was appointed vicar of the scattered
and bleeding flock in the Holy Land, during the captivity of their
pastor. In 628 Chosroes was deposed and assassinated by his son
Siroes, who concluded peace with the Emperor Heraclius, restored to
him all that had been taken by his father, the wood of the true Cross,
and the captives, amongst whom was Zacharias, who returned to
Jerusalem, the following year.

The seals of the case in which the venerable relic had been enclosed
before it was carried into Persia, were found unbroken, and it was
easy for the patriarch, who had been its fellow-captive, to verify it.
Zacharias died in the year 631, two years after his restoration.


B. PEPIN OF LANDEN, C.

(A.D. 646.)

  [Of local veneration only, at Nivelles; mentioned in some of the
  later Martyrologies, and called, sometimes Saint, sometimes the
  Blessed. Authorities:--A Life contained in the Acts of his daughter,
  S. Gertrude, (March 17th), Fredegar, and other early French
  historians.]

The Blessed Pepin of Landen[60] died on February 21st, in 640, or 647,
at Landen, where he had also been born, in all probability. He was
buried at Landen, but afterwards, at what date is unknown, his body
was translated to Nivelles, where he reposes beside the altar of his
daughter, S. Gertrude, and where one tomb enshrines his body and that
of his wife, S. Itta, and that of his nurse. On the day of his
translation, a great procession of people bearing candles accompanied
his relics from Landen to Nivelles, and during the long course, the
wind, though very violent, did not extinguish one of the tapers, says
the story. This prince has always been venerated at Nivelles and
Landen as a saint, though he has never been canonized, and every year,
in the Rogation processions, his reliquary is borne, together with
those of S. Itta or Iduberga, his wife, and S. Gertrude, his daughter.
To Pepin is attributed the foundation of the Church of S. Mary, which
subsists to this day at Landen.


SS. GERMAN, AB., AND RANDOALD, PRIOR, MM.

(END OF 7TH CENT.)

  [Commemorated as a double in the diocese of Basle. Not noticed in
  any other Kalendar. Authority:--A Life by a contemporary, Bobolen,
  Priest, at the request of the Monks of Münsterthal, who asked him to
  put in record what had taken place under their eyes.]

S. German was a native of Trèves, son of a man of senatorial rank,
named Optardus. His brother Opthomar became a favourite courtier of
king Dagobert, and afterwards with the saintly Sigebert, King of
Austrasia, (February 1st.) When German was quite young he was given to
S. Modoald, bishop of Trèves,[61] that he might be educated in all the
knowledge of the times. At the age of seventeen the boy longed to
devote himself wholly to God, in the monastic life, and as his parents
were dead, he asked permission of his preceptor, but Modoald answered
that he dare not give him the requisite permission, without the
consent of the king. The boy then evidenced his sincerity by at once
disposing of all his possessions. With three other boys similarly
disposed, he went to the blessed Arnulf, a holy bishop living as a
hermit at Herenberg, and grew to man's estate, disciplining himself
after the example, and by the advice, of his new preceptor. Then he
sent two of his companions to Trèves to bring to him his little
brother, Numerian, who was still quite a child;[62] and migrated first
to Remiremont, and thence, followed by numerous monks who had placed
themselves under his direction, to the famous abbey of Luxeuil, which
was then ruled by S. Waldebert, (May 2nd), who had him ordained
priest, and sent him to found a house in the valley of Münsterthal, or
Val Moutier, in the Jura, which was given to him by a nobleman of
great piety named Gundoin, the father of S. Salaberga, (September
22nd.) The Münsterthal is a grand and romantic defile, traversed by
the Birs. The huge cleft through which the stream passes testifies to
the mighty convulsion which has forced the horizontal strata to assume
their present almost perpendicular position, resembling gigantic walls
on either side of the old Roman road which passed through it, and
served as the line of communication between Aventiacum (Avenches), the
most important town of Helvetia, and Augusta Rauracorum (Rheinfelden.)
German found the old road blocked up with fallen rocks, so as to be
impassable. He cleared these away, and enlarged the entrance to the
gorge, and settled with his monks at the present Moutier. On the death
of his protector Gundoin, Duke Boniface Kattemund succeeded to the
government of the land, and crushed the poor people with his taxes. He
also traversed the country exacting large sums from all who could pay,
and wasting the lands of those who refused. On his appearance in the
valley, the abbot German and the prior Randoald went to meet him, to
implore him to deal less harshly with the people; but Kattemund
repulsed them with insolence, and allowed some ruffians of his suite
to fall on the helpless monks, strike off the head of the prior, and
transfix the abbot with a lance, whilst they were kneeling in prayer
in the church of S. Maurice.


S. GEORGE OF AMASTRIS, B. C.

(BEGINNING OF 9TH CENT.)

  [Mentioned in no late Martyrologies; but commemorated by the Greeks
  on this day. Authority:--A Life written towards the end of the 9th
  cent.]

S. George was born of parents who had long been childless, at Cromna,
near Amastris, in Paphlagonia. When three years old he fell into the
fire, and burnt his hands and foot, but though disfigured by the
scars, he was not thereby deprived of the use of these members. When a
youth, he secretly fled his home, and retired into a mountain,
followed only by one servant, and lived among the rocks the life of an
anchorite, with an old hermit whom he there discovered. When this
hermit was on the point of death, he bade George go to the monastery
of Bonyssa, and serve God there. George obeyed, and among the monks he
distinguished himself by the perfection of his self-control. On the
death of the bishop of Amastris, the citizens elected George, whose
fame had reached them, and sent a deputation to announce to him their
choice; but George steadfastly refused the proffered dignity;
whereupon the deputation forcibly carried him off to Constantinople,
where the patriarch, S. Tarasius, who had known him as a boy, gladly
agreed to consecrate him. But the Emperor interfered, and nominated
some one else. The patriarch, however, would not yield, as George had
been canonically elected. He nevertheless, brought forward the two
candidates, and bade the clergy and people proceed to a new election,
and decide which was to be chosen. As the lot fell again upon George,
the patriarch resolutely rejected the imperial nominee, and ordained
George. He was received at Amastris with demonstrations of the holiest
joy. During his episcopate Asia Minor was overrun by the Saracens.
George, foreseeing an incursion, and finding that the farmers and
peasants could not be induced by others to take warning, and flee in
time, went round the country, cross in hand, and urged all to escape
within the walls. The threatened incursion took place, and the
Saracens, not being in sufficient force to take the city, retired
without having done serious damage.

[60] See further, S. Sigebert, (February 1st.)

[61] He was Bishop of Trèves about 622, and is honoured as a saint on
May 22nd.

[62] He became afterwards Bishop of Trèves, and is venerated on July
5th.

 [Illustration]




February 22.

  S. PETER'S CHAIR _at Antioch_, A.D. 37.
  S. ARISTION, _at Salamis, 1st cent._
  S. PAPIAS, _B. of Hierapolis, in Phrygia, beginning of 2nd cent._
  SS. MARTYRS _in Arabia, circ._ A.D. 304.
  S. PASCHASIUS, _B. of Vienne, circ._ A.D. 313.
  SS. THALASSIUS AND LIMNÆUS, _HH. near Cyrus, in Syria, 5th cent._
  S. BARADATUS, _H. in Syria, circ._ A.D. 460.
  S. MAXIMIAN, _B. of Ravenna_, A.D. 556.
  S. MARGARET of _Cortona, Pen._, A.D. 1297.


S. PETER'S CHAIR AT ANTIOCH.

(A.D. 37.)

  [Roman Martyrology; the ancient Roman Martyrology, called that of S.
  Jerome; Bede; Ado; Usuardus, &c.]

Under this name is celebrated the foundation of the see of Antioch by
S. Peter the Apostle, before he went to Rome, so that this day may be
called the birthday of the Church and Patriarchate of Antioch. Through
the coincidence of this Christian festival with some ancient pagan
solemnities, its observance has become surrounded by spurious usages,
at least among the Northern races. These usages were so rooted into
the habits of the people, that the Church, unable to eradicate them,
sought to give them a Christian significance, and to substitute the
feast of the Chair of S. Peter for the _cara cognitio_ celebrated by
the pagans of the Teutonic races on this day. This heathen festival
was a commemoration of deceased relations by a great banquet, called
in Flanders the _dadsisas_, or death-wake, on the 27th Feb., the day
on which, in the North of Europe, the year was supposed to begin.


S. ARISTION, DISCIPLE OF CHRIST.

(1ST CENT.)

  [Latin Martyrology. S. Aristion is not mentioned in the Greek Menæa.
  No Acts exist, but he is mentioned in the Apocryphal Acts of S.
  Barnabas. The Apocryphal Synopsis of the 72 Disciples, by Dorotheus
  of Tyre, does not mention S. Aristion, but S. Jerome mentions him in
  his Ecclesiastical Writers, c. 18; and Papias quoted by Eusebius,
  lib. iii., c. 39.]

Aristion is mentioned by Eusebius in his account of the writings of
Papias. Eusebius quotes the words of Papias, who says, "If I met with
any one who had been a follower of the Elders anywhere, I made a point
of inquiring what those Elders taught; what had been said by Andrew,
Peter, or Philip; and what by Thomas, James, John, Matthew, or any
other of the disciples of our Lord; and what was said by Aristion, and
by the priest John, disciples of the Lord; for I do not think that I
derived so much benefit from books, as from the living voice of those
that are still surviving."

Papias inserted in his book, says Eusebius, many accounts given him,
concerning our Lord, by Aristion. It is much to be regretted that the
book of Papias is lost.


S. PAPIAS, B. C.

(BEGINNING OF 2ND CENT.)

  [Roman, and all Latin Martyrologies. Authorities:--Eusebius, lib.
  iii. c. 39; and S. Jerome, De Scrip. Ecclesiasticis, c. 9;
  epist. 29, ad. Theodoram.]

Papias lived at the same time as the illustrious Polycarp, and had the
privilege of conversing with those who had known and heard the
Apostles, as also with Aristion and the priest John, who had been
disciples of our blessed Lord. He wrote a work entitled "The
interpretation of Our Lord's declaration," in five books, containing
various parables of Our Lord not contained in the Gospels, and other
portions of His doctrine. Papias was visited at Hierapolis, where he
was bishop, by the daughters of S. Philip the Apostle, and from them
also he derived much information. Papias does not seem, from Eusebius'
account, to have been a man of much mental power. He says, "He was
very limited in his comprehension, as is evident from his discourses."
Nor had he much acuteness of judgment, for he is accused by the same
writer of having inserted in his work much that was fabulous.


SS. MARTYRS IN ARABIA.

(ABOUT A.D. 304.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--Eusebius, lib. viii., c. 12.]

Nothing more is known of these martyrs than that in the persecution of
Maximin they were slain with the axe.


SS. THALASSIUS AND LIMNÆUS, HH.

(5TH CENT.)

  [Commemorated by the Greeks. Authority:--The Philotheus of
  Theodoret, c. 12. Theodoret knew these hermits, and visited them. He
  wrote whilst the latter was still alive.]

Thalassius was a hermit, living on the side of a hill near the village
of Pillima, in the diocese of Cyrus, in Syria, then governed by the
famous Theodoret, the ecclesiastical historian. Under his direction
was disciplined Limnæus, who, as a boy, having a too glib tongue,
learned to control it by imposing on himself, for many years, complete
silence. Limnæus afterwards became the pupil of the hermit Maro. He
lived in a sort of court, made of rough stone walls, open to the sky,
with a little door and window. Through the latter he spoke with the
people who visited him, but he suffered none, save the bishop, to
enter through the door. One day, as he went forth, he trod on a viper,
which bit his heel. He put forth his right hand to withdraw the
venomous beast, when it turned and fixed its fangs in his hand, and
when he endeavoured to grasp it by the left, it bit his left hand
also. He was bitten in more than ten places before he could disengage
the serpent, yet he would not allow the wounds to be dressed by a
physician, but signed them with the cross. He suffered great torture
from the bites, but recovered. He loved to assemble the blind around
his cell, and teach them to sing hymns to the glory of God. For their
accommodation he built two houses adjoining his cell, and he devoted
himself especially to their spiritual direction. Theodoret wrote of
him when he had spent thirty-eight years in this manner of life.


S. BARADATUS, H.

(ABOUT A.D. 460.)

  [Greek Menæa. Authority:--Theodoret, in his Philotheus, c. 27; who
  wrote whilst Baradatus was still alive, and from personal knowledge
  of him and his manner of life.]

S. Baradatus held so high a position among the solitaries of Syria,
that the Emperor Leo, wishing to know the opinion of the Eastern
Church touching the council of Chalcedon, wrote to him, as well as to
S. Simeon Stylites and S. James the Syrian. All we know of him is
derived from the account left us by Theodoret, bishop of Cyrus, who
calls him the admirable Baradatus, and says that he manifested his
ingenuity in discovering new austerities. Baradatus at first dwelt in
a hut, but afterwards he ascended a rock and built himself a cabin, so
small that he was unable to stand upright in it, and was obliged to
move therein bent nearly double. The joints of the stones were,
moreover, so open that it resembled a cage, and exposed him to the sun
and rain. But Theodosius, patriarch of Antioch, ordered him to leave
this den, and the hermit, at his advice, chose one more commodious. He
spent most of his time in prayer, with his hands raised to heaven. His
clothing was of leather, which covered him so completely that only his
nose and mouth were visible. Theodoret says that his knowledge of
heavenly things and doctrinal perspicuity were very remarkable. His
answer to the Emperor Leo is found appended to the Acts of the Council
of Chalcedon.


S. MAXIMIAN OF RAVENNA, B. C.

(A.D. 556.)

  [Roman Martyrology; insertion by Baronius on Feb. 21st, by mistake,
  apparently, for Maximian died on Feb. 22nd. Authority:-An ancient
  life used by Rubæus in his Hist. Ravennæ.]

The story of the elevation of Maximian to the Archiepiscopal See of
Ravenna is by no means edifying. He was a deacon at Pola, and was one
day ploughing up his land when he lighted on an immense treasure,
which had probably been hidden at some time of invasion, and never
recovered. He was at a loss what to do with this wealth, but, after
some consideration, he killed his ox, disembowelled it, and filled the
belly with money, and also a pair of tall goatskin boots he possessed.
Then he presented all the rest to the Emperor Justinian, and it was
quite sufficient to highly gratify the monarch, who, however, claiming
all treasure-trove as belonging to the crown, asked Maximian whether
he would swear that this was all he had found. "It is all but what is
in my boots and belly,"[63] he answered; and Justinian, not seeing
through the equivocation, allowed him to depart, promising to reward
him for what had been given to the crown. Shortly after, in 546, the
see of Ravenna became vacant, and Justinian, remembering the deacon,
appointed him to the archiepiscopal throne, and he was ordained
thereto by Pope Vigilius, on Oct. 12th, 546. But the people of Ravenna
had already canonically elected a successor, and refused to
acknowledge the archbishop sent them by the emperor. They even refused
to admit him into the city, and he was obliged to lodge in the
suburbs. Those who took part with Maximian desired to carry a
complaint to the emperor against the citizens, but Maximian would not
permit it. He preferred waiting patiently, till the hostility of the
people and clergy should die away. His course was wise, and it
succeeded in the end, for the people of Ravenna, seeing it was
impossible to resist the will of a despot, yielded their right, and
admitted Maximian into possession of the see. He spent his ten years
of rule in building and adorning the churches, using for that purpose
the money "in the boots and belly," and exhibited such gentleness,
piety, and prudence, that he gained the love of his flock, and was
regarded by them as a saint.


S. MARGARET OF CORTONA, PENITENT.

(A.D. 1297.)

  [Leo X. allowed the festival of this saint to be celebrated in the
  diocese of Cortona on Feb. 22nd. Urban VIII. extended this faculty
  to all congregations of the Order of S. Francis, in 1623. She was
  canonized by Benedict XIII., in 1728. She is mentioned by Ferrarius
  in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, on this day, but, probably
  on account of the coincidence of the day with the Chair of S. Peter,
  the festival of S. Margaret is usually observed in the Franciscan
  Order on the day following, Feb. 23rd. Authority:--A Life written by
  Friar Juncta, her Confessor; but he trips lightly over her life
  before her conversion, saying nothing concerning it but giving only
  vague allusions. For fuller details we must go to some of the
  writers on the Saints of the Franciscan Order, and to Ferrarius.]

Margaret was a girl of Alviano, in Tuscany. Her good looks attracted
the attention of a young nobleman, and, led astray by passion and love
of dress, she deserted her father's house, and followed her seducer
for nine years. One day he went out, followed by his dog,[64] and did
not return. Some days passed, and, at last, the dog appeared at the
door, and, plucking at Margaret's dress, drew her forwards, as though
it wished her to follow. She obeyed the animal, and it led her into
the wood, and began to scratch where dry leaves and sticks were thrown
over a sort of pit. She hastily uncovered the spot, and found the body
of her lover, who had been assassinated, frightfully decomposed. The
shock was great. She went sorrowfully to her father's house, but he
refused to admit his fallen daughter, urged thereto by her
step-mother. Then she sought the protection and guidance of the
Minorite friars at Cortona, and, after two years, she entered the
third order of S. Francis. Her director had now to restrain her
enthusiastic self-mortification. Knowing that it was her beauty which
had turned her head and led her astray, she wanted to cut off her nose
and lips, but was peremptorily forbidden by her confessor. Then she
desired to make public confession in Cortona of all her iniquities,
but was also forbidden this. She, however, went, one Sunday, to her
native village, with a halter round her neck, and, casting herself
down before all the congregation, expressed her deep sorrow for the
scandal she had caused there. Her conversion took place in 1274, when
she was aged twenty-five. The rest of her life was spent in penance
for her sin. At length, worn out by her austerities, she died on the
22nd February, 1297, in the forty-eighth year of her age.

 [Illustration: S. MARGARET CORTONA. From Cahier. Feb. 22.]

Her body is preserved at Cortona.

In art, she appears contemplating a corpse, or more often a skull at
her feet, whilst a dog plucks at her robe.

[63] Apparently a vulgar expression used at the period to mean, "All
but a mere trifle."

[64] _Catella_ is the word in Ferrarius; in art it is a dog.

 [Illustration: The Bookbinder.]




February 23.

