Skip to main content

Full text of "The ecclesiastical history of England and Normandy."

See other formats 


Google 


This  is  a  digital  copy  of  a  book  that  was  preserved  for  generations  on  library  shelves  before  it  was  carefully  scanned  by  Google  as  part  of  a  project 

to  make  the  world's  books  discoverable  online. 

It  has  survived  long  enough  for  the  copyright  to  expire  and  the  book  to  enter  the  public  domain.  A  public  domain  book  is  one  that  was  never  subject 

to  copyright  or  whose  legal  copyright  term  has  expired.  Whether  a  book  is  in  the  public  domain  may  vary  country  to  country.  Public  domain  books 

are  our  gateways  to  the  past,  representing  a  wealth  of  history,  culture  and  knowledge  that's  often  difficult  to  discover. 

Marks,  notations  and  other  maiginalia  present  in  the  original  volume  will  appear  in  this  file  -  a  reminder  of  this  book's  long  journey  from  the 

publisher  to  a  library  and  finally  to  you. 

Usage  guidelines 

Google  is  proud  to  partner  with  libraries  to  digitize  public  domain  materials  and  make  them  widely  accessible.  Public  domain  books  belong  to  the 
public  and  we  are  merely  their  custodians.  Nevertheless,  this  work  is  expensive,  so  in  order  to  keep  providing  tliis  resource,  we  liave  taken  steps  to 
prevent  abuse  by  commercial  parties,  including  placing  technical  restrictions  on  automated  querying. 
We  also  ask  that  you: 

+  Make  non-commercial  use  of  the  files  We  designed  Google  Book  Search  for  use  by  individuals,  and  we  request  that  you  use  these  files  for 
personal,  non-commercial  purposes. 

+  Refrain  fivm  automated  querying  Do  not  send  automated  queries  of  any  sort  to  Google's  system:  If  you  are  conducting  research  on  machine 
translation,  optical  character  recognition  or  other  areas  where  access  to  a  large  amount  of  text  is  helpful,  please  contact  us.  We  encourage  the 
use  of  public  domain  materials  for  these  purposes  and  may  be  able  to  help. 

+  Maintain  attributionTht  GoogXt  "watermark"  you  see  on  each  file  is  essential  for  in  forming  people  about  this  project  and  helping  them  find 
additional  materials  through  Google  Book  Search.  Please  do  not  remove  it. 

+  Keep  it  legal  Whatever  your  use,  remember  that  you  are  responsible  for  ensuring  that  what  you  are  doing  is  legal.  Do  not  assume  that  just 
because  we  believe  a  book  is  in  the  public  domain  for  users  in  the  United  States,  that  the  work  is  also  in  the  public  domain  for  users  in  other 
countries.  Whether  a  book  is  still  in  copyright  varies  from  country  to  country,  and  we  can't  offer  guidance  on  whether  any  specific  use  of 
any  specific  book  is  allowed.  Please  do  not  assume  that  a  book's  appearance  in  Google  Book  Search  means  it  can  be  used  in  any  manner 
anywhere  in  the  world.  Copyright  infringement  liabili^  can  be  quite  severe. 

About  Google  Book  Search 

Google's  mission  is  to  organize  the  world's  information  and  to  make  it  universally  accessible  and  useful.   Google  Book  Search  helps  readers 
discover  the  world's  books  while  helping  authors  and  publishers  reach  new  audiences.  You  can  search  through  the  full  text  of  this  book  on  the  web 

at|http: //books  .google  .com/I 


ARQOVKII-HAIIVAltD   THEOLeaiCAL    UBHARY 


BONN'S  STANDARD  UBRARY. 


61.  TAYLORS  (JEREMY)  HOLY  LIVING  AND  DYING.    Fortmit. 

52.  GOETHE'S  WORKS.      Vol.  IIL      [" Faust,**  "Iphigenia,**  **Torqiuto  Tasso," 

and  "Egmont.'']     Translated  by  Miss  Swakwick.     With  "Goetx  von  Bei^ 
lichingen,"  translated  by  Sib  Walter  Scott. 

53.  56,  68,  61,  66,  67,  &  76.     NEANOER'S   CHURCH    HISTORY.      CaraftiUy 

revised  by  the  Rrv.  A.  J.  W.  Mo&aisoN.    - 

54.  NEANOER'S  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

57, 04.  NEANDER  S  PLANTING  OFCHRISTlANITY,& ANTIGNOSTIKUS,  SYoll. 
59.  GREGORY'S  (DR.)  LETTERS  ON  THE  CHRISTIAN  RELIGION. 

62  &  63.  JAMES'  (G.  P.  R.)  LOUIS  XIV.    Complete  in  3  Vols.    Portraits. 

63  &  70.  SIR  JOSHUA  REYNOLDS'  UTERARY  WORKS,  with  Hemoir,  3  Volf .  PorL 
69.  ANDREW  FULLER'S  PRINCIPAL  WORKS.     Portrait, 

72.  BUTLER'S  ANALOGY  OF  RELIGION,  AND  SERMONS,  with  Notes,  Sec  PoH, 

73.  MISS  BREMER'S  WORKS.  Translated  by  Makt  Howitt.  Ncu-  Edition, revised. 

Vol.  I.  ["The  Neighbon^^,'*  and  other  Tales.]    Post  8vo.  Portrait.    3f.  Bd, 

74.  NEANDER'S   MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTIAN   LIFE  IN   THE    EARLY  AND 

MIDDLE  AGES  (including  his  " light  in  Dark  Places'*).   PostSvo.    3#.6tf. 

I'ulform  frith  the  Standau)  Libsaxt,  j)rt(;«  8j.  6d., 

BOHN'S  EXTRA  VOLUMES. 

1.  GRAMMONTS  MEMOIRS  OF  THE  COURT  OF  CHARLES  11.    PorlruU, 
2  &  3.  RABELAIS'  WORKS.    Complete  in  3  Vols. 
4.  COUNT  HAMILTON'S  FAIRY  TALES. 


Portrait. 
Portrtut. 


vkiehxs euJg Zi. M.,    '^ 


Uniform vith  the Stahoakd  Libbakt, jme;  5». {excepting** Cosmoi^ 

and  UanteWs  **  Petr\factioiisr  vohteh  is  6s.), 

BOHN'S  SCIENTIFIC  LIBRARY. 

1.  STAUNTON'S  CHESS  PLAYER'S  HAND-BOOK,  with  Diagrams. 

2.  LECTURES  ON  PAINTING,  by  THE  ROTAL  ACADEMICIANS. 

3.  4,  8,  &  15.  HUMBOLDT'S  COSMOS;   or,  Sketch  of  a  Physical  Description  of 

The  Universe.  lYanslated,  with  Not^  by  £.  C.  Ottk.  In  4  Vols.,  with  Mna 
Portrait.  This  Translation  (though  published  at  so  low  a  price)  is  more  complete 
than  any  other.  The  Notes  are  placed  beneath  the  text.  Uumboldt's  analytical 
summaries,  and  the  passages  hitherto  suppressed,  are  included;  and  comprehoisiTe 
Indices  subjoined.  Ss.  6d.  per  Volume. 

5.  STAUNTON'S  CHESS  PLAYER'S  COMPANION,  comprising  a  New  Treatise 

on  Odds,  a  Collection  of  Match  Games,  Original  Problems,  &c. 

6.  HANDBOOK  OF  GAMES,   by  VARIOUS  AMATEURS  and  PROFESSORS. 

7.  HUMBOLDTS  VIEWS  OF  HATDRE,  with  coloured  view  of  Ckimboraso,  ^e. 

0.  RICHARDSON'S  GEOLOGY,  AND  PAUEONTOLOGY^RerisedbyDr.  Wught. 

with  upwards  of  400  Illustrations  on  Wood. 

10.  STOCKHARDTS  PRINCIPLES  OF  CHEMISTRY,  Exemplified  in  Simple  Expc- 

rimeuta,  with  uptoards  of  210  lUustrations. 

11.  DR.  Q.  A.  MANTELL'S  PETRIFACTIONS  AND   THEIR   TEACHINGS;  A 

Hand-Book  to  the  Fossils  in  the  British  Muaenm.  BeoMtifnl  Wood  £ngranugs.  Gs. 

12.  AGASSIZ  AND  GOULD'S  COMPARATIVE  PHYSIOLOGY.    New  and  Enlarged 

Edition,  with  nearly  400  Jtne  Illustrations. 

13  &  19.    HUMBOLDT'S^PERSONAL    NARRATIVE    OF    HIS   TRAVELS    IN 
AMERICA.    Vols.  L  &  IL  (to  be  eompletea  in  S  Volumes.) 

14.  PYE  SMf^H'S  GEOLOGY  AND  SCRIPTURE.    Fifth  Edition,  with  Memoir. 

10.  OERSTED'S  SOUL  IN  NATURE,  &C.    Portrait. 

17.  STAUNTON'S  CHESS  TOURNAMENT,  with  Diagrams. 

18  &,19..  BRIDGEWATER    TREATISES.     Kiui  en  the  Biaton* '^JtSoi^*  «»^ 
lutmcts  of  Animais;  Edited  bj  I.  Riiuk  ]obis.  IniXoAi.  KaK|  lliUulinttawu 


)ir-»» 


Uy 


k^< 


mimn  with  the  standard  lidrary, 

BARBAULD'S  fMRS.)  SELECTIONS  FROM  THE  SPECTATOR,  TATLER, 
GUARDIAN,  AND  FREEHOLDER.    In  S  Vola.    Ss.  Gd.  pur  Volume. 

BRITISH  POETS,  from  Milton  to  Kixkk  White,  Cabinet  Kilitlon,  ronipriMnfj,  In  s 
very  iinall  but  rcniarknbly  clear  tvpe,  as  murh  mutter  uh  t)ic  sixty  vuluiiics  of 
Johnson*!  Tocts.    Complete  in  4  Volt.,  with  Fivntispifces.    lis, 

GARY'S  TRANSLATION  OF  DANTE.    Extra  cloth.    7s.  6,1. 

CATTERMOLE'S  EVENINGS  AT  HADDON  HALL.  24  csquiaitp  Kut;rfr  inrT  on 
Steel,  from  Designs  by  himself ;  the  Lotter-Prcsa  by  the  liAKUNE.-ii  m:  (J.m.a- 

UKKLLA.     FOfat  8tO.     ti-  8i. 

CLASSIC  TALES;  comprlning  Tlie  Vicar  of  Wakefield,  "Elirabcth,  Pnnl  and  V;j;:n'f», 
Gulliver's  Travels,  Sterne's  ScDtincntnlJonrney,  Sorrows  of  Werter,  Thcw^i^aius 
and  Coutautia,  Castle  of  Otranto,  and  Busselas.    ISmo.   7  Portraits.    \jS.  di. 

DEMOSTHENES.    Translated  by  Lkland.    TcrtraH,    Sj. 

CHILLINGWORTH'S  REUGION  OF  PROTESTANTS.    S«.  6<f. 

HORACE'S  ODES  AND  EPODES,  traosLated  literally  and  rythmicallj,  by  ths  Rr.v 
W.  Skwkll.    8«.  6./. 

IRVINQ'S  (WASHINGTON)  WORK&   Complete  in  10  Vols.,  £1 1B«.,  or  8#.  Gi.  per  Vol. 

JOYCE'S  SCIENTIFIC  DIALOGUES.  Greatlylmproved  Kdition,  with  Questions,  &r., 
by  PiMfocK.    (Upwards  of  GOO  pages).    Woodcuts,    hs. 

JOYCE'S  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES.    U. 

LAMARTINE'S  THREE  MONTHS  IN  POWER.    Sewed,  2«. 

LAMARTINES  POETICAL  MEDITATIONS  AND  RELIGIOUS  HARMONIES 
with  Biographical  Sketch,    rorlrail.    Cloth,  Ss.  6i. 

LAWRENCE'S  LECTURES  ON  COMPARATIVE  ANATOMY,  PHYSIOLOGY. 
ZOOLOGY,  AND  THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  MAN.  Front,  and  Flutes,  bs. 

LILLY'S  INTRODUCTION  TO  ASTROLOGY.  A  New  and  Improved  Edition,  by 
Zaukikl,  with  his  Urummar  of  Astrolo{;y,  and  Tables  of  Nativities.    C«. 

LOUDON'S  (MRS.)  ENTERTAING  NATURALIST,  a  PopulHr  Dc^rripUon.  Talc". 
and  Anerdotcs  of  moreth:in  Five  llundrud  Animal:-.,  wit!i  Indexes  ol"  Sricnilfip  j.ml 
and  Popular  Nanir:*.  JFith  vymards  of  600  he»ntiftU  Woodcuts^  tj  Bkwici:, 
IIarvky,  Wiiimpke,  Stc.    Ueviscd  and  enlarged.  7s.  Gd. 

LOWTHS  LECTURES  ON  THE  SACRED  POETRY  OF  THE  HEBREWS.  "«.W. 

MAXWELL'S  VICTORIES  OF  THE  BRITISH  ARMIES.  Kcw  Kditton.  with  highly 
Jmished  Steel  Portraits,  extra  gilt  cloth.    7s.  6d. 

MICHELETS  HISTORY  OF  THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.    4*. 

MILLER'S  PHILOSOPHY  OF  HISTORY.  Tliird  Ueviscd  and  Improved  Edition, 
4  VoluinuM,  :it  os.  Gd.  per  Volume. 

MILNER'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  CF  CHRIST.    4to1b.  14*. 

MITFORDB  (MISS)  OUR  VILLAGE.  2  Vol?.,  ^cw  Edition,  vfilk  Woodcuts  atid  beau- 
tiful Frontispiitfes  oh  Slfet^  gill  ciuth.    Kai-h  Vol. .");. 

PARXES'  ELEMENTARY  CHEMISTRY.    Kcw  Edition,  revised,  5j. 

ROBINSON  CRUSOE,  irrludinj^  his  further  Adventures,  n-i^h  Lite  nf  Defoe.  S:c. 
Vfncards  q/'6\)fiiie  Wuudeut/,  from  designs  by  Harvey  and  \Vliii>.»per.    4j.  I'.d. 

SCHILLER'S  PHILOSOPHICAL  St,  /ESTHETIC  LETTERS  AND  ESSAYS,  "s.  Cd 
SHAKSPEARE'S  PLAYS  AND  POEMS,  with  Life,  by  CirALvr.Rs.    hi  1  Vol.    V.s.  Gd, 

STANDARD    LIBRARY   CYCLOP/F.DIA    OF   POLITICAL.  CONSTITUTIONAL, 
STATISTICAL,  AND  FORENSIC  KNOWLEDGE.    4  Vol^.    '.is.  Gd.  each. 
Thl«  wo'k  Goiitftins  a^  much  mi  ci-ht  nr<lii:ary  nctavnii.     It  was  fmt  pnhlifelicd  In  anothn 
■li.ifc  \.\  Mr.  (Shanes  Kiikht,  undrr  tlic  title  of  Political  Dirti-.n.-irv,  nl  .Cl  l(j«.     lli«  Com- 
piler, Kill.  UiioHUi:  Losiu,  U  one  ortbe  mn-Ht  computent  8ci:-)iarii  of  tlie  day 

STURM'S  MORNINC  COMMUNINGS  WITH  GOD.    Kew  Edition.    U, 


THE 


ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY 


OF 


ENGLAND  AND    NORMANDY. 


BY 


ORDERICUS     VITALIS. 


TRANSLATED,  WITH  NOTES, 
AND     THE     INTRODUCTION     OF     GUIZOT, 

•      By  THOMAS  FORESTER,  M.A. 


VOL.  I. 


LONDON: 
HENRY  a.  BOHN,  YORK  STREET,  COVENT  GARDEN. 


MDOCOLIII. 


i.  BAODOH  A2fl>  805,  PRINTXR8,  CABTLB  STREET,  TINSBUILT. 


EDITOR^S  PREFACE. 


Obpeeicxis  VitaIiIS,  in  his  personal  and  literary  history,  as 
well  as  in  the  annals  which  compose  the  most  valuable  part 
of  his  voluminous  work,  forms  a  connecting  link  between 
the  English  and  Norman  writers  of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth 
centuries.      Bom   in  England,  and  having  received  the 
first  rudiments  of  learning  at  Shrewsbury,  he  was  removed 
at  an  early  age  to  a  monastery  in  Normandy,  in  which  ho 
completed  his  education,  and  passed  the  rest  of  his  life 
in  the  duties  of  his  monastic  profession  and  in  literary 
labours.    These,  as  M.  Guizot  has  remarked  were  "espe- 
cially devoted  to  the  glory  of  Normandy  ;"*  and,  doubtless, 
that  was  the  field  on  which  all  his  immediate  associations 
led  him  to  dwell  with  the  greatest  freedom,  and  to  cultivate 
in  its  minutest  details. 
I       But  Ordericus  did  not  forget  his  native  country ;  he  so 
gloried  in  the  name  of  "Englishman"  that  it  is  added  to 
Ms  Norman  designation  of  "-monk  of  St.  Evroult "  in  his 
autograph  manuscript ;  and  the  accounts  he  gives  of  English 
affairs  generally,  during  the  reigns  of  the  three  first  Norman 
kings,  interspersed  with  local  and  personal  matters  of  con- 
siderable interest,  exhibit  the  same  careful  research,  if  they 
are  not  so  difiuse,  as  the  portion  of  his  work  devoted  to 

*  No^ee  tur  Orderio  Vital,  prefixed  to  the  French  tranalation  of  our 
aatbor's  History. 


.^ 


ir  BDITOB*S  PBEFACnB/ 

Normandy.  He  undertook  a  journey  to  England  fc 
express  purpose  of  coUectiug  materials,  and  his  conn 
with  the  family  of  the  great  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  wh 
possessions  in  both  countries,  would  give  him  acce 
precise  information  on  English  affairs.  In  point  of  fa 
alternately  transports  his  readers  from  Normanc 
England,  and  from  England  to  Normandy,  two  states 
may  be  considered  to  have  formed  in  his  time  almc 
united  kingdom,  and  he  treats  the  affairs  of  both  with  ] 
equal  precision. 

There  is  a  pecidiar  advantage  in  studying  English  h 
from  such  a  point  of  view,  during  a  period  when  many 
most  eminent  characters  were  playing  a  distinguishec 
in  both  countries.  England  was  surrendering  to  the 
ders  her  broad  acres  and  free  institutions,  and  the  chi 
and  monasteries  were  being  filled  and  remodelled  by  Nc 
ecclesiastics,  while  she  was  adopting  the  feudal  tenure 
rules  of  chivalry,  and  the  habits  and  manners  of  the 
querors,  and  their  magnificent  architecture  was  employ 
raising  stately  cathedrals,  abbeys,  and  castles  in  all  qu£ 
On  these  subjects,  and  others  connected  with  the  ch 
then  taking  place  in  the  social  and  dynastic  system  of 
land,  Ordericus  was  better  qualified  to  throw  strong 
than  any  English  historian  of  the  time.  The  adv 
stages  of  his  education,  and  almost  all  the  associatic 
his  maturer  life  were  foreign.  His  family  ties  had 
somewhat  rudely  severed,  and  he  was  torn  from  his  : 
country  at  an  age  when  it  would  hardly  fail  to 
some  impression  on  so  intelligent  a  mind ;  and  it  aj 
from  several  passages  in  his  work  that  he  fondly  che: 
recollections  of  it  in  the  land  of  the  stranger.  Whal 
remained  of  English  feeling  probably  contributed,  in 
bination  with  his  natural  honesty  and  simplicity  ol 
racter,  to  the  general  impartiality  of  his  narrative  of  E 


SBITOB's  TVETXCt.  y 

affairs,  and  the  sympathy  he  betrays  for  the  stifferiDgs  of 
his  countrymen  and  their  patriotic  struggles  against  Nor- 
man usurpation. 

While  such  are  our  author's  claims  to  the  consideration 
of  the  students  of  history  his  works  have  hitherto  received  in 
England  a  share  of  attention  very  disproportionate  to  that 
which  they  have  obtained  in  France.  The  History  of 
Ordericus  Vitalis  has  never  yet  been  published  in  England, 
and  private  enterprise  is  now  employed  in  carrying  into 
effect,  in  a  popular  shape,  what  both  a  royal  commission 
and  a  literary  association  have  alike  failed  in  accomplishing. 
Li  France,  the  original  text  of  Ordericus  was  printed,  as 
early  as  the  year  1619,  in  Duchesne's  Collection  of  the 
!N^orman  Historians,  published  at  Paris,  but  it  was  never  re- 
printed in  this  country ;  and  besides  its  being  suited  only 
to  readers  of  erudition,  the  work  has  now  become  some- 
what scarce.  "Within  the  last  thirty  years,  however,  no 
less  than  two  distinct  editions  of  Ordericus  have  been 
published  at  Paris  under  the  auspices  of  the  Historical 
Society  of  France.  The  first,  which  commenced  in  1826,  is 
a  French  version,  accompanied  by  a  few  notes  explain- 
ing localities,  by  M.  Louis  du  Bois.  It  is  prefixed  by  a 
Notice  from  the  pen  of  M.  Guizot,  who  was  then  Pro- 
fessor of  Modem  History  in  the  Academy  of  Paris,  giving 
particulars  of  the  several  manuscripts  of  Ordericus  now 
extant,  a  short  account  of  the  author's  life,  and  an  estimate 
of  his  character,  which  it  has  been  thought  desirable  to 
tiaiislate  and  print  as  an  introduction  to  the  present  work. 

In  1838,  the  French  Historical  Society  undertook  an 
edition  of  the  original  text  of  Ordericus,  which  was  confided 
to  the  editorial  care  of  M.  Auguste  Le  Prevost.  Four 
volumes  octavo  have  been  already  published  at  Paris,  con- 
taining twelte  books  of  the  History,  and  the  thirteenth  is 
announced  to  be  in  the  press.     This  work  does  great  credit 


to  all  concerned  in  it,  being  edited  and  printed  ^ 
accuracy,  after  a  laborious  collation  of  the  best 
and  illustrated  by  a  vast  number  of  valuable 
translation  now  presented  to  the  English  rea( 
upon  this  edition  of  the  author's  text,  compare 
to  time,  with  that  of  Duchesne,  in  which,  as  e" 
served,  there  are  numerous  errors.  Free  use  ht 
of  the  notes  appended  to  the  last  Paris  editio 
are  added,  having  in  general  more  especial 
English  affairs. 

August  20, 1853. 


M.  6UIZ0T'8 

INTRODUCTIOir  tG  THE  FRENCH  TRANSLA.TIOK  OP 

ORDERICUS  VITALIS. 


Oif  tUH  the  works  published  in  our  collection,'  that  of  OrdericnS 
Yitalis  is  th6  most  extensive,  a  sure  proof  of  the  claims  it  pos- 
sesses to  more  than  ordinary  attention.  The  annals  of  that  age 
are  generallj  characterised  by  the  brevity  of  their  details,  and  the 
dryness  of  their  style.  It  would  seem  that  the  senius  of  the 
author  was  so  dull  and  barren  that  it  satisfied  itself  with  dimply 
accepting  the  facts  presented  to  his  notice,  without  being  alive  to 
any  necessity  of  accounting  for  them,  of  connecting  them  with 
other  drcumstances,  or  of  adc^g  the  refections  required  to  give 
them  forther  consistency  than  the  mere  order  of  dates.  In  those 
times  of  darkness  and  isolation,  the  life  of  man  was  so  confined, 
and  his  views  so  circumscribed,  that  even  curiosity  seemed 
to  have  lost  its  influence,  and  an  elevated  positioti,  or  a  stirring 
career,  supplied  the  only  situations  in  which  the  intellectu^ 
horizon  was  extended,  and  an  earnest  desire  for  information 
excited ;  but  those  who  found  themselves  by  birth  or  accident  in 
sach  unusual  circumstance^  devoted  all  their  time  and  efforts  to 
action,  and  were  too  much  occupied  in  playing  their  part  in  the 
history  of  the  times  to  give  themselves  any  trouble  about  writing 
it.  Among  the  men  of  rank  who  flourished  in  the  age  of  which 
we  are  cofiecting  memorials,  two  bishops,  Gregory  of  Tours,  and 
William  of  Tyre,  are  the  only  per^otos  who  found  leisure  to  bequeath 
to  posterity  any  lengthened  Account  of  events,  the  character  of 
which  their  situation  led  them  to  penetrate ;  their  histories  there- 
fore, the  most  exiehdve  we  have  yet  published,  are  also,  regard 
being  had  to  the  diflerence  of  the  times,  the  most  interesting,  the 
most  useful,  and  the  most  rich  in  valuable  detaHs.  Orderious  Stalls 

1  Cciledum  det  Memoes  relatift  d  Vttistoite  de  Frcenee,  published  by 
the  Historical  Society  of  France,  from  183i  to  185*2. 


•  •• 


VIU  OEDEEIOUS  VITALIS. 

exhibits,  if  not  in  the  same  degree,  at  least  the  same 
superiority  over  the  writers  of  his  own  age ;  which  is  t 
remarkable  in  his  case,  because  no  external  circumsta 
advantages  of  position,  contributed  to  rouse  or  sustain  the 
of  his  mind.  A  simple  monk,  buried  in  the  depths  of  1 
secluded  forests  of  Normandy,  his  own  genius,  his  in 
ardour  for  acquiring  information,  the  patience  with  v\ 
pursued  his  researches,  supplied  the  incentives  and  the 
nities  for  collecting  materials  for  his  vast  imdertaking. 

Ordericus  was  bom  in  England  on  the  fifteenth  of  F 
1075,  at  Attingham,*  on  the  banks  of  the  Severn,  the  resi 
his  father  Odelirius,  a  native  of  Orleans,  who,  at  the  tin 
Norman  conquest,  was  a  follower  of  Roger  de  Montgomei 
wards  created  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  to  whose  house 
continued  to  be  attached  in  the  character  of  one  of  his 
Ordericus  received  the  name  of  his  godfather,  a  Saxon  pi 
curate  of  the  parish,  who  both  baptized  him  and  under 
office  of  sponsor.  At  the  age  of  five  years,  Ordericus  wa 
school  at  Shrewsbury,  where  he  learnt  reading,  grammar, 
chants  used  in  the  church,  under  a  master  whose  n: 
Siegward.^  It  would  appear  that  his  own  father  was  a 
some  learning,  a  clerk,  and  a  priest,  for  at  that  time,  par 
in  England,  priests  were  not  absolutely  forbidden  to  mar: 
a  more  perfect  state  of  life  was  known,  and  Odelirius, 
now  become  a  widower,  thought  it  his  duty  not  only  to  i 
himself  all  worldly  attachments,  but  to  withdraw  from  1 
eldest  son  Ordericus,  then  ten  years  old.  He  therefore 
him  as  well  as  himself  to  the  religious  life,  and  retii 
monastery  in  Great  Britain.*  Shortly  afterwards,  how 
mind  became  disturbed  by  the  obstacles  which  family  t 

1  Atcham,  a  village  near  Shrewsbury,  where  the  Teme  fallj 
Severn.  Our  author  tells  us,  book  v.  c.  1,  that  he  was  bom  on  tl 
tbe  calends  of  March,  which  answers  to  tl^  sixteenth  of  Febru 
was  baptized  on  the  Saturday  of  Easter,  the  4th  of  April  followin 

'  Siward,  "  a  noble  priest/'  as  our  author  calls  him.  He  was 
Danish  extraction,  connected  with  the  blood-royal  of  the  Saxon  ] 
also,  it  would  appear,  in  some  way  with  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  t 
of  Odelirius.  Siward  had  built  a  small  wooden  church  in  the  s 
that  town,  which  becoming  the  property  of  Odelirius,  was  given  I 
the  site  of  the  stately  Benedictine  abbey  founded  there  by  the  ea 

*  Odelirius  assumed  the  monastic  habit,  after  the  death  of  his 
the  abbey  he  had  lately  assisted  in  founding  at  Shrewsbury,  whe 
entered  his  yougest  son,  Benedict,  to  be  brought  up  as  a  m( 
further  endowed  the  abbey  with  one  half  of  all  the  estates  whic 
had  conferred  upon  him,  reserving  the  other  moiety  to  his  rems 
Evcrardy  our  author's  second  brother,  to  be  held  as  a  fief  under  t 


M.  OITIZOT's  nfTEODUCTIOK.  ir 

calculated  to  offer  to  his  salvation,  and  he  thought  that  neither 
his  own  nor  his  son's  would  be  secure  if  they  remained  in  the 
same  monastery.  In  order,  therefore,  to  render  their  separation 
more  entire  and  more  irrevocable,^  he  made  him  cross  the  8ea,r 
sending  him  to  Kormandy  under  the  care  of  a  monk  named 
Bagnold,  where  Ordericus,  making  an  endowment  of  thirty  silver 
marks,  entered  the  abbey  of  Ouche,  belonging  to  the  rule  of  St.- 
Benedict,  and  founded  by  St.  Evroult,  an  Orleanais  saint,  for  whom 
Odelirius,  as  his  countryman,  felt  especial  veneration.  This 
abbey,  which  at  a  later  period  took  its  foimder's  name,  stood  in 
that  part  of  the  diocese  of  Lisieux  which  is  now  included  in  the 
department  of  the  Ome.  Buried  in  the  bosom  of  forests,  enriched 
since  the  eleventh  century  with  a  considerable  library,  and  in- 
habited by  monks  who  were  the  friends  of  learning,  the  abbey  of 
Qache  was  a  retreat  well  calculated  to  foster  the  studious  turn  of 
mind  which,  it  is  ssud,  was  already  remarked  in  the  young  novice. 
John,  the  sub-prior  of  the  abbey,  had  the  charge  of  his  education, 
and  formed  a  strong  attachment  for  him  ;  he  a£o  gained  the  good- 
will of  the  rest  of  the  monks,  and  among  others  that  of  Maimer, 
then  abbot  of  St.  Evroult.  Ordericus  entered  the  monastery  in  the 
year  1085.  The  par  following,  on  the  22nd  of  September,  the 
feast  of  St.  Maurice,  he  received  the  tonsure,  changing  at  the 
same  time  his  English  name  of  Ordericus  for  that  of  Vitalis,^  one 
of  the  companions  of  the  saint  whose  memory  was  that  day 
observed.  On  the  15th  of  March,  1091,  Gilbert  Maminot,  bishop 
of  Lisieux,  admitted  him  to  the  order  of  sub-deacon  at  the  request 
of  Serlo  d'Orgbres,  the  then  abbot  of  St.  Evroult ;  and  two  yeai*s 
afterwards,  on  the  26th  of  March,  1093,  Serlo  himself,  having 
then  become  bishop  of  Lisieux,  ordained  him  deacon.  Ordericus 
was  then  eighteen  years  of  age.  All  the  records  of  those  ancient 
times  concur  in  informing  us  with  what  holy  fear  truly  pious  men 
then  r^^arded  the  duties  of  the  priesthood,  how  they  shrunk 
from  undertaking  them,  and  often  only  consented  to  accept  the 
office  upon  the  express  command  of  their  superiors.  It  was  not 
till  fift^  years  afterwards,  the  21st  of  December,  1107,  that 

'  Our  author  pays  an  affectionate  tribute  to  his  Other's  memory  in  book 
T.  c.  14  of  the  following  History,  where  he  says  that  he  never  saw  him 
again  after  this  early  separation.    See  also  book  t.  c  1. 

'  The  name  Ordericus,  is  also  variously  written  Odericus,  Udalrictts, 
&C.  The  last  seems  to  point  to  the  priest  from  whom  our  author  derived 
hifl  name  of  baptism,  being,  as  well  as  his  Schoolmaster,  of  Scandinavian 
extraction.  He  tells  us  that  it  was  changed  to  Yitalis,  because  his  former 
name  appeared  barbarous  to  the  Normans.  There  seems  an  impropriety 
in  the  common  practice  of  combining  his  name  of  baptism  with  that  of  his 
laofeeson,  as  the  latter  superseded  the  former.  He  always  calls  himself 
limply  Yitalis,  but  there  is  authority  for  using  both  names  in  the  oldest! 
MSS.  of  his  works. 


/ 


X  dBBEBIOtJS  TltAi.18. 

WilHflin  Botifie-Amc^,  ittcfabibbdp  of  Roueti  had  oil  Ordericiis,  lus 
he  tdls  us  himself,  *'  the  burden  of  the  priesthocid."^ 

Such  are  ihe  simple  fadts  which  the  writings  of  thk  exceQeht 
monk  supply  concerning  his  own  life.  Tf&iiig  no  part  iri  worldljr 
affiiirs,  and  equally  a  stranger  to  the  high  places  of  his  own  pro- 
fession, we  find  him  never  cftiitting  hk  retirement  but,  on  ond 
occasion,  to  attend  a  general  ehafiier  of  the  order  of  St.  Benedict 
convoked  by  the  abl^  of  Oluni,  and  fo^  two  journeys,  one  to 
Worcester,*  the  other  to  Cambray,  both,  as  it  would  appear,  under- 
taken for  the  purpose  of  procuring  information  necessary  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  literary  works.  These  formed  the  sole  employ- 
Hient  of  his  life,  and  he  does  not  appear  to  have  pushed  his  labours 
to  extreme  old  age,  for  he  tells  us,  at  the  close  of  his  history,  that 
he  had  reached  his  sixty-seventh  year,  and  the  thirty-fourth  of 
Ids  ministry  in  the  priesthood,  when  he  felt  himself  compell^  by 
age  and  infirmities  to  biing  his  work  to  a  close ;  and  it  is  scaf c^l;^ 
probable  that,  after  a  career  so  occupied,  release  from  labotlr  teiy 
long  preceded  that  from  life.  We  ought  then,  if  I  am  not  mis^ 
taken,  to  place  the  death  of  Ordericus  Yitalis  in  the  year  1141,  or 
at  the  latest  in  1142.  The  authors  of  the  JSistoire  LtUiraire  de  Id 
France  have  fixed  the  year  1143  as  the  period  at  which  his  woffif 
concluded;  but  they  are  evidently  tmder  a  mistake,  for  at  the' 
end  of  his  last  book  Ordericus  speaks  of  Stephen  king  of  England 
as  being  at  that  time  in  confinement,  but  that  prince,  who  wais^ 
made  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Lincoln  on  the  SOth  of  Februai^, 
1141,  was  exdumged  in  the  month  of  November  of  the  same  ye^r. 
Again,  he  mentions  the  death  of  John,  bishop  of  Lisieux,  as  hsrving 
occurred  so  recently  that  his  successor  was  not  yet  appointed ; 
and  the  bishop  died  on  the  21st  of  May,  1141.  Besides  which,  he^ 
reckons  eleven  years  from  the  election  of  Pope  Innocent  II.,  whic^ 
took  place  in  the  month  of  February,  1 1 30.  Everything  thcrelb' 
concurs  in  pointing  out  the  year  1141  as  the  period  at  wh:' 
Ordericus  fotfnd  himdelf  under  the'  necessity  of  terminating  i 
labours  to  which  his  life  was  consecrated. 

His  work,  devoted  in  an  espec^^l  manner  to  the  glory  of  K 
mandy,  comprised  origilkally  bilt  the  sevifeft  last  books,  in  w> 
Norman  history^  in  point  of  fact^  holds  the  first  place.    At  a  ' 
period  he  added  four  boeks,  the  present  thh^d,  fourth,  fiftF 
sixth,  to  enal>le  hiikiself  te  give  fuUer  particulsurs  of  some  < 

'  He  was  ordained  priest  on  the  feast  of  St.  Thomas,  1107.  in  < 
with  one  hundred  and  twenty  others,  being  then,  as  be  tells  us,  thi 
years  of  agei    Book  xi.  c.  SO,  and  book  xiii.  at  the  end. 

*  Paring  this  journey  to  England  oar  author  also  spent  some ' 
Groyland  Abbey,  where,  as  he  tells  us,  he  collected  the  fnaterials  f 
ehapters  of  his  fourth  book,  and,  at  the  request  of  the  monks, 
the  epitaph  on  Earl  Waltheo£    See  book  iv.  c.  15 — 17. 


M.  otttdH^fi  flWtdlbtrefioir.  ii 

u  well  ta  %6  6(Amect  the  gloty  of  'Sarmhu^y  with  that  of  tb^ 
abbey  of  Ouclie,oli  the  foundatioti  and  pt ogress  of  which  the  new 
books  entei*  into  minate  details.  Ftifthermore,  having  a  du^ 
ir^ard  to  his  own  oh&racter,  and  ambitioas  of  the  honour  of 
b^neathing  to  twsterity  a  complete  universal  history,  from  the 
birth  of  Jesus  Onrist  to  his  Own  day,  he  composed  the  first  and 
second  books,  containing  long  extracts  frOm  the  Gk>spel8  and  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  legends  which  give  an  account  of  the 
establishment  of  Christianity  in  Asia  and  Africa,  as  well  as  in 
Europe,  concluding  the  whole  with  short  chronicles,  or  rather 
taMet  of  the  emperors  and  popes.  Then,  at  last,  Ordericus  coft" 
Bidered  his  work  complete,  and  gave  it  the  title  of  an  Ecdesiastical 
History,  a  title  whic^  singularly  eidxibits,  as  we  h&ve  elsewhere 
observed,  how  far  the  elrarch  had  then  become  the  centre  of 

It  tt  plain  ettough  th&t  the  way  iti  wlikfh  his  wotk  was  f^t 
toj^her  has  contributed  in  lio%teaU  decree  to  the  confusion  whiclt 
reigns  throughout  the  writings  of  the  monk  of  St.  Evroult :  his 
wliKole  object  havine  been  to  make  coDectionS  from  all  quarters  of 
facts,  traditions,  ac^entures,  acts,  and  letters,  his  work  repeatedly 
chained  its  form  and  its  object  while  under  his  hands,  and  he 
gave  himself  but  little  trouble,  except  to  find  a  place  in  it,  no 
matter  in  what  order,  for  all  the  stores  of  information  he  had 
gathered.  Accordingly,  on  more  than  one  occasion  his  materials 
se^n  thrown  together  pell-mell,  as  chance  or  opportunity  brought 
them  inta  the  author's  power ;  sometimes  he  interrupts  the  course 
of  Ms  narrative  by  dividinff  the  account  of  a  particular  event  into 
distinct  portions,  separated  by  long  intervals ;  and,  at  others,  he 
i^peats  the  same  story  in  diflerent  parts  of  his  work  ;  so  that  the 
I'eader  is  continually  surprised  by  the  strange  manner  in  which 
times,  and  places,  and  subjects,  the  most  £stant  and  the  most 
incot^ruous,  are  brought  together.  No  sort  of  art  or  method 
appears  to  have  been  i^ed  in  combining  this  prodigious  mass  of 
facts,  and  when  the  work  is  considered  as  a  whole,  from  a  single 
pohrt  of  view,  one  cannot  fail,  on  a  first  impression,  of  being  most 
sensible  of  this  striking  confusion.  But  this  irregular  surface  covers 
a  mine  of  real  wealth.  No  book  contains  so  much  and  such  valu- 
able information  on  the  history  of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth 
centuries,  on  the  political  state,  both  civil  and  religious,  of  society 
in  the  west  of  Europe,  and  on  the  manners  of  the  times,  whether 
feudal,  monastic,  or  popular.  In  his  genuine  honesty  and  native 
^aioLkness,  Ordericus  makes  no  attempt  to  argue  anything,  to 
owceal  anything :  he  tells  his  story,  and  gives  his  opinion;  he 
blames  or  i^tproves,  without  any  other  idea  but  that  of  pubUshing 
wfaii  he  Jmows  and  what  he  thinks.  Simple,  credulous,  and 
having  no  pretensions  to  be  considered  a  sagracious  observer,  khs  a 


XU  OEDBEICUB  YITALIS. 

critic,  still  he  was  independent  and  sincere — ^rare  merits  a 
the  monkish  chroniclers  of  his  own  age,  who,  t)esides,  are  qu 
deficient  as  himself  in  those  qualities  wherein  he  failed. 

The  History  of  Ordericus  has  not  hitherto  been  translated 
version  which  we  now  present  to  the  public  is  the  work  < 
Louis  du  Bois,  of  Lisieux,  a  man  of  letters,  whose  modes 
equal  to  his  diligence,  and  who,  having  devoted  himself  1 
that  is  interesting  in  connection  with  Normandy,  his  n 
country,  is  already  well  known  by  some  useful  works  on 
antiquities  and  statistics  of  that  fine  province.  The  prin 
difiiculties  which  lie  in  the  way  of  the  readers  of  Orde 
Vitalis  arise  from  the  vast  variety  of  minute  circumstanc( 
distant  allusions,  and  of  geographical  references,  connected 
Normandy.  It  was,  therefore,  of  importance  that  the  transl 
should  be  made  on  the  very  spot,  among  the  recoUectioi 
which  it  would  give  rise,  and  by  a  person  capable  of  expJa: 
the  local  obscurities,  so  to  speak^  of  the  text,  in  short 
frequent  notes.  M.  Du  Bois,  having  kindly  undertaken 
minute  task,  will  best  be  able  to  give  an  account  of  his 
ceedings,  and  we  therefore  propose  to  close  this  notice  by 
joining  an  exact  copy  of  the  report  with  which  he  has  favc 
us,  respecting  the  manuscripts  of  the  historians  of  St.  Evi 
the  labours  of  which  they  were  the  object,  and  the  research< 
which  he  has  devoted  himself.* 

"In  the  earliest  manuscripts  of  Ordericus  Vitalis,  his  ^ 
takes  the  title  of  Orderici  Vitalis  Angli  Monachi  Uticensis  Hi& 
Ecdedastica,  It  is  thus  entitled  in  a  manuscript  which  < 
from  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  itself,  and,  as  we  are  incline 
believe,  in  the  author's  own  hand-writing,  of  which  we  shall 
sently  speak  more  in  detaiL  Duchesne  was  unaware  of  the 
ence  of  this  autograph,  and  printed  his  edition  from  more  re 
manuscripts,  imder  the  title  of  Orderici  Vitalis  Angligetwe  Cce 
Uticensis  Monachi,  Ubri  xiii. 

"The  autograph  manuscript  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  se 
in  former  times  for  the  original  of  the  different  copies  w 
were  dispersed  of  this  important  history. 

^  In  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  centuary,  a  monk  o 

^  M.  Du  Bois  was  the  author  of  an  able  article  on  the  life  of  Ord( 
Vitalis,  published  in  1822  in  the  Bibliographie  JJniverselle,  whicl 
supplied  the  materials  for  the  present  notice.  It  would  appear 
some  expressions  at  the  close  of  the  article,  that  he  then  contemp 
using  the  result  of  his  researches  in  publishing  a  corrected  edition  o 
text  of  Ordericus,  lamenting,  however,  that,  at  that  time,  the  public 
of  works  of  erudition,  particularly  in  Latin,  was  a  difficult  enterprise  i 
individual.  He  seems  to  have  changed  his  intention,  and  four  years 
wards  b^gan  to  publish  his  translation. 


M.  gitezot's  nrTEODiroTioir.  xiii 

fiyroult  (probably  Yallin),  made  a  copy  of  this  mannsoript,  which 
was  then  composed  of  four  volumes,  and  in  a  perfect  state.  The 
copy  formed  also  four  volumes,  in  a  handwriting  which,  though 
not  very  close,  was  almost  illegible.  According  to  Charles  au 
Jardin,  prior  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  in  1717,  the  two  first 
vdomes  of  this  copy  were  then  at  the  abbey  of  St.  Ouen,  at 
Rouen,  and  the  two  others  at  that  of  Glanfeuil-sur-Loire.  I  have 
reason  to  think  that  the  prior  Du  Jardin  was  mistaken  ;  the  two 
Tolumes  now  in  the  library  at  Rouen,  which  were  brought  from 
St.  Ouen,  are  the  two  last  of  the  work,  containing  the  seven 
last  books. 

of  «  The  royal  library  possesses  the  following  MSS.  of  Orderious : 

'til  No.  6122,  MS.  de  Bigot ;  the  one  which  Duchesne  used.  No. 
5123,  MS.  de  Colbert,  two  volumes.  No.  5124,  MS.  de  Baluz,  two 
vdumes,  containing  only  the  five  first  books. 

[These  MSS.  are  in  folio,  written  on  paper,  and  all  of  the  siz- 
teoith  oenturyH 

No.  5506,  MS.  de  Colbert,  as  No.  5123.  2  volimies  on  vellam, 
containing  only  the  six  first  books. 

^  There  is  also  in  the  same  library.  No.  4861,  a  MS.  on  vellum 
in  folio,  mixed  with  others  which  came  from  Bigot,  and  containing 
a  fragment  entitled:  FragmeTUvm  ex  Orderici  Vitalis  historiltbro 
tertio  de  novis  monachorum  Oiaercentium,  et  aliorum  iUiua  sceculi 
imgtUutis.  This  copy  is  the  more  curious  because  it  is  of  the 
thirteenth  century. 

''Independently  of  these  different  copies,  which  are  more  or 
\em  faulty,  and  even  incomplete,  there  is  in  the  library  of  St. 
Germain-des-Pr^,  a  copy  of  the  three  first  books,  bequeathed  to 
it  by  Coaslin  de  Cimibout,  and  made  in  the  sixteenth  century,  at 
the  time  when  the  autograph  was  still  perfect,  by  Tallin,  a 
monk  of  St  Evroult,  who  dedicated  it  to  his  abbot  Felix  de  Brie. 

The  most  valuable  manuscript  of  Ordericus  Yitalis  was  pre- 
served in  the  abbey  in  which  he  wrote  his  history.  We  have  now 
indeed  only  the  fragments  of  this  autograph,  but  even  the  frag- 
mente  are  precious.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  saving  them  frt)m 
imminent  danger  of  destruction  at  L'Aigle  in  1799,  just  after  I  was 
nominated  by  the  assembly  librarian  of  the  central  school  of  the 
Orme,  and  I  hastened  to  deposit  them  in  the  establishment  com- 
mitted to  my  oare.  The  manuscript  forms  a  auarto  volume,  written 
on  parchment,  which  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult,  in  their  negligence, 
dunng  the  seventeenth  century,  took  no  care  to  have  fresh  bound 
until  they  had  suffered  great  part  to  decay  and  be  lost.  We  know 
thftt  it  was  perfect  at  the  commencement  of  the  preceding  centurvy 
becanae  a  copy  of  it  was  then  made,  which,  though  unfortunately 
maricttd  by  bumks  and  omissions,  is  still  of  great  value.  What 
iwnaiDB  of  this  autograph  is  as  follows :  book  vii.,  four  leaves  ; 


sir  OltPESICITB  trTASOB, 

\ 

j  hockB  ix,',  x^  XL,  zii,  and  xiiL,  are  eomplete,  except  th 

I  last  le&yes. 

J  '^I  feel  certain  that  this  valuable  manuscript  i 

I  autogragh,  as  the  monks  of  St.  Evoult  believed  it  to  be 

I  oumstance  of  its  having  been  inserted  in  a  catalogue  t 

I  after  the  death  of  Ordericus  Yitalis.    Among  many : 

>  might  be  offered  in  justification  of  this  opinion,  I  i 

\  myself  to  these  :  the  manuscript  is  not  illustrated  ; 

i  on  common  parchment,  in  small  sheets ;  it  is  in  generi 

but  there  are  places  in  which  it  has  been  corrected 

the  twelfth  century,  that  is  a  few  years  only  after 

the  author,  it  passed  for  having  been  written  with  hi 

a  short  time  before.    I  insist  the  more  on  these  pointi 

the  period  when  this  manuscript  saw  the  light  the  abl 

\  very  skilful  copyists  who  have  left  magnificent  cop 

i  ai  the  Fathers  of  the  church,  and  several  other  wor 

}  scribed  with  great  beauty  on  the  finest  vellum,  an' 

j  shape.     Assuredly  therefore,  if  they  had  made  a  t 

I  Ordericus,  it  would  have  had  all  the  embellishment 

\  historian  of  their  own   community  of   St.  EvrouJ 

1  achievements  of  the  Normans,  so  justly  merited. 

I  ^^  M.  La  Croix  du  Maine  is  the  first  of  our  bibliog 

I  called  attention  to  Ordericus  Yitalis.    He  remarks, ' 

4  that  good  manuscripts  of  this  historian  have  been  al^ 

J  that  even  John  Bale  does  not  mention  him  in  his  lis 

J  authors,  nor  do  other  compilers  of  biography  and  lite: 

j  It  appears  from  what  La  Croix  du  Maine  says  further, 

)  in  his  possession  a  fine  manuscript  of  Ordericus,  which 

1  to  publish ;  but  this  intention  was  never  carried  into 

i  ^It  was  not  till  the  year  1619  that  the  learned  . 

j  chesne  published  his  Ordericus  Yitalis  in  the  collecti 

he  gave  the  title  of,  Hist&noe  Normannorwm  scriptores  a 

thirteen  books  of  the  Ecclesiastical  History  are  the 

tant  work  contained  in  this  valuable  collection,  now  b 

and  dear :  they  fill  606  pages  of  the  volume.     Duch< 

his  edition  from  the  manuscript  of  J.  Bigot :  unfo: 

-omitted  to  collate  it  with  the  other  manuscripts  1 

might  have  had  access,  and  more  especially  with  th 

i  in  the  library  of  St.  Evroult.     He  even  increased  t 

I  by  taking  no  pains  with  the  marginal  dates  he  afil 

i  events  quite  different  in  point  of  time  and  charact 

!  marked  with  the  same  date. 

<  <<  These  deficiencies,  which  were  generally  ackno 

•  duced  Bessin,  the  Benedictine,  to  whom  we  are  ind< 

I  Concilia  Rotomagensis  ProvincicB^  fol.  1717,  to  unde: 

and  better  edition  of  Dtuchesne's  Ordericus.    With  \ 


s 

1 


M.  GUIZOX'S  INTRODUCTION.  XV 


(ladm^de  a.  great;  nvimber  of  corrections  on  a  copy  of  the  edition 
ofl619  by  collating  it  with  a  manuscript  then  the  property  of  M. 
Ilareste,  advocate-general  to  tl^e  chambeir  of  accounts  of  Nor- 
njaady.  He  had  besides,  in  1 722,  the  valuable  assistance  of  Claries 
4u  Jfurdin,  prior  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  who  had  made  great 
proficiency  m  calligraphical  studies.  All  was  ready  for  the  press^ 
and  tjkie  bookseller,  Behourt,  was  on  the  point  of  undertaking  the 
work,  when  the  death  of  Bessin,  which  happened  in  1720,  put  ain 
^nd  to  this  useful  publication,  and  the  project  was  no  further 
^ou^t  of.  I  l^ave  had  the  advantage  of  the  labours  of  Bessin 
9ndDu  Jardin,  and  the  volume  they  prepared  for  publication  has 
]^Qia^  of  e^seiitial  service ;  but  still  t  found  that  even  after  the  care 
it  had  received  f|:oi^  these  learned  and  indefatigable  Benediatins, 
there  was  much  to  reap,  and  I  trust  I  have  been  able  to  do  so 
with  some  profit. 

*'  The  learned  and  judicious  authors  of  that  great  work,  the  Col- 
lection  of  the  Historians  of  France^  did  not  omit  including  in  it  so 
important  a  writer  as  Ordericus  \  they  have  accomplished  this 
successfully  by  dividing  their  extracts  in  the  following  manner : — 

Extracts  from  books  i.,  iii.,  v.,  vi.,  and  vii.,  in  tome  ix.,  pp.  10  to 
18 ;  from  books  i.,  iii.  vii.,  in  tonxe  x.,  in  pp.  234  to  236 ;  from 
books  i.,  iii.,  iv.,  v.,  vi.,  and  vii.,  in  torm  xi.,  pp.  221  to  248  ;  and 
from  books  i.  and  iv.  to  xiii.,  in  tome  xii,  pp.  285  to  770. 

^'Dom  Bouquet  made  the  first  of  these  extracts;  those  contained 
in  U/me  xii.,  which  are  the  longest  and  the  most  interesting,  are 
the  work  of  M.  Briae,  who  has  not  incurred  the  censures  justly 
applied  to  his  predecessor. 

^'  After  these  learned  labours,  there  still  remained  some  useful 
objects  to  be  obtained. 

"  As  I  have  before  remarked,  I  did  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of 
what  had  been  accomplished  by  Bessin  and  Du  Jardin ;  but 
besides  this,  I  have  made  use  of  some  new  observations  procured 
from  St.  Evroult,  have  made  a  collation  of  the  difierent  manu- 
scripts with  extreme  care,  which  I  have  since  repeated  at  Rouen, 
with  the  assistance  of  two  accomplished  Normans,  whose  learning 
is  only  equalled  by  their  obliging  disposition,  M.  Auguste  Le 
Prevost,who  is  in  possession  of  very  valuable  collections,  relating 
to  the  history  of  Normandy,  and  M.  Theodore  Liquet,  who  has 
been  kind  enough  to  communicate  to  me  the  manuscript  of  the 
library  at  Rouen,  of  which  he  is  the  keeper. 

'^  Some  important  corrections  and  numerous  additions  have 
been  the  fruits  of  these  labours.  Besides,  a  long  study  of  the 
antiquities,  the  history,  and  the  geography  of  Normandy  has 
placed  at  my  disposal  a  vast  mass  of  information,  which  I  trust 
will  throw  some  light  on  our  author's  statements.  The  number 
of  explanatory  notes  appended  at  the  bottom  of  the  pages  form 


Xvl  OEDEEICrS   VITALia. 

the  best  proof  of  the  pains  I  have  for  twenty  years  bestov 
this  undertaking.  Still,  however,  I  dare  not  flatter  myself 
have  cleared  up  all  the  obscurities,  filled  up  all  the  gap 
ascertained  exactly  all  the  names  of  places  and  proper  : 
The  difficulties  have  been  enormous;  but  I  have  used  : 
means  in  my  power  to  overcome  them. 

"  However  this  may  be,  it  may  be  asserted  with  truth  t 
all  our  ancient  provinces,  there  is  none  in  comparison  witl 
mandy,  which  nas  been  the  scene  of  such  celebrated  eveni 
given  birth  to  such  distinguished  men,  none  which  can  be 
many  and  such  excellent  historians ;  and  that  of  ail  thes 
torians,  Ordericus  Yitalis  is  the  most  important,  while,  t 
continually  quoted,  his  work  has  never  been  translated,  noi 
correctly  published." 

I 


THE  PREFACE 


OF 


ORDERICUS    VITALIS. 


FoBMEB  writers,  firom  early  times,  carefully  remarking  the 
occurrences  of  the  passing  age,  have  noted  the  good  or 
evil  which  befell  mankind  for  a  warning  to  others ;  and 
while  thus  continually  aiming  to  benefit  posterity,  they 
heaped  volume  upon  volume.  We  see,  for  instance,  that 
this  was  done  by  Moses,  Daniel,  and  the  other  sacred 
writers ;  and  we  discover  the  same  object  in  the  works  of 
Dares  of  Phrygia,^  Pompeius  Trogus,*  and  other  gentile 
historians ;  of  Eusebius,'  Orosius,  who  wrote  the  History 

'  Conudering  the  age  in  which  Ordeiicus  Yitalis  lived,  we  need  not  be 
surprised  at  finding  him  place  Dares  of  Phrygia  at  the  head  of  the  writers 
of  profane  history.  A  Trojan  priest  of  that  name  is  said  to  have  composed 
an  account  of  the  Trojan  War ;  the  history,  however,  attributed  to  him 
is  a  spurious  composition,  and  its  origin  may  be  placed  somewhere  between 
the  fifth  and  eighth  centuries ;  but  it  was  so  much  in  vogue  in  the  middle 
ages,  that  a  translation  in  French  verse  was  current  in  the  eleventh 
century. 

*  Pompeius  Trogus,  a  Roman  historian,  flourished  in  the  time  of  Au- 
gustus.   He  wrote  a  history  of  the  Macedonian  empire,  of  which  we  have 
only  an  Epitome  by  Justin. 
'  Eusebius  (Pamphilus)  became  bishop  of  Cssarea,  aj).  313,  and  died 

B 


2  PBEPACS   07 

of  the  World  ;*  of  Bede  the  Englishman,  Paul  of  M< 
Cassino,^  and  the  rest  of  the  ecclesiastical  writers, 
peruse  their  accounts  with  delight,  I  praise  and  admire 
elegance  and  usefulness  of  their  works,  and  recommend 
learned  of  our  age  to  imitate  their  invaluable  rema 
But,  without  presuming  to  dictate  to  others,  at  leas 
contend  against  self-indulgence  in  enervating  sloth,  i 
rousing  myself  to  exertion,  desire  to  undertake  some  w 
which  may  be  acceptable  to  my  immediate  superiors.'  In 
account  of  the  restoration  of  the  monastery  of  St.  Evro 
written  by  the  command  of  Abbot  Boger,  I  adhered  fa 
fully  to  the  simple  truth,  choosing  to  speak  frankly  of 
great  men  of  this  perverse  age,  whether  good  or  bad, 
relying  solely  on  my  honesty  of  purpose,  without  mal 
any  pretensions  to  a  polished  style  or  the  gifts  of  eloquej 
My  present  object  is  to  treat  of  what  passes  under 

about  338.    He  has  left  a  number  of  works,  displaying  great  leamin 
ability,  the  best  known  being  his  *'  Ecclesiastical  History,"  which  h: 
with  three  Latin  translators,  and  an  English  translation  from  the  c 
Greek  is  published  in  the  ^  Ecclesiastical  Library/'  uniformly  w 
present  series. 

^  Orosius  (Paul),   a   Spanish    ecclesiastic,  bom   at   Tarragoi 
flourished  in  the  fifth  century.    By  the  advice   of  St.  Augw 
undertook  his  "  History  of  the  World,**  here  called  the  "  Ormc 
unintelligible  word,  unless,  as  some  commentators  have  conjectui 
corruption  of  Hormisdas,  an  additional  name  of  Orosius. 

'  Better  known  as  Paul  the  Deacon;  he  died  in  the  monaster; 
Casnno,  about  a.d.  799* 

'  Simplicibtu  summiiaiis, — Duchesne.     The  former  word  is 
the  Latin  text  of  the  French  edition,  though  the  sense  of  it  is 
M.  Du  Bois'  translation.    Ordericus  means  his  monastic  super 

*  The  popular  name  of  this  abbey,  derived  from  its  founde 
is  adopted  in  the  present  translation.    Ordericus  Yitalis  calls 
ccsnobium,*'  or  ^  Uticum,"  that  is,  the  Abbey  of  the  Ouche. 
diocese  of  Lisieux  in  Normandy,  near  the  limits  of  the  prese 
of  the  Eure  and  the  Ome. 


OBDESICVB  YITALIS.  3 

own  observation,  or  we  are  ealled  upon  to  endure.  For  it 
is  fitting  that  as  new  events  continuallj  occur  they  should 
be  carefidly  committed  to  writing,  to  the  praise  of  God ; 
and  thus,  as  the  history  of  the  past  has  been  handed  down 
to  us  by  preceding  writers,  so  also  a  relation  of  what  is 
going  on  around  us  should  be  transmitted  to  future  gene- 
rations by  the  pen  of  contemporaries.  I  propose  to  treat 
of  ecclesiastical  aJSiEurs  with  the  modesty  becoming  a 
hmnble  son  of  the  church ;  and  to  the  best  of  my  ability, 
diligently  treading  in  the  steps  of  the  ancient  Others,  I 
shall  search  out  and  give  to  the  world  the  modem  history 
of  Christendom,  venturing  to  call  my  unpretending  work 
"  An  Ecclesiastical  History." 

Confined  to  my  cloister  by  the  vows  which  have  volun- 
tarily bound  me  to  the  strict  observance  of  the  monastic 
rule,  I  am  unable  to  make  researches  into  the  afiairs  of 
Alexandria,  Greece,  or  Eome,  and  others  worthy  to  be 
related ;  but  I  labour,  by  God's  help,  to  unfold  with  truth 
contemporary  events  for  the  instruction  of  posterity, — ^both 
such  as  have  passed  under  my  own  observation,  and  those 
which,  occurring  in  neighbouring  countries,  have  come  to 
my  knowledge.  I  firmly  believe,  however,  firom  observation 
of  the  past,  that  some  one  wiU  arise  with  far  more  penetra- 
tion than  myself,  and  more  capable  of  examining  the  course 
of  worldly  affairs,  who  wiU  perhaps  extract  from  my  pages, 
and  from  those  of  others  of  the  same  class,  what  he  thinks 
worthy  of  being  inserted  in  his  chronicle  or  history  for  the 
information  of  posterity. 

I  derive  confidence  firom  having  begun  my  work  by  the 
express  command  of  the  venerable  Abbot  Eoger,^  when  he 
was  advanced  in  years,  and  from  now  submitting  it  to  you, 

^  Roger  du  Sap,  elected  abbot  of  Saint  ETroult  in  1091 ;  was  cense- 
ciatcd  Aug.  28,  1098 ;  resigned  in  1123;  died  Jan.  13,  1126. 

B  2 


4  PBEVACS  or  OBDISICVS  YITALTS. 

father  Ghi^rin,^  his  lawful  successor  according  to  the  order 
of  the  church,  that  its  redundancies  may  he  expunged,  and 
its  errors  rectified,  and,  heing  thus  corrected,  it  may  he 
stamped  with  your  judicious  authority.  I  shall  treat  first 
of  the  Source  of  all  things,  itself  having  no  beginning,  by 
whose  aid  I  trust  to  persevere  to  the  end,  which,  in  truth,  is 
endless,  and  to  sing  for  ever,  with  the  blessed  above,  devout 
praises  to  Him  who  is  the  Alpha  and  Omega. 

^  Gudrin  des  Essarts,  or  the  Little,  who  probably  derived  his  surname 
fnm.  the  commune  des  Essarts,  near  St.  Evroult,  succeeded  Roger  du  Sap 
1111123;  died  June  20, 1137. 


THE 

ECOLESIASTIOAL  BISTOET 


or 


ORDERICUS    VITALIS. 


BOOK  L^ 

CHAPTEE  L 

Mrth  of  Christ — Chronology  of  the  event. 

The  Almighty  "Word,  by  whom  God  the  Father  created 
&U  things,  is  tne  true  vine :  and  the  Lord  of  the  household 
who  plated  this  vine  cultivates  the  vineyard — ^that  is,  holy 
churcn — by  means  of  the  labourers  sent  into  it,  from  dawn 
of  day  to  the  eleventh  hour,  that  he  may  gather  from  it 
abundant,  fruit.  He  never  ceases  tending  this  vine,  and 
propagating  its  magnificent  branches,  throughout  every 
region  of  the  world.  He,  indeed,  the  true  Kmg  of  ages, 
the  true  High  Priest  of  good  things  to  come,  the  true 
Prophet,  and  the  Lord  of  men  and  angels,  ineffably 
"anointed  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  his  fellows," 
the  Angel  of  the  covenant  of  the  Father's  imfathomable 
counsels, — He  (according  to  the  oracles  of  the  prophets, 
vho,  taught  by  the  Holy  Spirit,   shone  as  stars  in  the 

^  Duchesne,  in  his  edition,  divided  the  history  into  three  parts,  one  of 
^hich  included  the  two  first  books,  with  the  following  title  here  prefixed : 
*  The  first  part,  containing  short  annals  of  affairs,  from  the  incarnation  of 
Christ  to  the  year  of  our  Lord,  1149,  with  the  succession  of  emperors, 
^g8,and  Roman  pontifis."  As  however,  this  title  is  not  found  in  the 
^  of  St.  Evroult,  and  is  omitted  in  the  recent  French  edition,  it  is  not 
loaerted  in  the  present  text 


CHAP,  n.]  oiEcirMCisioir  or  chwst.  7 

with  their  whole  hearts  a  sacrifice  of  praise  to  Him,  who 
appointed  his  odIj  Son,  co-eternal  and  consubstantial  with 
himself  and  the  H0I7  Spirit,  to  take  upon  him  our  flesh  and 
redeem  the  servant  of  -sin  from  a  well-merited  death  by 
the  undeserved  death  of  his  own  Son !  For  our  merciful 
Maker,  who  had  fashioned  man  after  his  own  image  and 
similitude,  was  grieved  at  his  fall,  and  decreed,  in  his  secret 
and  unfathomable  counsels,  that  his  Son,  co-equal  with 
himself,  should  visit  the  condemned  servant  in  prison,  and 
lovingly  bring  back  man  on  his  own  shoulders  trom  capti- 
rity  to  the  flock,  and  heartily  rejoice  the  nine  orders  of 
angels  by  the  re-establishment  of  their  number. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

Circumcision  of  Christ — Cffering  of  the  wise  men. 

Thus,  the  Son  of  God,  made  man,  remained  what  he 
was,  and  took  upon  him  what  he  was  not,  without  confusion 
or  division  of  substance;  but  ruling  all  things,  with  the 
Pather  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  his  divinity,  and  enduring 
all  the  infirmities  of  our  flesh  by  the  assumption  of  huma- 
nity. The  law  which  he  had  given  by  Moses,  he  kept 
inviolate;  and,  himself  a  lawgiver,  fulfilled  all  righteousness. 
Thus,  on  the  eighth  day,  he  was  circumcised,  and  on  the 
fortieth,  was  presented  to  his  Father  in  the  temple,  with  the 
legal  offering.^ 

Although  the  Virgin  Mother  wrapped  her  divine  Son 
in  swaddling  clothes,  although  tight  bandages  swathed  his 
feet  and  hands,  although  the  tender  infant,  concealed  within 
a  narrow  manger,  uttered  the  cries  of  that  human  misery 
which  it  was  the  will  of  the  Father  that  he  should  take 
upon  himself;  yet  the  High  G-od  was  manifested  by  a  new 
star  appearing  in  the  heavens,  and  the  eastern  Magi,  thus 
guided,  sought  for  him  at  Bethlehem,  found  him  cradled  in 
a  manger,  and  worshipped  him  as  God.  The  wise  men  then 
openea  their  treasures,  and  presented  to  Christ  three  costly 
presents,  gold,  frankincense,  and  myrrh,  thus  proclaiming 

*  Luke  iu  21,  24. 


8  OBDEBICUS  YITALIS.  [BOOK  I. 

him  King  of  kings,  true  G-od,  and  mortal  man.  The  first 
fruits  of  the  election  of  the  Gentiles  were  consecrated  in 
those  who  hastened  to  Christ  in  Bethlehem  from  Saba,  and 
from  other  nations  scattered  through  the  world.  Being 
warned  bj  an  angel  in  a  dream  that  thej  should  not  return 
to  Herod,  they  departed,  rejoicing,  into  their  own  country 
another  way.' 

When  the  days  of  her  purification  were  accomplished,  the 
holy  Virgin  Mother  presented  herself  in  the  temple,  and> 
offering  the  child  to  God  his  Father,  Simeon,  that  just  and 
devout  man,  took  him  up  in  his  arms.  Althougn  bowed 
with  age,  he  rejoiced  in  God,  because  he  had  now  before 
his  eyes  the  long-expected  Saviour  of  the  nations,  revealed 
to  him  by  the  Holy  Ghost;  he  took  him  in  his  hands, 
announced  to  the  people  that  he  was  the  Master  of  life  and 
death,  and  blessed  him  before  the  admiring  multitude  who 
leaped  for  joy. 

Anna,  a  prophetess,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  came  into 
the  temple  at  that  moment  rejoicing ;  this  widow,  endowed 
with  every  virtue,  knew  that  Christ  was  there,  and  an- 
nounced to  all  them  that  looked  for  redemption  in  Jerusa- 
lem, that  the  Saviour  was  come.  His  parents  offered  for 
hiTn  the  sacrifice  of  a  pair  of  turtle-doves  or  two  young 
pigeons, — a  figure  of  the  spotless  purity  and  the  gentle 
simplicity  of  the  church.* 

Behold,  then,  how  not  only  the  angels  in  heaven,  but  also 
mortals  of  every  age  and  of  both  sexes,  gave  their  testimony 
to  the  Lord  bom  in  the  fiesh.    The  Virgin  Mary,  conceived 
by  the  co-operation  of  the  TLoly  Ghost,  brought  forth  her 
child,  suckled  him,  and,  by  his  aid,  effectually  ministered  to 
all  his  wants.     John,  leaping  for  joy  in  his  mother's  womb, 
saluted  the  Lord,  and  Elizabeth,  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
spoke  three  times  in  prophetic  language  of  the  Messiah 
and  his  mother.    The  angels  glorified  God  who  had  become 
incarnate  for  the  redemption  of  man,  rejoicing  to  see  w 
redeemed  and  added  to  their  number.     The  shepherd 
instructed  by  the  angelic  visitation,  hasten  to  Bethlehe: 
and  search  in  a  stable  for  the  living  bread  which  come 
down  from  heaven ;  they  find  Him  who  rules  the  heaven 

1  Matt,  il  1—12.  ,  »  Luke  il  22—38. 


CEA2.  lU.]  BAPTISM  OF   CHBI8T;  9 

an  infant  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes.  The  hearts  of 
the  shepherds,  when  they  heard  from  the  heralds  the  tidings 
of  Christ,  were  filled  with  joj  and  wonder.  Zacharias  and 
Simeon,  both  righteous  men,  at  the  end  of  their  earthly 
career,  confess  their  belief  in  Christ,  and  predict  his  future 
lustory;  and  the  blessed  Anna,  bending  with  years,  partakes 
of  their  love  of  Christ.^ 

But,  while  the  righteous  were  rejoicing  with  exceediag 
great  jot,  the  impious  Herod,  hearing  strange  rumours,  was 
troubled,  and  commanded  that  all  the  children  that  were  in 
Bethlehem,  and  in  all  the  coasts  thereof,  from  two  years 
old  and  under,  should  be  slain.  When,  therefore,  Joseph 
had  taken  Jesus  and  his  immaculate  mother  into  Egypt, 
the  fury  of  Herod  vented  itself  in  the  massacre  of  tne 
in&nts,  and  the  fields  of  Bethlehem  were  watered  with  the 
blood  of  the  innocents.'  But  Christ  received  into  his  own 
mansions  those  who  were  slain  in  his  stead,  where  they 
enjoy  everlasting  felicity. 


CHAPTEE  m. 

Chrisfs  baptism. 

OuB  Saviour  dwelt  on  the  earth  thirty-two  years  and 
three  months,  but  he  was  without  sin,  and  spake  no 
guile ;  and  he  alone  among  the  dead  was  foimd  free  from 
guilt.  At  the  beginning  of  his  thirtieth  year,  he  went 
down  to  the  river  Jordan,  received  the  sacrament  of  baptism 
at  the  hands  of  John,  and  by  so  doing,  sanctified  the  waters, 
and  set  his  disciples  an  exam{)le  of  the  most  perfect 
humility.  While  Jesus  was  praying  after  his  baptism,  the 
heavens  were  opened  unto  him,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  was 
seen  to  descend  upon  him  in  a  bodily  shape  like  a  dove, 
and  the  voice  of  his  Father  was  heard  from  neaven:  "  This 
is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."*  John 
indeed  deserves  the  first  place  among  them  that  are  bom  of 
women,  for  Christ  placed  himself  in  his  hands  to  be  bap- 

»  Luke  i.  41—80;  ii.  26—40.  «  Matt.  ii.  3—18. 

*  Matt  ill.  13, 16, 17;  Mark  L  9—11;  Luke  iii.  21,  22;  John  i.  29—33. 


-XaUP.  TV.]  ST7CC?B8BIOW  OF  HIGH  PBIESTS.  11 

^IBonths ;'  in  the  foriy-second  year  of  whose  reign  Chrigt  was 
V^QRL    TiberiiLS  Caesar,  the  step-son  of  Augustus,  being  the 
^-tai  of  his  wife  Liyia  by  a  former  husband,  reigned  twenty- 
tbree  years;  in  his  eighteenth  year  Chnst  redeemed  the 
loiW  by  suffering  on  the  cross.'   After  the  death  of  Herod, 
"r  fte  son  of  Antipater  of  Ascalon,  who  for  twenty-four  years 
^:  uorped  the  throne  of  Judea,  his  son  Archelaus  exercised  his 
J  ^ronnical  authority  over  the  Jews  for  the  space  of  ten 
j;  jears ;  St.  Matthew  tells  us  that  Joseph,  after  his  return 
torn  Egypt  in  obedience  to  the  commands  of  the  angel, 
being  afraid  of  Archelaus,  turned  aside  into  Galilee  with 
tiie  child  and  his  mother,  and  dwelt  at  Nazareth.'    But  Ar- 
cJielaus,  on  account  of  his  intolerable  cruelty,  being  accused 
by  the  Jews  before  Augustus,  was  deprived  of  power  and 
biniflhed  for  life  to  Yienne,  a  town  of  Gkiul,  where  he  died."* 
In  order  to   weaken  the  kingdom  of  Judea,   Augustus 
^ded  it  into  tetrarchates  for  the  brothers  of  Archelaus. 
Moreover,  Pilate,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  the  reign  of  Tibe- 
,  ring,  was  sent  into  Judea,  to  undertake  the  government  of 
tbat  country ;  he  remained  there  for  ten  consecutiveyears 
^til  about  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  emperor.     Herod, 
Fhilip,  and  Lysanias,  as  St.  Luke  relates,  shared  the  govern- 
ment of  Judea  with  Pilate;  they  were  the  sons  of  the 
elder  Herod,  during  whose  reign  the  Lord  came  into  the 
world.* 

The  whole  period  of  our  Lord's  teaching  on  earth  was 

confined  within  the  space  of  four  years.    During  that  time, 

as  Josephus  tells  us,  after  Annas  was  deposed,  the  following 

r      Jewish  high  priests  succeeded  each  other:  Ismael,  son  of 

Baffiis ;  Eleazar,  son  of  the  high  priest  Ananias ;  Simon,  son 

^  Augustus  only  reigned  in  reality  from  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Actium 
(Sept.  2,  A.u.c.  723)  until  his  death  (Aug.  19,  767).  The  general  opinion 
is,  that  we  ought  to  place  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ  in  749,  and  conse- 
^piently  in  the  27th  year  of  this  reign. 

'  Tiberius  reigned  twenty-two  years  and  about  seven  months  (17  Aug. 
14 — 16  March,  37).  The  death  of  Jesus  Christ  happened  in  the  spring  of 
A.D.  33,  and  consequently  in  the  nineteenth  year  of  this  reign. 

•  Matt,  il  22,  23. 

•  Herod  the  Great  was  bom  at  Ascalon  In  Judea,  in  the  year  71,  B.a; 
he  reigned  thirty-seven  years  after  he  was  raised  to  the  throtie  by  the 
Senate,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  Archelaus  reigned  from  ▲.u.a 
750  until  759. 

•  Luke  liL  1, 


12  OBDSBICUS  TITALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

of  Canufus;  and  Joseph  Caiaphas,  who  prophesied  that 
Jesus  "should  die  for  the  people."^  Eusebius  of  CsBsarea, 
reckoning  from  the  sixth  year  of  the  reign  of  Darius,  who 
succeeded  Cyrus  and  Cambyses,  when  the  works  of  the 
temple  were  finished,  until  the  period  of  Herod  and  Au- 
gustus, finds  in  Daniel  seven  and  forty-two  weeks,  which 
make  483  years  to  the  time  when  Christus,  that  is  to 
Bay,  Hircanus,  the  last  high  priest  of  the  family  of  the 
!M!accabees,  was  killed  by  Herod,  and  the  succession  of  the 
high  priests,  according  to  the  law,  ceased.  But  St.  Hippo- 
Ivtus  reckons  230  years  as  the  time  that  the  kingdom  of 
the  Persians  lasted,  and  300  years  as  the  duration  of  that 
of  the  Macedonians,  and  then  thirty  years  until  Christ ;  that 
is  to  say,  he  computes  560  years  from  the  commencement 
of  the  reign  of  Cyrus,  king  of  the  Persians,  mitil  the 
advent  of  our  Lord.  Enlightened  by  these  researches  on 
the  succession  of  ages,  the  studious  reader  will  imderstand 
that  the  Sun  of  Eighteousness  rose  in  the  sixth  age,  at  the 
first  hour  of  the  century.  I  shall,  therefore,  begin  my  in- 
tended  work  with  the  history  of  our  Lord,  in  whose  almighty 
goodness  I  put  my  whole  confidence,  invoking  his  assistance 
in  faith,  that  what  I  have  begun  I  may  finish  worthily  to 
his  praise. 


CHAPTBE  V. 

Chrisfs  temptation, 

Jbsus,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Grhost,  returned  from  Jor- 
dan into  Galilee,  and  there,  on  the  third  day,  he  and 
his  disciples  were  called  to  the  marriage  in  Cana.  When 
they  wanted  wine,  at  the  request  of  his  mother,  he 
ordered  six  water-pots  to  be  filled  with  water,  and  when 
he  had  turned  this  water  into  wine,  he  commanded  the 

^  John  xriii.  14.     ^  Neither  the  names  noi  dates  are  given  correctly. 

•on  of  Fabi,  not  of  Baffus;  Eleazar,  son  of  Annas  or  Ananus;  and 

nil  «f  CSamith,  not  Canufe,  were  high  priests  in  the  years  23,  24, 

Sft  of  Jenu  Chrkt.    Joseph  Caiphas  succeeded  them  in  the  25th 

lOMquently  it  was  during  his  pontificate  only  that  the  gospel  watf 

X^'-'Id  PriwM. 


CHiLP.T.]  TEMPTATION  OF  CHBIST.  18 

seiTants  to  bear  it  to  the  govemor  of  the  feast.  By  this 
beginning  of  miracles  Jesus  manifested  forth  his  glory  to 
liis  disciples,  and  pointed  out  the  alteration  in  the  ctumal 
meaning  of  the  old  law,  which  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  he  transformed  into  newness  of  life.' 

Jesus  was  led  by  the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness  to  be  tempted 
of  the  devil,  who  was  astonished  at  seeing  in  him  the  man 
of  incomparable  righteousness.  He  fasted  forty  days  and 
forty  nights,  and  thus  taught  us  by  his  example  how  the 
just  may  overcome  the  whole  race  of  demons  by  fasting  and 
prayer.  The  old  serpent  had  overcome  the  first  Adam  by 
Ids  appetite,  vain  glory,  and  unlawful  desires ;  he  made  use  of 
other  stratagems  to  tempt  the  second  Adam,  by  whom  he 
was  repulsed  three  times ;  he  fled,  and,  behold,  angels  came 
and  ministered  to  the  Son  of  G-od,  who  will  reward  in 
paradise  with  eternal  felicity  the  conquerors  of  Satan.' 

Our  Lord,  with  his  mother  and  his  brethren,  went  down 
to  Capernaum,  and  continued  there  not  many  days.  From 
thence,  when  the  time  of  the  Jews'  passover  was  at  hand, 
he  went  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  entered  into  the  temple, 
where  he  found  those  that  sold  oxen,  and  sheep,  and  doves, 
and  the  money-changers  sitting;  all  these  he  drove  out, 
in  a  wonderful  manner.' 

At  the  passover,  on  the  feast-day,  many  believed  in  his 
name,  when  they  saw  the  miracles  which  he  did.  Then  a 
man  of  the  Pharisees,  named  Nicodemus,  a  ruler  of  the 
Jews,  came  to  Jesus  by  night,  desiring  to  confer  with 
him  secretly.  He  was  therefore  worthy  of  being  instructed 
in  the  eflBcacy  of  baptism,  regeneration  by  water  and  the 
Spirit,  how  Christ  was  to  descend  into  hell  and  ascend 
into  heaven,  the  typical  lifting  up  of  the  brazen  serpent  in 
the  wilderness,  and  the  unmerited  passion  of  the  Son  of 
man.^ 

After  these  things,  the  Lord  came  into  Judea,  and  there 
tarried  with  his  disciples,  and  performed  many  wonderful 
miracles  of  healing.  But  John  was  baptizing  in  Enon, 
near  to  Salim,  because  there  was  much  water  there;  and 

*  Luke  iv.  1 ;  John  ii.  1 — 11. 

»  Matt.  iv.  1—11  ;  Mark  i.  12, 13;  Luke  iv.  1—13, 

'  Matt,  xxl  12;  Mark  xi.  15;  Luke  xix.  45|  John  ii  12--17. 

*  John  ii.  23;  iii.  1—3,  5,  13,  14,  16. 


14  OSDEBICUS  YITALI8.  [bOOK  I, 

gave  a  true  testimony  in  answer  to  the  inquiries  of  his  dis- 
ciples and  the  Jews  concerning  Christ.  Then  Jesus  left 
Judea,  and  departed  again  into  Gtdilee,  passing  througb 
Samaria.^  In  a  city  of  Samaria,  which  is  called  Sichar, 
near  to  the  parcel  of  ground  which  Jacob  gave  to  his  son 
Joseph,  there  was  a  well  called  Jacob's  well.  Jesus,  there- 
fore, being  wearied  with  his  journey,  sat  on  the  well,  about 
the  sixth  hour,  and  held  a  mystical  conversation  with  a 
Samaritan  woman.  The  Samaritans  receiving  the  Savioui 
with  joy,  besought  him  that  he  would  tarry  with  them,  and 
he  abode  there  two  .days;  and  many  devout  persons  believed 
on  him.'  Prom  thence  Jesus  returned  in  the  power  of  the 
Spirit  into  Ghdilee ;  and  there  went  out  a  fame  of  him 
through  all  the  region  round  about.  He  taught  in  theii 
synagogues,  being  glorified  of  all.' 

At  JNazareth  he  went  into  the  synagogue  on  the  sabbath- 
day,  to  read ;  and,  standing  up,  he  unrolled  the  book  of  the 
prophet  Isaiah,*  and  found  the  place  where  this  prophecy 

15  written :  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because 

he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor." 
When  he  had  closed  the  book,  he  gave  it  again  to  the 
minister,  and  sat  down,  saying :  "  This  day  is  this  scripture 
fulfilled  in  your  ears ;"  and  aU  wondered  at  the  gracious 
words  which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth.  Jesus  himself 
testified  that  a  prophet  hath  no  honour  in  his  own  country. 
That  this  assertion  was  true  he  proved  by  many  examples, 
drawn  from  the  Old  Testament,  saying :  "  Many  widows  were 
in  Israel,  when  great  famine  was  throughout  all  the  land ; 
but  unto  none  of  them  was  Elias  sent,  save  unto  a  woman 
of  Sarepta;  many  lepers  were  left  in  want  and  affliction, 
and  none  of  them  was  cleansed  in  Jordan  by  Eliseus  the 
prophet,  saving  Naaman  the  Syrian."  All  they  in  the 
synagogue,  when  they  heard  the  words  of  the  Lord,  were 
filled  with  wrath.  Confirming  the  truth  he  had  spoken  by 
a  sacrilegious  act,  they  rose  up  against  him,  and  in  their 
fury  thrust  out  of  the  city  the  chief  Physician  of  souls, 
ana  led  him  unto  the  brow  of  the  hiU  whereon  their  city 

1  John  liL  22—36;  ir.  3, 4. 
9  Joha  iv,  5>-42. 
.  *  IM^  if.  13;  Ifark  i.  14,  28:  Luke  iv.  14, 15:  John  iv.  3,  43—45. 


CHAP.YI.^       CHBIST  PBEACHINa  AT   OALILES.  15 

was  built,  that  they  might  cast  him  down  headlong.    But  . 
he,  passing  througn  the  midst  of  them,  went  his  way,  and 
came  down  to  Capernaum.^ 

Jesus  returned  to  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  a  ruler,  whose  son 
was  sick  at  Capernaum,  besought  him  as  he  was  coming  out 
of  JudsBa  into  Ghdilee,  that  he  would  come  down  and  heal 
Ilia  son.  Then  said  Jesus  luito  him:  "Go  thy  way;  thy  son 
Kveth."  The  sick  man  immediately  recovered;  the  father 
believed  the  word  that  Jesus  had  spoken,  returned  to  his 
home  the  next  day,  and  there  found  his  son  in  perfect 
health,  to  the  great  joy  of  his  family;  and  learning  what 
had  happened,  himself  believed  and  his  whole  house.  This, 
as  St.  John  says,  is  "the  second  miracle  that  Jesus  did,  when 
he  was  come  out  of  Judea  into  Ghlilee."  * 

Ch.  VI.     Christ^ 8  preaching  in  Oalilee. 

When  Jesus  had  heard  that  John  was  cast  into  pri- 
son, he  left  Nazareth,  which  signifies  a  Jlower,  and  dwelt 
in  Capernaum,  a  name  that  means  a  beautiful  city,  and 
signifies  the  Church.  Now  Nazareth,  which  gave  the 
surname  of  Nazarene  to  Christ,  is  a  small  town  in  G-alilee, 
near  Mount  Thabor.  But  Capernaum  is  a  strong  city  in 
"  Q-alilee  of  the  Gentiles,"  situate  near  the  lake  Gennesa- 
reth,  "  in  the  borders  of  Zabulon  and  Nephthali,"  where  the 
Hebrews  were  first  made  captives  by  the  Assyrians.' 

From  that  time,  that  is  to  say,  after  that  John  was 
put  in  prison,  Jesus  began  to  preach,  because  the.  voice 
being  uttered,  the  word  foUows,  and  the  law  ceasing  the 
gospel  follows,  as  the  sun  succeeds  the  dawn  of  day. 
"Bepent,"  said  he,  "for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand." 

Jesus,  walking  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  saw  Simon  Peter, 
and  Andrew  his  brother,  and  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  James 
and  John,  and  calling  them,  they  straightway  lefb  their  nets 
and  followed  him.  Simon  means  obedient — ^eiev,  grateful 
— Andrew,  strong  or  ma/nly — James,  8uppla/nter — John,  grace 
of  God.  These  mterpretations  are  very  well  suited  to  the 
characters  of  these  holy  preachers.  For  without  obedience 
no  one  comes  to  GK)d ;  without  fortitude  no  one  can  perse- 

^  Matt.  iv.  12—16;  Mark  i.  21,  22;  Luke  iv.  16—31;  John  iv.   44; 
>  John  'iY.'46— 54.  '  Matt  iv.  12—16  \  Maxk  i.  21.  M 


16  OBBEBICirS  TITALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

vere ;  and  he  who  supplants  vices  ascribes  all  the  good  he 
possesses  to  the  grace  of  G-od.^ 

Jesus  went  about  all  Galilee,  teaching  in  their  sjna- 

fogues,  and  preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  and 
ealing  all  manner  of  sickness,  and  all  manner  of  disease, 
among  the  people.  And  his  fame  went  throughout  aU 
Syria,  a  country  extending  from  the  Euphrates  to  the  great 
sea,  from  Cappadocia  to  Egypt.  They  brought  unto  him 
all  sick  people  that  were  taken  with  aivers  diseases,  both 
of  the  mind  and  body,  and  torments,  that  is  to  say,  acute 
sufferings,  and  those  which  were  possessed  with  devils,  and 
those  which  were  lunatic,  and  those  that  had  the  palsy ;  and 
he  healed  them.' 

G^reat  multitudes  therefore  followed  him  from  Galilee, 
and  from  DecapoHs,  and  from  Jerusalem,  and  from  Judea, 
and  from  beyond  Jordan.  In  doing  this  they  were  actuated 
by  different  motives;  some  went  to  Jesus  as  disciples,  on  J 
account  of  his  heavenly  mission;  others,  to  be  cured  of 
their  infirmities ;  others,  hearing  the  favourable  reports 
that  were  spread  abroad,  and  which  excited  their  curiosity, 
wished  to  know  by  experience  if  all  that  was  said  of  him 
were  true ;  some  followed  him  from  envy,  wishing  "  to  catch 
him  in  his  words,"  and  accuse  him ;  others,  again,  for  the 
sake  of  obtaining  food  for  the  body.' 

Jesus,  seeing  the  multitudes,  went  up  into  a  mountain; 
and  when  he  was  set,  his  disciples  came  unto  him.  He, 
who  in  ancient  times  had  given  utterance  to  the  prophets, 
now  opened  his  own  lips  to  preach  to  them  a  long  aiscourse, 
full  or  all  perfection,  in  which  he  beautifuUv  and  profitably 
instructed  and  enlightened  the  apostles.  Thus  he  who  had 
given  the  law  to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai,  now  taught  his 
disciples  in  Gtdilee,  on  Mount  Thabor,  and  implanted  in 
their  hearts  the  principles  of  perfect  righteousness.  He 
discoursed  fully  on  the  eight  beatitudes,  and  the  other  com- 
mandments of  the  law,  which  he  came  not  to  "destroy, 
but  to  fulfil ;"  telling  them  that  the  precepts  of  the  new 
law  were  more  strict  than  those  of  the  Old  Testament,  as 
they  required  men  to  love  even  their  enemies;  that  alms 

1  Matt.  iv.  17—22;  Mark  L  U-20;  Luke  v.  1—11, 

■  Matt.  iv.  23,  24;  Luke  iv.  40—44. 

*  Matt.  iv.  26;  Mark  iii  7,  8;  Luke  vi.  17—19. 


CHAP.  VI.]  SEBMON  ON  THE   MOUNT.  17 

were  to  be  given  in  secret ;  and  he  laid  down  many  other 
rules  of  a  perfect  life.  This  true  Teacher  of  teachers  con- 
cluded his  incomparable  discourse,  by  remarking  on  the 
treasure  to  be  laid  up  in  heaven;  that  no  man  can  serve 
two  masters ;  on  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  the  lilies  of  the 
field ;  the  mote  and  the  beam  in  the  eye ;  on  casting  your 
pearls  before  swine ;  on  our  entry  into  life  through  the  strait 
gate  ;  that  we  must  beware  of  false  prophets ;  and  that  we 
must  build  our  house  upon  a  rock.^ 

When  Jesus  had  ended  these  words  of  perfection,  the 
multitudes  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine ;  for  he  taught 
them  like  Grod,  who  has  authority  over  all  things,  and  not 
as  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  were  the  blind  slaves  of 
the  law  of  Moses,  and  could  only  teach  the  little  they  were 
capable  of  understanding.' 

When  he  was  come  down  from  the  mountain,  great 
multitudes  followed  him.  And  a  leper  worshipping  him, 
and  beseeching  him  to  cure  him  of  his  leprosy,  the  Saviour 
touched  him  with  his  hand,  and  immediately  made  him 
clean,  commanding  him  to  go  and  shew  himself  to  the 
priests,  and  to  "  offer  the  gifts  required  by  the  law."  In 
which  command  the  necessity  of  confession  and  penance  for 
sin  is  implied.' 

At  Capernaum  he  approved  the  faith  of  the  centurion 
and,  at  his  entreaty,  healed,  by  a  word  only,  his  servant 
who  lay  at  home  sick  of  the  palsy,  grievously  tormented. 
On  a  sabbath  day,  while  he  was  teaching  in  the  synagogue, . 
a  man  possessed  with  a  devil  cried  out :  "  What  have  we  to 
do  with  thee,   Jesus. of  Nazareth?      Art  thou   come  to 
destroy  us  ?     I  know  thee  who  thou  art,  the  Holy  One  of 
God."     And  Jesus  rebuked  him,  saying :  "  Hold  thy  peace, 
and  come  out  of  him.     And  when  the  unclean  spirit  had 
torn  him,  he  came  out  of  him ; "  and  the  man  was  healed,  to 
the  great  amazement  of  all  those  who  were  present.* 

Ajttd  forthwith,  when  he  was  come  out  of  the  synagogue, 
he  entered  into  the  house  of  Simon,  where  he  saw  Simon' a 

1  Matt.  V.  1—48 ;  vi.  1—34 ;  vii.  3,  6,  13—15,  24 ;  Luke  vi.  20—49* 

'  Matt.  vii.  28,  29;  Mark  i.  22;  Luke  iv.  32. 

'  Matt.  viu.  1—4;  Mark  i.  40—44;  Luke  v.  12—14. 

*  Matt.  viiL  5—13;  Luke  vii.  1—10. 

*  Mark  i.  23—28;  Luke  iv.  33—36. 

'  O 


18  OBDBBICUS  TITALI8.  [BOOK  X. 

wife's  mother  lying  sick  of  a  fever.  At  the  request  of  her 
friends,  he  "took  her  by  the  hand,  and  immediately  the 
fever  left  her ; "  and  she  arose  in  perfect  health,  and  tnank- 
fuUv  ministered  to  her  divine  Physician.* 

At  even,  when  the  sun  was  setting,  they  brought  unto 
him  many  that  were  possessed  with  devils,  and  sick  of' 
divers  diseases,  and  the  true  Physician  "  laid  his  hands  on 
every  one  of  them,  cast  out  the  spirits  with  his  word,  and 
healed  all  that  were  sick."  By  the  setting  of  the  sun  the 
death  of  our  Lord  was  foreshadowed;  which  happened 
when  the  Q-entiles  were  delivered  from  the  power  of  Satan, 
through  faith,  and  when  those  who  were  sick  with  the  dis- 
ease of  sin  were  healed  by  the  remedy  of  a  reformed 
life.' 

Ch.  VII.     Christ  at  the  sea  of  Oalilee, 

Whek  Jesus  saw  great  multitudes  about  him,  late 
in  the  evening,  he  commanded  his  disciples  to  go  over 
unto  the  other  side  of  the  lake;  and  when  he  was 
entered  into  a  ship,  his  disciples  followed  him.  It  was  but 
right  that,  as  he  had  performed  miracles  upon  the  land,  he 
should  exhibit  the  same  power  upon  the  water,  in  order 
to  prove  himself  master  Doth  of  the  earth  and  the  sea. 
As  soon,  therefore,  as  he  had  got  on  board,  he  caused  the 
sea  to  be  greatly  agitated,  the  winds  to  blow,  and  the  waves 
to  rise.  Eds  body  was  indeed  asleep,  but  his  mind  remained 
awake ;  and  when  this  tempest  arose,  his  disciples  awoke  him, 
saying :  "  Lord,  save  us ;  we  perish."  Then  he  arose,  com- 
manded the  winds  and  the  sea  to  be  still,  and  there  was  a 
great  calm.' 

Thus  does  the  same  Emmanuel  exert  his  power  every  day 
on  the  troubled  sea  of  the  world,  while  the  vessel  of  his  church 
is  tossed  about  by  the  storms  of  so  many  different  tribulations, 
and  its  safety  is  almost  endangered  by  the  extremity  of  the 
peril  to  which  it  is  exposed.  But  when  he  is  invoked  with 
faith  and  tears  by  his  true  followers,  he  soon  listens  to  their 
prayers  for  succour,  and  helps  them  in  a  marvellous  manner, 
by  virtue  of  his  divine  nature,  presently  removing  the 

*  Matt.  viii.  14,  16;  Mark  i.  29—31;  Luke  iv.  38,  39. 

«  Matt.  viii.  16,  17;  Mark  i.  32—34;  Luke  iv.  40,  41. 

'  Matt.  yiu.  18^  23—27;  Mark  iv.  85—89;  Luke  flu.  22—24. 


CHAP.  Vn.]  THE   HEBD   OT   BWINS.  19 

trials  which  beset  them,  and  strengthening  them  with  his 
arm. 

When  he  had  crossed  the  lake  to  come  into  the  country 
of  the  Q-ergesenes,  two  men  possessed  with  devils,  exceed- 
ingly fierce,  came  out  of  the  tombs,  and  running  up  to  him, 
cried  out :  "  What  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou 
Son  of  Gk)d  ?  art  thou  come  hither  to  torment  us  before  the 
time  ?  If  thou  cast  us  out,  suffer  us  to  go  away  into  the 
herd  of  swine."  And  he  said  unto  them,  "  Q-o."  Then  the 
devils  immediately  entered  into  the  swine,  and  cast  the 
whole  herd  into  the  lake.  In  this  manner  a  herd  of  about 
two  thousand  swine,  driven  into  the  sea  by  a  legion  of 
devils,  was  drowned;  and  they  that  kept  them  fled,  and 
coming  into  the  city,  told  everything.  The  Q-ergesenes, 
seeing  how  the  two  men  had  been  healed,  and  their  swine 
cast  into  the  sea,  were  beyond  measure  affirighted;  and 
foolishly  came  forth  from  their  city  to  beseech  the  Lord  that 
he  would  depart  out  of  their  coasts.* 

Gbrasa  is  a  town  in  Arabia,'  beyond  Jordan,  close  to 
Mount  Gilead ;  it  belonged  to  the  tribe  of  Manasses,  and  is 
at  no  great  distance  from  the  sea  of  Tiberias,  in  which  the 
swine  were  drowned.  The  name  signifies  ejecting  the 
inhabitants,  or,  the  stranger  approaching ;  in  allusion  to  the 
Gentiles,  whom  the  Son  of  God  came  into  the  world  to 
save,  when  he  had  clothed  himself  with  human  flesh. 
The  two  men  whom  the  legion  of  devils  had  possessed, 
represent  two  nations,  the  Jews  and  the  G-entiles,  who 
were  governed  by  the  whole  "body  of  sins."  They  lived 
in  tombs,  because  they  were  the  servants  of  dead  works, 
that  is  to  say,  of  sin.  The  impotence  of  Satan  is  plainly 
manifested  in  this  circumstance,  that  he  was  not  even  able 
to  injure  the  swine  without  the  permission  of  Gk)d.  It  is 
worthy  of  notice,  that,  while  those  who  are  predestinated 
to  eternal  life  turn  to  the  Lord,  and,  by  the  use  of  a  sound 
understanding,   save    themselves;    filthy   and  proud    idol- 

1  Matt,  viii  28—34 ;  Mark  v.  1—17 ;  Luke  viii.  26—37.  Ordericus 
calls  these  people  "  Geraseni ;"  Mark  and  Luke, ''  Gadarenes ;"  St.  Mat- 
thew, **  Geigasenes.'* 

'  Jerash  was  in  the  Decapolis,  and  formed  the  eastern  boundary  of 
Petraea.     Origen  calls  it  a  dtj  of  Arabia. — KiUo,    This  town  mMi^iv^a 
be  confounded  witA  Cfadara,  the  capital  of  Petrsa. 

o2 


20  OBDEEICUS   TITALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

aterSy  and  all  reprobate  men  who  cleave  to  their  wicked- 
ness, here  designated  by  the  word  swine,  are  condemned 
to  live  polluted  in  the  stagnant  pond  of  their  foul 
deeds. 

Jesus  entered  into  a  ship,  and  passed  over,  and  came 
into  Capernaum.  "While  he  was  there,  so  great  a  multi- 
tude came  to  him  to  hear  his  word  that  they  filled  the  house 
where  he  was.  Then  four  men  brought  to  him  one  afflicted 
with  the  palsy;  and  having  uncovered  the  roof  of  the 
house,  they  let  down  before  Jesus  the  bed  whereon  the  sick 
of  the  palsy  lay.  Our  merciful  Lord,  perceiving  the  faith  of 
the  bearers,  forgave  the  sins  of  the  paralytic  man,  and  said 
to  him,  although  the  Scribes  were  murmuring  against  him: 
"  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  thy  way  unto  thine  house." 
And  immediately  he  arose,  took  up  his  bed  before  them  all, 
and  returned  to  his  own  home.^ 

As  Jesus  passed  forth  from  thence,  he  called  to  him  a  man, 
named  Matthew,  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom ;  the  man 
followed  him,  and  from  the  mean  station  of  a  publican  was 
raised  to  the  high  office  of  an  apostle  and  an  evangelist.  As 
Jesus  sat  at  meat  in  the  house  of  Levi,  the  Pharisees 
murmured,  and  spoke  to  him  in  reproachful  terms,  because 
he  ate  with  publicans  and  sinners ;  but  the  benign  Teacher, 
perceiving  their  evil  thoughts,  uttered  this  useful  maxim : 
"  They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician,  but  they  that  are 
sick.  I  am  not  come  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to 
repentance."^  Our  Lord  frequented  the  society  of  sinners, 
in  order  that,  by  teaching  his  hosts,  he  might  invite  and 
lead  them  to  the  heavenly  feast. 

When  Jesus  was  talking  with  the  disciples  of  John, 
and  was  rebuked  by  the  Pharisees,  because  his  own  dis- 
ciples did  not  fast  like  the  followers  of  John,  he  drew  a 
suitable  comparison  from  the  example  of  the  children  of 
the  bridechamber,  who  could  not  mourn  as  long  as  the 
bridegroom  was  with  them;  from  the  story  of  the  piece 
of  new  cloth,  which  must  not  be  joined  to  an  old  garment ; 
and  of  the  new  wine,  which  must  not  be  put  into  old 

'  Matt.  ix.  1—7;  Mark  ii.  3—12;  Luke  v.  18—26. 

*  Matt.  ix.  9—13;  Mark  ii.  14—17;  Luke  v.  27— 32.  ««Our  author 
Wflins  to  be  ignorant  of  the  £Eict  that  Matthew  and  Levi  are  the  same 
penon.**— Z«  Privoat. 


CHIP.  Til.]  JAIEUS'S   DAUGHTEE   BAISED.  21 

bottles.^  He  thus  proves  that  the  severe  observances  of 
the  new  law  are  not  to  be  required  of  carnal  men  who  have 
not  yet  been  regenerated,  until  it  be  plainly  manifest  that 
this  spiritual  renovation  has  taken  place  in  them,  through 
the  mystery  of  the  passion  and  resurrection  of  our  Lord. 

"While  Jesus  was  speaking  to  the  multitudes,  Jairus,  a  ruler 
of  the  synagogue,  came  near  him,  threw  himself  at  his  feet, 
and  worshipped  him,  saying :  "  Lord,  my  daughter  is  even 
now  dead ;  but  come  and  lay  thy  hand  upon  her,  and  she 
shall  live."  The  good  Physician  arose,  and  immediately 
followed  him.  But  a  great  multitude  surrounded  and  pressed 
upon  him,  and  a  woman  which  was  diseased  with  an  issue  of 
blood  twelve  years,  and  had  spent  all  her  living  upon  physi- 
cians (by  wmch  term  are  meant  the  false  theologians  op 
philosophers,  and  the  doctors  of  the  secular  laws),  neither 
could  be  healed  of  any,  came  behind  him,  and  touched  the 
hem  of  his  garment ;  for  she  said  within  herself;  "  If  I  may 
but  touch  his  garment,  I  shall  be  whole."  But  Jesus  turned 
him  about,  and  when  he  saw  her,  he  said :  "  Daughter,  be  of 
good  comfort;  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole."  And 
straightway  the  fountain  of  her  blood  was  dried  up,  and  she 
was  made  whole.  And  when  Jesus  came  into  the  ruler's 
house,  and  saw  the  minstrels  and  the  people  making  a  noise, 
he  said ;  "  Q-ive  place ;  for  the  maid  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth." 
And  they  laughed  him  to  scorn.  But  when  the  people  were 
put  forth,  he  went  into  the  chamber,  but  suffered  no  man 
to  go  in,  save  Peter,  and  James,  and  John,  and  the  father 
and  the  mother  of  the  maiden ;  and  he  took  the  damsel  by 
the  hand,  and  commanded  her  to  arise,  and  that  some- 
thing should  be  given  her  to  eat.  And  the  fame  hereof 
went  abroad  into  all  that  land.'  Jairus,  whose  name 
signifies  illuminating^  or  illuminated,  represents  Moses  and 
the  other  doctors  of  the  law;  the  damsel,  about  twelve 
years  of  age,  is  the  symbol  of  the  synagogue ;  the  woman 
with  the  issue  of  blood  is  the  emblem  of  the  church  of  the 
Gentiles,  which  had  before  received  the  faith  through  Christ, 
and  was  graciously  saved  from  the  corruptions  of  idolatry 
and  carnal  pleasures.     Lastly  :  as  the  young  maiden  is  said 

»  Mait.  ix.  14—17;  Mark  iL  18-^22;  Luke  v.  33—39.     Utres,  «  wine- 
baes." 
*  Matt  ix.  18—26;  Mark  v.  21—43;  Luke  viii.  40—65. 


22  OEDEBTCUS   TITALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

• 

to  have  come  to  life  again  by  the  command  of  the  Lord,  in 
the  same  wa^  will  Israel  at  last  be  saved,  when  the  fulness 
of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in. 

Jesus  departing  thence,  two  blind  men  followed  him, 
crying:  "Thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  us."  And 
when  he  was  come  into  the  house,  he  touched  their  eyes, 
and  they  again  saw  the  light  of  heaven.' 

As  they  went  out,  behold,  they  brought  to  him  a  dumb 
man,  possessed  with  a  devil.  And  when  the  devil  was  cast  out, 
the  dumb  spake ;  and  the  multitudes  marvelled,  saying,  "  It 
was  never  so  seen  in  Israel."  But  the  Pharisees  said,  "  He 
casteth  out  devils  through  the  prince  of  the  devils." ' 

The  multitudes  sought  Jesus  in  the  desert  place,  and 
when  they  had  found  him  they  wished  to  stay  him,  that 
he  should  not  depart  from  them.' 

As  the  people  pressed  upon  him  to  hear  the  word  of  God, 
Jesus  entered  into  one  oi  the  ships,  which  was  Simon's, 
and  prayed  him  that  he  would  thrust  out  a  little  &om  the 
land,  into  the  lake  of  G^nesareth.  And  he  sat  down, 
and  taughi^the  people  out  of  the  ship.  Now  when  he  had 
left  speaking,  he  said  unto  Simon,  who  had  toiled  all  the 
night  in  vain :  "  Launch  out  into  the  deep,  and  let  down 
your  nets  for  a  draught."  And  when  they  had  this  done, 
they  inclosed  a  great  multitude  of  fishes,  and  their  net 
brake  with  the  weight.* 

In  those  days  he  went  out  into  a  mountain  to  pray,  and 
continued  all  night  in  prayer  to  God.  And  when  it  was  day, 
he  called  unto  him  his  disciples;  and  of  them  he  chose 
twelve,  whom  also  he  named  Apostles,  that  is  to  say,  "sent." 
Now  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  are  these;  Simon 
Peter,  and  Andrew  his  brother ;  James  the  son  of  Zebedee, 
and  John  his  brother;  Philip  and  Bartholomew;  Thomas 
and  Matthew  ;  James,  the  son  of  Alpheus,  and  Thaddeus  j 
Simon,  the  Canaanite,  and  Judas  Iscariot,  who  also  betrayed 
him.* 

The  sacred  number  of  the  apostles  is  not  free  from 
mystery ;  for  the  number  twelve  designates  those  who  were 
to  preach  faith  in  the  Holy  Trinity  throughout  the  four 

1  Matt.  ix.  27—31.  •  Matt.  ix.  32—34. 

*  Mark  i.  35—37;  Luke  iv.  42.  *  Luke  v.  1—6. 

»  Matt.  X.  1—4;  Mark  iii  13—19;  Luke  vL  12—16. 


CHAP,  VIII.]      THE   UTEDOW'S    SON   BESTOBED   TO   LIFE.         23 

quarters  of  the  world.  The  quartenary  number  tripled 
makes  the  number  twelve,  which  figure  was  often  used 
before  for  many  purposes.  The  apostles  are  represented  by 
the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob,  the  twelve  princes  of  the  people  of 
Israel,  the  twelv.e  springs  found  in  Elim,  the  twelve  jewels 
of  the  priest's  vestment,  the  twelve  loaves  of  shew-bread, 
the  twelve  spies  sent  by  Moses,  the  twelve  stones  of  the 
altar,  the  twelve  stones  taken  out  of  the  river  Jordan,  the 
twelve  oxen  that  supported  the  brazen  sea,  the  twelve  stars 
in  the  crown  of  the  bride,  and  the  twelve  foundations  and 
twelve  gates  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  described  in  the 
book  of  Revelation.  They  were  prefigured  by  many  other 
signs  excellently  adapted  to  make  known  to  the  nations  the 
mysteries  of  GK)d. 

Ch.  VIII.     The  widow^s  son  raised. 

The  glorious  Emmanuel  went  about  all  Q-alilee,  preach- 
ing the  gospel  in  all  the  villages,  towns,  and  cities, 
that  is  to  say,  both  to  small  and  great,  without  re- 
spect of  persons.  He  did  not  regard  the  power  of  the 
nobles,  but  the  salvation  of  believers;  and,  after  his 
teaching,  sweet  as  honey,  he  healed  every  sickness  and 
erery  disease,  that  those  whom  his  discourses  could  not 
persuade,  might  be  convinced  by  the  greatness  of  his 
works.  But  when  he  saw  the  multitudes,  he  was  moved 
with  compassion  on  them,  because  they  fainted  and  lay 
down,  as  sheep  having  no  shepherd.  He  therefore  called 
unto  him  his  twelve  disciples,  and  gave  them  power  to 
cast  out  unclean  spirits,  and  to  heal  all  manner  of  sickness ; 
and  he  said  to  them,  ''As  ye  go,  preach,  saying.  The  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand.  Heal  the  sick,  raise  the  dead, 
cleanse  the  lepers,  cast  out  devils ;  freely  ye  have  re- 
ceived, freely  give.  Provide  neither  gold,  nor  silver,  nor 
brass  in  your  purses ;  nor  scrip  for  your  journey ;  neither 
two  coats,  neither  shoes,  nor  yet  staves.*'  *  Their  heavenly 
Master  gave  them  many  more  profitable  admonitions,  which 
his  faitmul  historians,  Matthew  and  Luke,  have  handed 
down  to  us  in  their  writings. 

Jesus  went  into  a  ci^  of  Gkililee,  called  Nain,  which 
is  situate  not  far  from  Endor,  about  two  miles  south  of 
»  Matt.  ix.  36,  36;  x.  I,  7—10;  Mark  tI  Q^d. 


24  OBDERICUS   VITALIS.  [bOOK  I 

Mount  Thabor.  Now  wh^n  he  came  nigh  to  the  gate  of  the 
city,  surrounded  by  a  great  multitude,  they  were  carrying 
out  the  corpse  of  a  young  man,  who  was  the  only  son  of  a 
widow ;  and  when  the  Lord  saw  her  weeping,  he  had  com- 
passion on  her,  and  said  unto  her,  "  Weep  not."  And  he 
came  and  touched  the  bier,  and  they  that  bare  him  stood 
still,  and  he  said  to  the  dead  man,  "  Young  man,  I  say  unto 
thee.  Arise ! "  And  he  immediately  revived,  and  sitting  up 
began  to  speak ;  and  the  Giver  of  life  delivered  him  to  his 
mother  in  perfect  health.  And  there  came  a  fear  on  all 
who  witnessed  this  miracle,*  it  being  the  will  of  God  that 
a  great  multitude  should  follow  the  Lord ;  and  much  people 
accompany  the  widow,  in  order  that,  there  being  many 
witnesses  of  this  great  miracle,  many  might  be  found  to 
give  praise  to  God. 

Now  when  John  had  heard,  in  Herod's  prison,  the  works 
of  Christ,  he  sent  from  thence  two  of  his  disciples,  that  they 
might  diligently  inquire  of  the  wisdom  of  God,  what  were 
the  secrets  of  the  divine  will.  And  when  the  messengers  of 
John  were  departed,  Jesus  began  to  say  many  things  con- 
cerning the  greatness  of  John,  and  likened  the  generation  of 
the  Jews  to  children  sitting  in  the  market-place.  Then  began 
he  to  upbraid  the  cities  wherein  most  of  his  mighty  works 
were  done,  because  they  repented  not  on  hearing  him 
preach.  Hitherto  he  had  reproved  the  whole  Jewish  race 
in  common,  but  now  he  reprimanded  each  of  their  cities  by 
name,  especially  Chorazin,  that  is  to  say,  my  mystery  ;  Beth- 
saida,  that  is  to  say,  the  "house  of  fruits  ;  and  Capharnaum, 
because  they  would  not  be  converted  when  they  saw  these 
signs  and  mighty  works.* 

After  this  Jesus  returned  thanks  to  God  his  Father, 
because  he  had  hid  his  secrets  from  the  wise  men  of  this 
world,  but  had  revealed  them  unto  babes.' 

When  the  Pharisees  reproved  his  disciples,  because, 
as  they  went  on  the  sabbath  day  through  the  corn-fields, 
they  plucked  the  ears  of  corn  and  did  eat,  rubbing  them 
in  their  hands;  our  Saviour  excused  them,  inasmuch  as 
they  had  followed  the  example  set  by  David  and  Abiathar 

1  Lukevii.  11-16. 

«  Matt.  xi.  2-24;  Luke  vil  18—32;  x.  13—16. 

'  Matt.  xi.  25;  Luke  x.  2L 


CHAP.  VIII.]  PAEABLKS   OP   CHEIST.  25 

bhe  high  priest,  saying :  "  The  sabbath  was  made  for  man, 
and  not  man  for  the  sabbath.  Therefore,  the  Son  of  man 
is  Lord  also  of  the  sabbath."  * 

On  another  sabbath  he  entered  into  the  synagogue,  and 
healed  a  man  whose  right  hand  was  withered.  But  the 
Pharisees,  moved  with  envy  at  the  glory  Jesus  had  gained 
by  his  many  miracles,  went  out  straightway  and  took  counsel 
with,  the  Herodians  against  him,  how  they  might  destroy 
him.  Wherefore  Jesus  withdrew  himself  thence,  and  great 
multitudes  followed  him,  and  he  healed  them  all.  Then  was 
brought  unto  him  one  possessed  with  a  devil,  blind  and  dumb, 
and  he  healed  him,  insomuch  that  he  both  spake  and  saw. 
But  when  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  wished  to  depre- 
ciate the  works  of  Christ,  by  a  false  interpretation,  de- 
siring him  to  show  them  a  sign  from  heaven,  he  spoke  to 
them  words  of  profound  wisdom  and  spiritual  comfort,  by 
which  he  reproved  the  wicked  and  taught  the  good.  He 
told  them  that  to  an  evil  generation  no  sign  should  be 
given,  but  the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas,  and  he  set  before 
them,  in  comparison  with  themselves,  the  queen  of  the 
south,  who  came  from  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  to 
hear  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,  and  the  Ninevites  who  re- 
pented.* 

When  his  mother  and  his  brethren  stood  without, 
desiring  to  speak  with  him,  he  stretched  forth  his  hand 
toward  his  disciples,  and  said :  "  Whoever  shall  do  the  will 
of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven,  the  same  is  my  brother, 
and  sister,  and  mother."' 

The  same  day  went  Jesus  out  of  the  house,  and  sat  by 
the  sea-side,  and  great  multitudes  were  gathered  together 
unto  him,  so  that  he  went  into  a  ship,  and  sat,  and  spake 
many  things  in  parables  unto  the  multitude  that  stood  on 
the  shore.  From  the  husbandman,  who  went  forth  to  sow, 
he  took  occasion  to  show  the  similarity  of  his  own  labours  ; 
and  of  the  seed  itself,  part  perished,  because  some  fell  by 
the  way  side,  and  it  was  trodden  down  and  the  fowls  of 
the  air  devoured  it ;  some  fell  upon  stony  places,  and  some 


26  OEDEBICUS   TITALIS.  [BOOK  I. 

among  thorns,  and  was  choked  bj  divers  accidents ;  but 
other  fell  on  good  ground,  and  yielded  much  fruit.  What 
these  things  mean,  I  shall  explain  in  a  few  sentences :  The 
seed  is  the  word  of  God;  the  sower  is  Christ;  the  birds 
are  the  demons;  the  waj  is  a  depraved  mind,  worn  and 
dried  up  by  the  continual  circulation  of  evil  thoughts ;  the 
rock  represents  the  hardness  of  a  reprobate  soul ;  the  good 
ground  represents  the  gentleness  of  an  obedient  spirit,  but 
the  sun  the  heat  of  a  cruel  persecution ;  the  thorns  are  the 
hearts  of  those  who  are  tormented  by  the  desire  to  become 
rich ;  the  good  ground  is  a  devout  and  faithful  soul  which 
brings  forth  fruit,  some  an  hundred-fold,  some  sixty-fold, 
some  thirty-fold.*  He  who,  in  all  his  actions,  has  eternity 
constantly  in  view,  bears  frtdt  an  hundred-fold;  he  that 
bears  fruit  sixty-fold  performs  works  perfected  by  sound 
doctrine,  signified  by  the  numbers  six  and  ten;  the  fruit 
increased  thirty-fold  typifies  faith  with  sound  doctrine,  by 
the  numbers  three  and  ten.  Or  in  other  words:  the  fruit 
multiplied  a  himdred-fold,  recalls  to  our  mind  the  virgins 
and  martyrs,  either  in  their  sanctity  of  life  or  contempt 
of  death  -,  the  fruit  multiplied  sixty  times  is  that  of  widows, 
on  account  of  the  internal  calm  which  they  enjoy,  because 
they  have  not  to  struggle  against  the  desires  of  the  flesh. 
It  IS  the  custom  to  allow  persons  of  sixty  years  of  age  to 
repose  after  their  warfare.  But  the  fruit  multiplied  thirty- 
fold  is  that  of  married  people ;  because  this  is  the  age  fit 
for  contending  with  the  world. 

After  this,  the  true  Prophet,  seeing  the  multitudes  that 
were  gathered  together  unto  him,  spake  other  parables  unto 
them,  of  the  good  seed  that  was  sown  and  the  tares,  of  the 
grain  of  mustard  seed,  and  of  the  leaven  which  the  woman 
took,  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till  the  whole  was 
leavened.  Our  Saviour,  sitting  in  the  boat,  is  like  a  rich 
master  of  a  house,  who  refreshes  his  guests  with  diflerent 

^  Matt.  xiiL  1—23 ;   Mark  iv.  1,  20 ;  Luke  Tiii.  i—\5. 

*  This  passage  is  extracted  from  St.  Augustine,  Qusst.  Evang.  lib.  I 
quasst  9 ;  but  the  word  societatem  here  introduced  into  the  text  of 
Ordericus  Yitalis  is  a  corruption  for  either  sancHtatetn  or  stitietatem,  both 
of  which  are  found  in  MSS.  of  St.  Augustme  The  former  of  these 
readings  is  here  adopted. 


CHAP.  IX.]  MAET  MAGDALEITE.  27 

kinds  of  food,  that  each  of  them  may  take  those  which  his 
stomach  requires.  So  our  Lord  makes  use  of  different  para- 
bles, that  he  maj  sidt  the  diverse  tastes  of  his  hearers.^ 

Then  Jesus  sent  the  multitude  away,  and  went  into  the 
house;  and  when  his  disciples  questioned  him  on  the 
subject,  he  expounded  to  them  the  parable  of  the  tares. 
He  also,  at  the  same  time,  added  and  explained  to  them 
the  figurative  meaning  of  the  parables  of  the  treasure  hid 
in  a  field ;  of  the  merchantman  and  the  pearl ;  and  of  the 
nets  cast  into  the  sea.  Erom  thence  he  came  into  his  own 
country,  and  taught  them  in  their  synagogues,  insomuch 
that  all  were  astonished.^ 

Ch.  IX.     Mary  Magdalene — 8t,  John  beheaded — Miracle  of 

the  loaves  and  fishes, 

Whek  our  Saviour,  invited  by  a  Pharisee,  was  eating 
m  his  house,  a  woman,  which  was  a  sinner,  began  to 
wash  his  feet  with  her  tears,  as  he  sat  at  the  table,  and 
did  wipe  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head,  and  anointed 
them  with  ointment.  All  the  things  that  she  had  unlawfully 
made  use  of  when  leading  a  life  of  sin,  she  now  in  her 
repentant  state  sacrificed  entirely  to  God ;  all  the  seductions 
she  possessed  in  herself,  she  now  converted  into  offerings  to 
heaven.  The  Pharisee,  swelling  with  false  righteousness, 
rebuked  the  sick  woman  for  her  infirmity,  and  the  Phvsician 
for  afibrding  her  relief.  Hence  arose  the  parable  of  the  two 
debtors ;  and  the  man  was  convicted  by  his  own  admission, 
like  the  madman  who  carries  the  cord  with  which  he  is  to 
be  bound.  The  Judge,  to  whose  eyes  the  most  secret 
thmgs  are  naked  and  open,  noted  the  deserts  of  the  penitent 
sinner,  and  rebuked  the  wickedness  of  the  unjust  Pharisee. 
He  then  forgave  the  sins  of  Mary,  because,  as  he  himseli 
testified,  she  loved  much ;  saying  to  her :  "  Thy  faith  hath 
saved  thee ;  go  in  peace.'*' 

While  the  Lord  and  his  disciples  were  thus  preaching, 
certain  women,  that  is  to  say,  Mary,  called  Magdalene, 
Joanna,  the  wife  of  Chusa,  Herod's  steward,  and  Susanna, 
with  many  others,  inspired  by  Q-od,  followed  him  and  minis- 

1  Matt.  ^i.  24,  35;  Mark  iv.  26—33;  Luke  ziii.  18—21 
•  Matt.  xiii.  36—68;  Mark  iv.  34;  vi.  1—6. 
'  Luke  vii.  36 — 50;  Hehrewa  iv.  13. 


28  OEDEEICUS   VITALIS.  [bOOK  I 

tered  unto  him  of  their  substance.  It  was  a  custom  among 
the  Jews,  and  was  not  considered  ^Tong,for  women,  according 
to  this  national  institution,  to  furnish  their  teachers  with  fooa 
and  raiment.  This  custom,  St.  Paul  tells  us,  he  rejected, 
because  he  feared  it  might  be  an  occasion  of  scandal  to  the 
Gentiles.  Susanna  signifies,  a  lily ;  Joanna,  the  gracious, 
or  merciful,  Lord ;  Mary,  the  hitter  sea  ;  Magdalene,  a  tower. 
From  the  signification  of  these  names,  it  may  be  clearly 
perceived  what  privileges  are  conferred  upon  the  hand-maids 
of  the  Lord  for  their  meritorious  services.^ 

After  this  there  was  a  feast  of  the   Jews,  and  Jesus 
went  up  to  Jerusalem.     He  there  healed,  at  the  sheep- 
pool,  which  is  called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue   Bethesda,  a 
certain  man,  which  had  an  infirmity  thirty  and  eight  years. 
In  the  water  of  this  pool  the  priests  washed  the  flesh  of 
the  victims  which  they  offered  in  sacrifice  to  God,  accord- 
ing to  the  law.     This  pool  had  five  porches,  in  which  lay 
a  great  multitude  of  impotent  folk,  of  blind,  halt,  withereo, 
waiting  for  the  moving  of  the  water.     For  an  angel  of  the 
Lord  went  down  (at  a  certain  season)  into  the  pool,  and 
troubled  the  water ;  whosoever  then  first,  after  the  troubling 
of  the  water,  stepped  in,  was  made  whole  of  whatsoever 
disease  he  had.     At  Christ's  command,  the  man  was  imme- 
diately made   whole,  and  took  up  his  bed;   and  on  the 
same  day  was  the  sabbath.     The  Jews,  therefore,  beginning 
to  murmur  and  blaspheme,  Jesus,  the  wisdom  of  the  Father, 
answering  them,  as  St.  John,  the  divine,  relates,  manifested 
the  mysteries  of  his  divinity  in  various  ways,  and  bore  a  re- 
markable testimony  to  his  shining  light  John,  and  to  Moses.* 

At  that  time  Herod,  the  tetrarch,  heard  of  the  fame  oi 
Jesus,  and  said  unto  his  servants :  "  This  is  John  the  Bap- 
tist ;  he  is  risen  from  the  dead,  and  therefore  mighty  worke 
do  shew  forth  themselves  in  him!'*  For  Herod  had  laid 
hold  on  John,  and  bound  him,  and  put  him  in  prison  for 
the  sake  of  Herodias,  whom  he  had  taken  from  his  brother 
Philip,  and  had  married,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  ol 
John.  This  cunning  and  adulterous  king  would  have  put 
to  death  the  herald  of  truth,  but  he  feared  the  multitude. 
because  they  treated  the  prophet  of  God  with  great  venera- 
tion. Herod  was  also  afraid  of  John,  because  he  knew  him 
*  Matt  xxvii.  65;  Mark  xv.  40,  41;  Luke  viil  1--3.         *  John  v.  1—47. 


'       CHAP.  rX.J  JOHN  THE   BAPTIST   BEHB^ADED.  29 

^  to  be  a  just  and  holy  man ;  but  he  was  overcome  by  his 
passion  for  the  woman,  and  Gbd's  righteous  judgment  so 
ordered  it  that  the  desire  of  the  adulteress  made  him  shed 
the  blood  of  the  holy  prophet.  Herod  on  his  birth-day 
made  a  supper  to  his  lords,  high  captains,  and  chief 
estates  of  Gfalilee ;  and  when  the  daughter  of  Herodias 
came  in,  and  danced,  and  pleased  Herod  and  them  that  sat 
with  him,  the  king  promised  with  an  oath  to  give  her  what- 
soever she  would  ask  of  him.  She,  being  before  instructed 
by  her  perfidious  mother,  requested  that  he  would  give  her 
in  a  charger  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist.  The  cruel  king 
sent  an  executioner,  and  commanded  him  to  cut  off  the  head 
of  the  messenger  of  Christ,  which  was  brought  in  a  charger 
to  the  young  woman,  who  was  to  be  thus  rewarded  for  her 
talent  in  dancing,  and  the  viands  were  thus  polluted  with 
blood  at  this  impure  festival.  But  the  disciples  of  John 
buried  his  body  in  Samaria,  and  coming  to  Jesus,  told  him 
all  that  had  happened.  Our  Saviour,  when  he  heard  of  the 
execution  of  John  the  Baptist,  his  servant,  departed,  and 
crossing  the  sea  of  Gralilee,  which  is  the  sea  of  Tiberias, 
retired  into  a  desert  place  apart ;  not  because  he  dreaded 
death,  but  because  he  wished  to  spare  his  enemies  the  crime 
of  adding  another  murder  to  the  one  already  committed, 
should  the  sight  of  his  many  miracles  rouse  their  deadly 
zeal.*  He,  therefore,  chose  to  put  off  the  day  of  his  death 
until  the  time  of  the  passover,  and  thus  afford  us  an  example 
of  evading  the  sudden  attacks  of  traitors. 

When  the  people  heard  of  his  departure,  they  followed 
him  on  foot ;  and  Jesus,  seeing  a  great  multitude,  was  moved 
with  compassion  toward  them,  and  he  healed  their  sick. 
And  when  it  was  evening,  he  took  five  barley-loaves  and  two 
fishes,  and,  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  blessed,  and  brake,  and 
gave  them  to  his  disciples  to  set  before  the  multitude, 
whom  he  had  previously  commanded  to  sit  down  on  the 
green  grass.  The  apostles  ministered  to  the  wants  of  five 
thousand  men,  beside  women  and  children,  who  did  all  eat 
and  were  filled ;  and  they  took  up  of  the  fragments  that 
remained  twelve  baskets  full.*  All  these  things  are  full  of 
mysteries.     Jesus  leaves  Judea,  and  comes  into  the  desert 

1  Matt.  xiv.  1—13;  Mark  vi.  14—32;  Luke  iu.  19,20-,  \k.1— \Q, 

»  Matt,  xJr,  13-21;  Mark  vi.  33^44;  Luke  ix.  W— U  •,  3o\\wyv.\— Vi. 


80  OBDESICUS  YITALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

of  the  Gentiles  ;  the  people  follow  him ;  moved  with  com- 
passion, he  heals  their  sick ;  he  feeds  them  with  the  five 
Darley-loaves  of  the  Mosaic  law,  and  with  the  two  fishei^ 
which  are  the  figure  of  the  prophets  and  of  the  psalms.  Hie 
performed  this  miracle  in  the  evening,  signifying  the  dose 
of  time,  when  the  Sun  of  righteousness  set  for  us. 

Then  those  men,  when  they  had  seen  the  miracle 
that  Jesus  did,  said :  '*  This  is  ot  a  truth  that  prophet  that 
should  come  into  the  world."  "When  Jesus,  therefore,  pe^ 
ceived  that  they  would  come  and  take  him  by  force  to  make 
him  a  king,  he  constrained  his  disciples  to  get  into  a  ship, 
and  to  go  before  him  unto  the  other  side  of  the  sea ;  and 
when  he  had  sent  the  multitudes  away,  he  went  up  into  a 
mountain  apart  to  pray.  When  the  evening  was  come, 
the  ship  was  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  tossed  with  waves, 
and  they  toiled  nearly  the  whole  night  in  rowing,  for  the 
wind  was  contrary.  In  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night, 
when  they  had  rowed  about  five  and  twenty  or  thirty  fur- 
longs, he  Cometh  unto  them  walking  upon  the  sea;  and 
when  they  saw  him,  they  were  troubled,  because  they 
supposed  it  had  been  a  spirit,  and  they  cried  out  for  fear ; 
but  straightway  Jesus  spake  unto  them,  saying :  "  It  is  I ;  be 
not  afraid.**  "  Lord,'*  said  Peter,  "  if  it  be  thou,  bid  me  come 
unto  thee  on  the  water."  And  he  said,  "  Come.**  And  when 
Peter  was  come  down  out  of  the  ship,  he  walked  on  the 
water,  to  go  to  Jesus.  But  when  he  saw  the  wind  bois- 
terous, he  was  afraid;  and,  beginning  to  sink,  he  cried, 
saying,  "  Lord,  save  me.'*  And  immediately  Jesus  stretched 
forth  his  hand,  and  caught  him,  because  he  called  to  him 
in  the  hour  of  danger,  and  said  unto  him :  "  O  thou  of 
little  faith,  wherefore  didst  thou  doubt  ?*'  And  when  they 
were  come  into  the  ship,  the  wind  ceased ;  and  those,  who 
saw  this  worshipped  him,  and  confessed  that  he  was  the  Son 
of  aod.^ 

It  is  necessary  to  remark  that  St.  John  describes  the 
miracle  of  the  loaves  as  having  taken  place  near  the  time  of 
the  passover ;  but  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark  relate  that  it 
happened  immediately  after  the  beheading  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist;  from  which  we  may  conclude  that  St.  John  was 
beheaded  shortly  before  Easter,  and  that,  in  the  year  follow- 
>  Matt  xiT.  22--33;  Mark  vi  45^51;  John  vL  U— 21. 


CHAP.  IX.]     CHBIST  YOJtHXKBIf  BY  HIS  DISCIPLES.  31 

ing,  when  the  time  of  the  passover  was  again  at  hand  tlie 
mjsterj  of  the  passion  of  our  Lord  was  accomplished. 
Jesus  with  his  disciples  came  into  the  land  of  Genne- 
Bareth,  where  he  was  received  with  joy  by  the  men  of 
that  place,  and  he  healed  their  sick.  For  the  merciful 
kindness  of  their  Saviour  drew  them  to  him ;  and  they  sent 
out  into  all  that  country  round  about,  and  brought  unto 
him  all  that  were  diseased,  and  besought  him  that  they 
might  only  touch  the  hem  of  his  garment ;  and  as  many  as 
touched  were  made  perfectly  whole.* 

In  the  same  place  he  had  many  disputes  with  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  which  came  from  Jerusalem,  and  refuted  the 
snpCTstitious  traditions  of  the  elders.' 

The  multitudes  took  shipping,  and  came  to  Capernaum, 
seeking  for  Jesus ;  and  he  said  to  them  :  "  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you:  Te  seek  me,  not  because  ye  saw  the  miracles, 
but  because  ye  did  eat  of  the  loaves,  and  were  filled. 
Labour  not  for  the  meat  which  perisheth,  but  for  that  meat 
which  endureth  unto  everlasting  life,  which  the  Son  of  man 
shaU  give  mito  you ;  for  him  hath  God  the  Father  sealed." 
These,  and  many  other  like  things  about  the  bread  from 
heaven  and  eternal  life,  said  he  in  the  synagogue,  as  he 
taught  in  Capernaum;  but  the  Jews,  whose  heart  was  of 
stone,  did  not  understand  them.  They  therefore  said: 
"This  is  an  hard  sayine."  Many  of  his  disciples,  blinded 
by  „,aJice,  began  J  m^umur  ajunst  him,  a^d  'were  so 
offended  at  his  words  that  they  went  back,  and  walked  no 
more  with  him.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  the  twelve :  "  "Will 
ye  also  go  away  ?"  Simon  Peter  answered  him :  "  Lord,  to 
whom  shall  we  go  ?  thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life. 
And  we  believe,  and  are  sure  that  thou  art  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God." » 

After  these  things  Jesus  walked  in  Galilee ;  for  he 
would  not  walk  in  Jewry,  because  the  Jews  sought  to  kill 
him.  Then,  as  the  historian  St.  John  relates,  his  relations, 
who,  in  compliance  with  the  Jewish  custom,  were  called 
"his  brethren,"  invited  him  to  go  with  them  to  the  feast  of 
tabernacles,   that  he  might   show  himself  openly  to  the 

*  Matt  xiv.  34—36;  Mark  yi.  63—66. 
«  Matt.  XV.  1—9;  Mark  vil  1—13. 
»  John  fi.  22—69. 


32  OEDEEICUS   VITALIS.  [bOOK  |. 


world.  And  when  tliey,  who  sought  for  worldljr  glory,  set 
out  on  their  journey,  he  abode  still  in  Galilee.  Now 
about  the  midst  of  the  feast,  Jesus  went  up,  and  taught 
in  the  temple,  and  all  the  Jews  marvelled  at  his  doctrine. 
The  Pharisees  heard  that  the  people  differed  in  opinion 
respecting  him,  and  sent  officers  to  take  him ;  but  no  man 
laid  hands  on  him,  because  his  hour  was  not  yet  come.^  In 
the  last  day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and 
cried,  saying :  "  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  rae, 
and  drink.  He  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the  Scripture  hath 
said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water.'* 
This  spake  he  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe  on 
him  should  receive  ;  for  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not  yet  given, 
because  that  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified.  Many  of  the 
people,  when  they  heard  this  saying,  said :  "  Of  a  truth  this 
18  the  Prophet."  Others  said:  "  This  is  the  Christ."  But 
some  said ;  "  Shall  Christ  come  out  of  Galilee  ?  Hath  not 
the  Scripture  said  that  Christ  cometh  of  the  seed  of  David, 
and  out  of  the  town  of  Bethlehem,  where  David  was  ?"  So 
there  was  a  division  among  the  people  because  of  him. 
But  the  officers,  who  had  been  sent  by  the  chief  priests 
and  Pharisees  to  take  Jesus,  when  they  heard  his  sayings, 
forgot  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  sent,  and  returned 
without  any  accusation  against  him,  but  full  of  admiration. 
When,  therefore,  the  cruel  magistrates  harshly  demanded  of 
their  officers  why  they  had  not  brought  the  Teacher  of  life 
bound  before  them,  they,  taught  by  divine  inspiration,  boro 
true  testimony  concerning  the  doctrine  of  Christ ;  for  their 
answer  to  those  who  sent  them  was :  "  Never  man  spake 
like  this  man."  And  we  must  not  be  astonished  at  this, 
when  we  consider  that  he  who  spoke  to  them  was  both  God  ] 
and  man.  But  as  these  proud  rulers  of  the  people  endea- 
voured wickedly  to  suppress  the  truth,  Nicodemus  put  a 
stop  to  their  criminal  efforts  by  the  authority  of  the  law ; 
so  that,  their  designs  being  frustrated,  they  returned  home, 
void  of  faith,  and  without  deriving  any  benefit  from  this 
conference.' 

Prom  thence  Jesus  went  unto  the  Mount  of  Olives  j 
and  early  in  the  morning  he  came  again  into  the  temple, 
where  he  sat  down,  and  taught  all  the  people  that  came 
»  John  vii.  1—30.  «  John  vii.  37—53. 


€HAJ.IX.]      THE  WOXAK  TAKKN  lH  ADULTEET.  88 

-onto  him.  And  th^j  brought  unto  him  a  woman  tal^en  in 
adultery,  who,  though  condemned  by  strict  justice,  was 
absolved  by  the  sweetness  of  his  mercy.  Pharisaic  craft 
had  reckoned  on  ensnaring  Christ,  and  lowering  him  in  the 
eyes  of  the  people,  by  exhibiting  him  as  either  harsh,  or 
disregarding  the  law.  Por  if  he  had  condemned  the  accused 
woman,  in  obedience  to  the  law  of  Moses,  they  would  have 
charged  him  with  cruelty,  and  taunted  him  with  forgetting 
to  show  that  mercy  which  he  was  continually  preaching; 
and  would  thus  have  rendered  him  odious  to  the  people  by 
whom  he  was  beloved.  If,  on.  the  contrary,  he  had  tbrbid- 
den  them  to  stone  the  adulteress,  from  a  love  of  clemency, 
they  would  have  accused  him  of  being  an  enemy  to  the  law 
and  of  encouraging  crime.  But  he,  the  true  "Wisdom, 
broke  the  snares  of  these  wicked  men  like  the  threads  of  a 
spider's  web,  in  virtue  of  his  supreme  authority.  He  said 
unto  them:  "He  that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let  him 
first  cast  a  stone  at  her."  In  the  first  part  of  the  sentence, 
we  discover  the  feeling  of  a  compassionate  observer ;  in  the 
second,  the  sentence  of  a  just  judge.  Stooping  down,  he 
wrote  on  the  ground  with  his  finger,  and  his  word,  as  a  two- 
edged  sword,  pierced  the  conscience  of  these  insidious  men : 
thus  he  completely  satisfied  the  severity  of  justice  and  t^e 
gentleness  of  mercy.  At  last  these  crafty  questioners, 
struck  with  shame  at  the  equity  of  the  sentence  pro- 
nounced, lefb  the  adulterous  woman,  and,  beginning  at  the 
eldest,  went  out  one  by  one.  Then  the  Supreme  Judge 
kindly  lifted  up  the  accused  woman,  thus  left  alone  with 
him :  "  Go,'*  he  said  unto  her,  "  and  sin  no  more."  See 
how  his  mercy  pardons  past  sins,  while  his  justice  forbids 
the  presumption  of  sinning  any  more.* 

In  the  treasury,  Jesus  spake  unto  them  of  his  being  the 
true  light  of  the  world,  expatiated  on  the  nature  of  liberty, 
on  his  own  exaltation,  on  the  servitude  of  sin,  and  on  false- 
hood and  truth.  The  enraged  Jews,  in  answer  to  the 
blessed  words  of  Christ,  repHed:  "Thou  art  a  Samaritan, 
and  hast  a  devil."  Notwithstanding,  however,  their  inju- 
rious language,  he  replied  with  patience,  instructed  them 
with  humility,  and  taught  the  knowtedge  of  divine  things  to 
those  who  were  to  be  saved.  But  they,  becoming  infuriated^ 

*  John  Yui,  1 — 11^ 

JD 


M  OBDEUICTTS  TETALIS.  [bOOK  ]L 

collected  stones  to  cast  at  him ;  but  Jestis  hid  himself,  and 
went  out  of  the  temple.^ 

Ch.  X.     The  pool  of  SUoam — The  transfiguration. 

As  he  passed  bj,  seeing  a  man  which  was  blind  irom 
his  birth,  he  spat  on  the  ground,  and  making  clay  of  the 
spittle,  anointed  the  eyes  of  the  blind  man,  and  said  unto 
him :  "  Go,  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam."  He  went  his  way, 
therefore,  and  washed,  and  came  seeing.  This  was  done 
on  a  sabbath-day;  and  in  consequence,  a  great  division 
arose  among  the  Jews.  The  man  whose  eyes  were  opened 
was  cast  out  of  the  synagogue,  because  he  bare  witness  to 
him  from  whom  he  had  received  his  sight;  but  was  after- 
wards recognized  and  received  by  him  whom  he  loved  with 
so  much  reason.  Then  Jesus  related  to  them  the  parable 
of  the  door  of  the  sheepfold,  of  the  shepherd  and  his  flock, 
and  of  the  good  pastor  and  the  hireling.  Many  of  the 
Jews  received  his  words ;  but  a  great  number,  on  the  con- 
trary, lightly  rejected  them.* 

Then  Jesus  went  thence,  and  departed  into  the  coasts  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon ;  where  a  woman  of  Canaan  earnestly 
entreated  him  that  he  would  heal  her  daughter,  who  was 
grievously  vexed  with  a  devil.  His  disciples  besought  him 
[to  send  her  away]  ;  but,  after  some  hesitation,  he  granted 
her  prayer,  and  having  commended  the  faith  and  humi- 
lity of  the  mother,  jfreed  the  daughter  from  the  power  of  the 
demon.' 

And  departing  from  the  coasts  of  Tyre,  the  chief  city  of 
the  Canaanites,  he  came  by  Sidon,  a  town  of  Phoenicia,  luito 
the  sea  of  Galilee,  through  the  midst  of  the  coasts  of  Deca- 
polis.  He  there  took  aside  from  the  multitude  one  that  was 
deaf,  and  had  an  impediment  in  his  speech,  and,  putting 
his  fingers  into  his. ears,  he  spat,  and  touched  his  tongue, 
and  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  sighed,  and  said  unto  him: 
"  Ephphatha,"  that  is.  Be  opened.  And  straightway  his  ears 
were  opened,  and  the  string  of  his  tongue  was  loosed,  and 
he  spake  plain.  And  those  who  were  witnesses  of  tUs 
nuracle  were  astonished,  saying :  ^'  He  hath  done  all  thingi^ 

*  John  viii.  12—59,  •  John  ix.;  x.  1 — 21. 

■  Matt.  XV.  21— 28i  Mark  vil  24—30. 


CHAP.X.]      ItlfiAOLX  OP  THE   L0ATS8  AND    PISHES.  85 

▼ell ;  he  maketh  both  the  deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to 
speak."* 

Jesus  came  nigh  unto  the  sea  of  Galilee,  and  went  up 
into  a  mountain,  and  taught  the  great  multitudes  that  came 
onto  him.  And  thej  cast  at  Jesus'  feet  those  that  were 
dumb,  lame,  blind,  maimed,  and  many  others,  and  he  healed 
Hiem;  insomuch  that  the  multitude  wondered,  when  they 
saw  the  dumb  speak,  the  lame  walk,  and  the  blind 
tee.'  In  the  same  manner  the  Lord  works  spiritually  in 
liis  holy  church,  and  by  his  grace  a  multitude  of  sinners  are 
ttved  every  day.  The  dumb  are  those  who  refuse  to  sing 
praises  to  the  Lord,  and  who  do  not  confess  a  belief  in  him. 
The  blind  are  those  who  do  not  understand,  although  they 
obey.  The  deaf  are  those  who  will  not  obey,  even  though 
tiiey  understand.  The  lame  are  those  who  neglect  to  fiiM 
the  divine  precepts,  and  walk  through  the  deviouls  paths  of 
wickedness.  Such  are  the  men  who  are  healed  every  day 
by  the  grace  of  God,  and  are  guided  into  the  way  that  leadfs 
to  life  eternal.  Those  who  feared  the  Lord,  and  were  eye- 
vitnesses  of  these  corporeal  signs,  magnified  the  King  of 
sabaoth  with  joy.  Now  also  the  faithfid  rejoice  in  the  con- 
version of  sinners,  and  devoutly  glorify  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel,  who  doeth  all  good  things. 

Then  Jesus  called  his  disciples  imto  him,  and  said:  ^'I 
have  compassion  on  the  multitude,  because  they  continue 
with  me  now  three  days,  and  have  nothing  to  eat ;  and  I 
will  not  send  them  away  fasting,  lest  they  faint  in  the 
way."  He  then  commanded  the  multitude  to  sit  down  on 
the  ground,  and  taking  seven  loaves  and  a  few  little  fishes, 
save  thanks,  brake  them,  and  gave  to  his  disciples,  and  the 
disciples  to  the  multitude.  And  they  did  all  eat,  and  were 
filled ;  and  they  took  up  of  the  broken  meat  that  was  left 
seven  baskets  full.  And  they  that  did  eat  were  four 
thousand  men,  beside  women  and  children.  And  he  sent 
away  the  multitude,  and  took  ship,  and  came  into  the  coasts 
of  Magdala  or  Dalmanutha,in  the  neighbourhood  of  Gennesa- 
reth.  Here  the  Sadducees  and  the  Pharisees,  tempting  him, 
desired  that  he  would  shew  them  a  sign  from  heaven,  for 
they  made  light  of  the  great  miracle  he  had  performed  in 
feeoing  four  thousand  men  with  seven  loaves,  and  filling 

*  Mark  vii.  31—37.  *  Matt  xv.  2d— 31. 

D  2 


86  OIlDEBICTrS  TTTALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

seyen  baskets  with  the  firagments  that  remained.  But  ha 
reproved  their  insolence;  and  refusing  to  give  them  asLf 
other  sign  than  that  of  the  prophet  Jonas,  left  them,  and 
entering  into  the  ship  again,  departed  to  the  other  side.^ 

At  Bethsaida,  thej  besought  him  to  touch  a  blind  man. 
And  he  took  the  blind  man  by  the  hand,  and  led  him  out  of 
the  town ;  and  when  be  had  spit  on  his  eyes,  and  put  his 
hands  upon  him,  he  asked  him  if  he  saw  aught.  And  he 
said:  "  I  see  men  as  trees  walking."  Jesus  put  his  hands 
again  upon  his  eyes,  and  he  was  restored,  and  began  to  see 
every  thing  clearly.  Our  Lord  then  said  to  him :  "  Qo  imto 
thine  house;  and  if  thou  enter  the  town,  thou  shalt  not 
tell  it  to  any  one."* 

And  Jesus  went  out,  and  came  into  the  towns  of  CsBsareft 
Fhilippi;  and  by  the  way  he  asked  his  disciples  what 
men  thought  concerning  him  ?  And  they  answered: 
"Some  say  that  thou  art  John  the  Baptist;  some,  Elias; 
and  others,  Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  prophets."  He  saith 
unto  them :  "  But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am  ?'*  And  Simon 
Peter  answered  and  said :  ''  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  son  of 
the  living  God."  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him: 
''  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Barjona,  for  flesh  and  blood  hath 
not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 
And  I  say  unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock 
I  will  bmld  my  church ;  and  the  gates  of  heU  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it.  And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  on 
earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven,  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt 
loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven."  He  then  charged 
his  disciples  that  they  should  tell  no  man  that  he  was 
Jesus  the  Christ.  Prom  that  time  forth  began  Jesus  to 
shew  unto  his  disciples,  how  that  he  must  go  unto  Jerusa- 
lem, and  suffer  many  things  of  the  elders  and  chief  priests 
and  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  be  raised  again  the  third 
day.  Then  Peter,  taking  him  aside,  &om  excessive  love 
began  to  rebuke  him,  saying:  "Be  it  far  firam  thee,  Lord; 
this  shall  not  be  unto  thee."     But  he  turned,  and  said  unto 

»  Matt.  XV.  32-39;  xvl  1—4;  Mark  viii.  1—13. 

>  Mark  viii  22—26.  We  read  in  St  Mark:  **  And  he  sent  him  away 
IQ  hii  house,  saying,  *  Neither  go  into  the  town,  nor  tell  it  to  any  in  the 
town.'" 