  S. MARTHA, _V. M. at Astorga, in Spain_, A.D. 251.
  S. PRIAMIAN, _B. M. at Ancona_.
  S. POLYCARP, _P. C. at Rome, circ._ A.D. 300.
  S. ROMANA, _V. at Rome, circ._ A.D. 324.
  S. SERENUS, _M. at Sirmisch, in Hungary, circ._ A.D. 327.
  S. PRIAMIANUS, _B. M. at Ancona_.
  SS. ZEBINAS, POLYCHRONIUS, MOSES, AND DAMIAN, _HH. in Syria, 5th cent._
  S. DOSITHEUS, _Monk in Palestine, circ._ A.D. 530.
  S. FELIX, _B. of Brescia, circ._ A.D. 652.
  S. EARCONGOTHA, _V. Abss. at Faremoutier, end of 7th cent._
  S. MILBURGH, _V. Abss. of Wenlock in Shropshire, 7th cent._
  S. LAZARUS, Monk at Constantinople, circ. A.D. 870.
  S. CELSUS, _B. of Trèves, circ._ A.D. 980.
  B. PETER DAMIANI, _Card. B. of Ostia_, A.D. 1072.


S. MARTHA, V. M.

(A.D. 251.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--The ancient Acts, which are not,
  however, in their original form; but the substantial authenticity of
  the facts mentioned by them there is no reason to dispute.]

This blessed saint suffered in the reign of Decius, under the
proconsul Paternus. He ordered her to be racked, and beaten with
knotted sticks, and then taken back to prison. She seems to have been
noble by birth, and wealthy, for the proconsul endeavoured to persuade
her to relinquish her religion and marry his son. She, however,
constantly refused, declaring that she had chosen Jesus Christ as her
heavenly bridegroom. She was then ordered to be executed with the
sword, and her body to be cast into a foul place. It was withdrawn
from this place by a pious matron; and her relics are preserved at the
monastery of Rivæ de Sil, and in the church of Tera, in the diocese of
Astorga.


S. SERENUS, M.

(ABOUT A.D. 327.)

  [Roman Martyrology; also the ancient one of S. Jerome. In the
  Anglican Martyrology of Richard Wilson (1608) on Feb. 24th.
  Authority:--The genuine Acts; of these there are two editions; one,
  the most ancient, given by Bollandus, terse and short; the other, by
  Ruinart, longer.]

Serenus was by birth a Greek. He quitted estate, friends, and country
to serve God in an ascetic life. Coming with this design to Sirmium,
the modern Sirmisch, or Mitrowitz, in Hungary, he there bought a
garden, which he cultivated with his own hands, and lived on the
fruits and herbs it produced. When persecution broke out, he hid
himself for some months, but, on its abatement, he returned to his
garden. One day there came thither a woman to walk. Serenus, knowing
that she had come there to meet a lover, gravely rebuked her, saying,
"A lady of your quality ought not to walk here at unseasonable hours,
and this, you know, is an hour you ought to be at home. Let me advise
you to withdraw, and be more regular in your hours and conduct for the
future, as decency requires, in persons of your sex and condition." It
was usual for the Romans to repose themselves at noon, as it is still
the custom in Italy. The woman, stung at our saint's remonstrance,
retired in confusion, but resolved on revenging the supposed affront.
She accordingly wrote to her husband, who belonged to the guards of
the Emperor Maximian, to complain of Serenus as having insulted her.
Her husband, on receiving her letter, went to the emperor to demand
justice, and said, "Whilst we are waiting on your Majesty's person,
our wives in distant countries are insulted." Whereupon the emperor
gave him a letter to the governor of the province, to enable him to
obtain satisfaction. With this letter he set out for Sirmium, and
presented it to the governor, conjuring him, in the name of the
emperor his master, to revenge the affront offered to him, in the
person of his wife, during his absence. "And who is that insolent
man," said the magistrate, "who has dared to insult such a gentleman's
wife?" "It is," said he, "a vulgar fellow, one Serenus, a gardener."
The governor ordered him to be immediately brought before him, and
asked him his name. "It is Serenus," said he. The judge said, "Of what
profession are you?" He answered, "I am a gardener." The governor
said, "How durst you affront the wife of this officer in your garden?"
Serenus: "I never insulted any woman, to my knowledge, in my life;
but, I remember that, some time ago, a lady came into my garden at an
unseasonable hour, with the design, as she pretended, of taking a
walk; and I own I took the liberty to tell her it was against decency
for one of her sex and quality to be abroad at such an hour." This
plea of Serenus having put the officer to the blush for his wife's
conduct, he dropped his prosecution against the gardener and withdrew.

But the governor's suspicions were roused, and he determined to
convince himself whether this gardener were a Christian or not. He,
therefore, said, "What is your religion?" Serenus at once replied, "I
am a Christian." Then, said the magistrate, "Where have you been
lurking, that you have not sacrificed to the gods?" The gardener
replied, "God reserved me till this day. Now he calls me, and I am
ready to magnify his name, that I may inherit his kingdom." Then the
governor ordered him to be executed with the sword.

Relics at Billome, in Auvergne. The feast of his translation is
observed in the diocese of Clermont, on May 10th.

In art, S. Serenus is represented with a sword in his hand.


S. PRIAMIANUS, B. M.

(UNKNOWN DATE.)

  [Commemorated at Ancona, and nowhere else.]

The story of this saint, of local celebrity, is somewhat curious. In
1370, a marble tomb, on which was inscribed "Here reposes the body of
the Blessed Bishop Priamian, a Greek," was discovered under the
tabernacle, in the wall. It was opened, and found to contain a human
body. This was now enshrined in silver. But, as yet, nothing was known
of who S. Priamian was, beyond what was stated on the tomb. One night,
however, he appeared in a dream to an old woman, in Ancona, and
announced to her that he had been a martyr for the faith more than a
thousand years before, with many details, which do not deserve record,
as the revelation is very questionable.


SS. ZEBINAS, POLYCHRONIUS, MOSES, AND
DAMIAN, HH.

(5TH CENT.)

  [Commemorated by the Greek Church on this day. Authority:--The
  Philotheus of Theodoret, c. 24. Theodoret knew personally
  Polychronius, the disciple of Zebinas, and Moses and Damian were
  admitted to be disciples of Polychronius at the advice of Theodoret.
  Theodoret wrote whilst these three latter were still alive.]

Zebinas, a hermit in Syria, was said to have exceeded all others of
his time in the ardour of his devotion. The bishop of Cyrus says that
he was engaged in prayer night and day, without finding his fervour
satisfied, but with ever increasing vehemence of desire. And when
people came to him for counsel, it was with an effort that he detached
his mind from heavenly meditation that he might attend to them,
impatiently desiring release that he might soar again to divine
communings. And when very old he had a staff on which he leaned to
pray. After his death he was followed in the same ascetic way of life
by his disciple Polychronius, on whom Zebinas had impressed his
spirit, just, says Theodoret, as a signet stamps its device on wax.
His mind was ever in heaven, and when he talked with those who came to
see him, it was as though his voice spoke from celestial habitations.
Theodoret, the bishop, seeing the old man worn with years and feeble,
urged him to take two disciples into his cell to tend him. He
consented, and admitted Moses and Damian. But they had not been long
with him before they ran away; "For," said they, "his manner of life
is too austere for our endurance. He stands all night in prayer, and
he urges us to lie down and sleep, but how can we, who are young and
robust, do so, when that aged and infirm man stands all night without
repose?"

Moses, however, returned to him, and served him continually, but
Damian went elsewhere, and found an old cottage, where he served God
in an ascetic life, and gradually trained himself to bear fatigue and
privations like Polychronius, so that he grew greatly to resemble him.
"In both," says Theodoret, "there is the same simplicity, and
gentleness, and moderation; the same kindliness in speech, and
sweetness in conversation; the same watchfulness of spirit,
intelligence of God, and condition of life, labours, vigils, and
fastings."


S. DOSITHEUS, MONK.

(A.D. 530.)

  [Not in Roman Martyrology nor in Greek Menæa, but inserted in the
  Martyrology of Peter Galesinius on this day, and by Ferrarius, and
  also in the Acta Sanctorum by the Bollandists, on this day.
  Authority:--His Life, by a fellow-disciple.]

Dositheus was page to an officer in the army, who was warmly attached
to him, and regarded him almost as a son. He grew up among soldiers,
without the least knowledge of the truths of religion. One day he
heard a conversation turn on Jerusalem, which was called the Holy
City, and he was filled with curiosity to see it, and know why it was
regarded as sacred. As a friend of his master's was about to visit
Jerusalem, he asked permission to accompany him, and his request was
readily granted. On his arrival at Jerusalem, Dositheus went to
Gethsemane, and saw there a painting which represented the lost in the
flames of hell. This picture produced a most powerful impression upon
him, and he stood long before it, wondering what it meant. A lady who
was present, seeing the astonishment of the boy, explained to him
about the judgment and hell, truths he had not heard before. When he
asked her how the terrible place could be escaped, she replied, by
fasting and prayer. The instruction of the lady made upon the youth so
deep an impression that he at once began to abstain from meat, and
pray as best he could. His companions, astonished at the change, said,
laughing, that he was going to become a monk. But he had not heard of
monks before, and when he ascertained what monks were, he resolved to
seek the nearest monastery. He accordingly went to that governed by S.
Serides, who was at first disposed to reject him, on account of his
rich dress, youth, and delicate complexion; but, at last, overcome by
the boy's earnestness, he committed him to S. Dorotheus, as a
disciple. Dorotheus saw that the youth was not of sufficiently robust
temperament to stand austerities, he, therefore, laboured to correct
his self-will, and discipline his hitherto ungoverned tongue. "Well,
Dositheus," said the master to him, soon after his admission, "How
much hast thou eaten to-day?" "A loaf and a half," answered the
boy;--this was equivalent to about five pounds. "That is pretty well,"
said Dorotheus, smiling. "Try, my son, to be a little more moderate
tomorrow." And then, when the lad had taken somewhat less, "How farest
thou to-day?" asked the master. "Well, my father." "Then learn to eat
sufficient to satisfy thy need, but never devour food in excess of
what is necessary." He made the youth serve the hospital. Dositheus
was so cheerful, that the sick therein loved his presence. Sometimes
he lost patience, and when a sick man provoked him he gave way to
temper and bad words. Then, filled with compunction, he ran to his
cell, and fell, crying, on the floor, and would not be comforted till
his master came to assure him that God would on his repentance pardon
the little outbreak. One day, Dorotheus heard the lad talking noisily
in the infirmary, so he called him, and said, "Go, my son, and bring a
bottle of wine." Thereupon the lad obeyed, and presented the flask to
his master. "Oh, Dositheus," said his superior, "the bottle is for
thee, not for me. It is the way of the rollicking Goths to drink and
shout. I heard thy clamouring, and I thought the bottle of wine was
all that was wanted to make a complete Goth of thee." Dorotheus was
watchful to check every feeling of vanity and self-will in his young
pupil, and for this purpose he sometimes assumed a harshness of
manner, which ill-accorded with his natural gentleness. "There,
father," said Dositheus one day, "See how neatly I have made the
infirmary beds." "Humph!" answered Dorotheus; "thou art an excellent
bed-maker, no doubt, but not much of a monk." The steward one day gave
Dositheus a knife, which he showed with much elation to his master.
"Let me see it," said Dorotheus. And when the youth had put it into
his hand, the old monk turned it and studied it. "It will serve me
admirably for cutting up my cakes," said Dositheus. "Art thou very
much delighted with it, my son?" asked the master. "Indeed, I am,
father," was the reply. "Then, my son," said Dorotheus, "give the
knife to the other brethren; let them use it, and do thou never touch
it again." Dositheus obeyed without a murmur. Dorotheus obliged him
diligently to study the Holy Scriptures. Sometimes the youth came to a
passage he could not understand, and he sought his master to have it
explained. One day, to prove his humility, he said, roughly, "I cannot
attend to thee, go to the abbot." Now, he had before advised the Abbot
Serides what he should do. So the novice came to him with the book,
and said, "My father, explain to me this passage." Then the abbot
boxed his ears, and sent him away, saying, "I have other matters to
attend to than to teach an ignorant fellow like thee." Then Dositheus
went patiently back to his cell, and God illumined his understanding
in the reading of the Scriptures. Now, after five years, the lay
brother began to spit blood, and exhibit marks of consumption. He had
heard it reported that raw eggs would cure this complaint, and the
idea haunted him. However, he schooled himself till he was quite able
to feel that if they were denied him he would cheerfully submit
without a contrary wish. Then he said to Dorotheus, "Dear master, I
have heard that raw eggs will stop the blood, but, I pray thee, forbid
me to try this remedy." "Well, my son," answered Dorotheus, "thou
shalt not prove the efficacy of eggs, but of every other remedy."
Accordingly, everything was done for the young novice that could be
devised, but he became rapidly worse. Now, when he was ill, Dorotheus
said to him, "Dositheus, be instant in prayer, lose not hold of that."
He replied, "Master, it is well, pray for me." And when he became
greatly exhausted, Dorotheus asked him, "Well, Dositheus, how farest
thou in prayer?" "Oh, pardon me, master, I cannot continue." "Then,"
said the monk, "give it up, my son, but keep God in thy mind as though
He were present beside thee." And, after some days, he said to the old
man, "Send me away, I care no more." Then Dorotheus answered,
"Patience a while, my son. The mercy of God is not far off." And
again, after some days, he said, "I can bear no more." Then the old
man said to him, "Go in peace, and stand before the Holy Trinity, and
pray for us."

Now, some of the monks murmured that Dorotheus should have thus
promised heaven, and asked the intercession of one who had never done
anything in the way of fasting, and had wrought no miracles. Then
Dorotheus said, "He fasted not, but he never gave way to his
self-will."

And after some days, there was an old monk taken into the hospital,
who prayed to God to show him all the holy fathers of that house who
had served Him, and had entered into their rest. And he saw in vision
a goodly choir of aged saints, and amongst them was a young lay
brother, with hair on which the snows of age had not fallen, and a
hectic colour in his cheek. Now the old man told his vision to the
brethren, and when he described the novice, the monks knew that it was
Dositheus, touching whose sanctity they had doubted.


S. EARCONGOTHA, V. ABSS.

(END OF 7TH CENT.)

  [Benedictine Martyrology. Authority:--Bede, lib. iii., c. 8.]

Earcongotha, great granddaughter of the first Christian king of the
Anglo-Saxons, and daughter of Ercombert, King of Kent, was a nun in
the French community of Faremoutier, where so many of the English
princesses were trained. She was, says Bede, a virgin of great virtue,
worthy in everything of her illustrious origin, and was elevated to
become Abbess. Being warned of her approaching end, she went from cell
to cell in the infirmary of the monastery, asking for the prayers of
her sick nuns. She died during the following night, at the first
glimpse of dawn. At the same hour the monks, who occupied another part
of the double monastery, heard a sound like the noise of a multitude,
who, to the sound of heavenly music, invaded the monastery. When they
went out to see what it was, they found themselves in a flood of
miraculous light, in the midst of which the soul of the foreign
princess ascended to heaven.


S. MILBURGH, V. ABSS.

(7TH CENT.)

  [Milburgh or Milburga is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, and in
  that bearing the name of Bede. Authority:--William of Malmesbury and
  Capgrave.]

Perhaps no higher commendation can be passed upon Domneva, the saintly
wife of Merewald, than this, that she was the mother of three eminent
saints, Milburgh, Mildred, and Mildgytha. S. Milburgh was the eldest,
if the names are mentioned according to the order of birth, and this
being most probably the case, the date of her birth would be about the
year of grace, 662. We are told that from her earliest years she
dedicated herself to God with all the ardour of her soul. Whatever she
did, she did it for the love of Christ alone, endeavouring always to
please Him, and to grow up in His holy service. The world, which would
have many attractions to a highborn maiden, she thoroughly despised,
and even life itself she counted as nothing, unless it were spent in
entire devotion to God. That she might live such a life with greater
freedom, and in holy companionship with others, moved by the same
heavenly desire, she founded a monastery for religious virgins at
Wenlock, in Shropshire. Wenlock Magna it was afterwards called, and
Much Wenlock at the present day. Her father, and her uncle Wulfhere,
king of Mercia, assisted her in this pious undertaking, and the
monastery was endowed with ample possessions, many precious relicts of
saints, and great privileges. Milburgh was consecrated abbess by
Archbishop Theodore, and under her gentle rule the monastery became
like a paradise in which Our Lord had planted the fairest flowers, and
the sweetest fruits; and among them all S. Milburgh was pre-eminent in
every virtue, and more especialty did the grace of humility shine
forth in her. But the more she humbled herself, so much the more did
God manifest His power in her by many gifts, enabling her to restore
sight to the blind, and life to the dead. Her exhortations, full of
heavenly unction, and the teaching of her saintly life, had a
marvellous effect in bringing many souls from the darkness of error to
the light of truth; and from the death of sin to a life of
righteousness. Among the many wonderful things related of her, we
read, that one day she went on some good errand to a village called
Stoke, (Stoke S. Milburgh), when she was seen by the son of some
neighbouring king, who wished to carry her off by force, that he might
marry her. He got together a few soldiers, and formed a plan for
intercepting her; but she, divinely admonished of the wicked scheme,
fled at once with a companion she had with her. On her way she crossed
a shallow stream called the Corve. As soon as the rash man heard of
her flight, he followed in great haste, but when he came to the
stream, the water suddenly rose, and rendered further pursuit
impossible; so Christ's lamb escaped, while he stood still, confounded
and amazed.

One night she had continued longer than usual in prayer and
contemplation, and, overcome with fatigue, fell asleep; nor did she
awake till the rays of the morning sun fell upon her. Then she started
up so suddenly that the sacred veil fell from her head, but a slanting
sunbeam caught it ere it touched the ground, and held it suspended in
mid-air until she had time to rouse herself. Then she perceived the
divine manifestation, and gave thanks to God, praising and magnifying
Him.

Upon another occasion, when she was alone in her oratory, a widow came
in carrying her dead child, and fell down at the feet of the holy
virgin, and with many tears implored her to intercede for her, that
her child might be restored to life. Milburgh rebuked her for making
such a strange request, and recommended submission to the divine will.
"Go," she said, "and bury thy dead, then prepare to follow thy son,
for man is born to die." But the widow refused to go. "No, I will not
leave thee, unless thou restore my child to life." When the holy
virgin saw the woman's faith, she prostrated herself in prayer by the
body of the child. Immediately she was surrounded by fire, which came
down from heaven, and so entirely enveloped her, that it seemed
impossible that she could escape being consumed by it. One of the
sisters coming in, cried out to her to fly, but she had no sooner
spoken, than all trace of fire was gone, and S. Milburgh, rising from
her knees, presented the now living child to his mother.