CHAP.  X.]  THE  TBANSFIGX71U.TI01T.  87 

Peter :  "  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan ;  thou  art  an  offence 
unto  me,  for  thou  savoiirest  not  the  things  that  be  of  God, 
but  those  that  be  of  men."  After  the  Lord  had  shown  to 
his  disciples  the  mystery  of  his  passion  and  resurrection, 
he  exhorted  them,  as  well  as  the  people,  to  follow  the 
example  of  his  passion,  and  promised  them  the  reward 
provided  for  those  who  suffer.* 

Afber  six  days,  Jesus  taketh  Peter,  James,  and  John  his 
brother,  and  leadeth  them  up  into  an  high  mountain  apart 
by  themselves  ;  and  he  was  transfigured  before  them.  And 
his  face  did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  became  as 
white  as  snow.  And  there  appeared  unto  them  Moses  and 
Elias,  talking  with  him ;  and,  behold,  a  bright  cloud  over- 
shadowed them;  and,  behold,  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  which 
said :  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased ; 
hear  ye  him."  And  when  the  disciples  heard  it,  they  fell 
on  their  face,  and  were  sore  afraid.  And  Jesus  came  and 
touched  them,  and  said :  "Arise,  and  be  not  afraid."  And 
when  they  had  lifted  up  their  eyes,  they  saw  no  man,  save 
Jesus  only.  And  as  they  came  down  n*om  the  moimtain, 
Jesus  charged  them,  saying :  "  Tell  the  vision  to  no  man, 
until  the  Son  of  man  be  risen  again  from  the  dead."  Then, 
in  answer  to  their  inquiry,  he  told  them  that  Elias  was 
come  :ilready;  and  they  understood  that  he  spake  unto 
them  of  John  the  Baptist.*    • 

On  the  next  day,  when  he  was  come  to  the  multitude, 
straightway  all  the  people,  when  they  beheld  him,  were 
greafly  amazed,  and,  running  to  him,  saluted  him.  Then  a 
certain  man  of  the  company  came  to  him,  and  threw  him- 
self down  on  his  knees,  saying :  "  Lord,  have  mercy  on  my 
son,  for  he  is  lunatic  from  his  infancy,  and  sore  vexed ;  for 
ofttimes  the  devil  hath  cast  him  into  the  fire,  and  into  the 
waters,  to  destroy  him ;  and  I  brought  him  to  thy  disciples, 
and  they  could  not  cure  him."  And  when  Jesus  had  com- 
manded the  sick  child  to  be  brought,  while  he  was  yet  com- 
ing, the  evil  spirit  threw  him  down  and  tare  him ;  and  he  fell 
on  the  ground,  and  wallowed  foaming.  Jesus  rebuked  the 
foul  spirit,  and  charged  him  to  come  out  of  him,  and  to 
enter  no  more  into  fibn.     And  the  spirit  cried,  and  rent 

1  Matt,  xvi  15—28;  Mark  viii.  27—38;  Luke  ix.  U— *27. 
»  Matt  xvJL  I-IS;  Mark  ix,  2—13;  Luke  ix.  2ft— ^6, 


S8  OBDSBIOUS  YITALI8%  [bOOK  I. 

him  Bore,  and  came  out  of  him,  and  he  fell  on  the  ground 
as  one  dead,  insomuch  that  manj  said  that  he  was 
dead.  But  Jesus,  took  him  bj  the  hand,  lifted  him  up,  and 
delivered  him  whole  to  his  father.  Afterwards,  when  the 
disciples  asked  him  privately  why  they  could  not  heal  him, 
he  said  unto  them:  "Because  of  your  unbelief;  for  verily 
I  say  unto  you.  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed, 
ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain,  Eemove  hence,  and  it  shall 
remove  ;  and  nothing  shall  be  impossible  unto  you.  How- 
beit  this  kind  goeth  not  out  but  by  prayer  and  fasting."* 
And  while  they  abode  in  Galilee,  Jesus  said  unto 
them :  "  The  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed  into  the  hands  of 
men,  and  they  shall  kill  him ;  and  the  third  day  he  shall 
rise  again."     And  they  were  exceeding  sorry.* 

Ch.  XI.    The  tribtUe  money — The  lahov/rers  m  the  vineyard. 

Am)  when  they  were  come  to  Capernaum,  they  that 
received  tribute  money  came  to  Peter,  and  said:  "Doth 
not  your  Master  pay  tribute?"  He  saith,  "Yes."  And 
when  he  was  come  mto  the  house,  Jesus  prevented  him, 
saying :  "  Of  whom  do  the  kings  of  the  earth  take  tribute  ? 
of  their  own  children,  or  of  strangers?"  Peter  saith  unto 
him :  "  Of  strangers."  Christ  was  the  Son  of  a  King,  both 
according  to  the  flesh  and  the  Spirit,  whether  we  consider, 
him  as  bom  of  the  seed  of  David,  or  as  the  "Word  of  the 
Almighty  Father.  Therefore,  as  the  son  of  a  king,  he  was 
not  obliged  to  pay  tribute  money ;  but  he  who  had  taken 
upon  him  the  himiility  of  the  flesh  wished  to  fulfil  all 
righteousness.  In  every  kingdom,  it  is  clear,  children  are 
free  from  taxation :  Jesus  saith  unto  Peter :  "  Then  are  the 
children  free.  Notwithstanding,  lest  we  should  offend  them, 
go  thou  to  the  sea,  and  cast  an  hook,  and  take  the  fish  that 
first  Cometh  up ;  and  when  thou  hast  opened  his  mouth,  thou 
shalt  find  a  piece  of  money ;  that  take,  and  give  unto  them 
for  me  and  thee."'  This  fish  is  the  figure  of  Christ ;  the 
sea  represents  mortal  life;  the  tribute  money,  or  the  two 
drachms,  means  confession,  which  is  given  for  Peter  as  for  a 

I  Matt  xvii.  14—21;  Mark  ir.  14—29;  Luke  ix.  37—42. 
•  Matt  jrvij.  22,  23;  Mark  ix.  30—32. 
*  Matt  xriL  24—27. 


CHAP.  XI.]     OHBIST  BLEB8ETH  LITTLE   CHILBBEN.  89 

sinner,  but  for  Christ  as  for  a  Lamb  without   spot  and 
guiltless. 

Then  there  arose  a  reasoning  among  the  apostles,  which 
of  them  should  be  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  And 
Jesus  called  a  little  child  unto  him,  and  set  him  in  the  midst 
of  them,  and  said :  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Except  ye  be 
converted  and  become  as  little  children,  ye  shall  not  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Whosoever,  therefore,  shall 
humble  himself  as  this  little  child,  the  same  is  greatest  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven ;"  adding  other  precepts,  concern- 
ing humility  and  gentleness,  avoiding  to  offend  little  children, 
and  correcting  a  brother  mildly.  He  then  spoke  to  them  of 
paternal  kindness,  and  set  before  them  the  parable  of  the 
king  who  forgave  his  servant  the  debt  of  ten  thousand 
talents,  when  he  besought  him,  and  of  that  same  servant 
who  refused  to  acquit  a  fellow  servant  who  owed  him  an 
hundred  pence.  The  discourse,  after  payment  of  the  tribute, 
in  commendation  of  humility  and  innocence,  and  teaching  us 
how  to  correct  and  pardon,  being  ended,  the  righteous 
Teacher  departed  from  Galilee,  and  came  into  the  coasts  of 
Judea  beyond  Jordan ;  and  great  multitudes  followed  him ; 
and  he  healed  them  there.^ 

When  the  Pharisees  asked  him  if  it  were  lawful  for  a 
man  to  put  away  his  wife,  he  referred  to  the  fixed  law  of 
marriage,  saying :  "  What  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not 
man  put  asunder.'" 

Then  were  there  brought  unto  him  little  children,  that 
he  should  put  his  hands  on  them,  and  pray:  and  his  disci- 
ples rebuked  those  that  brought  them.  But  Jesus  was 
much  displeased,  and  said  unto  them :  "  Suffer  the  little 
children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not :  for  of  such 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.*'* 

A  TTOung  man  asked  him,  kneeling,  the  way  to  eternal 
salvation;  when,  after  instructing  him  in  the  command- 
ments of  the  law,  he  added;  "If  thou  wilt  be  perfect, 
go,  sell  that  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou 
shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven;  and  come  and  follow 
me."     But  when  he  heard   that  saying,  he  went  away 

J  Matt  xviii.  1—55;  xix.  1,  2;  Mark  ix.  33—49;  Luke  ix.  46—48. 

•  Matt.  xix.  3—6;  Mark  x.  2—9. 

»  Matt.  xix.  13,  14;  Marie  x.  13,  14;  Luke  xviii.  \5,\6. 


40  OKDSBICTTB  TITALIS.  [BOOXi. 

sorrowful,  for  he  had  great  possessions.  Ti;en  said  Jesnefz 
"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  That  a  rich  man  shall  hardly  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go 
through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  th© 
kingdom  of  Q-od."  Peter,  hearing  what  was  said  in  praise  of 
voluntary  poverty,  self-complacently  said  to  the  Lord :  "  B^ 
hold,  we  have  forsaken  all,  and  followed  thee ;  what  shall  we 
have  therefore  ?"  And  Jesus  said  unto  them :  "  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  that  ye  which  have  followed  me,  in  the  regeneration 
when  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  his  glory, 
shall  also  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel.  And  every  one  that  hath  forsaken  houses,  or  bre- 
thren, or  sisters,  or  father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or 
lands,  for  my  name's  sake,  shall  receive  an  hundred-fold,  and 
shall  inherit  everlasting  life.  But  many  that  are  first  shatt 
be  last ;  and  the  last  shall  be  first."  ^ 

He  then  set  before  them  the  parable  of  the  householder, 
who  took  labourers  into  his  vineyard  at  different  hours  of  the 
day,  but  gave  to  all  of  them  the  same  hire,  one  penny,  begin- 
ning from  the  last  unto  the  first.*  These  different  hours  of 
the  day  are  understood  to  represent  typically  the  past  ages. 
Abel  laboured  at  day-break,  Noe  at  the  third  hour,  Abraham 
at  the  sixth,  and  the  lawgiver  Moses  at  the  ninth.  At  the 
"  eleventh  hour  "  Christ  came,  rebuked  the  Gentiles,  becausfe 
they  stood  idle  in  the  great  market-place  of  this  world,  and 
commanded  them  to  work  by  faith  in  the  vineyard  of  his 
church.  Or,  these  different  hours  may  also  be  likened  to  the 
several  stages  of-  a  man's  life.  The  morning  represents 
childhood;  the  third  hour  of  the  day,  youth;  the  sixth 
hour  is  emblematical  of  manhood ;  the  ninth,  of  old  age ;  the 
eleventh,  of  decrepitude,  or  superannuation.  At  all  thes6 
ages  conversions  take  place ;  and  the  converts  are  rewarded 
with  the  penny  of  everlasting  life.  A  modern  poet  thus 
speaks  of  this  similitude : — 

When  the  sun  nnks  in  the  west, 

And  the  vineyard-lahourera  claim 

Wages  due  and  grateful  rest,  ,  - 

Their  reward  is  all  the  same; 

»  Matt.  xix.  16-30;  Mark  x.  17—31;  Luke  xviii.  18—30. 
*  Matt.  XX.  1—8. 


CHAP.xil.]        LABOITEEBS  IN  THS  TIKBYASD.  41 

Whether  through  the  noontide  heat 
Bending  o'er  the  thirsty  soil; 
Whether  theirs,  with  lingering  feet^ 
Cooler  hours  and  lighter  toiL 
Tasks  unequal— ^ual  hire — 
Such  the  master^  righteous  will; 
All  that  justice  can  require. 
Thus  hoth  first  and  last  fulfil. 
In  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord, 
Young  and  old,  and  weak  and  wise. 
Taught  by  His  most  holy  word. 
Surely  gain  the  glorious  prize. 

Ch.  XII.     Third  year  of  ChrUfs  ministry — In  Judea — 

After  leaving  Galilee, 

Thus  far  I  have  attentively  examined,  for  a  salutary 
exercise,  as  I  have  been  able  to  gather  irom  the  writing» 
of  the  evangelists,  and  endeavoured  to  relate  briefly,  the 
works  which  our  Lord  performed  during  the  first  two  years 
of  his  mission.  It  is  now  my  duty  to  search  out  the  acts  of 
his  third  year,  and  briefly  to  recount  the  important  and 
memorable  deeds  of  our  Lord  after  his  departure  trom  Galilee 
into  Judea,  that  he  might  accomplish  in  Jerusalem  the 
mystery  of  his  Father's  dispensation,  and  reveal  to  us  by 
his  own  ineffable  operation  the  hidden  things  of  the  law  and 
the  prophets.  He,  indeed,  at  first  taught  in  the  eastern  parts 
of  Judea,  beyond  Jordan ;  but  afterwards  on  this  side  of  it, 
when  he  went  to  Jericho  and  Jerusalem.  Por  although 
the  whole  kingdom  of  the  Jews  was  generally  called  Judea, 
to  distinguish  it  from  other  countries,  yet  the  southern  part 
was  more  especially  named  Judea,  as  distinct  from  Samaria, 
GbJilee,  Decapolis,  and  the  other  districts  of  the  same 
province. 

Jesus,  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem,  privately  foretold  his 
passion  to  his  disciples.  Then  the  mother  of  Zebedee's 
children  desired  him  to  grant  that  her  two  sons  might 
sit,  the  one  on  his  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  his 
left,  in  his  kingdom.  But  he  taught  them  to  be  patient 
and  lowly,  and  he  himself  set  an  example  of  perfect  righteous- 
ness for  them  to  follow.  In  answer  to  John's  inquiry, 
he  commanded  him  not  to  forbid  any  one  to  perform  miracles 
in  his  name.^ 

1  Mattxx.  J7— 20;  Jllari  z.  32-45;  Luke ix.  4S« ^Q« 


42  OSDEBICTTS  YITALI8.  [bOOK  I. 

As  he  was  drawing  nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  he  sent 
messengers  before  his  face  into  a  village  of  the  Samari- 
tans; but  they  did  not  receive  them.  However,  when 
James  and  John  wished  him  to  command  fire  to  come  down 
from  heaven  upon  the  heads  of  the  men  who  had  treated 
him  with  scorn,  he  rebuked  his  disciples,  saying :  "  Ye 
know  not  what  manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of.  For  the  Son 
of  man  is  not  come  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save 
them." ' 

After  these  things  the  Lord  appointed  seventy-two 
disciples,  and  sent  them,  two  and  two,  into  every  city  and 
place  whither  he  himself  would  come,  and  gave  them 
directions  to  whom  and  how  they  were  to  preach.  He 
then  upbraided  the  cities  thkt  would  not  believe  in  his 
name.  And  when  the  seventy-two  disciples  returned 
again  with  joy  to  him,  the  Lord  charged  them  not  to 
rejoice  in  this,  that  the  spirits  were  subject  unto  them, 
but  because  their  names  were  written  in  heaven;  he 
referred  all  praise  to  his  Father,  and  called  the  eyes  of  the 
disciples  blessed,  because  they  saw  those  things  which 
many  just  men  and  kings  before  them  had  desired  to  see, 
but  had  not  seen.' 

When  a  lawyer  asked  him  a  question,  tempting  him, 
he  showed  him  what  to  do  in  order  to  inherit  eternal  life;, 
and  mentioned  the  case  of  the  man  who  "  went  down  from 
Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  and  fell  among  thieves,"  proving 
to  them  all  that  the  Samaritan,  who,  when  the  priest  and 
the  Levite  passed  by  on  the  other  side,  went  to  the 
assistance  of  the  man  who  had  been  wounded  by  the 
thieves,  was  his  neighbour,  because  he  had  compassion  on 
him.* 

Li  a  certain  village,  a  woman  named  Martha  received 
Jesus  into  her  house,  and  when  she  complained  to  him 
that  her  sister  had  left  her  to  serve  alone,  and  would  not 
help  her,  he  put  a  stop  to  her  murmurs  by  asserting  that 
Mary  had  "  chosen  the  good  part."  * 

St.  Matthew,  in   the  Lord's  prayer,  gives  the    seven 


^  Luke  ix.  51—56. 

'  Luke  X.  1 — ^24;  we  here  read,  **  other  seventy  also.** 
■  Matt.  xxii.  34—40;  Mark  xil  28—34-,  Luke  x.  25—37. 
*  Ltike  X,  88-^42. 


CHAP.Xn.]  THE  LOBD's   PBA.TSB.  4S 

petitions  in  the  following  words: — Our  Mither  which  art 
ift  heaven.  Sallowed  he  thy  name.  Thy  Jeingdom  come.  Thy 
wiiil  he  dime  f»  earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our 
daUy  bread.  And  forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our 
debtors,  jind  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
evil.  Amen.  In  the  first  three  petitions  we  pray  for  things 
^t^nal,  but  in  the  last  four  for  things  temporal,  which 
ire,  however,  necessary  in  order  to  acquire  those  that  are 
eternal. 

Now  St.  Luke  has  but  five  requests,  thus : — Our  Father, 
Rdllowed  be  thy  name.  Thy  kingdom  come.  Give  us  day  by 
day  our  daily  bread ;  and  forgive  us  our  sins,  for  we  also 
forgive  every  one  that  is  indebted  to  us.  And  lead  us  not 
itito  temptation.  Thus  we  see  seven  petitions,  according  to 
8t  Matthew,  reduced  to  five  in  St.  Luke's  gospel :  for  in- 
stance, the  name  of  God  is  sanctified  in  the  Spirit ;  but  the 
kingdom  of  GtMl  is  to  come  in  the  resurrection  of  the  flesh. 
He  then  adds  three  others,  for  the  daily  bread,  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  and  for  avoiding  temptation.  All  that 
man  requires  in  this  life  and  the  next  may  be  understood  to 
be  embraced  by  these  petitions.'  For  this  reason,  when  the 
disciples  said  to  Jesus,  "  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray,"  he  not 
only  gave  them  a  form  of  prayer,  but  taught  them  to  pray 
fi»quently  and  with  importunity.  He  admonished  them  to 
persevere  constantly  in  their  petitions  to  Heaven,  and  related 
to  them  the  parable  of  the  friend  who  requested  the  loan  of 
three  loaves  at  midnight.  He  advised  them  to  "  ask,  seek, 
and  knock ;"  he,  therefore,  exhorted  them  to  ask  for  the 
bread  of  the  word  of  God,  by  which  the  friend,  that  is  to 
say,  the  seul,  is  nourished ;  to  seek  for  the  friend  who  gives 
abundantly,  that  is  to  say,  the  Lord ;  to  knock  at  the  door 
of  divine  mercy,  through  which  they  enter  the  treasury  ot 
wisdom,  where  the  celestial  joys  are  kept.  The  word  bread 
is  understood  to  signify  charity,  with  which  the  stone,  that  is 
to  say,  the  hardness  of  avarice,  is  contrasted.  The  fish  repre- 
sents the  faith  of  invisible  baptism,  on  account  of  the  water 
used,  or  because  it  is  caught  in  invisible  places,  and  is  im- 
perishable by  the  waves  of  this  world  tnat  roar  around 
it ;  with  this  the  venomous  serpent  is  contrasted ;  this  last 
is  the  ^gure  of  perBdjr  or  incredulity.     The  egg  la  t\ie  ^soi- 

^  Matt.  vj.  9^13;  Luke  xi.  1—13. 


41r  OKDEBICUS  TITALI8.  [BOOKt» 

blem  of  hope  ;  because  the  egg  is  not  yet  a  perfect  &Btati 
but  we  hope  to  see  it  become  one  by  being  hatched.  Noil. 
despair  is  the  reverse  of  hope;  it  has  for  its  image  tibH 
scorpion,  which  strikes  the  unwary  with  its  envenomsl 
stine  from  behind,  and  the  secret  puncture  causes  suddeA 
death.   * 

Our  Saviour  accused  the  Pharisees  of  blasphemy  and 
ingratitude  for  the  acts  of  mercy  which  they  witnessed.  Bt 
took  the  illustration  of  the  armed  man  who  was  overcome 
by  a  man  stronger  than  himself,  and  spoke  of  the  unclean 
spirit  that  returned  into  the  man,  with  seven  other  spiiiti 
more  wicked  than  himself.^  When  a  certain  woman 
lifted  up  her  voice,  and  said,  that  the  womb  that  bare 
him  was  blessed,  he  answered  that  he  who  kept  the 
word  of  Q-od  was  blessed.'  When  he  had  healed  the  man . 
on  whom  three  miracles  were  performed  at  the  same  time 
(being  blind  he  saw,  dumb  he  spoke,  possessed  with  a  devil 
was  freed),  he,  who  was  the  truth  itself,  gave  them  many 
precepts  conducive  to  salvation,  repelled  with  the  weapons 
of  reason  the  Pliarisees  who  tempted  him,  told  them  thai; 
a  lighted  candle  was  not  to  be  put  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a 
candlestick;  and  taught  them  that  the  eye  ought  to  be 
single.* 

When  the  Pharisee,  who  had  besought  him  to  dine  with 
him,  marvelled  that  he  had  not  first  washed  before  dinner, 
after  the  manner  of  the  Jews,  Jesus  observed  that  external 
ablutions  did  not  purify  their  inward  parts,  which  were  foul 
with  sins,  and  repeating,  "Woe  to  the  Pharisees,"  six  times, 
added  a  long  list  of  their  evil  deeds.* 

He  also  charged  his  disciples  to  take  heed  of  Jbhe  leaven 
of  hypocrisy,  not  to  be  afraid  of  them  that  can  only  kill 
the  body;  and,  in  the  hour  of  persecution,  to  take  no 
thought  what  they  should  say.* 

When  one  of  the  company  requested  him  to  divide  the 
inheritance  between  him  and  his  brother,  he  related  the 
parable  of  the  rich  miser.     He  then  warned  his  disciples  to 

*  Matt.  xii.  31—45;  Mark  iii.  22—30;  Luke  xi.  15—26. 

*  Luke  xi.  27,  28. 

*  Matt.  xu.  22—30;  Mark  lii.  22—30;  Luke  xl  14,  29--S«. 

*  Matt,  xxiii.  13—38;  Luke  xi  37—52. 

<<  »  Matt.  xYi.  6—12;  Mark  viii.  15;  Luke  xii.  1—12. 


«HA£.XII.]  CHBIST^S  T£AOni50.  i5 

ffood,  like  the  fowls  of  the  air,  being  careful  for  meat 
«pd  raiment.^  Having  promised  the  kingdom  to  the  little 
liKky  he  commanded  them  to  sell  all  that  they  possessed, 
and  all  they  acquired,  and  to  give  alms ;  telling  them  that 
tiieir  Idtns  ought  to  be  girded  about,  and  their  lamps  bum- 
ipg.  He  also  commanded  them  to  watch,  mentioning  the 
ease  of  the  two  servants,  the  one  good,  the  other  bad ;  and 
iedared  that  the  servant,  which  knew  his  lord's  will,  but  did 
it  not,  should  bo  beaten  with  many  stripes,  while  he  that 
knew  not  should  be  beaten  with  few  stripes.* 

He  told  them  that  he  was  come  to  send  fire  on  the 
earth,  by  reason  of  their  di\dsions ;  that,  as  they  could 
discern  the  face  of  the  sky,  they  ought  to  discern  the  signs 
of  the  times ;  and  recommenaed  them  to  consent  to  the 
demands  of  their  adversary,  while  they  were  in  the  way.> 

When  he  was  told  that  Pilate  had  put  to  death  some 
of  the  Galileans,  Jesus,  answering,  said,  that  all  should 
likewise  perish,  unless  they  repented ;  or  be  like  the  eighteen 
who  were  crushed  by  the  fall  of  the  tower  in  Siloam.  In 
tbe  parable  of  the  barren  fig-tree,  he  warns  those  who 
defer  the  hour  of  repentance.* 

He  made  straight  on  the  sabbath-day  a  woman  who  had 
been  bowed  together  eighteen  years;  and  when  some  of 
them  murmured,  because  Jesus  had  healed  on  that  day,  he 
silenced  them  by  saying  that  an  ox  must  be  led  away  to 
watering  on  the  sabbath ;  and  all  the  people  rejoiced  for 
the  glorious  things  that  were  done  by  him.* 

Comparing  the  kingdom  of  God  to  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed  and  to  leaven,  he  spoke  of  the  few  that  enter 
in  at  the  strait  gate,  and  said:  "There  are  last  which 
shall  be  first,  and  there  are  first  which  shall  be  last."*  The 
Lord  then  called  Herod  a  "  fox,"  a  name  by  which  heretics 
are  designated,  on  account  of  the  deceitful  and  insidious 
character  of  their  conduct ;  and  reproved  Jerusalem  because 
it  refused  to  seek  the  protection  of  his  wings.'  He 
healed,  on  the  sabbath-day,  a  certain  man  which  had  the 

*  Matt,  vi  26—34;  Luke  xii.  13—31. 
2  Luke  xii.  32—48.  »  Luke  xii.  49—59. 

*  Luke  xiii.  1—9.  »  Luke  xiii.  10—17. 
^  Matt.  xiii.  31—33;  Mark  iv.  30,  31;  Luke  xiii.  18-30. 
t  Luke  xiii.  31— 35. 


46  OBDEBICUB  TITALI8.  [bOOK  I. 

dropsy,  ridding  him  as  it  were  of  a  fountain  of  humours; 
and  when  the  Pharisees  objected,  he  conlbunded  them  by 
asking  if  they  did  not  [on  the  sabbath-day]  pull  an  ass  o^ 
an  ox  out  of  a  pit  into  which  it  had  fallen.  He  taught 
them  to  practise  humility,  not  seeking  the  first  places  at  a 
feast ;  and  to  bid  to  their  table,  not  the  rich,  but  the  poor, 
who  could  not  return  their  hospitality.* 

Ch.  XIII.     Parables  and  discourses  of  Christ. 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  employing  various  means  to 
further  the  salvation  of  man,  gives  us  the  parable  of  those 
that  were  bidden  to  a  supper;  but,  as  they  all  sought  to  be 
excused,  they  were  not  considered  worthy  of  such  an  honour. 
The  first  refused  the  invitation,  because  he  had  bought  a 
piece  of  ground ;  representing  those  who  through  love  of 
worldly  things,  make  no  account  of  heavenly  things. 
Another,  who  was  prevented  by  his  five  yoke  of  oxen,  is  the 
type  of  those  curious  persons,  who,  influenced  by  the 
bodily  senses,  scrutinize  external  things  only,  and,  while 
they  remark  the  liie  of  others,  and  neglect  the  care  ol 
their  own  souls,  refuse  to  take  their  place  at  the  banquet 
of  eternal  salvation.  The  third,  who  refused  to  be  present 
on  account  of  his  recent  marriage,  is  the  image  of  all  persons 
who  allow  themselves  to  be  caught  in  the  meshes  of  carnal 
pleasure.  Thus,  while  one  man  is  occupied  with  the  cares 
of  this  world,  another  is  tormented  by  incessantly  thinking 
of  the  actions  of  his  neighbours,  a  third  allows  his  mind 
to  be  defiled  by  the  pleasures  of  the  flesh ;  but  all  equally 
disdain  to  hasten  to  the  banquet  of  eternal  life.^ 

Our  Saviour  told  the  great  multitudes  that  went  with 
him,  that  they  must  not  only  give  up  aU  their  connections, 
but  their  own  life,  and  take  up  the  cross  and  follow  him. 
That  they  might  not  fail,  he  suggested  that  they  ought  to 
act  like  the  man  who,  "  ihtending  to  build  a  tower,  sitteth 
down  first  and  counteth  the  cost,"  and  proposed  the  example 
of  the  two  kings  who  were  going  to  make  war  against  each 
other.' 

When  they  murmured  because  he  kept  company  with 
sinners,   he   spake    unto  them  the    parable  of    the    lost 
sheep,  and  of  the  piece  of  silver;  the  owners   of  which 
1  Luke  xiv.  1—14.  *  Luke  xiv.  16—24.         »  Luke  xiv.  25—32. 


CHAP.  Xm.]  THE  PBOSIOAL   SOW.  47 

yrere  as  joyM  at  finding  them  as  they  were  sorrowfiil 
at  having  lost  them.  He  told  them  that  there  would  be 
likewise  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  Qod  over 
the  salvation  of  one  sinner  that  repenteth.  But  true 
penitenee  consists  m  contrition  for  sins  committed,  and  a 
resolution  not  to  repeat  what  is  now  lamented.  He  who 
has  done  what  is  forbidden,  ought  also,  in  order  to  satisfy 
the  will  of  God,  to  deny  himself  what  is  permitted.^ 

The  Lord  then  gave  them  the  parable  of  the  frugal  and 

prodigal  sons,  shewing  them  how  the  prodigal  son  returned 

to  his  father,  who  received  him  with  the  greatest  kindness, 

and  kissed  him;   how  he  put  the  best  robe  upon  him, 

that  is  to  say,  the  garb  of  innocence ;  gave  him  the  ring 

of  sincere  faith,  and  put  shoes  on  his  feet,  that  is  to  say, 

(H*dained  him  to  preach  the  gospel.     In  thus  adorning  the 

hands  and  feet  of  the  convert,  the   Lord  typified  good 

works  and  missions.     The  fabher,  having  killed  the  fatted 

calf,  made  a  great  supper.     Now  his  elder  son,  that  is  to 

say,  the  Jewish  people,  as  he  drew  nigh  to  the  house  from 

the  field,   which    represents   external    observances,   heard 

music  and  dancing,  that  is  to  say,  remarked  that  the  sons 

of  the  church,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  preached  the  gospel 

with    harmonious    voice.      Having    obtained    information 

respecting  the  cause  of  these  signs  of  joy,  he  was  angry  with 

his  father,  complaining  that  he  had  killed  the  fatted  calf 

for  the  son  who  had  devoured  his  living  with  harlots,  and 

had  a  greater  regard  for  him  than  for  himself.' 

After  this  our  Lord  introduced  the  case  of  the  unjust 
steward,  who,  by  a  crafty  device,  reduced  what  was  due  to 
his  lord.' 

He  declared  that  we  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon; 
rebuked  the  avaricious  Pharisees,  telling  them  that  the  law 
and  the  prophets  were  until  John  the  Baptist;  and  then 
related  the  parable  of  the  unmerciful  rich  man  Tvho  was 
clothed  in  purple,  and  the  poor  beggar,  showing,  from  the 
fate  of  the  merely  selfish,  what  will  be  that  of  such  as  live 
by  robbery.* 

After  saying,  "Woe  to  the  man  by  whom  the  offence 

*  Luke  XV.  1— 10.  »  Luke  xy.  11—32. 

3  Lukexvi.  1—8.  *  Luke  xvi.  13—31. 


48  OTlDEBICXrS  VITALIS.  [bOOK  1 

Cometh,"   he  commanded  [Peter]  to  forgive  a  repentant 
brother  "  nntil  seventy  times  seven."  ^ 

The  apostles,  beseeching  him  to  increase  their  faitif, 
are  taught  how  they  might  remove  a  sycamine-tree;  and 
drawing  a  comparison  between  them  and  the  servant  plough* 
ing  or  feeding  cattle,  the  Lord  informs  them  that  they 
must  confess  themselves  "  unprofitable  servants,"  even 
when  they  shall  have  done  all  those  things  which  wei? 
commanded.' 

As  Jesus  went  to  Jerusalem,  he  passed  through  the 
midst  of  Samaria  and  Galilee.  And  as  he  entered  into  a 
certain  village,  he  cleansed  ten  men  that  were  lepers,  but 
only  one  of  them,  and  he  a  stranger,  returned  to  give  glory 
to  God.^ 

It  being  enquired  when  the  kingdom  of  God  should  come, 
Jesus  answered  that  it  would  not  come  with  observation, 
and  he  compared  the  advent  of  the  Son  of  man  to  a  flash  of 
lightning.  He  told  them  that  the  day  of  judgment  ought  to 
be  continually  the  object  of  the  thoughts  of  men,  as  it  would 
come  suddenly  upon  them ;  and  he  likened  that  day  to  the 
days  of  Noe  and  Lot,  when  death  unexpectedly  came  upon 
mankind.  He  also  spake  of  the  two  persons,  either  in  bed, 
or  at  the  mill,  or  in  the  field,  one  of  whom  would  be  chosen 
and  the  other  left.  The  bed  is  the  figure  of  the  church  in 
a  state  of  rest ;  our  Saviour  speaks  of  two  as  of  two  persons ; 
but  we  must  understand  the  expression  to  mean  two  states 
of  the  affections ;  for  he  who,  for  God's  sake,  practices  con- 
tinence, so  that,  living  without  any  worldly  cares,  he  may 
keep  his  thoughts  bent  upon  the  things  that  be  of  God,  will 
be  admitted  by  him  to  happiness  eternal.  He,  on  the  con- 
trary, who,  from  lote  of  the  praise  of  men,  although  free 
from  the  corruption  gf  other  vices,  tarnishes  the  purity  of 
the  monastic  life  to  which  he  is  devoted,  wiU  be  left  to 
eternal  misery;  as  Jeremiah  intimates  in  his  Lamenta- 
tions, when  he  describes  the  fall  of  an  idle  and  sinful  soul, 
under  the  figure  of  Judea,  in  these  words :  "  The  adversaries 
saw  her,  and  did  mock  at  her  sabbaths."*  The  two  women 
grinding  at  the  mill  (in  allusion  to  the  revolutions  of  tem- 

^  Matt,  xviii.  21,  22;  Luke  xvil  1—4. 

«  Matt.  xvii.  20;  Luke  xvii.  5—10. 

■  Luke  xvii  11—19.  *  Lament,  i.  7. 


tiP.Xin.]      THE   PHARISEE   AKD   THE  PTTBLICAIT.  ^9 

ral  affairs),  represent  the  yulgar  who  ought  to  be  goyemed 
their  teachers,  as  women  are  by  their  husbandsf,  and^ 
their  labours  in  various  arts,  minister  to  the  service 
the  church.  One  of  them  will  be  taken  because  she 
ers  the  wedded  state  only  &om  a  desire  to  have  children, 
[  makes  use  of  her  worldly  substance  to  obtain  heavenly 
les;  while  she  who  marries^  for  the  sake  of  carnal  enjoy- 
it  will  be  rejected.  But  whosoever  shall  offer  their  earthly 
ds  to  the  church  or  to  the  poor,  in  the  name  of  our 
d's  redemption,  shall  have  them  multiplied.  The  two 
I  in  the  field  represent  the  labourers  in  the  ministiy  of 
church,  performing  their  duties  as  in  the  field  of  0od. 
)  one  that  shall  have  published  the  word  of  Qod  sincerely 
be  chosen ;  but  he  that  shall  have  preached  Christ  im- 
fectly  and  carelessly  will  be  left.^ 

liese  three  classes  of  persons  constitute  the  church, 
eh  is  divided  into  two  distinct  portions — ^the  adopted 
the  rejected.  For  this  reason  the  prophet  Szekiel 
three  men  delivered — Noah,  Daniel,  and  Job,'  in 
>m  are  shadowed  the  preachers  of  the  gospel,  the  conti- 
t,  and  married  people.  For  Noah  guided  the  ark  on  the 
ers,  and  therefore  represents, those  who  govern;  Daniel, 
ining  the  gift  of  abstinence  even  at  the  court  of  a 
y,  showed  how  continent  men  live ;  but  Job,  although 
ted  to  a  wife  by  the  bonds  of  marriage,  and  obliged  to 
3  care  of  his  own  house,  pleased  God,  and  thus  worthily 
resents  the  class  of  good  married  people.  To  teach  ths^ 
L  ought  always  to  pray  and  not  to  faint,  the  Lord  spake 
parable  of  tne  widow  who  importuned  the  unjust  judge 
ivenge  her  of  her  adversary,  and  obtained,  by  incessant 
plication  and  weariness  of  the  judge,  what  she  solicited 
£  such  pertinacity.' 

^y  showmg  us  how  the  Pharisee  and  the  publican  prayed 
he  temple,  he  teaches  us  not  to  extol  our  merits,  out  to 
fess  our  sios.  The  righteous  pray  without  ceasing  that 
f  may  be  avenged  of  their  enemies,  so  that  all  the  wicked 
tdd  perish.  Now  the  wicked  perish  in  two  different  ways ; 
yeing  converted  to  righteousness,  or  in  losing  by  punish- 
it  the  power  to  do  wrong.* 

1  Luke  xvii.  20—37.  *  Ezek.  xiv.  14. 

»  Luke  xviii.  1—8.  *  Luke  xviii.  9—14, 

OL.  I.  E 


I 


50  OBDEBICTJS  TITALI8.  [bOOK  I. 

The  Lord  then  foretold  that  he  was  to  be  delivered  ta 
the  G^ntHes  at  Jerusalem,  and  suffer  on  the  cross ;  and  \ 
when  they  were  come  nigh  unto  Jericho,  he  heard  the>*' 
cries  of  a  blind  man  who  sat  by  the  wayside,  begging.' 
Jesus  stood  still,  and  commanded  him  to  be  brought  unto'l* 
him;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  learned  the  request  of  the*' 
blind  man,  he  mercifully  restored  his  sight.* 

And  as  Jesus    passed  through  Jericho,  he  saw   Zao--' 
cheus,  the  chief  among  the  publicans,  who  had  climbed" 
up  into  a  tree,  and  received  hospitality  at  the  house  of  this' 
man,  who  wished  Tcry  much  to  see  him.    And  when  the*^ 
Jews  murmured,  saying  that  he  was  gone  to  be  gaesi. 
with  a  man  that  is  a  sinner,  Zaccheus,  in  the  sinceritr  ' 
of  his  faith,  said  unto  the  Lord :  "  Behold,  Lord,  the  hiuF)^ 
my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor ;  and  if  I  hare  ta^en  any-^^  i 
thing  from  any  man  by  false  accusation,  I  restore  him  fonr-^ ' ' 
fold.      And  Jesus  said  unto  him :  "  This  day  is  salyationf'' 
come  to  this  house,  forasmuch  as  he  also  is  a  son  of  Abra-"^  '. 
ham.    For  the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that^^ 
which  was  lost."'  * 

He  then  spake  the  parable  of  a  certain  nobleman  wboi.'  ] 
went  into  a  far  country  to  receive  for  himself  a  kingdom,  ' 
and  to  return,  after  he  had  delivered  ten  pounds  to  hiS'-' 
servants  to  trade  with.  "When  he  was  returned,  the  first "  \ 
came,  saying :  "  Lord,  thy  pound  hath  gained  ten  pounds.**  *; 
This  first  servant  is  the  order  of  teachers  sent  to  the  circum- 
cised; he  received  one  pound  for  the  purpose  of  trad^" 
because  he  is  commanded  to  preach  "  one  Lord,  one  faith, '. 
one  baptism,  one  God."'  Now  this  same  pound  hath  gained 
ten  pounds,  for  this  reason  —  that  he  nas,  by  preaching' 
the  word,  drawn  to  him  the  people  living  under  the 
law.  When  he  had  been  rewarded  to  his  great  satisfaction, 
the  second  came,  saying:  "Lord,  thy  pound  hath  gained 
five  pounds."  This  servant  represents  the  company  of 
those  who  were  sent  to  announce  the  gospel  to  the  uncir- 
cumcised,  and  are  deservedly,  by  a  divine  decree,  placed 
at  the  head  of  those  who,  through  their  ministry,  are  con-  \ 
verted  to  the  worship  of  one  &od,  having  mortified  the. 
deeds  of  the  flesh.     On  the  other  hand,  the  servant  who,     \ 

»  Matt  XX.  18,19,30— 34; Mark  X.  32—34, 46—52;  LukexviiL31— 431     ! 
•  Luke  xix.  1 — 10.  •  Ephes.  iv.  5,  6. 


!HAP.  XIV.]  BAISINO  OT   LAZAETIS.  61 

rhen  he  was  commanded  to  trade  with  the  money  entrusted 

o  him  by  his  master,  kept  the  pound  laid  up  in  a  napkin, 

a  the  figure  of  those  who,   although   they  may  be  fit 

persons  lor  preaching   the  gospel,  in   obedience   to   the 

Lord's  commands,  through  the  church,   either  decline  to 

undertake  that  duty,  or  perform  it  unworthily.     To  tie  up 

the  money  in  a  napkin,  is  to  conceal  the  gifts  we  have 

received  in  sloth  and  uselessness.    By  this  parable,  then, 

¥d   understand    that   the  two  faithnil  servants  are  the 

teachers  of  both  peoples;  that  the  ton  pounds  and  the 

'.  fire  pounds  mean  behevers  in  Gt)d ;  that  by  the  wicked 

seirant  are  represented  bad  Catholics;  by  the  enemies, 

who  would  not  allow  the  real  heir  to  reign  over  them, 

i  the  impiety  of  those  who  prefer  never  to  hear  the  word  ot 

\  truth,  or  corrupt  it  by  flwse  interpretations.     By  reaping 

[  where  seed  had  not  been  sown,^  he  means  the  separation  of 

those  who  never  heard  the  word  of  G-od.    The  whole  human 

race  that  is  to  appear  at  the  day  of  judgment,  is  certainly 

represented  by  these  five  persons.    And  when  he  had  thus 

spoken,  he  went  before,  ascending  up  to  Jerusalem.' 

St.  John  alone  mentions  that,  at  the  feast  of  the  dedi- 
cation, in  the  winter,  the  Jews  said  to  Jesus,  who  was 
walking  in  Solomon's  porch :  "  How  long  dost  thou  make 
us  to  doubt?  If  thou  be  the  Christ,  tell  us  plainly." 
Taking  advantage  of  this  opportunity  of  teaching  them,  he 
answered :  "  I  and  my  Eather  are  one ; "  and  uttered  many 
other  sublime  words.  For  this  reason  the  Jews,  blinded 
bj  malice,  took  up  stones  to  stone  him  [but  he  escaped 
out  of  their  hand].  Alter  this,  he  went  away  again  be- 
yond Jordan,  into  the  place  where  John  at  first  baptized; 
and  there  he  abode.  And  many  resorted  unto  him,  and 
believed  on  him  there.' 

Ch.  XIV.    Lazarus  restored  to  life. 

A  GEBTAXsr  man,  named  Lazarus,  was  sick  at  Bethany; 
and  his  sisters,  Mary  and  Martha,  sent  unto  Jesus,  saying : 
"Lord,  behold,  he  whom  thou  lovest  is  sick."  "When 
Jesus  heard  that,  he  said :  *^  This  sickness  is  not  imto 
death,  but  tor  the  glory* of  G-od,  that  the  Son  of  GK)d 

»  Luke  xix.  21.  *  Matt.  xxv.  14—30-  Luke  xix.  11—20. 

»  John  X,  22—42. 

E  2 


52  OBDEBicrs  YiTALis.  [boos  : 

miglit  be  glorified  thereby."  Then  he  abode  two  days  h 
the  same  place,  and  after  that  went  into  Judea  again 
and  found  that  Lazarus  had  lain  in  the  grave  four  dayi 
already.  Martha,  as  soon  as  she  heard  that  Jesus  wtt 
coming,  being  strong  in  faith,  went  and  met  him,  and  said} 
"  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not  died.** 
She  who  loudly  lamented  the  loss  of  her  brother,  spoke  to 
our  Lord  with  composure,  and  after  a  short  conference  wiH 
Christ,  during  which  she  made  a  true  confession  of  M^ 
that  is  to  say,  acknowledged  him  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  til* 
life  and  the  resurrection,  she  called  Mary  her  sister,  sayisg 
to  her  in  a  low  voice :  "  The  Master  is  come,  and  calleth  ftf 
thee."  Mary  arose  quickly,  and  went  out  of  the  town  to 
the  place  where  Jesus  had  stopped ;  and  when  she  saw  hini} 
she  fell  down  at  his  feet,  saying :  "  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  heei 
here,  my  brother  had  not  died."  He — an  inexhaustiUe 
fountain  of  pity — ^wept,  in  the  midst  of  her  friends  weeping, 
the  death  of  the  friend  they  had  lost ;  but  his  tears  caused 
them  ineffable  joy.  Jesus,  groaning  in  himself,  came  to  th6 
grave,  and  commanded  them  to  take  away  the  stone  frdd 
the  mouth,  and  then,  with  a  loud  voice,  called  him  who,  in 
four  days,  had  become  putrid;  "Lazarus,  come  forth."  Md 
straightway  he  came  forth,  bound  hand  and  foot  with  grat^ 
clothes ;  and  the  Lord  immediately  ordered  his  disciples  to 
loose  him  and  let  him  go.  After  the  performance  of  thii 
glorious  miracle,  which  ought  to  be  celebrated  to  the 
end  of  time,  they  did  not  all  believe  in  Jesus,  but  many  d 
the  Jews  who  came  to  Mary  and  Martha  to  comfort  them, 
and  saw  the  unhoped-for  resurrection  of  Lazarus,  confessed 
their  belief  in  Christ.^ 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  Lord  raised  several  pep" 
sons  from  the  dead ;  however,  in  the  holy  Gk)spel,  by  reasoii 
of  a  certain  mystery,  we  read  of  three  resurrections  onty. 
By  the  daughter  of  the  chief  of  the  synagogue,  who  was  le^ 
stored  to  life  in  her  father's  house  before  a  small  number  ol 
witnesses,  those  sinners  are  signified,  who  shut  up  their  sinti 
propensities  within  their  conscience,  and  do  not  suffer  them  to 
Dreak  out.  These  are  often  raised  to  spiritual  life  by  a  diviiu 
influence,  which  recalls  them  by  secret  checks  from  a  dti^ 
praved  will.   The  son  of  the  widow,  who  was  carried  beyouid 

*  John  xL  1 — 45. 


1 

I 

2 


.CIAP.XIT.]  EAISIKO  OF  THE  DEAD.  58 

ihe  gates  of  the  city,  and  restored  to  life  by  Christ*  before 
•  multitade  of  witnesses,  represents  those  guilty  persons, 
who,  afier  consenting  to  perpetrate  a  crime,  go  forbh,  and, 
as  it  were,  draw  death  from  the  darkest  recesses  of  their 
«oiil ;  80  that  what  was  hidden  in  a  secret  comer,  at  last 
ttmeara  before  the  whole  world.  Such  men  are  often  admo- 
niMied  to  their '  salvation,  and  restored  to  life  in  a  divine 
mainiAr  by  the  remedy  of  a  true  conversion,  as  many 
know  to  their  great  joy.  In  Lazarus,  already  buried,  already 
in  a  state  of  putrefaction,  we  have  a  figure  of  those  sinners 
who  are  fetteml  with  the  bonds  of  depraved  habits,  to  such 
a  degree  that  wickedness  has  become  so  familiar  to  them, 
iliat  it  does  not  allow  them  to  become  sensible  of  the 

IheiDOiisness  of  the  sin  that  they  are  committing ;  for  which 
reuKOL  they  ofben  excuse  the  evil  they  do ;  and  are  already 
crashed,  as  it  were,  imder  the  immense  weight  of  theii 
{uilt.  They  presume  to  be  angry  when  they  are  reproved, 
tnd  are  contmually  depraved  by  false  praise,  while  their 
iiieighbaaTS,  observing  them,  are  also  injured.  Lastly,  those 
who,  in  the  opinion  of  the  world,  are  considered  worthy  of 
3  eondemnation,  are  nevertheless  internally  vivified  by  the 
naoe  of  Gk>d,  and  are  afterwards  absolved  through  the 
igenc^r  of  the  priest. 

Or  in  other  words,  every  man  is  bom  in  a  state  of  death 
htnight  on  us  by  original  sin.  The  first  day  of  death  is  that 
vhicn  witnesses  his  birth ;  the  second  day,  when,  as  he  in- 
tteases  in  stature,  the  boy  becomes  a  man ;  arriviag  at  ye£irs 
of  discretion,  he  begins  to  find  innately  in  his  own  heart  the 
law  which  naturally  teaches  men  not  to  do  unto  others  what 
iiiej  would  not  have  others  do  unto  them:  but,  unfortu- 
Bately,  they  ofben  venture  to  transgress  this  law.  The  third 
day  of  death  takes  place  when  the  written  law  is  given  to 
nan,  but  this  also  he  despises.  After  all  Christ  came; 
brought  with  him  the  Gospel,  preached  the  kingdom  of 
Iwaven,  threatened  all  sinners  with  the  torments  of  G-e* 
henna,  but  promised  eternal  life  to  the  righteous.  The 
Gospel  itself  is  despised,  and  this  is  the  fourth  day  of  death, 
as  Iiasarus  lay  in  the  tomb.  Or  again,  we  might  say, 
that  the  four  steps  that  lead  a  sinner  to  destruction,  and 
firing  him  to  the  grave  in  which  he  decays,  are :  firstly,  in- 
dination  of  the  heart ;  secondly,  consent ;  thirdly,  action ; 


M  OEBEBICTJS  TITALIS.  [bOOKL 

fourtlilj,  habit.  But  the  grace  of  God  recalls  those  who 
have  been  removed  far  from  him  bv  sin,  and  restores  to  lift 
those  who  were  sinking  under  the  weight  of  their  sins. 

When  the  wonderM  miracle  of  the  divine  power  wtt 
published  abroad  by  the  reports  of  many  witnesses,  who,  to 
satisfy  their  curiosity,  had  examined  on  the  spot  by  what 
unknown  law  Lazarus  issued  from  the  grave,  the  cbkf 
priests  and  the  Pharisees  gathered  a  council  to  conspire 
against  Christ ;  and  when  they  heard  what  Caiaphas  piO; 

Shesied,  they  took  counsel  together  to  put  him  to  d&^ 
esus,  therefore,  went  thence  unto  a  country  near  to  the 
wilderness,  into  a  city  called  Ephrem,  and  there  conti- 
nued with  his  disciples.  Now,  both  the  chief  prieetl' 
and  their  accomplices  had  given  a  commandment  that  if 
any  man  knew  where  he  was,  he  should  make  it  known, 
that  they  might  take  him:  for  they  were  afraid  that  all 
men  would  follow  him,  and  that  the  Bomans  would  coise 
and  take  away  the  kingdom  from  them.^ 

Then  Jesus,  six  days  before  the  passover,  came  to  Bethany, 
and  there  they  made  him  a  supper;  and  Martha  served, 
but  Lazarus  sat  at  the  table.  Then  took  M-aty  a  pound  ol 
ointment  of  spikenard  [un^tienttim  nardi  jpistici],  Y&rj 
costly,  and  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  wiped  them 
with  her  hair.  Spikenard  is  a  kind  of  aromatic.  JPisfu 
[vicrtg]  in  G-reek,  Jides  in  Latin,  means  faith ;  for.  that 
reason  the  ointment  is  called  pisticwn,  that  is  to  say,  &ith- 
ful,  because  a  corpse,  when  anointed  with  it,  is  preserved 
from  putrefaction.  The  house  was  fiUed  with  the 
odour  of  the  ointment,  as  the  church  is  perfumed  "^  the 
good  report  of  a  religious  life.  "When  the  traitor  Judas, 
who  was  a  thief,  and  had  the  ba^,  smelt  the  sweet  odoui 
with  which  the  house  was  fiUed,  he  was  offended,  and  re- 
buked this  faithful  and  devoted  woman  for  what  she  hftd 
done.  But  the  Lord  mildlv  answered  his  harsh  upfandd- 
ings :  "  Let  her  alone,  for  sne  hath  wrought  a  good  work 
upon  me.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  in  the  whole  world  shaU 
this,  th&t  this  woman  hath  done,  be  told  for  a  memorial  dil 
het."» 

Many  Jews  who  went  to  Bethany,  drawn  thither  by  thai 

*  John  xi.  46 — 67. 

'  Matt.  xxvi.  6—18;  Mark  xiv.  3—9;  John  xii.  1—8. 


CHAP.  XT.]      CHBIST'^  EHTBI  I17T0  JERUSALEM.  BS 

cariosity,  saw  Lazarus  eating  at  the  same  table  as  Christ, 
jnd  joyfully  bore  witness  to  the  miracle.  The  jealous 
Pharisees  consulted  that  they  might,  therefore,  put  the 
resuscitated  man  to  death ;  but  in  vain  did  they  enaeayour 
to  oppose  the  almighty  power  of  Christ.^ 

Ch.  XY.     Christ* s  triumphcmt  entry  into  Jerusalem-^' 

Teaches  in  the  Temple. 

On  the  next  day  much  people  who  were  eome  to  the 
feast,  when  they  heard  that  Jesus  was  coming  to  Jeru- 
salem, took  branches  of  palm-trees,  and  went  forth  to  meet 
him.  As  the  hour  of  his  immolation  drew  nigh,  the  Lamb  of 
God  proceeded  towards  the  spot  that  was  to  witness  his 
uassion.     When  he  was  come  to  Bethphage,  imto  the 
j£ount  of  Olives,  Jesus  sent  forth  two  of  his  disciples,  say- 
mg:  **  Go  into  the  village  over  against  you,  and  straightway 
ye  shall  find  an  ass  tied,  and  a  colt  with  her :  loose  them,  and 
bring  them  unto  me."    And  the  disciples  went  and  brought 
&  ass  and  the  colt,  and  put  on  them  their  clothes,  and 
they  set  him  thereon,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was 
^Nwen  by 'the  prophet  long  before:  ''Behold,  thy  king 
eometh  unto  thee," — ^not  sitting  in  a  golden  chariot  arrayed 
in  splendid  purple,  nor  does  he  mount  a  fiery  steed,  to  take 
^  lead  in  discord  and  strife, — ^but  is  sitting  upon  an  ass, 
tiiat  loves  tranquillity  and  peace.    He  is  not  surrounded 
wi^i  guttering  swords,  but  he  eometh  unto  thee,  meek ;  not 
to  be  dreaded  for  his  power,  but  to  be  loved  for  his  gentle- 
ness.   And  a  very  great  multitude  spread  their  garments 
in  the  way ;  others  cut  down  branches  from  the  trees,  and 
stniwed  uiem  in  the  way.    And  the  multitudes  that  went 
before,  and  that  followed,  cried,  saying :  ''  Hosanna  to  the 
Son  of  David !    Blessed  is  he  that  eometh  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord!    Blessed  be  the  kingdom  of  our  father  David! 
Hosanna  in  the  highest!"     Some  of  the  Pharisees  said. 
imto  him,  "  Master,  rebuke  thy  disciples ;"  but  he  answered 
and  said  unto  them, ''  I  tell  you,  that  if  these  should  hold 
tfamr  peace,  the  stones  would  immediately  cry  out."'    And 
when  he  was  come  near,  he  beheld  the  city,  and  wept  over 
it,  and,  as  he  foreknew  every  thing  that  was  to  happen, 

"  John  xiL  9—11. 

«  Matt.  xxi.  1—9;  Mark  xi,  1— 10;  Lake  xix.  29-40;  John  xii.  12—15. 


iS6  OSDEBICTTS  TITALI9.  [bOOK  I^ 

fofpetolA  all  the  ills  that  threatened  it,  because  it  knew  not 
the  time  of  its  risitation.  And  when  he  was  come  into 
Jerusalem,  all  the  city  was  moyed,  saying :  '*  Who  is 
this  ?"  And  the  multitude  said,  "  This  is  Jesus,  the  pro- 
phet of  Nazareth  of  Gtdilee.*'  Jesus  went  into  the  templa 
of  Gt)dy  and  cast  out  all  them  that  sold  and  bought, 
and  overthrew  the  tables  of  the  money-changers,  and  the 
seats  of  them  that  sold  doves,  saying :  **  It  is  written,  My 
house  shall  be  called  the  house  of  prayer;  but  ye  hai^ 
made  it  a  den  of  thieves.'^  And  the  blind  and  the  lame 
eame  to  him  in  the  temple,  and  he  healed  them.  And 
when  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  saw  the  wonderful  things 
that  he  did,  and  the  children  crying,  with  signs  of  gratefol 
joy:  "Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David!"  they  were  sore 
d^leased,  and,  filled  with  bitter  envy,  they  said  unto  him : 
**  Hearest  thou  what  these  say  ?"  Jesus  answered,  **  Tea, 
have  ye  never  read.  Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  suck* 
lings  thou  hast  perfected  praise  ?"^ 

And  when  Jesus  had  looked  round  about  upon  all  things, 
he  left  fchese  evil-disposed  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  went 
but  unto  Bethany  with  the  twelve,  and  lodged  there.  Now 
in  the  morning,  as  he  returned  into  the  city,  he  hungered, 
and  coming  to  a  fig-tree  that  stood  by  the  wayside,  and 
finding  nothing  thereon  but  leaves  only,  he  cursed  it,  say- 
ing: "Let  no  fruit  grow  on  thee  henceforward  for  ever.** 
And  presently  the  fig-tree  withered  away !  This  tree  was 
the  true  figure  of  the  synagogue,  which  had  the  letter  of 
the  law,  but  bore  no  fruit,' 

In  the  temple,  they  asked  him  by  what  authority  he 
did  such  wonderful  things ;  but  instead  of  answering  their 
question,  he  inquired  of  them  whether  the  baptism  of 
John  was  from  neaven  or  of  men.  Christ  by  this  short 
question  baffled  their  crafty  designs,  and  stopped  their 
mouths;  for  malice  prevented  their  confessing  the  truths 
that  it  came  from  heaven,  and  they  were  not  bold  enough 
to  deny  it  openly,  because  they  feared  the  people. 

He  then  laid  before  them  the  parable  of  the  two  sons, 

I  Isa.  Ivi.  7  ;  Jer.  vii.  1 1 ;  Matt.  xxi.  10—13 ;  Mark  xi.  15—17 ;  Luke 
xix.  4 1 — 46 ;  John  il  13—16. 

»  Matt  xxi.  14—16. 
.  ■  Matt.  xxi.  17—19;  Mark  xi.  11—14,  20. 


CHAP.  It.]  TEOUTE-MOirKT.  57 

irhom  their  father  sent  to  work  in  his  rineyard ;  and  who 
began  and  «aded  their  day  so  differently ;  for  one  obeyed 
the  will  of  his  Anther,  not  in  word,  but  in  deed ;  while  the 
other  disobeyed  him,  and  showed  his  contempt  of  his  father  s 
aathoiity  not  by  word  of  mouth,  but  by  his  actions.^ 

The  Lord  also  added  the  parable  of  the  householder 
which  planted  a  vineyard,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen, 
and  went  into  a  for  country.  Now  these  men  took  the 
servants  whom  he  had  sent  to  receive  the  fruits  of  the 
mieyard^  and  beat  one,  as  Jeremiah;  killed  another,  as 
luiah;  stoned  another,  as  Naboth  and  Zacharias;  and, 
Iwtlj,  crocified  the  Son  of  God.  The  servants  suc- 
cessively sent  typify  the  law,  the  psalms,  and  the  pro- 
bacies; by  whose  teaching  men  might  learn  to  do 
riglit.  But  the  messengers  are  beaten  and  driven  away, 
when  the  word  is  despised,  or,  what  is  worse,  blasphemed. 
Qe  who  tramples  under  foot  the  Son  of  Grod,  and  doea 
despite  unto  the  Spirit  of  grace,  kills,  as  far  as  he  is 
able,  the  heir  to  the  vineyard.  When  the  wicked  hus- 
bftadman  ia  destroyed,  the  vineyard  is  given  to  another ; 
while  the  proud  lose  the  gifb  of  grace,  the  humble  receive 

Jesus  spake  a  third  parable  unto  them,  of  a  certain 
king  whidh  made  a  marmge  for  his  son ;  and  when  they 
that  were  bidden  to  the  wedding  made  light  of  it,  he  sent 
forth  his  armies,  and  punished  them.^ 

The  Pharisees  with  the  Herodians  tempted  him,  by 
asking  if  it  were  lawful  to  give  tribute  imto  Caesar,  or 
not.  When  they  had  brought  unto  him  a  penny,  Jesus 
answered :  ''  Bender  unto  CsBsar  the  things  that  are  Csesar*s, 
and  unto  Gt)d  the  things  that  are  Gt)d's.''* 

The  Sadducees  also  attempted  to  make  him  faU  into 
ft  snare,  by  describing  the  case  of  the  woman  who  had 
seven  husbands,  and  asking  him:  ''In  the  resurrection, 
whose  wife  shall  she  be  of  them?"  Jesus  answered: 
"Te  do  err,  not  knowing  the  scriptures,  nor  the  power  of 
God.    Por  in  the  resurrection  they  neither  marry,  nor  are 

>  Matt.  xxi.  23—32;  Mark  xl  27—33;  Lujce  xx.  1—8.    ^ 
*  Matt  xxi.  33-^1 ;  Mark  xii.  1—9;  Luke  xx.  9-16. 
■  Matt.  xxiL  * — 7. 
.  ^  Matt.  xzii.  15—21;  Mark  xil  13—17;  ^uke  xx.  2(K— 25. 


58  OBDEBICUS  YITAUS.  [bOOE  I. 

fiven  in  marriage,  but  are  as  the  angels  of  G-od  in  heayen." 
n  this  manner  the  good  Master  inspires  the  children  of 
the  church  with  confidence,  that,  at  ^e  resurrection,  they' 
will  enjoy  the  vision  of  God,  unspotted  by  corruption.^ 

When  he  was  questioned  by  tne  doctor  of  the  law  as  to 
which  was  the  great  commandment  in  it,  he  said :  ''  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all 
thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  first  and  great 
commandment.  And  the  second  is  like  unto  it:  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  On  these  two  com- 
mandments hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets."  He  now 
asked  the  Pharisees  whose  son  Christ  was ;  and  confounded 
them,  showing  them  that  he  was  the  Lord  of  David,  and  thus 
put  them  to  silence  so  effectually,  that  no  man  ''  durst, 
m)m  that  day  forth,  ask  him  any  more  questions;"  but 
now  they  began  openly  to  take  steps  to  deliver  him  into  the 
hands  of  the  Eomans.'  Then  spake  Jesus  to  the  multitude, 
and  to  his  disciples :  ''  The  Scribes  and  the  Pharisees  sit  in 
Moses'  seat;  all,  therefore,  whatsoever  they  bid  you  observe, 
that  observe  and  do ;  but  do  not  ye  afber  their  works :  for  they 
say  and  do  not.  For  they  bind  heavy  burdens,  and  grievous 
to  be  borne,  and  lay  them  on  men's  shoulders ;  but  they  them- 
selves will  not  move  them  with  one  of  their  fingers.  But 
all  their  works  they  do  to  be  seen  of  men ;  they  make  broad 
their  phylacteries,  and  enlarge  the  borders  of  their  gar- 
ments, and  love  the  uppermost  rooms  at  feasts,  and  tiie 
chief  seats  in  the  synagogues,  and  greetings  in  the  markets, 
and  to  be  called  of  men,  BabbL  But  be  not  ye  called 
Babbi;  for  one  is  your  Master,  and  all  ye  are  brethren. 
And  call  no  man  your  father  upon  the  earth;  for  one  is 
your  Father,  which  is  in  heaven.  Neither  be  ye  called 
masters ;  for  one  is  your  Master,  even  Christ.  But  he  that 
is  greatest  among  you  shall  be  your  servant.  And  whosoever 
sh^  exalt  himself  shall  be  abased ;  and  he  that  shall  humble 
himself  shall  be  exalted.  Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  an^ 
Pharisees,  hypocrites,  who  shut  up  the  kmgdom  of  heaven, 
against  men ;  for  ye  neither  go  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer 
ye  them  that  are  entering  to  go  in."  Li  this  manner  Jesuis 
uttered  many  things  for  the  benefit  of  mankind,  teaching 

*  Matt  xxil  23—30;  Mark  xil  18—27;  Luke  xx.  27—36. 
?  Matt  xxil  34—46;  Mark  xii.  28—37;  Luke  xx.  41-^4. 


CHAP.XV.]  DESTEUCTION  OF  THE  TEMPLE  TOEETOLD.  59 

the  simple,  but  confounding  the  hypocrites.  Ho  spoke 
of  those  who  swear  by  the  temple,  and  by  the  gold  that 
is  in  the  temple ;  of  the  altar,  and  the  gifts  that  are 
thereon;  of  the  divine  mercy,  which  had  sent  unto  them 
prophets,  and  wise  men,  and  Scribes,  and  of  the  cruelty 
of  the  Jews,  which  was  exhibited  in  the  various  kinds  of 
death  which  they  inflicted  upon  those  who  were  sent  from 
Qod.  He  mourned  over  Jerusalem,  lamenting,  not  the 
buildinjgs,  but  the  inhabitants.  Twice  he  repeated,  in  a 
Borrowral  tone :  "  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem !  wmch  slew  the 
prophets,  and  would  not  repent  of  her  wickedness."  * 

On  Jesus  departing  from  the  temple,  and  his  disciples 
pointing  to  the  magnificent  buildings,  he  answered: 
^^  There  shall  not  be  lefb  one  stone  upon  another,  that 
Bhall  not  be  thrown  down."  And  as  he  sat  upon  the 
Kount  of  Olives,  his  disciples  privately  questioned  him,  as 
Matthew  and  Mark  affirm,  about  the  time  and  the  signs 
of  this  predicted  destruction.  To  their  inquiry  as  to  when 
the  end  of  the  world  should  be,  he  answered  that  many 
great  calamities  would  come  to  pass  before  that  day,  wars 
between  nation  and  nation,  earthquakes  in  divers  places, 
pestQences,  and  famines ;  fearful  sights  from  heaven,  and 
great  signs.  He  foretold  many  things  relating  to  the  per- 
secutions they  would  have  to  suffer,  and  to  his  ow^  coming 
on  the  earth;  warning  the  faithftd,  when  they  were  delivered 
up,  to  take  no  thought  beforehand  what  they  should  speak, 
but  in  their  patience  to  possess  their  souls.  He  predicted 
that  Jerusalem  would  be  compassed  with  an  army,  and  then 
woe  unto  them  that  are  witn  child ;  that  they  would  fall 
by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  or  be  led  away  captive  into  all 
nations;  that  there  would  be  signs  in  heaven;  and  that 
they  would  see  him  coming  in  a  cloud  with  power  and  great 
dory.  "Then  look  up,"  said  he,  "for  your  redemption 
oraweth  nigh."  Forbidding  drunkenness  and  the  cares  of 
this  life,  he  exhorted  them  to  watch  and  to  pray  always. 
He  i^ebuked  the  scribes  for  their  pride,  and  declared  that 
the  widow  who  threw  two  mites  into  the  treasury  had  cast 
in  more  than  they  all.' 

In  the  parable  of  the  fig-tree,  he  teaches  us  how  the  end 

^  Matt,  xxiil;  Maik  xii.  38—40;  Luke  zx.  45—47. 

*  Matt  xxiv.;  Mark  xii.  38 — 44;  xiii.;  Luke  xx.  45—47;  xxi.  I — 36, 


fe 


60  OBDEEICTTS  VITALIfl.  [bOOK  1 

of  the  world  will  come.  He  relates  the  parables  of  the  tei 
virgins,  and  of  the  householder  who  left  his  servants  ii 
eh^ge  of  his  goods,  and  went  into  a  far  country ;  describe 
the  advent  of  the  Son  of  man  in  his  glory,  and  all  the  hoi; 
angels  with  him ;  speaks  of  the  sheep  that  are  to  be  set  oi 
his  right  hand,  separated  &om  the  goats  that  are  to  h 
placed  on  his  left ;  of  the  retribution  of  the  wicked,  wh( 
are  to  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment;  and  of  th( 
reward  of  the  righteous,  who  are  to  go  away  into  lif( 
eternal.^ 

Ch.  XVI.     The  Jioly  supper  instituted^ — Ohrisfs  discourse, 

Now,  the  first  day  of  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread 
the  disciples  came  to  Jesus,  saying  unto  him:  "When 
wilt  thou  that  we  prepare  for  thee  to  eat  the  Pass 
over  ?"  And  he  said  unto  Peter  and  John :  "  Gk)  ye  iaU 
the  city,  to  a  certain  man,  whom  one  bearing  a  pitcher  o 
water  shall  point  out  to  you;  follow  him  into  the  hou8( 
where  he  entereth  in,  and  say  ye  to  the  good  man  of  the 
house :  Where  is  the  guest-chamber,  where  I  shall  eat  the 
Passover  with  my  disciples  ?  And  he  will  shew  you  a  large 
upper  room  furnished ;  there  make  ready."  And  they  weni 
forth,  and  found  as  he  had  said  unto  them ;  and  they  mad( 
ready  the  Passover.  And  in  the  evening,  he  came  with  the 
twelve,  and  as  they  sat  he  said  unto  them :  "  With  desire  ] 
have  desired  to  eat  this  Passover  with  you  before  I  suffer 
Por  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  any  more  eat  thereof,  until  it  be 
fulfilled  in  the  Wgdom  of  Gt)d."'  According  to  St.  John, 
the  supper  being  ended,  the  devil  having  now  put  into  the 
heart  of  Judas  Iscariot,  Simon's  son,  to  betray  him ;  Jesus 
knowing  that  the  Father  had  given  all  things  into  hit 
hands,  and  that  he  was  come  from  Gk)d  and  went  to  Qod 
rose  from  supper,  aud  laid  aside  his  garments,  and  tool 
a  towel,  and  girded  himself.  After  that,  he  poured  watei 
into  a  basin,  and  began  to  wash  the  disciples*  feet,  and  tc 
wipe  them  with  the  towel  wherewith  he  was  girded.  Aitei 
he  had  washed  their  feet,  and  had  taken  his  garments,  anc 
was  set  down  again,  he  said  unto  them :  "  Know  ye  what  ] 

1  Matt.  xxiv.  82,  33 ;  xxv.;  Mark  xiii.  28,  29 ;  Luke  xix.  ll— 27. 
«  Matt  xxvi.  17—20;  Mark  xiv.  12—17;  Luke  xxii.  7—16. 
.•  Jotu  xiii.  1—20. 


CHAP.  XVI.]  THE   LAST  SVPPEB.  61 

kye  done  to  you  P  Te  call  me  Master  and  Lord,  and  ye 
say  well ;  for  so  I  am.  If  I,  then,  your  Lord  and  Master, 
have  washed  your  feet,  ye  also  ought  to  wash  one  another's 
feet."  And  so  on,  until  he  says:  ^'He  that  receiveth  me, 
recdyeth  him  that  sent  me." 

Saint  Matthew  relates  that,  as  his  disciples  did  eat,  Jesus 
said:  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  one  of  you  shall 
betray  me."  And  they  were  exceeding  sorrowful,  and  hegaii 
every  one  of  them  to  say:  "Lord,  is  it  I?"  And  he 
answered  and  said :  "  He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in 
the  dish,  the  same  shall  betray  me."  And,  as  they  were 
eating,  Jesus  took  bread,  and  blessed  it,  and  brake  it,  and 
gave  it  to  the  disciples,  and  said :  "  Take,  eat ;  this  is  my 
body."  And  taking  the  cup,  he  gave  thanks,  and  gave  it  to 
them,  saying :  "  Draik  ye  all  of  it ;  for  this  is  my  blood  of 
the  New  Testament,  wmch  is  shed  for  many  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins.  But  I  say  imto  you :  I  wiQ  not  drink  hence- 
forth of  this  fruit  of  the  vine,  imtil  that  day  when  I  drink 
it  new  with  you  in  my  Father's  kingdom."* 

The  Lord,  on  the  night  when  he  was  delivered  up,  prayed 
three  times;  to  show  us  that  we  should  pray  to  be  par- 
doned for  our  past  sins,  to  be  protected  from  present 
evils,  and  to  be  warned  against  future  perils;  addressing 
all  our  prayers  to  the  Eather,  and  the  Son,  and  the  Holy. 
Ghost.  It  is  also  to  be  remarked  that  as  the  temptation 
of  desire  is  triple,  so  is  also  the  temptation  of  fear :  lust 
of  the  flesh,  lust  of  the  eyes,  worldly  ambition;  fear  of 
death,  fear  of  shame,  fear  of  pain.  Against  all  which  he 
teaches  us  that  we  ought  to  fortify  ourselves  by  prayer. 
Por  which  reas(m  we  understand  why  the  Lord  prayed  three 
times  on  account  of  the  triple  temptation  of  his  passion. 

That  great  divine,  St.  John,  relates  that  Jesus,  after  he 
had  washed  the  feet  of  Peter,  who  reluctantly  submitted, 
an^  the  other  apostles,  obscurely  pointed  out  his  betrayer  by 
referring  to  the  mysterious  prophecies  contained  in  Scrip- 
ture, saying :  "  He  that  eateth  bread  with  me  will  lifb  up 
his  heel  against  me."  Afterwards,  when  he  had  determined 
to  make  mm  better  known,  he  was  troubled  in  spirit,  and 
testified,  and  said:  "Yerily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that 
one  of  you  shall  betray  me."  Then  the  disciples  looked 
»  Matt.  xxvL  21—29;  Mark  adv.  18—25;  Luke  xxii.  17—23. 


62  ORDEEICTTS  TITALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

one  on  another,  doubting  of  whom  be  spake.  And  Simon 
Peter  beckoned  to  John,  who  was  leaning  on  Jesus' 
bosom,  and  John  asked  bun:  "Lord,  who  is  it?"  Jesus 
answered:  "He  it  is  to  whom  I  shall  give  a  sop,  when  I 
have  dipped  it."  And  when  he  had  dipped  the  sop,  he 
gave  it  to  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon.  And  after  the 
sop,  Satan  entered  into  him.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  him. 
"  That  thou  doest,  do  quickly."  Now  no  man  at  the  table 
knew  for  what  intent  he  spake  this  unto  him.  He  then 
went  immediately  out ;  and  it  was  night.  Therefore,  when 
he  was  gone  out,  Jesus  said:  "Now  is  the  Son  of  man 
glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in  him."  And  many  other 
words  of  deep  meaning  spake  Jesus,  concerning  the  true 
love  of  Q-od  and  of  one's  neighbour,  the  imity  of  the  Tri- 
nity, Peter's  denying  him  thrice,  and  the  coming  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  comfort  them;  on  the  observance  ot  God's  com- 
mandments, and  the  rewards  prepared  for  the  righteous ;  of 
the  persecutions  of  the  faithful,  and  the  inevitable  condem- 
nation of  the  wicked ;  the  dispersion  of  his  disciples ;  and  his 
own  passion,  now  nigh  at  hand. 

"Wnen  Jesus  had  fiiiished  this  incomparable  discourse,  he 
lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  audibly  addressed  a  com- 
passionate prayer  to  his  Pather  on  behalf  of  his  disciples  and 
all  those  that  shoidd  believe  in  God  through  theur  word. 
In  this  prayer  the  merciful  speaker  implored  his  Father  to 
grant  us  much  more  than  our  human  frailty  would  ever 
presume  to  ask.^ 

Then,  according  to  St.  Luke,  there  was  a  strife  among  his 
disciples,  which  oi  them  should  be  accounted  the  greatest ; 
but  their  heavenly  Teacher  recalled  them  to  a  sense  of 
humility  by  his  example  and  sayings.  He  thus  kindly  put 
a  stop  to  the  contention  among  his  weak-minded  disciples, 
declaring  that  his  love  for  them  led  him  to  be  their  servant. 
He  also  promised  a  kingdom  to  those  who  had  continued 
with  him  in  his  temptations;  and,  after  further  discourse 
he  said  to  Peter,  when  rashly  boasting :  "  Simon,  behold, 
Satan  hath  desired  to  have  you,  that  he  mav  sift  you  as 
wheat ;  but  I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not ; 
and  when  thou  art  converted,  strengthen  thy  brethren." 
And  he  said  unto  him :  "  Lord,  I  am  ready  to  go  with  thee, 

*  John  xiiL  18 — ^xyii.  26. 


i^. 


lAP.  XTTI.]  CJHEIST  AERESTED.  63 

3th  into  prison  and  to  death."  Jesus  answered :  "  I  tell 
lee,  Peter,  the  cock  shall  not  crow  this  day  before  that 
lou  shalt  thrice  deny  that  thou  knowest  me."  And  he  said 
nto  them :  "  When  I  sent  you  without  purse,  and  scrip, 
ttd  shoes,  lacked  ye  anything?"  And  they  said:  "No- 
ling."  Then  said  he  unto  them :  "  But  now,  he  that  hath 
purse,  let  him  take  it,  and  likewise  his  scrip ;  and  he  that 
ath  no  sword,  let  him  sell  his  gannent  and  buy  one." 
Jid  thgr  said :  "  Behold,  here  are  two  swords."  And  ho 
dd :  "  li  is  enough."^ 

Ch.  XVn.     Christ  arrested — Arraigned  hefore  the 
Sanhedrim — and  hefore  Serod  and  Filate. 

LBTD  when  they  had  sung  an  hymn,  as  Matthew  and 
iark  relate,  they  went  out  to  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
"hen  saith  Jesus  imto  them:  "All  ye  shall  be  offended 
ecause  of  me  this  night."  And  they  came  to  a  place 
ailed  Gtethsemane,  which  signifies  the  valley  of  fat  things, 
r  of  fatness;  and  he  saith  imto  the  disciples:  "Sit  ye 
ere,  and  pray,  lest  ye  enter  into  temptation."  And  he 
aketh  with  him  Peter  and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  and 
egan  to  be  sore  amazed  and  sorrowful,  and  very  heavy. 
Lud  he  was  withdrawn  from  them  about  a  stone's  cast,  and 
neeled  down  and  prayed,  saying:  "Pather,  if  thou  be 
illing,  remove  this  cup  from  me ;  nevertheless,  not  my  will, 
ut  thine,  be  done."  And  there  appeared  an  angel  unto 
im  from  heaven,  strengthening  him ;  and  being  in  an  agony, 
e  prayed  more  earnestly ;  and  his  sweat  was,  as  it  were, 
pops  of  blood,  falling  down  to  the  ground.  We  under- 
band  that  on  the  other  side  of  the  brook  Cedron,  there 
us  a  garden,  into  the  which  he  entered,  and  his  disciples. 
udas  also  knew  the  place ;  so,  having  received  a  band  of 
len  and  officers  from  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees,  he 
ame  thither  with  lanterns,  and  torches,  and  weapons.  And 
arthwith  he  came  to  Jesus,  and  said :  "  Hail,  master ;  and 
issed  him."  Then  came  they,  and  laid  hands  on  Jesus, 
nd  took  him.  Then  Jesus,  as  St.  John  informs  us,  said 
into  them:  "Whom  seek  ye?"  Thev  answered  him: 
'Jesus  of  Nazareth."     As  soon  as  he  had  said:  "I  am 

I  Luke  xxii.  24—38. 


64  OUDEKICTJS   VITALI8.  [bOOK  I^ 

he,"  they  went  hackward,  and  fell  to  the  ground,  and  80 


on.* 


St.  Luke  tells  us  that,  when  they  which  were  about  hist^ 
saw  what  would  follow,  they  said  unto  him :  '^  Lord,  shaB-^ 
we  smite  with  the  sword  f "  Then  Peter  smote  the  higk 
priest's  servant  (Malchus),  and  cut  off  his  right  ea 
Jesus  answered  their  question  by  saying :  "  Suffer  ye  thi 
far."  And  he  immediately  added,  addressing  Peter,  wl 
had  made  use  of  the  sword,  as  St.  Matthew  records :  '' 
up  again  thy  sword  into  his  place ;  for  all  they  that  take  tl 
sword  shall  perish  by  the  sword.  Thinkest  thou  that  F 
cannot  now  pray  to  my  Father,  and  he  shall  presently  givet 
me  more  than  twelve  (thousand)  legions  of  angels  ?  Bat^ 
how  then  shall  the  Scriptures  be  fulfilled,  that  thus  it  muali 
be?"  We  may  add  to  these  words  what  St.  John 
us  he  said  also  in  this  place :  "  The  cup  which  my  E^the»^ 
hath  given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it  ?  "  Then,  as  St.  Li " 
says,  he  touched  the  ear  of  Malchus,  and  healed  him.  la 
that  same  hour  said  Jesus  to  the  multitudes:  "Are  ji 
come  out,  as  against  a  thief,  with  swords  and  staves  for  ta 
take  me  P  I  sat  daily  with  you  teaching  in  the  temple,  anil 
ye  laid  no  hold  on  me.  But  this  is  your  hoiur  and  th»^ 
power  of  darkness."  Then  all  the  disciples  forsook  him  andl 
fled.  One  young  man  followed  him  having  a  linen  cloth 
about  his  naked  body ;  and  when  they  laid  hold  on  him, 
left  the  linen  cloth,  and  fled  from  them  naked.  The  capta.^.. 
with  his  band,  and  the  officers  of  the  Jews,  came  among  thd  1 
crowd,  and  they  bound  our  Saviour,  and  led  him  away  to\ 
Annas  flrst,  for  he  was  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas,  and  high  \ 
priest  that  same  year.'  V 

But  Peter  followed  him  afar  off,  unto  the  high  priest'i  "4^ 
palace,  and  went  into  the  hall,  to  see  the  end,  and  there  he  *| 
sat  with  the  servants,  and  warmed  himself  at  the  fire,  for  itT? 
was  cold,  ^ow  this  fire  was  kindled  in  the  midst  of  the  1 
hall,  and  when  the  servants  had  seated  themselves  round  4 
it,  Peter  placed  himself  among  them.  St.  Peter  is  to  be:i 
regardeji  with  great  veneration  for  following  the  Lord  laA 

*  Matt,  xxvi  30—50 :  Mark  xiv.  26—46 :  Luke  xxii.  39 — 48 ;  John 
xvm.  1—9. 

«  Matt  xxvi.  61—67;  Mark  xiv.  47—53;  Luke  xxii.  49—64;  John 
xviii.  10—14. 


JHAP.XTTT.T        TBTBl'S  BEBUX  OF  CfiXIST.  W 

fite  of  hifl  fear.  It  wm  natnrttl  for  him  to  fear ;  hia  foQow- 
ingbJB  Master  WS8  a  token  of  derotion ;  his  denial,  of  deceit ; 
Ilia  Tt^ntance,  of  faith.' 

Nov  the  chief  prie«te  and  all  the  oouncil  sought  &lee 
ritnesa  against  Jesus,  to  put  him  to  death ;  but  found  none, 
;kiiDgh  many  &lse  witnesses  came.  When  Jesus  held  his 
Mace,  the  hiffh  priest  said  unto  him ;  "  I  adjure  thee,  by 
ibn  living  Goo,  that  thou  tell  us  whether  thou  be  the  Christ, 
JM  Son  of  God,"  Jesus  said  unto  him :  "  Thou  haat  said." 
n>en  the  high  priest  rent  his  clobhes,  saying:  "  He  hath 
noken  blasphMny;  what  fiirther  need  have  we  of  witnesses? 
Seliold,  now  ye  have  heard  his  blasphemy.  What  think 
t  P  "  They  answered ;  "  He  is  guilty  of  death."  Then  did 
hey  spit  in  his  face,  and  strike  him  with  the  palms  of  their 
Hsds ;  some  began  to  cover  his  &ce,  others  buffeted  him, 
■fing:  "Prophesy  unto  ns,  thou  Christ;  who  is  he  that 
note  thee?  We  understand  that  the  Lord  suffered  all 
hesa  things  during  the  night  he  passed  iu  the  house  of 
be  chief  priest,  into  which  he  was  first  led ;  there,  also, 
iUer  wM  tempted,  while  all  these  insults  were  offered  to 
ke  IJord.  According  to  St.  Mark,  the  triple  denial  of  St. 
Mer  wna  begun  before  the  first  crowing  of  the  cock,  and 
Biahed  before  the  cock  crew  again.  The  three  other  eran- 
■listB  relate  that,  before  the  first  crowing,  St.  Peter  had 
bowed  all  these  signs  of  grief  and  fear.  Then  Peter 
■Ued  to  mjnd  the  word  that  Jesus  said  unto  him :  "  Before 
b»  cock  crow,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice."  And  he  went 
at,  and  wept  bitterly.* 

The  high  priest  tlien  asked  Jesus  of  his  disciples  and  his 
loetrine.  Jesus  answered  him:  "I  spake  openly  to  tbe 
rcRld,  I  plainly  taught  in  the  synagogue  and  in  the  temple, 
rhither  toe  Jens  always  resort ;  and  in  secret  have  I  said 
■o^ing.  Why  aakest  thou  me  P  Ask  them  which  beud 
■w,what  I  have  s^d  unto  them;  behold,  they  know  what 
iHid."  And  when  he  had  thus  spoken,  one  of  the  officers 
Aich  stood  by  struck  Jesus  with  the  palm  of  his  band, 
■vring:  "Answerest  thou  the  high  priest  soP"  Jesus 
•cmrered  him :  "  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the 

'Xatt.zzri.58;Hi|>tciiv.  5<;  Luke  xi 
*M>tt.  xivi.  fiS— 7S;  M«li;  iti.  S5-i 
tm.  17,  35-27. 
TOtl.  J- 


60  0BDEBICU8  TITAIilB.  [bOOK 

evil ;  but  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  me  ?  "     Now  Annas  ha 
sent  him  bound  unto  Caiaphas  the  high  priest/ 

When  the  morning  was  come,  as  Matthew  relates 
all  the  chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  people  took  couna 
against  Jesus  to  put  him  to  death ;  and  when  they  had  boun 
hun,  they  led  him  away,  and  delivered  him  to  Pontio 
Pilate,  the  governor.  St.  Luke'  has  given  an  account  ( 
what  happened  to  our  Lord  about  dawn,  when  the  ma 
that  held  him  mocked  him  and  smote  him;  and  whe 
they  had  blindfolded  him,  they  struck  him  on  the  face ;  an 
many  things  blasphemously  spake  they  against  him.  An 
as  soon  as  it  was  day,  the  elders  of  the  people,  and  the  chii 
priests,  and  the  scribes  came  together,  and  led  him  int 
their  council,  saying :  "  K  thou  art  the  Christ,  tell  us."  An 
he  said  unto  them  :  "  If  I  tell  you,  ye  will  not  believe ;  an 
if  I  also  ask  you,  ye  will  not  answer  me,  nor  let  me  g« 
Hereafter  shall  the  Son  of  man  sit  on  the  right  hand  of  th 
power  of  God.*'  Then  said  they  all :  "  Art  thou,  then,  tib 
Son  of  Q-od  ?  "  And  he  said  unto  them :  "  Te  say  that 
am."  And  they  said :  "What  need  we  any  further  witness 
for  we  ourselves  have  heard  of  his  own  mouth."  An 
the  whole  multitude  of  them  arose,  and  led  him  uni 
Pilate.  Luke  has  recounted  these  circumstances;  bn 
Matthew  and  Mark  have  related  all  that  befell  our  Loi 
until  morning;  afterwards  they  return  to  their  accoui 
of  Peter's  denial ;  and  when  this  is  finished,  they  go  back  t 
what  took  place  early  in  the  morning,  and  continue  thd 
narrative  of  all  that  happened  to  our  Saviour  from  thi 
time. 

St.  John*  says:  then  led  they  Jesus  to  Caiaphas 
unto  the  hall  of  judgment  [praBtorium]  :  and  it  was  earl] 
and  they  themselves  went  not  into  the  judgment-hall,  la 
they  should  be  defiled,  but  that  they  might  eat  the  passove 
But  the  base  crowds  assembled  there,  bringing  the  Loa 
with  them,  as  if  he  were  already  convicted,  and,  with  the  OCK 
sent  of  Caiaphas,  to  whom  it  had  before  appeared  expediei 
that  Jesus  should  die,  no  delay  was  allowed  to  intervM 
before  he  was  delivered  to  Pilate  to  be  condemned. 

'  John  xviii.  19 — 24.  *.  Chap,  xxvii.  1,  2;  Mark  xv.  1. 

•  Chap.  xxii.  63 — xxiii.  1.         *  John  xviiL  28. 
'  According  to  St  John, /rom  Caiaphas. 


IHAP.  XYII.]        OHBIST  ABBAIONED   BEEOBE   PILATE.  67 

St.  Matthew  ^  is  the  only  evangelist  who  mentions  the 
leath  of  the  traitor  Judas,  which  he  does  in  these  words : 
'Then  Judas,  which  had  betrayed  him,  when  he^  saw  that  he 
ras  condemned,  repented  himself,  and  brought  again  the 
hirty  pieces  of  silver  to  the  chief  priests  and  elders,  saying: 
I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betrayed  the  innocent  blood.' 
bid  they  said, '  What  is  that  to  us  r^  see  thou  to  that.'  And 
18  cast  down  the  pieces  of  silver  in  the  temple,  and  departed, 
ad  went  and  hanged  himself.  The  chief  priests  took  the 
flyer  pieces,  and  said :  '  It  is  not  lawful  for  to  put  them 
ato  the  treasury,  because  it  is  the  price  of  blood.'  And 
hey  took  counsel,  and  bought  with  them  the  potter's  field, 
0  bury  strangers  in.  Wherefore  that  field  is  called,  *  Acel- 
lama,'  that  is,  the  field  of  blood,  unto  this  day.  Then 
ftm  fulfilled  all  that  had  been  foretold  long  before.  ' 

And  now  the  holy  evangelists  take  pains  to  describe,  in 
egular  order,  all  that  happened  to  our  Lord  before  Pilate ; 
seta  which  the  studious  reader  ought  himself  to  investigate 
vitik  diligence,  and  put  each  in  its  proper  place.  During 
he  passion  of  Christ,  many  things  were  said,  and  many 
niestions  answered,  as  Augustine,  bishop  of  Hippo,  judi- 
lously  remarks,  in  the  third  book  of  his  work,  called :  *^  The 
lumony  of  the  Evangelists,"  from  which  each  of  the  holy 
rriters  selected  what  seemed  to  him  expedient,  and  inserted 
n  bis  history  what,  in  his  judgment,  sufficed.  Matthew 
elates  that  Jesus  stood  before  the  governor,  who,  asking 
dm  if  he  were  the  king  of  the  Jews,  he  answered :  "  Thou 
■jest."  Pilate  then  went  out,  as  we  read  in  the  gospel 
lecording  to  St.  John,  to  those  who  would  not  enter 
liie  judgment-haU,  and  said:  '^What  accusation  bring 
foa  against  this  man?"  They  answered:  "If  he  were 
Bot  a  malefactor,  we  would  not  have  delivered  him  up  unto 
ttee."  Then  said  Pilate  unto  them :  "  Take  jre  him,  and  j  udge 
Urn  according  to  your  law."  The  Jews  said  imto  him :  "  It 
knot  lawful  for  us  to  put  any  man  to  death."  Then  Pilate 
tntered  into  the  judgment-hall  again,  and  called  Jesus,  and 
liid  unto  him :  "Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews  ?  "  Jesus 
iDBwered :  "  Sayest  thou  this  thing  of  thyself,  or  did  others 

J  Chap,  xxvi],  3—9;  Acts  I  18, 19. 

*  St  Matthew  quotes  Jeremiah,  in  whose  prophecy  no  such  passage  is 
cttiBt  .See  Zachar.  zi.  12, 13. 

F  2 


68  OSDEEI0U8  TITALIS.  [BOOK  L 

tell  it  thee  of  me?"     Pilate  answered:  "Am  I  a  Jew? 
Thine  own  nation  and  the  chief  priests  have  delivered  thee- 
unto  me.    What  hast  thou  done  ?  "    Jesus  answered :  "  My 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world ;  if  my  kingdom  were  of  thu- 
world,  then  would  my  servants  fight,  that  I  should  not  h^- 
delivered  to  the  Jews ;  but  now  is  my  kingdom  not  firon 
hence/'     Pilate  therefore  said  unto  him :  "  Art  thou  a  kii^ 
then  ?  "     Jesus  answered :  "  Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a  king. 
To  this  end  was  I  bom,  and  for  this  cause  came  I  into  tto; 
world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth.     Eveijr 
one  that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  my  voice."     Pilate  saita 
unto  him :  **  What  is  truth  ?  "     And  when  he  had  said  thijk  : 
he  went  out  again  unto  the  Jews,  and  saith  unto  them :  **  I 
find  in  him  no  fault  at  all."   Then,  as  Luke  relates,  the  Jew% 
becoming  furious,  began  to  accuse  him,  saying :  "  We  found 
this  fellow  perverting  the  nation,  and  forbidding  to  give 
tribute  to  Ceesar,  saying  that  he  himself  is  Christ  a  king". . 
And  when,  as  Matthew  says,  he  was  accused  of  the  clurf 
priests  and  elders  of  the  people,  he   answered  nothing; 
80  great  was  his  meekness!     Then  said  Pilate  unto  hiin:| 
"  Hearest  thou  not  how  many  things  they  witness  agaiiuti  [ 
thee?"    And  he  answered  him  never  a  word;  insomudk^ 
that  the  governor  marvelled  greatly.     When  Pilate  w|$  [ 
sat  down  on  the  judgment<-seat,  his  wife  sent  unto  hu^l 
saying :  "  Have  thou  nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man,;  fc*  I 
1  have  suffered  many  things  this  day  in  a  dream  becaus^  cS[ 
Idm."     St.  Luke  writes  that,  when  Pilate  said :  "  I  find  no  j 
fault  in  this  man,"  the  Jews  were  the  more  fierce,  saying:  \ 
"  He   stirreth    up    the   people,    teaching   throughout  ii , 
i&wrjy  beginning  from  G-alilee  to  this  place."    When  Pilal^  ^ 
beard  of  dalilee,  he  asked  whether  the  man  were  a  Ghdileani; 
and  as  soon  as  he  knew  that  he  belonged  unto  Herod's  jufiiEK' 
diction,  he  sent  him  to  Herod,  who  himself  also  wa^  ilt|^ 
Jerusalem  at  that  time.    And  when  Herod  saw  Jesus,  hi  | 
was  exceeding  glad ;  for  he  was  desirous  to  see  him  of  a  long ! 
season,  because  he  had  heard  many  things  of  him,  and  W: 
hoped  to  have  seen  some  miracle  done  by  him.    Then  te 
questioned  with  him  in  many  words ;  but  he  answered  him 
nothing.     And  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  stood,  and : 
vehemently  accused  him.    And  Herod,  with  his  men  of  waff 
set  him  at  naught,  and  arrayed  him  in  a  white  robe,  and 


.XVn.]  CHBIST  BXrOBE  HXBOD.  69 

sent  him  again  to  Pilate.  And  the  same  day  Pilate  and 
Berod  were  made  friends  together,  for  before  thej  were  at 
enmity  between  themselves. 

Ana  Pilate,  when  he  had  called  together  the  rulers  and 
Qie  people,  said  unto  them :  "  Ye  have  brought  this  man 
onto  me,  as  one  that  perverteth  the  people;  and,  behold, 
I,  having  examined  him  before  you,  have  found  no  fault  in 
aim,  touching  those  things  whereof  ye  accuse  him.  No,  nor 
f  et  Kerod ;  for  I  sent  you  to  him,  and,  lo,  nothing  worthy 
jf  death  is  done  unto  him.  I  vdll  therefore  chastise  him 
and  release  him.*'  For  he  knew  that  for  envy  they  had 
delivered  him.  Now  at  that  feast  the  governor  was  wont 
to  release  unto  the  people  a  prisoner,  whom  they  would. 
Therefore,  when  they  were  gathered  together,  he  said  unto 
them :  "  Whom  will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you  ?  Barabbas, 
or  Jesus  which  is  called  Christ  ?  "  But  the  chief  priests 
persuaded  the  multitude  that  they  should  ask  Barabbas, 
and  destroy  Jesus.  Now  Barabbas  was  a  notable  prisoner, 
who  for  a  certain  sedition  made  in  the  city,  and  for  murder, 
nras  cast  into  prison.  The  governor  said  unto  them: 
"  Whether  of  the  twain  will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you  ?  '* 
They  said:  "Barabbas."  Pilate  saith  unto  them:  "What 
Bhall  I  do  then  with  Jesus,  which  is  called  Christ  ?  "  They 
bU  said  unto  him :  "  Let  him  be  crucified."  And  the  governor 
md :  "  Why  ?  what  evil  hath  he  done  ?  "  But  they  cried  out 
the  more,  saying :  "  Let  him  be  crucified."  When  Pilate  saw 
that  he  could  prevail  nothing,  but  that  rather  a  tumult  was 
made,  he  took  water,  and  washed  his  hands  before  the  mul- 
titude, saying :  "  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just 
person ;  see  ye  to  it."  Then  answered  all  the  people :  "  His 
blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children."  Then  released  he 
Barabbas  unto  them,  and  took  Jesus,  and  scourged  him." 
Bt.  John  informs  us,  that  the  soldiers  platted  a  crown  of 
thorns,  and  put  it  on  his  head,  and  they  put  on  him  a 
purple  robe,  and  coming  up  to  him,  said:  "Hail,  Xing 
of  the  Jews!"  And  they  smote  him  with  their  hands. 
Pilate  went  forth  again,  and  saith  unto  them :  "  Behold,  I 
king  him  forth  to  you,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  find  no 
firalt  in  him."  Then  came  Jesus  forth,  wearing  the  crovm 
of  thorns  and  the  purple  robe.  And  Pilate  saith  unto 
them :  "  Behold  the  man ! "    When  the  chief  priests,  these* 


i; 


70  OBDXBICI78  TETALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

fore,  and  officers  saw  him,  they  cried  out,  saying :  "  Cruci^r 
him,  crucify  him."  Pilate  saith  unto  them :  ''  Take  ye  him, 
and  crucify  him ;  for  I  find  no  fault  in  him."  The  Jewi 
answered  him :  "  We  have  a  law,  and  by  our  law  he  ought 
to  die,  because  he  made  himself  the  Son  of  Gt)d."  "When, 
therefore,  Pilate  heard  that  saying,  he  was  the  more  a&aid; 
and  went  again  into  the  judgment-hall,  and  saith  unto 
Jesus :  "  Wnence  art  thou  ?  "  But  Jesus  gave  him  no 
answer.  Pilate  therefore  said  unto  him :  '*  Speakest  thou 
not  unto  me?  Knowest  thou  not  that  I  have  power  to 
crucify  thee,  and  have  power  to  release  thee  ?  "  Jesus 
answered :  "  Thou  couldest  have  no  power  against  me,  except 
it  were  given  thee  from  above;  therefore,  he  that  hath 
delivered  me  unto  thee  hath  the  greater  sin."  From  thence- 
forth Pilate  sought  to  release  him ;  but  the  Jews  cried  out, 
saying :  "  K  thou  let  this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Csasar's 
friend :  whosoever  maketh  himself  a  king,  speaketh  against 
Caesar." 

0 

Ch.  XVm.     Christ  sentenced — Orucified — And  buried. 

Whek  Pilate,  therefore,  heard  that  saving,  he  brought 
Jesus  forth,  and  sat  down  in  the  judgment-seat,  in  a 
place  that  is  called  the  Pavement,  but  in  the  Hebrew, 
"  Qubbatha."  And  it  was  the  preparation  of  the  Passover, 
and  about  the  sixth  hour;  and  he  saith  unto  the  Jews: 
"  Behold  your  king !  "  But  they  cried  out :  "  Away  with 
him,  away  with  him,  crucify  him."  Pilate  saith  unto  them: 
"  ShaU  I  crucify  your  king  ?  "  The  chief  priests  answered: 
"  We  have  no  king  but  Caesar."  Then  delivered  he  him 
therefore  unto  them  to  be  crucified.^ 

Such  is  the  account  John  gives  us  of  what  Pilate 
said  and  did;  things  that  Matthew  and  Mark,  omitting 
at  first,  afterwards  recollected.  Thus  Matthew  says: 
"  Then  the  soldiers  of  the  governor  took  Jesus  into  the 
common  hall,  and  gathered  unto  him  the  whole  band; 
and  they  stripped  him,  and  put  on  him  a  scarlet  robe. 
And  when  they  had  platted  a  crown  of  thorns,  they  put  it 
upon  his  head,  and  a  reed  in  his  right  hand;  and  they 
bowed  the  knee  before  him,  and  mocked  him,  sa3ring:  "  Hail, 

^  Matt  zzTii  11 — 26;    Mark  xt.  1 — 15;  Luke  xxiil  1 — 25;   Johii 
Xfffi.SS8— 40. 


OKAP.XVUI.]  THl  OBUCHTXIOir.  71 

King  of  the  Jews !  '*  And  they  spit  upon  him,  and  took 
the  reed,  and  smote  him  on  the  nead.  And  after  that  thev 
Jttd  mocked  him,  th^  took  the  rohe  (or  the  purple,  accord- 
ing to  St.  Mark)  on  from  him,  and  put  his  own  raiment 
on  him,  and  led  him  away  to  crucify  him.  John  relates 
Aflt  Jesus,  ^bearing  his  cross,  went  forth  into  a  place 
ttlled  Gk)lgotha,"  or  Mount  Calvary.  "  And  they  laid  hold 
i^n  one  Simon,  a  Cyrenian,  coming  out  of  the  country, 
the  fitther  of  Alexander  and  Buftis,**  a  &ct  mentioned  by 
three  eyangelists ;  ^  and  on  him  they  laid  the  cross,  that  he 
might  bear  it "  to  the  place  just  named. 

They  crucified  Jesus  in  Golgotha,  between  two  malefac- 
tors, and  gave  him  wine  mingled  with  myrrh ;  and  set  up 
over  his  head  his  accusation  written :  "  This  is  Jesus,  the 
King  of  the  Jews."  And  this  title  was  written  in  G-reek, 
sod  Latin,  and  Hebrew.' 

Then  the  soldiers,  when  they  had  crucified  Jesus,  took 
[  his  garments,  and  made  four  parts,  to  every  soldier  a  part ; 
and  also  his  coat :  now  the  coat  was  without  seam,  woven 
from  the  top  throughout.  They  said  therefore  among  them- 
selves :  "  Let  us  not  rend  it,  but  cast  lots  for  it,  whose  it 
shall  be ;"  that  the  Scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  which  saith: 
"  They  parted  my  raiment  among  them,  and  for  my  vesture 
thev  did  cast  lots." ' 

The  rulers  and  the  scribes  railed  on  him  as  he  hanged 
on  the  cross,  wagging  their  heads,  and  saying:  "Ah! 
thou  that  destroyest  me  temple  of  G-od,  and  buildest  it 
in  three  days,  save  thyself.*  K  thou  be  the  Son  of  G-od, 
oome  down  from  the  cross." 

"We  learn  from  Luke  that  one  of  the  malefactors  which 
▼ere  hanged,  railed  on  him,  saying :  "  If  thou  be  Christ, 
aave  thyself  and  us."  But  the  other  rebuked  him,  saying : 
^*Dost  thou  not  fear  God,  seeing  thou  art  in  the  same 
condemnation  ?    And  we  indeed  justly,  for  we  receive  the 

»  Matt  xxvil  27—33;  Mark  xv.  16—22;  Luke  xxiii.  26;  John  xix.  17. 

•  Matt,  xxvii.  34—38;  Mark  xv.  23,  25—27;  Luke  xxiii.  32, 33, 36,  38; 
John  xix.  17—20. 

'  Pealm  xxi.  19;  Matt  xxvii.  35;  Mark  xv.  24 ;  Luke  xxiii.  34 ;  John 
xix.  23, 24. 

^  We  follow  here  the  text  of  the  Bible  and  Duchesne.  The  MS.  of 
Siint-Ev^nlt  reads  destruit  et  readificat  in  the  third  person.  Matt  xxvii. 
88-44;  Mark  xv.  27—32. 


T2  OBDXXIGV8  YITALI8.  [bOOXX 

duo  reward  of  our  deeds ;  but  this  man  bath  done  nothiig 
amiss.''  And  he  said  unto  Jesus:  "Lord,  remember  nl^ 
when  thou  comest  into  tbj  kingdom.*'  And  Jesus  aol 
unto  him :  "  Verilj  I  say  \mto  thee :  To-daj  ahalt  thou  bl 
with  me  in  Paradise."^ 

Now  there  stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus  his  mother,  and  Ui 
mother  8  sister,  Mary  the  wife  of  Cleopas,  and  Mary  Map 
dalene.  When  Jesus,  therefore,  saw  his  mother,  and  the 
disciple  standing  by  whom  he  loved,  he  saith  unto  \m 
mother :  *'  Woman,  behold  thy  son."  Then  saith  he  to  tke 
disciple :  "  Behold  thy  mother."  And  from  that  hour  tint 
disciple  took  her  unto  his  own  home.* 

From  the  sixth  hour  there  Was  darkness  over  the  whole 
land  until  the  ninth  hour,  and  at  the  ninth  hour  Jesui 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying :  "  Eli,  Eli,  lama-zababdani?" 
that  is  to  say :  "  My  God,  my  Gt)d,  why  hast  thou  forsaksD 
me  ?  "  After  this,  Jesus  knowing  that  all  things  were  now 
accomplished,  that  the  Scripture  might  be  fiilfilled,  saitli: 
"  I  thirst."  Now  there  was  set  a  vessel  full  of  vinegar;  and 
they  filled  a  sponge  with  vinegar,  and  put  it  upon  hyssop, 
and  put  it  to  his  mouth.  And  when  Jesus  had  cried  with  a 
loud  voice,  according  to  Luke,  he  said :  "  Father,  into  the 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit."  * 

At  last,  according  to  John,  when  Jesus  had  received 
the  vinegar,  he  said:  "It  is  finished;"  and  he  bowed  his 
head,  and  gave  up  the  ghost.  And,  behold,  the  veil  of  t^ 
temple  was  rent  m  twain  from  the  top  to  the  bottom ;  and 
the  earth  did  quake,  and  the  rocks  rent;  and  the  graves 
were  opened ;  and  many  bodies  of  the  saints  which  slept^ 
arose,  and  came  out  of  the  graves  after  his  resurrection,  and 
went  into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared  unto  many.  Noiv 
when  the  centurion  ana  they  that  were  with  him,  watching 
Jesus,  saw  the  earthquake  and  those  things  that  were  done 

1  Luke  xxiii.  S7,  89—43. 

«  John  xix.  25—27. 

*  Matt  xzvii.  45—49 ;  Mark  xv.  .S3— 36  ;  Luke  xxiil  44—46 ;  Johi 
xix.  28,  29.  The  words  which  Jesus  Christ  pronounced  when  upon  tb 
cross:  £li,  Eli,  lama  sabachtanil  belong  to  the  Syro-Chaldaic  dialect 
which  was  spoken  at  Jerusalem  at  that  period.  We  find  them  in  Hebi^ 
in  the  twenty-second  psalm,  ver.  I :  Eli,  Eli,  lama  azabtani  1  It  seem 
to  have  been  the  author's  intention  to  have  given  them  in  this  latte 
form. 


OHAff.XtX.]  THE  BUBIAL  OT  CHBIST.  78 

ikiej  feared  greatly,  saying:  ''Truly  this  was  the  Son  of 
God."  And  many  women  which  followed  Jesus  &om 
Chililee,  ministering  unto  him,  stood  afar  off;  among  whom 
irere  Mbij  Magdalene,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James  and 
Joies,  and  the  mother  of  Zebedee's  children.  And  all  the 
people  that  eame  together  to  that  sight,  beholding  the  things 
wldch  were  done,  smote  their  breasts,  and  returned.^ 

When  the  even  was  come,  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  an 
honourable  counsellor,  a  good  man  and  a  just;  who  also 
himself  waited  for  the  kingdom  of  Qod  (being  a  disciple  of 
Jesus,  but  secretly  for  fear  of  the  Jews),  went  boldly  unto 
Pilate,  and  craved  the  body  of  Jesus ;  and  the  governor,  when 
he  knew  of  the  centurion  that  he  was  already  dead,  gave 
Joseph  leave  to  take  it.  Joseph  came,  therefore,  and 
took  the  body  of  Jesus,  and  having  bought  fine  linen,  he 
vrapped  him  in  the  linen,  and  laid  him  in  a  sepulchre. 
And  there  came  also  Nicodemus,  and  brought  a  mixture  of 
mynii  and  aloes,  about  an  hundred  pound  weight.  Then 
took  they  the  body  of  Jesus,  and  wound  it  in  linen  clothes 
with  the  spices,  as  the  manner  of  the  Jews  is  to  bury.  Now 
in  the  place  where  he  was  crucified  there  was  a  garden,  and 
in  the  garden  a  new  sepulchre,  hewn  out  of  a  rock,  wherein 
was  never  man  yet  laid.  There  laid  they  Jesus,  therefore, 
because  of  the  Jews'  preparation  day ;  for  the  sepulchre  was 
nigh  at  hand.  The  women,  whose  names  we  have  already 
mentioned,  and  whose  affection  for  him  was  the  most  ardent, 
«st  over  against  the  sepulchre,  and  beheld  where  he  was 
laid.* 

Now  the  next  day,  the  priests  and  Pharisees  fabely 
reported  to  Pilate  some  of  the  words  of  the  Lord,  and 
having  obtained  his  consent,  they  sealed  the  stone,  and 
placed  soldiers  all  round  to  keep  watch  over  the  sepulchre.^ 

Ch.  XIX.     Our  Lord^s  resurrection — JEEarmony  of  the 
accoiMUs  of  the  evangelists,  from  St,  Augustine. 

We    read   in   the    evangelical  narrative   an  account    of 

^  Matt  xxvii.  50—66;  Mark  xv.  37—41;  Luke  xxiii.  46—49;  John 
six.  30. 

*  Matt.  xxTil  67—61;  Mark  xv.  42—47;  Luke  xxiii.  50—66:  John 
xix.  38—42. 

'  Matt,  xxvii,  62 — 66. 


i 


74  OBDBBICUS  TITALIS.  [BOOK  I.    c 

■ereral  circumstances  wbich  took  place  at  the  resarrectioii  - 
of  our  Lord,  which  would  appear  to  be  irreconcileaUe, 
unless  the  order  in  which  ther  happened  is  carefully  om^ 
sidered.  It  may,  therefore,  be  well  to  consult  what  Augus- 
tine, an  enlightened  commentator  on  the  holy  Scriptures, 
9BJ9  upon  this  subject,  in  the  third  book  of  his  **  Hiu*mony 
01  the  Evangelists,"  which  I  shall  quote  in  his  own  words. 
Thus,  after  discussing  several  questions,  he  makes  this  de- 
claration :  "  I  will  endeavour,  by  God's  help,  to  collect  in 
one  continuous  narration  all  the  facts  immediately  con- 
nected with  our  Lord's  resurrection,  according  to  the 
testimonies  of  the  several  evangelists,  so  fisur  as  they  can  be 
arranged."  ^ 

They  all  agree  in  the  coming  [of  the  women]  to  the 
sepulchre,  as  it  began  to  dawn  on  the  first  day  of  the  week ; 
before  which,  however,  the  facts  which  Matthew  alone 
relates  had  occurred,  viz.,  the  great  earthquake,  the  rolling 
back  of  the  stone,  the  consternation  of  the  keepers,  some  of 
whom  lay  near  the  spot  like  dead  men.  According  to  John, 
Mary  Magdalene  came,  no  doubt  with  the  other  women 
who  ministered  to  our  Lord,  but  her  affection  for  him  was 
more  ardent ;  and  therefore,  with  good  reason,  John  makes 
particular  mention  of  her,  passing  over  in  silence  the  names 
of  those  who,  according  to  the  statements  of  the  other 
evangelists,  were  with  her.  She  came,  therefore,  and  when 
she  saw  the  stone  taken  away  from  the  sepulchre,  before 
she  had  examined  anything  attentively,  not  doubting  that 
the  body  of  Jesus  was  removed,  as  John  tells  us,  she  ran 
to  announce  to  himself,  as  well  as  to  Simon  Peter,  what 
she  had  seen.  This  John  was  the  disciple  whom  Jesus 
loved.  And  they  both  began  to  run  towards  the  sepulchre, 
and  John,  coming  first  to  the  place,  stooped  down,  and 
saw  the  linen  clothes  lying,  yet  went  he  not  in.  Then 
Cometh  Peter  following  him,  and  went  into  the  sepulchre, 
and  seeth  the  linen  clothes  lie,  and  the  napkin  that  was 
about  his  head,  not  lying  with  the  linen  clothes,  but  wrap- 
ped together  in  a  place  by  itself.  Then  John  went  in  also, 
and  saw  and  believed  what  Mary  had  said,  that  they  had 

^  St  August,  de  ConsenB.  Evangel.,  ill  69,  The  quotation  from  St 
Augustine  continues  to  the  end  of  the  first  paragraph  in  page  83  hoe 
following. 


OHAP.XIX.]  THE  BESTrBBKCnOir.  75 

taken  away  tlie  Lord  out  of  the  sepulchre ;  for  as  yet  they 
knew  not  the  scripture,  that  he  must  rise  again  from  the 
dead.  Then  the  disciples  went  away  again  unto  their  own 
home.  But  Mary  stood  without  at  the  sepulchre,  weeping, 
that .  is  to  say,  before  the  spot  where  the  tomb  had  been 
hewn  out  of  the  rock,  although  within  the  space  where  the 
women  had  already  entered.  Now  in  that  place  there  was  : 
a  garden,  as  John  informs  us.  They  then  saw  on  their 
right  hand  the  angel  who  had  rolled  back  the  stone  from  '^ 
the  door  of  the  sepulchre ;  and  was  sitting  upon  it.  Of  this 
angel  Matthew  and  Mark  speak  in  the  following  terms: 
"  Then  said  he  unto  the  women :  '  Fear  not  ye :  for  I 
know  that  ye  seek  Jesus,  which  was  crucified.  He  is  not 
here ;  for  he  is  risen,  as  he  said.  Come,  see  the  place  where 
the  Lord  lay.  And  go  quickly,  and  tell  his  disciples  that  he 
is  risen  from  the  dead;  and,  behold  he  goeth  before  you 
into  Galilee ;  there  shall  ye  see  him :  lo,  I  have  told  you.*" 
What  Mark  relates  does  not  differ  from  Matthew's  narra- 
tive. 

As  Maiy  wept  on  hearing  these  words,  she  stooped 
down  and  looked  into  the  sepulchre,  and,  as  John  informs 
us,  ^  saw  two  angels  in  white,  sitting,  the  one  at  the  head, 
and  the  other  at  the  feet,  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had 
lain.  They  say  unto  her:  'Woman,  why  weepest  thou?' 
She  saith  unto  them :  *  Because  they  have  taken  away  my 
Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him.' "  We 
must  understand  that  the  angels  had  risen,  and  that  they 
were  seen  standing,  as  Luke  mentions,  when  they  said  to 
the  women  who  were  afraid,  and  bowed  down  their  faces  to 
the  earth :  "  Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead  ?  he 
is  not  here,  but  is  risen.  Bemember  how  he  spake  unto  you 
when  he  was  yet  in  Galilee,  saying  that  the  Son  of  man 
must  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  sinful  men,  and  be  cru- 
cified^ and  the  third  day  rise  again."  And  they  remembered 
his  words.^  , 

After  this,  Mary  turned  herself  back,  and  saw  Jesus 
standing,  as  John  tells  us,  and  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus. 
Jesus  saith  unto  her :  "  Woman,  Why  weepest  thou?  Whom 
seekest  thou?"  She,  supposing  him  to  be  the  gardener,  saith 

*  Matt.  xxTiiL  1 — 7;  Mark  xvi  1 — 7;  Luke  xxiv,  1 — 8;  John  xx.  1 — 
13.. 


76  OSDEBICUB  TITALIS.  [bOOK  I. 

unto  him :  "  Sir,  if  thou  have  borne  him  hence,  tell  me  where 
thou  hast  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him  away."  Jesus  saith 
unto  her:  "  Mary."  She  turned  herself,  and  saith  unto  him 
"Eabboni,"  which  is  to  say,  "  Master."  Jesus  saith  unto  her 
**  Touch  me  not ;  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my  Father 
but  go  to  my  brethren,  and  say  unto  them :  *  I  ascend  unto  my 
Father,  and  your  Father ;  and  to  my  God,  and  your  Gk)d.' " 
She  then  departed  from  the  sepulchre,  that  is  to  say,  the 
place  where  the  garden  lay  before  the  cave  in  the  rock,  ac- 
companied by  the  other  women,  who,  as  Mark  informs  us, 
"trembled,  and  were  amazed,  neither  said  they  anything 
to  any  man."  And  as  they  went,  behold,  Jesus  met  them, 
saying :  "  All  hail."  And  they  came,  and  clung  to  his  feet, 
and  worshipped  him.  From  these  statements  we  gather, 
that,  during  their  visit  to  the  tomb,  they  were  twici 
addressed  by  the  angels,  as  well  as  by  the  Lord  himself; 
that  is  to  say,  the  first  time  when  Mary  supposed  him  to 
be  the  gardener,  and  afterwards  when  Jesus  came  to  meet 
them  in  the  way.  By  appearing  twice  before  these  women, 
he  confirmed  their  faith,  and  allayed  their  fears.  He  then 
said  unto  them:  "Be  not  afraid;  go,  tell  my  brethren, 
that  they  go  into  Galilee,  and  there  shall  they  see  me." 
Mary  Magdalene,  therefore,  came  and  told  the  disciples 
that  she  had  seen  the  Lord,  and  that  he  had  spoken  these 
things  unto  her;  and  not  only  imto  her,  but  also  to  the 
other  women  who  are  mentioned  in  the  gospel  of  Luke. 
They  told  these  things  unto  the  eleven  disciples,  and  to 
all  the  rest ;  and  their  words  seemed  to  them  as  idle  tales, 
and  they  believed  them  not.  Mark  attests  these  facts.  Lideed, 
after  he  has  described  the  state  of  these  women,  who  went 
out  of  the  sepulchre  trembling  and  amazed  to  such  a  degree 
that  they  did  not  say  anything  to  any  man ;  he  adds  that, 
when  the  Lord  was  risen  he  appeared  first — early  the  first 
day  of  the  week — to  Mary  Magdalene,  out  of  whom  he  had 
cast  seven  devils ;  and  that  she  went  and  told  them  that  had 
been  with  him,  as  they  mourned  and  wept,  who,  when  they 
had  heard  that  he  was  alive,  and  had  been  seen  of  her, 
believed  not.  Matthew  inserts  this  additional  circumstance 
in  his  narrative,  that,  .after  the  departure  of  the  women 
who  had  seen  and  heard  all  these  things,  some  of  the  watch, 
who  had  fallen  to  the  ground  as  dead  men,  came  into  tint 


CHlP.Xtx:.]      CHEIST  APFEABS  TO  HIS  DISCIPLES.  77 

diy,  and  sliewed  unto  tlie  chief  priests  all  the  things  that 
were  done,  that  is  to  saj,  all  that  thej  had  seen  and  known. 
When  the  priests  were  assembled  with  the  elders,  and  had 
taken  counsel,  they  gave  large  bribes  unto  the  soldiers  to 
induce  them  to  say  that  his  disciples  had  stolen  him  away 
while  they  slept;  promising  at  the  same  time  to  secure  them 
from  the  anger  of  the  governor,  who  had  placed  them  there 
to  guard  the  tomb.  The  soldiers  took,  the  money,  and  did 
as  they  were  taught ;  and  this  saying  is  commonly  reported 
among  the  Jews  until  this  day.  Luke  is  the  only  evangelist 
who  does  not  say  that  our  Saviour  appeared  to  the  women, 
but  only  the  angels.  JN'ow  Matthew  asserts  that  Jesus  met 
them  on  their  return  from  the  sepulchre.  Mark  also  ai^sures 
us,  as  well  as  John,  that  he  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magda- 
lene, but  does  not  tell  us  how  he  appeared  to  her,  while 
John  explains  this.^ 

As  the  four  evangelists  agree,  in  their  faithful  narratives, 
on  all  that  the  Almighty  Emmanuel  did  before  his  passion ; 
so  they  relate,  in  harmony  with  each  other,  his  resurrection 
and  ascension,  and  inform  us  that  the  Lord  was  seen  bv 
mortal  eyes  on  ten  occasions  after  he  had  risen  from  the  dja(f : 
once  by  the  women  at  the  sepulchre ;  again,  by  these  same 
women  in  the  way  as  they  returned  from  the  tomb;  the 
third  time  he  appeared  to  Simon  Peter ;  and  if  the  evan- 
gelist has  not  informed  us  when  or  where  the  meeting  took 
place,  he  plainly  declares  that  it  did  occur.  The  fourth 
time,  he  appeared  to  the  two  disciples  who  were  going  to 
a  village  called  Emmaus,  but  in  another  form,  that  they 
might  not  know  him ;  he  accompanied  them  in  the  way  as 
a  traveller,  and  inquired  of  them  the  cause  of  their  sadness 
and  of  their  complaints.  When  he  heard  the  lamentation  of 
Cleopas  concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which  was  a  prophet 
mighty  in  deed  and  word  before  G^od  and  all  the  people,  and 
how  they  delivered  him  to  be  condemned  to  death,  he 
gently  reproved  them  for  being  slow  of  heart  to  believe  all 
that  the  prophets  had  spoken;  and  beginnixng  at  Moses 
and  all  the  prophets,  ho  expounded  unto  them  the  Scrip- 
tures. And  they  constraiaed  him  to  accept  of  their 
hospitality;  and,  as  he  sat  at  meat  with  them,  he  took 

^  Matt,  xxviii.  8—16;  Mark  xvl  8—11 ;  Luke  xxiv.  9—12;  John  xx. 
14-^18. 


78  OBDEBICUS  YITAUS.  [BOOK  I. 

bread,  and  blessed  it,  and  brake,  and  gave  to  tbem.  And 
while  he  was  breaking  the  bread,  he  opened  their  eyes,  that 
they  might  know  him ;  and  as  soon  as  they  had  recognized 
him,  he  vanished  out  of  their  sight.  His  fifth  appearance 
was  at  Jerusalem  when  several  oi  the  disciples  were  assem- 
bled in  the  evening,^  as  Luke  and  John  inform  us,  but 
Thomas  was  not  among  them.  Jesus  entered  the  place, 
although  they  had  shut  the  doors  ["for  fear  of  the  Jews"], 
shewed  unto  them  his  hands  and  his  side,  took  a  piece  of 
a  broiled  fish,  and  of  an  honeycomb,  and  did  eat  before 
them.  He  then  breathed  on  them,  and  said  unto  them: 
"Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost."  The  sixth  time  that  he 
appeared  was  after  eight  days,  when  Thomas  saw  him,  and 
said:  "My  Lord  and  my  God."  The  seventh  time  he 
shewed  himself  at  the  Sea  of  Tiberias,  when  seven  of  his 
disciples,  who  were  fishing,  saw  him  in  the  morning,  after  a 
night's  toil,  and  ate  bread  and  fish  with  him  on  the  shore, 
after  the  miraculous  draught  of  153  fishes.  The  eighth 
time  he  appeared  on  a  mountain  in  Galilee,  according  to 
Matthew;  and  when  they  saw  him  they  worshipped  him,  but 
som^  doubted.  He  then  said  unto  them:  "AH  power  is 
given  unto^ me  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  Go  ye,  therefore, 
and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Eather,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you ;  and,  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world."  His  ninth  visit,  Mark  tells  us,  was  when  he 
appeared  for  the  last  time  unto  the  eleven  as  they  sat  at 
meat,  and  upbraided  them  with  their  unbelief  and  hardness 
of  heart.  It  is  called  the  last  time,  because  they  were  not 
to  be  with  him  any  longer  on  the  earth.  His  tenth  appear- 
ance, as  we  read  in  the  narrative  of  Mark  and  Luke,  took 
place  on  the  same  day :  the  disciples  saw  him  not  here  below, 
but  as  he  was  ascending  into  heaven,  taken  up  in  a  cloud. 
Such  was  the  number  oi  times,  that  our  Savioiur  is  said  in 
the  writings  of  the  evangelists,  to  have  been  seen  of  man 
before  he  ascended  into  heaven ;  that  is  to  say,  nine  times 
on  earth,  and  once  as  he  rose  through  the  air;  but,- 
as  John  says,  all  his  acts  are  not  recorded.  And,  indeed, 
they  had  many  opportunities  of  being  in  company  with 
him  during  the  forty  days  that  preceded  his  ascension^ 


CHAf.Xt.]  THE  AscEirsioir.  79 

although  he  did  not  remaiii  with  them  throughout  the 
whole  time.  John  informs  us  that,  between  the  first  day  of 
his  resurrection  and  his  next  appearance,  there  was  an 
interval  of  eight  days.  In  this  manner,  appearing  during 
those  forty  days,  as  ofben  as  he  would,  to  whom  he  would,  and 
as  he  would,  he  confirmed  his  disciples  in  the  belief  of  his 
resurrection.^ 

Ch.  XX.     Chrisfs  last  appearances  wpon  earth — Mis  ascen- 
sion— The  eleven  apostles — Matthias  elected, 

Maju^  and  Luke  mention  our  Lord's  two  last  appear- 
ances, and  relate  all  that  was  said  and  done.  We  read  in 
Mark  that  he  upbraided  the  doubts,  for  their  hardness  of 
heart,  but  said  unto  those  who  were  strong  in  the  faith :  "  GK> 
ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature. 
He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved ;  but  he. 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  And  these  signs  shall 
follow  them  that  believe ;  in  my  name  shall  they  cast  out 
devils,  they  shall  speak  with  new  tongues,  they  shall  take 
up  serpents,  and  if  they  drink  any  deadly  thing  it  shall  not 
hurt  tnem ;  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  shall 
i*ecover."  So  then  after  the  Lord  Jesus  had  spoken 
unto  them,  he  was  received  up  into  heaven,  and  sat  on  the 
right  hand  of  God.  Moreover  Luke  at  the  end  of  his 
Q-ospel  says :  ''  And  he  led  them  out  as  far  as  to  Bethany, 
and  he  lifted  up  his  hands,  and  blessed  them.  And  it  came 
to  pass,  while  he  blessed  them,  he  was  parted  from  them,  and 
carried  up  into  heaven."  '  Again  in  the  opening  chapter  of 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  he  speaks  of  the  ascension  in 
these  words :  "  And  being  assembled  together  with  them,  he 
commanded  them  that  they  should  not  depart  from  Jerusa- 
lem, but  wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father,  which,  said  he, 
*  ye  have  heard  of  me ;  for  John  truly  baptized  with  water, 
but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  not  many 
days  hence.'  When  th^y,  therefore,  were  come  together, 
they  asked  of  him,  saying :  *  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time 
restore  again  the  kingdom  to  Israel?'  And  he  said  unto 
them :  '  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times  or  the  seasons 

^  Matt,  xxviii.  16—20;  Mark  xvi  12—19;  Luke  xxiv.  13—49;  John. 
sx.  19;  xxi. 

'  Mark  xvi  15—19;  Luke  xxiv.  50,  51. 


i 


go  OBBEBI0XT8  TITALtS.  [BOOK  I. 

wbich  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power,  Vut  ye  shaS 
receive  power  after  that  the  Holy  Q-host  is  come  upon  joa; 
Mid  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me  both  in  Jerosalem,  and 
in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  uid  unto  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth.'  And  when  he  had  spoken  these  things,  whife 
thej  beheld,  he  was  taken  up,  and  a  cloud  received  him  oi^ 
of' their  sight.  And  while  they  looked  stedfiutlj  toward 
heaven,  as  he  went  up,  behold,  two  men  stood  bj  tliem  in 
white  apparel,  which  also  said:  *Te  men  of  Ghdilee,  why 
stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven  ?  this  same  Jesus  which  is 
taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner 
as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven.'  Then  returned  they 
unto  Jerusalem  from  the  mount  called  Olivet,  which  is  from 
Jerusalem  a  sabbath-day's  journey."  There,  as  Luke  testis 
fies,  these  faithful  disciples  rejoiced  greatly  in  the  triumph 
of  their  heavenly  Master,  continued  with  one  accord  in 
prayer  and  supplication,  both  in  the  temple  and  in  an 
upper  room,  and  waited  with  confidence  for  the  promise  of 
the  Father,  as  Jesus  had  commanded  them.^  All  that  they 
had  heard  him  say  was  fully  proved  to  them  by  the  miracl^ 
which  they  saw  performed  oefore  their  own  eyes.  And, 
indeed,  as  they  had  often  heard  from  his  own  lips  that  he 
should  have  to  endure  the  most  cruel  sufferings  during  his 
passion,  and  that  he  should  rise  again  in  triumph  on  the 
third  day ;  now  they  rejoiced  to  see  the  immortal  G-iver  of 
life  overcome  the  sharpness  of  death,  and  triumph  because 
he  is  exalted  above  the  heavens,  and  sits  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Father.  Angels  also  appeared  in  white  apparel,  and, 
addressing  the  men  of  Gtdilee,  while  filled  with  admiration 
they  looked  steadfastly  toward  heaven,  pointed  out  to  them 
the  great  joy  both  of  angels  and  of  men,  and  announced 
that  Jesus  would  re-appear  at  the  end  of  the  world  to  judge 
all  nations.' 

Peter  and  John,  James  and  Andrew,  Philip  and  Thomas, 
Bartholomew  and  Matthew,  James  the  son  of  Alpheus, 
Simon  Zelotes,  and  Judas  the  brother  of  James,  who 
remained  with  the  Lord  Jesus  unto  the  end,  were  called  by 
him  the  salt  of  the  earth  and  the  light  of  the  world ;  and 
justly  so,  for  they  despised  this  world,  in  order  to  follow  his 
steps,  and  were  rewarded  by  being  appointed  by  G-qd  rulers 
»  Luke  xxiv.  52,  53;  Act.  Apost.  i.  1—14.  "  Acts  I  10, 1). 


CHAP.  XX.]  BtBCTIOK  OF   MATTHIAS.  81 

and  judges  of  the  earth.  When  this  venerable  company 
mi  returned  to  Jerusalem,  Peter,  who  was  the  first  called 
and  the  greatest  in  dignity  among  the  apostles,  stood  up  in 
ihe  midst  of  the  disciples,  who  were  about  an  hundred  and 
twentv'  in  number.  He  began  his  address  to  them  by 
speakmg  of  the  fate  of  the  traitor  Judas,  who,  having  hung 
Inmself  between  heaven  and  earth,  burst  asunder  in  the 
midst,  and  his  bowels  gushed  out  because  he  was  unworthy 
of  a  place  in  either ;  this  hap^ned  after  he  had  purchased 
with  the  reward  for  betraying  Christ,  a  field  called 
^Aceldama,'*  that  is  to  say.  The  field  of  blood.  He  then 
reminded  them  that  they  were,  as  David  had  foretold, 
to  ordain  another  apostle  in  his  room,  that  he  might  take 
part  in  this  heavenly  ministry  and  apostleship.  AU,  there- 
fore, adopted  the  proposal  of  their  president,  and  in  order  to 
complete  the  sacred  number  of  the  apostles  they  appointed 
two,  Joseph,  sumamed  Justus,  and  Matthias ;  and  they  fi;ave 
(otih.  their  lots,  after  Peter  had  offered  up  a  praver,  which 
the  rest  confirmed,  and  the  lot  falling  upon  Matthias,  he  was 
naiAbered  with  the  eleven  apostles.^ 

These  twelve  apostles  represent  the  hours  of  the  day,  and 
the  twelve  months  of  the  entire  year,  and  had  been  often 
signified  long  before  in  dark  sayings  of  the  prophets 
and  patriarchs.  They  are  held  in  reverence  by  all  the  nations 
of  the  foithful,  and  justly  regarded  as  the  senators  of  heaven, 
and  the  glorious  princes  of  the  church ;  because  they  are 
grafted  as  fruitftd  branches  into  Christ,  the  true  vine.  In 
the  Lord's  field,  they  faithfully  followed  his  steps  among 
men,  more  especially  by  voluntary  poverty ;  and  having,  as 
companions  and  partakers  of  the  same  mysteries,  shone 
I  with  the  effulgence  of  miraculous  powers,  they  now  sit 
together  on  celestial  thrones,  the  righteous  judges  of  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  And  as,  while  they  were  on  earth, 
they  had  without  ceasing  contended  for  the  prize  set  before 
them,  and  indefatigably  laboured  in  the  church,  as  Christ's 
faithftd  vicars  and  witnesses,  so  now  they  shine  as  his 
blessed  co-heirs  in  heaven. 

1  Acts  L  3,  15—26. 


TOL.  I.  G 


82  OBDIBICVS  TITALI8.  [BOOK  I 

Ch.  XXI.     Descent  of  {he  Soly  OhoH  at  JP^tecod. 

XXI.  And  when  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fullj.  eoini 
and  the  faithful  disciples  were  all  with  one  accord  in  006v 
place,  at  the  third  hour  of  the  day,  suddenly  there  caoMh 
a  sound  from  heaven,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  il^ 
the  form  of  tongues,  like  as  of  fire,  and  sat  upon  each  of . 
them,  iilUng  them  with  all  wisdom  and  heavenly,  gifti. 
0  how  quick  and  skilful  is  the  heavenly  Artificer,  the  sweot 
and  vivifying  helper  of  those  souls  which  desire  his  unction! 
This  celestial  fire,  which  did  not  consume,  but  illumine, 
came  down  to  inflame  fully  the  hearts  of  the  disciples, 
and  free  them  from  the  attractions  of  carnal  pleasures,  and 
from  the  dread  of  punishment.    It  suddenly  taught  them 
to  speak  with  other  tongues,   strengthened  their  miiKli 
by  authority,  and  raised  them  to  the  summit  of  virtue, 
against  all  the  wiles  of  the  enemy.    The  apostles  spake 
of   the  wonderful  works  of    God  in  divers  tongues,  lo 
that  strangers  out  of  every  nation  under   heaven  were  ^ 
amazed  that  these  Galileans,  who  had  never  quitted  their 
native  land,  should  speak  so  fluently  in  every  language. 
The  Jews,  full  of  envy,  and  confounded  by  tnis  nnracle, 
and  accustomed  as  they  were  to  put  a  wrong  construction 
upon  the  words  and  works  of  Christ,  asserted  that  these 
men,  who  were  showing  forth  the  mighty  works  of  God, 
were  full  of  new  wine,  which  made  them  talk  like  madmen^ 
But  Peter,  who  was  indeed  intoxicated  with  spiritual  drink, 
rose  up  against  these  perfidious  men,  spoke  to  them  the 
words  of  saving  wisdom,  treated  eloquently  of  the  in- 
carnation, the  passion,  and   the   resurrection  of  Christ, 
and,  with  the  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  confounded  the 
multitude  of  the  malicious.     As  he    had   once   smitten 
with  the  sword  Malchus,  and  had  cut  off  the  ear  of  this 
servant  of  the  high  priest,  so  with  the  spiritual  word  of 
God  he  pierced  the  hearts  of  those  who  were  carnally 
slaves  to  the  letter  of  the  Mosaic  law,  and  commanded  the 
neophytes  to  banish  from  their  minds    the   recollection 
of  the  ancient  ceremonies  and  observances.    These  same 
Jews    who,    shortly    before,    had    so    cruelly    persecuted 
the  Messiah  to   death,   were  exhorted  by  St.   Peter,  in 
a    fervent    address,   to    repent    and   to    be   baptized    in 


OlAP.XXn.]  THB  DAT  OF  PEITTECOST.  88 

the  name  of  Jesus  dunst ;  and  a«  he  bad  been  hitberto 
accustomed  to  take  fisb  from  tbe  sea  by  means  of  bis  net, 
80  now,  by  performing  tbe  sacred  duties  of  a  preacber,  be 
drew  tbe  wandering  sinner  from  tbe  deptbs  of  ignorance, 
to  set  bis  feet  on  tbe  solid  ground  of  faitb.  In  one  day 
be  baptized  tbree  thousand  of  those  who  were  converted, 
and,  putting  on  the  new  man,  bad  cast  off  tbe  old  things 
of  a  carnal  Ufe.^ 

Oh.  xxTT.     Becapitulation  of  preceding  twenty-one  chap- 
ters— Continuation  of  History  proposed. 

ksTD  now,  by  Gt)d's  help,  I  have  compiled  a  plain  narrative 
of  all  that  passed  from  the  birth  of  Christ  to  the  coming  of 
tbe  Holy  Gbost  the  Comforter;  and  have  collected  and  briefly 
arranged  our  Lord's  miracles  from  the  writings  of  tbe  evan- 
gelists, as  well  as  my  feeble  powers  enabled  me,  or  I  have 
gained  from  the  accounts  given  by  the  fluent  Augustine* 
and  other  doctors  of  the  church.  I  have  endeavoured  in 
this  work  to  be  useful  to  my  fellow  creatures  and  to  myself; 
wishing  especially  to  be  of  some  service  to  those  who  dis- 
like tbe  perusal  of  those  learned  and  extensive  works ;  for 
which  purpose  I  have  collected  the  accounts  of  our  Lord  s 
miracles,  which  are  spread  over  four  books,  and  comprised 
them  within  the  limits  of  a  small  volume.  Moreover,  1  have 
generally  been  anxious  to  adopt  the  very  words  I  found 
in  tbe  authentic  books ;  and  although,  for  brevity's  sake,  I 
hare  been  frequently  compelled  to  alter  their  language,, 
yet  I  have  made  every  effort  to  arrive  at  the  precise 
^tb,  and  have  never  voluntarily  deviated  from  received 
opinions. 

And  now,  purposing  to  continue  this  history,  in  order 
that  the  reader  may  clearly  understand  tbe  chronology, 
I  shall  insert  some  information,  which  the  ancient  fathers 
have  given  upon  the  subject  in  their  work«.  For  Eusebius 
of  Cesarea,  St.  Jerome,  who  imderstood  three  languages, 
the  Spanish  philosophers  Orosius  and  Isidore  of  Seville, 

I  Acts  ii.  1—41. 

'  As  our  author  here  states,  he  has  principally  drawn  the  materials  for 
the  twenty-one  preceding  chapters,  occupied  with  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ, 
from  St.  Augustine's  treatise  on  the  ^  Harmony  of  the  Evangelists.*' 

a  2 


84  osDnicus  titalis.        [b.i.  cH.xxin. 

and  seyeral  others,  have  written  at  large  on  tbe  couiBe 
of  former  events,  and  especiallj  Beda,  the  priest,  in  his 
book  entitled,  ''De  Temporibos."^  He  is  tiie  latest'  of 
the  English  writers,  and  carefullj  studied  to  imitate  the 
st)rle  of  the  ancients. 

Ch.  XXm.     Series  of  emperors  of  Borne  and  Ckmstan- 
tinople,fram  TUferius  to  Leo  the  Isaurian,    . 

ToEBnis,  the  step-son  of  Octavianus  Augustus,  beinf 
the  son  of  Liyia  his  wife  hj  a  former  husband,  reigned 
twenty-three  years.  In  the  twelfth  jear  of  his  reign,  he  sent 
Pilate  into  Judea,  as  procurator  of  that  province.  Herod 
the  tetrarch,  when  he  had  been  in  possession  of  this  prin- 
cipalis twenty-four  years,  founded  the  cities  of  Tiberias 
and  Ijibias,  in  honour  of  the  emperor  Tiberius  and  his 
mother  Livia.» 

In  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  our 
Lord  Jesus,  after  his  baptism,  as  was  foretold  by  St.  John, 
preached  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  the  world,  four  thousand 
years  after  the  creation,  according  to  the  Hebrews,  as  is 
proved  by  Eusebius,  in  his  Chronides ;  we  must  here  notice 
that  the  fifteenth  year  of  Tiberius  corresponds  with  the  com- 
mencement of  the  eigh^-first  Jubilee  among  the  Jews ;  if 
we  consult  these  Same  Chronicles,  which  Eusebius  himself 
compiled,  as  he  thought  best,  from  the  two  editions  extant,*, 
we  find  five  thousand,  two  hundred,  and  twenty-eight 
years. 

1  It  is  not  the  work  of  Bede,  **  De  Tempoiibiu,"  but  the  one  bearing 
the  title,  '^  De  Sex  ^tatibus  Mundi,"  which  our  author  has  followed,  fta 
the  most  part  literally,  through  most  of  the  historical  and  chronological 
notices  that  occupy  the  remaining  portion  of  thb  book. 

*  Bede,  however,  died  a.i>.  735. 

'  Pilate  succeeded  in  the  government  of  Judea  i.d.  26  or  27,  of  wfaicb' 
he  was  dispossessed  in  the  year  37.  Tiberias  appears  to  have  beoi  founded 
in  the  year  seventeen  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  does  not  correspond  with  the 
twenty-fourth,  but  with  the  nineteenth  or  twentieth  year  of  the  r^gn  <d 
Herod  Antipas.  The  town  called,  in  honour  of  Livia,  sometimes  LibiBi» 
sometimes  Julias  (Livia  herself  having  taken  the  name  of  Julia  after  At 
had  been  adopted  by  Augustus  in  his  will),ahready  existed  under  the  name 
oif  Beth-Haram,  or  Beth-Ramphta. 

*  That  is  to  say,  from  the  text  as  it  was  before  Origen,  and  that  wfakli- 
had  been  correct^  by  him.  The  first  was  called  il^tio  Vulgaris ;  Uw 
second,  Editio  Hexaplariai 


▲.0.82 42.]         TIBEBIUS  AND   CALIGULA.  85 

In  the  eighteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Tiberius, 
our  Lord  redeemed  the  world  by  his  passion,  and  rising 
a^^ain  victoriously  from  the  dead  on  the  third  daj,  showed 
lumself  openly  to  his  Mthful  disciples,  and  on  the  fortieth  day 
ascended  into  heaven  before  their  eyes.  Agrippa,  sumamed 
Herod,  whose  father  was  Aristobulus,  son  of  Kmg  Herod, 
went  1x>  Borne,  to  impeach  Herod  the  tetrarch,  but  was 
thrown  into  prison  by  order  of  Tiberius,^  where  he  made 
himself  many  friends,  especially  Caius  (Caligula),  son  of 
Gbrmanicus. 

Caius,  sumamed  Caligula,  reigned  three  years,  ten  months, 
and  eight  days.  He  gave  the  kingdom  of  Judea  to  his  friend 
Herod  Agrippa,  whom  he  had  liberated  from  confinement. 
This  prince  neld  the  sceptre  for  the  space  of  seven  years, 
that  IS  to  say,  until  the  fourth  year  of  tne  reign  of  Claudius, 
when  ''the  angel  of  the  Lord  smote  him,'*  and  his  son 
Agrippa  [II.]  succeeded  in  the  government,  and  reigned 
twenty-six  years,  until  the  extermination  of  the  Jews.  He, 
as  well  as  Herod  the  tetrarch,  was  persuaded  by  Herodias  to 

fo  to  Bome,  to  conciliate  the  friendship  of  Caligula,  but 
eing  there  accused  by  Agrippa,  he  lost  even  his  tetrarchate, 
and  escaping  by  flight  into  Spain,  with  Herodias,  died  there 
of  grief.  Pilate,  who  had  pronounced  sentence  of  death 
on  Christ,  received  so  many  afironts  from  Caligula,  that  he 
killed  himself  with  his  own  hand.  This  emperor,  to  honour 
his  gods,  polluted  the  holy  places  of  the  Jews,  by  placing  in 
them  these  impure  idols.' 

Claudius  governed  the  empire  thirteen  years,  eight 
months,  and  nineteen  days.  He  himself,  in  the  fourth  year 
of  his  reign,  during  a  mreadful  fEunine,  of  which  St.  Luke 

^  hi  the  month  of  September,  jldi  37,  about  ax  months  before  the 
^Mth  of  Tiberius. 

'  He  did  not  give  Judea  to  Herod  Agrippa,  as  our  author  states, 
aooording  to  Bede,but  Batanea  and  the  Tradionitis.  Claudius,  a.  n.  41, 
added  to  them  Judea  and  Samaria,  The  death  of  this  king  happened  in  44. 
Agrippa  II.  never  possessed  Judea,  but  other  territories,  with  the  superin- 
tendence of  the  Temple,  and  the  right  of  appointing  the  high-priest.  It 
was  in  the  year  3d  that  Herod  Antipas,  accused  of  entertaining  a  treason- 
able correspondence  with  the  Parthians,  was  banished  with  Herodias  to 
Lyons ;  from  whence,  it  appears,  they  were  subsequently  removed  to  Spain. 
Pilate,  according  to  a  tradition,  was  sent  to  Vienne  in  Dauphiny,  where  he 
Jdlled  lumself  in  a  fit  of  deapeir,  a.p,  40. 


B6  OSDEUCUB  TITALIB.  [b.I.  CH.XsSn.  ~ 

makes  mention  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  passed  over  into 
Britain,  where  no  army  had  dared  to  land  either  before  or 
afber  Julius  Csesar,  and,  without  fighting  any  battles  or 
shedding  blood,  within  the  space  of  a  few  days,  received  the 
proffered  submission  of  the  greater  part  of  the  island.  He 
also  added  the  Orkney  Islands  to  the  Boman  empire,  and 
returned  to  his  capital,  whence  he  had  been  absent  alto* 
gether  somewhat  less  than  six  months.  In  the  ninth  year 
of  his  government,  he  drove  the  rebellious  Jews  out  of  Bome, 
as  we  read  in  the  Acts  of  St.  Luke.  In  the  following  year 
a  dire  famine  afflicted  the  Eomans.^ 

Nero  filled  the  imperial  throne  for  the  space  of  thirteen 
years,  seven  months,  and  twenty-eight  days.  In  his  second 
year,  Festus  succeeded  Felix  as  procurator  of  Judea,  and  sent 
Paul  in  chains  to  Eome.  Albinus  succeeded  Festus  in  the 
government  of  Judea,  and  was  followed  by  Q«ssius  Floms. 
The  Jews  were  not  long  able  to  bear  the  dissolute  manners, 
the  avarice,  and  the  other  vices  of  Florus ;  for  which  reason 
they  rebelled  against  the  Eomans.  Vespasian  was  sesA 
against  them  at  the  head  of  an  army,  and  took  several  of 
their  towns.  Nero's  greatest  crime,  and  he  committed 
many,  was  his  having  given  the  order  for  the  first  -persecu- 
tion of  the  Christians,  the  most  distinguished  leaders  of 
whom  he  commanded  to  be  put  to  death  at  Bome ;  St.  Peter 
was  crucified,  and  St.  Paul  ^11  by  the  sword.  This  emperor 
did  not  venture  to  undertake  any  wars,  and  was  very  near 
losing  Britain ;  for  during  his  government,  two  towns  of 
great  importance  were  captured  and  destroyed.' 

^  The  conquests  of  the  Romans  in  Britain  commenced  under  A. 
Flantius,  A.a  43.  The  expedition  of  Claudius  into  England,  whoe  he 
remained  only  sixteen  days,  took  place  in  the  third  year  of  his  reign. 
There  was,  indeed,  at  the  same  period  a  famine  at  Rome ;  but  the  one 
our  author  speaks  of,  and  of  which  St.  Luke  makes  mention  in  tlie 
Acts  of  the  Apostles  (xi.  28),  belongs  to  the  next  year.  The  eonqoeet  of 
the  Orkneys  did  not  happen  under  this  prince,  but  under  Vespasian.  The 
expulsion  of  the  Jews  fix>m  Italy  (Acts  xviiL  2)  must  be  referred  to  thei  year 
49,  and  the  second  famine  to  the  year  51. 

'  The  expedition  of  Vespanan  into  Judea  took  place  in  the  year 
67.  Festus  had  succeeded  Felix  in  60,  and  consequently  not  in  the 
second,  but  in  the  nxth  year  of  the  reign  of  Nero. — St.  Peter  and  St. 
Paul  appear  to  have  suffered  martyrdom  on  the  29th  of  June,  a.d.  66. — 
The  Roman  power  in  Britain  was  almost  stationary  under  AuIub  Didius 
•and  Varanius,  the  immediate  successors  of  Oatorius;  indeed^  H  Is  odd'  that 


A.D.69 — 79.]  VESPASiAisr.  87 

Vespasian  held  the  reins  of  government  for  the  space  of 
nine  years,  eleven  months,  and  twenty-two  days,  tte  was 
in  Judea  when  he  was  proclaimed  emperor  by  the  army,  and,  - 
leaving  the  direction  of  the  war  to  his  son  Titus,  he 
returned  to  Some  by  the  way  of  Alexandria,  and,  after  the 
murder  of  Vitellius,  took  possession  of  the  throne.  Titus, 
within  the  space  of  two  years,  overthrew  the  kingdom  of 
Judea,  and  razed  the  temple  to  the  ground  one  thousand 
and  eighty-*four  years  after  its  first  erection.  This  war 
was  terminated  in  four  years;  it  was  carried  on  for  two 
years  during  the  life  of  Nero,  and  was  continued  for  two 
years  after  his  death.  Vespasian,  among  other  great  actions 
while  he  was  yet  a  subject,  signalized  himself  in  Germany, 
and  afterwards  in  Qreat  Britain,  whither  he  had  been  sent 
by  Claudius,  and  where  he  fought  thirty-two  pitched  battles 
i^th  the  enemy ;  he  added  to  the  £oman  empire  two  powerful 
nations,  twen^  towns  and  the  Isle  of  Wight  on  tne  coast 
of  Britain.  It  was  during  his  reign  that  the  colossus  [of 
iBhodes]  was  erected;  its  height  was  a  hundred  and  seven 

The  emperor  Titus  reigned  two  years  and  two  months ;  a 
man  whose  character  was  so  admirable  on  account  of  his 
being  endowed  with  every  virtue,  that  he  was  called  the  love 
and  delight  of  mankind.  He  completed  the  amphitheatre 
at  Borne,  when  five  thousand  animals  were  killed  at  the 
dedication.' 

the  Emperor  Nero  seriously  entertained  the  thought  of  abandoning  the 
island,  but  the  next  governor,  •Paulinus  Suetonius  (a.d.  59 — 61)  revived 
the  spirit  of  the  Romans.  He  conquered  the  island  of  Mona,  now 
Anglesey.  Boadicea,  widow  of  King  Prasutagus,  and  queen  of  the  Iceni, 
who  were  joined  by  the  Trinobantes,  rebelled  against  the  Romans,  laid 
waste  with  fire  and  sword  the  colony  of  Camalodunum  (Colchester),  and 
took  London  and  Verulam  by  assault,  massacring  the  inhabitants.  The 
Britons,  however,  were  afterwards  defeated  by  Suetonius  with  tremendous 
loss,  and  Boadicea  put  an  end  to  her  existence  by  taking  poison.  This 
revolt  took  place  a  .d.  6 1 . 