 [Illustration: S. MILBURGH. After Cahier. Feb. 23.]

S. Milburgh is represented as having authority over the birds of the
air, and protecting crops from their ravages. In the parable, the
fowls that came and devoured the good seed, were, we know, evil
spirits.

After many years spent in good works and holy exercises, she was
further purified and fitted, by long and painful illnesses, for those
eternal mansions for which her soul longed. When the time of her
departure drew near, she called together the whole community, and
exhorted them all to have ever before them those two heavenly
sentences: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of
God." She then recommended them to choose the most pious of the
sisters for their future abbess. Taking leave of them, she said, "Most
dear sisters, I have loved you as my own bowels, and have been over
you, as a mother over her children, with pious care. A higher call now
in mercy invites me, I go the way of all flesh, and commend you to God
and the Blessed Virgin." Having armed herself for her passage with the
holy sacraments, she gave up her pure soul into the hands of her
Maker, on Feb. 23rd, 722, and was buried with honour near the altar,
in the church of the monastery.

The monastery was afterwards destroyed by the Danes, and, in course of
time, all trace of the tomb of the saint was lost. But many ages
after, when it was being re-built by some Cluniac monks, two boys who
were playing there, fell through the pavement, and sunk down to their
knees in the ground. This accident occasioned some surprise, and the
monks had the ground opened, and found human bones in the very
foundation of the altar. An odoriferous exhalation, as of a most
precious balsam, perfumed the whole church when the tomb was opened,
and numerous miracles are said to have taken place at the tomb of the
saint; so many, that of all the crowds who went to it, none came away
without receiving some benefit. On May 26th, 1501, the relics were
enclosed in a costly chest, and deposited in a conspicuous and eminent
place in the same monastery, where they remained till its destruction
in the time of Henry VIII.

Some ruins of the abbey church, built in the year 1080, may still be
seen at Wenlock. They consist of south aisle and transept, and part of
the cloister, sufficient to shew the magnificence of the ancient
building.


S. LAZARUS, P. C.

(ABOUT A.D. 870.)

  [Inserted in the Roman Martyrology by Baronius. Venerated by the
  Greeks on November 17th, and his translation on October 17th.
  Authorities:--Cedrenus and Zonaras.]

S. Lazarus was priest, monk, and painter. During the persecution by
the emperor Theophilus against sacred images and monks, Lazarus, as a
painter of pictures for churches, was imprisoned, and his right hand
was fearfully burnt by the application of red-hot iron plates. On the
death of the emperor he recovered his liberty, and painted two
celebrated pictures, one at Constantinople, of S. John the Baptist,
the other at Chalcis, of the Saviour, on a wall, where there had been
a similar picture, which had been scraped off by the Iconoclasts. He
was sent to Rome by the Emperor Michael the Stammerer, with some
magnificent corporals and altar vestments, minutely described by
Anastasius the Librarian. On a second expedition to Rome he died.


S. PETER DAMIANI, B. D.

(A.D. 1072.)

  [Roman Martyrology. A double of the Breviary. Pope Leo XII. gave to
  S. Peter Damiani the title of Doctor of the Church, and extended to
  the whole of the Catholic Church the right of venerating him, which
  was formerly reserved to the Camaldolese, and to the dioceses of
  Ravenna and Falonza. Authority:--Life by his disciple, John of Lodi.]

Peter, surnamed of Damian, was born about the year 988, in Ravenna, of
a good family, the Onesti, that was considerably reduced in
circumstances. He was the youngest of many children, and when very
young, losing his father and mother, he was left in the hands of a
married brother, in whose house he was treated more as a slave than a
relation; and when grown up, he was sent to keep swine. One day he
became possessed of a piece of money, which, instead of spending on
himself, he bestowed in alms on a priest, desiring him to offer up
prayers for his father's soul. He had another brother called Damian,
who was arch-priest of Ravenna, and afterwards a monk; who, taking
pity on him, gave him an education. Damian sent Peter to school, first
at Faenza, afterwards at Parma. Having good natural parts, it was not
long before Peter found himself in a capacity to teach others. To arm
himself against the allurements of pleasure, and the artifices of the
devil, he began to wear a rough hair-shirt under his clothes, and to
inure himself to fasting, watching, and prayer. In the night, if any
temptation of concupiscence arose, he got out of bed and plunged into
the river. After this, he visited churches, reciting the psalter
whilst he performed this devotion, till the church office began. He
not only gave much away in alms, but was seldom without some poor
person at his table, and took a pleasure in serving them with his own
hands. But at length he came to the resolution of deserting the world,
and embracing the monastic life, at a distance from his own country.
While his mind was full of these thoughts, two religious of the order
of S. Benedict, belonging to Font-Avellano, a desert at the foot of
the Apennines in Umbria, happened to call at the place of his abode;
and being much edified at their disinterestedness, he resolved to
embrace their institute; which he did shortly after. This hermitage
had been founded by Blessed Ludolf, about twenty years before S. Peter
came thither, and was then in the greatest repute. The hermits, in
pairs, occupied separate cells. They lived on bread and water four
days in the week: on Tuesdays and Thursdays they ate pulse and herbs,
which every one dressed in his own cell: on their fast days all their
bread was given them by weight. They never used any wine (the common
drink of the country) except for mass, or in sickness: they went
barefoot, used disciplines, made many genuflections, struck their
breasts, stood with their arms stretched out in prayer, each according
to his strength and devotion. After the night office they said the
whole psalter before day. This severe life brought on S. Peter a
nervous attack of wakefulness, which nearly wore him out, and of which
he was cured with very great difficulty. But he learned from this to
use more discretion. He gave a considerable time to sacred studies,
and became as well versed in the Scriptures as he was before in
profane literature. His superior ordered him to make frequent
exhortations to the religious, and as he had acquired a very great
character for virtue and learning, Guy, abbot of Pomposia, begged his
superior to send him to instruct his monastery, which consisted of a
hundred monks. Peter staid there two years, and was then called back
by his abbot, and sent to perform the same function in the large abbey
of S. Vincent, near the Pietra Pertusa, or Hollow Rock. On his recall,
he was commanded by his abbot, with the unanimous consent of the
hermitage, to take upon him the government of the desert after his
death, Therefore, on the decease of the abbot, in 1041, Peter assumed
the direction of that holy family, which he governed with wisdom and
sanctity. He founded five other hermitages; in which he placed priors
subject to his jurisdiction. His principal care was to cherish in his
disciples the spirit of solitude, charity, and humility. Among them,
many became great lights of the Church, as S. Ralph, bishop of Gubbio,
whose festival is kept on the 26th of June; S. Dominic, surnamed
Loricatus, the 14th of October; S. John of Lodi, his successor in the
priory of the Holy Cross, who was also bishop of Gubbio, and wrote S.
Peter's life; and many others. He was for twelve years much employed
in the service of the Church by many zealous bishops, and by four
popes successively, namely, Gregory VI., Clement II., Leo IX., and
Victor II. Their successor, Stephen IX., 1057, prevailed on him to
quit his desert, and made him cardinal bishop of Ostia.

Stephen IX. dying in 1058, Nicolas II. was chosen pope, a man of deep
penetration, of great virtue and learning. Upon complaints of simony
in the Church of Milan, Nicolas II. sent Peter thither as his legate.
Nicolas II. dying, after having sat two years and six months,
Alexander II. was chosen pope, in 1062. S. Peter had with great
importunity solicited Nicolas II. to grant him leave to resign his
bishopric, and return to his solitude; but could not obtain it. His
successor, Alexander II., out of affection for the holy man, was
prevailed upon to allow it, in 1062, but not without great difficulty,
and the reserve of a power to employ him in Church-matters of
importance, as he might have occasion hereafter for his assistance.
The saint from that time thought himself discharged, not only from the
burden of his flock, but also from the government, as Superior of the
several priories, dependent on his monastery.

In this retirement he edified the Church by his penance and
compunction, and laboured by his writings to enforce the observance of
discipline and morality. He wrote a treatise to the bishop of
Besançon, against the custom which the canons of that Church had, of
saying the divine office sitting, a custom which has unfortunately,
since his time, become general; but he saw the propriety of all
sitting during the lessons. This saint wrote most severely on the
obligations of religious, particularly against their rambling over the
country, and going from monastery to monastery. He complained of
certain evasions, by which many palliated real infractions of their
vow of poverty. He justly observed, "We can never restore what is
decayed of primitive discipline; and if we, by negligence, suffer any
diminution in what remains established, future ages will never be able
to repair such breaches. Let us not draw upon ourselves so base a
reproach; but let us faithfully transmit to posterity the examples of
virtue which we have received from our forefathers." The holy man was
obliged to interrupt his solitude in obedience to the pope, who sent
him in the capacity of legate, into France, in 1063, commanding the
archbishops and others to receive him as himself. S. Peter there
reconciled discords, settled the bounds of the jurisdiction of certain
dioceses, and condemned and deposed in councils those who were
convicted of simony. He notwithstanding, tempered his severity with
mildness and indulgence towards penitents, where charity and prudence
required such a condescension. Henry IV., king of Germany, in 1067,
married Bertha, daughter of Otho, marquis of the Marches of Italy, but
afterwards, in 1069, sought a divorce, and persuaded the Archbishop of
Mentz to favour his design, by promising full payment of monies due to
him if he complied, and threatening to fall on his territories with an
armed band if he refused. For the purpose of sanctioning the divorce,
the archbishop assembled a council at Mentz. Pope Alexander II.
forbade him ever to consent to such an injustice, and chose Peter
Damiani for his legate to preside in the synod. The venerable legate
met the king and bishops at Frankfort, laid before them the orders and
instructions of the pope, and in his name conjured the king to pay a
due regard towards the law of God, the canons of the Church, and his
own reputation, and seriously reflect on the public scandal of so
pernicious an example. The noblemen likewise all rose up, and
entreated their sovereign never to stain his honour by so foul an
action. The king, unable to resist so cogent an authority, dropped his
project of a divorce; but remaining the same man in his heart,
continued to hate the queen more than ever.

S. Peter hastened back to his desert of Font-Avellano. Whatever
austerities he prescribed to others he was the first to practise
himself, remitting nothing of them, even in his old age. He lived shut
up in his cell as in a prison, fasted every day, except festivals, and
allowed himself no other subsistence than coarse bread, bran, herbs,
and water, and this he never drank fresh, but what he had kept from
the day before. He tortured his body with iron girdles and frequent
disciplines, to render it more obedient to the spirit. He passed the
first three days of every Lent and Advent without taking any kind of
nourishment whatsoever; and often for forty days together, lived only
on raw herbs and fruits, or on pulse steeped in cold water, without
touching so much as bread, or anything that had passed the fire. A mat
spread on the floor was his bed. He used to make wooden spoons and
such like useful cheap things, to exercise himself at certain hours in
manual labour. Henry, archbishop of Ravenna, having been
excommunicated for grievous enormities, S. Peter was sent by Pope
Alexander II. in the character of legate, to adjust the affairs of the
Church. When he arrived at Ravenna, in 1072, he found the unfortunate
prelate just dead; but brought the accomplices of his crimes to a
sense of their guilt, and imposed on them a suitable penance. This was
his last undertaking for the Church, God being pleased soon after to
call him to eternal rest, and to the crown of his labours. Old age and
the fatigues of his journey did not make him lay aside his accustomed
mortifications, by which he fulfilled his burnt-offering. In his
return towards Rome, he was stopped by a fever in the monastery of Our
Lady, outside the gates of Faenza, and died there, on the eighth day
of his sickness, whilst the monks were reciting Matins round about
him. He passed from that employment, which had been the delight of his
heart on earth, to sing the same praises of God in eternal glory, on
the 22nd of February, 1072, being fourscore and three years old. He is
honoured as patron at Faenza and Font-Avellano, on the 23rd of the
same month.

 [Illustration]




February 24.

  S. MATTHIAS, _Ap. M., after_ A.D. 60.
  SS. MONTANUS, LUCIUS, JULIAN, VICTORIUS, AND COMPANIONS., _MM.
      in Africa_, A.D. 259.
  S. SERGIUS, _M. at Cæsarea in Cappadocia_, A.D. 304.
  S. MODESTUS, _B. of Treves, circ._ A.D. 480.
  S. PRÆTEXTATUS, _of Rouen, B. M._, A.D. 586.
  S. LIUTHARD, _of Senlis, B. C. in England, end of 7th cent._
  S. ETHELBERT, _K. of Kent_, A.D. 616.
  S. JOHN THERISTIS, _Monk at Stylum in Calabria; circ._ A.D. 1129.


S. MATTHIAS, AP. M.

(AFTER A.D. 60.)

  [Roman Martyrology, but in leap year on Feb. 25th. So all Latin
  Martyrologies, with the exception of the ancient Roman one bearing
  the name of S. Jerome, which does not include any mention of S.
  Matthias, and the Church of Milan venerates S. Matthias on Feb. 7;
  the Greeks commemorate him on August 9th. The election of this
  Apostle is said to have taken place on May 12th. Authorities:--The
  Acts of the Apostles, and various traditional notices concerning
  him. The Apocryphal Syriac Acts of S. Matthias are extant.]

Saint Matthias not having been an Apostle of the first election,
immediately called and chosen by our Blessed Lord, particular remarks
concerning him are not to be expected in the narrative of the Holy
Gospels. He was, probably, one of the Seventy disciples who had
attended on Christ the whole time of his public ministry. A vacancy
having been made in the college of the Apostles by the suicide of the
traitor Judas, the first thing which they did after their return from
Mount Olivet--where Our Lord took leave of them on His Ascension--to
S. John's house on Mount Sion, was to fill up their number with a fit
person; for this purpose, S. Peter informed them that Judas, according
to the prophetic prediction, having fallen from his ministry, it was
necessary that another should be substituted in his room, one that had
been a constant companion and disciple of the Holy Jesus, and,
consequently, capable of bearing witness to His life, death, and
resurrection. Two were proposed as candidates--Joseph, called Barsabas
and Justus (whom some make the same with Joses, one of the brethren of
Our Lord), and Matthias--both duly qualified for the place. The way of
election was by lots, a way frequently used both among Jews and
Gentiles for the determination of doubtful and difficult cases, and
especially in the choosing judges and magistrates: and this course the
Apostles rather took because the Holy Ghost was not yet given, by
whose immediate dictates and inspiration they were chiefly guided
afterwards. The lots were put into the urn, and the name of Matthias
was drawn out, and thereby the Apostolate devolved upon him. Not long
after, the promised powers of the Holy Ghost were conferred upon the
Apostles, to fit them for that great and difficult employment upon
which they were sent; and, among the rest, S. Matthias betook himself
to his charge and province. The first period of his ministry he spent
in Judæa; whence, having reaped a considerable harvest, he betook
himself to other provinces. The Greeks, with some probability, report
him to have travelled eastwards into Cappadocia (which they
erroneously call Æthiopia). Here, meeting with a people of a fierce
and intractable temper, he was treated by them with great rudeness and
inhumanity; and from them, after all his labour and sufferings, and a
numerous conversion of men to Christianity, he obtained at last the
crown of martyrdom, about the year of Christ, 64. Little certain
information can be ascertained concerning the manner of his death; but
the Greek Menæa, which are corroborated by several ancient breviaries,
relate that he was crucified, and that as Judas was hanged upon a
tree, so Matthias suffered upon a cross. His body is said to have been
kept a long time at Jerusalem, thence thought to have been translated
to Rome by S. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, where some
supposed portions of it are shown with great veneration at this day;
though others contend that his relics were brought to and are still
preserved at Trèves. Among many apocryphal writings attributed to the
Apostles, there was a Gospel published under his name, mentioned by
the ancient ecclesiastical historians, and condemned with the rest by
Gelasius, Bishop of Rome, as it had been rejected by others before him.

 [Illustration: BEHEADING OF S. MATTHIAS. From Cahier. Feb. 24.]

S. Matthias is seldom represented in works of art; when his figure
does occur, he generally carries an axe or halbert, sometimes a spear
or lance, occasionally a book and a stone. The Greeks represent S.
Matthias as an old man with a rounded beard.


SS. MONTANUS, LUCIUS, JULIAN, AND
COMP., MM.

(A.D. 259.)

  [Roman and other Western Martyrologies. Authority:--The very
  interesting letter written by these Martyrs, when in prison, to
  their brethren, with the conclusion, relating their passion, by an
  eye-witness.]

The persecution raised by Valerian had raged two years, during which,
many had received the crown of martyrdom, and amongst others, S.
Cyprian, in September, 258. The proconsul, Galerius Maximus, who had
pronounced sentence on that saint, dying soon after, the procurator,
Solon, continued the persecution, waiting for the arrival of a new
proconsul from Rome. After some days, a sedition was raised in
Carthage against him, in which many were killed. Solon, instead of
making search after the perpetrators of the riot, vented his fury upon
the Christians, knowing that this would be agreeable to the idolaters.
Accordingly, he caused eight Christians, all disciples of S. Cyprian,
and most of them of the clergy, to be apprehended. "As soon as we were
taken," say the martyrs, "we were given in custody to the officers of
the quarter. The governor's soldiers told us that we were to be
condemned to the flames; then we prayed to God, with great fervour, to
be delivered from that punishment, and he, in whose hands are the
hearts of men, was pleased to grant our request. The governor altered
his first intent, and ordered us into a very dark and incommodious
prison, where we found the priest Victor, and some others; but we were
not dismayed at the filth and darkness of the place, our faith and joy
in the Holy Ghost reconciled us to our sufferings in that place,
though they were such as it is not easy for words to describe; but the
greater our trials, the greater is He who overcomes them in us. Our
brother Rhenus in the meantime had a vision, in which he saw several
of the prisoners going out of the jail with a lighted lamp preceding
each of them, whilst others, who had no such lamp, stayed behind. He
discerned us in this vision, and assured us that we were of the number
of those who went forth with lamps. This gave us great joy, for we
understood that the lamp represented Christ, the true Light, and that
we were to follow Him by martyrdom.

"The next day we were sent for by the governor, to be examined. It was
a triumph to us to be conducted, as a spectacle, through the market
place and the streets, with our chains rattling. The soldiers, who
knew not where the governor would hear us, dragged us from place to
place till, at length, he ordered us to be brought into his closet. He
put several questions to us; our answers were modest, but firm: at
length we were remanded to prison; here we prepared ourselves for new
conflicts. The sharpest trial was that which we underwent through
hunger and thirst, the governor having commanded that we should be
kept without meat and drink for several days, insomuch that water was
refused us after our work; yet Flavian the deacon added great
voluntary austerities to these hardships, often bestowing on others
that little refreshment which was most sparingly allowed us at the
public charge.

"God was pleased himself to comfort us in this our extreme misery, by
a vision which he vouchsafed to the priest Victor, who suffered
martyrdom a few days after. 'I saw last night,' said he to us, 'a
child, whose countenance was of a wonderful brightness, enter the
prison. He took us to all parts to make us go out, but there was no
outlet; then he said to me,--Thou art still concerned at being
retained here, but be not discouraged, I am with thee: carry these
tidings to thy companions, and let them know that they shall have a
more glorious crown. I asked him where heaven was; the child replied,
Beyond the world.' Victor then desired to be shown the place of the
blessed, but the child in the vision reprimanded him gently, saying,
'Where then would be thy faith?' Victor said, 'I cannot retain what
thou dost command me: tell me a sign that I may give to my
companions.' He answered, 'Give them the sign of Jacob, that is, his
mystical ladder, reaching to the heavens.'" Soon after this vision
Victor was put to death. "This vision," continues the letter of the
martyrs, "filled us with joy."

"God gave us, the night following, another assurance of his mercy, by
a vision to our sister Quartillosia, a fellow-prisoner, whose husband
and son had suffered death for Christ three days before, and who
followed them by martyrdom a few days after. 'I saw,' says she, 'my
son, who suffered; he was in the prison sitting on a vessel of water,
and he said to me,--God has seen thy sufferings. Then entered a young
man, of a wonderful stature, and he said,--Be of good courage, God
hath remembered thee.'" The martyrs had received no nourishment the
preceding day, nor had they any on the day that followed this vision;
but, at length, Lucian, then priest, and afterward bishop of Carthage,
surmounting all obstacles, got food to be carried to them in abundance
by the subdeacon Herennian, and by Januarius, a catechumen. The Acts
say, they brought the never-failing Food,[65] that is, the blessed
Eucharist. They continue: "We have all one and the same spirit, which
unites and cements us together in prayer, in mutual conversation, and
in all our actions. These are the lovely bands which put the devil to
flight, are most agreeable to God, and obtain of Him, by joint prayer,
whatever they ask. These are the ties which link hearts together, and
which make men the children of God. To be heirs of His kingdom we must
be His children, and to be His children we must love one another. It
is impossible for us to attain to the inheritance of heavenly glory,
unless we keep that union and peace with all our brethren which our
heavenly Father has established amongst us. Nevertheless, this union
suffered some prejudice in our troop, but the breach was soon
repaired. It happened that Montanus had some words with Julian about a
person who was not of our communion, and who was got among us
(probably admitted by Julian). Montanus on this account rebuked
Julian, and they, for some time afterward, behaved towards each other
with coldness, which was, as it were, a seed of discord. Heaven had
pity on them both, and, to reunite them, admonished Montanus by a
dream, which he related to us, as follows:--'It appeared to me that
the centurions were come to us, and that they conducted us through a
long path into a spacious field, where we were met by Cyprian and
Lucius. After this, we came into a very luminous place, where our
garments became white, and our flesh whiter than our garments, and so
wonderfully transparent, that there was nothing in our hearts but what
was clearly exposed to view; but, in looking into myself, I could
discover some filth in my own bosom: and, meeting Lucian, I told him
what I had seen, adding, that what I had observed in my breast denoted
my coldness towards Julian. Wherefore, brethren, let us love, cherish,
and promote, with all our might, peace and concord. Let us be here
unanimous, in imitation of what we shall be hereafter. As we hope to
share in the rewards promised to the just, and to avoid the
punishments wherewith the wicked are threatened, as we desire to be,
and to reign with Christ, let us do those things which will lead us to
Him and to His heavenly kingdom.'"

Thus far, the martyrs wrote in prison what happened to them; the rest
was written by those persons who were present, according to the
recommendation of Flavian, one of the martyrs.

After suffering extreme hunger and thirst, with other hardships,
during an imprisonment of many months, the confessors were brought
before the president, and made a glorious confession. The edict of
Valerian condemned only bishops, priests, and deacons to death. The
false friends of Flavian maintained before the judge that he was not a
deacon, and, consequently, was not comprehended in the emperor's
decree; whereupon, though he protested that he was one, he was not
then condemned; but the rest were sentenced to death. They walked
cheerfully to the place of execution, and each of them gave
exhortations to the people. Lucius, who was naturally mild and modest,
was a little dejected on account of a sickness he had contracted in
prison; he, therefore, went before the rest, accompanied by only a few
persons, lest he should be oppressed by the crowd, and so not have the
honour of spilling his blood. Some cried out to him, "Remember us."
"Do you also," said he, "remember me." Julian and Victoricus exhorted
the brethren to peace, and recommended to their care the whole body of
the clergy, especially those who had undergone the hardships of
imprisonment. Montanus, who was endued with great strength, both of
body and mind, cried out, "He that sacrificeth to any God but the true
one shall be utterly destroyed." This he often repeated. He also
checked the pride and wicked obstinacy of the heretics, telling them
that they might discern the true Church by the multitude of its
martyrs. Like a true disciple of S. Cyprian, and a zealous lover of
discipline, he exhorted those that had fallen not to be over hasty,
but fully to accomplish their penance. He exhorted the virgins to
preserve their purity, and to honour the bishops, and all the bishops
to abide in concord. When the executioner was ready to give the
stroke, he prayed aloud to God that Flavian, who had been reprieved at
the people's request, might follow them on the third day. And, to
express his assurance that his prayer was heard, he rent in pieces the
handkerchief with which his eyes were to be covered, and ordered
one-half of it to be reserved for Flavian, and desired that a place
might be kept for him where he was to be buried, that they might not
be separated even in the grave. Flavian, seeing his crown delayed,
made it the object of his ardent desires and prayers. And as his
mother kept close by his side, with the constancy of the mother of the
holy Maccabees, and with longing desire to see him glorify God by
death, he said to her, "Thou knowest, mother, how much I have longed
to enjoy the happiness of dying by martyrdom." In one of the two
nights during which he survived, he was favoured with a vision, in
which one said to him, "Why dost thou grieve? Twice hast thou been a
confessor, and thou shalt suffer martyrdom by the sword." On the third
day he was ordered to be brought before the governor. Here it appeared
how much he was beloved by the people, for they endeavoured by all
means to save his life. They cried out to the judge that he was no
deacon; but he affirmed that he was. A centurion presented a billet,
which set forth that he was not. The judge accused him of lying, to
procure his own death. He answered, "Is that probable? are not they
rather guilty of an untruth who say the contrary?" The people demanded
that he might be tortured, in hopes he would recall his confession on
the rack; but the judge condemned him to be beheaded. The sentence
filled him with joy, and he was conducted to the place of execution,
accompanied by a great multitude, and by many priests. A shower
dispersed the infidels, and the martyr was led into a house till the
storm was passed, and there he had an opportunity of taking his last
leave of the faithful, without the presence of any heathen spectators.
He told them that in a vision he had asked Cyprian whether the stroke
of death is painful, and that the martyr answered, "The body feels no
pain when the soul gives itself entirely to God." At the place of
execution, he prayed for the peace of the Church and the union of the
brethren. Having done speaking, he bound his eyes with that half of
the handkerchief which Montanus had ordered to be kept for him, and,
kneeling in prayer, received the last stroke. Although he suffered two
days after the others, the whole glorious company receives
commemoration together on one day.


S. SERGIUS, M.

(A.D. 304.)

  [Roman and German Martyrologies, and those of Bede, Usuardus, Ado,
  &c. Authority:--The Acts, apparently not in their original form, but
  trustworthy.]

S. Sergius lived a retired, hermit life, near Cæsarea, in Cappadocia.
When he heard of the breaking out of persecution, under the Emperors
Diocletian and Maximian, his zeal led him to come into the city, and
appear before Sapricius, the governor, and proclaim his abhorrence of
the gods of Rome. The governor at once ordered him to execution.

His relics were translated to Ubeda, in the diocese of Taragona, in
Spain.


S. PRÆTEXTATUS OF ROUEN, B. M.

(A.D. 586.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--S. Gregory of Tours, Hist. Franc.
  lib. ix. c. 39, 42, and the zealous champion of Prætextatus in the
  Council of Paris.]

On the death of Clothair, sole king of the Franks, (A.D. 561), his
dominions were divided amongst his four sons, Charibert, who became
king of Paris and the adjacent country; Guntram, of Orleans;
Chilperic, of Soissons; and Sigebert, of Austrasia. The reign of
Charibert was unattended by any important event; he died at the
expiration of eleven years from the date of his accession, leaving an
only daughter, Bertha, who married Ethelbert, king of Kent, and
converted him to Christianity. The brothers Sigebert and Chilperic
were engaged in bloody wars with each other. Sigebert had espoused
Brunhild, daughter of Athanagild, king of the Visigoths. Chilperic was
married at three several periods to as many wives: first, to Audovera,
by whom he had three sons; Theodebert, Meroveus, and Clovis; secondly,
to Gailesuinth, sister of Brunhild, by whom he had a daughter. During
the lifetime of his second queen, Chilperic became enamoured of
Fredegund, and his passion led him to put Gailesuinth to death, and
elevate her rival to the throne. This barbarous action induced
Sigebert to take up arms against his brother, urged thereto by the
vehement Brunhild, desirous of revenging the murder of her sister; and
a destructive war ensued, in the course of which Chilperic and his
guilty consort were driven from their country, and became exiles in a
foreign land.

At no very distant interval of time, in 575, Sigebert was assassinated
by the directions of his unnatural brother. Brunhild, his widow, sued
for protection to Meroveus, son of Chilperic by his first wife, who
was at Rouen, where Chilperic had imprisoned her. Meroveus, dreading
the power of Fredegund, who wished to secure the succession to the
crown for her son, took up arms against his father, and making common
cause with Brunhild, his aunt, married her.

At that time, Prætextatus was bishop of Rouen. His position was
difficult. The insurgent son had made Rouen his head-quarters, and
expected, or exacted contributions from the Church, which Prætextatus
was unwilling to grant, but which the prince was strong enough to
obtain. To make the case more difficult, Meroveus was the spiritual
son of this bishop, that is, Prætextatus had baptized him, and this
spiritual relationship was then regarded as a sacred and dear tie.
Chilperic heard exaggerated accounts of what the bishop had done, and
hastily concluding that Prætextatus was privy to the revolt of
Meroveus, ordered a council of prelates to meet in Paris, to try and
sentence Prætextatus either to have his episcopal habit rent in twain,
and to have Psalm cviii. (A. V. 109), said over him, in token that his
bishopric was taken from him, or that he should be excommunicated.
Prætextatus was first charged by the king with having broken the
canons by marrying Meroveus to his aunt, and with having fomented
rebellion by giving large contributions to the prince. The bishop
denied both charges. The king in person pressed the charge. S.
Gregory, bishop of Tours, who gives us a full account of the affair,
and Aetius, archdeacon of Paris, were the only two who had courage to
take the part of the bishop, on whose destruction the king was
resolved. Gregory steadfastly refused to condemn Prætextatus on
charges which could not be substantiated. Then the king sent for him
privately, and endeavoured by flattery to break his resolution, but in
vain. Then bursting out in a passion, he exclaimed, "Hah! bishop, you
who have to dispense justice, will not show justice to me. True, by my
faith! is the proverb, Hawks will not peck out hawks' een. Here is a
collation I had prepared for you," pointing to a table on which were
roast fowl and other delicacies. Gregory refused to eat, till the king
had sworn that he would not violate the laws of the realm and the
canons of the Church, by forcing the council to condemn an innocent
man. After that he took, so he tells us, some bread, and even a little
wine; and so departed. That night queen Fredegund sent to his lodgings
a large sum of money, in hopes of bribing him to consent to the
sentence on Prætextatus, but Gregory refused the bribe.

The king next raked up another charge against the bishop of Rouen, of
having stolen some handsome birds he valued at three thousand sous,
but this charge broke down also. Then some false friend urged
Prætextatus to deliver the bishops who tried him from their perilous
predicament, by confessing himself guilty, assuring him that this
would satisfy the king, who would not press further punishment on him.
Prætextatus was weak enough to yield to this treacherous advice,[66]
and thus to remove it out of the power of his two defenders to
maintain their opposition to the majority. The bishop of Rouen was at
once condemned and banished to a little island off Coutances, probably
Jersey.

The ferocious Fredegund now cleared the way for her own son to the
throne of her husband, by causing Meroveus, Theodobert, and Clovis,
the sons of Chilperic by his first wife, Audovera, to be put to death.
The only remaining obstacle to the accession of her child, was
Chilperic, her husband; but that impediment was speedily removed by
his assassination, (584), after which his son ascended the vacant
throne. On the death of Chilperic, Prætextatus returned to Rouen, with
the sanction of Guntram, second son of Clothair, king of Soissons,
much against the wishes of Fredegund. A council was assembled at
Macon, and the Bishop of Rouen was reinstated, against the protest of
Fredegund, who asserted that it was indecent to overthrow the sentence
of deprivation pronounced against him by forty-five bishops. In 586
the queen was at Rouen, where words passed between her and
Prætextatus. Seeing him on her arrival, she greeted him with, "The
time is coming when thou shalt revisit the place of thine exile." "I
was a bishop always, whether in exile or out of exile," answered
Prætextatus; "and a bishop I shall remain; but as for thee, thou shalt
not for ever enjoy thy crown;" and then he earnestly besought her to
abandon her wicked life, and seek reconciliation with God. This was
shortly before Easter. On Easter morning he went after midnight to the
church to sing Matins; he precented the antiphons, and then during the
psalms rested in his seat; an assassin, sent by the queen, approached
at this time, and stabbed him under the armpit. He rose with a cry,
and staggered to the altar, on which he placed his hands, dabbled with
blood, and received the Holy Sacrament. He was then carried to his
bed, where he died. His death took place on April 14th, 586; but
Feb. 24th is observed in his honour, as being probably the day of his
translation.


S. ETHELBERT, K. C.

(A.D. 616.)

  [Roman, Ancient Anglican and German Martyrologies, that of Usuardus,
  &c. Authority:--Bede, lib. i. c. 11-15, 25, 26; lib. ii. c. 5.]

S. Ethelbert was son and successor of Irmenric, king of Kent, and
great grandson of Hengist, the first of the Saxon conquerors of
Britain. He reigned for thirty-six years over the oldest kingdom of
the Heptarchy--that of Kent--and gained over all the other Saxon kings
and princes, even to the confines of Northumbria, that kind of
military supremacy which was attached to the title of Bretwalda, or
temporary chief of the Saxon Confederation. His wife was Bertha,
daughter of Charibert, son of Clovis, king of France; a Christian
princess, who brought over with her as chaplain, one Lethard or
Liudhard, of Senlis, a bishop, who exercised his ministry in a church
formerly built, in Roman times, near the walls of Canterbury, and
dedicated to S. Martin. Tradition records the gentle and lovable
virtues of queen Bertha, but little is known of her life; she has left
but a brief and uncertain illumination on those distant and dark
horizons, over which she sits like a star, the herald of the sun. Her
example and the virtues of Liudhard probably did much to break up the
ground in the heart of Ethelbert; but his conversion was reserved for
the coming and preaching of S. Augustine and his companions, the
missioners sent from Rome by Gregory the Great. These landed first in
the Isle of Thanet, which joins close to the east part of Kent, and
thence they sent a message to king Ethelbert, saying why they had come
into his land. The king sent word back to them to stay in the isle
till he fully made up his mind how to treat them; and he gave orders
that they should be well taken care of in the meanwhile. After some
days he came himself into the isle, and bade them come and tell him
what they had to say. He sat under an oak, and received them in the
open air, for he would not meet them in a house, as he thought they
might be wizards, and they might use some charm or spell, which,
according to the superstition of the time, was held to be powerless
out of doors. So they came, carrying a silver cross, and a picture of
Our Lord painted on a wooden panel, chanting in procession the
litanies in use at Rome, in the solemn and touching strains which they
had learnt from Gregory, their spiritual father, and the father of
religious music. At their head marched Augustine, whose lofty stature
and patrician presence attracted every eye, for, like Saul, "he was
taller than any of the people from his shoulders and upwards."[67] The
king, surrounded by a great number of his followers, received them
graciously, and made them sit down before him. After having listened
to the address which they delivered to him and to the assembly, he
gave them a loyal, sincere, and, as we should say in these days, truly
liberal answer. "You make fair speeches and promises," he said, "but
all this is to me new and uncertain. I cannot all at once put faith in
what you tell me, and abandon all that I, with my whole nation, have
for so long a time held sacred. But since you have come from so far
away to impart to us what you yourselves, by what I see, believe to be
the truth and the supreme good, we shall do you no hurt, but, on the
contrary, shall show you all hospitality, and shall take care to
furnish you with the means of living. We shall not hinder you from
preaching your religion, and you may convert whom you can." So he gave
them a house to dwell in, in the royal city of Canterbury, and he let
them preach openly to the people, of whom they quickly brought some
over to the faith, moved by the innocence of their lives, and the
sweetness of their heavenly doctrine, which was confirmed by miracles.
They were given, as Bede tells us, the Church of S. Martin in which
"to sing, to pray, to say mass, to preach, and to baptize." But it was
not long before the king also submitted to the truth, and was
baptized; and before the year was out, there was added to the Church
more than ten thousand souls. It was on Whitsun-Day, in the year of
grace, 497, that the English king entered into the unity of the Holy
Church of Christ Since the conversion of Constantine, excepting that
of Clovis, there had not been any event of greater moment in the
annals of Christendom. Then the king told Augustine and his companions
that they might build new churches, and repair the old ones which
Christians had used before the Saxons invaded England, and drove the
ancient Church into Cornwall and Wales. Ethelbert, faithful to the
last to that noble respect for the individual conscience, of which he
had given proof even before he was a Christian, was unwilling to
constrain anyone to change his religion. He allowed himself to show no
preference, save a deeper love for those who, baptized like himself,
became his fellow-citizens in the heavenly kingdom. The Saxon king had
learnt from the Italian monks that no constraint is compatible with
the service of Christ.[68] It was not to unite England to the Roman
Church, but it was in order to tear her from it, a thousand years
after this, that another king, and another queen, Henry VIII., and his
cruel daughter Elizabeth, had to employ torture and the gallows.