^  The  Temple  at  Jerusalem  was  destroyed  by  fire,  Aug.  10,  a.d.  70, 
and  consequently  one  thousand  and  seventy-two  years  after  its  first  con- 
strucUofi. — ^The  colossal  statue,  executed  by  Zenodorus  in  marble,  was 
erected  in  the  year  75;  it  was  110  or  120  feet  high  (Pliny),  and  was 
originally  intended  to  represent  Nero,  but  having  suffered  in  the  fire  which 
destroyed  the  Domus  Aurea,  or  Golden  House,  it  was  repaired  by  Vespar 
tian,  and  by  him  converted  into  a  statue  of  the  sun. 

'  A  destructive  fire  and  a  dieadAil  plague  happened  al  'Rome^  ^i^^l^* 


88  OBDEBICirS  TTTALIS.  [B.I.  CH.XXIII. 

Domitian,  the  younger  brother  of  Titus,  goyemed  the 
empire  fifteen  years  and  five  months.      He  commenced, 
the  second  persecution  of  the  Christians,  Nero's  being  th^ 
first,  and  shortly  afterwards  received  his  reward  for  thus 
fighting  against  God,  being  slain  in  the  senate-house.^ 

Nerva  held  the  imperii  sceptre  one  year,  four  montiii^ 
and  eight  days.  His  first  edict  recalled  all  those  who  were, 
banished.  GAie  apostle  St.  John  regained  his  liberty  by  tbis 
general  amnesty,  and  took  advantage  of  it  to  return  i$ 
Ephesus.' 

Trajan  filled  the  throne  nineteen  years,  six  months^  and 
fifteen  days.  He  began  the  third  persecution  of  the  Chii^ 
tians,  ana  ordered  the  most  eminent  servants  of  God  to  be 
tortured  to  death.  Pliny  the  younger,  bom  at  Como,  Uved 
during  this  reign ;  he  is  regarded  as  a  great  orator  and  his*, 
torian :  many  of  his  works,  proofs  of  ms  remarkable  talent^ 
are  still  extant.  The  Pantheon  at  Eome,  built  by  Domitian, 
was  destroyed  by  lightning ;  it  was  so  named,  because  it  was 
consecrated  as  the  temple  of  all  the  gods.  The  Jews,  who 
excited  seditions  in  every  part  of  the  world,  were  slaughtered 
in  great  numbers,  a  punishment  they  deserved.  This 
emperor  extended  far  and  wide  the  bounds  of  the  Bomaii> 
empire,  which,  since  the  time  of  Augustus,  had  been  rather 
de&nded  than  added  to  by  any  remarkable  conquest.* 

Hadrian,  cousin  of  Trajan,  reigned  twenty-otne  yean* 
Being  enlightened  by  the  books  written  on  the  Chriatiaii 
religion  by  Quadratus,  a  disciple  of  the  apostles  and  bishop 
of  Athens,  Aristides,  an  Athenian  full  of  faith  and  wisdom^ 

The  Flavian  Amphitheatre,  afterwards  called  the  Coloeseiim,  was  eom- 
pleted  and  dedicated  by  Titus  in  the  year  80.  Not  nine  thousand,  but 
(according  to  Dion.  Cassius)  fire  thousaxid  animals  were  killed  during  the 
festival,  whidi  lasted  a  hundred  days. 
^  Domitian  persecuted  the  church  a.d.  95,  the  year  before  his  death* 
'  The  persecution  appears  to  have  ceased  before  the  death  of  DomitaaK 
Nevertheless  St.  John  did  not  return  from  banishment  befinre  Nem 
recalled  the  exiles. 

'  The  third  persecution  took  place  a.d.  117*  The  meanirea  taken  to 
punish  the  Jews  were  begun  the  year  before. — The  first  burning  of  the 
Pantheon  happened  a.i>.  80,  and  the  second  a.i>.  110. — Pliny  the  YoUQgBr 
(Caius  Gsecilius  Plinius  Secundus)  was  bom  at  Como  about  a.d.  52,  vA 
died  about  the  year  102.  The  passage  relating  to  him  is  borrowed  finia 
St.  Jerome,  who,  as  well  as  our  author,  appears  to  have  oonfoonded  1m«w 
with  Pliny  the  Elder,  his  uncle. 


l.I>.  98 — 117.]  XMPXBOB  HADBIAK.  89 

and  Serenus  Ghranianus,  proconsul  [of  Asia],  he  wrote  a  letter 
eoauDJUiding  that  the  CnristianB  should  not  be  condemned 
imleas  accusations  were  preferred  against  them.  This 
emperor  subdued  a  second  time  and  finally,  with  great 
akughter,  the  Jews  who  had  again  rebelled ;  he  even  deprived 
Hism  of  the  permission  to  enter  Jerusalem,  which  he  care- 
iiilly  rebuilt,  and  surrounded  with  walls ;  commanding  that 
it  should  be  called  ^lia,  after  his  own  name.  Being  perfect 
master  both  of  Greek  and  Latin,  he  founded  at  Atnens  a 
library  of  admirable  architecture.  Mark  was  the  first 
gentile  bishop  of  Jerusalem ;  those  who  preceded  him  having 
been  all  Jews.  Their  names  were:  James  the  brother 
of  our  Lord,  Simeon  the  son  of  Cleophas,  Justus,  Zaccheus, 
Tobias,  Sixtus  (Benjamin),  John,  Matthias,  Philip,  Seneca, 
another  Justus,  I<evi,  Effrem,  Joseph,  and  Judas.  These 
bishops,  fifteen  in  number,  who  were  of  the  circumcision, 
governed  the  Christian  church  at  Jerusalem,  from  the  time 
of  our  Lord's  passion  until  the  reign  of  .£liu8  Hadrian,  a 
space  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  seven  years;  rendering 
themselves  illustrious  by  their  sanctity,  their  faith,  and  their 
learning.  Their  successors  of  gentile  origin,  were  Mark, 
Cassianus,  Fublius,  Maximus,  Julian,  Caius,  another  Julian, 
Capiton,  Yalens,  Dolician,  Narcissus,  Alexander,  Maza- 
banes,  Hymenseas,  Zabdas,  Hermon,  Macharius,  another 
Maximus,  Cyrill,  and  John.^ 

Antoninus,  sumamed  Pius,  with  his  two  sons,  by  adoption, 
Marcus  Aurelius  and  Lucius  (Yerus),  reigned  twenty-two 
years  and  three  months.  Justm  the  philosopher  presented 
to  Antoninus  a  book  he  wrote  in  fisivour  of  the  Christian 
religion,  which  induced  the  emperor  to  treat  the  Christians 

1  The  mitiatioii  of  the  Emperor  Hadrian  into  the  mysteries  of  Eleusia  in 
126  had  excited  the  persecution  which  induced  St.  Quadratus,  bishop  of 
Athens,  St.  Aristides,  and  Serenus  Grauianus,  proconsul  of  Asia,  to  present 
to  die  emperor  apologies  for  the  Christian  religion,  which  induced  him  to 
put  an  end  to  the  persecution.  Jerusalem  was  retaken,  and  r^uced  to  ashes 
hj  Julius  Severus  in  the  month  of  August,  135.  Its  conversion  into  a 
Roman  colony,  under  the  name  of  Colonia  iBlia  Capitolina,  was  already 
effected  in  138,  Uie  period  of  the  ordination  of  the  patriarch  Mark.  Seven 
names  are  missing  in  the  list  which  Ordericus  gives  of  the  successors  of  thi< 
biiliop,  to  the  commencement  of  the  sixth  century.  The  foundation  of  the 
Hbnuy  of  Alexandria  belongs  to  the  early  part  of  the  year  135.. 


90  OBDEUIOirS  YITALIS.  [b.I.  CH.XXIII. 

with  kindness.  Not  long  after,  however,  he  lost  his  life  for{ 
Christ's  sake,  during  the  persecution  excited  by  Cresoent 
the  Cynic,  in  the  time  of  Pope  Pius  I.  Hermes  wrote] 
a  book  entitled,  "  The  Pastor,"  which  contains  the  precept  of 
an  angel,  that  Easter  should  be  kept  on  the  Lords  dar. 
Polycarp,  on  his  arrival  at  Borne,  reclaimed  from  i^ 
heresy  many  who  had  been  recently  corrupted  by  tii0 
doctrines  of  Valentine  and  Cerdo.* 

Marcus  Antoninus  Verus,  and  his  brother  [by  adoptitm] 
Lucius  Aurelius  Commodus,  reigned  nineteen  years  and  two 
months.  The  government  was  now  for  the  first  time 
administered  by  them  jointly,  hitherto  there  having  been 
^ole  emperors.  They  afterwards  made  war  against  the 
Parthians  with  distinguished  courage  and  success.  Ihiiine 
the  persecution  of  the  Christians  in  Asia,  Polycarp  and 
Piomus  suffered  martyrdom.  In  Gaul,  also,  Pothinus,  bishop 
of  Lyons,  and  several  other  Christians  gloriously  shed  their 
blood  for  Christ.  Not  long  after,  the  plague,  that  avengei 
of  crime,  depopulated  many  provinces  of  the  Boman  empire^ 
above  all  Italy,  and  Eome  itself.  On  the  demise  of  hie 
brother  Commodus,  Antoninus  took  his  own  son  ComtDodm 
as  his  colleague  in  the  government.  Melito,  bidiop  of 
'Sardis,  in  Asia,  wrote  an  apology  for  the  Christians,  ad* 
dressed  to  the  emperor  Antoninus.  Lucius,  king  of  Britain^ 
sent  a  letter  to  Eleutherius,  bishop  of  Bome,  solicitiBg 

i  Justin  Martyr,  bom  a.d.  103,  at  Neapolis  (Sicham),  drew  ap  bii 
first  Apology  about  the  year  140.  Crescens,  a  pbilosopher>  oauied 
him  to  be  apprehended  with  six  of  his  companions,  when  thej  wefe  all 
beheaded  in  167*  in  the  pontificate  of  Anicetus,  and  not  during  that  of 
Pius  I.,  who  died  ten  years  before  (July  11,  157);  consequently  he  does 
not  belong  to  this  reign,  but  to  that  of  Marcus  Aurelius.  St.  Hennai, 
and  not  Hermes,  the  father  of  Pius  I.,  wrote  the  book  called  ^The  Pastor," 
translated  into  English  by  Archbishop  Wake  in  1710.  Many  are  of 
opinion  that  he  was  the  disciple  of  St.  Paul,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in 
Romans  xvi.  14.  The  book  does  not  contain  anything  relative  to  the  time 
of  celebrating  Easter.  Polycarp,  a  disciple  of  St.  John,  who  is  supposed 
to  be  the  "  angel  of  the  church  of  Smyrna"  (Rev.  il  8),  undertook  t 
journey  to  Rome  in  1 58,  to  confer  with  Pope  Anicetus  on  this  subject 
He  was  burnt  at  the  stake,  a.d.  167.  The  heretical  opinions  of  .Valentiiie 
and  Cordon  had  been  condemned  several  years  before. 

This  passage,  like  most  of  those  which  precede  and  follow  it,  is  borrowed 
literally  frdm  Bede. 


i.T)i  180 — 192.]  OOMMODI78.  91 

admission  into  the  Christian  church.  Apollinaris  of  Hiera- 
polis  in  Asia,  and  Dionysius  of  Corinth,  are  ranked  amongst 
the  most  illustrious  bisQops  of  this  age.^ 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  Lucius  Antoninus  Com- 
modas  reigned  thirteen  years.  He  was  successful  in  his 
war  with  the  Germans.  In  all  other  respects  he  did  not 
inherit  his  father's  virtues,  being  addicted  to  every  species 
of  debauchery.  Irenseus,  bishop  of  Lyons  at  this  time,  had 
gained  great  celebrity.  The  emperor  Commodus  having 
ordered  the  head  of  the  Colossus  to  be  taken  off,  replaced  it 
by  one  taken  from  his  own  statue.' 

Helvius  Pertinax  reigned  only  six  months ;  he  was  'assas- 
sinated by  Didius  Julian,  who,  after  a  reign  of  only  seven 
months^  was  vanquished  and  killed,  during  the  civil  war, 
by  Severus,  near  the  Milvian  bridge.  Victor,  bishop  of 
Rome,  by  a  decree  which  was  widely  dispersed,  ordered  the 
feast  of  Easter  to  be  celebrated,  as  his  predecessor  Eleu- 
therius  had  done,  on  the  Sunday  between  the  14th  and 
the  2l8t  day  of  March,  which  was  then  reckoned  the 
first  month  of  the  year.  Theophilus,  bishop  of  Csesarea, 
in  Palestine,  adopted  this  decree,  and  in  conjunction  with 
other  bishops,  present  at  a  council,  wrote  a  synodical 
and  vahiable  epistle,  against  those  who  persisted  in  cele- 

1  Marcus  Aurelius  Antoninus,  born  at  Rome,  a.d.  121,  married  Faus- 
tina, daughter  of  Antoninus  Pius,  and  died  of  a  pestilential  disease  in 
the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  By  consulting  the  dates  given  before,  it 
will  be  apparent  that  his  reign  lasted  only  nineteen  years  and  ten  days ; 
Bede  having  reckoned  nineteen  years  and  one  month.  The  war  against 
the  Parthians,  begun  in  161,  was  brought  to  a  successful  issue  in  165.  L. 
Verus,  in  the  year  166,  on  his  return  firom  the  East,  carried  the  plague  to 
Rome.  Polycarp  and  Justin  both  suffered  martyrdom,  in  the  same  year 
(167),  ond  Pothmus  in  177.  Our  historian  is  in  error  as  to  Pionius,  who 
was  burnt  in  the  persecution  of  Decius,  a.d.  250.  Commodus  was  raised 
to  the  dignity  of  Caesar  in  the  year  177.  Melito,  bishop  of  Sardis  in 
Lydia,  addressed  his  Apology  for  Christianity  to  Marcus  Aurelius  in  the 
year  175;  it  was  followed  in  177  by  another  from  the  pen  of  Apollinaris, 
Inshop  of  Hierapolis,  whose  writings  are  all  lost. — The  demand  of  the 
Biitidi  king,  Lucius,  to  Eleutherius,  bishop  of  Rome,  for  a  Christian 
miasionary,  must  have  been  between  the  years  177  and  193,  when  that 
pope  filled  the  see.  Only  a  few  fragments  of  the  letters  of  Dionysius, 
bi^op  of  Corinth,  have  been  preserved. 

'  The  expedition  agamtt  the  Germans  took  place  in  September,  177. 
Irensus  was^  indeed,  contemporary  wiUi  Commodus,  bat  he  did  not  suffer 
loartyidmn  befoie  thejear  20Z 


92  OBDSBICirs  TTTALIS.  [b.i.  CH.xxm. 

hrating  this  festival  like  the  Jews,  on  the  fourteenth  dftjr 
of  the  March  moon.^ 

Severus  Fertinax  held  the  reins  of  government  for  sevoi- 
teen  years,  firmly,  but  not  without  difficulty.     He  ordered 
a  cruel  persecution  of  the  Christians.     Clemens,  a  priest  of 
the  church  of  Alexandria,  and  PantsBnus,  a  stoic  philo- 
sopher, distinguished  themselves  by  their  theological  di»-  j 
cussions.     Narcissus,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  Theophilus  d  \ 
CsBsarea,  Polycarp  and  Bacchiolus,  Asiatic  bishops,  were  also  ; 
illustrious.    In  different  parts  of  the  empire,  a  great  number  I 
of  Christians  received  the  crown  of  martyrdom.     Clodim  ' 
Albinus,  who  had  assumed  the  title  of  CsBsar  in   Ghral, 
having  been  slain  near  Lyons,  Severus  transferred  the  war 
into  Britain.     In  order  to  secure  the  conquered  provinces 
from  the  incursions  of  the  barbarians,  he  ordered  a  widfl 
ditch  to  be  dug,  and  a  very  strong  wall  to  be  raised ;  which 
was  addftionally  fortified,  at  unequal  distances,  by  a  number 
of  towers :  these  works  very  nearly  extended  from  sea  to 
sea,  being  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  thousand  paces 
long.    This  emperor  died  at  York.* 

^  Our  author  seems,  in  imitation  of  Aurelius  Victor,  to  hate  confounded 
Didius  Julianus  with  his  grandfather,  the  fiunous  jurisconsult,  Salnoi 
Julianus.  However,  Eutropius  affirms  that  Didius  also  was  well  vened 
in  jurisprudencCi  It  was  not  Didius  who  was  defeated  bj  Septimiui 
Severus  near  the  Milvian  Bridge,  but  Maxentius  by  Constantine,  a  centxaj 
and  a  half  afterwards.  The  truth  is  that  Didius  was  beheaded,  bj  order  of 
the  senate  on  receiving  the  news  of  the  election  of  Septimius  Several^  aAsr 
a  short  reign  of  sixty-six  days. — The  Council  of  Cesarea  in  Paiestim^ 
convoked  for  the  discussion  of  the  great  question  of  those  times,  tk» 
proper  day  for  the  celebration  of  Easter,  which  so  long  disturbed  the 
church,  was  held  in  the  year  196,  and  consequently  in  the  f&gBL  of 
Septimius  Severus. 

^  The  surname  of  Pertinax  was  given  to  Severus  by  the  loldien  «t  li* 
moment  when  they  proclaimed  him  emperor.  Bede  asserts  that  he  leigBid 
eighteen  years :  this  comes  nearer  to  the  truth  than  our  author's  nunalnr. 
The  fifth  persecution  of  the  Christians  began  in  201  or  202,  and  oontinosd 
until  the  death  of  this  prince. — Clemens  of  Alexandria  [Titos  FUviv 
Clemens],  one  of  the  doctors  of  the  church,  was  obliged  to  seek  lefti^  it 
Cappadocia  during  the  whole  time  it  lasted.  He  died  in  217,  one  tbV 
after  Pantsenus,  whose  disciple  and  successor  he  was,  and  who,  as  CBi^-is 
I7d,  was  master  of  the  famous  school  of  Alexandria. — Nardssos,  bishop- <ir 

Sitriarch  of  Jerusalem,  presided  at  the  Council  of  Caesarea,  convoked  tgr 
ishop  Theophilus  in  196. — Instead  of  Polycarp,  read  Poljfer€Ue9^  bishop 
<xf  Ephesus.    Bacchyolus  was  not  bishop  of  a  see  in  Asia,  but  of  Goiilitk  . 
It  appears  that  there  is  here  an  omission  in  the  passage  of  St  JeRHM 


A.D.  211 — ^222.]    CABACALLA — ELAOABALVS.  93 

Antoninus,  sumamed  Caracalla,  the  son  of  Severus, 
reigned  about  seven  years.  Alexander,  bishop  of  Cappa- 
docia,  having  gone  to  J  erusalem,  drawn  thither  by  his  desire 
of  visiting  the  holj  places,  during  the  lifetime  of  Narcissus, 
bishop  of  that  city,  who  had  attained  a  very  great  age, 
be  was  ordained  to  succeed  him,  the  Lord  having,  by  re- 
velation, suggested  this  choice.  Tertullian,  an  A:&ican,  son 
of  a  proconsular  centurion,  is  celebrated  in  all  the  churches.^ 

Macrinus  reigned  one  year,  and  was  massacred  near 
Archelais,  during  a  mutiny  of  the  soldiers,  as  well  as  his 
son  Diadumenianus,  who  had  assisted  him  in  usurping  the 
throne. 

Marcus  Aurelius  Antoninus  reigned  four  years.  The 
town  of  Nicopolis,  in  Palestine,  before  called  Emmaiis,  was 
founded  during  this  recess ;  Julius  Africanus,  a  writer  of  that 
day,  having  successfully  promoted  the  building.  Emmaus 
is  the  place  which  our  Lord  vouchsafed  to  sanctify  with  his 
presence,  after  his  resurrection,  as  we  read  in  the  gospel  of 
St.  Luke.  Bishop  Hippolytus,  the  author  of  many  works, 
has  brought  down  to  this  period  the  chronological  cauon 
which  he  composed.  He  tells  us  that,  by  finding  the  return 
of  Easter  to  the  same  day,  after  the  lapse  of  a  certain 
number  of  years,  he  furnished  Eusebius  with  the  idea  of  his 
paschal  cycle.' 

tmnscribed  both  by  Bede  and  Ordericus,  and  that  we  must  restore  it  by 
maerting  the  words  ^  bishop  of  Corinth/'  after  Bacchjolus. — The  defeat  of 
Qodius  Albinus,  the  governor  of  Britain,  on  the  plains  of  Tr^voux,  took 
place  the  19th  (tf  February,  197;  the  expedition  of  Septimius  Severus  into 
Great  Britain  in  the  year  208;  the  building  of  the  great  wall  in  210; 
and  the  death  of  that  prince  on  the  4th  of  February,  211.  The  wall  was 
about  eight  feet  thick,  and  twelve  high  to  the  base  of  the  battlements. 
1%ere  were  added,  at  unequal  distances,  a  number  of  stations  or  towns, 
eighty-one  castles,  and  three  hundred  and  thirty  castelets  or  turrets.  The 
ditch*  was  about  thirty-six  feet  wide,  and  from  twelve  to  fifteen  deep. 

^  Narcissus  died  in  212,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  six  years.  He 
vas  indeed  succeeded  by  Alexander,  bishop  of  Gappadocia,  who  had 
aaasted  him  for  several  years  before  his  death.  The  illustrious  Tertullian 
floniished  during  this  neriod.  as  our  author  intimates.  Bom  about  a.d. 
160,  he  died  about  245. 

*  This  prince,  on  being  raised  to  the  throne,  changed  his  name  of  Elaga- 
bahis^  taking  those  which  our  author  here  gives.  He  was  murdered  by  his 
guards. — The  establishment  of  the  town  of  Nicopolis  at  Emmaiis,  in  con- 
■equence  of  the  request  made  by  Julius  Africanus  in  the  name  of  the 
inhabitants,  took  place  in  the  year  221. — ^Hippolytus,  a  «am\.  ^Wm  ^«n\. 


94  OSDIBICUS  TITiXIS.  [b.X.  CH.XXmk 

Aurelins  Alexander  reigned  thirteen  years.  His  singular 
love  for  his  mother  MammsDa  gained  him  the  affiection  fli 
eveiT  one.  Urban,  bishop  of  Eome,  brought  over  to  t^ 
Christian  faith,  and  led  to  marWrdom,  a  great  number  d| 
persons  belonging  to  noble  famihes.  Origen  of  Alexandrii 
gained  so  great  a  reputation  throughout  the  world,  tinlij 
Mammsea,  the  mother  of  Alexander,  wished  to  hear  hil^ 
and  having  invited  him  to  Antioch,  loaded  him  wtl 
honours.* 

Maximinus  reigned  three  years.  He  directed  a  violeBty 
persecution  against  the  priests  of  the  churches,  the  clergj^^ 
and  doctors,  the  principal  motive  for  which  was  the  hatoojl 
he  bore  to  the  Christian  family  of  Alexander,  his  predecesspc^ 
and  his  mother  Mammsea ;  and  more  especially  on  aocoiuA 
of  Origen  the  priest.'  Fontianus  and  Anterus,  bishops  ol 
Bome,  received  the  crown  of  martyrdom,  and  were  intenei 
in  the  cemetery  of  Callistus.' 

Gprdian  reigned  six  years.  Julius  AMcanus  holds  a  cobp 
spicuous  place  among  ecclesiastical  writers.    He  relates  in 

appears  to  have  a  right  to  claim,  and  who  was  a  disciple  of  Irenmi^ 
suffered  martyrdom  ahout  a.d.  240. — His  canon  befdns,  instead  of  ending 
with  242,  as  our  author  asserts  here.  VHistoire  lAtUraire  de  la  Ftomi^ 
tome  i.,  may  be  consulted  with  respect  to  it  and  the  other  woriu  d 
Hippolytus.  Our  author  has  mifiquoted  Bede,  and  added  to  the  obscciit/ 
of  the  passage,  which  runs  thus:  ^  Qui  etiam  sedecennalem  Pascha  cirev- 
lum  reperienSf  Eusebio  qui  super  eodem  jPascha  decennovalem  dreuium 
eomposuitj  occasionetn  dedit.** 

^  St.  Urban  became  pope  in  223,  and  died  May  25»  230.  It  does  not 
appear  that  he  could  have  led  to  execution  a  great  niunber  of  distinguisbed 
Christians,  as  there  was  no  persecution  under  his  pontificate;  and  we  mv4 
even  consider  the  violent  death  of  his  predecessor,  St.  Callistus,  and  WHSf 
other  Christians,  as  the  fortuitous  result  of  popular  tumults.  NeyeriheifiM 
the  church  venerates  him  as  having  himself  suffered  martyrdom,  ttot 
having  led  to  it  St.  Cecilia,  and  Valerian  her  betrothed,  with  Tibertius  ki 
brother,-  and  Maximus,  prefect  of  the  imperial  palace. — The  interviei 
between  Julia  Mammaea  and  Origen  at  Antioch,  must  have  taken  place^ii 
218. 

'  This  &mous  doctor  of  the  church,  bom  at  Alexandria  about  185,  did 
in  253. 

'  The  sixth  persecution  began  with  the  reign  of  Maximin  in  2SI 
St.  Pontian,  banished  to  the  island  of  Sardinia,  died  there  in  the  same  yw 
after  having  governed  the  church  for  five  years.  St  Anterus,  his  gooctm 
filled  the  see  for  the  short  space  of  one  month  and  thirteen  dajrs.  Tbc 
were  both  buried  in  the  cemetry  of  St.  Callistus  bj  the  pious  care  of  S 
Fabian.  «-.     . 


k,J).  244—219.]  PHILIP.  95 

the  Chronicles  he  wrote,  that  he  hastened  to  Alexandria, 
attracted  by  the  widely-spread  reputation  of  Heraclea,  of 
whom  fame  spoke  as  very  learned  in  divinity,  philosophy, 
and  all  the  faiowledge  of  the  Greek  school.^ 

Philip,  with  his  son  of  the  same  name,  governed  the 
empire  for  the  space  of  seven  years.  He  was  the  first 
emperor  who  embraced  Christianity,  after  having  lent  an 
attentive  ear  to  the  exhortations  of  that  faithful  soldier  of 
Christ,  Pontius.  The  third  year  of  his  reign  witnessed  the 
completion  of  the  year  one  thousand  from  the  foundation 
of  Eome.  The  doors  of  the  pagan  temples  having  been 
dosed,  the  holy  church  freely  opened  hers  with  joy  for  the 
celebration  of  Qod*s  praise ;  and  this  year,  more  august  than 
any  that  had  preceded  it,  was  kept  with  magnificent  games 
by  a  Christian  emperor.  Origen,  son  of  the  martyr  Leo- 
nidas,  instructed  in  the  divine  philosophy  of  Christianity, 
at  Csesarea  of  Palestine,  two  young  brothers,  Theodore 
Bumamed  Gregory,  and  Athenodore,  who  afterwards  became 
illustrious  bishops  of  Pontus.  His  reply  to  a  certain  Celsus, 
an  epicurean  plulosopher,  who  had  written  against  us,  filled 
eight  volumes.  In  short,  such  was  his  diligence  in  writing, 
that  St.  Jerome  says  somewhere  that  he  had  read  five 
thousand  books  of  which  Origen  was  the  author.' 

Decius  reigned  one  year  and  three  months.     Having  put 

^  Grordianus  Pius,  whose  reign  is  he^e  confounded  with  that  of  his  pre- 
decessors, the  Gordians  of  Africa,  Maximus  and  Balbinus,  reigned  in  reality 
hot  five  years  and  about  eight  months,  having  been  assassinated  in  the  east 
at  the  instigation  of  Philip.  It  was  before  this  reign,  and  about  a.d.  231, 
that  Julius  Africanus  went  to  Alexandria  to  take  lessons  of  Heraclea,  who 
at  that  time  had  succeeded  Origen  in  the  functions  of  catechist,  and  after- 
wards became  patriarch  of  that  church. 

'  The  acts,  evidently  apocryphal,  of  St.  Pontius,  may  be  seen  in  the 
Mmellanea  of  Balu^e.  He  appears  to  be  quite  an  imaginary  personage; 
and  indeed  Bede  has  not  mentioned  his  name.  We  do  not  read  anywhere 
that  Philip  ordered  the  temple  to  be  closed,  nor  that  the  secular  games  by 
which  he  celebrated,  in  247,  the  year  1000  of  Rome,  had  a  Christian 
diaracter.  It  is  true  that  a  few  temples  and  idols  were  destroyed  at 
Neocesarea,  in  Pontus,  but  this  was  an  entirely  local  act,  brought  about  by 
the  zeal  of  St.  Gregory  Thaumaturgus,  one  oif  the  pupils  of  Origen  men- 
tioned here.  It  does  not  appear  why  our  author  asserts  that  this  orator 
of  the  church  gave  lessons  during  this  reign,  which  Bede  more  suitably 
places  under  Gordian  the  Pious.  Origen  died,  as  already  stated,  in  253; 
•nd  his  treatise  against  Celsus,  being  the  last  of  his  writings,  might  veiy 
well  have  been  composed  in  the  time  of  Philip. 


OG  ORDERICUS   VITALTS.  [B.I.  CH-XXIIX^ 

to  death  the  two  Philips,  father  and  son,  he  carried  tlie 
hatred  he  hore  them  so  far  as  to  order  the  Christians  to  b|j 
persecuted ;  pope  Fabian  then  received  the  crown  of  mrf 
t^pdom,  and  left  the  episcopal  see  to  Cornelius.  Alexandei 
bishop  of  Jerusalem,  also  received  the  martyr's  crown  ik 
CsBsarea  in  Palestine,  and  Babylas  at  Antioch.^  ' 

Gtdlus,  with  his  son  Yolusian,  reigned  two  years  and  Ml 
months.     Dionysius,  a  priest  of  Alexandria,  relates  that  tw 
commencement  of  the  reign  of  this  prince  was  most  prosp^ 
rous,  and  that  everything  succeeded  according  to  his  mind^ 
but  that,  having  persecuted  the  holv  men  who  offered  ini 
prayers   to  the  supreme  Grod  for  the  tranquillity  of  tin 
empire,  his  own  peace  and  prosperity  vanished.      Origd( 
died  before  he  had  quite  completed  his  seventieth  jetR 
and  was  buried  in  the  city  of  Tyre.    At  the  request  rf 
Lucina,  a  Eoman  matron,  the  pope,  Cornelius,  raised  from' 
the  catacombs,  during  the  night,  the  bodies  of  the  twtf  j 
apostles,  which  had  been  deposited  there,  and  interred  thil  < 
of  St.  Paul  on  the  road  to  Ostia,  where  he  had  been  beheaded;  | 
and  that  of  St.  Peter  near  the  spot  which  had  witnessed  hit  ' 
crucifixion ;  among  the  bodies  of  the  holy  bishops,  whert  ,| 
formerly  stood   the    temple  of   Apollo,  on   the  Yaticad  ; 
Mount,  and  Nero  built  a  palace.  The  bodies  were  translated  ; 
on  the  third  of  the  calends  of  July,^  (the  29th  of  June). 

^  The  seventh  persecution,  which  took  place  under  this  prince,  in  n^iiek' 
a  great  number  of  martyrs  perished,  began  a.d.  250.  St.  Fabian,  the  poM- 
was  one  of  the  first  victims,  as  well  as  St  Baby  las  and  St.  Alexander.  oL 
Corndius,  who  was  not  elected  until  after  a  vacancy  of  six  months  (JoM 
4,  251),  suffered  martyrdom  under  Gallus,  in  252. 

'  We  are  not  aware  that  St  Cornelius  effected  the  two  removals  bcii 
attributed  to  him.  It  was  he  himself  who  was  buried  by  Lucina  in  a  ciypl 
near  the  cemetery  of  St  Callistus.  On  the  pretended  removals  mentioned 
in  this  paragraph,  Baronitis  may  be  consulted,  under  the  year  221* 
There  are  few  questions  more  obscure  and  perplexed  than  those  of  ths 
interments  and  translations  of  the  bodies  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul.  If  «« 
believe  St  Gregory  the  Great,  the  corpses  of  these  two  princes  of  thi 
apostles  were,  immediately  after  their  execution,  taken  awaj  by  thoi^. 
among  their  disciples  who  were  Greeks  and  who  wished  to  carry  then 
away  to  their  own  country,  but  re-taken,  when  at  a  distance  of  two  wBt$ 
from  Rome  by  the  Latin  Christians,  who  placed  them  provisionally  in  lit 
catacombs  situated  near  the  spot ;  later  they  were  deposited,  one  in  thi 
Vatican,  the  other  in  the  church  of  St.  Paul  extra  mttrag;  then  Pope  Sti 
Xystus,  transferred  them  once  more  to  the  catacombs  on  the  29th  oif 
June,  258.    In  the  days  of  Liberius  (364—366),  the  relics  of  St  Pwl 


A.D.  253 — ^270.]    VALEBLOr — CLAXTDHJ&  II.  97 

Yaleriaii  and  his  fion  Gtdlienus  reigned  fifteen  years. 
Haying  raised  a  persecution  against  the  Christians,  Yalerian 
was  soon  afterwards  taken  prisoner  by  Sapor,  king  of  the 
Persians,  and  being  depriyed  of  his  sight,  wore  out  his 
days  to  old  age  a  wretcned  captiye.  Q^ienus,  terrified  at 
such  a  manifest  judgment  of  GJ-od,  gaye  orders  that  the 
Christians  should  not  be  molested.  Neyertheless,  either 
as  a  punishment  for  his  own  licentiousness,  or  for  his 
father's  hostility  to  GK)d,  the  incursions  of  the  barbarians 
caused  the  greatest  calamities  througholit  the  Boman  empire. 
J)m*ing  this  persecution,  Cyprian,  bishop  of  Cartilage, 
whose  yery  learned  works  are  still  extant,  suffered  martyr- 
dom. Pontius,  one  of  his  deacons,  has  left  us  an  admirable 
yolume,  describing  his  life  and  death,  haying  suffered  exile 
with  him  up  to  his  last  moments.  Theodore  Gregory,  bishop 
of  NeocsBsarea,  in  Pontus,  was  eminently  distinguishecL 
by  the  performance  of  miracles ;  he  gaye  a  proof  of  this 
power,  when,  by  his  prayers,  he  remoyed  a  mountain  in 
order  to  haye  simcient  room  for  the  foundations  of  a  church 
which  he  intended  to  raise.  Stephen  and  Sixtus,  bishops  of 
Borne,  suffered  martyrdom.^ 

Claudius  (II.)  reigned  one  year  and  nine  months.  He 
yanquished  the  Goths,  who,  for  fifteen  years,  had  been 
rayaging  Ulyricum  and  Macedonia ;  for  this  seryice  rendered 
to  the  state,  the  senate  heaped  honours  on  his  memory; 
a  golden  shield  was  hung  up  in  the  senate-house,  and  a 
statue  of  the  same  metal  erected  in  the  Capitol.  Marcion, 
a  very  eloquent  priest  of  the  church  of  Antioch,  who  taught 
rhetoric  in  that  city,  disputed  with  Paul  of  Samosata,  bishop 
of  Antioch,  who  held  that  Christ  was  of  the  nature  common 
to  man ;  his  discourse,  which  was  taken  down  in  writing 
by  the  notaries,  is  still  extant.' 

had  been  already  taken  back  to  his  church,  but  those  of  St.  Peter  still 
renudned  in  the  catacombs,  whence  they  did  not  return  to  the  Vatican  until 
some  time  between  the  epoch  of  this  pope  and  that  of  St.  Jerome. 

'  Valerian  was  made  prisoner  A.D.  260,  while  the  eighth  persecution 
began  as  early  as  256.  St.  Cyprian,  bishop  of  Carthage,  was  beheaded  in 
September,  258;  St.  Stephen,  pope,  August  2,  257;  and  St.  Sixtus,  his 
successor,  August  6,  258.  Our  author  here  again  calls  St.  Gregory 
Thaumaturgus,  Theodore  Gregory. 

'  M.  Aurelius  Claudius,  sumamed  Gothicus,  descended  from  an  ob«cusA 
&Qiily  in  Illyria,  upon  the  death  of  Gallienus,  was  proclaimed.  Voa  tNAceaot, 

roii.  I.  j^ 


98  OEDERICUS   VITALI8.  [b.I.  CH.IHII., 

'i 

Aurelian  governed  the  Roman  empire  for  five  years  and^ 
six  months.  Having  excited  a  persecution  against  us,  ft! 
thunderbolt  fell  before  him  to  the  great  consternation  of  all 
present ;  and  not  long  after  this  he  was  massacred  by  tbe 
soldiers  half  way  on  the  road  leading  from  Constantinople 
to  Heraclea.  Eutychian,  the  pope,  was  martyred  at  EomcL 
and  interred  in  the  cemetery  of  Callistus,  where  he  hait, 
buried  three  hundred  and  thirteen  martyrs  with  his  own 
hands.* 

Tacitus  reigned  six  months.  Having  lost  his  life  m 
Pontus,  Florian  seized  the  empire  which  he  held  eighty*' 
eight  days,  and  was  killed  at  Tarsus.  Anatolius,  a  native  of 
Alexandria,  and  bishop  of  Laodicea,  in  Syria,  well  versed  in 
all  the  learning  of  the  philosophers,  is  highly  spoken  of;  we 
may  judge  of  his  genius  by  his  work  on  Easter,  and  his  ten 
books  on  arithmetic.  About  this  time  the  insane  heresy? 
of  the  Manicheans  and  Sabellians  commenced.^ 

Probus,  during  his  reign  of  six  years  and  four  months,  com- 
pletely delivered  Gaul  from  the  barbarians,  who  for  a  long 
time  nad  occupied  that  country,  but  whom  he  routed  in 
many  bloodv  battles.  Archelaus,  bishop  of  Mesopotamia^ 
composed,  m  the  Syrian  language,  a  book  on  his  con- 
He  defeated  the  Goths,  who  had  crossed  over  into  Greece  with  an  armj  of 
32,000  men,  in  the  years  269  and  270,  nearly  destroying  their  vast  force; 
a  pestilence  carried  him  off  at  Sirmium.  The  statue  erected  in  honour 
of  Claudius  in  the  Capitol,  by  the  senate,  was  ten  feet  high. — ^The  refuta- 
tion of  the  errors  of  Paul  of  Samosata  by  Marcion  took  place  in  the  third 
council  of  Antiocb,  over  which  Hymeneus,  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  presided 
at  the  commencement  of  the  year  270.  The  acts  of  this  public  disputation 
no  longer  exist. 

^  This  persecution  was  the  ninth,  and  happened  not  before  but  after  tbe 
fall  of  the  thunderbolt  mentioned  by  our  author.  St.  Eutychian  did  not 
suffer  martyrdom,  and  he  died  as  late  as  December,  283.  He  is  said  to  have 
interred  as  many  as  three  hundred  and  forty-two  martyrs  with  his  own  hands. 
'  Marcus  Claudius  Tacitus,  a  Roman,  was  elected  emperor  by  the  senate 
after  the  death  of  Aurelian,  when  in  his  seventieth  year.  During  a  short 
reign  of  about  six  months  he  not  only  repelled  the  barbarians  who  had 
invaded  the  territories  of  Rome  in  Asia,  but  he  prepared  to  make  war 
against  the  Persians  and  Scythians.  He  died  in  Cilicia,  during  the 
expedition,  of  a  violent  distemper,  or,  according  to  some,  was  assassinated, 
on  the  13th  of  April,  a.d.  276.  Bishop  Anatolius  flourished  about  the 
year  270.  The  heresy  of  the  Manichees  began  in  277 ;  that  of  the  Sabel- 
lians dates  as  far  back  as  the  year  250. 


1..D.  282 — 305.]       CABUS — ^dioolbtiait.  99 

troversy  with  Manes  of  Persia ;  this  work,  translated  into 
Greek,  is  in  the  hands  of  a  great  many  readers.^ 

Cams  reigned,  jointly  with  his  sons  Carinus  and  Nu- 
merianus,  two  years.  G-aius,  bishop  of  Eome,  shone  illus- 
"triously  as  the  head  of  that  church,  but  suffered  martyrdom 
^imder  Diocletian.  Pierius,  a  priest  of  Alexandria,  durinff 
"the  patriarchate  of  Theonas,  instructed  the  people  with 
^e  greatest  success;  his  sermons  and  divers  treatises, 
«(dll  extant,  are  written  in  so  elegant  a  style,  that  he  was 
called  Origen  the  younger ;  a  mai^  surprisingly  frugal,  and 
affecting  voluntary  poverty ;  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
Ays  after  the  persecution  at  Rome.^ 

JDiocletian  reigned  jointly  with  Heracleus  Maximian 
"twenty  years.  Carausius  having  assumed  the  purple,  took 
■possession  of  Britain.*  Narses,  king  of  the  Persians, 
invaded  the  east.  The  Quinquegentians  infested  Airica. 
Achilleus  made  himself  master  of  Egypt.  To  face  so 
many  enemies,  Diocletian  admitted  into  the  government 
the  Caesars  Constantius  and  Galerius  Maximian.  The 
first  married  Theodora,  the  step-daughter  of  Heracleus,  by 
whom  he  had  six  children,  who  were  the  brothers  [and 
sisters]  of  Constantine.  G-alerius  obtained  the  hand  of 
Taleria,  daughter  of  Diocletian.  Ten  years  afterwards, 
Asclepiodotus,  the  praetorian  prefect,  recovered  Britain. 

In  the  nineteenth  year  oi  this  reign,  Diocletian  in  the 
east,  and  Heracleus  Maximian  in  the  west,  ordered  the 
churches  to  be  plundered,  and  the  Christians  to  be  tor- 
mented and  put  to  death.  In  the  second  year  of  this 
persecution,  Diocletian  laid  down  the  purple  in  Nicomedia, 

^  The  dispute  between  Archelaus  and  Manes  took  place  in  277. 

^  Caius,  or  Gains,  elected  pope  September  17,  283*  sufFered  martyrdom 
under  Diocletian  in  296.  Theonas  was  patriarch  of  Alexandria  from  282 
until  the  2drd  of  August,  300.  What  our  author  says  of  Pierius  is  quite 
true.  He  must  have  undertaken  his  voyage  to  Rome  when  the  persecution 
had  ended  in  311.     We  are  not  informed  of  the  date  of  his  death. 

'  Carausius,  by  birth  either  a  Belgian  or  a  Briton,  it  is  not  very  certain 
which,  was  a  bold  and  skilful  naval  commander;  the  legions  and  aux- 
iliaries in  Britain  bestowed  on  him  the  imperial  purple,  a.d.  288,  which  he 
retained  until  the  year  297,  when  he  was  murdered  at  York  by  AUectus,  a 
Briton.  The  names  he  assumed  were,  Marcus,  Aurelius,  Valerius,  Carau- 
nos.  Narses  invaded  the  east  in  297.  The  Quinquegentians  or  Quinque- 
gentonae,  committed  their  ravages  in  Africa  during  292.  TYie  le^oW.  ^i 
Achilleus  belonigs  to  the  same  dkte,  and  lasted  more  than  &^e  i«&n* 

u2 


JOO  ORDEBICUS   YITALIS.  [b.I.  CH.XXItt 

and  compelled  his  colleague  Maximian,  at  the  same  tima 
to  abdicate  the  goyernment  at  Milan.  However,  this  pen 
secution,  having  once  commenced,  continued  to  rage  unq 
the  seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  Constantino. 

Constantius  (Chlorus),  aprince  of  a  mild  disposition,  anj 
of  great  affability,  died  at  York,  in  Britain,  in  the  sixteentil 
year  of  his  reign.  The  persecution  of  the  Christians  wii 
urged  forward  with  such  cruelty  and  fury,  that  in  the  courrt 
of  a  month  they  reckon  eighteen  thousand  martyrs,  whi 
had  suffered  death  for  Christ.  Having  passed  tne  limitl 
of  the  ocean,  it  shed  the  precious  blood  of  Alban,  Aarofl^ 
Julius,  and  many  other  persons  of  both  sexes,  in  Britain. 
Then  also  Famphilus  suffered  martydom;  he  was  tbe 
particular  friend  of  Eusebius,  bishop  of  Cesarea,  who  him- 
self has  given,  in  three  books,  the  history  of  the  life  of  thk 
holy  priest.  ^ 

in  the  third  year  of  the  persecution,  Constantius  quitted 
this  world,  and  Maximinus  and  Severus  received  the  title  of 
Caesar  from  Ghilerius  Maximian  ;^  this  Maximian  added  to 
his  many  misdeeds  and  adulteries,  the  crime  of  persecuting 
the  Christians.'  At  that  time,  Peter,  bishop  of  Alex- 
andria,  and  several  other  bishops  in  Egypt,  were  put  to 
death,  as  well  as  Lucian,  a  priest  of  Antioch,  remarkable  for 
his  good  morals,  continence,  and  erudition;  with  many  other 
servants  of  Christ.' 

^  Constantius  Chlorus  [to  whom  Britain  fell  in  succession  on  the  resiig' 
nation  of  Diocletian  and  Maximian]  and  Galerius  were  created  CsBflan, 
and  taken  as  colleagues  in  the  government,  March  1st,  292.  The  two 
marriages  mentioned  above  were  also  celebrated  in  the  same  year.  Con* 
Btantius  had  three  sons  and  three  daughters  by  his  wife  Theodora. 
Asclepiodotus,  an  officer  of  Ck)nstantius  Chlorus,  recovered  Britain  in  300, 
having  defeated  and  slain  Allectus,  who  had  reigned  about  three  years. 

*  The  tenth  persecution  against  the  Christians  began  on  the  23rd  of  Fe- 
bruary, 303.  The  abdication  of  the  two  emperors  took  place  May  1,  305. 
The  edict  that  put  an  end  to  the  persecution  appeared  in  the  spring  of  311 
(fifth  year  of  Constantino).  Constantius  Chlorus  died  at  York,  July  25 
806,  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  his  association  to  the  empire  as  Csesar.  The 
number  of  martyrs  who  perished  in  one  month  is  only  17,000  in  Bed( 
(Bcclesiastical  History,  i.  c.  7).  St.  Pamphilus  was  put  to  death,  Feb.  13 
809. 

*  Maximin  and  Severus  were  raised  to  the  rank  of  Cassar  on  the  Ist  o 
May,  805,  by  Diocletian  and  Maximian,  at  the  moment  of  their  abdication 
Peter,  patriarch  of  Alexandria,  suffered  martyrdom,  Nov.  25,  311,  an* 
St.  Lucian,  Jan.  7,  312,  the  penecution.  having  rcfcommenced  almoi 


JD.  306 — 337.]  coirsTAirTiinB.  101 

Constantine,  the  son  of  Constantius,  by  Helena  his  con- 
lort,  was  proclaimed  emperor  in  Britain;  he  reigned 
ihirty  years  and  ten  months.  In  the  fourth  year  of 
ihe  persecution,  Maxentius,^  son  of  Heraclius  Maximian, 
iras  proclaimed  Augustus  at  Eome,  and  Licinius,  who  had 
married  Gonstantia,  the  sister  of  Constantine,  was  created 
smperor  at  Camuntimi.  Constantine,  after  having  been  a 
persecutor, became  aconvert  to  Christianity,  and  endeavoured, 
to  the  utmost  of  his  power,  to  exalt  the  church  of  Q-od.' 
Fhe  catholic  faith  was  defined  at  the  council  of  Nice.  The 
Bmperor  ordered  a  number  of  churches  to  be  built  for  divine 
irorship :  he  had  one  constructed  at  Eome,  in  honour  of  St. 
fohn  the  Baptist,  in  which  he  was  baptized,  which  was 
sailed  the  church  of  Constantine,  after  the  founder's  name ; 
mother  on  the  site  of  the  temple  of  Apollo,  dedicated  to  St. 
Peter ;  and  a  third  on  the  road  to  Ostia,  to  St.  Paul ;  he 
raised  a  chapel  in  the  Sessorian  palace,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  Jerusalem,  and  placed  in  it  a  fragment  of  our 
Saviour^s  cross.  At  the  request  of  his  daughter,  he  dedicated 
a  church  to  St.  Agnes  the  Martyr,  and  another  to  St. 
Lawrence  the  Martyr,  on  the  road  to  Tibur,  on  the  land  of 
Teranus.  He  also  built  a  church  on  the  Lavican  way, 
between  two  laurels,  in  honour  of  the  holy  martyrs  Marcel- 
linuB  and  Peter,  and  a  mausoleimi,  where  he  laid  the  remains 
of  his  mother  in  a  sarcophagus  of  porphyry.  He,  besides, 
ordered  the  construction  of  a  church,  to  be  dedicated  to 
the  memory  of  the  holy  apostles,  Peter  and  Paul,  and  St. 
John  the  Baptist,  near  Ostia,  the  port  of  Eome.     Churches 

immediately  with  iiesh  fury  in  those  countries  which  were  under  the 

dominion  of  Maximin. 
^  Maxentius  seized    the  purple  at  Rome,  Oct.  28,  306.     Licinius 

obtained  the  title  of  Augustus,  Nov.  11,  307,  at  Camuntum  in  Pannonia, 

on  the  Danube,  and  not  at  Chartres  (Camutum),  as  Zozunas  has  asserted. 

He  married,  in  313,  Constantia,  sister  to  Cohstantine. 
*  Constantine  was  proclaimed  emperor  at  York,  25th  July,  306,  and 

died  22nd  May,  337.     The  council  of  Nice  lasted  from  the  19th  of  June 

until  the  25th  of  August,  325.  The  foimdation  of  Helenopolis  at  Drespana 
m  Bithjmia,  took  place  in  317,  and  the  building  of  Ck)n8tantinople  began 
Not.  26,  329.  Constantine  was  baptized,  not  at  Rome  but  in  the  neigh- 
lioarhood  of  Nicomedia,  a  few  weeks  before  his  death.  This  prince  rather 
tnbade  sacrifices  than  closed  the  temples.  His  principal  edict  on  this 
•Ajject  was  made  in  323.  On  the  churches  buiit  by  Constantine,  conioH 
the  thhrd  volume  of  the  Vetera  Monimenla  of  Ciampini.  J 


102  OBDSBIOUS  TITAXI8.  [b.I.  CH.XnZL 


were  also  built  to  tlie  memory  of  St.  John  in  the  towns  rf 
Albano  and  Naples.    This  same  emperor  rebuilt  Drepana^ 
town  in  Bithynia,  in  honour  of  the  martyr  Lucian,  wno  infl 
buried  there,  and  called  it  Helenopolis,  after  the  name  m 
his  mother.    But  he  founded  in  Thrace  a  town  which  was  if 
bear  his  (^wn  name,  and  wished  it  to  become  the  seat  of  ^ 
ILoman  government,  and  the  capital  of  all  the  east.    Hi 
also  commanded  that  the  pagan  temples  should  be  closel 
without  further  effusion  of  human  blood. 

Constantius   [11.]  with  his  brothers   Constantine  anJ" 
Constans,  reigned    twenty-four    years,  five    months,  foA, 
thirteen  days.     James  was  acknowledged  bishop  of  Nisibi% 
a  town  which  was  often  delivered  by  his  prayers  from  ttft.^ 
perils  that  threatened  it.     The  Arian  heresy,  upheld  aoi. 
protected  by  the  emperor,  at  first  caused  the  persecuti(m 
of  Athanasius,  and  afterwards  of  all  the  bishops  who  were, 
not  of  that  sect ;  who  had  to  suffer  banishment,  imprisoOf- 
ment,  and  all  kmds  of  punishment.     Maximin,  bishop  ct 
Treves,  was  one  of  the  most  illustrious  prelates  of  that 
period;  he  sheltered  with  honour  Athanasius,  bishop  of 
Alexandria,   when    Constantine    sought    to    punish    him. 
Anthony,  the  monk,  died  in  his  hermitage,  at  the  age  of 
a  hundred  and  five.   Constantius,  having  returned  to  Eome^ 
the  Christians  at  Constantinople  received  the  bones  of 
Andrew  the  apostle,  and  of  Luke  the  evangelist,  with  great 
exultation.    Hilary,  bishop  of  Poictiers,  who  had  been  sent 
an  exile  into  Phrygia  by  the  Arians,  after  having  repaired 
to  Constantinople  to  present  his  petition  to  ConstantiuSy 
was  allowed  to  return  to  Gtiul.^ 

^  St.  James,  bishop  of  Nisibis,  in  Mesopotamia,  is  said  by  his  prayers  to 
have  saved  three  times  this  town  from  being  taken  by  Sapor,  in  338, 346,  and 
350.  The  banishment  of  St.  Athanasius  to  Treves,  took  place  in  the  year 
335,  and  consequently  in  the  reign  of  Constantino ;  the  motive  for  it 
was  a  political  denunciation  by  the  partisans  of  Eusebius  before  this 
prince,  and  not  a  point  of  doctrine.  St.  Maximin,  a  native  of  Sil6,  m 
Poitou,  bidiop  of  Treves  at  the  time  when  he  received  St.  Athanashu^ 
appears  to  have  died,  Sept.  12,  349,  and  St.  Anthony  on  the  17th 
of  January,  356.  The  removal  of  the  relics  of  SS.  Andrew  and  Luke  to 
Ck)nBtantinople  was  performed  on  the  3rd  of  March  in  the  same  yeary 
before  the  journey  of  Constantius  to  Rome,  which  did  not  take  pVioe 
before  the  28th  of  April,  357.  St.  Hilary,  bishop  of  Poictiers  about  350, 
was  banished  to  Phrygia  in  356^  presented  his  petition  to  Constantius,  iiii4 
returned  to  Poictiers  in  360. 


kj>.  361 — 868.]  JiJLiAir.  108 

Julian  reigned  two  years  and  eigbt  monfclis.     He  had 
been   baptized,   had   1»ken   holy  orders,  as   far    as   the 
Bok  of  deacon ;  *  but  having  left  the  church,  he  adopted 
Ae  profession  of  arms,  made  himself  master  of  the  empire, 
nd  returning  to  the  worship  of  idols,  became  a  persecutor 
Cif  the  Christians.    Then  the  pagans  took  possession  of  the 
tomb  of  John  the  Baptist,  at  Sebaste,  a  town  of  Palestine, 
and  scattered  his  bones  about  the  country ;  they  then  col- 
lected them  together  again,  and  burned  and  dispersed  them 
orcr  a  wider  tract.    But,  by  the  providence  of  God,  a  few 
Hionks  came  from  Jerusalem,  and  mixing  with  the  crowd, 
▼ho  were  collecting  these  remains,  gathered  up  what  they 
eotdd,  and  carried  them  to  their  superior,  Philip.    Convinced 
tluit  it  would  be  beyond  his  power,  with  the  means  at 
bis  disposal,  to  preserve  a  treasure  of  such  importance,  he 
immediately  sent  them  to  Athanasius,  the  most  illustrious 
Inahop  of  that  age,  confiding  them  to  the  care  of  his  deacon, 
Julian.    The  bishop,  as  soon  as  he  had  received  them, 
endosed  these  relics  in  a  cavity  which  he  caused  to  be  made 
in  the  wall  of  the  sanctuaiy,  m  the  presence  of  only  a  few 
witnesses,  and  with  a  prophetical  spirit  dedicated  them  to 
futore  generations.     What  he  foresaw  was  ftdfilled  imder 
the  emperor  Theodosius  by  Theophilus,  bishop  of  Alexandria, 
who,  having  destroyed  the  tomb  of  Serapis,  consecrated  on 
that  same  spot  a  church  to  St.  John.^ 

Jovian  reigned  eight  mouths.  Meletius  and  his  adherents 
caUed  together  a  council  at  Antioch,  which  condemned  the 
doctrine  of  Macedonius,  who  blasphemed  the  Holy  Ghost.' 
The  emperor,  having  concluded  with  the  Persians  a  truce  for 
twenty-nine  years,  re-entered  the  territory  of  the  Eoman 
empire.  "Warned  by  the  fall  of  his  predecessor  Constantius, 
he  wrote  to  Athanasius  the  most  respectful  and  kind  letters, 

'  Julian  never  was  a  deacon,  an  addition  of  our  author  to  the  text  of  Bede, 
but  only  a  reader,  a  lower  order  in  the  church.  He  was  proclaimed  emperor 
bj  the  armjr  in  the  spring  of  360. 

*  The  destruction  of  the  temple  of  Serapis  at  Alexandria,  and  the 
crectbn  of  a  church  dedicated  to  St.  John  the  Baptist  on  its  site, 
took  place  a.d.  389. 

'  The  council  of  Antioch  here  mentioned,  was  held  in  the  month  of 
October,  363;  and  in  the  course  of  the  same  month,  St.  Athanacius  met 
tile  emperor  in  the  same  city.  He  did  not  die  in  Cilicia,  but  in  Bithynia, 
« the  borders  of  6alatia,m  the  night  of  the  IGth  or  1 7th  of  February,  364. 


IM  ORDSBIOVB  YITALIS.  [b.X.  CH.ZXm 

and  received  from  him  the  orthodox  creed,  and  rules  for 
the  better  government  of  the  churches.  Unfortunately,  a 
premature  death,  which  carried  him  off  in  Cilicia,  did  not 
allow  his  pious  and  happv  principles  to  bear  fruit. 

Yalentinian  reigned  jomtly  with  his  brother  Yalena  eleven 
years.  Apollinaris,  bishop  of  Laodicea,  wrote  several  works 
favourable  to  our  doctrines,  but  having  afterwards  swerred 
frY)m  the  faith,  he  founded  the  heresy  which  bears  liis  name. 
Damasus,  bishop  of  Borne,  built  a  church  near  the  theatre, 
in  honour  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  another  over  the  catacombs, 
where  lay  the  bodies  of  the  holy  apostles,  Peter  and  Paul; 
and  decorated  the  pavement  which  covered  them  with  in- 
scriptions in  verse.  Valens,  after  being  baptized  by  Bih. 
doxius,  an  Arian  bishop,  persecuted  the  orthpdoz.  GratiaD, 
son  of  Yalentinian,  was  raised  to  the  imperial  dignitr  at 
Amiens,  in  the  third  year  of  his  father's  reign.  At  Con- 
stantinople a  church  was  dedicated  to  the  apostles  who  had 
suffered  martyrdom.  Auxentius  at  length  aying,  Ambrose 
was  raised  to  the  bishopric  of  Milan,  and  by  his  preaching, 
converted  to  the  faith  of  Christ  the  whole  of  Cisalpine 
Gaul.i 

Yalens  reigned  four  years  with  Gratian  and  Yalentinian, 
the  sons  of  his  brother  Yalentinian.  Yalens,  having  made 
a  decree  that  monks  should  be  subject  to  military  service^ 
ordered  all  those  who  refused  to  be  beaten  to  death.  The 
Huns,  who  up  to  that  time  [a.d.  375]  had  been  confined 
to  their  inaccessible  mountains,  driven  by  a  sudden  fit  of 
rage,  fell  with  fury  upon  the  Goths,  who,  being  attacked 
in  different  quarters,  were  expelled  from  their  ancient  seats 
[a.d.  376].  Having  passed  the  Danube,  the  Qt)ths  were 
received  in  their  flight  by  Yalens,  who  did  not  require  them 
to  lay  down  their  arms  ;  but  soon  afterwards,  experiencing 

^  The  errors  of  Apollinaris,  bishop  of  Laodicea,  already  censured  se?asl 
times  since  the  year  362,  were  definitively  condemned  in  tho  oecuneoioBl 
council  of  Constantinople  in  381.  He  died  soqu  after.  Damasus  filled 
ihe  holy  see  from  the  autumn  of  366  until  the  2nd  of  December,  384.  The 
emperor  Yalens  was  baptized  bv  Eudoxius  at  the  commencement  of  867i 
and  Gratian  received  from  his  father  Yalentinian  the  title  of  Augustus  at 
Amiens,  on  the  24th  of  August  in  the  same  year.  The  church  of  fb0 
Apostles  at  Constantinople  was  consecrated  in  370.  Auxentius,  an  Asitaif 
usurped  the  see  for  almost  twenty  years.  St.  Anibrose  was  ridsed  to'tbd 
episcopal  dignity  in  374. 


kj}.  87S-*388/|  esATiAK.  105 

all  the  horrors  of  a  famine,  through  the  avarice  of  Maximua, 
the  Eoman  general,  thej  were  compelled  to  take  up  arms 
aginst  the  Romans,  and  haying  defeated  the  emperor's 
taroops,  they  overran  Thrace,  plundering  and  destroying 
eyerything  with  fire  and  sword. 

After  the  death  of  Yalens,  Qratian  and  his  brother 
Y&lentinian  [II.]  reigned  six  years.*  Theodosius,  created  by 
Qratian  emperor  [of  the  east],  vanquished  in  many  great 
battles  those  powerful  nations  which  had  emigrated  from 
Scythia,  that  is  to  say,  the  Alans,  Huns,  and  Goths.  The 
Arians,  displeased  at  seeing  the  harmony  that  existed 
between  these  two  princes,  at  last  gave  up  the  (ihurches 
which  they  had  retained  possession  of  by  violence  during  forty 
years.  A  council  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathers  assembled 
at  Constantinople  under  Damasus,  bishop  of  Bome,  against 
Macedonius.^  Theodosius  took  his  son  Arcadius  as  his 
eoUeague  in  the  empire.  In  the  second  year  of  the  reign 
of  Gratian,  when  he,  as  well  as  Theodosius,  was  consul  for 
tiie  sixth  time,'  Theophilus  compiled  his  Easter  tables. 
Maximus,  a  valiant  and  good  man,  and  worthy  of  the  title 
of  Augustus,  if,  contrary  to  his  oath,  he  had  not  aspired 
to  the  empire,  was,  almost  against  his  will,  proclaimed  em- 
peror by  the  army  in  Britain  [a.d.  383]  ;  he  passed  over  into 
Gaul,  where,  near  Lyons,  he  treasonably  killed  the  emperor 
Gratian,  whom  he  had  drawn  into  a  snare,  and  drove  his 
brother  Valentinian  out  of  Italy.  He  nevertheless  justly 
Buffered  the  punishment  of  being  banished  with  his  mother 
Justina,  for  both  were  infected  with  the  impure  heresy  of 
Anus,  and  he  had  shamefully  persecuted  Ambrose,  the 
glorious  bulwark  of  the  catholic  faith,  and  did  not  desist 
iiom  his  impious  projects  until  the  relics  of  the  blessed 

1  Gratian  was  named  Augustus  as  early  as  367,  as  we  have  just  dbserved^ 
and  he  succeeded  his  father  on  the  ]  7th  of  November,  375.  Theodosius 
was  raised  by  him  to  the  empire  of  the  east,  January  19,  379. 

'  The  Arians  were  compelled,  by  an  imperial  edict,  dated  Jan.  10,  381, 
to  give  up  the  churches  to  the  catholics.  Damasus  did  not  preside  over 
tile  council  of  Constantinople  of  the  same  year. 

*  The  paschal  table  of  Theophilus  the  archdeacon,  and  afterwards 
pitriaich  of  Alexandria,  begins  with  the  year  383,  when  Gratian  and 
Theodosius  were,  it  is  true^  consuls,  but  the  first  for  the  fifth  and  not  the 
axth  time. 


i 


106  OBDSBICITB  TITALIS.  [b.I.  CH.ZXni. 

martyrs,  G^irase  and  Protase,  were  discoyered  hj  a  diiine 
reyelation. 

Theodosius,  wbo  during  the  lifetime  of  Gh*atia]i  had 
already  governed  the  east  tor  the  space  of  six  years,  reigned 
eleven  years  after  the  death  of  the  latter.  He  and  Yalentiniao^ 
whom  he  had  kindly  received  at  his  court  after  his  expnldoa 
from  Italy,  caused  the  tyrant  Maximus  to  be  put  to  deaih, 
near  the  third  milestone  from  Aquileia.^  As  this  usurper 
had  withdrawn  from  Britain  nearly  all  the  troops  and  all 
the  youth  capable  of  bearing  arms,  who  followed  \na  standard 
to  Gaul  but  never  again  returned  home,  those  barbarous 
nations  beyond  the  straits,  the  Scots  frt)m  the  north-west, 
and  the  Picts  frt)m  the  north,  seeing  the  island  defenceless 
and  deprived  of  its  soldiers,  crossed  over  and  harassed  it 
many  years  with  ruin  and  plunder.'  Jerome,  the  interpreter 
of  sacred  history,  brought  down  the  book  he  wrote  on  the 
illustrious  men  of  the  church  to  the  fourteenth  year  of  the 
reim  of  Theodosius.* 

Arcadius,  son  of  Theodosius,  with  his  brother  Honorios, 
reigned  thirteen  years.  The  bodies  of  the  holy  prophets 
Habakkuk  and  Micah  were  discovered  in  consequence  of 
a  divine  revelation.  The  Qt)ths  attacked  Italy  [a.I).  400], 
while  the  Yandals  and  the  Alans  penetrated  into  Gaul 
[Dec.  31,  A.I).  406].  Innocent,  bishop  of  Borne,  dedicated 
a  church  to  the  blessed  martyrs,  Gervase  and  Protase,  built 
with  the  funds  left  in  her  will  by  an  illustrious  woman 
named  Yestina.  Then  Alexis,  a  servant  of  Christ,  quitted 
this  world.    Pelagius,  a  Briton,  impugned  divine  grace/ 

Honorius  with  Theodosius  the  younger,  his  brother's  sob, 

^  Maximus,  after  being  defeated  seyeral  times  by  the  two  emperon  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Aquileia,  was  taken  prisoner  in  that  town,  and  pot 
to  death  by  the  soldiers  on  the  2b'th  of  August,  388. 

3  Our  author,  with  Bede,  whom  he  always  follows,  places  these  incu^ 
sions  of  the  Scots  and  Picts  too  soon.  They  did  not  take  place  until  after 
the  revolt  and  expedition  of  the  usurper  Constantino  in  the  year  407,  as 
indeed  Bede  himself  informs  us,  Ecclesiastical  History,  i.  12. 

'  St.  Jerome  composed  this  work  in  392. 

*  The  remains  of  the  prophets  here  mentioned  were  discovered  duiing 
the  last  years  of  the  reign  of  Theodoaus.  Innocent  I.  filled  the  holy  see 
from  402  until  the  12th  of  March,  417;  under  his  pontificate,  aboat  the 
year  404,  the  Pelagian  heresy  began  to  spread  itself,  and  the  very  suspicious 
legend  of  Alexis  is  placed. 


A.]>.  408 — db23.]  HOVOBius.  107 

reigned  sixteen  jears.  Alaric,  king  of  the  Goths,  took 
possession  of  Borne,  and  set  fire  to  it,  on  the  9th  of  the 
calends  of  September  [24th  of  August],  A.r.c.  1164,  quit- 
ting it  and  carrying  off  an  immense  booty,  six  days  after  he 
entered  it.^ 

Lucian,  the  priest,  to  whom  G-od,  in  the  seventh  year  of 
the  reign  of  Honorius,  revealed  the  spot  where  lay  the 
tombs  that  enclosed  the  remains  of  St.  Stephen,  the  first 
martyr,  and  of  Gamaliel  and  Nicodemus,  of  whom  we  read  in 
the  GK)spel  and  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  wrote  this 
revelation  in  Ghreek,  and  addressed  it  to  the  heads  of  all  the 
churches.  Avitus,  a  priest  of  Spanish  extraction,  translated 
this  work  into  Latin,  and  adding  an  epistle  to  it,  gave  it  to 
the  western  world  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  priest 
Orosius.  This  same  Orosius,  who,  on  his  arrival  at  the 
holy  places,  where  Augustine  had  sent  him  to  learn  what 
was  good  for  his  soul,  received  the  relics  of  St.  Stephen, 
and  returning  to  his  own  country,  was  the  first  to  carry 
them  into  the  west.' 

The  Britons,  no  longer  able  to  bear  the  exterminating 
inroads  of  the  Scots  and  Ficts,  sent  envoys  to  Eome  im- 
ploring aid  against  these  enemies,  and  offering  to  submit  to 
the  Eoman  government.  A  legion  was  immediately  sent  to 
their  relief,  which  put  to  the  sword  an  immense  number  of 
the  barbarians,  drove  the  rest  beyond  the  frontiers  of  Britain, 
and,  on  the  eve  of  returning  home,  advised  their  allies  to 
raise  a  wall  across  the  island,  from  sea  to  sea,  to  check  the 
incursions  of  their  enemies. 

This  rampart,  constructed  without  regard  to  the  rules  of 
art,  and  in  which  more  turf  than  stone  was  used,  was  of  no 
service  to  those  who  built  it ;  for  as  soon  as  the  Eomans 
had  turned  their  backs,  their  old  enemies  re-appeared  in 
their  boats,  and  cut  down,  trampled  under  foot,  and  devoured, 
everything  they  could  &id,  like  a  ripe  field  of  com.    The 

*  Alaric  took  Rome,  24th  of  August,  a.d.  409.  Here  our  author 
ictoms,  probably  from  inattention,  to  the  chronological  system  of 
Dionynus  the  I^tle,  which  he  had  quitted  when  giving  the  date  of 
tbe  tnrth  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  he  refers  this  event  to  the  year  1 164  from 
the  foundation  of  Rome,  that  is  to  say,  409  years  after  754,  and  not  752, 

•  The  relics  of  St.  Stephen  were  discovered  in  415,  the  year  of  Orosius's 
voyage  to  Palestine. 


l08  OSDXSIOUB  TITALI8.  [b.1.  €H.  XXm. 

Britons  again  applied  to  tbeBomans  for  Buccour,  whohastened 
to  their  assistance,  defeated  the  barbarians,  and  drove  them 
across  the  sea ;  thej  then,  with  the  assistance  of  the  nativei, 
raised  between  the  towns  which  they  had  built  in  thar 
alarm  a  wall,  from  sea  to  sea,  not  as  before  of  loose  earth,  bat 
of  solid  stones.  On  the  southern  shore  of  the  straits  also, 
as  incursions  were  apprehended  in  that  quarter,  they  erected 
at  intervals  watch-towers,  commanding  extensive  views. 
The  Bomans  then  took  leave  of  their  allies,  never  to  return 
again.  Boniface,  bishop  of  Borne,  erected  a  chapel  in  the 
cemetery  of  St.  Eelicitas,  and  ornamented  her  tomo  and  that 
of  St.  Sjlvanus.  Jerome,  the  priest,  died  at  the  age  of 
ninety-one,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  the  reign  of  Honorius,  the 
2nd  of  the  calends  of  October  [30th  of  September].^ 

After  the  death  of  Honorius,  Theodosius  the  younger, 
son  of  Arcadius,  reigned  twenty-six  years.  Yalentmian  the 
younger,  the  son  of  Constantius,  was  created  emperor  afc 
Kavenna ;  while  his  mother  Flacidia  had  received  the  titie 
of  Augusta  some  time  before.  Those  fierce  nations,  the 
Vandals,  Alans,  and  Goths,  crossing  over  into  AMca  fiwm 
Spain,  ravaged  the  country  with  fire  and  sword,  and  polluted 
it  by  the  impiety  of  the  Arian  heresy.'  St.  Augustine,  bishop 
of  Hippo,  an  eminent  doctor  of  the  church,  was  saved  from 
seeing  the  ruin  of  his  city  by  being  translated  to  the  Lord 
during  the  third  month  of  the  siege  it  was  then  undergoing) 
on  the  fifth  of  the  calends  of  September  [28th  of  August], 
having  lived  seventy-six  years,  of  which  he  had  spent  near 
forty  as  clerk  or  bishop.  About  the  same  time,  the  Yandab, 
after  taking  Carthage,  passed  over  into  SicUy,  and  com- 
pletely devastated  it.  Faschasinus,  bishop  of  Lilybea,  men- 
tions the  captivity  of  its  inhabitants  in  a  letter  which  he 
wrote  to  Pope  Leo  concerning  the  period  for  the  celebration 
of  Easter.* 

Palladius,  ordained  by  Pope  Celestine  the  first  bishop 

^  Boniface  was  pope  from  a.d.  418  to  422.  St.  Jerome,  bom  alnmt 
342,  died,  Sept.  30, 420. 

*  The  Vandals  crossed  over  into  Africa  in  May,  429.  St  Augustine 
died  on  the  28th  of  August,  430.  Carthage  was  captured  in  438,  and 
Sicily  in  440. 