From the time of his conversion, Ethelbert behaved for the twenty
remaining years of his life, as became a good king and a good
Christian. He gave his royal palace in Canterbury for the use of the
archbishop, founded Christ Church in Canterbury, S. Andrew's in
Rochester, S. Paul's in London, and built and endowed the abbey and
church of SS. Peter and Paul without the walls of Canterbury, commonly
called S. Augustine's; and was instrumental in bringing over to the
faith of Christ, Sebert, king of the East Saxons, with his people, and
Redwald, king of the East Angles. The former remained true to Christ
till his death; but Redwald returned, at least in part, to the worship
of Thor and Wodin. Ethelbert died in the year 616, and was buried in
the Church of SS. Peter and Paul, near the body of his devout queen
Bertha, and the holy prelate Liuthard. A light was always kept burning
before his tomb by our pious ancestors.

Liuthard of Senlis, the chaplain of queen Bertha, is also commemorated
on this day.

[65] Alimentum indeficiens.

[66] Alban Butler, in his life of S. Prætextatus, says that the bishop
married Meroveus to his aunt, deeming the case one deserving a
dispensation, and that he confessed this at the council; but S.
Gregory of Tours, who is the authority for all that passed, says that
the bishop denied having married them, and when he was persuaded to
confess, he did not confess that he had done this, but that by giving
money to Meroveus, he had encouraged him in his revolt.

[67] Gotselinus: Vita S. Aug. c. 45.

[68] "Didicerat enim a doctoribus auctoribusque suæ salutis, servitium
Christ voluntarium, non coactum esse debere." Bede i. 26.

 [Illustration: ENAMELLED CHEST, which contained the remains of King
 Ethelbert.]

 [Illustration: WINDOW in the Cathedral at Tours. Feb. 24.]




February 25.

  SS. VICTORINUS, VICTOR, AND COMP., _MM. in Egypt_, A.D. 284.
  SS. ANANIAS, P. M., Peter, and Seven Soldiers, _MM. in Phoenicia,
      circ._ A.D. 298.
  S. CÆSARIUS, _C. in Bithynia, circ._ A.D. 369.
  S. FELIX III., _Pope of Rome_, A.D. 492.
  S. ALDETRUDIS, _V. Abss. of Maubeuge, end of 7th cent._
  S. WALBURGA, _V. Abss. of Heidenheim, about_ A.D. 780.
  S. TARASIUS, _Patr. of Constantinople_, A.D. 806.
  S. GERLANDUS, _B. of Girgenti, Sicily_, A.D. 1101.
  B. ROBERT OF ARBRISSEL, _Founder of the Order of Fontevrault_,
     A.D. 1117.
  S. AVERTANUS, _O. M. C. in Tuscany, 16th cent._


SS. VICTORINUS, VICTOR, AND COM., MM.

(A.D. 284.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and those of Bede, Ado, &c. But the ancient
  Roman Martyrology, bearing the name of S. Jerome, on Feb. 24th. By
  the Greeks commemorated on Jan, 31st and April 5th. A mere epitome
  of their Acts was all that was known to Bollandus, as contained in
  the Menæa and Martyrologies; but Assemani has since recovered the
  genuine Acts in Chaldaic.]

Victorinus, Victor, Nicephorus, Claudian, Dioscorus,[69] Serapion, and
Papias, were citizens of Corinth, and had witnessed a good confession
before Tertius, the proconsul, in 249. They then passed into Egypt,
for what reason is not stated, and were again called upon to confess
Christ, in the reign of Numerian, in Diospolis, capital of the
Thebaid, in 284, under Sabinus, the governor. After the governor had
tried the constancy of the martyrs with the rack and scourge, he
caused Victorinus to be thrown into a great marble mortar. The
executioners began by pounding his extremities, saying to him, at
every stroke, "Spare thy life, Victorinus, by abjuring thy new God."
But, as he continued to maintain his steadfastness, by order of
Sabinus they crushed his head and chest. Victor was threatened with
the same death. He pointed to the mortar, stained with the blood and
brains of his companions, and said, calmly, "My salvation and my true
joy await me there!" He was immediately cast into it, and pounded to
death. Nicephorus was impatient of delay, and leaped of his own accord
into the mortar. He met with the same fate. Sabinus caused Claudian,
the fourth, to be chopped to pieces, and his bleeding joints to be
thrown at the feet of the survivors. He expired, after his feet,
hands, arms, legs, and thighs had been cut off. The governor then,
pointing to the mangled limbs and bleeding trunk, said to the three
who remained, "It concerns you to escape this punishment; I do not
compel you to suffer." The martyrs replied, with one accord, "We
desire of thee to bid us suffer by the most excruciating pains thou
canst devise, for never will we break our fidelity to God, and deny
Jesus Christ, our Saviour, for He is our God, from whom we have our
being, and to whom alone we aspire."

The tyrant then condemned Dioscorus to be roasted to death; Serapion
was suspended by his heels and decapitated; and Papias was cast into
the sea with a stone attached to his neck, and drowned.

This happened on Feb. 25th, on which day these martyrs are
commemorated in the Western Martyrologies; but the Greek Menæa and the
Menology of the Emperor Basil Porphyrogenitus honour them on January
31st, the day of their confession at Corinth.


SS. ANANIAS, P., AND COMP., MM.

(ABOUT A.D. 298.)

  [Greek Menæa, on Feb. 26th; Martyrology of Ado on Feb. 25th.
  Inserted in many of the later Western Martyrologies, but in none of
  the earlier ones except that of Ado. Authority:--The notices in the
  Martyrologies, and an ancient MS. Acts of these saints found in the
  Monastery of Gladbach, which is, however, of very doubtful value.]

S. Ananias was a priest in Phoenicia, who was put to a terrible
death by the governor for his testimony to the truth. After having
been scourged till his back was a mass of wounds, salt and vinegar
were rubbed into the exposed and bleeding flesh, and he was wrapped in
a horse-hair garment so as still further to inflame and irritate the
wounds. In prison he converted the gaoler, Peter. He was brought forth
again, and slowly scorched on a grate over live coals; then salt was
again applied to his sores, and the charred flesh was then cut off
with a fish-slice. Peter was also exposed to a slow fire, and was
then, with the priest, and seven believing soldiers, cast into the sea
and drowned.


S. CÆSARIUS, C.

(ABOUT A.D. 369.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Greek Menæa on March 9th. Authority:--His life,
  written by his brother, S. Gregory Nazianzen.]

S. Cæsarius was given by his parents an excellent education, and,
being a man of great natural parts, he soon distinguished himself for
his accomplishments in all the known sciences. He became one of the
first physicians of his day, and was urged by the Emperor Constantius
to reside in the imperial city, but declined to do so. Julian the
Apostate nominated him his first physician, and loaded him with marks
of favour, without, however, being able to shake his Christian
constancy. Jovian, who succeeded Julian, also honoured him, and
finding that, moved by the remonstrances of his father and brother,
Cæsarius had thrown up his appointment at the court of the Apostate,
he recalled him. Valens created him keeper of the privy purse, and
treasurer of Bithynia. A narrow escape in an earthquake at Nicæa, in
368, when almost all the chief men of that city were killed, moved him
to renounce the world. He died shortly after, and was buried with
great solemnity, his parents assisting at the funeral with lighted
tapers in their hands, and his brother, S. Gregory, Bishop of
Nazianzus, preaching his funeral oration.


S. ALDETRUDIS, V. ABSS.

(END OF 7TH CENT.)

  [Molanus, Wyon, Miræus, Menardus, Bollandus, &c., on this day; some
  other hagiographers on March 15th. Authority:--An ancient life, part
  of which formed the lections of the Breviary for the Collegiate
  Church of Mons, founded by S. Waldetrudis.]

The Abbey of Maubeuge, in France, on the Sambre, near the confines of
Belgium, was founded by S. Aldegund (Jan. 30th), sister of S.
Waldetrudis (April 9th), wife of S. Vincent, a count, (July 14th), and
aunt of the two holy daughters of this pious couple, S. Aldetrudis and
S. Madelbertha (Sept. 7th), who succeeded Aldegund as abbesses of
Maubeuge. Aldetrudis was brought up by her saintly parents to tread
the path of light and life from her earliest infancy. She chose the
religious life, and entered the house founded and governed by her
aunt, whom she succeeded. One little incident of her life has retained
its hold on the popular memory, and is sometimes represented in art.
Determined not to waste the precious wax from the altar and other
candles, Aldetrudis melted up all the scrapings, drippings, and ends
of the tapers in a large pot on the fire, but, when it was melted, the
wax caught fire. Aldetrudis, thinking there was danger from the blaze,
and not wishing to lose the wax, boldly caught the pot from the fire
with both her hands, and placed it on the stone floor. The legend adds
that though some of the melted wax ran over her hands she was not
burnt.

Another story is to this effect. One evening she stood at the convent
gate, looking out at an advancing thunderstorm. Presently there came a
flash and a roar, which so frightened her that she cried out, "Lord
Jesus, into Thy hands I commend my spirit!" Then there passed her the
Lord Himself, shining out of the darkness, fairer than the sons of
men, and comforted her with the words, "Be not afraid, I am with thee."


S. WALBURGA, V. ABSS.

(A.D. 779.)

  [On this day the Martyrology bearing the name of Bede; also those of
  the metropolitan Churches of Prague, of Treves, and Utrecht; the
  Benedictine Kalendar; and as usually commemorated in Germany. But
  some give April 27th. No mention of S. Walburga in the French
  Martyrologies. Some give Feb. 25th as the day of her Translation,
  others October 12th, others September 21st; but May 1st is the most
  solemn day of her Translation. Authority:--Her Life by a priest of
  Eichstadt in the following century; another life by Adelbold, B. of
  Maestrecht, d. 1027; another by Eynwick, provost of S. Florian;
  another by an anonymous writer, and others later. Walburga is
  variously called Waldburga, Wilburga, Vaubone, Valpurgis, Vaubourg.]

The blessed Walburga was a daughter of S. Richard, West Saxon Thane,
(Feb. 7th), and sister of S. Willibald, (July 7th), and S. Wunnibald,
(December 18th). These holy brothers accompanied their uncle, the
great S. Boniface, (June 5th), apostle of Germany, on his mission, and
are regarded and honoured as his fellow apostles. S. Walburga was
educated from early childhood in the monastic calm of Wimbourne, in
Dorsetshire, where she took the veil, and spent an untroubled youth
till called by S. Boniface to Germany. Boniface had asked his
kinswoman, the abbess Tatta, to send him a colony of nuns to found a
religious house in the newly acquired provinces of the kingdom of
Christ. She sent S. Lioba, with several under her, amongst whom was S.
Walburga, and they settled at first at Bischofsheim, in the diocese of
Mainz. Two years after she was appointed abbess of Heidenheim, a
religious house founded by her brothers, Willibald, bishop of
Eichstadt, and Wunnibald, who ruled an abbey of men. So great was her
prudence and virtue, that on the death of Wunnibald, in 760, following
the Anglo-Saxon precedent, Walburga was appointed to superintend the
abbey of monks, as well as her own convent of nuns, and this double
charge she executed till her death. S. Willibald translated the body
of his brother to Eichstadt, in 776; and S. Walburga was present at
the ceremony. She died in 779 or 780, but on what day is not mentioned
by her biographer.

 [Illustration: S. WALBURGA. From Cahier. Feb. 25.]

In art she is represented with a flask of oil, on account of the
miraculous and fragrant oil which distilled from her relics in the
church of S. Cross, at Eichstadt; or with three ears of corn, with
which she is said to have cured and satisfied a girl afflicted with a
ravenous appetite.

Her relics were translated in 870, to Eichstadt, on Sept. 21st. A
considerable part still remains there; another portion was carried by
Baldwin the Bearded, Count of Flanders, in 1109, to the abbey of
Furnes, near Ostend, where they are still preserved, and the festival
of the translation is kept on May 1st. From Furnes, small portions
have been distributed to churches in Antwerp, Brussels, Thiel,
Arnheim, Zutphen, and Gröningen. Other relics of this saint are said
to be preserved at Prague, Cologne, Augsburg, and Hanover, and many
were anciently distributed over Lorraine, Alsace, and Burgundy.

There can be no doubt that S. Walburga has inherited the symbols and
much of the cultus anciently devoted to Walborg, or Walburg, the Earth
Mother.


S. TARASIUS, PATR. OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

(A.D. 806.)

  [By Greeks and Latins on the same day. Authority:--His life by
  Ignatius, deacon and keeper of the sacred vessels at Constantinople,
  afterwards bishop of Nicæa, a disciple of Tarasius; also the Church
  historians of the period.]

The Incarnation of God was the descent of the Most High to the level
of human necessity. Man had found a difficulty in believing in and
loving the Infinite; human language failed to express the nature of
God save by a multitude of abstractions and negations. He was not
limited, had no localized habitation, was not comprehensible by man;
so the philosophers taught, and so they strove to make men believe;
men made the effort, believed, and in the effort, their devotion
expired. The philosophers had lifted God into the region of an idea,
and in so doing, had divested him of personality; and when His
personality was lost, all interest in Him died away. God was to them
an object of speculation, not an object of worship. God the Father,
knowing man's natural incapacity for realizing the Godhead, sent His
Son into the world clothed in flesh. Man had now a God-Man, whose
nature and personality had been brought vividly before him to believe
in and to love. God was "manifest in the flesh," the visible and the
invisible, the spiritual and the material, the finite and the
infinite, the local and the omnipresent were united in One.
Thenceforth the law of God's dealings with man was to be in accordance
with his natural capacities, the visible was to become the medium of
the invisible, the material the vehicle of the spiritual, the
omnipresent adorable through a local presence, the infinite
discernible through the finite. In Jesus Christ men saw God and lived;
and when He was withdrawn from the eyes of men, He did not leave them
orphans, but perpetuated his presence in the Holy Eucharist, even unto
the end of the world.

In the old heathen world men had been idolaters or philosophers. The
idolater saw in the material image his God; the philosopher declared
that God was everywhere present, and he despised the idol.
Christianity combined in one the truth taught by the philosopher, and
the craving felt by the idolater. Through the sacraments as outward
and visible means, grace was conveyed to man, chiefly through the Holy
Eucharist; and through sacred images and the holy cross, worship was
addressed to God. Through the seen to the unseen, to God; from the
unseen through the seen to man, is the law of the Incarnation.

At first, on account of the idolatry which surrounded them, the early
Christians did not deem it prudent to introduce images into their
churches. Idolatry was so prevalent, that the first lesson they had to
insist upon to the heathen, was the omnipresence of God; but when
heathenism was conquered, the danger of idolatry ceased, and the peril
was in the other direction; men began to insist on the infinity of the
essence of the Godhead, and to deny the possibility of His becoming
local by incarnation. They were ready to admit that Christ was
inspired with a divine afflatus, but not that He was very and eternal
God. Then, at once, it became necessary for the Church to use her
every effort to impress on men's minds and hearts the truth that God
had become very man, of the substance of His mother. Then pictures and
images were introduced into churches. We must remember that the
Church, to defend the truth, had to assume successively opposite
positions, for the truth was double,--if we are to understand how she
first opposed images, and then defended them. She did not contradict
herself, her attitude was forced upon her, to maintain a two-fold
truth.

The use of images was commonly received in the east, when the Emperor
Leo the Isaurian, resolved to abolish the practice. The contest began
about the year 725. He was opposed by Pope Gregory II., Germanus,
patriarch of Constantinople, and S. John Damascene. The first wrote
vehemently to him on this subject. He maintained that the Word by
having rendered Himself visible in taking a human body, subjected
Himself to all conditions of a man, and that as it was lawful to
represent any man, emperor or prince, so it was lawful to make
representations of Christ. But, said he, Christians do not worship the
cloth on which the picture is painted, nor the stone out of which the
statue is hewn, but they use these visible representations as means of
renewing the memory of the saints, and of raising up the mind to God.
He denied that images received divine honours, but if "Lord Jesus,
save us," be said before an image of Christ, "Holy Mother of God,
intercede with Thy Son for us," before one of the Virgin, and
"Intercede for us," before one of a Martyr; these prayers are not
addressed to the image, but to Christ, or the Holy Virgin, or the
Saint whom the figure is designed to portray.

Constantine Copronymus, the son of Leo, followed in his father's
steps, and for the better establishing his purpose, he called together
a council (A.D. 754) at Constantinople, composed of 338 bishops. It
began its sittings in February and ended in August. The Western
Church, and the patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem,
were not represented at this council, which was thus composed of
prelates under the immediate control of the emperor, gathered together
in his imperial city, surrounded by guards, and, unfortunately, the
majority of these bishops partook of that time-serving and obsequious
disposition which characterised and disgraced the episcopal order in
the Eastern Empire for many centuries. This council decreed the
destruction of images in churches, and the erasure of paintings on the
walls.[70]

By the authority of the emperor, a great part of the Eastern Church
received and executed this decree; but Irene, who had married Leo the
Fourth, son of Constantine Copronymus, though a cruel, ambitious
woman, espoused, perhaps out of caprice, the opposite side, and on the
death of her husband, during the minority of her son Constantine, who
was but ten years old, assumed the regency, and stopped the savage
persecution of the monks, and the ruthless destruction of images which
had proceeded without intermission through the three preceding reigns.
Paul III., patriarch of Constantinople, had been raised to that
dignity by the late emperor. Being a timid man, desirous of remaining
in favour with court, he had bowed to the will of the emperor in the
matter of images. But he was a good and charitable man, greatly
beloved by the poor. Finding that the Iconoclasts were now out of
favour, and fearing for himself, he suddenly resigned his patriarchal
see, and took refuge in a monastery.

The empress and her son visited him, and endeavoured to dissuade him
from his intention, but found him resolved. Tarasius, an officer of
the court, noted for his piety, was then appointed patriarch, in spite
of his urgent remonstrance. He declared that he would not accept the
office till a council had been called, which exhibited those marks of
being oecumenical which the former council had lacked, and which
might compose the differences which had agitated the Eastern Church.
This being agreed to, he was solemnly declared patriarch, and was
consecrated soon after, on Christmas Day.

His first act was to write synodal letters to the patriarchs of Rome,
Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, convening a general council. Pope
Adrian sent two priests to act as his legates, and the Eastern bishops
did the same. The council assembled on the 1st August, 786, in the
Church of the Apostles at Constantinople, but a tumult having broken
out, and the soldiers having besieged the bishops in the church, and
endeavoured to break up the council, it was adjourned till the
following year, when it met at Nicæa. The papal legates sat in the
first place, then Tarasius, patriarch of Constantinople, then the
deputies of the Eastern bishops, who were themselves unable to attend
because not permitted by the Saracen conquerors, afterwards Agapetus,
bishop of Cæsarea, in Cappadocia, John, bishop of Ephesus,
Constantine, metropolitan of Cyprus, with 250 bishops and archbishops,
and above 100 priests and monks, and two commissioners of the emperor
and empress to maintain order.

The first session was held on the 24th September, 787, in the Church
of S. Sophia; it opened with the reading of the letter of the empress
Irene and the emperor, wherein they assured to the bishops that they
had assembled the synod with the consent of the patriarchs, and that
they left the bishops at full liberty to speak their minds; that Paul,
the last patriarch of Constantinople, acknowledging his fault in
having received the decrees of the council of the Iconoclasts, had
quitted his see, and had caused Tarasius to be elected in his room;
that Tarasius had refused the dignity, but having been urged to accept
it, had required a council to be held to suppress the schism which
divided the Church on the subject of images; and that, therefore, in
accordance with his request, this council was convened. In conclusion,
the empress and her son exhorted the bishops to judge truthfully and
courageously, in accordance with Catholic doctrine and practice; and
they said that letters had been received from Pope Adrian, which
should be read to the assembly.

After this many of the prelates who had taken part with the
Iconoclasts, or had submitted to the decrees, seeing that the
direction of the courtly breeze had changed, veered round with
obsequious readiness. Such were, Basil, bishop of Ancyra, Theodosius
of Myra, Theodosius of Amorn, Hypatius of Nicæa, and others, who now
acknowledged that they reverenced sacred images.

In the next session the letters of Pope Adrian were read, declaring
the utility of images as means of teaching the ignorant, and of
awakening piety and compunction. He demanded also that all archbishops
of his patriarchate should receive ordination from the bishop of Rome,
and that the primacy of the see of Rome should receive general
recognition, as also that the patriarch of Constantinople should be
prevented from assuming the title of "Universal Bishop." These latter
articles were not transcribed by the Greek fathers. Dupin, the
judicious historian, suggests that probably the legates of the Pope
did not judge it prudent at that moment to present them. A letter from
Adrian to Tarasius was then read, expressing the trouble given to the
Pope by the news of the nomination of a layman to the influential see
of Constantinople, and exhorting him to procure the condemnation of
the synod which had forbidden images in churches. After the reading of
this letter, the Papal legates asked Tarasius whether he approved of
it. He answered that he did, and that he did reverently honour the
images of Christ, the Holy Virgin, and the saints, but that to God
alone was due true adoration and worship (latria). Of this the synod
approved. Our English word _worship_ has got at the present time a
meaning which it had not of old. Worship now means to adore as God,
with supreme reverence; and such worship may not be given to
creatures, however exalted; but the old signification of the word had
not this force, but was synonymous with reverence. Thus, in the
Anglican prayer book, in the marriage service, the husband says to the
wife, "With my body I thee worship," _i.e._, honour; and magistrates
are called the "worshipful." When Protestants accuse Catholics of
worshipping images, in one sense they are right, but in another sense
they are wrong. Catholics do worship sacred images so far as to render
them respect and honour, but they do not give to them that honour
which is implied by the word "worship" in its modern sense. In the old
signification of the word, the sailor worships the quarterdeck when he
touches his cap on passing it, the soldier worships the royal standard
when he presents arms to it, and the peers the throne when they bow to
it on taking their places in the House of Lords.

In the third session of the council, a letter from the patriarch of
Jerusalem, approved by his bishops, was read, wherein he acknowledged
that reverence and honour were to be shown to sacred images.

In subsequent sessions the acts of the Iconoclastic Council at
Jerusalem were examined and refuted in order, and the council closed
with the usual acclamations and prayers for the prosperity of the
emperor and empress; after which synodal letters containing the
decrees were sent to all churches. Pope Adrian approved of all that
had been decreed, and sent copies of the Acts into France, where
pictures and images were used historically, but no honour, such as
burning candles or offering of incense before them, was allowed. On
receiving these copies, Charlemagne wrote, or caused to be written, or
put forth under his name, a work containing an examination of the
decrees of the second council of Nicæa, by some of the bishops, of
whom Alcuin was chief. This contained a repudiation of these Acts, and
a rejection of image-worship. It maintained that respect was due to
pictures and statues of the Saviour and the Saints, but refused the
right of offering them any sort of religious honour, as by lighting
candles and incensing them. This work was presented to Pope Adrian by
Engilbert, the ambassador of Charlemagne, and it drew forth from the
pope an answer which, however, did not alter the practice of the
Gallican Church, for in the Council of Frankfort, held in 794, the
decrees relative to the worshipping of images passed by the second
Council of Nicæa were rejected, as was the case again in a council
held at Paris, in 824. Tarasius, in the meantime, obedient to the
decrees of the synod, restored holy images throughout the extent of
his patriarchate. His life was a model of perfection to both clergy
and laity. He lived a quiet, austere life, in the midst of
magnificence and luxury. He reduced to the smallest possible amount
the expenses of his household, and gave to the poor what he had
economised. He often took the dishes of meat from his table to
distribute among them with his own hands: and he assigned them a large
annual revenue. And that none might be overlooked, he visited every
house and hospital in Constantinople. His discourses turned on the
mortification of the senses, and he was particularly severe against
all theatrical entertainments, which served then to encourage and
diffuse licentiousness. Some time after, the emperor became enamoured
of Theodota, a maid of honour to his wife, the empress Mary, and,
after having spent seven years in marriage, in 795, he resolved to
divorce the empress. He used every effort to gain the patriarch. He
sent an officer to him to inform him that a plot of the empress to
poison him had been discovered. S. Tarasius, however, received the
request to divorce the emperor, and marry him to Theodota, with a
stern refusal. "Tell him that I will rather suffer death and all
manner of torments than consent to his design." The emperor, hoping to
prevail with him by flattery, sent for him to the palace, and said, "I
can conceal nothing from you, whom I regard as my father. No one can
deny but I may divorce one who has attempted my life. The Empress Mary
deserves death or perpetual penance." He then produced a vessel, full
of the poison, which he pretended she had prepared for him. The
patriarch, with good reason, judging this to be an attempt to impose
upon him, answered, that he was too well convinced that his passion
for Theodota was at the bottom of all his complaints against the
empress. He boldly declared to Constantine that even if she were
guilty of the crime laid to her charge, a second marriage during her
lifetime would be adulterous. The monk John, who had been legate of
the Eastern patriarchs in the council at Nicæa, being present, also
spoke resolutely to the emperor, who was so irritated that he drove
them both out of his presence, and John narrowly escaped with his
life. As soon as they were gone, he turned the empress Mary out of the
palace and obliged her to assume the veil. Tarasius persisted in his
refusal to marry him to Theodota, and the ceremony was performed by
Joseph, the treasurer of the church of Constantinople. The patriarch
became thenceforth an object of persecution to the emperor, who placed
spies about his person, suffered no one to speak with him without
their leave, and banished many of his relations and servants. This
confinement gave the patriarch more leisure for prayer and
contemplation. In the meantime, the ambitious Irene, discontented at
being no longer at the head of the administration, formed a conspiracy
to dethrone her son. The secret was faithfully kept above eight
months, till the emperor, suspicious of his danger, escaped from
Constantinople, with the design of appealing to the provinces and
armies. By this hasty flight the empress was left on the brink of a
precipice. She addressed a private epistle to the friends whom she had
placed about his person with a menace that, unless they accomplished,
she would reveal, their treason. Their fear rendered them intrepid.
They seized the emperor on the Asiatic shore, and transported him to
Constantinople, where his mother and the other conspirators decided to
render him incapable of the throne by blinding him. Her emissaries
assaulted the sleeping prince, and stabbed their daggers into his
eyes. He survived for several years, oppressed by the court, and
forgotten by the world; whilst his unnatural mother resumed the
sovereign power, of which he had divested her by becoming of age. She
reigned for five years, during which she recalled all the banished,
and favoured the Catholics. But she was in turn conspired against by
the high treasurer, Nicephorus, who was secretly invested with the
purple, and crowned at S. Sophia by the patriarch. The empress was
sent into exile in the isle of Lesbos, where she was obliged to earn a
scanty subsistence by the labours of her distaff, till her haughty
spirit consuming her, she died of grief.

Under Nicephorus, S. Tarasius persevered peaceably in his practices of
penance, and in the functions of his pastoral charge. Through his last
sickness he continued to offer daily the holy Sacrifice as long as he
was able to move. A little before his death he fell into a trance, as
the author of his life, who was an eye-witness of the scene, relates,
wherein he was heard disputing with a number of accusers, very busy in
sifting his whole life, and objecting to his actions. He seemed to be
in fear and agitation, and defending himself against everything laid
to his charge. This filled all present with fear, seeing the
endeavours of the enemy of man to find some condemnation in the life
of so holy and so irreprehensible a bishop. But a great serenity
succeeded, and the holy man gave up his soul to God in peace, on the
25th of February, in 806, having sat twenty-one years and two months.
God honoured his memory with miracles, some of which are related by
the author of his life. His festival began to be celebrated under his
successor.


B. ROBERT OF ARBRISSEL.

(A.D. 1117.)

  [Authority:--His life, by Baldric, B. of Dôle (d. 1130); and another
  attributed to Andrew, monk of Fontevrault, and his disciple.]

Robert of Arbrissel was born of poor parents, in a village of
Brittany, then called Arbrissel, and now known as Arbresec, in the
diocese of Rennes, near La Guierche, in the year 1045 or 1047. His
father, Damalioc, who afterwards embraced a religious life, and his
mother, Orvenda, were pious people who brought him up to love God
above all things. When of an age to study, with their consent he went
to several towns of his native province, to learn in the schools
without being a charge to his parents; and, making great progress, he
went to Paris, where he so distinguished himself that he became a
doctor in the university. At this time Silvester de la Guierche,
Chancellor of Conon II., duke of Brittany, was placed upon the
episcopal throne of Rennes, but being desirous of relieving himself of
his duties on various accounts, he chose Robert, and appointed him his
vicar-general, with absolute power in the diocese. Robert employed his
authority in restoring ecclesiastical discipline, putting down simony,
prohibiting incestuous marriages amongst the laity, and in enforcing
clerical celibacy. As long as Silvester de la Guierche was alive,
Robert was safe from the enemies his discipline had aroused, but, on
the death of his protector, he was obliged to leave Brittany, and take
refuge in Angers, where he gave lessons in theology. But, wishing to
consecrate himself entirely to God, he quitted Angers, and buried
himself in the forest of Craon, in Anjou, where he lived in great
austerity, wearing a habit of pig skin, and eating roots and wild
fruit. His fame as a second S. John the Baptist, having been bruited
about, great numbers came to place themselves under his direction, so
that he speedily saw his forest solitude invaded by many hundreds of
anchorites. The number became at length so great as to oblige him to
disperse them through the neighbouring forests. Not being able to
watch over all, he divided them into three colonies, of which he
retained one, and gave the others to two of his disciples: the B.
Vitalis of Mortain, who founded the order of Savigny; and the B. Raoul
de la Futaye, founder of the abbey of S. Sulpice, at Rennes.

Robert was obliged to quit his retired life, and preach the Crusade,
by order of Pope Urban II. He, therefore, placed his colony under the
care of the bishop of Angers, and undertook the execution of the task
imposed upon him.

On the confines of Anjou and Poitou, about four miles from the little
town of Candes, was an extensive tract of undulating land, covered
with bushes, and wholly uncultivated; a little valley, traversed by a
slender stream in this district, bore the name of Fontevrault. Here,
in 1099, Robert began to build some huts to shelter his followers, and
here he settled to found a new colony. Many religiously disposed
persons of both sexes, young and old, gathered round him, and Robert
found it necessary to establish distinct residences for the men and
for the women, each with its own separate oratory. The work of the
women was to sing continually the praises of God; that of the men was,
between their spiritual exercise, the tillage of the soil. Charity,
unity, modesty, and gentleness, prevailed in this singular colony. All
lived on what their hands produced, or on the alms sent them; and they
bore the name of "The poor of Jesus Christ."

The example of these new solitaries attracted great numbers, many of
whom had only an imperfect or a mistaken vocation. Women who had led
dissolute lives, feeling a passing compunction, hastened thither,
assumed the outward profession, waxed cold, and gave great scandal by
fresh lapses. This drew forth severe censure from Marbod, bishop of
Rennes, and Godfrey, abbot of Vendôme. The former wrote to Robert a
letter full of reproach, in which he told him that he had quitted the
Order of the Regular Canons to run after women, and that the colony of
Fontevrault was a scandal to the Church, through the confinement of
some of the women, and the cries of new born babes; and he rebuked him
for having given the religious habit to persons who asked for it,
without having previously tested their sincerity. The letter of
Godfrey of Vendôme, was couched in a similar strain of remonstrance;
but he went further, and, trusting to hearsay, reprimanded Robert for
associating too freely with the females of his Order, and seeing them
in private without the presence of witnesses. Some have supposed these
letters to be spurious, but without sufficient grounds. A man of great
singleness of mind and guilelessness of spirit is easily deceived by
the professions of others, and is liable to be led into actions which,
with more worldly wisdom, he would avoid as indiscreet. Indeed, the
formation of this double society was hardly consistent with prudence,
and Robert found it necessary to keep it within the bounds of severe
and vigilant prescriptions, to prevent the recurrence of those
scandals which had called forth the reprimand of Marbod and the abbot
of Vendôme. Godfrey was afterwards so thoroughly convinced that he was
in error in attributing evil to the saintly Robert, that he became his
ardent champion. Robert erected three convents, strictly enclosed, for
the women: one for virgins and widows, called the Grand Moutier, was
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; another for penitents, was placed
under the patronage of S. Mary Magdalene; and a third, for leprous and
infirm women, was dedicated to S. Lazarus. The house of the men was
completely distinct, and was placed under the invocation of S. John
the Divine. One large church was erected to serve the four houses, and
the whole community was placed by Robert under the supreme direction
of an abbess; and he set the example of submission, by appointing
Petronilla de Craon, widow of the Baron de Chemille, Superior to the
Order, and he lived in obedience to her till his death, which took
place on February 25th, 1117.

[69] Or Diodorus.

[70] The Iconoclastic party was not actuated by any religious feeling,
but was simply that of free-thinkers, as the Protestant and very
prejudiced ecclesiastical historian Gieseler is constrained to admit.
He says, "the enlightenment party, the opponents of images, was not
created by a religious feeling, but merely by the emperor's will, and
thus partly fostered a superficial, free-thinking, rather than a
beneficial reformatory tendency."




February 26.

  S. NESTOR, _B. M. of Magida_, A.D. 251.
  SS. FORTUNATUS AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Antioch_.
  S. DIONYSIUS, _B. M. of Augsburg_, A.D. 303.
  S. ALEXANDER, _Patr. of Alexandria_, A.D. 326
  S. FAUSTIAN, _B. of Bologna, in Italy, 4th cent._
  S. PORPHYRY, _B. of Gaza_, A.D. 421.
  SS. EOLADIUS AND AGRICOLA, _BB. of Nevers, 6th cent._
  S. VICTOR, _P. at Arcis-sur-Aube, in France, 6th or 7th cent._
  S. EDIGNA, _V. at Puech, in Bavaria_, A.D. 1119.


S. NESTOR, B. M.

(A.D. 251.)

  [Roman Martyrology, the ancient one called S. Jerome's, those of
  Bede, Ado, Usuardus, Notker, &c. By the Greeks on Feb. 28th.
  Authority:--The ancient and genuine Acts.]

In the reign of Decius, Pollio was governor of Pamphylia. When
persecution broke out, Nestor, bishop of Magida, an obscure town in
that province, knowing that he was particularly feared by the pagans,
and that the first stroke was sure to fall upon him, ordered his flock
to disperse into places of safety, and then calmly awaited the
officers of justice. They found him in prayer, and led him forth with
his head covered with a hood (_mafortium_). And when he came into the
forum, he was honourably received, all the court rising and saluting
him. He said, "God pardon you, why have you done this?" They answered,
"Thy manner of life is deserving of respect." Then he was taken apart
from the public, and stools were placed for the magistrates and his
advocates, and a chair for the bishop, and he was requested to sit
down. He replied, "The honour of being summoned into your presence
suffices me." Then the Irenarch said, "Sir, dost thou know the order
of the emperor?" "I know the command of the Almighty, not that of the
emperor," was the reply of the Bishop. "O Nestor," said the
magistrate, "consent without difficulty, that we be not called to
judge thee." "I obey the commands of the heavenly King," answered
Nestor. "Thou art possessed," said the magistrate. "Nay," said the
bishop, "not I, but thou, for thy gods are devils." "I shall have to
send thee to the governor," said the Irenarch, "for they are true
gods. Beware of torture." Then Nestor signing the cross on his brow,
said, "Wherefore dost thou threaten me with torture? The only torments
I dread are those of my God. Be well assured, in torture, or out of
torture, Him shall I confess."

Then he was taken to Perga, where was the governor of the province,
which he reached on the fourth Sabbath (Saturday.) And when the
Irenach had presented him to Pollio the governor, Nestor was again
urged with kind and courteous words to renounce his religion; but he
as constantly refused. "Torment me as thou wilt," said he, "with
chains or wild beasts, or sword, as long as there is any breath in my
nostrils, I will confess the name of my Lord Jesus Christ." Then the
judge ordered him to be suspended on the little horse, and to be
cruelly tortured. The executioner laid his sides bare, tearing them
with iron hooks; but Nestor chanted, "I will alway give thanks unto
the Lord: his praise shall ever be in my mouth." (Ps. xxxiii.; (A. V.
34) 1.) The judge, astonished at his endurance, exclaimed, "Why,
wretched man! art thou not ashamed to put thy faith in a man, and he
short-lived?" "Let that be my confusion, and that also of all who call
on the name of the Lord Jesus," answered the martyr. And when the
crowd clamoured that he should be released from his sufferings, the
governor asked again, "What, then, is thy final choice, to be with us,
or with thy Christ?" Then the martyr exclaimed, "With my Christ have I
ever been, with Him am I now, and with Him shall I ever be." Seeing
his inflexibility, Pollio said scornfully, "Nestor, as thou hast
rejected the immortal gods to follow the crucified One, I will not be
so wanting in devotion to this God of thine, as to condemn thee to any
other death. Thou shalt be crucified on the wood."