'  Faschasinus,  bishop  of  Lilybea  (now  Marsala),  was  himself  taken 
jxrisoner^  as  he  mentions  in  his  letter  to  Pope  Leo. 


i.I>.  449.]  THS   SAXONS  LASD  IK  BBITAHT.  109 

of  the  Scots  wno  had  been  converted  to  the  faith  of  Christ, 
vas  sent  over  in  the  eighth  year  of  Theodosius.     When  the 
Eoman  army  was  withdrawn  from  Britain,  the  Scots  and 
Picts,  knowing  that  they  would  not  return,  re-appeared, 
and  wrested  from  the  natives  the  whole  island  £rom  the 
north,  as  far  as  the  wall.     The  guards  of  the  rampart  were 
quickly  killed,  taken  prisoners,  or  put  to  flight,  the  wall  it- 
self was  broken  through,  and  the  country  on  the  other  side 
of  it  savagely  plundered.    A  letter  full  of  grief  and  trouble 
was  sent  to  AStius,  who  had  the  command  of  the  !Etoman 
troops  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  the  reign  of  Theodosius, 
and  was  now  consul  for  the  third  time,  imploring  succour 
in  vain.     Meanwhile  a  dreadful  and  memorable  famine 
afflicted  the  fugitives,  and  caused  some  of  them  to  go 
over  to  the  enemy,  while  the  remainder,  retiring  to  the 
mountains,  caverns,  and  forests,  made  a  desperate  resist- 
ance, and  inflicted  great  loss  on  the  invaders.    The  Scots 
returned  to  their  homes,  intending  shortly  to  renew  their 
incursions ;  but  the  Ficts  retained  possession  of  the  ex- 
treme part  of  the  island,  which  they  now  for  the  first  time 
determined  to  inhabit.     The  famine,  just  spoken  of,  was 
followed  by  a  great  abundance  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth, 
with  its  natural  consequences,  extravagance  and  careless- 
ness ;  a  pestilence  ensued,  to  which  was  shortly  added  a 
plague  still  worse,  the  arrival  of  the  English,  who  were  new 
enemies,  in  the  country.     The  Britons  in  a  general  assem- 
bly under  their  king  Yortigern,  unanimously  agreed  to  in- 
vite them  over  to  assist  in  the  defence  oi  the  country; 
but  they  soon  discovered  that  the  English  were  their  oppress 
sors  instead  of  their  defenders. 

Sixtus,  bishop  of  Eome,  dedicated  to  St.  Mary,  the  mother 
of  our  Lord,  the  building  which  the  ancients  caUed  the 
church  of  Liberius.  Eudosia,  the  wife  of  Theodosius,  returned 
from  Jerusalem,  bringiug  with  her  the  relics  of  the  blessed 
St.  Stephen,  the  first  martyr,  which  were  exposed  to  the 
veneration  of  the  faithful  in  the  church  of  St.  Lawrence. 
Bleda  and  Attila,  his  brother,  who  governed  several  powerful 
nations,  devastated  lUyricum  and  Thrace.^ 

^  Palladius  was  sent  into  Scotland  in  428,  according  to  the  Roman 
ann-ilists.  The  abject  prayer,  entitled  <<  The  Groans  of  the  Britons,"  was 
addressed  to  Aetiusin  446,    The  year  following  \oit^<dtiL\XkTt^A!^>^^^^ 


110  0BDSBICU8  YITALIB.  [b.I.  CH.ZIIII. 

Marcian  and  Yalentinian  reigned  as  joint  emperoi» 
seven  years.  The  Angles,  or  Saxons,  who  crossed  over 
the  sea  in  three  long  ships,  now  landed  in  Britain.'  Their 
countrymen  at  home,  hearing  reports  that  their  voyage 
had  been  prosperous,  sent  over  a  stronger  force,  which, 
combining  with  the  former  band,  soon  overcame  the  resistance 
of  the  enemy.  They  then  turned  their  arms  against  their 
allies,  and  ravaged  nearly  the  whole  island  from  the  east 
to  the  west  with  fire  and  sword,  under  pretence  that  the 
Britons  had  not  sufficiently  remunerated  those  who  had 
fought  for  them. 

John  the  Baptist  revealed  to  two  eastern  monks,  who  had 
travelled  as  pilgrims  to  Jerusalem,  the  place  where  Ins 
head  was  concealed,  near  the  palace  which  once  belonged  to 
King  Herod ;  this  head  was  afterwards  carried  to  Emesa^  in 
Phoenicia,  where  it  received  due  honour.' 

"When  the  heresy  of  Pelagius  disturbed  the  faith  of 
the  Britons,  they  implored  assistance  from  the  bishops 
of  Gaul,  and  found  defenders  of  the  truth  in  G^rmanus, 
bishop  of  Auxerre,  and  Lupus,  bishop  of  Troyes,  both  con- 
fessors of  the  apostolic  grace.  These  illustrious  champions 
of  our  Lord  strengthened  the  faith  by  the  word  of  truth,  as 
well  as  by  signs  and  miracles;  and  the  attack  made  on 
the  Britons  at  this  time  by  the  combined  forces  of  the 
Saxons  and  Picts,  was  by  divine  help  defeated.  Por  Ger- 
manus  taking  the  command  himself,  put  the  hosts  of  the 
enemy  to  flight,  not  by  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  but  with 
shouts  of  "  Hallelujah,"  the  whole  army  raising  their 
voices  to  heaven.^    After  this,  he  went  to  Bavenna,  where 

of  the  Anglo-Saxons,  who  first  came  over  a.d.  449.  St.  Sixtus  III.,  more 
properly  called  St.  Xystus  (July  31, 432--Aug.  18,440),  probably  rebuilt 
and  decorated  with  the  mosaics  now  existing,  the  church  of  Sta.  Maria 
Maggiore,  founded  by  Liberius,  one  of  his  predecessors.  The  person  here 
mentioned  was  Eudocia  the  empress,  and  not  her  daughter  Eadoxia. 

^  The  Anglo-Saxons  landed  in  the  Isle  of  Thanet.  In  455,  they  b^;an 
their  attacks  upon  the  Britons. 

Marcianus  I.,  son  of  an  obscure  but  respectable  man,  was  bom  either  in 
Thrace  or  lUyricum,  about  a.d.  391 ;  married  the  celebrated  Pulcheria, 
widow  of  Theodosius  II.;  died  in  the  midst  of  universal  popularity  after  a 
reign  of  six  years,  on  the  26th  of  June,  467,  in  his  sixty-ninth  year. 

^  The  inhabitants  of  Emesa  still  believe  that  they  possess  the  head  of 
John  the  Baptist. 
.    •  Both  Bede  and  Ordericus  iail  into  an  anachronism  in  making  the 


AJ>.  420 — 448.]      TIRBT  KTSQB  07  THE   FBANKS.  Ill 

he  was  received  with  the  greatest  respect  by  Valentinian 

and  Flacidia,  and  then  departed  in  the  Lord.     His  body 

was  carried  to  Auxerre,  with  honourable  attendance  and 

i  working  of  miracles.    The  patrician  Aetius,  the  saviour 

I  of  the  western  part  of  the  empire,  and  once  the  terror  of 

!   Attila  himself^  was  put  to  death  by  Valentinian.      With 

I  Kim  fell  the  western  empire,  which  was  never  restored.^ 

About  this  time  the  kingdom  of  the  Franks  was  founded. 

Per  Ferramund  [Fharamond],  the  son  of  Francus,  duke  of 

Sens,  during  the  reign  of  Theodosius  the  younger,  son  of 

Arcaidius,  and  when  Celestine  was  pope,  was  the  first  king 

of  the  Franks.     He  reigned  five  years ;  and  on  his  demise, 

was  succeeded  by  Clodion,  whose  reign  lasted  seven  years.* 

Then  the  devil  appeared  to  the  Jews  in  the  island  of 

Crete,  in  the  form  of  Moses,  and  promised  that  he  would 

conduct  them  dry-shod    across    the  sea  to  the  laud  of 

promise ;  but  several  lost  their  Hves,  and  the  remainder  were 

converted  to  the  Christian  faith. 

In  the  second  year  of  Marcian  and  Valentinian,  Merove, 
king  of  the  Franks,  died  after  a  reign  of  thirteen  years,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Childeric  his  son,  who  governed  the 
Franks  twenty-three  years.^ 

Leo  [I.]  was  emperor  seventeen  years.  After  the  council 
of  Chalcedon  he  addressed  a  circular  letter  to  all  the  ortho- 
dox bishops  throughout  the  world,  requesting  them  to  let 
Wm  know  their  individual  opinions  respecting  the  decisions 
of  that  assembly.  The  answers  he  received  from  them  all, 
on  the  true  nature  of  the  incarnation  of  Christ,  agreed  as  if 

Saxons  parties  in  the  war  which  resulted  in  the  victory  of  Germanus,  who 
vriyed  in  Britain  about  the  year  429,  returned  again  in  446,  accompanied 
^y  Severu8»  bishop  of  Treves,  when  he  procured  the  banishment  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Pelagians  from  the  island.  He  died  at  Ravenna,  July  31, 
^8,  one  year  before  the  arrival  of  the  Saxons  in  this  country. 

'  In  transcribing  this  passage  from  Bede,  Ordericus  forgot  that  the 
^pire  of  the  west  had  then  been  re-established  more  than  three  centuries. 

'  Seven  or  eight  years  are  attributed  to  the  reign  of  Pharamond.  As 
^r  Clodion,  a  much  better  authenticated  personage,  he  reigned  twenty 
years  (427—448). 

'  The  year  456  is  commonly  considered  as  the  time  of  the  death  of 
Herov^,  which  is  here  referred  to  the  interval  between  Aug.  25,  451, 
^d  Aug.  24,  452.  Childeric  his  son  reigned  about  twenty-five  years 
(456-481). 


112  OBDEEI0U8  VITALW.  [b.I.  CH.XXin. 

they  were  written  at  the  same  moment  and  dictated  by  the 
same  person.^ 

Theodoret,  bishop  of  Cjra,  which  took  its  name  from  its 
founder  Cyrus,  king  of  the  Persians,  wrote  a  treatise  on  the 
true  nature  of  the  incarnation  of  our  iSaviour  against 
Eutiches,  and  Disocorus,  bishop  of  Alexandria,  who  denied 
the  human  nature  of  Christ.  Besides  this,  he  composed  an 
Ecclesiastical  History,  from  the  end  of  the  Chronicle  of 
Eusebius,  to  his  own  time,  that  is  to  say,  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  Leo,  during  which  he  departed  this  life.  Victorius, 
in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  Pope  Hilary,  composed  his 
Paschal  Canon,  of  five  hundred  and  thirty-two  years.' 

Zeno  reigned  seventeen  years.  The  body  of  the  apostle 
Barnabas,  and  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew,  copied  by  him, 
were  discovered,  by  a  revelation  made  by  himself.*  Odoacer, 
king  of  the  Goths,  made  himself  master  of  Eome,  which 
the  kings  of  that  nation  held  for  some  time. 

On  the  death  of  Theodoric,  son  of  Triarius,  another 
Theodoric,  sumamed  Walamir,  became  king  of  the  Goths. 
This  prince  ravaged  both  Macedonia  and  Thessaly,  set  on 
fire  several  quarters  of  the  imperial  city,  and  invaded  and 
occupied  Italy.  Huneric,  king  of  the  v  andals,  an  Arian, 
banished  or  ctrove  out  more  than  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
four  Catholic  bishops  in  Africa,  closed  their  churches,  and 
tortured  the  people  in  various  ways,  chopping  off  their 
hands  and  cutting  out  their  tongues,  but  he  could  not  pre- 
vent the  Catholic  faith  from  being  openly  confessed.^ 


*  [a.d.  457 — 454.]  The' emperor  Leo  addressed  his  circular  letters  to 
the  metropolitans  a.d.  457,  and  received  their  answers  in  458. 

^  Theodoret,  bom  about  A.D.  387,  bishop  oi  Cyra  in  423,  died  about  458. 
His  Ecclesiastical  History  is  not  brought  down  to  the  reign  of  Leo  (a.d. 
457),  nor  later  than  the  year  429.  Victorius  composed  his  Paschal  Canon 
in  457. 

'  The  tomb  of  St.  Barnabas  was  discovered  about  the  year  488,  in  the 
environs  of  Salamis.  The  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  was  written  on  the  wood 
of  the  cypress  tree.  The  emperor  Zeno  enriched  it  with  gold  ornaments, 
and  deposited  it  in  the  chapel  of  his  palace,  where  it  was  lued  every  year, 
on  Holy  Thursday. 

*  Odoacer,  having  become  master  of  Rome,  was  proclaimed  king  of  Italy 
on  the  23rd  of  August,  476.  Theodoric  succeeded  him  in  March,  493i 
The  two  Macedonias  and  Thessaly  were  devastated  in  the  year  482;  and 
the  persecution  of  the  Catholics  by  Huneric  took  place  in  484, 


I.D.  474 — 618.]       ZEWO— Ai^ASTASitrs.  113 

Aurelius  Ambrosius,  a  man  of  great  moderation,  the  only 
one  of  Roman  extraction  who  had  the  good  fortune  to 
escape  the  swords  of  the  Saxons,  when  they  had  massacred 
his  parents,  who  were  next  robed  in  the  imperial  purple, 
now  led  the  Britons  to  battle  against  their  conquerors  who 
were  defeated  in  turn.  Erom  that  day  victory  declared 
itself,  sometimes  in  favour  of  one  party,  sometimes  of  the 
other,  until  the  moment  came  when  a  more  powerful 
foreigner  possessed  the  whole  island,  for  a  long  period.* 

In  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of  Zeno,  on  the  death  of 
Childeric,  his  son  Clovis  began  to  reign  in  G^aul,  and  held 
the  sceptre  with  a  powerful  hand  for  nineteen  years.' 

Anastasius  governed  the  empire  for  the  space  of  eighteen 
years.  Thrasamond,  king  of  the  Vandals,  ordered  the 
Catholic  churches  to  be  closed,  and  banished  two  hundred 
and  twenty  bishops  to  Sardinia.  Pope  Symmachus,  who 
either  founded  or  repaired,  a  great  number  of  churches, 
ordered  dwellings  to  be  erected  for  the  poor  near  the 
churches  of  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul,  and  St.  Lawrence,  and 
sent  every  year  money  and  clothes  to  Sardinia  and  Africa, 
for  the  bishops  who  were  banished.  Anastasius,  who, 
favouring  the  heresy  of  Eutyches,  persecuted  the  Catholics, 
was  killed  by  lightning  from  heaven.' 

Clovis,  king  of  the  Pranks,  was  baptized  by  St.  Eerai, 
archbishop  of  Eheims,  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  his  reign,  with 
three  thousand  of  his  nobles.  He  died  four  years  afterwards, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Theodoric.  On  his  death, 
Clotaire,  his  brother,  reigned  fifty-one  years  in  Prance.  At 
that  time,  Q-uildard  and  Plavius  flourished  in  the  see  of 
Bouen;  and  Mamertus,  archbishop  of  Yienne,  appointed 
litanies,  that  is  to  say,  rogations,  before  Ascension-day,  on 
account  of  the  destructive  plague  which  afflicted  the  people.* 

^  A  date  cannot  be  asagned  with  certainty  to  the  victory  gained  by  the 
Britons,  commanded  by  Aurelius  Ambrosius,  over  the  Anglo-Saxons. 

*  The  reign  of  Zeno  began  in  February,  474,  and  that  of  Clovis  in  481. 
This  prince  reigned  not  nineteen,  but  about  thirty  years  (481 — 511). 

'  Thrasamond,  king  of  the  Vandals,  ascended  the  throne  Sept.  21,  496. 
It  was  in  504  or  505  that  he  banished  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
biabops  to  Sardinia.  Pope  Symmachus  (Nov.  22,  498 — July  19,  514) 
was  a  native  of  this  island.  It  is  doubtful  whether  Anastasius  was  killed 
Hr  a  thunderbolt 

*  Duchesne  has  conected  (X)  the  text  by  omitting  the  dfiosnal  ^s^. 

TOL.  I.  I 


114  OSDSBICUB  TITiXIB.  [b.I.  OH.! 

Justin  the  elder  reigned  eight  years.*  Pope  John,  wl 
visiting  Constantinople,  was  met  at  the  Golaen  Gute,  bri 
great  concourse  of  people,  in  whose  presence  he  restored  t 
sight  a  blind  man,  who  implored  relief.  On  his  re< 
Theodoric  ordered  him  to  be  arrested  at  Hayenna, 
thrown  into  prison  with  his  attendants,  where  he  diei| 
Theodoric  was  led  to  commit  this  crime  from  jealousfi] 
because  Justin,  the  defender  of  the  Catholic  faith,  had  re*^ 
ceived  this  prelate  honourably.  In  the  same  year,  he  put 
to  death  Symmachus,  patrician  of  Eavenna;  but  the  next^ 
year  he  himself  died  suddenly  in  the  same  city,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  nephew  Athalaric.  Hilderic,  king  of  the 
Vandals,  ordered  the  bishops  to  be  recalled  from  exile,  and 
the  churches  to  be  repaired,  after  seventy-four  years  of 
heretical  profanations.  Benedict,  the  abbot,  was  illustrious 
for  his  virtues,  which  Pope  St,  Q-regory  has  recorded  in  his 
book  of  Dialogues.* 

Justinian,  nephew  of  Justin  by  a  sister  of  that  prince, 
reigned  twenty-eight  years.  The  patrician  Belisarius,  sent 
into  Africa  by  Justinian,  subduea  the  Vandals.  He  re* 
took  Carthage  after  it  had  been  ninety-six  years  in  their 
hands,  whom  he  defeated  and  expelled,  taking  their  king 
Gelimer,  whom  he  sent  prisoner  to  Constantinople.    The 

counting  the  years  of  the  reign  of  Clovis  after  his  baptism,  the  MSS. 
having  xiv.  The  French  editor  of  Ordericiis  Yitalis  has  restored  the 
original  reading,  as,  though  evidently  faulty,  it  agrees  with  the  total 
number  of  years  assigned  to  the  reign  of  Clovis  in  a  preceding  paragraph. 
On  the  death  of  Clovis,  the  kingdom  of  the  Franks  was  divided  between 
his  four  sons,  and  was  not  re-united  by  Clotaire  until  the  successive  deaths 
of  his  brothers  and  their  heirs.  Clotaire,  therefore,  dispossessed,  not  his 
brother  Theodoric,  but  his  grand-nephew  Theodebald,  of  the  kingdom  of 
Metz.  St.  Godard  and  Flavins,  or  Filleul,  were  indeed  contemporaries  of 
this  prince,  but  not  St  Mamertus,  as  he  died  May  1 1,  475. 

1  July  10,  618— August  1,  627. 

'  Pope  John  I.  died  May  18,  a.d.  626,  at  Ravenna,  in  the  prison  where 
Theodoric  ordered  him  to  be  confined,  on  his  return  from  Constantino- 
ple; Syramachus,  on  the  28th  of  May,  525  or  526,  and  Theodoric  himseU^ 
oh  the  30th  of  August  of  this  last  year.  The  recall  of  the  Catholic 
bishops  into  Africa  by  Hilderic  appears  ,to  have  taken  place  immediately 
after  the  accession  of  this  prince  to  the  throne,  in  May,  523.  The 
number  of  years  which  our  author  gives  here,  as  the  duration  of  the  perse- 
cution, is  inexact,  whether  we  reckon  from  the  first  period  (4.D.  437),  the 
second  (a.d.  483),  or  the  third  (504  or  505).  St.  Benedict,  born  in  480. 
died  oa  the  2 let  of  May,  543. 


.D.  527 — 578.]    JUSTDTIAK — JUBTIK  THE  T0UI7GEB.       115 

>dy  of  St.  Anthony  the  monk,  found  by  a  divine  revelation, 
as  conveyed  to  Alexandria,  and  buried  in  the  church  of 
}.  John  the  Baptist..  Dionysius  the  Little  wrote  on  the 
ischal  cycles,  beginning  with  the  year  of  the  incarnation 
-  our  Xiord.  At  the  same  time  the  code  of  Justinian  was 
romulgated  throughout  the  world.  Victor,  bishop  of  Capua, 
so  composed  a  book  concemiog  Easter,  in  which  hi 
(fated  the  errors  of  Victorius.^ 

King  Clotaire  died  at  a  great  age,  and  the  kingdom  of 
16  Pranks  was  parted  into  four  divisions;  Paris  fell  to 
16  lot  of  Charibert,  Orleans  to  Guntran,  Soissons  to  Chil- 
eric,  and  Metz  to  Sigebert.  But  in  the  thirty-sixth  year 
f  the  reign  of  Justinian,  King  Sigebert  was  slain  by  the 
reachenr  of  his  brother  Chilperic,  with  whom  he  was  at 
'ar.  His  son  Childebert,  who  was  yet  in  his. infancy,  suc- 
eeded,  under  the  guardianship  of  his  mother  Brunehaut, 
nd  reigned  twenty-five  years.' 

Justin  the  Younger's  reign  lasted  eleven  years.'  The 
latncian  Narses  vanquished  and  killed  Totila,  the  king  of 
he  Goths,  in  Italy.  The  Bomans,  for  whom  he  had 
truggled  bravely  against  the  Goths,  enviously  accusing 
im  before  Justin  and  his  wife  Sophia  of  oppressing  Italy, 
le retired  to  Kaples  in  Campania,  whence. he  wrote  letters 
0  the  Lombards,  to  induce  them  to  invade  and  take  posses- 
ion of  Italy.  Pope  John  finished  and  consecrated  the 
hnrch  of  SS.  Philip  and  James,  which  his  predecessor 
?elagius  had  begun.  Then  the  warlike  Alboin,  son  of 
Ludoin,  king  of  the  Lombards,  passed  from  Pannonia  into 
!taly,  at  the  head  of  the  Guimli,  and,  with  the  consent  of 
he  patrician  Narses,  subjected  it  to  his  dominion.^ 

^  Beliiainis  put  an  end  to  the  dominion  of  the  Vandals  in  AfHca,  and 
lok  their  king  Gelimer  captive,  a.d.  534.  The  hody  of  St.  Anthony  was 
ronght  to  Alexandria  about  530.  The  Justinian  code  was  published  three 
imei,  A.D.  529,  533,  and  534.  The  edition  we  now  possess  is  the  last 
i  these.  •  Victor,  bishop  of  Capua,  composed  his  Treatise  on  the  Paschal 
Ijfde  about  540  or  545. 

'  Tbe  thirty-sixth  year  of  Justinian  corresponds  with  562 — 563,  while 
Sigdieit  was  aflsassinated  in  575.  Childebert,  king  of  Austrama,  died  in 
i96,  in  the  twentieth  year  of  his  reign. 

*  NoTember  14,  565— October  1,  578. 

^  The  battle  in  which  Totila  was  defeated  and  killed  by  the  army  of 
Rums,  was  fought  in  the  month  of  June,  552.  Narses  retired  to  Naples  in 
5^,  bat  letomed  to  Rome,  and  died  in  the  same  ye^.    It  is  not  true  thali 

I  2 


il6  OBDEEIOrS  YITALIS.  [b.I.  CH.X] 

Tiberius  ConBtantine  reigned  seven  years.*  Gregory,  thi 
apostolic  nuncio  at  Constantinople,  and  afterwards  bishop 
Borne,  composed  his  commentary  on  the  book  of  Job,  ai 
in  the  presence  of  Tiberius,  convicted  Eutychius,  the  bishi 
of  error  in  his  belief  in  the  resurrection.  He  proved  tl 
80  clearly  that  the  emperor  was  of  opinion  that  the 
Eutychius  had  written  on  the  resurrection  ought  ,to 
committed  to  the  flames,  having  also  refuted  it  himself 
allegations  derived  from  Catholic  authorities.  EatycMi,. 
taught  that  in  the  glory  of  the  resurrection,  our  bocttw 
will  be  impalpable,  and  more  subtile  than  the  winds  im 
the  air ;  an  assertion  which  was  contrary  to  these  words  fl 
our  Saviour:  "Handle  me  and  see;  for  a  spirit  hath  ndl 
flesh  and  bones  as  ye  see  me  have."  * 

The  nation  of  the  Longobards,  or  Lombards,  having  iii 
their  train  famine  and  mortality,  overran  the  whole  of  Italr^ 
and  laid  siege  to  the  city  of  Eome.  Alboin  was  then  theiJp 
king. 

Maurice  reigned  twenty-one  years.  Hermenegild,  son 
of  Leuvigild,  kmg  of  the  Goths,  having  resolutely  confessed 
the  Catholic  faith,  was  deprived  by  his  father,  who  wa» 
an  Arian,  of  all  his  honours,  thrown  into  prison  and  chauoB, 
and  at  last  beheaded,  on  the  second  night  after  Easter ;  and 
thus  the  king  and  martyr  exchanged  an  earthly  throne  for 
the  celestial  kingdom.  His  brother  Eecared,  who  soon  sifter 
succeeded  his  father,  converted  to  the  Catholic  faith  the 
whole  nation  of  the  Gt)ths  under  his  dominion,  at  the 
instance  of  Leander,  bishop  of  Seville,  who  had  also  in- 
structed Hermenegild.* 

the  Lombards  inraded  Italy  at  his  instigation.  This  inyasion  took  place  in 
April,  568,  and  the  taking  of  Milan  on  the  4th  of  September,  569* 
Ouinili  or  Winili  is  the  primitive  name  of  the  Lombards.  Alboin,  who 
led  them  into  Italy,  died  June  28.  573.  John  III.,  who  finished  the 
church  of  SS.  Philip  and  James,  filled  tbe  pontifical  chair  for  thirteen 
years  (July  18,  660— July  13,  573). 

1  September  26,  578— Angnst  4,  582. 

*  Lulce  zxir.  49.  Gregory  the  Great  resided  at  Constantinople  as  apocri- 
sary  of  the  Roman  church,  from  579  till  584;  he  was  elected  pope  in  590; 
and  died  March  12th,  604.  The  discussion  betweenhim  and  £uty<^in8, 
patriarch  of  Constantinople,  who  retracted  his  error,  took  place  in  582. 
In  593,  ho  persuaded  Agilulf,  king  of  the  Lombards,  to  raise  the  siege  of 
Rome.    Alboin  had  been  then  dead  twenty  years. 

'  The  martyrdom  of  Hermeneg>^d,\>yoi^eT  oi\n&  faXYi«t  lAu^ri^d,  took 
place  in  685  or  586,  and  the  vetum  of  Haqaxq^Xo  C>«S^c»Y»aas(n.\w  tk^^l « 


JLJ).  582 — 601.]  iulUbicb — phocas.  117 

Maurice  married  the  daughter  of  Tiberius  Constantine, 
and  was  the  first  of  the  Greek  emperors  who  ordered  the 
Soman  fasces  to  be  carried  before  him.  In  the  thirteenth 
year  of  the  reign  of  Maurice,  the  thirteenth  indiction, 
Gregory,  bishop  of  the  Boman  church,  and  a  yotj  learned 
doctor,  assembled  a  council  of  twenty-three  bishops  at  the 
tomb  of  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  to  make  such  decrees  as  the 
state  of  the  church  required.  The  same  pope,  having  sent 
into  Britain,  Augustine,  Mellitus,  John,  and  several  other 
monks  who  feared  God,  converted  the  English  to  Chris- 
tianity. Ethelbert  soon  received  the  faith  of  Christ  with 
the  whole  Kentish  nation,  his  subjects,  and  the  neighbouring 
provinces  under  his  rule,  conferring  bishoprics,  not  only  on 
Augustine,  his  own  teacher,  but  also  on  other  holypriests. 
The  English  nations  to  the  north  of  the  river  Humber, 
mider  their  kings  Ella  and  Ethelfrid,  had  not  yet  heard  the 
word  of  life.  Gregory,  writing  to  Augustine  and  the  bishops 
of  London  and  "^rk,  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  the  reign  of 
Maurice,  in  the  fourth  indiction,  sent  them  the  pall,  and 
gave  them  the  title  of  metropolitans,  and  died  four  years 
afterwards.^ 

Phocas  reined  eight  years.*  This  prince,  at  the  request 
rf  Pope  BomfEice,  decided  that  the  Koman  and  apostolical 
fee  was  the  head  of  all  the  churches  in  Christendom,  in 
order  to  put  a  stop  to  the  pretensions  of  the  church  of  Con- 
stantinople, which  styled  itself  the  first  of  all  the  Christian 
churches.  The  same  emperor,  at  the  instance  of  another 
pope  Boniface,  gave  coders  that  the  ancient  temple  called 
the  Pantheon,  after  being  cleansed  from  the  pollutions  of 
idolatiy,  should  be  converted  into  a  church,  dedicated  to  the 
blessed  Mary,  ever-virgin,  and  all  the  martyrs,  so  that  the 
very  place  where  of  old  thev  celebrated  the  worship,  not  of 
ill  the  gods,  but  of  all  the  demons,  was  from  that  day  ren- 
dered sacred  to  the  memory  of  all  the  saints.  The  Persians, 
still  continuing  a  ruinous  war  against  the  republic,  wrested 
£K>m  it  many  of  the  Boman  provinces,  and  even  Jerusalem, 
destroying  the  churches,  profaning  everything  sacred,  and 

1  ICanrice  [ajx  582 — 602.]  married  Constantina,  the  eldest  daughter  of 
TSierina  II.,  and  was  murdered  by  Phocas  in  602.  The  synod  here 
■tBtioiied  is  the  third  council  of  Rome,  opened  July  5,  595.  The  next 
ymt,'Qtegarr  sent  the  missionaries  to  England,  where  they  arrived  in  597. 

*  JUK.  60'i— 610. 


118  OBDEBICUB  TITALIS.  [b.I.  CH.ZXm. 

among  the  ornaments  belonging  to  the  holy  places,  or  to 
individuals,  they  carried  off  the  standard  of  our  Saviour's 
cross.* 

Heraclius  reigned  thirty-one  years .'  Anastasius,  a  Persiaa 
monk,  suffered  a  glorious  martyrdom  for  Christ's  sake. 
Although  bom  in  Persia,  and  instructed  by  his  father,  when 
a  child,  in  tho  science  of  the  Magi,  yet  as  soon  as  he  heard 
the  name  of  Christ  from  the  captive  Christians,  he  presently 
turned  to  him  with  all  his  heart ;  and  having  quitted  Persia) 
he  went  to  Chalcedon  and  Hierapolis,  seeking  Christ  every- 
where, and  lastly  to  Jerusalem.  Here  he  received  the  grace 
of  baptism,  and  entered  the  monastery  of  abbot  Anastasius, 
situated  at  the  distance  of  four  miles  &om  the  city.  Having 
there  spent  seven  years,  under  the  monastic  rule,  while  on 
a  pilgrimage  to  Caesarea,  in  Palestine,  he  fell  into  the  hands 
or  the  Persians,  and  after  much  suffering  from  Marzabanes, 
the  judge,  who  caused  him  to  be  scourged,  imprisoned,  and 
bound  in  chains,  he  was  at  length  sent  into  Persia  to  King 
Chosroes.  This  prince  ordered  him  to  be  scourged  three 
times  at  intervals,  then  suspended  by  one  hand  for  three 
hours,  and  at  last  to  be  beheaded,  with  seventy  other 
martyrs.  Soon  afterwards  a  certain  demoniac,  being  clothed 
in  the  tunic  of  this  saint,  was  healed.  Meanwhile,  the  emperor 
Heraclius,  coming  suddenly  at  the  head  of  an  army,  and 
defeating  Chosroes  and  the  Persians,  recovered  with  triumph 
the  captive  Christians,  and  brought  back  to  Jerusalem  tne 
•wood  of  the  holy  cross.  The  relics  of  the  blessed  martyr 
Anastasius  were  conveyed  at  first  to  his  monastery,  but 
afterwards  to  Bome,  where  they  are  exposed  to  veneration 
in  the  convent  of  St.  Paul  the  apostle  (ad  aquas  Salvias)} 

In  the  sixteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Heraclius,  in  the 

^  What  Boniface  III.  obtained  from  Phocas  was  an  order  that  tb< 
patriarch  of  Constantinople  should  no  longer  take  the  title  of  <2cumenical 
which  Pelagius  II.  and  St.  Gregory  had  already  protested  against  in  vain 
The  dedication  of  the  Pantheon  by  Boniface  IV.  took  place  on  the  13tl 
of  May,  610.  The  invasions  of  the  Pernans  had  commenced  as  early  ai 
603;  but  the  taking  of  Jerusalem  and  the  carrying  off  of  the  true  cross  hap 
pened  in  614,  and  consequently  in  the  followmg  reign. 

»  October  5,  610— February  11,  641. 

'  Now  Sta  Paulo  fuori  muri.  The  martyrdom  of  St  Athanamus  tool 
place  on  the  22nd  of  January,  628.  This  victory  was  gained  by  Heraclim 
over  Chosroes  towards  the  end  of  627;  but  the  captives  and  the  relics  wen 
not  restored  before  628. 


LD.  610—641.]  HiBAOLirrs.  119 

tfteenth  indiction,  Edwin,  the  excellent  king  of  the 
English  in  Britain  living  to  the  north  of  the  Humber, 
leoeiyed,  as  well  as  his  subjects,  the  word  of  salvation 

5 reached  to  them  by  bishop  Paulinus,  whom  the  venerable 
ustus,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  had  sent  into  those  parts. 
In  the  eleventh  year  of  his  reign,  and  about  180  years  after 
the  arrival  of  the  English  in  Britain,  Paulinus  was  raised  to 
the  episcopal  see  of  York.  As  an  auspicious  omen  of  the 
faith  that  was  to  come,  and  of  the  celestial  kingdom,  the 
king  Edwin's  temporal  power  had  so  increased,  that  (what  no 
English  king  before  him  had  ever  achieved)  he  extended  his 
dominion  through  every  quarter  of  the  island,  whether 
possessed  by  the  Saxons  or  the  Britons.  At  that  time  Pope 
Honorius  refuted  an  error  which  had  arisen  among  the  Scots, 
with  regard  to  the  observance  of  Easter,  in  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  that  nation ;  and  John,  the  successor  of  Severinus, 
who  followed  Honorius,  also  wrote  to  the  same  people  while 
be  was  pope  elect,  concerning  Easter  and  tne  Pelagian 
heresy,  which  had  again  revived  in  their  country.* 

After  the  deaths  of  Theodebert  and  Theoderic,  Clotaire 
the  Ghreat,  the  son  of  Chilperic,  flourished  in  France,  of 
which  he  obtained  the  sole  monarchy.  On  his  death 
Dagobert,  his  son,  succeeded  him,  and  for  twelve  years 
held  the  reigns  of  government  with  a  powerful  hand.  His 
son  Clevis  ascended  the  throne  after  him,  and  at  his  death 
bequeathed  his  dominions  to  his  three  sons,  Clotaire, 
Theoderic,  and  Childeric.  In  the  time  of  these  kings, 
several  holy  men  distinguished  themselves  in  France  by 
their  virtues  and  miracles:  Eomanus  and  Ouen,  Ansbert 
and  Eloi,  Evroidt  and  Laumer,  Maur  and  Columban, 
Philibert  and  Wandrille,  with  many  others,  powerful  by 
their  faith  and  preaching,  and  illustrious  for  their  sanctily 
and  miracles.' 

'  Edwin,  king  of  Northtiinberland  (617 — 633),  was  baptized  by 
Paulinos  on  Easter-day,  April  12,  627,  and  consequentlj  in  the  seven- 
teenth year  of  Heraclius,  and  not  the  sixteenth,  one  hundred  and  eighty 
years  after  Yortigem's  calling  in  the  Anglo-Saxons,  but  only  one  hundred 
and  seventy-eight  after  their  arrival  in  Britain.  Honorius  filled  the 
apostolic  see  from  the  year  625,  or  626,  till  the  12th  of  October,  638. 
John  IV.  must  have  written  his  letter  to  the  Scots  in  640. 

*  Theodebert  II.  died  towards  the  close  of  612,  and  Thierri,  or  Theoderic 
IL  in  613.    From  that  time  Clotaire  II.  reigned  alone  until  his  death  in 


120  0ABSSICU8  TITAXIB.  [b.1.  CH.XZHL 

Heracleonas  reigned  two  years  with  his  mother  Martina. 
Cyrus,  bishop  of  AleiLandria,  Sergius  and  Fyrrhus,  bishops 
01  Constantinople,  renewed  the  heresy  of  the  Acephali,  by 
teaching  the  doctrine  of  one  operation  and  one  will  in  md 
divinity  and  humanity  of  Christ.  Pyrrhus  came  from  Africa 
to  Eome,  on  a  visit  to  Pope  Theodore,  and  feigning  a  peni- 
tence which  afterwards  appeared  to  have  been  assumed,  pre- 
sented the  pope,  in  the  presence  of  the  clergy  and  people, 
a  writing  under  his  hand,  condemning  aU  that  he  or  his 
predecessors  had  written  or  done  against  the  Catholic  faith. 
Deceived  by  this  step,  the  pope  kindly  received  him  as 
bishop  of  the  imperial  city.  But,  on  his  return  to  Constan- 
tinople, he  re-asserted  his  former  errors,  upon  which  Pope 
Theodore  convoked  the  priests  and  clergy  in  the  church  of 
St.  Peter,  prince  of  the  apostles,  and  sentenced  him  to  ex- 
communication.^ 

Constantino,  the  brother  of  Heraclius,  reigned  six 
months.*  Paul,  the  successor  of  Pyrrhus,  not  only  troubled 
the  Catholics  by  his  strange  doctrine,  as  his  predecessors  had 
done,  but  by  open  persecution.  The  apostolic  nuncios,  sent 
by  the  holy  Eoman  church  to  correct  him,  were  imprisoned, 
banished,  or  scourged ;  and  he  went  so  far  as  to  strip  and 

?ull  down  the  altar  they  had  dedicated  in  the  oratory  of 
*lacidia's  palace,  forbidding  them  to  celebrate  mass  there. 

628;  if  we  except  the  time  when  Dagobert,  his  son,  was  taken  as  his 
colleague  in  the  kingdom  of  Austrasia  in  622.  The  latter  reigned  sixteen 
years  in  Austrasia  and  ten  in  Neustria  and  Burgundy.  Clovis  II.  only 
began  the  nineteenth  year  of  his  reign  (Jan.  19, 638 — Sept.  656.)  Childeric 
was  his  second  and  Theoderic  III.  his  third  son.  The  holy  persons  here 
mentioned  died  as  follows :  Maur  (584),  Laumer  (590),  Evroult  (596), 
Columban  (615).  Romanus  (638),  Eloi  (659),  Wandrille  (667),  Ouen 
(683),  Philibert  (684),  Ansbert  (693  or  695). 

^  Heracleonas  reigned  only  a  few  months,  May  25 — October,  641. 
Sergius,  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  founded  the  Monothelite  heresy  in 
626.  It  was  adopted  by  his  successor  Fyrrhus,  and  by  Cyrus,  patriarch 
of  Alexandria.  Pyrrhus  abjured  this  heresy  in  646,  but  returned  to 
it  in  648,  at  the  instance  of  Constans  II.  It  was  definitively  condemned, 
and  the  prelates  who  iHvoured  it  anathematized,  by  popes  Theodore  and 
Martin,  in  the  councils  of  Rome  (648)  and  of  Lateran  (649).  Monothe- 
lism  is  not,  as  we  might  be  led  by  the  words  of  our  author  to  believ^  the 
complete  reproduction  of  the  more  ancient  heresy  of  the  Acephali. 

^  Our  author's  chronology  is  here  much  confused.  He  not  only  follows 
Bede  in  placing  Heraclius  Constantino,  who  is  here  spoken  of,  aft^  lus 
younger  brother,  but  makes  him  the  brother  instead  of  the  son  of  Heraclius. 


A-3>.  641 — 668.]  GOisrsTAN»  n.  121 

liike  liis  predecessors,  therefore,  the  sentence  of  deposition 
was  justly  pronounced  against  him  by  the  apostolic  see.^ 

Constans  [U.],  the  son  of  Constantino,  reigned  twenty- 
eight  years.    Deceived  by  Paul,  as  Heraclius  his  grand- 
father had  been  by  Sergius,  also  bishop  of  the  imperial 
city,  he  published  an  edict  against  the  Catholic  faith,  denning 
that  there  were  neither  one  nor  two  wills,  or  operations,  in 
Christ,  as  if  we  were  to  believe  that  he  had  neither  willed 
nor  acted.     Wherefore  Pope  Martin,  having  assembled  at 
liome  a  synod  of  one  hundred  and  five  bishops,  excommu- 
nieated  Cyrus,  Sergius,  Pyrrhus,  and  Paul,  the  heretics  just 
mentioned.     The  exarch  Theodore,  who  was  soon  afterwards 
sent  by  the  emperor,  carried  off  Pope  Martin  from  theLateran, 
and  conducted  him  to  Constantinople.   He  was  then  banished 
to  the  Chersonesus,  where  he  ended  his  days,  and  the  lustre 
of  his  miracles  still  continues.    The  synod  above-mentioned 
Avas  held  in  the  ninth  year  of  the  reign  of  Constans,  in  the 
month  of  October,  in  the  eighth  inmction.     This  emperor 
sent  to  Yitalian,  recently  elected  pope,  a  book  of  the 
gospels,  written  in  letters  of  gold,  and  ornamented  all 
round  the  cover  with  diamonds  of  an  extraordinary  size,  to 
be  deposited  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter  the  apostle.     A  few 
years  afterwards,  that  is,  during  the  sixth  indiction,  the  same 
emperor,  on  his  visit  to  Eome,  offered  on  the  altar  of  St. 
Peter  a  pall  of  cloth  of  gold,  and  made  his  whole  army 
enter  the  church,  each  solc&er  carrying  a  wax-candle.    The 
following  year,  the  sun  was  eclipsed  on  the  5th  of  the  nones 
[3rd]  of  May,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  day.    Archbishop 
Theodore  and  Adrian,  the  abbot,  a  man  equally  learneo, 
were  sent  by  Vitalian  into  Britain,  where  they  caused  most 
of  the  English  churches  to  bear  the  fruits  of  sound  doctrine. 
Constans,    after  frequently  subjecting  the   provinces    to 
incredible  ravages,  was  assassinated  in  a  bath  in  the  twelfth 
indiction ;  and  not  long  after  Yitalian,  the  pope,  departed  to 
the  realms  of  bliss.' 

^  Paul  IL  was  deposed  in  the  council  of  the  year  648;  but,  supported 
by  the  Emperor  Constans  II.,  he  continued  to  fill  the  see,  and  persecuted 
the  Catholics  until  his  death,  a.d.  654. 

*  Constans  published  his  edict  named  the  Typw,  or  Formularp,  in  648. 
It  was  soon  after  condemned  by  the  council  of  Lateran  in  649.  Pope 
St.  Martin  was.  canied  eS  &om  the  church  of  St.  John  LaXAi^si)  viA 


122  OBDSBICT78  TITALI8.  [b.I.  CB.mil 

Gonstantine,  the  brother  of  Constans,  the  last  emperor, 
reigned  seventeen  years.*  The  Saracens  invaded  Sicily,  but 
soon  afterwards  returned  to  Alexandria,  carrying  off  an 
immense  booty.  Pope  Agatho,  yielding  to  the  prayer  of  the 
Emperor  Constantino  and  his  two  brothers,  Heraclius  and 
Tiberius,  princes  remarkable  for  their  piety,  sent  legates 
to  Constantinople,  to  restore  union  among  the  holy  churches 
of  Gk)d.  Amongst  these  were  John,  then  deacon  of  the 
Boman  church,  who  became  a  bishop  a  short  time  afterwards. 
These  legates  were  received  with  the  greatest  tokens  of 
regard  by  Constantino,  the  august  defender  of  the  Catholic 
faith,  and  received  orders  to  examine  the  true  doctrine  in. 
an  amicable  conference,  setting  aside  all  philosophical  dis- 
putations. They  were  supplied  from  the  library  oi  Constan- 
tinople with  all  the  books  of  the  ancient  fathers  of  the 
church  which  they  required.  One  hundred  and  fifty  bishops 
assembled  under  the  presidency  of  George,  patriarch  of  the 
imperial  city,  and  Macharius,  patriarch  of  Ajitioch.  Those 
who  pretended  that  there  was  but  one  will  and  one  operation 
in  Christ,  were  convicted  of  running  counter  to  numerous 
passages  of  the  Catholic  fathers.  This  debate  ended,  George 
was  reclaimed ;  but  Macharius  with  his  followers,  as  well  as 
his  predecessors,  Cyrus,  Sergius,  Honorius,  Pyrrhus,  Paul, 
and  Peter,  were  anathematized ;  and  Theophanius,  a  Sicilian 
abbot,  was  made  bishop  of  Antioch  instead  of  Macharius. 
So  much  favour  was  shown  to  these  messengers  of  catholic 
unity  that  John,  bishop  of  Oporto,  one  of  them,  was  allowed 
to  celebrate  high  mass  oefore  the  emperor  and  the  patriarch, 

embarked  for  Constantinople  on  the  19th  of  June,  653.  He  was  then 
banished  to  the  Chersonesus,  where  he  died,  Sept.  16,  665,  from  the  cruel 
treatment  to  which  he  was  subjected.  Our  author,  as  well  as  Bede,  while 
mentioning  the  offerings  which  the  emperor  made  to  Pope  Yitalian  U 
when  he  visited  Rome  in  July,  663,  has  omitted  to  speak  of  the  depn- 
dations  he  committed  during  the  twelve  days  he  remained  there.  He 
carried  them  so  far  as  even  to  strip  the  Pantheon  of  its  bronze  roof,  thoiigb 
it  was  now  converted  into  a  Christian  church.  Constans  went  from  Roitfe 
to  Sicily,  where  he  was  murdered  in  a  bath  at  Syracuse,  on  the  15Ui  of 
July,  668.  The  eclipse  of  the  sun  here  mentioned  happened  on  Uie  1<^ 
of  May,  664,  at  half  past  three  in  the  evening,  according  to  the  astrono- 
mical calculatiomi  Archbishop  Theodore  was  sent  into  England,  aJ^ 
668. 

^  A.D.  668 — 685.  Constantine  Pogonatus  was  not  the  son,  but  the  brotbe' 
of  Constans.     Our  author  was  led  into  the  error  by  copying  Bede. 


k»j}.  680,  681.]    THB  SIXTH  oxiTEBiX  cotmciL.  123 

in  the  clitipcli  of  St.  Sophia,  on  the  Sunday  after  Easter,  in 
Latin.  This  was  the  sixth  oecumenical  council,  and  it  wad 
held  at  Constantinople,  and  its  acts  written  in  the  Ghreek 
language.  It  assembled  in  the  time  of  Pope  Agatho,  in 
eompliance  with  the  request  of  the  emperor  then  reigning, 
the  most  pious  Constantine,  in  whose  palace  it  met,  and 
▼as  attended  by  the  legates  of  the  holy  see  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  bishops.^ 

The  first  general  council  was  held  at  Nice  against  Arius, 
in  the  time  of  Pope  Julius,  under  the  Emperor  Constantino 
[I.] ;  when  three  hundred  and  eighteen  bisDops  were  present. 

The  second,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathers, 
assembled  at  Constantinople  to  condemn  the  doctrines  of 
Macedonius  and  Eudoxius,  in  the  time  of  Pope  Damasus, 
and  the  Emperor  Qratian,  when  Nectarius  was  ordained 
bishop  of  Constantinople. 

The  third  council,  of  two  hundred  fathers,  held  its  sit- 
tings at  Ephesus,  during  the  reign  of  Theodosius  the  Great, 
and  in  the  popedom  of  Celestine,  to  oppose  Nestorius,  bishop 
of  the  impenal  city. 

The  fourth  council,  that  of  Chalcedon,  consisted  of  six 
hundred  and  thirty  bishops  under  Pope  Leo,  in  the  days  of 
the  Emperor  Marcian.  Its  censures  were  levelled  against 
Eutyches,  who  was  at  the  head  of  some  most  unprincipled 
monks.' 

The  fifth  council,  which  also  assembled  at  Constantinople, 
when  Vigilius  was  pope  and  Justinian  emperor,  was 
directed  against  Theodore  and  all  heretics. 

The  sixth  OBCumenical  council  has  been  just  mentioned. 

St.  Etheldrida,  who  devoted  herself  to  Christ  in  perpetual 
virginity,  was  daughter  of  Anna,  king  of  the  East  Ajigles, 
and  first  married  to  Tonbert,  a  very  great  man,  chief  of  the 

'  Pope  Agatho,  consecrated  in  June,  678  (or  679)*  was  represented  bj 
his  legates  at  this  council,  which  sat  from  the  7th  of  Not.  680,  until  the 
16th  of  Sept.  681.  Amongst  these  legates  we  find  John,  who  was  after- 
wards pope  under  the  name  of  John  V.  (June  10,  686 — Aug.  7,  687). 
In  this  council  the  chiefis  of  the  Moncthelites,  including  Pope  Honorius, 
were  again  condemned  and  anathematized,  Macharius,  patriarch  of  Alex- 
andria, deposed,  and  George,  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  obliged  to  recant. 

'  The  general  opinion  is,  that  there  were  only  five  hundred  and  twenty, 
or  fire  hundred  and  twenty-six,  bishops  present  at  the  cecumenical  council 
of  Chalcedon,  while  our  two  authors  have  raised  the  number  to  630. 


124t  OSDSSICUS  TITALia.  [b.i.  cH.xxnx. 

Southern  Qirvii,  and  afterwards  to  Egfrid,  king  of  the  North- 
umbrians, with  whom  she  lived  twelve  years  undefiled  bj 
intercourse  with  her  husband.  She  afterwards  descended  from 
the  throne,  and,  taking  the  veil,  became  a  mother  of  yirgins 
and  the  pious  nurse  of  holy  women,  choosing  a  site  for  the 
erection  of  a  convent  in  a  place  called  the  Isle  of  Ely. 
Even  her  dead  body  recalled  to  mind  her  living  merits,  for 
it  was  found  entire,  as  well  as  the  shroud  in  which  it  was 
buried,  sixteen  years  afterwards.* 

Justinian  the  younger,  son  of  Constantine,  reigned  ten 
years.  He  concluded  a  truce  with  the  Saracens  for  ten 
years,  by  sea  and  land.  The  province  of  Africa  was  re- 
united to  the  Eoman  empire,  from  which  it  had  been 
wrested  by  the  Saracens  after  they  had  captured  and 
destroyed  Carthage.  The  emperor,  finding  that  Sergius,  of 
happy  memory,  bishop  of  the  Eoman  church,  would  not 
ratify  and  subscribe  the  acts  of  the  heretical  council,  which 
he  had  convoked  at  Constantinople,  sent  Zacharias,  the 
captain  of  his  guards,  with  orders  to  convey  him  there ;  but 
the  troops  of  Eavenna  and  the  neighbourhood,  opposed  the 
cruel  orders  of  the  prince,  and  Zacharias  was  dnven  out  of 
Eome,  insulted  and  ill-used. 

In  the  fourth  year  of  the  reign  of  Justinian,  Pepin 
became  mayor  of  the  palace  in  France.  Pope  Sergius 
ordained  that  venerable  man  Wilbrord,  sumamed  Clement, 
bishop  of  the  Frisians.  An  Englishman  by  birth,  he  quitted 
Britain  to  live  amongst  the  barbarians,  every  day  increasing 
the  influence  of  the  Christian  faith  and  destroying  the 
power  of  Satan.  Justinian,  deprived  for  his  perfidy  of  the 
imperial  dignity,  retired,  an  exile,  into  Pontus,  where  he  was 
hospitably  entertained  by  the  abbot  Cyrus.' 

^  ^For  the  history  of  the  pious  princess  Etheldrida,  who  died  in  679,  and 
a  description  of  the  convent  she  founded  at  Ely,  consult  the  EcoUnasUecU 
Hiitory  of  Bede,  lib.  iv.  c.  19 ;  the  second  volume  of  the  Acta  SS.  Ord, 
Sancti  Benedicti^  and  the  BoUandists  on  the  24th  of  June.  The  auttraUa 
GirvU  appear  to  be  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  situate  on  the-  right 
bank  of  the  Tyne,  in  the  county  of  Durham,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Jarrow,  the  birth-place  of  Bede,  which  then  bore  the  name  of  Qirvwn 
or  Girvi.** — Le  PrivosL  **  The  Girvii  inhabited  the  counties  of  Rutland, 
Northampton,  with  part  of  Lincolnshire,  and  had  their  own  princes, 
depending  on  those  of  Mercia." — Note  to  JSede*s  Hist,,  Bonn's  edition, 

^  685 — 695.    Sergius  refusmg  in  692  to  sign  the  acts  of  the  coundl  in 


A.D.695 — 698.]      lsokthts,  xifTEBOX.  125 

Leo  reigned  three  years.*  Pope  Sergius,  by  a  divine 
revelation,  discovered  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  church  of  the 
blessed  apostle  Peter,  a  silver  casket  which  had  remained 
for  a  long  while  forgotten  in  a  dark  comer,  and  which 
enclosed  a  crucifix  ornamented  with  precious  stones.  Having 
unfolded  four  coverings  studded  with  gems  of  remarkable 
size,  he  perceived  that  there  was  inserted  in  the  crucifix  a 
portion-  of  the  wood  of  the  life-giving  cross  of  Christ, 
from  that  time  it  is  yearly  kissed  and  adored  by  the  people 
on  the  anniversary  of  the  exaltation  of  the  cross,  m  the 
church  of  Constantino,*  dedicated  to  our  Saviour. 

In  Britain,  the  venerable  Cuthbert,  who  from  being  a 
hermit,  was  raised  to  the  bishopric  of  Lindisfame,'  wrought 
a  succession  of  miracles  from  infancy  to  old  age,  which  have 
rendered  his  name  illustrious.     Eleven  years  after  his  inter- 
ment, his  body  and  the  robes  in  which  he  was  buried  were 
found  as  per^ct  as  at  the  hour  of  his  death.     CsBdwalla, 
king  of  the  West  Saxons,  abdicated  in  favour  of  Ina,  and 
repaired  to  Boine,  where  he  was  baptized  by  Pope  Sergius 
on  Easter  eve ;  and,  while  yet  wearing  his  white  garments, 
was  seized  with  a  disorder  that  caused  his  death,  on  the 
12th  of  the  calends  of  May  [20th  of  April].     By  order  of 
the  pope,  who  had  given  him  at  the  baptismal  font  the  name 
of  Peter,  he  was  buried  in  the  church  of  the  holy  apostle 
whose  name  he  had  adopted,  and  the  following  epitaph  was 
engraved  on  his  tomb  :— 

**  High  Btate  and  place,  kindred,  a  royal  crown, 
The  spoils  of  war,  great  triumphs  and  renown ; 

Truth  of  the  preceding  yeta,  Zachaiias  was  sent  to  arrest  him  in  694. 
Afirica  was  not  re-taken  from  the  Mohametans  till  697,  and  was  again  lost 
the  following  year.  The  fourth  year  of  Justinian  II.  corresponds  with  688 
— 689 ;  but  Fepin  d'Heristal  was  raised  to  the  dignity  of  **  Maire  du 
Palais "'  in  687.  Wilbrord,  the  apostle  of  Friesland,  died,  according  to 
Mabillon,  in  740  or  741;  but  according  to  Dr.  Smith  in  745.  Justinian 
II.9  after  having  his  nose  cut  off,  was  banished  to  Cherson  in  the  Crimea, 
in  the  autumn  of  695|  and  was  entertamed  at  the  monastery  of  Chora  by 
Pyrus  the  abbot. 

^  For  Leo,  read  Leontins. 

^  The  church  of  Constantine  is  now  called  St.  John  Lateran. 

•  St.  Cuthbert,  bishop  of  Lindisfame,  died  Mar.  20,  687.  Lmdisfeme 
was  the  original  sent  of  the  present  bishopric  of  Durham,  transferred  thither 
in  995. 


126  OBOEBICUS  TITALI8.  [B.I.  CH.XXUI. 

Nobles,  and  citiet  walled  to  guard  hu  state, 
His  palaces  and  his  familiar  seat ; 
Whatever  skill  and  valour  made  his  own, 
And  what  his  great  forefathers  handed  down : 
Cedwall  armipotent,  by  Heaven  inspired. 
For  love  of  heaven,  left  all,  and  here  retired. 
Peter  to  see,  and  Peter's  holy  seat. 
The  royal  stranger  turned  his  pilgrim  feet; 
Drew  from  the  fount  its  purifying  streams, 
And  shared  the  radiance  of  celestial  beams." 

After  more  to  the  same  purpose,  the  epitaph  thus  con* 

eludes:  — 

'<  From  Britain's  distant  isle  his  vent'rous  way, 
O'er  lands,  o'er  seas,  by  toilsome  joumeyings  lay, 
Rome  to  behold,  her  glorious  temple  see. 
And  mystic  offerings  make  on  bended  knee. 
White  robed  among  the  flock  of  Christ  he  shone. 
His  flesh  to  earth,  his  soul  to  heaven  is  gone. 
Sure,  wise  was  he  to  lay  his  sceptre  down. 
And  change  an  earthly  for  a  heavenly  crown."  ^ 

Tiberius  reigned  seven  years.  The  synod  of  Aquileia, 
from  its  lack  of  knowledge  in  the  faith,  was  reluctant  to 
admit  the  fifth  general  council,  until  it  had  listened  to  the 
sound  instructions  of  the  holy  pope,  when  it  consented  to 
receive  it,  as  the  other  Christian  churches  had  done. 
Q-isulf,  duke  of  the  Lombards  of  Beneventum,  ravaged 
Campania  with  fire  and  sword,  and  reduced  a  number  of  the 
inhabitants  to  captivity.  As  no  human  power  could  resist 
these  violent  attacks,  Pope  John  [VI.],  who  had  succeeded 
Sergius,  sent  priests,  loaded  with  presents,  who  redeemed 
the  captives  and  induced  the  enemy  to  retire.  Another 
pope  of  the  same  name  filled  the  apostolical  chair  imme- 
diately after  him,  and,  among  other  remarkable  works, 
erected  a  chapel  dedicated  to  the  holy  mother  of  GK)d — a 
building  of  great  beauty,  within  the  church  of  the  blessed 
Peter,  prince  of  the  apostles.' 

Aribert  [II.] >  king  of  the  Lombards,  restored  to  the  holy 
see  a  number  of  farms  in  the  Cottian  Alps,  which  justly 
belonged  to  the  apostolic  see,  but  had  been  long  before 
seized  by  the  Lombards,   ordering  this  donation  to   be 

'  The  whole  epitaph  is  given  by  Bede,  Eccles.  Hist.,  b.  v.  c.  7. 

"  John  VI.  filled  the  papal  chair  from  Oct,  28,  701,  till  Jan.  9,  706. 
The  chapel  which  John  YII.,  his  succea^r,  erected,  was  call^  Sancta 
Maria  ad  Prsesepe. 


ij).70&— 713.]  JTrsTEBTiAK  n.  127 

iDscribed  in  letters  of  gold  on  a  tablet,  which  was  sent  to 
fiome.^ 

Justinian  [IT.]  reigned  six  years  with  his  son  Tiberius. 
Having  re-ascended  the  throne  by  the  assistance  of  Terbellis, 
king  of  the  Bulgarians,  he  condemned  to  death  the  patricians 
who  had  driven  him  out  of  his  kingdom,  as  well  as  Leontius, 
who  had  usurped  his  sceptre,  and  Tiberius,  his  successor, 
who  had  detained  the  banished  emperor  in  custody  within 
the  walls  of  the  city,  during  the  whole' period  of  his  reign. 
He  ordered  the  patriarch  Callinichus  to  be  sent  to  Some, 
ifter  having  his  eyes  put  out,  and  bestowed  his  bishopric 
Qpon  Cyrus,  who  was  abbot  in  the  Chersonesus,  aud  who 
bad  entertained  him  during  his  exile.  Having  sent  for 
Pope  Constantino,  he  received  and  dismissed  him  with  great 
honour,  so  much  so  that,  on  the  Sunday  before  his 
departure,  the  emperor  requested  him  to  say  mass  in  his 
presence,  and  received  the  sacrament  at  his  hands.  Pros- 
trate on  the  ground,  he  besought  the  pope  to  intercede  for 
the  pardon  of  his  sins ;  and  he  also  renewed  the  privileges  of 
the  whole  church.  The  troops  which,  notwithstanding  the 
Remonstrances  of  the  pope,  Justinian  had  sent  into  the 
Chersonesus  to  seize  the  person  of  Fhilippicus,  banished 
there  by  his  orders,  suddenly  took  the  part  of  Philippicus, 
and  the  whole  army  proclaimed  him  emperor.  On  his 
^tum  to  Constantinople,  when  near  the  twelfth  milestone 
from  the  city,  he  joined  battle  with  Justinian,  who  was 
defeated  and  killed,  and  Philippicus  mounted  the  throne.' 

Philippicus  reigned  eighteen  months.  This  emperor 
(jected  Cyrus  &om  his  bishopric,  and  ordered  him  to 
letum  to  Pontus  to  resume,  as  abbot,  the  government  of 
Us  monastery.  He  addressed  to  Pope  Constantino  a  mis- 
ave  80  full  of  unsound  doctrine,  that,  by  the  advice  of  the 
»po8tolic  council,  Constantino  rejected  it.  In  consequence, 
ne  ordered  tables,  inscribed  with  the  acts  of  the  six  cecume- 
iiical  councils,  to  be  set  up  in  the  portico  of  the  church  of 
St.  Peter,  as  Philippicus  had  commanded  those  which  were 
in  the  imperial  city  to  be  removed.    The  Eoman  people, 

*  Baromns  places  this  occurrence  somewhere  about  the  year  704. 

'  Pope  Constantine  went  to  Constantinople  October  5tb,  710,  and 
itturned  to  Rome  on  the  24th  of  October  in  the  following  year.  Justinian 
^  killed  in  December,  71 U 


128  OBDSBICTTB  TITAXIS.  [B.I.  CH.XXtTi: 

also  decreed  that  the  name  of  the  heretical  emperor  should 
no  longer  be  used  in  public  documents  or  on  coins ;  and  hk 
effigy  was  not  placea  in  the  church,  nor  his  name  pro- 
nounced in  the  office  of  the  mass.^ 

Anastasius  reigned  three  years.  He  ordered  his  pris<Hier 
Philippicus  to  be  deprived  of  sight,  but  his  life  to  be  spared. 
This  emperor  wrote  letters  to  Pope  Constantine,  and 
commissioned  Scolasticus,  patrician  and  exarch  of  Italy,  to 
carry  them  to  £ome.  In  these  letters  he  showed  himself 
a  defender  of  the  Catholic  faith,  and  recognized  the  validity 
of  the  acts  of  the  sixth  holy  council.  Liutprand,  king  of 
the  Lombards,  admonished  by  the  venerable  pope,  Gregory 
[II.],  confirmed  the  donation  of  the  land  situate  in  the 
Cottian  Alps,  which  Aribert  had  made  and  Liutprand  had 
annulled.  Wulfran,  archbishop  of  Sens  and  a  monk  of 
Fontenelle,  signalized  himself  by  the  many  miracles  he  per- 
formed while  preaching  the  word  of  God  to  the  iFrisians. 
Egbert,  a  holy  man  of  the  English  nation,  and  an  honour 
to  the  priesthood  by  his  monastic  Hfe,  while  a  pilsrim  to  his 
heavenly  country,  converted  several  provinces  inhabited  by 
the  Scots  to  the  canonical  observance  of  the  time  for  cele- 
brating Easter,  from  which  they  had  departed  for  many 
years.  He  preached  among  them  in  the  year  717  of  the 
incarnation  of  our  Lord.' 

TheodosiuB  reigned  one  year.'  Elected  emperor,  he  defeated 
Anastasius  in  a  severe  engagement  near  the  town  of  Nice,  and 
having  received  his  oath  of  allegiance  compeUed  him  to 
become  a  clerk,  and  be  ordained  priest.  As  soon  as  he  was 
seated  upon  the  throne,  being  a  Catholic,  he  replaced  in  its 
former  situation  the  honoured  tables  containing  the  acts  of 

^  We  learn  from  this  curious  paragraph  what  sort  of  honours  were  still 
rendered  at  Rome  to  the  emperors  of  Constantinople. — According  to  some 
historians,  it  was  not  the  acts  of  the  council,  but  the  portraits  of  tiM 
bishops  present  at  them,  which  were  set  up  in  the  porches  of  the  churdM 
at  Rome  and  Constantinople,  but  that  would  have  formed  a  colleetion  of 
more  than  1500  pictures. 

«  Gregory  II.  filled  the  pontifical  chair  from  the  19th  of  May,  715,  to 
the  13th  of  February,  731.  The  Cottian  Alps  are  now  called  the  Alps  of 
Mount  Crenerara.  St.  Wulfran,  bishop  of  Sens  about  690,  re^ed  to 
Fontenelle  (St.  Uvandrille)  in  719,  and  died  there  soon  after.  Bade 
(Hist  Eccl.  lib.  v.  c.  23)  informs  us  that  St,  Egbert  was  sent  into  Scotland 
in  716.     He  died  there  in  729.     Anastasius  reign(*d  713— 7)6. 

'•  Theodosiusy  January,  716 — ^March,  7i7.     . 


A-©.  717-^741.]         IBO,  THE   ISAUEIAX.  129 

^  six  holy  synods,  which  Philippicus  had  ordered  to  he 
mnored.  The  river  Tiber  overflowed  its  baoks,  and  caused 
unch  damage  in  the  city  of  Borne ;  its  waters  rose  to  a 
height  of  about  eight  feet  in  the  Broad  street  (vid  laid), 
and  formed  a  wide  torrent,  extending  from  St.  Peter's  gate 
to  the  Milvian  bridge.  This  inundation  lasted  seven  days, 
notii,  the  citizens  having  frequently  made  processions  with 
litanies,  the  river  returned  at  last  to  its  channel  on  the 
dghtb  daj.  In  those  times,  it  was  the  custom  of  great 
nambers  of  the  English,  high  and  low,  men  and  women, 
persons  of  rank  and  private  individuals,  inspired  by  the  love 
of  God,  to  leave  Britain  and  repair  to  Eome.^ 

Leo  reigned  nine  years.'  In  the  third  year  of  his  reign 
Charles  Martel,  son  of  Pepin,  became  mayor  of  the  palace, 
and,  the  year  following,  defeated  the  tyrant  Eagenfred  at 
Vinci,  Mid  after  this  victory  besieged  him  in  Angers.  The 
Saracens,  investing  Constantinople  with  an  innumerable 
army,  besieged  the  city  for  the  space  of  three  years,  until 
the  inhabitants,  having  raised  their  voices  to  heaven,  their 
fervent  prayers  were  heard,  and  the  greatest  part  of  the 
barbarians  perished  from  hunger,  cold,  and  pestilence  ;  and 
the  survivors,  disheartened  at  the  length  of  the  siege,  retired. 
On  their  return  to  their  own  country,  the  Saracens  attacked 
the  Bulgarians,  a  nation  on  the  Danube,  but  sustaining 
another  defeat,  were  forced  to  seek  refuge  on  board  their 

^  Our  author  onlj  cursorily  alludes  to  passages  in  Bede  describing  the 
itiang  tendency  at  this  period  among  the  Anglo-Saxon  princes  and  others 
to  withdraw  from  the  troubles  and  revolutions  then  so  prevalent,  and  seek 
the  repose  of  a  monastic  life  in  the  capital  of  the  Christian  world. 

*  Our  auUior  has  servilely  followed  Bede  in  the  computation  of  the  years 
of  the  reign  of  Leo,  without  reflecting  that  the  English  historian,  who  died 
in  735,  could  not  have  seen  the  end  of  this  emperor's  reign.  This  number 
of  nine  yean  proves  that  Bede  finished  his  treatise,  *^0n  the  Suf  Ages  of 
(If  World"  about  7*26  or  7*27,  and  consequently  four  or  five  years  before 
lus  ^  Eeciniaatiedl  Hutory**  (731).  The  third  year  of  Leo  comprehends 
the  time  between  the  25th  of  March,  719,  and  the  24th  of  March,  720; 
Charles  Martel  was  named  duke  of  Austrasia  in  715,  defeated  Ragenfrsd 
before  Vinci  in  Cambrai,  and  besieged  Angers  in  724.  The  siege  of  Con- 
Mantinople  only  lasted  one  year  (Aug.  15,  717— Aug.  15,  718).  In  the 
viatcr  the  earth  was  covered  with  ice  and  snow  for  one  hundred  and  ten 
days.  The  Bulgarians  attacked  the  Saracens  at  the  time  they  were  raising 
tke  siege.  The  tempest  was  so  dreadful  that  it  u  said  only  five  vessels  out 
of  the  whole  reentered  the  ports  of  Syria.      * 

TOL.  !•  K 


180^  OTlDERICrS  TITALI8.'  ^B.f.  CH.^IT.?- 

ships.      They  had  scarcely  gained  the  offing,  when  a  violent? 
storm  suddenly  arose,  and  immense  numbers  either  perished' 
in  the  waves,  or,  their  vessels  being  dashed  to  pieces  on 
the  shore,  were  massacred  by  the  natives.     King  Liutprand, 
hearing  that  the  Saracens  had  not  contented  themselves : 
with  ravaging  Sardinia,  but  had  even  dared  to  defile  the 
spot  to  which  the  remains  of  St.  Augustine,  profane  bishop, 
had  been  formerly  translated  in  order  to  protect  them  from 
the  fury  of  the  barbarians,  and  where  they  were  reverently » 
interred,  sent  to  claim  them;  and  having  obtained  them 
for  a  large  sum  of  money,  ordered  them  to  be  transferred 
to  Pavia,  where  they  were  again  buried  with  all  the  honours  • 
due  to  so  great  a  father  of  the  church.* 

Ch.  XXIV.  Continuation  of  the  series  of  the  emperors  of 
Constantinople — Kings  of  the  Franks — English  kings — 
and  emperors  of  Oermany, 

TJp  to  this  point  I  have  followed  the  chronography  of  the 
Englishman  Bede,  who  has  brought  down  his  work  to  the 
year  734  of  the  incarnation  of  our  Lord.'  This  Bede,  a 
priest,  and  Paul,  of  Mount  Cassino,  both  monks,  and  men 
of  deep  learning,  among  other  useful  works,  have'  published 
in  five  books  the  history  of  their  respective  nations ;  they 
have  clearly  made  known  to  us  whence  the  Lombards  and 
English  came,  and  how  the  former  subdued  Italy,  while  the 
latter  occupied  Britain.'*  Henceforth  I  shall  be  forced  to 
make  laborious  researches  through  the  vrritings  of  other 
fathers  of  the  church,  while  I  endeavour  to  bring  my  history . 
of  past  events  down  to  the  present  day,  embittered  by  so 
many  and  such  varied  calamities,  while  two  prelates  have 
apabitiously  contended  during  the  last  six  years  for  the 
pontifical  chair,  and,  since  the  demise  of  Henry  I.  king 

*  The  translation  of  the  relics  of  St.  Augustine  to  the  church  of  ^t. 
Peter  in  Pavia,  in  compliance  with  the  order  of  King  Liutprand,  appears 
to  have  taken  place  in  7-2. 

•  As  we  have  just  seen,  Bede  did  not  hring  down  his  work  "  On  the  IKx 
Ages*'  further  than  726,  and  his  Ecclesiastical  History  later  than  731 ;  but- 
there  is  a  short  continuation  extending  as  far  as  A.D.  766,  appended  to  the 
edition,  of  which  the  entries  as  far  as  a.d.  734  may  perhaps  have  been 
written  by  Bede. 

■'The  History  of  the  Lon^bards,  by  Paul  the  Deacon,  is  not  divided' 
into  five,  but  six  books. — De  Gestia  Longobardorum  libri  vi.  t 


jLj6:74il — 7751]      C0N8TANTINE  T.   OOPHpiTrMUS.  VWr 

of  Sngland,  Stephen  of  Blois,  His  nephew,  and  Oteoffrj  of 
Anjou,  his  son-in-law,  are  contending  for  the  crown  and, 
venting  their  fury,  to  the  common  loss,  by  having  recourse 
to  arms,  as  well  as  by  threats.' 

Constantino,  the  son  of  Leo,  reigned  fifty-eight  years.* 
Then  Hugh,  archbishop  of  Eouen,  gloriously  fiUed  the  sees . 
of  Paris  and  Bayeux,  and  governed  the  abbeys  of  Jumieges 
and  Pontenelle.     Carloman  and  Pepin  become  mayors  of. 
the  palace,  and  Bemi,  their  brother,  having  ejected  Kagen- 
firoi,  obtains  the  archbishopric  of  Bouen.     Constantino  and . 
Abdallah,  the  emir  of  the  Saracens,  are  rivals  in  cruelty 
towards  the  orthodox  followers  of  Christ.      Constantino    i 
assembled  at  Constantinople  a  couucil  of  three  hundred  and 
thirty  bishops.' 

In  the  year  764  of  our  Lord's  incarnation,  Stephen,  the 
pope,  no  longer  able  to  bear  the  persecutions  of  Astolph,  king^ 
of  the  Lombards,  escaped  to  France  and  was  honourably 
received  by  the  inhabitants,  but  fell  sick  at  Paris.  As  soon, 
as  he  was  convalescent,  he  consecrated  an  altar  in  the. 
church  of  St.  Denys,  crowned  Pepin  and  his  two  sons, 
Charles  and  Carloman ;  and  committed  the  holj  church  to, 
their  protection  against  her  enemies.^ 

'  Ab  our  author  has  mentioned  that  six  years  had  already  elapsed  since- 
the  commencement  of  the  struggle  between  Innocent  II.  and  the  antipope. 
Anacletus  (February,  1130),  we  learn  that  this  paragraph  must  have  been 
written  in  1136,  the  period  when  the  succession  to  Henri  I.  was  disputed- 
vith  fury  by  Stephen  of  Blois,  his  nephew,  and  Geoffry  of  Anjou,  his  son- 
in-law,  or  rather  by  the  empress,  Geoffir/s  wife. 