Then a cross was made ready, and Nestor, the bishop, was nailed to it.
And as he hung, he exhorted the people, and at length he bid them
kneel and pray to God through Jesus Christ; and all knelt, and when he
had said the final Amen, he breathed forth his spirit.


S. DIONYSIUS, B. OF AUGSBURG, M.

(A.D. 303.)

  [German Martyrology. No trustworthy authorities for his life and
  acts. The following account is from the Augsburg Breviary.]

Dionysius, together with his sister Hilaria, (August 12th), her
daughter Afra, (August 7th), and the rest of his family, was converted
and baptized by S. Narcissus the bishop, afterwards chief pastor of
the Church of Gerona, in Spain, (March 18th.) As Narcissus was obliged
to leave the little band of Christians at Augsburg, he instructed, and
then ordained, Dionysius to be their priest, or, as some writers
assert, their bishop. Thus Dionysius became the spiritual father of a
little family of true believers, and was called to encourage them
during the fiery trial of persecution. He saw his sister Hilaria, and
her daughter Afra, glorify God by martyrdom. Knowing that his own turn
had come, he fortified himself with the Holy Sacrament, yielded
himself into the hands of those who sought his life, and dying a
martyr's death, gained the crown and palm.

The relics of this saint, who is reckoned the first bishop of
Augsburg, together with those of Quiriacus, were discovered in the
year 1118, and were translated by the abbot Egino to the Church of S.
Ulrich, in Augsburg, and enclosed in an altar. Later, in the year
1258, Hartmann, bishop of Augsburg, opened this altar, and placed
them, on 26th Feb., in a new altar, dedicated to SS. Dionysius and
Quiriacus, and he ordered that this day should be observed as the
festival of S. Dionysius. The Church of Augsburg honours him as her
first bishop, though the episcopal see of Augsburg was not regularly
constituted till 250 years later, when Sosimus became the first of a
succession of prelates which from that time to the present has not
failed.


S. ALEXANDER, PATR. OF ALEXANDRIA.

(A.D. 326.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and those of Bede, Usuardus, Ado, Notker, &c.
  Authorities:--Sozomen, Socrates, Eusebius, and the Apology of S.
  Athanasius.]

S. Alexander was patriarch of Alexander when Arius, the arch-heretic,
began to preach his denial of the eternal Godhead of Christ.
Alexander, one of the mildest of men, endeavoured by gentleness and
kind expostulation to bring the heretic back to the true belief. But
when he found that he was incorrigible, he summoned an assembly of his
clergy, and therein questioned Arius, and on his boldly proclaiming
his disbelief in the fundamental doctrine of the Catholic faith, he
excommunicated him. A council was called at Alexandria about the end
of the year 320, in which Arius was again tried, and the sentence of
excommunication was ratified by nearly one hundred bishops, who were
present. Alexander attended the famous General Council of Nicæa,
assembled in 325, which finally condemned the heresy of Arius. S.
Alexander, after this triumph of the faith, returned to Alexandria;
where, after having recommended S. Athanasius for his successor, he
died on the 26th February, in the year 326. For a fuller account of
the Arian heresy, and the Council of Nicæa, the reader is referred to
the life of S. Athanasius, (May 2nd.)


S. PORPHYRIUS, B. OF GAZA.

(A.D. 421.)

  [Commemorated by Greeks and Latins on the same day. Authority:--His
  life, written by Mark the Deacon, his disciple.]

Porphyrius, a native of Thessalonica, in Macedonia, was of a noble and
wealthy family. The desire of renouncing the world made him leave his
friends and country at twenty-five years of age, in 378, to pass into
Egypt, where he consecrated himself to God in a famous monastery in
the desert of Sceté. After five years spent there in the penitential
exercises of a monastic life, he went into Palestine to visit the holy
places of Jerusalem. After this he took up his abode in a cave near
the Jordan, where he passed other five years in great austerity, till
he fell sick, when a complication of disorders obliged him to return
to Jerusalem. There he never failed daily to visit all the holy
places, leaning on a staff, for he was too weak to stand upright. It
had happened that, about the same time, Mark, an Asiatic, and the
author of his life, came to Jerusalem with the same intent. He was
much edified by the devotion with which Porphyrius visited the holy
places. And seeing him, one day, labour with great pain up the stairs
in the chapel built by Constantine, he ran to him to offer his
assistance; but Porphyrius refused it, saying, "It is not right that I
who am come hither to supplicate pardon for my sins should be eased by
any one: rather let me undergo some labour and inconvenience, that
God, beholding it, may have compassion on me." He never omitted his
visits of piety to the holy places, and daily partook of the Holy
Sacrament. The only thing that afflicted him was, that his fortune had
not as yet been sold for the use of the poor. This he commissioned
Mark to do for him, who accordingly set out for Thessalonica, and in
three months' time returned to Jerusalem with money and effects, to
the value of four thousand five hundred pieces of gold. When the
blessed man saw him, he embraced him, with tears of joy. But
Porphyrius was now so completely recovered, that Mark scarcely knew
him to be the same person: for his body was erect and vigorous, and
his face looked full, fresh, and ruddy. Porphyrius perceiving his
friend's amazement, said with a smile, "Be not surprised, Mark, to see
me in perfect health and strength, but admire the unspeakable goodness
of Christ, who can easily cure what man has despaired of." Mark asked
him by what means he had recovered. He replied, "Forty days ago, being
in extreme pain, I made a shift to reach Mount Calvary, where,
fainting away, I fell into a kind of trance, during which, methought I
saw our Saviour on the cross, and the good thief hanging beside him. I
said to Christ, _Lord, Remember me, when Thou comest into Thy
kingdom_: whereupon he ordered the thief to come to my assistance, and
he, raising me off the ground on which I lay, bade me go to Christ. I
ran to Him, and He coming off His cross, said to me, _Take this wood_
(meaning the cross) _into thy custody_. In obedience to Him, methought
I laid it on my shoulders and carried it some way. I awoke soon after,
and have been free from pain ever since, and without the least
appearance of my having ever ailed any thing." Mark was so edified
with the holy man's discourse and good example, that he resolved to
live with him, for he was endued with a divine prudence, an eminent
spirit of prayer, and a complete control over his passions. He
distributed all the money and effects Mark had brought him among the
necessitous in Palestine and Egypt, so that in a very short time, he
had reduced himself to the necessity of labouring for his daily food.
He therefore learned to make shoes and dress leather, while Mark,
being well skilled in writing, obtained a handsome livelihood by
copying books. He therefore desired the saint to partake of his
earnings. But Porphyrius replied, in the words of S. Paul, _He that
doth not work, neither let him eat_. He led this laborious and
penitential life till he was forty years of age, when the bishop of
Jerusalem ordained him priest, though much against his will, and
committed to him the keeping of the holy Cross. This was in 393. The
saint changed nothing in his austere life, feeding only upon roots and
the coarsest bread, and not eating till after sunset, except on
Sundays and holy days, when he ate at noon, and added a little oil and
cheese; and a small quantity of wine in the water he drank. This was
his method of living till his death. Having been elected bishop of
Gaza without his knowledge, in 396, John, the metropolitan and
archbishop of Cæsarea, wrote to the patriarch of Jerusalem to desire
him to send over Porphyrius, that he might consult him on certain
difficult passages of Scripture. He was sent accordingly, but charged
to return in seven days. Porphyrius, receiving this order, seemed at
first disturbed, but said, "God's will be done." That evening he
called Mark, and said to him, "Brother Mark, let us go and venerate
the holy places and the sacred Cross, for it will be long before we
shall be able to do it again." Mark asked him why he said this. He
answered, "Our Saviour appeared to me the night past, and said 'Give
up the treasure of the cross which thou hast, for I will marry thee to
a wife, poor indeed, and despicable, but of great piety and virtue.
Take care to adorn her well; for, however contemptible she may appear,
she is My sister.' This," said he, "Christ signified to me last night:
and I fear, in consequence, that I am about to be charged with the
sins of others, whilst I labour to expiate my own; but the will of God
must be obeyed." When they had venerated the holy places, and the
sacred Cross, and Porphyrius had prayed long before it, with many
tears, he shut up the Cross in its golden case, and delivered the keys
to the bishop; and, having obtained his blessing, he, and his
disciple, Mark, set out, with three others. They arrived the next day,
which was Saturday, at Cæsarea. The archbishop obliged them to sup
with him. After spiritual discourse they took a little sleep, and then
rose to assist at the night service. Next morning the archbishop bid
the Gazæans lay hold on Porphyrius, and, while they held him, he
ordained him bishop. The holy man wept bitterly, and was inconsolable
at being promoted to a dignity for which he judged himself unfit. The
Gazæans, however, performed their part in endeavouring to comfort him;
and, having assisted at the Sunday office, and stayed one day more at
Cæsarea, they set out for Gaza, and, late on Wednesday night, arrived
there much harassed and fatigued. For the heathens living in the
villages near Gaza, having notice of their coming, had so damaged the
roads in several places, and clogged them with thorns and logs of
wood, that they were scarcely passable.

That year happened to be one of great drought, and this the pagans
ascribed to the coming of the new Christian bishop, saying that their
god Marnas had foretold that Porphyrius would bring public calamities
on their city. In Gaza stood a famous temple of that idol, which the
emperor Theodosius the Elder had commanded to be shut up, but not
demolished, on account of its beautiful structure. The governor
afterwards had permitted the heathens to open it again. As no rain
fell the two first months after the arrival of S. Porphyrius, the
idolaters, in great affliction, assembled in this temple to offer
sacrifices, and make supplications to their god Marnas, whom they
called the Lord of rains. These they repeated for seven days, going
also to a place of prayer outside the town. But, finding all their
endeavours ineffectual, they lost all hopes of a supply. A dearth
ensuing, the Christians, to the number of two hundred and eighty,
women and children included, after a day's fast and a night's vigil,
by the order of their bishop, went in procession to S. Timothy's
church, in which lay the relics of the holy martyr, S. Meuris, and of
the confessor, S. Theis, singing hymns. But, on their return to the
city, they found the gates shut against them, and the heathens
obstinately determined not to open them. In this situation, the
Christians addressed Almighty God with redoubled fervour, imploring
Him to send them the blessing so much wanted. Presently the clouds
gathered, and there fell such a quantity of rain, that the heathens
opened their gates, and, joining them, cried out, "Christ alone is
God: He alone has overcome." They accompanied the Christians to the
church, to thank God for the benefit received; and this miracle
resulted in the conversion of one hundred and seventy-six persons,
whom the saint instructed, baptized, and confirmed, as he did also one
hundred and five more before the end of that year. The miraculous
preservation of the life of a pagan woman in labour, who had been
despaired of, occasioned the conversion of that family and others, to
the number of sixty-four.

The heathens, perceiving their number decrease, grew very troublesome
to the Christians, whom they excluded from commerce, and all public
offices, and annoyed in various ways. S. Porphyrius, to screen himself
and his flock from their outrages, had recourse to the Emperor's
protection. On this errand he sent Mark, his disciple, to
Constantinople, and went thither, afterward, himself, in company with
John, his metropolitan, archbishop of Cæsarea. At Constantinople they
applied to S. John Chrysostom, who joyfully received them, and
recommended them to the eunuch Amantius, who had great credit with the
Empress, and was a zealous servant of God. Amantius, having introduced
them to the Empress, she received them with great distinction, assured
them of her protection, and begged their prayers for her safe
delivery, a favour she received a few days after. She desired them, in
another visit, to sign her and her new-born son, Theodosius the
Younger, with the cross, which they did. The young prince was baptized
with great solemnity, and on that occasion the Empress obtained from
the Emperor all that the bishops had requested, and in particular that
the temple of Gaza should be demolished. An imperial edict was drawn
up for this purpose, and delivered to Cynegius, a patrician full of
zeal, who was charged to see it executed. They stayed at
Constantinople during the feast of Easter, and, at their departure,
the Emperor and Empress bestowed on them great presents. When they
landed in Palestine, near Gaza, the Christians came out to meet them,
with a cross carried before them, singing hymns. In the place called
Tetramphodos, or Four-ways-end, stood a marble statue of Venus, on a
marble altar, which was in great reputation for giving oracles to
young women about the choice of husbands. As the two bishops, with the
procession of the Christians, and the cross borne before them, passed
through that square, this idol fell down of itself, and was broken to
pieces; whereupon thirty-two men and seven women were converted.

Ten days after, arrived Cynegius, having with him a duke, or general,
with a strong guard of soldiers, and the civil magistrates of the
country. He assembled the citizens, and read to them the emperor's
edict, commanding their idols and temples to be destroyed. This was
accordingly done, and no less than eight public temples in the city
were burnt; viz., those of the Sun, Venus, Apollo, Proserpine, Hecate,
the Hierion, the temple of fortune, and that of Marnas. The Marnion,
in which men had been often sacrificed, burned for many days. After
this, the private houses and courts were all searched; the idols were
every where burned or thrown into the common sewers, and all books of
magic and superstition were cast into the flames. Many idolators
desired baptism; but the saint gave them a long probation, and
prepared them for that sacrament by daily instructions. On the spot
where the temple of Marnas had stood, was built the church of Eudoxia,
in the figure of a cross. The empress sent for this purpose, precious
pillars and rich marble from Constantinople. Of the marble taken out
of the Marnion, S. Porphyrius made steps and a road to the church,
that it might be trampled upon. Before he would suffer the church to
be begun, he proclaimed a fast, and the next morning, attended by his
clergy and all the Christians in the city, they went in a body to the
place, from the church Irene, singing the _Venite exultemus Domino_,
and other psalms, and answering to every verse, Allelulia; the
procession being led by a cross. They all set to work, carrying stones
and other materials, and digging the foundations, according to the
plan marked out and directed by Rufinus, a celebrated architect,
singing psalms and saying prayers during their work. The church was
begun in 403, when thirty high pillars arrived from Constantinople,
two of which, called Carostiæ, shone like emeralds, when placed in the
church. It took five years to build, and, when finished in 408, the
bishop performed the consecration of it on Easter-day, with the
greatest pomp and solemnity. His alms to the poor on that occasion
seemed boundless. The good bishop spent the remainder of his life in
zealously instructing his flock in the doctrine of God, and in all
virtuous living.

The heathen, on one occasion, rose in sedition, attacked the house of
the bishop, and set it on fire, so that he and his deacons were
obliged to escape over the roof, and take refuge in the room of a
maiden of fourteen, an orphan, named Salaphtha, and a heathen. The
girl showed them every kindness, keeping their place of retreat
secret, and supplying them with bread and cheese and vegetables. The
bishop took the opportunity of infusing into the young mind of the
girl the first principles of Christianity, and when the tumult was
abated, and he with his companions were able to go forth in safety, he
left her earnestly desiring baptism. The maiden afterwards became a
zealous Christian, and was consecrated to a life of virginity by the
old bishop, whom she had saved from the rage of his enemies.

 [Illustration]




February 27.

  SS. JULIAN, CHRONION, AND BESAS, _MM. at Alexandria_, A.D. 250.
  S. GELASIUS, _M. at Heliopolis, in Phoenicia_, A.D. 297.
  S. HONORINA, _V. M. at Conflans, in France_.
  S. THALELÆUS, _H. in Syria, circ._ A.D. 460.
  S. COMGAN, _Ab. in Ireland, before_ A.D. 569.
  S. LEANDER, _B. of Hispala or Seville_, A.D. 596.
  S. BALDOMER, _Subd. at Lyons, circ._ A.D. 660.
  S. ALNOTH, _H. M. in England, circ._ A.D. 727.
  B. JOHN, _Ab. of Gorze, near Metz_, A.D. 1162.


SS. JULIAN, CHRONION, AND BESAS, MM.

(A.D. 250.)

  [Roman Martyrology; but some on Feb. 19th; by the Greeks on Oct.
  30th. Authority:--The contemporary letters by Dionysius, B. of
  Alexandria, to Germanus, quoted by Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. vi.,
  c. 41.]

Saint Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, in a letter describing the
sufferings of his church during the persecutions of Decius, after
having lamented the apostacy of some, adds: "But others remained firm
and blessed pillars of the Lord, confirmed by the Lord himself, and
receiving of Him strength suited to their measure of faith, proved
admirable witnesses of His kingdom. The first of these was Julian, a
man afflicted with the gout, neither able to walk nor to stand, who,
with two others that carried him, was arraigned. Of these, the one
immediately denied his faith, but the other, named Chronion, surnamed
Eunus, and the aged Julian himself, having confessed the Lord, were
carried on camels through the whole city, a very large one, as you
know, and were scourged, and finally consumed in an immense fire, in
the midst of a crowd of spectators. But a soldier, named Besas,
standing near, having opposed the insolence of the multitude whilst
these martyrs were on the way to execution, was assailed by them with
loud shouts, and this brave soldier of God, after he had excelled in
the great conflict of piety, was beheaded."

Relics at Autun.


S. GELASIUS, M.

(A.D. 297.)

  [Greek Menæa. Authority:--The Chronicon Alexandrinum, or Chron.
  Paschale, under date 269 from the Ascension, which is equivalent to
  297 of the vulgar era. In this Chronicle he is called Gelasinus.
  Theodoret may, perhaps, allude to him, when he says that some have
  passed from the stage of the theatre to the ranks of the martyrs. Du
  curand Græc. Affect., Serm. 8. Much the same circumstances are
  related of S. Genesius (Aug. 25th), who suffered about 286, unless
  both are the same; Gelasius in the West becoming Genesius by a
  slight change of liquids.]

Gelasius was a comic actor, the second clown of the theatre at
Heliopolis, in Phoenicia. One day, on the stage was performed a
parody of Christian rites for the amusement of the heathen spectators.
A large bathing tub was introduced on the stage, filled with warm
water, and the clown, Gelasius, was dipped in it, the other clown
pronouncing over him the sacramental words. When he rose from the
bath, and was vested in white, it was observed that a change had come
over him; the jesting air and laugh were gone, and a solemn expression
had overspread his countenance. "I am a Christian," said he; "in the
font I saw a dazzling light. Therefore, I will die as a Christian." As
soon as the audience became aware that he spoke in sober earnest, the
theatre became a scene of wild tumult, the people deserted their
seats, and rushed on the stage, and dragged the poor actor forth,
clothed in his white robe, and stoned him to death outside the
theatre. His body was transported to the village of Mariamnia, near
Heliopolis, of which he was a native, and an oratory was erected by
the Christians over his tomb.


S. HONORINA, V. M.

(DATE UNKNOWN.)

  [Some Gallican Martyrologies.]

Nothing whatever is known of this saint. The author of the history of
the translation of her relics to Conflans, near Pontoise, a short
distance from Paris, says that her virtues, her merits, and her mode
of passion, are utterly unknown. So also is the date of her death. The
relics were translated about the year A.D. 912. As an instance of the
manner in which confusion has arisen in the lives and acts of martyrs
of an early date, it is deserving of mention that in the church of
Quimper, the Matin lections for the feast of S. Honorina are portions
of the Acts of S. Dorothea, transferred to Feb. 27th, to do duty for
the unrecorded S. Honorina.


S. THALELÆUS, H.

(ABOUT A.D. 460.)

  [Greek Menæa. No commemoration in Western Church.
  Authority:--Theodoret, Philothaeus, c. xxviii.]

"Not only have I heard of this man from others," says Theodoret, "but
I saw him myself." Thalelæus erected for his habitation a small hut
against an idol shrine, near Gabala, to which many people resorted,
and where they offered sacrifice to devils. The evil spirits, enraged
at his thus assaulting them in their sanctuary, endeavoured by hideous
clamours and frightful apparitions, to scare the Christian hermit
away; but every effort of demons and idolaters to drive him from this
shrine proved ineffectual. Thalelæus succeeded in converting many who
came as votaries to the temple, and persuaded them to bend their necks
to the sweet yoke of Christ's law. With many of these converts
Theodoret conversed. After that Thalelæus had lived thus a while, he
devised for himself a strange and horrible penance. He made two
wheels, and then joined them by pieces of wood into a species of
barrel, but open between the bars. He enclosed himself within this
case, which was so low that his chin rested on his knees, and remained
therein for many years. He had been ten years in it when Theodoret saw
him. This frightful self-immolation is by no means to be regarded as
deserving of imitation. But it was called forth by peculiar
circumstances, and for a special purpose. The rude people of Syria
could be impressed no other way. To win these souls from heathenism
this phase of the ascetic life was evoked, it served its purpose, and
passed away.


S. LEANDER, B. OF HISPALA.

(ABOUT A.D. 596.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and those of Usuardus, Notker, Ado, and Bede;
  but by the Spanish Church and Mozarabic Kalendar, followed by the
  Bollandists, on March 13th. Authorities:--His own writings, the
  letters of S. Gregory the Great, and early Spanish histories.]

This illustrious friend of the great S. Gregory, this apostle of the
Visigoths, was of illustrious birth. His father, Severian duke of
Carthagena, and mother, Turtura, of royal Ostrogoth blood, had three
sons and two daughters. The sons were, S. Leander, S. Fulgentius, B.
of Ecija, and S. Isidore, who succeeded Leander as archbishop of
Seville. The daughters were S. Florentina, abbess of fifty convents,
and the princess Theodosia, married to king Leovigild, who became the
mother of the illustrious martyr, S. Hermenigild.

From his boyhood, Leander was regarded as endowed with singular
eloquence and power of fascinating others. He retired, when young,
from the world, and took the religious habit in a monastery of
Seville, where he gained so great a reputation that, on the
archiepiscopal see becoming vacant, he was elected to it by the
unanimous voice of clergy and people.

Leovigild, his brother-in-law, then reigned over the Visigoth kingdom,
in Spain, and openly professed Arianism. This caused great
embarrassment to Leander, who used every effort to confirm the
Catholics in their faith, and to oppose the heretics at every point.
He was sent on an embassy from the Catholics to the emperor Tiberius,
at Constantinople, where he made the acquaintance of S. Gregory the
Great, then cardinal-deacon of Pope Pelagius II., who had sent him at
this time on the affairs of the church, to the imperial court. The
warmest attachment sprang up between these two great men, and it was
at the instance of S. Leander, that S. Gregory wrote his famous
"Morals of the Book of Job." When their business was concluded, both
saints returned to their country, S. Gregory to Italy, and S. Leander
to Spain, where he succeeded in converting prince Hermenigild, his
nephew, the eldest son of king Leovigild. This placed the Catholics in
great danger. The king, in an explosion of rage, executed his son on
Easter-day, 586, and began a furious persecution of the Church. S.
Leander and his brother, S. Fulgentius, together with several other
bishops, were exiled, and the king seized on the property and revenues
of the Church, and, adding cruelty to robbery, put several nobles to
death, and confiscated their lands.

S. Leander, though exiled, warred with his pen against the Arian
heresy, and wrote two works confuting the errors of Arianism, and a
third book answering objections which had been raised against his
arguments.

The persecution did not last long, for in the following year, 587,
Leovigild, finding himself about to die, recalled the Catholic
bishops, and commended his son, Recared, to the care of S. Leander.
Thus, to use the words of S. Gregory, Recared, following not the
perfidy of his father, an Arian, but the faith of his martyred
brother, was brought himself, and the whole nation of the Visigoths,
to the true faith.

In the third council of Toledo, 589, the archbishop of Seville
presiding, a solemn declaration of the consubstantiality of the Divine
Persons was drawn up, and signed by the king, Recared, and his queen,
Badda, daughter of king Arthur, of Britain. Next year another synod
was held at Seville, in which he presided, to establish the complete
conversion of the nation from Arianism to the true faith.

S. Leander died in 596, on March 13th, and his body was laid in the
church of SS. Justus and Rufina. His relics are now preserved in a
chapel of the Cathedral church.

In art, S. Leander appears with (1) a flaming heart in his hand, to
represent his zeal for the conversion of the Visigoths, but this is a
symbol used for a multitude of other saints; or with (2) a pen; or (3)
with Recared or Hermenigild as a boy at his side.


S. BALDOMER, SUBD., C.

(ABOUT A.D. 660.)

  [Roman Martyrology, and those of Bede, Usuardus, Ado, Notker, &c.
  Authority:--An ancient epitome of his life, pub. by the Bollandists.
  In French he is called _S. Garmier_ or _S. Germier_.]

Baldomer was a blacksmith of Lyons, living a simple, pious life, "in
chastity clean, in friendship firm, in charity benign, in reading
intent, in watchings solicitous, in almsgiving prompt," says his
biographer. S. Viventius, abbot of S. Just, going into a church one
day, noticed the blacksmith at his devotions, and afterwards entering
into conversation with him, was so struck with his holiness and
knowledge of the Scriptures, that he gave him a cell in his abbey,
where he edified all the brethren by his modesty and diligence. His
gentleness was so great, that at meal times he crumbled bread in his
hand, and, holding it out of the window, the wild birds came, full of
trust, and perched on his fingers. Then he would say, "Eat, little
birds, eat, and praise the Lord." He was ordained subdeacon much
against his will, by Caudrick, bishop of Lyons, and died about the
year 660.


S. ALNOTH, H. M.

(ABOUT A.D. 727.)

  [Anglican Martyrology of John Wilson, in the first edition; but in
  the second edition on Nov. 25th. Ferrarius and Bollandus on
  Feb. 27th. Authority:--Mention in the life of S. Wereburga,
  attributed to Joscelyn, c. 3.]

S. Alnoth was a hermit, who had been a cowherd of S Wereburga, but
embracing the eremitical life, settled in a wood at Stowe, near
Bugbrook, in Northamptonshire, but was murdered by robbers. His body
was buried at Stowe.




February 28.

  SS. NYMPHAS AND EUBULUS, _1st cent._
  SS. ALEXANDRINE, _Martyrs in the plague_, A.D. 261.
  SS. SYMPHORIAN, MACARIUS, AND OTHERS, _MM. at Rome_.
  S. PROTERIUS, _M. Patr. of Alexandria_, A.D. 457.
  S. ROMANUS, _Ab. of Condate; circ._ A.D. 460.


SS. NYMPHAS AND EUBULUS.

(1ST CENT.)

On the last day of February are commemorated two friends of S. Paul,
Nymphas, of whom he speaks in his Epistle to the Colossians, and
Eubulus, whom he mentions in his Second Epistle to S. Timothy, as
being with him at Rome. Nymphas was at Laodicea. Nothing further is
known of these two.


SS. MARTYRS IN THE PLAGUE AT ALEXANDRIA

(A.D. 261-3.)

  [Roman Martyrology. Authority:--A paschal letter by Dionysius,
  patriarch of Alexandria, quoted by Eusebius. lib. viii. c. 21, 22.]

These brave victims of the plague in Alexandria, who died through
ministering to pest-stricken heathens and Christians alike, are
commemorated by the Church as examples to all whose office or charity
calls them to attend to the sick. Dionysius, the patriarch, writes of
the pestilence which succeeded war and famine in Alexandria, in one of
his Easter letters, "To other men the present is a fit season for a
festival, but now to us all things are filled with tears; all are
mourning, and by reason of the multitudes, already dead and dying, the
whole city resounds with groans. As when the first-born of Egypt were
slain, so is it now; there is a great lamentation, for there is not a
house in which is not one dead. I wish this were all, but we have
undergone other calamities before this plague. First, we were driven
into exile, and persecuted, and put to death; then came war and the
famine, which, indeed, we and the heathen endured alike; and now we
are assailed by this pestilence, a calamity to the heathen more
dreadful than anything else, but not so to us, but rather a school to
try us. Most of our brethren, by their exceeding great love and
brotherly affection, not sparing themselves, were constant in their
attendance on the sick, ministering to their wants without fear and
without cessation, and they have departed most sweetly with those to
whom they ministered. Many also, who had healed others, fell victims
themselves. The best of our brethren have departed this life in this
way, some were priests, others deacons, and some laity of great
commendation. This death, with the piety and ardent faith which
attended it, appears to be but little inferior to martyrdom itself.
Our people took up the bodies of these saints with their open hands
and on their bosoms, cleansed their eyes and closed their mouths,
carried them on their shoulders, and composed their limbs, and
decently washed and clothed them for burial, and those who did this
themselves shared in receiving the same offices. Those that survived
always followed those going before them. But it was different with the
heathen. They repelled those who began to sicken, and avoided their
dearest friends. They would cast them out into the roads half-dead, or
throw them out when dead without burial, shunning all communication
with the sick and infected."


SS. SYMPHORIAN AND OTHERS, MM.

(UNKNOWN DATE.)

The bodies of fourteen martyrs, by name, Symphorian, Macarius,
Victorinus, Maurice, Anicetus, Modestus, Cyriacus, Faustus, Placidus,
Rocchus, Alexander, Genesius, Eulalia, and Irene, extracted from the
catacombs of S. Callixtus and S. Lucina, are preserved at Antwerp, in
the Church of the Jesuits, to which they were translated on Feb. 27th,
1650. Nothing is known of the acts and martyrdom of these saints.


S. PROTERIUS, M. PATR. OF ALEXANDRIA.

(A.D. 457.)

  [Greek Menæa on this day. Baronius and others have expressed
  surprise that the name of S. Proterius is inserted in no Western
  Martyrologies. Authority:--Evagrius, lib. iii. 13; Theophanes, the
  letters of Anatolius, Patr. of Constantinople, &c.]

S. Proterius was the head of the orthodox party at Alexandria, when
the patriarch Dioscorus adopted Eutychian views. That unprincipled and
haughty prelate, knowing the esteem in which Proterius was held, made
him arch-priest of his diocese; but as his heretical opinions became
more evident, Proterius took decided steps to oppose him, and on the
condemnation and deposition of Dioscorus by the Council of Chalcedon,
in 452, he was ordained in his room. This led to a schism in the
Church of Alexandria, the Catholics acknowledging Proterius, and the
Eutychians holding with Dioscorus. The Eutychians were headed by two
ecclesiastics, Timothy Ailurus, and Mongus, who had been
excommunicated for heresy. In a tumult that broke out, Ailurus, having
obtained consecration from two bishops of their faction, mounted the
episcopal throne, and proclaimed himself sole patriarch of Alexandria.
Proterius fled for safety to the baptistery of the Church of S.
Quirinus, but the heretics broke in and stabbed him to death; then
dragged his body through the streets, hacked it to pieces, and burnt
it.


S. ROMANUS, AB. OF CONDATE.

(A.D. 460.)

  [Roman, Benedictine, and most Latin Martyrologies. Authorities:--A
  life by a contemporary monk of Condate, also a life by S. Gregory of
  Tours.]

Romanus, trained in the monastery of Ainay, near Lyons, left his
father's house at the age of thirty-five, and carrying with him "Lives
of the Fathers of the Desert," and some tools and vegetable seeds,
made his way into the high mountains and inhabited forests of the
Jura, found a site enclosed between three steep heights, at the
confluence of two streams, and there founded, under the name of
Condate, a monastery destined to become one of the most celebrated in
the West. The soil was well adapted for cultivation, but in
consequence of the difficulty of access to the place, it became the
property of the first occupant. He found shelter at first under an
enormous fir tree, the thick branches of which represented to him the
palm which served Paul, the first hermit, in the desert of Egypt, for
a tent; then he began to read, to pray, and to plant his herbs, with a
certainty of being protected against the curious and importunate, by
the extreme roughness of the paths which crossed those precipices, and
also by the masses of fallen and interlaced trees, which are often met
with in fir woods not yet subjected to regular care and tendance.

His solitude was disturbed only by the wild animals, and now and then
by some bold huntsman. However, he was joined there by his brother
Lupicinus and others, in so great a number, that they were soon
obliged to spread themselves, and form new establishments in the
environs. The two brothers governed these monasteries together, and
maintained order and discipline, not without difficulty, among the
increasing multitude of novices, against which an old monk protested,
complaining that they did not even leave him room in which to lie
down. Women followed; and upon a neighbouring rock, suspended like a
nest at the edge of a precipice, the sister of our two abbots ruled
five hundred virgins, so severely cloistered, that having once entered
the convent, they were seen no more, except during the transit of
their bodies from the death bed to the grave.

As for the monks, each had a separate cell; they had only the church
and the refectory in common. In summer they took their siesta under
the great firs, which in winter protected their dwelling against the
snow and the north wind. They sought to imitate the anchorites of the
East, whose various rules they studied daily, tempering them by
certain alleviations, which were necessitated by the climate; their
daily labour, and even by the constitution of the Gaulish race. They
wore sabots, and tunics of skins tacked together, which protected them
from the rain, but not from the rigorous cold of these bleak heights,
where people are, says their biographer, in winter sometimes crushed
beneath the snow, and in summer stifled by the heat produced by the
reflection of the sun upon the perpendicular walls of rock. Lupicinus
surpassed them all in austerity; he slept in the trunk of an old tree,
and lived only upon pottage made of barley-meal, ground with the bran,
without salt, without oil, and without even milk; and one day,
disgusted at the delicacy of his brethren, he threw indiscriminately
into the same pot, the fish, the herbs, and the roots, which the monks
had prepared apart, and with some care. The community was greatly
irritated, and twelve monks, whose patience was exhausted, went away.
Upon this, an altercation arose between the two brothers. "It would
have been better," said Romanus to Lupicinus, "not to have come
hither, than to be a cause of dispersion to our monks." "Never mind,"
answered Lupicinus, "it is the straw separating from the corn; those
twelve are proud, mounted on stilts, and God is not with them."
However, the more gentle and forbearing Romanus succeeded in bringing
back the fugitives, who all, in their turn, became superiors of
communities.

S. Romanus made a pilgrimage to Agaunum (S. Maurice in the Valais), to
visit the scene of the martyrdom of the Theban Legion. On his way, he
cured two lepers by a kiss, and the fame of this miracle coming to the
ears of the Genevese, the bishop and clergy, and the whole town,
turned out to meet and receive him with honour.

When he felt that he must die, he called to him his sister from the
convent on the rock, and his brother Lupicinus, to whom he commended
the care of his monks, and then fell asleep in Christ.[71]

Relics in the Church of S. Romain-de-Roche in the Jura.

[71] Chiefly from the Monks of the West, ii. p. 486, seq.




February 29.

  S. OSWALD, _ARCHBISHOP OF YORK_, A.D. 992.


S. OSWALD, ARCHB. OF YORK.

(A.D. 992.)

  [Wilson's Anglican Martyrology, and those of Wyon, Menardus, and
  Morolycus. But Molanus on October 15th. Authorities:--His life by
  Eadmer; also Florence of Worcester, William of Malmesbury, and the
  Ramsey Chronicle.]

Oswald, the only saint commemorated on Feb. 29th, was the nephew of S.
Odo, archbishop of Canterbury, and of Osketill, bishop, first of
Dorchester, and afterwards of York. He was educated by S. Odo, and
made first canon and then dean of Winchester, but he took the monastic
habit in the abbey of Fleury, in France, and was recalled by S. Odo to
England, where he found favour with S. Dunstan, who commended him to
king Edgar, and, by his command, he was chosen bishop of Worcester,
about the year 959. One of his first acts was to establish twelve
monks at Westbury, in his diocese. He afterwards built Ramsey
monastery, on an island in Ramsey Mere, given to the Order of S.
Benedict by Earl Hilwyn, cousin of king Edgar, who had been cured of
gout by an apparition of the patriarch of western monks. S. Dunstan,
as is well known, laboured diligently to enforce celibacy on the
clergy in England. A council was held in 969, in which the clergy were
ordered to live single or to resign their cures, and Oswald of
Worcester, and Ethelwold of Winchester, were commissioned to enforce
this decree. Oswald was afterwards made archbishop of York, without
resigning the see of Worcester. He had established a Benedictine
monastery, dedicated to the Mother of God, at Worcester, and the
monastic church from that time became the Cathedral.

It was his wont to wash every day the feet of twelve poor men, whom he
afterwards fed. On the Tuesday after the third Sunday in Lent,
Feb. 29th, he was performing this duty as usual. After he had wiped
the feet of the last poor man, and had stooped to kiss them, he said
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost," and
gently expired.

He died, and was buried at Worcester. Ten years after, his remains
were taken up by his successor, Adulph, and translated to York, on
October 15th. It is said that when his body was taken into Worcester
Abbey Church, after his death, a white dove hovered above it. His
purple and gold stole was preserved in Beverley Minster, in the time
of Thomas Stubbs, who mentions the fact in his account of the
Archbishops of York.

 [Illustration]


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 _Edinburgh and London_