*  Here  our  author,  who  had  cut  off  fifteen  years  from  the  reign  of  the 
teher  (or  rather  some  unskilful  corrector,  for  the  number  has  evidently 
been  erased  by  a  later  band  in  the  manuscript  of  St.  Evroult),  gives  as  a' 
compensation  too  many,  by  twenty-four,  to  that  of  the  son. 

'  Hugh,  archbishop  of  Rouen  before  722,  bishop  of  Paris  and  Bayeux, 
abbot  of  Fontenelle  and  Jumieges  in  722,  died  at  Jumieges  on  the  8th  of 
April,  730.  Carloman  and  Pepin  inherited  the  power  and  the  functions 
of  their  brother  Charles  Martel,  in  741.  Rem!  their  brother,  archbishop 
of  Kouen  in  the  room  of  Ragenfroi,  in  755,  died  January  19,  772.  The 
most  severe  persecutions  directed  by  Constantine  Copronymus  against  the 
GfttbolioB  took  place  in  754,  761,  and  766.  Among  the  Saracens  they 
were  persecuted  by  the  caliph  Almanzor  and  his  lieutenant  Selim,  more 
tlum  by  his  uncle  Abdallah.  Three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  bishops  were 
present  at  the  council  convened  by  the  emperor  at  Constantinople  in  754. 

*  Stephen  II.  left  Rome  Oit.  14,  753,  arrived  at  Pontion  (Mame)  Jan: 
€,  754,  consecrated  Pepin  and  his  children  on  the  28th  of  July,  and 
■et  out  on  his  return  before  the  end  of  the  year. 

k2 


182  OBDEMCxrs  TIT  alts;         [b.t.  gh.xttt. 

• 

Pepin,  king  of  the  French,  after  having  held  the  reina  of 
goremment  with  a  strong  hand  for  sixteen  years,  died  on 
the  eighth  of  the  calends  of  October  [24th  September]. 
He  left  his  crown  to  his  son  Charlemagne,  who  reigned  forty- 
seven  years,  and  whose  conduct,  both  of  secular  and  eccle- 
siastical affairs,  was  memorable.  His  virtues  were  great  in 
the  sight  of  God  and  man ;  so  that  numbers  relate  his  acts 
with  admiration,  and  celebrate  them  before  attentive  hearers. 
He  marched  to  Eome  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  Franks, 
and,  on  his  return,  seized  Desiderius,  king  of  the  Lombards, 
and  made  himself  master  of  Pavia  and  other  to^ns  in  Italy. 
He  dismantled  Pampeluna,  took  Saragossa  sword  in  hand, 
annihilated,  in  the  numerous  battles  he  won,  not  only  the 
Saxons  but  the  Spaniards  and  Saracens,  and  humbled  the 
infidel  power  by  Christian  valour,  raising,  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  the  standard  of  the  cross.* 

Leo,  the  son  of  Constantine,  reigned  five  years.'  Charle- 
magne went  a  second  time  to  Kome,  and,  then  overran 
with  his  army  Capua  and  Apulia.' 

Constantine  reigned  seventeen  years  jointly  with  his 
mother  L'ene.  During  his  reign,  an  innabitant  of  Con- 
stantinople discovered  a  stone  chest,  enclosing  the  body  of  a 
man,  and  bearing  this  inscription :  "  Christ  will  be  bom  of 
the  Virgin  Mary,  and  I  believe  in  him.  When  Constantine 
and  Irene  are  emperors,  the  sun  shall  see  me  again."  Char- 
lemagne crossed  Gennany  to  the  frontiers  of  Bavaria,  which 
he  conquered  in  three  years.     He  then  marched  agaiiist  a 

'  Pepin  died  on  the  24th  of  September,  768,  in  the  27th  year  of  his 
adniinistration  and  the  17th  of  his  reign.  Charlemagne  did  not  reign 
forty-seven  years,  but  forty-five  years  and  four  months  (Sept.  768— ^an. 
28,  814).  During  his  iirst  expedition  into  Italy,  he  entered  Rome  on  the 
2nd  of  April,  7  74,  and  took  Desiderius  prisoner  at  Pavia  in  the  month  of  May 
follondng.  It  was  in  778  that  he  made  himself  master  of  Pampelunay 
besieged  Saragossa  without  taking  it,  and  dismantled  Pampeluna  on  has 
return.  A  different  account  of  Charlemagne's  expedition  to  Spain  is  given 
by  the  Arabian  and  some  of  the  Latin  historians.  The  Frank  writers  gloss 
over  his  severe  losses  in  his  retreat  at  Roncesvalles,  r^tid^^d  memonble 
by  the  death  of  Roland,  the  Orlando  of  Ariosto;  and  his  previous  sucoesees 
appear  to  have  been  partial  and  transitory. 

*  Leo  IV.,  September  14,  775 — September  8  780.  Constantius  VI., 
September  8,  780— August  19,  797. 

'  Charlemagne  arrived  at  Rome  in  the  winter  of  788,  occupied  Capua 
at  the  commencement  of  the  following  spring,  and  returned  to  Rome  to 
celebrate  the  feast  of  Easter. 


A.D.  772 — 816.]      POPES   ADBIAK  T.  AND   LEO   III.  133 

tribe  of  the  slaves  called  the  "Wiltzes,  and  in  the  following 
year  ravaged  Hungary.^ 

In  these  times,  Adrian  [I.]  and  Leo  [III.]  governed  the 
holy  see  forty-eight  years,  signalizing  their  pontificates  by 
their  great  virtues  and  services  to  the  church.    Constantine 
and  Leo,  and  another  Constantine,  were  then  emperors,  as 
we  have  already  stated.'    From  the  time  of  Constantine  the 
G^reat,  the  son  of  Helena,  who  founded  Constantinople, 
until  the  reign  of  Constantine,   the  son   of   Irene,  the 
emperor  of  Constantinople   governed  the  Eoman  empire, 
ana  gave  laws  to  Italy  and  many  other  nations  speaking 
different    languages.      Several    of    these    emperors    were 
heretics,  and   were    not    raised    to    the    throne    by   the 
lawful  exercise  of  the  rights   of  the  people,  nor  legiti- 
mately elected  by  the  people,  but  unjustly  usurped  it  by 
cruel  murders  of  their  masters  or  their  relations ;  nor  were 
they  able  to  defend  one  half  of  so  vast  an  empire  against 
tl^  attacks  of  the  barbarians,  who  were  everywhere  in  arms 
against  it.     In  consequencp,  Pope  Leo,  and  an  assembly  of 
the  senators  and  people  of  Eome,  concerted  measures  for  the 
safety  of  the  state,  and  by  unanimous  resolve  threw  off  the 
yoke  of  the  emperors  of  Constantinople,  and  elected  Char- 
lemagne, the  powerful  king  of  the  Franks,  who  had  long 
protected  them  with  great  valour,  to  be  emperor  of  Eome. 
Thus,  in  the  fifth  year  of  Pope  Leo,  which  corresponds  with 
the  year  808  of  the  incarnation  of  our  Lord,  king  Charle- 
magne became  the  eighty-third  emperor  from  Augustus, 
and  the  Eomans  proclaimed  him  by  that  august  name.     He 
condemned  to  death  the  assailants  of  Pope  Leo,  by  whom 
he  had  been  consecrated;  but  at  the  pope's  request  he 
spared  their   lives,   and  only  banished  them  to  France. 

1  This  pretended  discovery  happened  in  781.  The  conquest  of  Bavaria 
belongs  to  the  year  7B8.  The  invasion  of  the  part  of  Sclavonia  here 
mentioned,  and  situate  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Oder,  near  its  mouthy  took 
place  in  789,  and  the  troops  of  Charlemagne  overran  Hungary  as  &r  as 
Raab  in  792. 

•  Adrian  I.  occupied  the  pontifical  chair  from  the  9th  of  February,  772, 
to  the  25th  of  December,  795;  and  Leo  III.  from  this  last  date  until  the 
11th  of  June,  816;  a  period  of  forty-four  years  and  some  months,  which 
nevertheless  extends  far  beyond  the  reigns  of  the  three  emperors  mentioned 
by  our  author,  as  it  comprises  those  of  Irene,  Nicephorus,  Maurice,  Michael, 
Curopalates,  and  a  part  of  that  of  Leo  the  Armenian. 


(134  OIIDSBICUS   YITALIS.  [b.I.  CH.XXIF. 

•  About  tbe  same  time,  a  great  earthquake  shook  nearly  the 
whole  continent  of  Italy,  and  threw  down  the  greater  part 
rof  the  roof  and  timber- work  of  the  church  of  St.  Paul  the 
-  apostle.^ 

Nicephorus  I.,  brother  of  Irene,  reigned  six  years.     He 
made  peace  with  Charlemagne,  to  whom  Aaron  also,  the  king 
'Of  the  Persians,  sent  ambassadors  with  presents  to  induce 
^him  to  join  in  friendship  with  him.* 

Michael,  the  son-in-law  of  Nicephorus,  reigned  three 
years.     He  sent  ambassadors  to  the  emperor  Charlemagne 
•to  renew  their  alliance. 

Leo,  son  of  Bardas,  reigned  six  years.  Charlemagne  died 
.at  Aix-la-Chapelle ;  and  Louis  the  Pious,  his  son  by  Hilde- 
.garde,  daughter  of  Witikind,  king  of  the  Saxons,  succeeded 
to  the  empire  which  he  governed  for  twenty- seven  years 
with  spirit.  During  his  reign  a  storm  of  troubles  swept 
,the  world.  Pascal,  the  hundredth  pope  from  Peter,  crowned 
Louis  at  Bome  on  Easter  day.' 

Theophilus  reigned  eleven  years.  Lothaire  rebelled 
4igainst  his  father  Lewis,  and  disturbed  the  world  by  his 
repeated  perfidies.  The  Normans  now  ravaged  Britain 
and  other  countries,  and  the  bodies  of  Samson,  Philibert, 
and  many  other  saints,  were  translated  for  fear  of  the 
pagans.^ 

^  Charlemagne  was  crowned  on  the  last  day  of  the  fifth  year  of  the 
pontificate  of  Leo  III.,  which  corresponds  with  the  year  800,  and  not 
B08,  as  our  author  states.  The  enemies  of  the  pope  to  whom  Ordericus 
here  alludes,  were  Pascal  and  Campulus,  ofHcers  of  the  Roman  churchy 
who,  in  a  procession  which  took  pjace  in  799,  fell  upon  him  and  cut  out  his 
tongue  and  put  out  his  eyes.  The  earthquake  happened  during  the  ni^ht 
of  the  30th  of  April,  801.  The  church  of  St.  Paul  here  mentioned  is  that 
now  called  Fuori  muri,  outside  the  walls  of  Rome. 

'  Charlemagne  received  the  ambassadors  of  the  caliph  (the  fiimouB 
Aaron-al-Raschid)  in  the  spring  of  the  year  801,  between  Yerceiil  and 
tvr^e,  on  his  return  to  France  from  Rome,  and  those  of  Nicephorus  in 
803. 

.  '  Charlemagne  died  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  January  28,  814.  Louis  le 
Debonabe  (Jan.  28,  814 — June  20,  840)  was,  it  is  true,  the  son  of  Hilde- 
garde,  but  this  princess  was  not  a  daughter  of  Witikind.  He  had  been 
ponsecrated  at  Rome  on  Easter  day,  781,  as  king  of  Aquitaine,  at  the  age 
of  five  years.  It  was  his  son  Lothaire  who  was  crowned  by  Pope  PaB(»d 
I.,  on  Easter-day,  923. 

.  *  Theophilus,  son  of  Michael  II.    The  most  serious  revolts  of  Lothaire 
igainsthis  &ther  took  j>lace  in  830  and  833.    The  translation  of  the  body 


Jl:1>.842 — 820.]      MICHAXIr— BA.SII.,   EITPEBOBS.  185 

•  Miehael,  son  of  Theophilus,  reigned  twenty-seven  years. 
In  the  second  year  of  nis  reign,  the  Emperor  Lewis  died 
on  the  12th  of  the  calends  of  July  [20th  June].  He  was 
buried  by  his  brother  Drogo,  archbishop  of  Metz.  Three 
years  afterwards,  that  is  to  say,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  842, 
the  battle  of  Fontenay,  near  Auxerre,  was  fought,  on  the 
sixth  of  the  calends  of  July  [26th  June],  between  his  three 
sons,  Le^ds,  Lothaire,  and  Charles  the  Bald,  in  which 
Christian  nations  destroyed  each  other  with  great  slaughter 
on  both  sides.  At  last  victory  declared  in  favour  of  Charles 
In  the  same  year  the  Normans  pillaged  Eouen,  and  burned 
the  abbey  of  St.  Ouen,  the  bishop,  on  the  ides  [15th]  of 
May.^ 

^Hasil,  after  having  put  to  death  Michael,  his  sovereign 
and  master,  reigned  twenty  years.  A  dreadful  famine  and 
eonsequent  mortality,  with  a  murrain  among  cattle,  caused 
great  calamities  throughout  the  world.  On  the  death  of 
King  Lewis,  Eollo  penetrated  into  Neustria,  and  on  the  15th 
of  the  calends  of  December  [17th  November],  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  876  entered  Normandy,  and  carried  on  a  war 
tnth  the  Franks,  which  lasted  thirty-seven  years,  until  he 
was  baptized  by  Franco,  archbishop  of  Eouen.* 

of  St.  Samson  from  Del  to  Orleans  did  not  take  place  before  878.  The 
relics  of  St  Philibert  were  carried  from  the  island  of  Noirmoutier,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Loire,  over  to  the  continent  in  the  month  of  June,  836,  with 
the  permission  of  Pepin,  king  of  Aquitain,  and  deposited  at  the  convent  of 
D€e,  near  Nantz,  as  being  more  safe  from  the  piratical  incursions  of  the 
Danes;  though  the  monastery  of  Noirmoutier  had  been  strongly  fortified, 
and  the  monks  had  spent  the  season  of  the  year  most  favourable  to  such 
enterpriises  at  D^e. 

I  Our  author  is  not  more  fortunate  than  usual  in  his  dates.  Lewis  le 
Debonaire  died  on  the  20th  of  June,  840.  The  battle  of  Fontenai  was 
fought  on  the  25th  of  June,  841,  and  in  the  month  of  May  in  the  same 
year,  the  Normans  made  their  first  incursion  in  the  valley  of  the  Seine. 
They  set  fire  to  Rouen  on  the  14  th,  and  perhaps,  as  here  intimated,  the 
flames  did  not  reach  the  monastery  of  St.  Ouen,  in  the  suburbs,  before  the 
following  day. 

'  Our  author  probably  alludes  to  the  plague  and  famine  of  889.  Lewis, 
king  of  Germany,  died  on  the  28th  of  August,  876.  The  arrival  of  Rollo 
in  France  so  early  as  876,  rests  on  the  assertions  of  writers  too  remote 
from  this  epoch  to  be  of  any  authority,  anil  the  chronicles  which  mention 
it  are  visibly  interpolated;  but  it  is  true  that  the  valley  of  the  Seine  was 
entered  by  the  Normans  in  876,  though  it  does  not  appear  that  Rollo  was 
with  them. 


136  OBDSKICUS  TITALI8.  [B.I.  CH.XXIT. 

Leo  and  Alexander,  the  sons  of  Basil,  reigned  twenty- 
two  years.  Charles  the  Fat  was  crowned  emperor  on  the 
death  of  Arnold,  king  of  Germany,  and  reigned  ten  years* 
In  the  year  of  our  Lord  900,  Xing  Zwintibold  killed  the 
son  of  Arnold.  At  this  time  BoUo  laid  siege  to  Chartres  ,- 
but  Gualtelm,  the  bishop,  a  holy  man,  issued  forth  carrying 
the  tunic  of  St.  Mary,  mother  of  God,  and  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Heaven,  put  the  enemies  to  flight,  and  delivered  the 
city.  He  had  appealed  for  succour  to  Bichard,  duke  of 
Burgundy,  and  Ebles,  earl  of  Poictiers.  The  enemy  being 
routed,  the  Christians  rejoiced  at  the  victory  God  had 
wrought.^  j 

Alexander  [after  the  death  of  his  brother]  reigned  one 
year.  The  Huns  devastated  Saxony  and  Thuringia  [^.D. 
908]. 

Constantino  [Porphyrogenitus],  son  of  Leo,  reigned  with 
Zoe,  his  mother,  ten  years.  In  the  third  year  of  his  reign, 
Lewis  [in.],  son  of  Arnold,  departed  this  life,  and  Com^ 
the  son  of  Conrad,  became  emperor,  and  reigned  seven 
years.* 

Eomanus,  the  Armenian,  reigned,  jointty  with  Constantino 
before  mentioned,  twenty-seven  years.  In  their  time  Bollo 
embraced  Christianity,  and  concluded  a  peace  with  Charles, 
king  of  the  Franks,  receiving  in  marriage  Gisela,  his  daugh-. 
ter.*  When  Henry  was  emperor,  king  Charles  died  at 
Peronne,  where  he  was  imprisoned  by  Herbert,  count  of 

^  Charles  the  Bald  died  October  6,  877*  Arnold  became  king  of  Grer- 
manj,  on  the  1  Ith  of  November,  887.  He  was  crowned  emperor  in  April, 
896,  and  died  on  the  8th  of  December,  899. 

It  was  Zwintibold  himself  that  was  killed,  on  the  1 3th  of  August,  900. 
The  defeat  of  Rolio  under  the  walls  of  Chartres,  is  the  first  authentic  fiict 
in  which  this  chief  of  the  Normans  of  the  Seine  makes  his  appearance,  but 
it  happened  on  the  20th  of  July,  911,  and  not  in  900.  The  presence  in 
tiiis  battle  of  the  Earl  of  Poictiers,  Ebles  II.,  is  only  attested  by  writers  of 
a  later  date.  A  more  authentic  fact  is  the  part  taken  in  it  by  Robert  II., 
duke  of  France  who  afterwards  contested  the  crown  with  Charles  the 
Simple. 

•  Louis  IV.,  king  of  Germany,  son  of  Arnold,  elected  emperor  on  the 
4th  of  February,  900,  died  on  the  21st  January,  912.  Conrad,  bid 
successor,  elected  on  the  19th  of  October  in  the  same  year,  died  Dec^nber 
23,  918,  of  the  wounds  he  received  in  battle  with  the  Hungarians. 

*  The  baptism  of  RoUo  took  place  in  912.  The  French  editor  of 
Ordcriciis  raises  doubts  as  to  this  marriage,  on  the  ground  that  it  rests  only, 
on  the  authority  of  Norman  historians. 


A..I>.  9^Id — ^969.]    THE   COIfSTANTINES — STEPHEIT.  137 

Yermandois,  and  France  was  disturbed  by  great  dissensions; 
iiy«  years  afterwards,  Louis,  the  son  of  Charles,  married 
Oerberga,  the  daughter  of  Henry,  emperor  of  G-erroany.* 

Constantino  [VII.]  associated  with  himself  Eomanus,  his 
ion,  while  yet  a  boy,  and  reigned  fifteen  years.  At  the 
same  period  Otho,  son  of  Henry,  began  his  reign,  which 
lasted  thirty-six  years ;  his  wife  was  the  sister  of  Athelstan, 
king  of  England.*  In  those  days,  William  Long-sword 
defeated  Italph,  count  of  Evreux,  on  the  spot  which  was 
called  Battle-mead,  and  was  himself  assassinated  eight 
years  afterwards,  on  the  sixteenth  of  the  calends  of  Janu- 
ary (l7th  December),  by  Arnold,  earl  of  Elanders.  Eichard 
I.,  the  son  of  William  Long-sword,  succeeded  his  father, 
and  governed  his  states  with  vigour  fifty-four  years,  per- 
forming many  great  actions.^ 

Stephen  and  Constantino  [VIII.],  the  sons  of  Eomanus, 
expelled  their  father  from  the  throne.  But  Constantine  in 
turn  deposed  them  both,  and  reigned  sixteen  years  with  his 
son  Eomanus.  Edgar,  son  of  Edmund,  now  governed  the 
English,  and  was  a  bountiful  patron  to  the  servants  of  G-od, 
faithfully  obeying  his  teachers  in  aU  that  appertained  to  th^ 
edification  of  the  church.  In  his  reign  Dunstan,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  Oswald,  archbishop  of  York,  and  Ethelwol^ 
bishop  of  Winchester,  were  illustrious  for  their  sanctity 
and  learning,  governing  the  people  committed  to  their 
charge  with  diligence  and  happy  effects.  They  used  such 
efforts  to  encourage  the  growth  of  religious  insitutions  that 
by  their  means  twenty -six  monasteries  and  nunneries  were 

^  Henrj  the  Fowler,  elected  in  919,  died  on  the  2qd  of  July,  936,  and 
Charles  the  Simple,  taken  prisoner  hy  Herbert  II.,  Count  of  Yermandois 
(923),  died  in  his  prison  at  P6ronne,  on  the  9th  of  October,  929.  The 
marriage  of  Louis  IV^  D*Outremer,  with  Gerberga,  the  daughter  of  Henry 
the  Fowler,  was  solemnized  in  the  year  939. 

*  Otho  the  Great,  elected  king  of  Germany  in  936,  died  May  7,  973. 
He  married,  in  930,  Edith,  the  daughter  of  Edward,  king  of  England,  and 
consequently  sister  to  Athelstan. 

'  It  is  difficult  to  assign  a  precise  date  to  the  victory  gained  by  William 
Long'sword  on  the  spot  which  has  received  from  that  event  the  name  of  le 
Pr6  de  la  Bataille,  M.  Le  Pr^vdt,  in  his  note  on  this  paragraph,  agrees 
with  the  Norman  historians,  that  it  happened  in  933.  William  was  raur^ 
dered  at  Picquigni,  on  the  16th  of  December,  943.  If,  as  is  generally 
lappoeed,  Richard  I.  died  irt  996,  the  number  here  stated  is  too  many  by 
two  years. 


188  0BDSEICU8  TITALI8.  [b.I.  CH.ZXlfi, 

founded  iu  England.  The  ravages  of  the  Danes,  who  some 
years  before  had  martyred  St.  Edmund,  king  of  the  East- 
Angles,  had  spread  desolation  among  Christ's  flock  through- 
out nearly  the  whole  island  of  Britain,  churches  and  monas- 
teries being  ruined,  and  the  Lord's  flock  torn  to  pieces  or 
dispersed  as  if  they  had  been  the  prey  of  wolves.^ 

Nicephorus  was  emperor  ten  years.  It  was  a  period  of 
general  disorder;  ambitious  nobles  putting  themselves  at 
the  head  of  their  vassals  in  arms  for  mutual  hostilities.' 

After  the  death  of  Nicephorus,  who  was  assassinated  at 
the  instigation  of  his  own  wife,  John  [Zimisces]  ascended 
the  throne,  and  his  niece,  Theophania,  married  the  emperor 
Otho.  He  died  in  the  fifth  year  of  his  reign,  leaving  the 
crown  to  his  son  Otho  III.,  who  reigned  eighteen  years.' 
At  this  period,  Hugh  the  Great  and  other  French  lords 
rebelled  against  Lewis,  their  king ;  the  duke  following  the 
example  of  his  father  Robert,  who  revolted  against  Charles 
the  Simple,  and  caused  himself  to  be  anointed  king. 
Charles,  the  rightful  sovereign,  perceiving  with  what 
contempt  he  was  treated  by  the  perjured  duke,  did  not 
bllow  a  year  to  elapse  before  he  attacked  the  rebel  with 
troops  assembled  from  all  quarters,  with  which  he  fell  upon 
and  defeated  and  killed  him  at  the  battle  of  Soissons.^ 

In  the  month  of  May,  on  a  Priday,  a  shower  of  blood  fdl 
upon  the  workmen  in  the  fields.  The  same  year  [954],  in 
the  month  of  September,  Lewis  [d'Outremer]  died,  after 

^  The  administration  of  Stephen  and  Constantine  YIII.  lasted  only  from 
the  20th  of  December,  944,  until  the  27th  of  January,  945.  Edgar  began 
his  reign  in  959,  and  died  July  8,  975.  St.  Dunstan  tilled  his  see  from 
961  to  May,  988;  St.  Oswald,  972— February  29,  992;  St.  Ethelwold  or 
Athelwold,  963 — 984..  St.  Edmund  suffered  martyrdom  in  thepreceding 
century  (Nov.  20,  870). 

'  In  an  age  so  fruitful  of  disorders,  it  is  difficult  to  point  out  the 
particular  events  to  which  the  author  alludes.  They  are  probably  those 
which  occurred  between  the  years  930 — 940. 

'  Otho  II.  married,  in  972,  Theophania,  daughter  of  the  Greek  emperor 

Romanus  II.     This  princess  died  at  Rome,  June  15,  991.     Her  hudiand 

'had  died  there  December  7,  983.     Otho  III.,  their  son,  crowned  on  the 

'26th  of  December,  983,  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  died  on  the  23rd  of  January, 

1002. 

*  Our  author  probably  here  refers  to  the  revolt  of  Hugh  the  Great  and 
other  lords,  against  Louis  d'Outremer  in  941,  when  that  prince  was  forced 
'to  leek  refuge  with  the  Count  de  Vienne.  He  then  goes  back  to  the  battle 
of  Soissons  (June  15^  923). 


i4>,  954.]        LOTHAIEE,   KING  OF  THE  SFEANKS.  139 

haTing  suffered  much  adversity,  and  was  buried  at  BheimB, 
in  the  church  of  St.  Bemi.^  Lothaire,  his  son,  waa 
erowned  at  Sheims,  and  ably  governed  the  kingdom  for  the 
mce  of  seven  years.  At  this  time  Hugh  the  Great,  of 
Orleans,  duke  of  Prance,  raised  himself  above  all  the  nobles 
of  France  by  his  riches  and  power.  He  married  the 
daughter  of  the  emperor  Otho,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons, 
Hugh,  Otho,  and  Henry,  and  a  daughter  of  the  name  of 
Emma^  who  married  Eichard  the  elder,  duke  of  Kormandy, 
bat  died  without  children.^ 

In  the  second  year  of  the  reign  of  Lothaire,  in  the  month 
of  August,  Hugh  the  Great  besieged  the  town  of  Poictiers ; 
but  through  the  merits  of  St.  Hilary,  bishop  and  patron  of 
the  town,  the  Lord  caused  an  awful  thunder,  while  a  violent 
whirlwind  rent  the  duke's  tent,  who,  struck  with  a  panic, 
as  weU  as  his  army,  immediately  raised  the  siege  and  re- 
treated.^  The  same  year,  Gislebert,  duke  of  Burgundy  de- 
parted this  life,  and  Otho,  his  son-in-law,  the  son  of  Hugh 
the  Great,  obtained  possession  of  the  duchy,  but  dying 
without  children  not  long  afterwards,  he  was  succeeded  by 
his  brother  Henry.  Then  Ansegise,  bishop  of  Troves,  was 
driven  from  his  see  by  Earl  Bobert,  and  repaired  to  the 
court  of  the  emperor  Otho  in  Saxony.  Betuming  thence 
at  the  head  of  an  army  of  Saxons,  he  laid  siege  to  Troyes 
which  held  out  for  a  considerable  time,  although  he  was 
ably  assisted  by  the  forces  of  the  chiefs,  Helpo  and  Bruno. 
One  day  as  they  were  on  an  expedition  to  plunder  the  town 

^  These  two  events,  the  account  of  which  is  borrowed  from  the  Chronicle 
of  Hugh  de  Fleuri,  as  well  as  a  great  part  of  what  follows,  belong  to  the 
year  954.  Lewis  died  at  Rheims  on  the  10th  of  September,  and  was 
boried  in  the  church  of  St.  Remi,  as  our  author  states. 

*  King  Lothaire  was  thirteen  years  old  when  he  was  crowned  at 
Rheims  on  the  12th  of  November,  954.  The  duration  of  his  reign  was 
not  seven,  but  thirty-one  years.    Hugh  the  Great,  duke  of  France  and 

.  Boigiiiidy,  count  of  Paris  and  Orleans,  appears  on  the  political  scene  from 

922  to  956,  the  period  of  his  death.    By  his  third  wife,  Had  wide  or  Hed- 

wiges,  sister,  and  not  daughter,  of  the  Emperor  Otto  I.,  he  had,  besides  the 

children  here  mentioned,  an  elder  daughter  named  Beatrice. 

'  It  was  not  in  the  second,  but  in  the  first,  year  of  the  reign  of  king 

■Lothaire,  that    Hugh    the   Great,  displeased    at    seeing  WiUiam-T^te- 
d'Etovpe    invested  with   the  duchy   of  Aquitain  and  the   earldom  of 

.  Aavergne,  appeared  with  the  young  king  before  Poictiers  to  lay  aege  to 
the  place. 


140  ORDBETCUS  VITALI8.  [b.I.  CH.IXIT. 

of  Sens,  archbishop  Archamhauld,  with  the  aged  count 
fiaynard,  and  their  troops,  encountered  them,  fighting  a 
battle  in  which  duke  Helpo  and  a  number  of  the  SaxoD9 
were  slain.  His  colleague,  Bruno,  who  was  an  eye-wiUieai 
of  their  defeat,  raised  the  siege,  and  returned  to  his  own 
country  in  great  sorrow.* 

King  Lothaire  recovered  the  kingdom  of  LorraiBe; 
he  repaired,  attended  by  a  numerous  army,  to  the  palace 
at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  where  the  emperor  Otho  resided  with 
his  queen:  he  entered  at  the  hour  of  dinner,  no  one 
trying  to  prevent  him ;  for  Otho,  his  wife  and  attend- 
ants, saved  themselves  by  flight,  and  quietly  left  him  in 
possession  of  the  palace.  Lothaire  after  this  success  re- 
turned to  France,  and  the  emperor,  assembling  an  army, 
flippeared  before  Paris,  and  set  fire  to  one  of  the  suburbs, 
but  his  nephew  with  many  of  his  followers  fell  by  the  swords 
of  the  French.'  Lothaire,  therefore,  calling  to  his  assist- 
ance Hugh,  duke  of  France,  and  Henry,  duke  of  Burgundy, 
attacked  their  enemies,  whom  he  defeated  and  pursued  as 
far  as  Soissons.  The  terrified  fugitives  in  their  haste  threw 
themselves  headlong  into  the  river  Aime,  and  as  they 
were  not  acquainted  with  the  fords,  numbers  perished; 
indeed  those  who  were  drowned  in  the  river  were  more 

^  Gislebert  died  on  the  8th  of  April,  956;  Otho,  his  son-in-law,  on  tiie 
23rd  of  February,  965;  Henry,  about  1002.  Robert  de  Vermandois,  earl 
of  ChlLlons  and  of  Beaune  in  right  of  bis  wife  Adelaide,  drove  Bi^op 
Ansegiae  out  of  Troyes  about  958.  He  also  took  Dijon  the  following  jreur, 
and  drove  the  king's  officers  out  of  the  town.  In  the  month  of  October, 
Archbishop  Bruno,  uncle  of  Lothaire,  at  th^  head  of  a  strong  army,  in 
compliance  with  the  request  of  this  prince  and  of  Queen  Gerb^rga,  retook 
these  two  places.  No  one  knows  who  this  Helpo  was  who  fell  near  Sens. 
This  episode  of  the  expedition  of  Archbishop  Bruno  into  Burgundy,  as  well 
as  what  relates  to  the  town  of  Troyes,  is  borrowed  from  the  Cbronidee  of 
Hugh  de  Fleuri. 

*  The  expedition  of  Lothaire  into  Lorraine,  and  the  momentary  coca- 
pation  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  by  this  prince^  belong  to  the  year  978;  hot  the 
French  editor  thinks  that  we  must  exclude  from  this  account  the  ttorjr, 
which  seems  to  him  evidently  invented,  of  the  dinner  prepared  for  the 
emperor,  but  consumed  by  the  king,  although  it  is  reported  in  aknoet  all 
the  dironicles  of  the  succeeding  age,  and  introduced  again  by  our  author  in 
his  seventh  book,  with  fuller  details.  We  know  with  certainty  that  the 
emperor  having  pursued  Lothcdre  during  his  precipitate  re^at,  carried  Ins 
devastations  even  to  the  environs  of  Paris;  but  as  for  the  death  of  his 
nephew,  this  is  considered  another  fable  invented  in  the  following  century,' 
and  which  has  suffered  many  transformations. 


A.I>.  986.]  D£ATH   OF   LOTHAIAB.  1:11 

nuineroaB  than  those  who  fell  bj  the  sword.  Its  waters 
were  swollen,  and  such  multitudes  perished  in  the  current 
thttC  its  course  was  almost  choked  hj  their  corpses.^  ^ing 
Lothaire  continued  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy  three  days  and 
three  nights.  In  the  end  of  the  same  year,  contrary  to  the 
wishes  of  his  officers  and  his  army,  Lothaire  concluded  a 
peace  with  the  emperor  at  Bheims,  and  ceded  to  him  Lor- 
raine, to  the  great  grief  of  the  French.' 

King  Lothaire  died  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  976,  and 
was  interred  at  Rheims  in  the  church  of  St.  Bemi.  His 
son  Lewis  fiUed  the  throne  eleven  years,  and  at  his  death 
was  buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Cornelius,  the  martyr,  at 
Compiegne.'  Charles,  his  brother,  claimed  the  throne ;  but 
Hugh  wie  Great  [Hugh  Capet],  son  of  Hugh  the  Great, 
opposed  him,  and,  having  raised  a  numerous  army,  sat  down 
before  Laon,  where  Charles  resided  with  his  queen.  The 
king,  full  of  indignation,  made  a  sally  at  the  head  of  the 
garrison,  attacked  and  put  to  flight  the  army  of  Hugh,  and 
burnt  their  huts.  The  duke,  perceiving  that  Charles  was 
not  to  be  subdued  by  open  warfare,  concerted  measures 
with  Ascelin,  bishop  of  Laon,  who  was  the  king's  adviser. 
The  bishop,  forgetting  his  age  and  profession,  and  not 
considering  that  death  was  approaching,  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  Achitophel  and  Judas,  and  did  not  blush  to  become 
a  traitor.  During  the  night,  when  all  the  inhabitants  were 
asleep,  he  admitted  Hugh  into  the  town,  who  made  Charles 
and  ms  wife,  the  daughter  of  Herbert,  earl  of  TVoyes, 
pirisoners,  and  condemned  them  to  perpetual  captivity  in 
the  tower  of  Orleans.     There,  Charles  became  the  father  of 

''  There  k  mach  exaggeration  in  these  details,  borrowed  from  Hugh  de 
Flemi. 

'  Our  author  borrows  this  account  also  from  the  Chronicle  of  Hugh  de 
Fienri.  The  treaty  between  the  two  monarchs  took  place  in  980.  The 
Siizon  Chronicle  states  that  the  place  selected  for  the  meeting  was  Ingel- 
htmkj  and  it  is  probably  correct. 

*  King  Lothaire  was  poisoned  by  his  wife  Emma,  at  Compiegne,  on  the 
2nd  of  March,  986.  Lewis  V.,  called  the  Indolent,  crowned  at  Compiegne 
during  the  lifetime  of  his  father,  on  the  8th  of  June,  979,  died  May  21, 
987;  it  is  therefore  impossible  to  reckon  eleven  years  as  the  duration  of 
hii  reign,  even  if  we  dated  from  his  coronation^  Our  author's  guide,  Hugh 
de  Fl^iri,  gives  nine  years,  which  is  one  too  much. 


1*^2  OSDEUCUB    VITALIS'.  [b.I.  CH.  XXIT.^. 

two  children,  Lewis  and  Charles ;  but  firom  that  time  tiie*  ' 
posterity  of  Charlemagne  ceased  to  reign  in  France.^ 

In  the  ^ear  of  our  Lord  983,  Hugh,  the  duke,  mm* 
anointed  kmg  at  Bheims.     Li  the  same  year,  Bobert  hir 
son  was  crowned  king,  and  reigned  thirty-eight  yeapB.*' 
Hugh  was  induced  by  a  vision  to  commit  this  great  crime.' 
St.  Yalery  appeared  to  him  when  he  was  duke  at  Lutetia, 
the  city  of  the  Parisii.     He  revealed  to  him  in  a  dream  who- 
he  was,  and  what  he  wanted,  commanding  him  to  undert^e 
an  expedition  against  Arnold,  earl  of  Flwders,  and  take  his* 
body  out  of  the  monastery  of  Sithieu,  where  that  of  St.. 
Bertin  also  lies,  and  restore  it  to  the  convent  of  LeuconauB 
in  the  Vimeux.    He  then  promised  him  that,  if  he  faithfully^ 
obeyed  his  orders,  he  and  his  posterity  to  the  seventh 
generation  should  wear  the  crown  of  France.    Hugh  readily . 
obeyed  the  orders  of  the  saint,  and,  by  the  will  of  Grod, 
terrified  Arnold  with  his  impetuous  courage,  recovered  and 
reverently  restored  to  their  tombs  the  bo£es  of  the  vene- . 
rable  saints  Valery  and  Eiquier,  which  had  been  carried 
away  by  a  certain  clerk  named  Erchambald,  bribed  by  the 
offer  of  a  large  sum  of  money.    The  duke  himself  repaired 
to  Leuconaiis  with  the  great  men  of  his  court,  and  deposited 
the  remains  of  St.  Valery  in  a  monastery  situate  on  the. 
banks  of  the  Somme,  and  having  driven  out  the  secular, 
canons,  filled  their  places  with  regular  monks.    Not  long. 

^  Charles  of  France,  duke  of  Lorraine,  was  not  brother  of  Lewis  V.,  as  , 
our  author,  following  Hugh  de  Fleuri,  calls  him,  but  King  Lothaire's. ' 
Hugh  Capet  never  bore  the  title  of  Great,  which  was  exclusively  given  to 
his  father.     It  was  on  Good  Friday,  April  3,  991,  that  Ascalin  or  Adal-  ' 
b^ron,  bishop  of  Laon,  opened  the  gates  of  that  town  to  him.     Agnes  de 
Yermandois,  the  second  wife  of  Charles,  was  the  daughter  of  Herbert  II L, 
count  of  Vermandois,  who  was  also  often  called   count  of  Troyes  and  ^ 
Meaux.    Their  children,  Lewis  and  Charles,  who  shared  their  captivity  at 
Orleans,  were  still  alive  in  1009,  a  period  when  mentioned  with  King  Robert, 
at  the  commencement  of  a  charter. 

*  The  coronation  of  Hugh  Capet  took  place  on  the  3rd  of  July,  987,  and  [ 
that  of  King  Robert,  his  son,  taken  by  him  as  his  colleague,  on  the  1st  of 
January,  988.  The  computation  of  the  years  of  the  reign  of  this  last  . 
prince,  given  by  our  author,  is  inexact,  whether  we  include  or  not  those  ^ 
during  which  he  shared  the  government  with  his  father;  because,  in  the  . 
first  case,  his  reign  lasted  more  than  forty-two  years  and  a  half,  and  in  the  : 
second,  thirty •  three  years  and  nine  months.  j 


iJ),987.]  HUGH   CAPET.         ,  143;; 

afterwards,  as  already  stated,  he  usurped  the  throne,  which  ^ 
his  descendants  have  filled  to  the  present  day ;  for  four . 
kings  of  his  race  have  reigned  up  to  this  moment,  namely, . 
Bobert,  Henry,  Philip,  and  Lewis.*     Hugh,  at  the  com-  • 
mencement  of  his  reign,  convoked  a  synod  at  Ebeims,  to  . 
which  he  invited  Sewin,  archbishop  of  Sens,  with  his  suffra- 
gans, and  ordered  Arnold,  archbishop   of  Ebeims,  to  be  ' 
degraded;  declaring  that  according  to  the  canons  of  the 
church  the  son  of  a  concubine  could  not  be  a  bishop.     But . 
in  tnith  he  was  jealous  of  Arnold,  because  he  had  the  royal 
blood  of  Charlemagne  in  his  veins,  being  the  brother  of. 
king  Lothaire,  although  the  son  of  a  concubine.     He  was  [ 
not  however  for  this  reason  the  less  worthy  and  unassuming, 
but  was  renowned  for  his  great  virtues.     But  the  venerable 
Sewin  feared  Gtod  more  than  the  king ;  he  therefore  refused 
to  be  a  party  to  the  unjust  degradation  of  Arnold ;  what 
was  more,  as  far  as  lay  in  his  power,  he  opposed  the  king's 
design.     His  opposition  only  incensed  the  king  against , 
himself  and  induced  him  to  persist  in  his  unjust  project. 
However,  some  other  bishops  were  worked  on  by  their  fears, . 
though  with  great  reluctance,  to  pronounce  the  sentence  of 
degradation  on  Arnold,  and  consecrated  in  his  place  Ger- 
bert,  a  monk  and  philosopher,  who  had  been  tutor  to  Mn^ ' 
Bobert.     In  this  manner,  by  the  imperious  command  of  the 
king,  Arnold  was  deposed,  expelled  ignominiously  from  the 
church  of  the  blessed  Mary,  mother  of  God,  and  imprisoned 
at  Orleans  for  three  years.      These  outrages  were  soon 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  pope,  who,  being  highly 
indi^iant,  suspended  the  bishops  who  had  deposed  Arnold 
and  put  Gerbert  in  his  place.     He  also  sent  Leo,  an  abbot, 
into  Prance,  as  the  legate  of  the  apostolical  see,  to  remedy 
these  irregular  proceedings.     The  legate  began  his  labours^ 
by  first  paying  a  visit  to  Sewin  at  Sens,  and  communicated 
to  him  the  orders  of  the  holy  see,  knowing  him  to  be  a 
more  strict  observer  of  what  was  right  than  the  rest.     In; 

^  For  information  respecting  this  vision  of  Hugh  Capet,  and  the  events 
Uut  were  the  consequence  of  it,  see  the  Acta  SS.  ord,  S.  Benedicti^  sac,  v, 
^  556,  et  seq.  Leuconaiis  viras  the  primitive  name  of  St.  Yaldri  sur, 
Somme.  The  relics  of  the  saint  were  carried  back  there  by  Hugh  himself 
in  981,  after  he  had  exacted  their  restitution  from  the  Earl  of  Flanders  by 
tiiieats  «f  an.  invauon. 


l^b  0BDEBICU8  TITALIS.  [b.I.  CH.XXIT. 

obedience  to  the  apostolic  commands,  another  council  wm 
assembled  at  Eheims,  and  archbishop  Arnold  was  released 
from  custody,  and  restored  to  his  see  with  great  honour. 
The  pleadings  between  the  prelate  Gkrbert,  and  abbot  Leo 
are  considered  of  great  importance,  and  are  carefully  filed 
among  the  records  of  the  archbishops  of  Bheims.^  Gferbeit 
was  very  well  read  in  sacred  and  profane  literature,  and 
had  many  illustrious  and  noble  pupils  in  his  school,  amongst 
whom  were,  King  Eobert,  Leotheric,  archbishop  of  Sens; 
Bemi,  bishop  [monk]  of  Auxerre ;  Haimond,  and  Hubold, 
and  several  others  who  rank  high  on  the  list  of  learned 
men.  Bishop  Eemi  composed  a  good  commentary  on  the 
mass,  and  published  a  useful  edition  of  the  work  of  the 
grammarian  Donatus.  Haimond  wrote  a  valuable  expo- 
sition on  St.  Paul's  epistles,  and  commented  on  the  gospels 
and  other  parts  of  the  holy  scriptures.  Hubold,  who  was 
skilled  in  music,  made  the  churches  echo  with  the  praises 
of  the  Creator,  composing  a  sweet  office  in  praise  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  besides  a  number  of  hymns  in  honour  of  Qod. 
and  his  saints.'    These,  and  many  others  received  instruc- 

^  Arnold,  the  ill^timate  son  of  King  Lothaire,  and  not  of  Lewis 
d'Outre-Mer,  was  created  archbishop  of  Rheims  through  the  influence  of 
Hugh  Capet  in  988  or  989.  Having  violated  the  engagements  into  which 
he  had  entered  with  this  prince,  and  given  up  the  town  to  his  uncle 
Charles^  competitor  with  Hugh  fur  the  crown,  he  was  arrested  at  Laon  on 
the  2nd  of  April,  991,  carried  prisoner  to  Orleans,  and  deposed  in  the 
synod  of  bishops  held  at  St  Basle,  near  Rheims.  In  997,  he  waa^ 
liberated,  and  recovered  his  biahoprick,  which  he  kept  until  his  death  in 
1023.  It  appears  that  there  was  no  council  at  Rheims  in  995,  but  only  a 
{H^paratory  council  held  at  Mouson  on  the  2nd  of  June,  in  which  another 
was  announced  to  be  held  at  Rheims  on  the  1st  of  July,  which  Hugh  Capet, 
the  protector  of  Gerbert,  probably  prevented  from  taking  place.  We  still 
possess  the  discourse  which  Gerbert  pronounced  at  this  meeting,  but  his 
discussion  with  the  legate  Leo,  abbot  of  St.  Boniface,  is  now  lost. 
-  '  Our  author  has  confounded  Remigius  [R^mi],  a  monk,  and  not 
bishop,  of  Auxerre,  who  taught  at  Rheims,  and  also  at  Paris,  at  the  end  of 
the  ninth  century,  with  Remigius,  a  monk  of  Mithlac  in  the  diocese  of 
Treves,  who  really  was  a  disciple  of  Gerbert.  The  greater  part  of  the 
works  of  R^mi  of  Auxene  have  been  ascribed  sometimes  to  Uaim<m, 
bishop  of  Halberstadt,  a  person  still  more  ancient,  sometimes  to  a  certain 
Hairnon  the  Wise,  who  is  no  other  than  R^mi  himself ;  indeed  all  those 
that  are  here  mentioned  under  that  name  belong  to  him.  Hubolde» 
canon  of  the  church  at  Li^e,  was  a  professor  at  Paris  towards  the  end  of. 
the  tenth  century,  but  had  no  relation  with  Gerbert  The  works  that  ai» 
here  attributed  to  him,  we  owe  to  Hucbalde,  a  monk  of  Sunt  Amaadf 


X.D.  099.]  POPE   8ILYESTEB  U.  145 

tions  firom  G^rbert,  and,  by  their  varied  knowledge  in  after 
days  rendered  the  greatest  services  to  the  church  of  Gtod. 
Deg;raded  from  the  archiepiscopal  throne  of  Eheims,  which 
he  had  unjustly  usurped,  he  quitted  France  with  shame  and 
indignation,  and  repaired  to  the  court  of  the  emperor 
Otho,  by  whom,  and  the  people  of  Eavenna,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  archiepiscopal  see  of  that  town.  A  few  years 
afterwards,  he  was  translated  to  the  apostolic  see,  being 
raised  to  the  papal  dignity  under  the  name  of  Silvester  [II.  J 
in  the  year  999.  It  is  related  that  when  Gerbert  was  master 
of  a  school,  he  had  a  conference  with  the  devil,  and  inquired 
of  him  what  his  future  career  was  to  be.  He  immediately 
received  the  following  ambiguous  answer : — 

Transit  <ib  R.  Gerberttu  ad  R.  post  papa  vigens  R} 
Translated  from  R,  yoa  still  will  be  R,  and  as  pope  shall  be  R. 

inds  oracle  was  too  obscure  to  be  then  understood ;  but  we 
dearly  see  that  after  a  while  it  was  fulfilled,  for  Gerbert 
passed  from  the  see  of  Eheims  to  that  of  Eavenna,  and 
afterwards  was  elected  pope  at  Eome. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1002,  the  emperor  Otho  died, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Henry  [II.]  Afterwards,  that  is  to 
say  in  1024,  Cono  [Conrad  II.]  became  emperor.  In  the 
third  year  of  his  reign,  Eichard  II.  put  off  mortality.  His 
seal  K>r  religion  justly  gained  him  the  title  of  father  of  the 
monks.' 

conteinporary  and  friend  of  R^mi  of  Auxerre,  except  the  Office  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  which  is  from  the  pen  of  Stephen,  bishop  of  Liege.  See  the 
HisL  Litt.  de  la  France^  t.  vi. 

^  Gerbert  was  in  Italy  with  Otho  III.  in  the  summer  of  997.  He  was 
named  archbishop  of  Ravenna  at  the  commencement  of  the  following  year, 
and  pope  in  999.  The  verse  quoted  by  our  author  is  usually  written  in  the 
following  manner  :.— 

Scandit  ab  R.  Girbertus  in  R.,  post  papa  regens  R. 

*  **  Otho  III.  died,  as  already  stated,  on  the  23rd  of  Januanr  1002. 
Henry  II.,  his  successor,  elected  emperor  June  6,  1002,  died  July  13, 
1024.  Conrad  II.  (not  Cono)  having  been  crowned  on  the  8th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1024,  the  third  year  of  his  reign  must  be  reckoned  in  September, 
1027.  But  we  know  that  Duke  Richard  11.  died  on  the  23rd  of  August 
of  that  year.  Ordericus  Vitalis  gives  the  23r1  of  August,  1027,  as  the  date 
of  thu  event,  that  is  to  say,  one  year  more  than  is  usually  done.  We  find 
the  same  date  in  a  charter  of  WUliam  the  Conqueror.  This  is  also  my  own 
opinion,  but  it  is  a  very  obscure  question,  and  I  acknowledge  that  I  havo 
not  always  solved  it  in  the  same  way." — French  Editors, 

TOjL.  I.  I. 


146  OBDEBICUS  TITALI8.  [b.I.  CH.XXXIT 

During  the  reign  of  Ethelred  the  son  of  Edgar,  manj 
disastrous  events  happened  in  EngLmd.  Sweyn,  king  ol 
the  Danes,  having  assembled  a  numerous  fleet,  invaded  the 
country,  upon  which  king  Ethelred,  being  deserted  by  hij 
own  subjects,  who  went  over  to  the  Danes,  escaped  into 
Normandy  with  his  wife  and  sons.  Emma,  his  queen,  wa« 
the  sister  of  Eichard  I.  QII.],  son  of  Gunnor  and  duke  oi 
Normandy,  and  of  Eobert,  archbishop  of  Eouen.  Not  long 
afterwards,  the  heathen  king,  Sweyn,  was  killed  by  St 
Edmund,  king  and  martyr,  and  his  body  was  embalmed, 
and  carried  to  Denmark.  The  Danes  were  still  pagans, 
and  were  terrified  at  the  death  of  their  fierce  chie^ 
whose  corpse  could  not  be  buried  in  English  ground. 
However,  king  Ethelred,  having  heard  the  report  of  Sweyn's 
death,  immediately  returned  to  his  own  country,  and,  by 
fair  words  and  promises,  drew  to  him  those  who  had  de- 
serted his  standard,  and  encouraged  them  to  defend  them- 
selves better  than  they  had  hitherto  done.  But  Canute,  the 
son  of  Sweyn,  was  highly  incensed  at  the  flight  of  his 
troops,  who  had  abandoned  in  such  a  cowardly  manner  the 
noble  kingdom  of  England,  which  they  had  already  subdued ; 
he  therefore  equipdbd  a  powerful  fleet,  and  Olave,  king  of 
Norway,  with  La<;man,  king  of  Sweden,  crossing  over  to 
England,  laid  siege  to  London.  At  that  time  king  Ethelred 
was  lying  sick,  and  soon  afterwards  died  there ;  and  Edmund, 
his  son,  sumamed  Ironside,  was  raised  to  the  throne.  Many 
battles  were  fought  between  the  English  and  the  Danes 
with  uncertain  results,  and  much  blood  was  shed  on  both 
sides.  At  last,  through  the  well-directed  efforts  of  some 
prudent  men,  the  two  princes  agreed  on  the  terms  of  peace 
so  necessary  to  the  welfare  of  their  subjects.  Canute  em- 
braced Christianity,  and  received  for  his  wife  Emma,  the 
widow  of  King  Ethelred,  with  one-half  of  the  kingdom. 
By  her  he  had  Hardicanute,  who  became  king  of  England, 
and  Gunnilda,  who  married  Henry  III.,  emperor  of  the 
Eomans.^ 

^  Ethelred  II.  ascended  the  throne  in  978,  immediately  after  the  assassi- 
nation of  bis  brother  Edward  the  Martyr.  In  1013,  after  a  protracted 
contest,  England  was  conquered  by  Sweyn,  king  of  Denmark,  and  Ethelred 
retired  into  Normandy  to  the  court  of  his  brother-in-law,  Duke  Richard  XL 
The  death  of  Sweyn  happened  on  the  2nd  of  February,  1014.    Ethelred, 


iJ>.1016.]  CAinjTE,  KINO  OF  ENGLAND.  147 

At  the  instigation  of  Satan,  who  never  rests  from  stirring 
tfeadly  feuds  among  men,  King  Edmund,  after  a  reign  of 
aeven  years,  was  murdered  in  a  privy  by  the  treachery  of 
tiie  cruel  Edric  Streon ;  and  Canute  obtained  the  sove- 
reignty of  the  whole  of  England,  which  he  enjoyed  until 
liis  death.  He  sent  to  Denmark  Edward  and  Edmund,  the 
ions  of  Edmund  11.,  two  amiable  young  princes,^  and  re- 
quested Sw^n  his  brother,  king  of  the  Danes,  to  put  them 
to  death.  However,  he  refused  to  be  a  party  to  the  murder 
of  these  innocent  children ;  and  took  an  opportunity  of  de- 
Hrmng  them  as  hostages  to  the  king  of  the  Huns,  passing 
them  off  as  his  nephews.  There  Child  Edmund  prematurely 
died,  but  Edward,  by  God's  permission,  obtained  the  crown 
of  Hungary,  with  the  hand  of  the  king's  daughter,  and 
became  the  father  of  three  children,  Edgar  AtheHng,' 
Margaret,  queen  of  the  Scots,  and  Christina,  who  became 

who  returned  to  England,  after  an  absence  of  six  weeks^  was  still  as 
poverlesB  as  ever  against  the  Danes,  whatever  our  author  may  say  to  the 
contrary.  After  a  severe  struggle,  Canute,  son  and  successor  of  Swcyn, 
ibaied  the  kingdom  with  Edmund  Ironside,  the  son  and  successor  of 
Ethdiiedy  in  1016,  marrying  at  the  same  time  the  widow  of  the  latter. 
Edmund  did  not  long  hold  the  kingdom  of  Wessex,  his  share  under  the 
tunty,  88  we  shall  presently  see.  As  for  Lacman  and  Olave  (see  William 
of  Jumieges,  lib.  v.  ch.  11),  the  first,  who  appears  to  be  quite  an  imaginary 
peaoiuige,  could  not  be  king  of  Sweden  at  that  period,  as  the  throne  was 
filed  by  Olave,  sumamed  Uie  Infant,  who  died  in  1026.  Olave  II.,  king 
tf  Norway,  fiur  from  taking  part  in  the  expedition  of  Canute,  had  recovered 
kis  dcnninions  from  him  in  1015,  and  never  ceased  to  be  his  most  inveterate 
8Mmy.  Chunelind,  daughter  of  Canute,  here  named  Gunnilda,  married, 
in  1036,  the  Emperor  Henry  III.,  and  died  m  1038. 

*  **  Alvedos,"  a  word  peculiar  to  our  author,  from  whence  comes  the 
heodi  ilho$M,  He  sometimes  writes  it  <<  Albeolos.''  Like  the  Norman 
[ifid  Anglo-Saxon]  authors  in  general,  he  calls  Denmark  Dacia,  as  just 
before  he  has  called  the  Norwegians  Norici,  and  elsewhere  the  Swedes, 
Suevi, 

*  Our  author,  in  this  paragraph  and  elsewhere,  gives  the  young  princes 
the  titles  generally  applied,  among  the  Anglo-Saxons,  to  the  sons  of  the 
Mng,CK/o  andAiheling;  giving  to  this  last  name  the  Norman  form  Adelin. 
The  two  words  have  the  same  meaning,  a  noble  youth.  Child,  as  Child- 
Harold,  Child-Edmund,  is  the  Anglo-Saxon  word  translated  <<Clito." 
Athftling  is  derived  from  adel,  noble,  with  the  termination  ling,  expressive 
of  youth  or  inferiority,  as  suckling,  hireling.  See  note  to  Henry  of  Hun- 
tiii0don*s  HiUwry^  p.  122  (Bohn's  edition).  Both  these  titles  were  intxo- 
^vead  into  N<»inandy,  where  the  first  has  remained  attached  to  the  name 
of  Wmiaiii  Clito  (Guillaume  Cliton),  son  of  Robert-Courte-Heuse  (Curt- 

L  2 


148  O&BEBIOUS  YITALIS.         [b.  I.  CH.  XXXIT.  < 

a  nun.    Edward,  the  son  of  king  Ethelred,  having  recovered 
his  father's  throne,  invited  them  over  to   England,  and 
brought  them  up  with  as  much  care  as  if  they  had  been  * 
his  own  children? 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1031,  Eobert,  king  of  the  Freneb, ". 
died,  and  Henry  his  son,  supported  by  fiobert,  duke  of 
Normandy,  secured  the  throne  notwithstanding  the  oppo- 
sition of  Queen  Constance  and  his  younger  brother  Eobert^' 
and  others  of  the  Erench.  His  reign  lasted  twenty-nine 
years.* 

JRobert,  duke  of  Normandy,  died  on  the  calends  [Ist] 
of  July,  in  the  fifth  year  of  his  reign,  at  Nice,  a  town  of 
Bithynia,  on  his  return  from  Jerusalem,  and  William  the 
bastard,  his  son,  a  boy  only  eight  years  old,  succeeded 
to  his  dukedom,  which  he  ably  governed  for  fifty  years.* 

• 

^  Edmund  Ironside  succeeded  his  father  Ethelred  II.,  who  died  on  the 
23rd  of  April,  1016,  and  was  assassinated,  at  the  instigation  of  Edric 
Streon,  towards  the  end  of  November  in  the  following  year,  veru  fem» 
in  secreta  natures  transfixuM,  dum  in  tecetsu  retideret^  says  Ralph  de 
Diceto.  What  is  related  of  the  children  of  Edmund  is  disfigured  with 
the  grossest  improbabilities,  or  even  impossibilities.  Thus  our  author 
makes  Canute  send  them  to  his  brother  Sweyn,  king  of  Denmark,  but  he 
never  had  a  brother  of  that  name,  and  the  prince  who  shared  with  him 
the  throne  of  Denmark  from  1014  to  1017,  was  called  Harold.  Other 
historians  call  this  Sweyn  king  of  Sweden,  but  the  king  of  Sweden  con- 
temporary with  Canute,  bore  the  name  of  Clave;  lastly,  they  say  one 
of  the  exiled  princes  married  the  sister  of  Solomon,  king  of  Hungary,  and 
oar  author  even  makes  him  reign  over  that  country ;  and  they  marry  the 
other  to  the  daughter  of  the  Emperor  Henry  II.,  sister-in-law  to  tho  king 
of  Sweden.  But  Solomon  did  not  ascend  the  throne  before  1063,  nearly 
fifty  years  after  the  princes  were  banished  from  England,  and  had  only  one 
sister,  Adelaide,  wife  of  Wratislas,  king  of  Poland.  What  we  know  with 
certainty  is,  that  the  sons  of  Edmund  took  refuge  in  Hungary,  whence  the 
youngest  returned  to  England,  with  his  three  children,  in  the  reij^  of 
Edward  the  Confessor,  his  uncle,  about  the  year  1055. 

>  King  Robert  died  on  the  20th  of  July,  1031.  It  is  certain  that  the 
saccour  be  received  from  Robert,  duke  of  Normandy,  in  whose  court  Henry 
I.  sought  refuge,  enabled  that  prince  to  defeat  the  intrigues  of  his  moUier. 
He  died  on  the  29th  of  August,  1060. 

'  King  Robert,  having  died  July  20,  1031,  the  fifth  year  of  his  son's 
reign  extends  from  July  20,  1035,  to  July  20,  1036.  But  the  common 
opinion  is  that  Duke  Robert  died  at  Nice  in  Bithynia  on  the  2nd  of  July, 
1035,  and  consequently  in  the  fourth  year  of  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  Our 
author  himself  confirms  this  by  saying,  that  William  governed  Normandy 
fifty-two  years  (July,  1035 — September,  1087).  It  would  not  appear  that 
he  had  completed  his  eighth  year  at  his  father's  death,  as  he  had  only  begun 


A.D.  1035.]   .  WILLIAH  I.  DUKE   OT  ITOBHAXDT.  149 

However,  during  his  childhood,  the  Normans,  being  natu- 
nlly  in  an  unsettled  state,  there  was  a  long  civil  war,  in 
which  many  of  the.  nobility  as  well  as  the  commons  perished. 
Gislebert,  count  of  Brionne,  Osbem,  high-steward  of  Nor- 
mandy ;  Vauquelin  de  JFerrieres,  Hugh  de  Montfort,  Roger 
of  Spain,  Sooert  de  Grantemesnil,  Turketil,  guardian  of 
the  young  duke,  and  many  others,  fell  in  these  mutual 
quarrels.^ 

his  sixtieth  when  he  himself  died  (fere  texagenariuSf  the  continuator  of  the 
history  of  William  de  Jumicges  says). 

^  Gislebert  was  micle,  according  to  the  custom  of  Brittany,  as  well  as 
guardian,  of  the  young  prince.  The  circumstances  of  his  tragic  end,  little 
honourable  to  his  memory,  are  related  by  our  author  in  book  vii. 

Gislebert,  count  of  Brionne,  son  of  Godfrey,  count  d'£u  and  Brionne, 
tile  illegitimate  child  of  Richard  I.,  possessed  the  earldom  of  £u  for  a  short 
tone,  parumper,  says  William  of  Jumieges,  probably  after  the  death  of  his 
uncle  William,  another  natural  son  of  lUchard  I.,  who  had  succeeded 
Godfrey  in  this  earldom,  and  to  whose  posterity  it  reverted. 

Osbon  the  high-stev^urd  is  also  sometimes  called  Osbern  de  Crepon, 
faaa  the  name  of  an  estate  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Bayeux.  William  of 
Jumi^es  calls  him  procurator  principalis  dormts,  an  office  which  was  only 
concerned  with  that  branch  of  the  stewardship  which  regulated  the  internal 
qerrice  of  the  palace.  He  was  assasinated  at  Yandreuil,  in  the  very  room 
and  before  the  eyes  of  the  duke,  by  William  of  Montgomery.  His  son 
was  the  fiimous  William  Fitz-Osbem. 

Vauquelin  de  Ferrieres,  lord  of  Ferrieres  St.  Hilaire,  near  Bemai,  was 
the  founder  of  the  &mily  of  the  barons  de  Ferrieres  and  Ferrers  (Ferrariis), 
so  distinguished  in  Normandy  and  England.  His  descendants  bore  the 
wngfilnr  title  of  "premiers  barons  fossiers  de  Normandie/'  or  ''baron- 
miners/'  which  they  derived,  from  their  ancient  and  valuable  iron  works 
at  Ferrieres,  a  rare  instance  in  those  times  of  importance  and  rank  derived 
fix>m  such  sources. 

Hugh  de  Montfort,  sumamed.A  la  Barbe,  the  son  of  Toustain  de 
Bastenbouig,  and  brother  of  William  Bertran  de  Briquebec,  was  the 
ancestor  of  the  lords  of  Montfort-sur-Risle.  He  perished,  as  well  as 
Vauquelin  de  Ferrieres,  in  a  conflict  in  which  these  two  barons  attacked 
each  other  with  the  utmost  fury,  the  first  of  the  scenes  of  murder  and 
anarchy  which  distracted  the  early  yeara  of  the  young  duke's  government, 
at  that  time  purely  nominal. 

Roger,  lord  de  Toeni  and  de  Conches,  sumamed  of  Spain,  on  account  of 
his  having  visited  that  country  (probably  banished  for  some  previous 
offence),  during  duke  Robert's  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land,  and  where  he 
signalized  himself  by  his  exploits  against  the  Moors,  was  descended,  accord- 
ing to  William  de  Jumieges,  or  rather  his  continuator  and  interpolator, 
fiom  Matahulce,  uncle  of  Rollo,  but  that  could  only  be  in  the  female  line. 
The  imperious  character  of  Robert,  which  probably  caused  his  journey  to 
Spain,  unmediately  exhibited  itself  after  his  return,  and  he  openly  refused 
t(>  submit  to  ^e  authority  of  a  child^  who  was  also  illegjltimate^    Tbi& 


150  OBDEBICVS  TITALIS.  [b.I.  CH.XXIY. 

Guy,  8011  of  Eevnold,  duke  of  Burgundy,  by  a  daughter 
of  Eichard  II.,  although  William  had  conferred  an  earldom 
upon  him,  took  up  arms  against  him,  and  by  dint  of 
promises,  drew  over  to  his  party  a  great  number  of  the 
Normans,  who  were  ripe  for  revolt.  Supported  by  these, 
he  menaced  the  young  prince  with  the  loss  of  his  duchy, 
and  he  was  forced  to  fly  to  Poissy,  where  he  threw  himself 
at  the  feet  of  Henry,  kmg  of  France,  and  implored  his  aid 
against  his  traitorous  nobles  and  relations.  Henry,  a 
generous  prince,  had  compassion  on  one  so  young  and 
mendless,  and  having  assembled  the  flower  of  the  !EVench 
army,  marched  into  Normandy  to  lend  him  his  aid.* 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1039,  Conrad  the  emperor  died, 
and  Henry,  his  son,  succeeded  him,  who  reigned  seventeen 
years.  In  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign,  there  was  a  general 
mortality.' 

In  the  vear  1047  was  fought  the  bloodv  battle  of  Vales- 
dunes,  in  which  Guy,  who  could  not  withstand  the  impetuous 
attack  of  King  Henry  and  Duke  WiUiam,  was  defeated  and 

Bucceptibility,  though  it  is  asserted  bj  a  number  of  his  contemporaries, 
may  well  surprise  those  who  are  aware  of  the  frightful  barbarism  whidi 
then  prevailed.  Roger  de  Toeni  having  become,  bj  his  ravages  and 
devastations*  insupportable  to  all  his  neighbours,  and  more  especially  to 
Humphrey  de  Yieilles,  he  attacked  him  with  his  vassals,  headed  by  bis 
son,  Roger  de  Beaumont  and  the  aggressor  fell  in  the  conflict,  with  his 
two  sons. 

Robert  de  Grentemesnil  (now  Grandmesnil,  n^u*  Croissanville),  founder 
of  the  family  of  that  name,  perished  in  the  fight  between  Roger  de  Beaur 
mont  and  Roger  de  Toeni.  Turketil,  guardian  of  the  young  duk^  is 
called  Thorold  by  William  de  Jumieges.  He  appears  to  have  been  assas- 
sinated under  the  same  circumstances,  and  perhaps  at  the  some  moment 
as  Osbem  the  high-steward. 

^  Guy  of  Burgundy,  second  son  of  Reynold,  earl  of  Burgundy,  by 
Adelaide  or  Judith,  eldest  daughter  of  Richard  II.,  received  from  Duke 
William,  of  whom  he  was  cousin-german,  Vernon  and  the  earldom  <tf 
Brionne,  vacant  by  the  death  of  Count  Gislebert,  whose  children  had 
retired  to  the  court  of  the  earl  of  Flanders.  This  token  of  good  will  did 
not  prevent  him  from  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  the  malcontents  ol 
Lower  Normandy,  in  order  to  take  possession  of*  the  duchy.  Never  did 
William  run  greater  danger  than  from  the  consequences  of  this  rebellion, 
which  broke  out  in  1047.  He  was  forced,  as  our  author  say^  to  go  tp 
Poissy,  and  throw  himself  at  the  feet  of  King  Henry  to  implore  his  assist- 
ance. 

^  Conrad  died  on  the  4th  of  June,  1039,  as  already  stated ;  his  toti 
Henry,  elected  in  1026,  and  crowned  on  £aster-day,  1028,  died  Oct.  5, 1056. 


A..D.  1049.]  POPE  LEO  II.  •      151 

obliged  to  quit  the  field  and  fly  with  his  troops,  covered 
with  shame  and  having  suffered  considerable  loss.*  In  those 
days  Bruno,  bishop  of  Toul,  repaired  to  Borne  as  ambassador 
fix)m  Lorraine.  "While  on  the  road,  one  night  as  he  was 
praying,  he  heard  angels  singing : — "  I  think  toward  you, 
iaith  the  Lord,  thoughts  of  peace  and  not  of  eviV*^  Bruno 
lia?ing  attained  the  end  of  his  journey,  was  honourably, 
received  by  Pope  Damasus,  and  ordained  cardinal-bishop 
ift  a  conclave.  Ho  was  noble  in  person  as  well  as  descent, 
wise  and  eloquent,  and  adorned  with  many  virtues.  The 
same  year  Pope  Damasus  died,  and  Bruno,  who  took  the 
name  of  Leo,  was  elected  pope.  He  made  great  efforts  to 
revise  the  decisions  of  the  holy  canons  which  had  fallen  into 
disuse  in  times  past,  through  the  negligence  of  the  kings 
and  pontiffs  already  mentioned,  and  were  almost  forgotten. 
He  therefore  held  a  very  important  council  at  Eheims  in 
the  year  1050,  in  which  chastity  and  righteousness  were 
enforced  in  the  ministers  of  God,  and  several  decrees 
necessary  to  the  welfare  of  the  church  renewed,  though  the 
bishops  and  priests  were  ignorant  of  their  existence.  He 
also,  at  the  request  of  H6rimart,  the  abbot,  consecrated  the 
church  of  St.  Eemis^us,  archbishop  of  Eheims,  on  the 
calends  [1st]  of  October,  assisted  and  translated  the  body 
of  the  same  bishop,  whose  feast  is  celebrated  every  year 
in  France  with  great  pomp  on  the  first  of  October.' 

The  following  year,  the  monastery  of  St.  Evroult  at 
Ouche  was  repaired  by  William,  the  son  of  Geroie,  and  his 
nephews,  Hugh  de  Grantemesnil,  and  Eobert  his  brother ; 

'  For  the  particulars  of  the  battle  of  Valesdunes,  or  of  the  Val-des- 
Dnnes,  see  Wace,  ii.  p.  27,  et  seq.  This  place  appears  to  belong  to  the 
commune  of  Valroerai,  now  joined  to  Airan,  near  Croissanville.  After  his 
death,  Guy  jshut  himself  up  in  bis  castle  of  Brionne,  which,  very  differently 
situated  from  the  one  of  which  the  ruins  still  exist,  then  occupied  an  island 
iif  the  river  Risle.  He  here  defended  himself  for  three  years  against  the 
ittacks  of  the  besiegers,  so  that  it  was  about  the  year  1050  that  he  quitted 
he  island  to  seek  refuge  with  the  earl  of  Anjou,  William's  enemy. 

'  Jerem.  xxix.  1 1. 

*  Bruno,  the  son  of  Hugh,  count  of  Egesheim,  and  bishop  of  Toul  in 
1026,  elected  pope  at  Worms  at  the  end  of  1048,  was  enthroned  on  the 
I2ih  of  February,  1049,  under  the  name  of  Leo  IX.  The  dedication  of 
he  church  of  St.  Remi  took  place  on  the  Ist  of  October,  1049,  and  the 
opening  of  the  council  two  days  after. 


152     •  OSDXBICITB  TITALIS.  [b.I.  CK.XXIV. 

the  venerable  monk  of  Jumieges,  Theoderic,  was  the  first 
abbot.' 

'  In  those  days,  a  yiolent  animosity,  which  became  the  origin 
of  a  long  war,  broke  out  between  the  king  of  the  French 
md  the  duke  of  the  Normans.  William  I)*Arques,  uncle 
of  the  duke,  had  rebelled  against  him,  and  by  the  adyice  of 
Mauger,  his  brother,  archbishop  of  Bouen,  had  requested 
the  aid  of  King  Henry.  The  brave  duke  immediately  in- 
vested the  town  of  Arques,  and,  marching  against  Engelran, 
count  of  Ponthieu,  who  attempted  to  throw  relief  into  the 

Elace,  killed  the  earl,  and,  after  taking  Arques,  disinherited 
is  uncle,  and  ordered  Mauger,  the  author  of  these  dissen- 
sions, to  be  degraded.  The  king  of  France  chafed  with 
indignation  upon  hearing  this  news,  and,  in  1054,  entered 
the  territory  of  Evreux,  at  the  head  of  a  numerous  army, 
while  he  made  his  brother  Eudes  cross  the  Seine  with  a 
strong  force  and  march  into  Beauvais.  In  these  circum- 
stances, Duke  William  hung  upon  the  king's  flank  with  a 
powerful  army,  having  before  detached  against  Eudes  the 
troops  of  the  Cauchois,  under  the  orders  of  Eobert,  count 
d'Eu,  and  Eoger  de  Mortemer.  They  came  up  with  the 
French,  and  gave  them  battle  at  Mortemer,  defeating  them 
with  dreadful  slaughter  on  both  sides,  and  Guy,  count  of 
Ponthieu,  who  had  come  to  revenge  the  death  of  his  brother, 
was  made  prisoner.  The  Kormans,  hastened  to  announce 
the  victory  to  their  duke  in  great  triumph.  The  king  of 
France  was  covered  with  shame  on  hearing  that  his  troops 
were  beaten  by  the  Normans,  and  retired  suddenly  in  great 
sorrow  to  his  own  dominions.  Some  time  afterwards,  the 
faithful  ministers  of  peace  interposed  between  the  contend- 
ing princes,  and  Guy  and  the  other  prisoners  having  been 
released,  the  king  and  the  duke  concluded  a  peace  to  the 
extreme  satisfaction  of  their  subjects.' 

*  It  was  on  the  5th  of  October,  1050,  that  Theoderic  de  Matonville  was 
chosen  abbot  of  Ouche  or  St  Evroult.  Our  author  supplies  in  the 
sequel  very  circumstantial  details  of  the  restoration  of  this  abbey,  and 
relating  to  the  family  of  Geroie.  For  the  present,  it  need  only  be  observed, 
that  Hugh  and  Robert  de  Grantemesnil  were  the  two  eldest  sons  of  Robert 
de  Grantemesnil  lately  spoken  of. 

'  Archbishop  Mauger  was  deposed  by  the  council  of  Lisieux  in  May, 
1055,  two  years  after  the  revolt  of  the  earl,  and  fourteen  months  aflter  the 
battle  of  Mortemer.    These  facts,  which  are  pretty  correctly  stated^  are 


A.D.  106(1.]        WILLIAM  I.  EIKa  or  EVGLAND.  }53 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1060,  Henrj,  king  of  the  French, 
departed  this  life,  and  his  son  Philip  who  succeeded  him, 
held  the  sceptre  of  France  forty-seven  years.^  In  the  sixth 
year  of  his  reign,  Edward,  son  of  Ethelred,  and  king  of 
England,  being  dead,*  Harold,  the  son  of  Godwin,  usurped 
tiie  throne  of  England.  The  following  year  a  comet  was 
aeen.^  William,  Duke  of  Normandy,  crossed  the  sea  in  the 
autumn,  and  on  the  second  of  the  ides  [14th]  of  October 
fought  with  Harold,  who,  being  slain  in  the  battle,  William 
became  kins.  He  was  crowned  on  Christmas-day,  and 
filled  the  throne  twenty  years  and  eight  months.  The 
holy  church  in  his  time  increased  and  was  exalted,  under 
the  direction  of  religious  men  and  good  rulers ;  for  Mau- 
riUius,  John  and  William  filled  the  metropolitan  see  of 
Bouen,  Lanfiranc  was  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  Thomas 
of  York  ;  the  monasteries  and  bishoprics  were  entrusted  to 
the  care  of  godly  fathers  and  superiors. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1087,  King  William  died,  after 
whom  William  Bufiis,  his  son,  reigned  twelve  years  and  ten 
months.^ 

given  in  more  detail  in  our  author's  seventh  book.  It  may  be  obserred, 
bowever,  that  the  majority  of  contemporary  historians  a^ree  that  the 
active  part  taken  by  Archbishop  Mauger  in  the  dispute  between  William 
ud  the  court  of  Rome  relative  to  the  canonical  impediments  to  his 
oarriage  with  Matilda  of  Flanders,  had  more  to  do  with  the  bishop's 
deposition  than  the  evil  counsels  he  gave  his  brother,  or  the  laxity  of  his 
own  mode  of  life.  He  was  not  deposed  till  the  synod  of  Liseux,  held  in 
May,  1055,  two  years  after  the  count^s  revolt,  and  fourteen  months  after 
the  battle  of  Mortemer. 

'  Henry  I.,  king  of  France,  died  on  the  4th  of  August,  1060,  as  already 
atated.  Philip  I.,  his  son,  having  lived  until  the  29th  of  July,  1108, 
reigned  forty-eight  years  less  six  days. 

>  Edward  the  Confessor  died  January  5,  1066,  and  consequently  in  the 
coarse  of  the  sixth  year  of  the  reign  of  Philip  I. 

'  It  will  appear  in  the  sequel  that  the  comet  appeared  in  the  month  of 
April  of  the  same,  and  not  the  following,  year.  Our  author  reckons  the 
years  of  William's  reign  from  the  day  of  his  coronation  (December  25, 
1066 — September  9,  1087).  Maurillus  was  archbishop  of  Rouen  from 
September,  1055,  till  the  9th  of  August,  1067;  John  (1067—1079); 
William  Bonne- Ame  (1079 — Feb.  9,  1110).  Lanfranc  was  primate  of 
Canterbury  from  the  29th  of  August,  1070,  till  the  28th  of  May,  1089,  and 
Thomas  of  York  from  the  month  of  September,  1070,  to  November  18, 
1100. 

*  The  death  of  William  the  Conqueror  took  place  on  the  9th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1087,  according  to  our  author  and  the  necrology  of  Juim.^%«&^«SL4  tA\ 


164l  OEDEBICUS  TITALI8.  [b.I.  CH.XXIT. 

About  tliis  period,  in  1095,  pope  Urban  held  a  nume- 
rously attended  council  at  Clermont,  at  which  he  exhorted 
all  Christians  to  join  the  crusade  and  deliver  Jerusalem  from 
the  pagans.  Drought,  famine,  and  pestilence,  at  that  time 
desolated  the  world.^ 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1099,  Jerusalem  was  captured 
hj  the  holy  pilgrims  from  the  infidel  tribes  who  had  long 
held  possession  of  it.  Then  died  Pope  Urban  [II.],  and 
Pascal  [II.]  succeeded  him.'  The  following  year  Wil- 
liam Kufus,  king  of  England,  was  struck  by  an  arrow  which 
killed  him  as  he  was  hunting  in  the  New  Forest.  His 
brother  Henry  [I.]  succeeded  him,  and  reigned  thirty-five 
years  and  four  months.  In  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign 
he  fought  the  battle  of  Tinchebrai,  in  which  he  took  prisoner 
Bobert,  his  brother,  duke  of  Normandy,  and  became  master 
of  the  whole  duchy.  Then  the  emperor  Henry  died  on  the 
seventh  of  the  ides  [7th]  of  August,  and  Charles  Henry  his 
son  succeeded  him.  Three  years  afterwards,  Philip,  king  of 
the  French,  departed  this  life,  and  Louis  Thibaut  obtained 
the  crown,  and  has  now  reigned  twenty-nine  years.  The 
next  year  Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  Hugh, 
abbot  of  Climi,  departed  this  life,  and  were  soon  followed 
by  William,  archbishop  of  Rouen.  During  these  three 
years,  a  horrible  famine  in  France,  and  a  great  number  of 
persons  were  debilitated  by  attacks  of  erysipelas.' 

on  the  10th,  as  other  historians  assert.  As  William  Rufus  died  on  the 
2nd  of  August,  1100,  his  reign  really  lasted  twelve  years  and  nearly  eleven 
months,  but  our  author  reckons  from  the  30th  of  September,  the  anni- 
versary of  the  feast  of  St.  Michael,  on  which  he  was  crowned. 

^  The  council  of  Clermont  was  opened  by  the  pope  in  person  on  the 
18th  of  November,  1095,  and  closed  on  the  26th  of  the  same  month. 

'  Jerusalem  was  taken  on  the  15th  of  July,  1099.  Urban  II.  died  on 
the  29th  of  the  same  month,  and  the  election  of  his  successor,  Pascal  II., 
took  place  a  fortnight  after. 

'  The  precise  date  of  the  death  of  William  Rufus  is  already  given : 
that  of  Henry  I.  happened  December  1, 1135.  The  battle  of  Tinchebfu 
was  fought  at  the  commencement  of  the  autumn  of  1 1 06.  The  death  of  th« 
emperor  Henry  lY.  took  place  on  the  7th  of  the  month  of  August,  preceding 
that  of  Philip  I.  on  the  29th  of  July,  1108;  and  consequently  not  in  th* 
third,  but  the  second  year,  whether  we  reckon  from  the  battle  of  Tinche> 
brai,  or  the  death  of  the  emperor.  The  twenty-ninth  year  of  the  re^  of 
Lewis  the  Fat,  crowned  on  the  2nd  of  August,  1108,  ended  in  1137,  and  as 
he  died  on  the  1st  of  August  at  Paris,  this  paragraph  must  have  been 
written  before  the  news  had  arrived  at  Saint  Evroult,  that  is  to  say,  iu  Jnly 


k.T).  1118.]  HEITBT  I.  KUTG  OF  ENGLAJO).  165 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1118,  on  the  eve  of  Christmas, 
a  violent  gale  of  wind  passed  over  the  west  of  Europe,  and 
many  houses  and  forest-trees  were  blown  down.  The  next 
year,  war  broke  out  between  Henry,  king  of  England,  and 
Lewis,  the  French  king ;  the  battle  of  Bremulle,  was  fought 
on  the  thirteenth  of  the  calends  of  September  [20th  Au- 
gust], in  which  the  English  and  Normans  gained  the  victory 
over  the  French  army  who  were  routed.  The  same  year 
Pope  Calixtus  [II.]  held  a  synod  of  many  bishops,  and  used 
all  his  endeavours  to  put  an  end  to  the  contest.  Peace 
having  been  at  last  made  between  the  two  kings,  as  the 
kmg  of  England  was  returning  to  his  own  country,  his  two 
sons  William  and  Richard,  with  a  great  number  of  the 
nobihty  from  several  countries,  perished  by  shipwreck.^ 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1123,  the  first  indiction,  Amauri, 
count  of  Evreui,  and  Yaleran,  count  of  Meulan,  and  some 
others  associated  with  them,  having  rebelled  against  their 
sovereign,  King  Henry,  beseiged,  took,  and  burnt  to  the 
ground  their  towns  of  Montfort,  Brionne,  and  Pont-Aude- 
mer.  After  many  serious  losses,  count  Waleran  was  taken 
prisoner  in  battle,  with  eighty  of  his  soldiers,  and  kept  five 
years  in  captivity  by  King  Henry,  who  had  brought  him  up, 
and  against  whom  he  had  now  the  presumption  to  take 
arms.* 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1125,  a  great  change  occurred 
among  the  reigning  princes.     The  emperor  Charles  Henry  V. 

or  at  the  commencement  of  August.  St.  Anselm  died  on  the  2l8t^  and 
Hugh,  abbot  of  Cluni,  on  the  29th  of  April,  1109;  William  Bonne- Amo 
on  the  19th  of  February,  1110,  as  we  have  just  seen.  The  erysipelas  was 
particularly  severe  in  1 109,  and  especially  desolated  France;  meanwhile 
tbe  dominions  of  the  king  of  England  were  a  prey  to  two  other  plagues, 
leprosy  in  Normandy  and  famine  on  the  other  side  of  the  channel. 

^  The  battle  of  Bremulle,  called  by  the  English  historians  the  battle  of 
Noyon  (see  Huntingdon,  p.  248,  for  a  full  account),  was  fought  on  the  20th 
)f  August,  1119;  the  council  of  Clermont  between  the  2l8t  and  31st  of  Oc- 
ober  following;  the  peace  between  the  two  kings  in  the  course  of  Novemba*; 
tnd  lastly,  the  shipwreck  of  the  Blanche-Nef  on  the  25th  of  the  same  month. 

*  The  author  or  his  copyists  have  omitted  here  the  name  of  Hugh  de 
Ifontfort,  one  of  the  leaders  of  this  conspiracy,  which  was  discovered  in 
he  month  of  October,  1123.  Their  meeting  at  La-Croix-Saint-Leufroi 
ook  place  during  the  month  of  September.  Brionne,  invested  in  October, 
eld  out  for  one  month;  Pont-Audemer  and  Montfort  for  six  weeks;  Count 
Waleran  was  not  taken  before  the  26th  of  March  following,  at  the  battle 
f  Rougemontier. 


156  OSDEBICnS  TITJLLIS.  [b.I.  CH.XXI1 

died,  and  Lothaire,  duke  of  Saxony,  succeeded  to  the  empire 
At  the  same  time,  William,  duke  of  Poictiers,  and  Willian 
duke  of  Apulia,  two  illustrious  princes,  also  departed  tbi 
life ;  and  before  three  years  had  elapsed,  Charles  duki 
[count]  of  Flanders,  was  assassinated  in  a  church  whiL 
hearing  mass,  on  the  calends  [1st]  of  March.  He  wm 
succeeded  by  William,  the  son  of  Bobert,  duke  of  Nor- 
mandy, who  was  killed  the  following  year  at  Alost.  Then 
also  died  Gbrmond,  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  and  G^eoffiy, 
archbishop  of  Bouen.  In  the  year  1130  from  the  inca^ 
nation  of  our  Saviour,  Baldwin  II.  king  of  Jerusalem  died 
on  the  18th  of  the  calends  of  September  [15th  August], 
and  was  succeeded  by  Fulk  count  of  Anjou,  his  son-in  law. 
Two  years  afterwards.  Pope  Honorius  died  at  Bome;  and 
soon  after  this  event,  a  deplorable  schism  troubled  the 
church ;  for  the  deacon  Gregory,  a  native  of  Pavia,  was 
chosen  pope  during  the  night  by  a  few  of  his  partisans 
assuming  the  name  of  Innocent ;  and  the  church  establishec 
in  the  western  parts  of  Europe  received  and  submitted  to  him 
but  three  days  afterwards  Peter,  the  son  of  Leo,  was .  en 
throned,  and  called  Anaclete.  Being  supported  by  brothers 
relations,  and  friends,  who  were  extremely  powerful,  he  ha 
now  retained  undisturbed  possession  of  the  city  of  Bom€ 
and  the  revenues  and  domains  of  the  papacy  for  sevei 
years;  Apulia,  Sicily,  and  a  great  part  of  Christendoi] 
acknowledging  his  nje.' 

^  The  emperor,  Henry  V.,  died  on  the  23rd  of  May,  1125,  and  wa 
succeeded  by  Lothaire  II.  on  the  30th  of  August  following;  William  IH 
duke  of  Aquitain,  died  February  10,  1126;  William,  duke  of  Apulii 
July  20,  1127;  Charles,  earl  of  Flanders,  on  the  2nd  of  March  in  th 
same  year;  William  Clito  on  the  28th  of  July,  1128,  and  Geolfty,  arch 
bishop  of  Rouen,  on  the  25th  of  November  following.  Gormonc 
patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  and  son  of  Gormond  the  second  of  that  name 
lord  of  Picquigni,  also  died  in  1128,  from  the  effects  of  the  &tigue  h 
aidured  during  his  defence  of  the  Castle  of  Bethassem,  near  Sidon. 

*  Baldwin  II.,  king  of  Jerusalem,  died  August  21,  113],  and  his  son-hi 
law  Fulk,  earl  of  Anjou,  was  crowned  on  the  14th  of  September  followini 
Honorius  died  February  14,  1130;  Innocent  II.,  his  successor,  was  electe 
the  next  day,  early  in  the  morning,  by  sixteen  cardinals,  before  the  deat 
of  the  pope  was  known,  and  the  antipope  Anaclete  by  twenty-one^  as  soo 
as  the  news  was  spread  abroad.  The  approbation  of  St  Bernard,  wh 
openly  declared  in  favour  of  Innocent,  induced  France  and  the  rest  of  .th 
western  states  to  acknowledge  him,  but  St*  Bernard  had  some  difficulty  i 


A.D.  1135.]     PSATH  or   HEITBT  I.  KLS&  07  EKGLAITD.      157 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1136,  in  the  14th  indiction, 
Henry,  king  of  England  and  duke  of  Normandy,  a  finn 
friend  of  peace  and  justice,  a  faithful  worshipper  of  God,  the 
protector  of  the  weak,  and  zealous  defender  of  the  holy 
diiirch,  died  on  the  calends  [Ist]  of  Decemher,  at  the  castle 
of  Lions.  His  body,  after  being  embalmed,  was  carried  to 
England,  and  buriea  in  the  church  of  the  Holy  Trinity  in 
the  abb^  of  Beading,  which  he  had  founded  and  given  to 
the  monks.^  Stephen  of  Blois,  his  nephew,  a  son  of  his 
sister  Adela,  succeeded  him  on  the  throne,  and  has  sow 
completed  the  sixth  year  of  his  reign,'  which  has  been 
marked  by  important  events,  pregnant  with  serious  losses 
and  disasters ;  for  Stephen,  having  fought  a  battle  at  Lin- 
cob'  with  the  barons  who  were  in  arms  against  him,  was 
defeated  and  taken  prisoner,  and  is  now  detained  a  wretched 
captive  in  the  prison  of  Bobert  at  Bristol.^ 

bringing  the  king,  and  still  more  the  Norman  and  English  bishops  to  his 
ode,  perhaps  because  the  Normans  in  Sicily  had  taken  that  of  Anaclete ; 
nme  traces  of  this  feeling  seem  to  be  indicated  in  the  terms  which 
Ordericus  employs  in  relating  the  election  of  Pope  Innocent :  a  quibiisdam 
noetu,  by  a  small  number  and  by  night.  The  death  of  Anaclete,  which 
Iiappened  on  the  7th  of  January,  1 1 38,  put  an  end  to  the  dispute.  This 
psi^graph  was  evidently  written  between  the  month  of  February,  1137, 
aed  the  moment  when  the  news  arrived  at  St.  Evroult. 

^  We  learn  from  our  author  himself  that  Henry  I.  died  on  the  1st  of 
Decemher,  1135,  and  not  in  1 136,  at  the  castle  of  Lions.  He  was  interred 
in  the  monastery  of  Reading  (Berkshire),  which  he  had  founded  in  11 25, 
on  the  site  of  another  more  ancient. 

'  Stephen  of  Blois,  his  nephew  by  his  sister  Adela,  was  crowned  on  the 
26th  of  December,  1135.  The  battle  of  Lincoln  was  fought  on  the  2nd  of 
February,  1141. 

'  The  preceding  paragraph  of  the  history  was  evidently  written  between 
the  moment  of  hearing  the  news  of  the  captivity  of  the  king  at  Bristol, 
and  that  of  his  exchange  for  the  Earl  of  Gloucester,  which  took  place  on 
the  Ist  of  November  following.  We  may  be  allowed  to  suppose  that  it 
was  ^n  the  month  of  July,  the  period  when  Ordericus  terminated  the 
thirteenth  and  last  book  of  his  history.  Perhaps  the  best  account  of  the 
battle  of  Lincoln  and  succeeding  events  is  that  given  by  Henry  of  Hunting- 
don, who  was  a  canon  of  that  church,  and  was  either  there  at  the  time  of 
the  battle,  as  seems  probable,  or  heard  the  particulars  from  eye-witnesses. 
See  pp.  273—280  (Bohn's  edition). 

*  In  the  MS.  Brihiton,  a  name  which  seems  to  have  puzzled  both 
Ordericus  and  his  French  editors.  However  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
Bristol  is  meant.  Its  ancient  name  was  Brihtstowe,  and  its  castle  was  the 
chief  seat  of  Robert,  earl  of  Gloucester^  in  which  Stephen  was  conEoed.     ' 


158  OBDEEICUS  VITA.L1S.  [b.I.  CH.XITI 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1138,  Peter  Anaclete  died  sud 
denly.  The  emperor  Lothaire^  also  breathed  his  last  whib 
on  his  way  back  from  Apulia,  which  he  had  conquered 
his  successor,  Conrad,  was  nephew  to  the  emperor  Charlei 
Henry.  Nevertheless  Boger,  king  of  Sicily,  having  followed 
the  steps  of  Conrad,  entered  Apulia,  and,  on  the  decease  oi 
Ealph,  the  brave  duke,  to  whom  the  pope  and  emperor  luul 
entrusted  the  defence  of  the  country,  recaptured  all  the 
towns  which  had  been  taken  from  him.  However,  he 
compelled  the  pope,  though  very  reluctantly  and  with  great 
regret,  to  grant  him  the  investiture  of  the  kingdom  of 
Sicily  and  duchy  of  Apulia,  and,  having  received  his  absolu- 
tion, appointed  his  son  Eoger  duke  of  Apulia.' 

Following  in  the  steps  of  my  predecessors,  and  endea- 
vouring to  write  annals,  I  have  now,  in  this  first  book  of 
my  JEcclesiastical  History,  begun  the  thread  of  my  narratiye 
with  the  incarnation  of  our  Saviour,  and  have  brought  it 
down,  through  the  succession  of  emperors  and  kings  to  the 
present  day,  when  the  emperor  John,  son  of  Alexis,  reigns 
at  Constantinople,  Lothaire  governs  the  Germans,  Louis 
the  French,  Stephen  the  English,  and  the  ex-monk  Eemi- 
gius  the  Spaniards.'     In  my  second  book,  I  propose  by 

^  After  the  words,  "  Lothaire  the  emperor,"  there  is  in  the  MS.  of  St 
Evroult  a  blank  page,  in  which  the  author  probably  intended  to  insert 
further  particulars  of  passing  events,  but  which  contains  only  nine  lines  of 
an  evidently  later  date.  The  preceding  paragraph,  except  some  words 
added  or  interlined,  was  written  at  the  same  time  as  the  rest  of  the  book, 
which  seems  to  show  that  this  part  of  the  MS.  was  not  written  before  lUl. 

'  The  precise  date  of  the  death  of  Anacletus  is  already  given ;  that  of 
Lothaire  happened  on  the  4th  of  December,  1137;  and  that  o( 
Ralph  on  the  3rd  of  April,  1139.  Innocent  II.  was  taken  prisoner  ot 
the  22nd  of  July  in  the  same  year,  and  on  the  25th  bestowed  on  Rogei 
the  investiture  of  the  kingdom  of  Sicily,  the  duchy  of  Apulia,  and  th< 
principality  of  Capua.  Roger,  the  son  of  this  prince,  who  had  taken  th< 
pope  prisoner,  received  from  his  father  the  duchy  of  Apulia,  and  ^iec 
before  him  in  11 48. 

'  John  Comnenus  reigned  from  the  15th  of  August,  1118,  until  the  Stli 
April,  1143.  The  person  whom  our  author  calls  Remigius,  kijog  of  Spain, 
is  Ramirus  II.,  king  of  Arragon,  sumamed  indeed  the  Monk,  because  he 
was  taken  out  of  a  convent,  after  the  death  of  his  brother,  to  ascend  the 
throne,  which  he  occupied  until  1 137* 

Ordericus  Vitalis  must  have  written  the  conclusion  of  this  book  between 
the  coronation  of  Stephen  (December  26,  1135)  and  the  news  of  the  abdi- 
cation of  Ramirus,  as  well  as  of  the  death  of  Lothaire  (December  4, 11 37), 


A..D.  1135 — 1137.]   POPE  INNOCENT  II.  159 

Gk)d's  help  to  inquire  what  the  old  doctors  have  written  and 
scribes^  have  copied,  respecting  the  holy  apostles  and  apo- 
stolic men,  meaning  to  make  a  short  abridgment  of  their 
acts,  as  the  H0I7  Spirit  shall  vouchsafe  to  inspire  me. 

At  the  request  of  my  superiors,  I  shall  diligently,  with  a 
feithful  pen,  trace  the  series  of  the  popes  of  Bome  and 
their  feUow  labourers  in  the  Lord's  vineyard. 

Prom  Peter,  to  whom  first  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  said ; 
^^Iwill  ffive  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,^*  * 
to  Pope  Innocent,  who  now  governs  the  apostolic  see,  we 
reckon  one  hundred  and  forty-one  bishops  of  Eome.  I 
hope  to  be  able  to  give  to  the  world,  in  mv  next  book,  some 
account  of  all  these  popes  who  are  mentioned  in  the  work 
called  "  The  Act?  of  the  Popes." 

consequently  about  four  years  before  tbe  two  preceding  paragraphs,  which 
vere  inserted  at  a  later  date. 

'  **  Antigraphus,"  scriptoTy  nancellariiu, — Du  Cange  Gloss, 

*  Matt  xvi.  19. 


160  OmDSSICUB   TITALIB.  [b.II.  CH.I. 


BOOK  11. 

Ch.  I.     Sistory  of  the  church  from  our  LorcPs  ascension  to 
St.  FauVs  preaching  at  JEphesuSy  a.d.  33 — 57. 

Whek  the  fulness  of  time  was  come,  the  divine  grace, 
mercifully  announced  to  mankind  the  saving  visitation 
which  was  provided  before  the  creation  of  the  world,  and 
towards  its  last  age  illuminated  the  dark  recesses  of  the 
hearts  of  men  with  the  rajs  of  a  new  light.  Our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  as  the  sublime  voice  of  the  holy  gospel  truly 
informs  us,  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  emperor  Tiberius 
Caesar,  was  baptized  by  John  in  the  river  Jordan ;  and  the 
true  sun  shone  forth  by  visible  signs  and  wonders  for  three 
years  and  a  half,  and  manifested  to  the  world  his  divine 
nature,  by  which  he  is  co-equal,  consubstantial,  and  oo- 
eternal,  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  Afterwards, 
in  his  mercy,  he  suffered  on  the  cross  in  the  thirty-third 
year  of  his  age,^  for  the  salvation  of  man;  and,  having 
destroyed  death,  which  for  five  thousand  years  had  kept 
mankind  fast  bound  in  the  chains  of  a  just  damnation,  he 
despoiled  hell,  and,  having  vanquished  Satan,  the  old  serpent, 
on  the  third  day  rose  triumphantly  from  the  dead.  Lastly, 
on  the  fortieth  day,  after  he  had  confirmed  the  belief  of  tne 
faithful  witnesses  in  his  resurrection,  by  often  showing  him- 
self to  them  openly,  and  commanded  them  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  all  nations,  giving  them  power  to  perform  miracles, 
he  led  the  disciples  forth  as  far  as  Bethany,  and,  standing 
on  mount  Olivet,  blessed  them,  and  while  they  beheld  with 
joy,  ascended  into  heaven.  Ten  days  afterwards,  while 
his  friends  were  fasting  and  continuing  in  prayer  with  one 
accord,  he  sent  to  them  the  Holy  Ghost  the  Comforter,  and 
according  to  his  promise  instantly,  by  an  internal  unction, 
he  taught  them  all  things,  gloriously  filled  them  with  all 
spiritual  powers,  etrengthened  them  against  all  the  assaidts 

1  *'  The  baptism  of  Christ  took  place  at  the  commencement  of  the 
sixteenth,  not  the  fifteenth,  year  of  the  reign  of  Tiberius.  If,  as 
now  generally  believed,  our  Lord  was  not  bom  later  than  the  end  of  the 
year  749  from  the  foundation  of  Rome,  he  had  at  least  begun  his  thirty- 
seventh  year  at  the  period  of  bis  crucifixion  in  786.'* — M,  Le  Pr€mut, 


A.D.32.]  THE  D1.T  OP  PElH'ECOfiT.  161 

of  their  enemies,  and  made  them  invincible  champions  of 

the  faith  and  teachers  of  all  nations. 
Luke,  a  Syrian  by  birth,  a  physician  by  profession,  and  a 

faithful  disciple  of  Christ,  Ml  of  the  grace  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  after  having  written  his  gospel  for  the  instraction  of 
the  faithful  in  Greece,  added  the  noble  volume  of  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles,  which  he  addressed  to  Theophilus.  The 
word  means  a  lover  of  Ood,  and  may  be  applied  to  all  who 
are  studious  and  intelligent,  and  unceasingly  devoted  to 
meditation  on  the  divine  law.  To  such  the  word  of  God 
is  justly  addr^sed,  and  they  eag^ly  receive  it  and  hold  it 
fast  with  sincere  affection.  The  gospel,  that  is  to  say,  the 
good  tidings,  penetrate  their  hes^s,  the  triumphs  of  the 
invincible  army  of  apostles  and  martyrs  are  recounted  to 
them  because  they  are  accounted  worthy  to  be  made  par- 
takers of  the  heavenly  mysteries.* 

The  eloquent  Arator  also,  sub-deacon  of  the  see  of  Home, 
diligently  copied  the  narrative  of  St.  Luke,  making  it  the 
substance  of  a  metrical  composition,  in  a  poem  he  presented 
to  Pope  Vigilius,  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  its  melodious 
versification ;  leaving  to  future  generations,  a  noble  monu- 
ment of  his  genius.''  I  aim  at  tracing  the  course  of  such 
illustrious  precursors  as  these,  although,  like  a  lame  man 
halting  by  the  way,  I  can  only  follow  them  with  slow  and 
distant  steps ;  but  desiring  to  treat  of  the  apostles  and 
their  blessed  fellow  combf^nts  for  the  fjEiith,  with  the 
materials  which  they  have  furnished. 

Luke  tells  us,  in  nis  lucid  narrative,  that,  on  the  holy  day 
of  pentecost,  the  apostles  w^e  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
G^host,  and  spoke,  in  the  different  gentile  languages,  of  the 
wonderful  works  of  God,  to  the  great  amazement  of  the 
Jews,  who  were  then  assembled  from  various  parts  of  the 
world.     But  while  thdr  enemies  showed  their  hatred,  and 

*  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  form  the  sequel  to  St.  Lake's  gospel,  and  are 
addressed  to  the  same  person.  They  embrace  a  period  of  thirty-three 
years,  from  the  year  32  of  the  Christian  era  until  about  the  year  65. 
Notwithstanding  all  their  marks  of  authenticity,  we  do  not  find  them 
quoted  by  the  &thers  of  the  church  till  an  advanced  period  of  the  second 
century. — M,  Le  Privosi. 

*  AratoTy  at  first  secretary  and  intendant  of  finances  to  Athalaric,  and 
afterwards  sub-deacon  of  the  Roman  church,  presented  to  Pope  Vigilius  in 
the  year  544^  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  in  Latin  verse.  a 

VOL.  I.  U  ^  ^ 


162  OBDERICUS  VITALIB.  [b.H,  OH.T. 

muttered,  "  These  men  are  full  of  new  wine,"  Peter,  in- 
flamed with  zeal  for  the  faith,  stood  up  with  the  eleven,  and, 
lifting  up  his  voice,  explained  that  the  coming  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  the  Comforter  had  been  foretold  long  before  by  the 
prophet  Joel.  He  supported  the  truth  of  his  declaration,  that 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  a  man  approved  of  God  by  miracles,  and 
wonders  and  signs,  was  raised  from  the  dead  three  days  after 
his  passion  on  the  cross,  by  reference  to  predictions  in  the 
Psalms.  The  Jews  were  pricked  in  their  heart,  and,  receiv- 
ing the  word  to  the  salvation  of  their  souls,  were  baptized 
and  the  same  day  there  were  added  about  three  thousanc 
souls  to  the  number  of  the  believers.^  Such  was  the  origii 
of  the  primitive  church,  on  which  the  heavenly  grace  w&i 
abundantly  bestowed. 

Many  wonders  and  signs  were  done  by  the  apostles  ai 
Jerusalem,  and  all  those  who  saw  these  extraordinary  things 
trembled  with  fear.  And  they  that  believed  lived  together 
and  had  all  things  common.  They  sold  their  possessioni 
and  goods,  and  parted  them  to  all  men,  as  every  man  hac 
need.  Every  day  the  faithful  increased  in  virtue,  while  the 
Lord  added  contmually  to  the  number  of  those  who  were  tc 
be  saved. 

Now  Peter  and  John  went  up  together  into  the  temph 
at  the  ninth  hour,  and  there  saw  a  beggar  who  had  beer 
lame  from  his  mother's  womb.  Peter  told  the  indigent  mar 
that  he  possessed  no  earthly  riches,  but  offered  him  some- 
thing more  valuable ;  and,  taking  him  by  the  hand,  presently 
healed  him  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Immediately  hi 
feet  and  ankle-bones  received  strength,  so  that  he  leaped  up 
and  ran,  and  entered  with  them  into  the  temple,  rejoicing 
and  praising  God  before  all  the  people,  who  were  filled  witl 
wonder  and  amazement  when  they  saw  this  special  miracle 
performed  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  on  the  lame  man. 
who  was  laid  daily  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  temple 
While  the  apostles  were  thus  employed,  the  people  ran 
together  to  Solomon's  porch,  to  see  him  who  had  just  been 
healed  by  the  virtue  of  the  name  of  Christ.  Seeing  the 
multitude  assembled,  Peter  opened  his  mouth  and  humbly 
disclaimed  the  merit  of  the  cure,  which  he  wholly  ascribed  tc 
the  divine  nature  of  Jesus  Christ.  Mildly  rebuking  the 
^  Acts  ii.  1 — 41.    (Year  33  of  the  Christian  era.) 


k.j),  33.]  ST.  peteb's  pbeaching.  163 

Jews  who  had  persecuted  him,  and  trusting  in  the  inex- 
haustible mercy  of  his  Master,  he  mUdly  excused  them, 
because  they  did  it  through  ignorance.  At  the  end  of  his 
discourse,  he  exhorted  them  to  repent  of  their  sins,  and 
proved  to  them  in  the  clearest  manner  that  the  Saviour  and 
true  Prophet  had  already  come,  as  Moses,  and  Samuel,  and 
all  the  prophets  had  predicted  long  before.^ 

As  they  spake  unto  the  people,  the  priests,  and  the  cap- 
tain of  the  temple,  and  the  Sadducees,  came  upon  them,  and, 
laying  hands  upon  them,  put  them  in  hold ;  for,  being  filled 
with  the  bitterness  of  iniquity,  they  were  grieved  that  the 
apostles  taught  the  people,  and  preached,  through  Jesus, 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead.  Many  of  them  which 
heard  the  word  believed ;  and  the  number  of  the  men  was 
about  five  thousand.  On  the  morrow,  Annas,  the  high 
priest,  and  Oaiaphas,  and  John,  and  Alexander,  and  as 
many  as  were  of  the  kindred  of  the  high  priest,  and  the 
rulers,  and  elders,  and  scribes,  were  gathered  together  at 
Jerusalem.  And  when  they  had  set  them  in  the  midst,  they 
asked;  "By  what  power,  or  in  what  name,  have  ye  done 
this?"  Then  Peter,  filled  with  the  Holy  G-host,  testified 
clearly  that  the  impotent  man  was  made  whole  by  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  IS^azareth,  and  that  there  was 
none  other  name  given  under  heaven  whereby  we  must  be 
saved.  Now  when  their  adversaries  saw  the  boldness  of 
Peter  and  John,  and  perceived  that  they  were  unlearned 
and  ignorant  men,  they  marvelled,  and  were  grieved;  and 
they  took  knowledge  of  them,  that  they  had  been  with 
Jesus.  And  beholding  the  man  which  was  healed  standing 
with  them,  they  could  say  nothing  against  the  miracle, 
as  it  was  manifest  to  all  who  were  in  Jerusalem,  they  were 
consumed  with  rage.  Afterwards,  having  taken  counsel, 
they  called  the  apt)stles,  and  commanded  them  not  to  speak 
at  all  nor  teach  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  But  Peter  and  John 
refused  to  obey  their  injunction,  saying  with  great  boldness : 
"  Whether  it  be  right  in  the  sight  of  Q-od  to  hearken  unto 
you  more  than  unto  God;  judge  ye.  For  we  cannot  but 
speak  the  things  which  we  have  seen  and  heard."  The 
assembly  then  sent  them  away  with  threats,  but  not  daring 

1  Acts  ii.  42— iii.  26. 
M  2 


16ir  osmuacuB  yitalis.  [b.i.  ch.j. 

to  punish  them,  as  thej  perceived  that  the  great  minM^le 
which  thej  had  just  performed  had  gained  them  the  fayour 
of  the  people.  On  regaining  their  lihertj,  the  apostlea  went 
to  their  own  company,  and  reported  all  that  had  befkllen 
them.  And  when  they  heard  that,  they  lifted  up  their  yoiee 
to  God  with  one  accord,  and,  inspired  with  holy  zeal,  offered  a 
signal  prayer  of  thanks  to  Qod.  And  when  they  had  prayed, 
the  place  was  shaken  where  they  were  assemlned  together, 
and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Gj-host ;  and  the  nets 
spread  hy  their  holy  preaching  drew  many  from  the  ahyss  of 
error  to  the  light  of  faith  and  righteousness.^ 

And  the  multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one 
heart  and  of  one  soul :  neither  said  any  that  aught  of  the 
things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own,  neither  was  there 
any  among  them  that  lacked ;  but  th^  had  all  things  in 
common.  The  possessors  of  houses  and  lands  sold  them,  and 
laid  the  price  of  them  dovm  at  the  apostles'  feet ;  and  distri- 
bution was  made  unto  every  man  according  as  he  had  need. 
The  primitive  church  at  «reru3alem  shone  thus  brightly, 
all  its  aspirations  being  fervently  directed  heaveurward. 
The  blessing  of  Gtod.  sanctified  tlus  happy  society,  whence 
originated  the  excellent  institutions  which  have  come  down 
to  us.  Joseph  [ Joses],  who  by  the  apostles  was  sumamed 
Barnabas,  that  is  to  say,  the  son  of  consolation^  a  Levite,  of 
the  country  of  Cyprus,  ever  ready  in  good  works,  having 
land,  sold  it,  and  Drought  the  money,  and  laid  it  at  the 
apostles'  feet.  Ananias  also  sold  a  field,  but  kept  back  part 
of  the  price,  his  wife  8apphira  being  privy  to  it,  and  brought 
a  certain  part,  and  laid  it  at  the  apostles'  feet.  When 
this  &aud  was  revealed  to  Peter  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  the 
apostle  rebuked  the  man  who  endeavoured  to  deceive  him 
by  a  He.  Ananias  had  scarcely  heard  the  apostle's  repri- 
mand, when  he  fell  down  and  gave  up  the  ghost.  And 
about  the  space  of  three  hours  after,  his  wife,  not  knowing 
what  was  done,  came  in,  and,  when  Peter  questioned  her 
as  to  the  price  of  the  land,  she  also  told  a  lie,  and  being 
rebuked  by  the  apostle,  fell  down  straightway  at  his  feet, 
and  yielded  up  the  ghost.  And  great  fear  came  upon  all  the 
church,  and  upon  as  many  as  heard  these  things.^ 

1  Acta  iv.  1—34.  »  Acts  ▼.  1—11, 


A.D.  33.]         ST.  PETEB  BSLSA.SEI)   FEO^  PBISOK.  166 

Bj  the  liands  of  the  apostles  were  many  signs  and 
wonders  wrought  among  the  people,  and  they  were  all  with 
one  accord  in  Bolomon's  porch.  However,  of  the  rest  durst 
no  man  join  himself  to  them,  but  the  people  magnified 
them.  The  number  of  men  and  women  who  believed  in  the 
Lord  increased  more  and  more.  In  the  streets  the  sick  were 
laid  on  couches,  that  at  the  least  the  shadow  of  Peter  passing 
by  might  overshadow  some  of  them,  and  free  them  &om 
their  infirmities.  Great  numbers  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
neighbouring  towns  hastened  together  to  Jerusalem,  bring- 
ing to  the  apostles  the  sick  and  those  who  were  possessed 
with  the  devil,  and  i^ey  all  recovered  the  health  they 
desired.^ 

The  high  priest  and  all  they  that  were  with  him  were 
filled  with  indignation,  and  laid  their  hands  on  the  apostles, 
and  put  them  in  the  common  prison.  But  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  opened  the  prison  doors  by  night,  and  bringing  them 
forth,  said,  ''  Go,  stand  and  speak  to  the  people  in  the 
temple  all  the  words  of  this  life."  They  accordingly 
entered  into  the  temple  early  in  the  morning,  and  there 
preached  the  word  of  God  with  boldness.  But  the  high 
priest  and  they  that  were  with  him  called  the  council 
together,  and  sent  to  the  prison  to  have  them  brought. 
The  officers  truly  found  the  prison  shut  with  all  safety,  but 
no  man  within.  At  length,  they  heard  that  the  men  of  whom 
they  were  in  search  were  teaciung  in  the  temple.  Then  the 
captain  and  the  officers  brought  them  wiuiout  violence, 
for  they  feared  the  people,  lest  they  should  have  "been 
stoned.  "When  they  had  set  them  before  the  council,  the 
high  priest  accused  them  of  having  filled  Jerusalem  with 
a  doctrine  which  was  contrary  to  their  tenets,  and  opposed 
to  the  universal  decisions  of  the  elders.  The  apostles 
th^efore  answered,  "  We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than 
man.  The  God  of  our  fathers  raised  up  Jesus,  whom  ye 
slew  and  hanged  on  a  tree.  Him  hath  God  exalted  with 
his  right  hand,  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  and  to  give 
repentance  to  Israel,  and  forgiveness  of  sins.  We  are 
witnesses  of  those  things,  and  so  is  also  the  Holy  Ghost, 
whom  God  hath  given  to  them  that  obey  him."    When  they 

*  Acta  V.  12—16. 


166  0BDEBICU8  TITALIS.  [b.U.  CH.I. 

heard  that,  they  were  cut  to  the  heart,  and  took  counsel 
to  slay  them.* 

Then  there  stood  up  one  of  the  council,  a  Pharisee 
named  Ghimaliel,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  who  was  held  in  repu- 
tation among  all  the  people,  who,  causin?  the  apostles  to  be 
removed  from  the  assembly,  as  he  wished  to  be  of  service  to 
them,  then  plainly  recounted  how,  only  a  few  days  before, 
Theudas  with  four  hundred  followers  was  brought  to  nought, 
and  how  Judas  the  Galilean,  who  drew  away  much  people  after 
him,  perished  in  the  days  of  the  taxing,  with  all  his  faction. 
After  having  adduced  examples  of  this  kind,  he  con- 
tinued :  "  And  now  I  say  unto  you,  refrain  from  these  men, 
and  let  them  aloue ;  for  if  this  counsel  or  this  work  be 
of  men,  it  will  come  to  nought ;  but  if  it  be  of  G-od  ye 
cannot  overthrow  it,  lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to  fight 
against  Gt)d."  Having  heard  this,  thev  concurred  in 
Gamaliel's  opinion,  and  having  recalled  the  apostles  and 
beaten  them,  commanded  that  they  should  not  speak  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  and  let  them  go.  And  they  departed  from 
the  presence  of  the  council,  rejoicing  that  they  were 
counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  the  name  of  Christ. 
And  daily  in  the  temple,  and  in  every  house,  they  ceased 
not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ.' 

In  those  days,  as  the  number  of  the  disciples  was 
continually  on  the  increase,  there  arose  a  murmuring  of 
the  Grecians  against  the  Hebrews,  because  their  widows 
were  neglected  in  the  daily  ministration.  Then  the  twelve 
called  the  multitude  of  the  disciples  unto  them,  and  said : 
"  It  is  not  reason  that  we  should  leave  the  word  of  God  and 
serve  tables.  Wherefore,  brethren,  look  ye  out  among  you 
seven  men  of  honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
wisdom,  whom  we  may  appoint  over  this  business.  But  we 
will  give  ourselves  continually  to  prayer,  and  to  the 
ministry  of  the  word."  This  advice  was  unanimously 
adopted,  and  they  chose  Stephen,  a  man  full  of  faith  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  Philip  and  Prochorus,  Nicanor  and 
Timotheus,  Parmenas  and  Nicolas,  a  proselyte  of  Antioch; 
and  set  them  before  the  apostles,  who,  when  they  had  prayed, 
laid  their  hands  on  them.    The  number  of  the  disciples 

*  Acta  ▼.  17—33.  «  Acts  ▼.  34 — 42. 


A.D.  3:1.]  ST.  Stephen's  mabtyedom.  167 

multiplied  in  Jerusalem  greatly,  and  a  great  companj  of  the 
priests  were  obedient  to  the  faith.* 

Stephen,  full  of  grace  and  power,  did  great  wonders  and 
miracles  among  the  people.  The  Jews,  therefore,  moved 
with  envy,  rose  up  against  him,  and  disputed  with  him,  but 
were  not  able  to  resist  the  wisdom  and  the  spirit  by  which 
he  spoke.  Then  they  suborned  false  witnesses,  who  asserted 
that  they  had  heard  him  speak  blasphemous  words  against 
Moses  and  against  God.  And  they  stirred  up  the  people, 
and  the  elders,  and  the  scribes,  and  arresting  him,  brought 
him  before  the  council,  and  began  to  accuse  him.  And  all 
that  sat  in  the  council  saw  his  face,  as  it  had  been  the  face 
of  an  angel.  Being  examined  by  the  high  priest,  Stephen 
made  an  eloquent  reply,  and  boldly  unfolded  the  history  of 
the  fathers  with  great  wisdom,  expatiating  fitly  on  the 
merits  of  Abraham,  Moses,  and  the  other  patriarchs,  and 
concluding  with  an  account  of  many  great  events  in  a  few 
words.  He  then  rebuked  the  unbelievers,  and  those  who 
despised  the  law,  calling  them  plainly  stiff-necked  and 
uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears,  who  always  resisted 
the  Holy  G-host,  and  persecuted  the  prophets.  When 
they  heard  these  things,  they  were  cut  to  the  heart,  and 
gnashed  on  him  with  their  teeth.  But  he,  being  full 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  looked  up  steadfastly  into  heaven 
and  saw  the  glory  of  God,  and  said:  "Behold,  I  see 
the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Son  of  man  standing  on  the 
right  hand  of  God.'*  Then  they  cried  out  with  a  loud 
Voice,  and  stopped  their  ears,  and  ran  upon  him  with  one 
^cord,  and  cast  him  out  of  the  city,  and  stoned  him :  and 
the  witnesses  laid  down  their  clothes  at  a  young  man's  feet 
whose  name  was  Saul.  And  they  stoned  Stephen,  calling 
upon  God,  and  saying:  "Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit." 
And  he  kneeled  down  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice :  "  Lord, 
%  not  this  sin  to  their  charge."  And  when  he  had  said 
this,  he  fell  asleep  in  the  Lord.^  This  happened  in  the 
second  year  of  our  Lord's  ascension,  on  the  seventh  of  the 
calends  of  January  [December  26].  Devout  men  then 
carried  the  corpse  of  the  first  martyr  to  Gamaliel's  country 

^  A-cts  vi.  1 — 7.    Our  author,  in  his  list  of  the  seven  deacons,  inserts 
Timotheus  instead  of  Timon. 
'  Acte  ?i.  8— Yii  60. 


168  0BDSBICU8  TITALI8.  [b.II.  CH.I. 

house,  whicH  is  called  Caphargamala,  where  thej  buried  him 
with  respect,  and  made  great  lamentation  orer  him.  Nico- 
demus,  Gamaliel,  and  Abibas,  were  afterwards  interred  in  the 
same  spot.  This  great  treasure  remained  concealed  there  for 
three  centimes,  until  the  priest  Ludan  discovered  it  bj  a 
revelation  from  Gh>d;  and  John,  bishop  of  Jerusalem, 
ordered  it  to  be  carried  to  that  city,  in  the  seventh  year  of 
the  reign  of  the  emperor  Honorius  [a.d.  415].^ 

After  Stephen  was  stoned,  a  great  persecution  arose 
against  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  and  thev  were  all  scat- 
tered abroad  throughout  the  regions  of  Judea  and  Samaria, 
except  the  apostles.  But  during  this  dispersion,  the  dis- 
ciples, strengthened  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  passed  into  several 
countries,  and  there  preached  the  word  of  Otod,  Then 
Philip  preached  Christ  in  Samaria,  and  wrought  before  his 
hearers  many  wonderful  works  in  the  name  of  Christ,  healing 
the  paralytic,  the  lame,  and  those  possessed  with  a  devil. 
The  Samaritans  gave  heed  with  one  accord  unto  the  things 
which  Philip  spake,  and  received  the  true  faith  with  great 
alacrity.  Then  Simon  Magus  (who  had  long  bewitched  the 
people  of  Samaria,  and  blmded  them  with  his  sorceries  to 
such  a  degree  that  these  deluded  men  looked  upon  him  as 
some  great  one,  and  called  him  the  great  power  of  God) 
believed  also  when  he  heard  Philm  preaching  the  things 
concerning  the  kingdom  of  God.  Being  baptized  in  com- 
pany with  other  men  and  women  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Chnst,  Simon  continued  with  Philip,  and  beholding  the 
signs  and  great  miracles  which  were  wrought,  marv^ed 
much  at  things  so  extraordinarjr.' 

Now  when  the  apostles,  which  were  at  Jerusalem,  heard 
that  Samaria  had  received  the  word  of  God,  they  sent  unto 
them  Peter  and  John,  who,  when  they  were  come  down, 
prayed  for  them,  that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Then  laid  they  their  hands  on  those  who  were  baptized, 
and  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost.'  Hence  proceeds  tiie 
institution  of  the  church,  that,  after  the  catechumens  have 

^  Our  author  is  mistaken  as  to  the  time  of  St.  Stephen's  martyrdom^ 
which  happened  only  about  nine  months  after  our  Lord's  death.  As  to 
the  discovery  of  hia  relics  in  415,  see  book  i.  p.  106,  and  note  p.  107. 

"  Acts  viii.  l-r-13. 

»  Acts  Tiii  14-.17. 


iuD.  34.]  8IM0K  MAGUS.  169 

leodhred  the  ■acrament  of  baptism  from  the  priest,  the 
bishop  shall  laj  hands  on  them,  offering  up  prajers  in  their 
beiialfy  and  anointing  them  with  the  c&ism ;  and  thus  the 
eonfirmation  of  those  who  are  baptized  is  completed  by  the 
gift  of  the  seyenfold  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  When 
Simon  saw  that,  through  the  laying  on  of  the  apostles'  hands 
the  Holy  Ghhost  was  given,  he  offered  them  money,  say- 
ing, "  G-ive  me  also  this  power,  that  on  whomsoerer  I  lay 
himds,  he  may  receive  the  Holy  Ghhost."  But  Peter  said 
unto  him :  "  Thy  money  perish  with  thee,  because  thou  hast 
thought  that  the  gift  of  God  may  be  purchased  with  money. 
Thou  hast  neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  matter,  for  thy  heart 
is  not  right  in  the  sight  of  God.  Eepent  therefore  of  this 
thjr  wickedness,  and  pray  God,  if  perhaps  the  thought  of 
thme  heart  may  be  forgiven  thee.  For  I  perceive  that 
thou  art  in  the  gaU  of  bitterness,  and  in  the  bond  of  ini- 
qnity."  But  Simon,  making  light  of  the  apostle's  words, 
left  him,  and  became  an  apostate,  and  for  a  lon^  time  pro- 
voked the  anger  of  God  by  his  innumerable  crimes.  The 
apostles,  when  they  had  spoken  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  preached  the  gospel  in  many 
parts  of  Samaria.^ 

At  the  command  of  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  Philip  went  to 
meet  Candaoe,  the  eunuch  who  had  the  charge  of  all  the 
treasure  of  the  queen  of  the  Ethiopians,  as  he  was  returning 
from  Jerusalem ;  and  having  mounted  the  chariot,  sat  by 
liim,  and  expounded  to  him  the  book  of  the  prophet  Isaiah 
which  he  was  reading ;  and  commencing  with  the  prediction 
of  tiie  slaughter  of  the  unresisting  Lamb,  preached  unto  him 
Jesus.  The  eunuch,  listening  to  him  with  pleasure,  readily 
eomprehended  and  believed  Imn,  and,  as  soon  as  they  found 
water, was  baptized;  and  then  returned  to  his  own  country, 
rejoicing  in  his  renewal  by  holy  regeneration.  But  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  caught  away  Philip,  who  preached  the 
gospel  in  all  the  cities  from  Azotus  to  Csesarea.' 

^  Acta  Tiii.  18 — 25,  The  account  given  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
ndi  very  difiBeiently :  ^  Then  answered  Simon  and  said,  Pray  ye  to  the 
Ufd  for  me^  that  none  of  these  things  which  ye  have  spoken  come  upon 

XB8.** 

'  Acts  vliL  26 — 40.  Our  author  has  confiised  the  name  of  the  eunuch 
^  that  of  the  queen  of  Ethiopia. 


170  0EDESICU8  YITALIB.  [b.H.  CH.I. 

Saul,  yet  breathing  out  threatenings  and  slaughter 
against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord,  desired  of  the  high  priest 
letters  to  Damascus  to  the  synagogues,  that  he  might  be 
able  to  make  havoc  of  the  church  of  God,  and  bring  the 
men  and  women  of  the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes  bound 
to  Jerusalem.  As  he  came  near  Damascus,  a  light  from 
heaven  shone  about  him.  Falling  to  the  ground,  he  heard 
the  Lord  rebuke  him ;  he  forthwith  repented,  and  his  con- 
version was  profitable  both  to  himself  and  many  others. 
Being  led  into  Damascus  by  his  companions,  who  heard 
indeed  the  voice  of  the  Lord  talking  with  Saul,  but  saw  no 
one,  he  was  three  days  without  sight,  and  neither  did  eat 
nor  drink.  Ananias,  whom  the  Lord  sent  to  him,  put  his 
hands  upon  him,  comforted  him,  restored  his  sight,  and 
baptized  him.  Thus  Saul,  who  before  had  ravened  as  a 
wolf,  and  was  a  cruel  persecutor  of  the  church,  became 
not  only  a  lamb,  but  fearless  as  a  ram,  a  chosen  vessel,  and 
the  teacher  of  the  Gentiles.  He  immediately  entered  the 
synagogues,  and  preached  Jesus,  that  he  is  the  Son  of  Gt)d, 
to  the  great  amazement  of  all  present,  who  remembered  the 
bigotry  with  which  in  times  past  he  had  zealously  followed 
the  traditions  of  the  fathers.^ 

Saul  increased  the  more  in  strength,  and  confounded 
the  Jews  which  dwelt  at  Damascus.  But  his  faithful  testi- 
mony roused  their  implacable  hatred  against  him ;  so  much 
BO,  that  a  short  time  after  they  narrowly  searched  for  him, 
intending  to  kill  him,  and  placed  sentries  day  and  night 
at  the  gates  of  the  city,  to  prevent  his  escape.  But  the 
disciples,  discovering  the  schemes  of  his  enemies,  defeated 
their  projects  by  letting  him  down  by  the  wall,  in  a  basket, 
during  the  night.  When  Saul  was  come  to  Jerusalem, 
he  endeavoured  to  join  himself  to  the  disciples ;  but  th^ 
were  all  afraid  of  him,  and  believed  not  that  he  was  a 
disciple.  But  Barnabas  took  him,  brought  him  to  the 
disciples,  and  related  to  them  how  he  had  seen  the  Lord 
in  the  way,  and  told  them  all  the  other  things  that  had 
happened,  and  Saul  faithfully  attached  himself  to  the  disci- 
ples. He,  therefore,  returned  thanks  to  God,  and  continued 
with  them  coming  in  and  going  out,  doing  every  thing  boldly 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.    He  disputed  against  the 

»  Acts  ix.  1—21. 


A.]).  35.]  ST.  PETES  Ain)   COBlHELirS.  l7l 

Grecians,  confounded  the  Jews,  and  by  God's  help  refuted 
them  all.  The  leaders  among  them,  thus  baffled  in  argu- 
ment, were  so  enraged  at  Saul,  that  they  tried  to  kill  him. 
Which  when  the  brethren  knew,  they  brought  him  down  to 
Gesarea,  and  sent  him  forth  to  Tarsus.  Then  had  the 
.  ehurches  rest  throughout  all  Judea  and  Galilee  and  Samaria, 
I  and  were  edified ;  and  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  were 
\  filled  with  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  the  multi- 
tude of  believers  increased.* 

The  apostle  Peter  healed  at  Lydda  a  man  sick  of  the 
palsy,  named  Eneas,  who  had  kept  his  bed  eight  years. 
Ana  all  that  dwelt  in  Lydda  and  Saron,  when  they  wit- 
nessed this  miracle,  turned  to  the  Lord.  At  Joppa, 
Tabitha,  full  of  good  works  and  alms-deeda,  died,  and  was 
laid  by  the  brethren  in  an  upper  chamber.  The  disci- 
ples, hearing  that  Peter  was  at  Joppa,  which  was  not  far 
from  Lydda,  sent  unto  him  two  men,  desiring  him  to  come 
to  them.  As  soon  as  he  receiyed  the  message  of  the  breth- 
ren, he  humbly  obeyed  the  summons.  When  Peter  was 
come,  all  the  widows  stood  round  him  weeping,  and  showing 
the  coats  and  garments  which  Dorcas  made  for  them.  But 
Peter  put  them  all  forth,  and  kneeled  down,  and  prayed ;  and 
turning  to  the  body  said,  "  Tabitha,  arise."  And  she  opened 
her  eyes,  and  when  she  saw  Peter,  she  sat  up,  and  he,  giving 
her  Ins  hand,  lifted  her  up,  and  presented  her  alive  to  the 
8aints  and  widows.  This  miracle  was  known  throughout 
all  Joppa,  and  many  believed  in  the  Lord !' 

Cornelius,  a  centurion  of  the  cohort,  called  the  Italian 
band,  a  devout  man,  and  one  that  feared  God  with  all  his 
house,  was  constantly  employed  in  acts  of  charity  and 
prayers  for  his  eternal  wel&re.  This  man  saw  plainly  in  a 
vision,  about  the  ninth  hour  of  the  day,  an  angel  of  God, 
and  as  he  regarded  him  with  deep  awe,  heard  him  say,  "  Cor- 
nelius, thy  prayers  and  thine  alms  are  come  up  for  a  memo- 
rial before  God."  The  angel  then  commanded  him  to  send 
for  Simon  Peter,  who  would  give  him  saving  advice.  He 
therefore  immediately  obeyed  the  order,  and  sent  three  men 
to  Peter.  On  the  morrow,  as  they  drew  nigh  unto  the  city, 
Peter  went  up  upon  the  house-top  to  pray,  about  the  sixth 
hour.  While  he  was  fasting,  and  his  thoughts  were  dwelling 
»  Acts  ix.  22—31.  «  AcU  ix.  32—4^. 


172  OJIDSUCUS  TITAXI8.  [b.H.  OH.L   : 

on  heayenly  things,  he  saw  in  a  trance  heaven  opened,  and  "; 
a  certain  yessel  descending  unto  him,  as  it  had  been  a  greafc  r^ 
sheet,  knit  at  the  four  comers,  and  let  down  from  heayea  to  ": 
the  earth,  wherein  were  all  manner  of  four-footed  beasts  and  i- 
creeping  things  of  the  earth,  and  fowls  of  the  air.  And  f_ 
there  came  a  voice  to  him,  saying,  *'  Bise,  Peter,  kill  and  \r 
eat."  But  Peter  said,  "  Not  so.  Lord ;  for  I  have  never  fc 
eaten  any  thing  that  is  common  or  unclean."  And  the  ^ 
voice  spake  unto  him  again  the  second  time,  ^  What  the  j: 
Lord  hath  cleansed,  that  call  not  thou  common."  This  was  j 
done  thrice,  and  the  vessel  was  immediately  received  up  |^ 
a^in  into  heaven.  By  this  revelation  the  conversion  of  the  ji 
dentiles  through  the  four  climates  of  the  world,  in  every  , 
language  and  nation,  was  divinely  intimated  to  Peter ;  and  h 
he  was  plainly  taught  by  Gk)d  himself  not  to  reject  any  one  \ 
who  wished  to  be  converted.  £e-assured  and  jojrfm,  he  ip 
hospitably  received  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  tanner  the  f 
messengers  of  Cornelius,  and  on  the  following  day  aocom-  Ip 
panied  them  to  Csesarea  of  Palestine.  On  his  arrival  there,  . 
he  found  Cornelius,  with  his  kinsmen  and  intimate  friends 
expecting  him,  and  as  they  were  ready  to  hear  him  preadi 
and  obey  his  words,  he  kindly  complied  with  their  wishes.^ 

Peter,  therefore,  opening  his  mouth,  said :  '^  Of  a  truth  I 
perceive  that  Otod  is  no  respecter  of  persons;  but  in  ev«y 
nation,  he  that  feareth  him  and  worketh  righteousness,  u 
accepted  with  him.  He  sent  his  word  unto  the  childrra 
of  Israel,  preaching  peace  by  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  Lord 
of  all."  When  Peter  had  proclaimed  these  and  many  other 
thin£;s,  respecting  the  advent  of  our  Saviour  and  eternal  life, 
and  had  supplied  the  thirsty  souls  with  copious  draughts  of 
the  water  of  life  from  the  fountain  of  heavenly  doctrine, ' 
the  Holy  G-host  fell  on  all  who  heard  the  word,  and 
suddenly  conferred  upon  them  the  gift  of  languages.  Then 
Peter,  to  the  great  surprise  of  those  of  the  circumcison  who  j 
had  accompanied  him,  baptized  Cornelius  and  all  those  who 
believed  with  him.* 

Li  compliance  with  the  invitation  of  his  distinguished 

*  Acts  X.  1—33. 

*  Acts  X.  34 — 48.  There  is  a  slight  difference  in  the  two  accountSL 
Here  we  have  St  Peter  baptizing  the  centurion  and  his  fHends,  in  the 
Acts  we  are  told  that  the  apostle  commanded  them  to  be  baptized. 


i..l>.  37 — 48.]  i^T.  PAUL  AT  ANTIOCH.  173 

eoHreriB,  Peter  remained  some  days  at  CaBsarea,  and  haying 
confirmed  them  in  the  faith,  went  up  to  Jerusalem,  where 
lie  related  to  his  fellow  apostles  the  conversion  of  the 
Gentiles.  Then  certain  men  that  were  of  the  circumcision, 
contended  with  him,  saying,  "  Why  wentest  thou  in  to  men 
tmeircumcised,  and  didst  eat  with  them  ?"  But  Peter  began 
to  explain  to  them,  in  regular  order,  how,  while  fasting  and 
praying  in  the  city  of  Joppa,  he  had  seen  a  yision  in  a 
trance^  wherein  Gtoa  showed  him  the  calling  and  conyersion 
of  the  G^tiles,  and  promised  his  aid;  giving  them,  further, 
a  simple  account  of  all  that  had  happened.  When  they 
heard  these  things,  they  held  their  peace ;  and  being  full 
(^  brotherly  love,  praised  and  glorified  God,  who  saves 
efea  Gemtiles  through  repentance.  The  faithful  of  Cyprus 
tod  Gyrene,  and  others,  who  were  scattered  abroad  by  the 
persecution  that  arose  about  Stephen,  travelled  as  far  as 
Fhenice,  and  Cyprus,  and  Antioch,  preaching  the  word  to 
none  but  Jews.  But  when  they  were  come  to  Antioch, 
tiiey  made  known  the  Lord  Jesus  to  the  Greeks,  and  a 
great  number  believed  and  turned  to  the  Lord.  The  church 
which  was  in  Jerusalem  hearing  this,  rejoiced  in  the  Lord, 
tod  sent  forth  Barnabas,  a  good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  of  faith,  who,  when  he  came  to  Antioch,  and  had 
seen  the  grace  of  God,  was  glad,  and  having  comforted  the 
disciples,  departed  to  Tarsus,  to  seek  Saul.  From  thence 
tiiey  both  went  together  to  Antioch,  where  they  frequented 
the  church  a  whole  year,  and  taught  much  people.  And 
the  difidples  were  called  Christians  first  at  Antiodi.^ 

Then  one  of  the  prophets  who  came  from  Jerusalem,  of  the 
name  of  Agabus,  predicted  by  inspiration  that  there  would 
be  a  great  dearth,  upon  which  Saul  and  Barnabas,  having 
leceived  from  their  brethren  the  contributions  intended  for 
file  relief  of  the  saints,  were  despatched  to  Jerusalem.' 

Tiberius  CsBsar  reigned  about  twenty-two  years.  In  the 
eighteenth  year  of  his  reign,  as  history  correctly  states,  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  suffered  on  the  cross,  rose  again  firom  the 
dead,  performed,  in  an  ineffable  manner,  many  miracles, 

^  Acts  xi  1 — 26.  This  famine,  which  is  mentioned  before,  book  i.  pp. 
9Bf  86,  was  predicted  a.d.  43,  began  in  44,  and  continued  to  desolate  the 
East  for  several  years, 

«  Acto  xi.  27—30. 


174  OSDESICUS  YITiXIB.  [b.H.  CH.I 

which  becoming  known  far  and  wide  throughout  the  world 
were  the  subject  of  a  report  from  Pilate  to  Tiberius 
adding,  that  on  account  of  the  innumerable  wonders  effected 
in  his  name,  Christ  was  already  looked  upon  as  a  God. 
Tiberius  informed  the  senate  of  all  that  had  come  to  Ins 
knowledge.  But  this  body,  we  are  told,  as  Tertullian  writes 
in  his  Apology,  showed  nothing  but  contempt  for  Christ, 
because  the  judgment  of  this  affair  had  not  been  referred  at 
first  to  it,  but  the  decision  of  the  mob  had  anticipated  its 
authority.  For,  according  to  an  ancient  law,  no  one  could 
be  considered  a  god  amongst  the  Eomans,  if  the  title  was 
not  confirmed  by  a  decree  of  the  senate.  Moreover,  as 
Eusebius  of  Csesarea  assures  us,  in  the  second  book  of  his 
"Ecclesiastical  History,"  what  had  taken  place  was  neces- 
sary to  prevent  our  thinking  that  the  divine  power  has 
any  need  of  the  support  of  human  laws.  As  we  have  just 
stated,  the  senate  refusing  to  acknowledge  Christ,  Tiberius 
maintained  his  own  opinion,  and  forbade  any  one  from 
offering  molestation  to  the  Christians.*  Divine  Providence, 
no  doubt,  inspired  the  emperor  with  this  determination,  in 
order  that,  at  first,  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  might  be 
universally  extended  without  opposition.  The  consequence 
was  that  suddenly,  like  light  flashing  from  heaven,  or  the  rays 
of  the  rising  sun,  the  word  of  God  illuminated  the  whole 
world  with  the  brightness  of  its  divine  light,  that  the  pro- 
phecy might  be  accomplished,  which  said,  "  Their  sound 
went  into  all  the  earth,  and  their  words  unto  the  ends  a. 
the  world."  *  From  that  time,  in  every  town,  and  village, 
an  immense  number  of  people  congregated  in  the  churches, 
as  the  sheaves  in  harvest-time  are  crowded  into  the  barns. 
All  those  who  were  held  by  the  bonds  of  a  deadly  supersti- 
tion, handed  down  to  them  by  their  fathers,  now  freed  from 
their  tyrannical  masters  by  receiving  the  knowledge  of  tii« 
word  of  Qod,  through  the  teaching  of  Christ,  ana  by  wit- 

i  Tiberius,  as  before  remarked,  reigned  little  more  than  twenty-two 
.  years  and  a  half  after  the  death  of  Augustus.  His  prohibition  of  pe^ 
secuting  the  Christians,  if  it  really  did  take  place,  must  have  beoi  issued 
A.D.  35 ;  but  there  is  some  difficulty  in  crediting  it,  notwithstanding  all 
the  documents  respecting  it  alleged  by  Turtullian  and  St.  Justin  t^ 
authentic. 

^  Psalm  xviii.  5.    Rom.  x.  18. 


A.D.  37 — 41.]  OCPIETT  OP   GALiaULA.  175 

nessing  the  miracles  performed  in  his  name,  turned  to  the 
one  true  God  and  Lord,  their  Creator,  repenting  of  their 
old  errors  which  they  faithfully  confessed. 

On  the  death  of  Tiherius,  Caius  Caligula  ascended  the 
throne,  but  did  not  fill  it  quite  four  years.  He  gave  tho 
gOTemment  of  Judea  to  Herod  Agrippa,  son  of  Aristobulus, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  conferred  upon  him  the  tetrarchates 
of  Philip  and  Lysanias,  to  which  he  also  shortly  afterwards 
added  that  of  Herod.  This  same  Herod  was  the  author  of 
the  death  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  had  treated  the  Lord 
with  derision  a  short  time  before  his  passion.  The  emperor, 
after  having  tormented  him  in  many  ways,  banished  him  for 
life  to  Spain,  as  Josephus,  the  ramous  historian  of  the 
Hebrews,  relates  in  his  writings.* 

At  this  time  Philo  the  Jew,  a  most  celebrated  writer,  who 
stands  in  the  first  ranks  among  those  who  have  studied  the 
philosophy  of  the  Greeks,  bequeathed  to  posterity  glorious 
monuments  of  his  learning.  Among  other  things,  he  de- 
scribes the  cruelty  and  folly  of  Caligula,  who  carried  his 
pride  to  such  a  pitch  that  he  aspired  to  be  worshipped  as  a 
god,  and  profaned  the  sanctuary  at  Jerusalem  by  setting  up 
idols  in  the  temples.  In  addition  to  this,  the  Jews,  in 
punishment  for  their  daring  and  heinous  cruelties  to  Christ, 
Buffered  fearful  massacres  and  tribulations,  as  the  learned 
men  above  named,  Fhilo  and  Josephus,  relate  in  their  works. 
Indeed,  from  the  time  they  committed  the  impious  crime, 
they  were  constantly  exposed  to  the  fury  of  seditions,  and 
eontinually  the  victims  of  war  and  murder,  until  at  last 
their  ruin  was  complete  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Ves- 
jMsian.  Pilate,  who,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  the  reign  of 
jKberius  Csssar,  had  been  named  procurator  of  Judea,  and 
had  pronounced  sentence  of  death  on  Christ,  suffered  such 
persecution  by  the  orders  of  Caius,  that  he  killed  himself 
with  his  own  hand.  During  this  reign,  Matthew,  who 
preached  in  Judea,  wrote  his  gospel  in  the  Hebrew  tongue.* 

1  See  before,  book  i.,  page  85.     [16  or  26  March,  37 — January  24, 41.] 

*  The  account  given  by  Philo  of  the  follies,  the  cruelties,  and  the 

.impieties  of  Caligula,  in  connexion  with  the  Jews,  may  be  seen  in  his 

VDrk,  De  Virtutibua,  sive  de  legatione  ad  Gaium.    This  mission  took 

place  in  the  year  40.     The  attempt  of  Caligula  to  have  his  statue  raised  in 

the  temple  at  Jerusalem  was  made  in  September  of  that  year,  although 


176  OSDBSICTTB  YITALI8.  [b.II.  CH.I. 

Caius  CsBsar  havine  been  put  to  death,  Claudius  reigned 
thirteen  years  and  eight  months.  During  his  reign  a  fiigh^ 
ful  famine  desolated  the  whole  world,  as  Luke  tells  us  the 
prophet  Agabus  predicted.  About  that  time,  during  the 
famine  which  happened  under  Claudius,  Herod  the  king 
stretched  forth  his  hands  to  vex  certain  of  the  church. 
Then  James,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  an  apostle  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  visited  all  Judea  and  Samaria,  and  performed 
manj  miracles  by  the  power  of  Christ.  He  disputed  in  the 
synagogues  with  the  unbelievers,  and  expounded  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  proving  that  every  thing  which  had  been  pre- 
dicted by  the  prophets,  was  fulfilled  in  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

Hermogenes,  the  magician,  when  he  heard  how  highly 
James  was  spoken  of  on  account  of  his  virtues,  was  filled 
with  envy,  and  sent  his  disciple  Fhiletus  to  watch  the 
motions  of  the  apostle.  Attended  by  a  few  pharisees^ 
Fhiletus  tried  to  oppose  James,  and  to  shake  the  truth  of 
his  preaching  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  the  apostle 
persisted  with  confidence  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  proving  the 
falsehood  of  his  adversary's  assertions  shewed  from  the 
sacred  scriptures  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  true  Son 
of  Ghod.  Eetuming  to  Hermogenes,  Fhiletus  bestowed  tiie 
highest  praises  on  James,  honestly  admitted  the  truth  of 
his  statement  respecting  the  true  faith,  extolled  him  as 
invincible  in  argument,  and  pubUshed  abroad  l^e  numerous 
miracles  he  had  seen  or  heard  of.  He  ended  his  narrative 
by  advising  his  master  to  go  with  him  immediately  to  the 
apostle  to  entreat  his  favour  and  number  themselves  among 
his  disciples.  But  Hermogenes  was  so  much  incensed,  that 
he  put  Fhiletus  in  bonds,  and  he  was  unable  to  move.  As 
soon  as  the  apostle  was  apprized  by  the  son  of  Fhiletus  of 
this  treatment,  he  sent  his  handkerchief  to  him,  and  com^ 
manded  him  to  touch  it  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  This 
done,  Fhiletus  was  delivered  from  the  bonds  of  the  magician, 
and  hastening  to  James  in  great  joy,  laughed  at  these  dia- 

Philo  places  it  in  the  spring.  The  same  year  Pilate  appears  to  hare  killed 
himself  in  despair  at  his  disgrace,  while,  as  it  is  supposed,  he  was  in  exile  at 
Vienne,  in  Daophiny;  and  it  is  reckoned  that  about  this  time  St  Maltheir 
composed  his  gospel  in  Hebrew,  or  rather  Syro-Chaldsic ;  and  it  wM 
immediately  tnmslated  into  Greek. 


A.D.  41 — 43.]         LEGEin)  OP  HEKMOGENES.  177 

Mical  sorceries.  However,  tHe  magician,  seriously  grieved, 
ealled  up  the  demons  bv  his  nefarious  art,  and  commanded 
them  to  bring  to  him  James  and  Philetus  in  chains.  But 
tiie  devils,  as  soon  as  they  made  their  appearance  in  the  air, 
liegan  to  howl,  complaining,  with  horrible  groans,  that  the 
angel  of  Gbd  had  bound  them  with  chains  of  fire  which 
eaosed  them  excruciating  pain.  At  last,  being  set  free  by 
^er  of  the  apostle,  they  went  back  to  Hermogenes,  and, 
in  turn  binding  his  hands  behind  with  cords,  led  him  thus 
bound  before  James. 

The  blessed  apostle  rebuked  the  magician,  telling  him 
tihst  the  society  of  demons  was  a  detestable  thing,  and 
ruinous  to  man:  he  then  ordered  Philetus  to  untie  the 
oordR  with  which  the  magician,  who  stood  before  him  humi- 
liated and  confounded,  was  bound.  Thus  liberated,  he  seized 
the  apostle's  staff  to  defend  himself  against  the  fury  of  the 
demons,  and  ordered  his  disciples  to  bring  from  his  house, 
on  their  shoulders,  several  coners  full  of  books.  He  then 
began  to  throw  the  books  into  the  fire,  but  in  compliance 
mk  the  commands  of  the  apostle,  he  filled  the  coffers  with 
Bixmes  and  lead,  and  cast  them  into  the  sea,  lest  the  smell 
arising  from  the  combustion  of  polluted  things  should  do 
vnaxj  to  those  who  were  imaware  of  their  witchcraft. 
Hermogenes,  thus  delivered  from  the  burthen  of  magic, 
letumed  to  the  apostle,  and  humbly  embracing  his  feet, 
nuoiifested  sincere  repentance  to  God ;  and,  attaching  him- 
self to  the  blessed  James,  obeyed  him  in  all  things.  He 
tinxs  began  to  attain  such  a  state  of  perfection  in  the  fear 
of  Gk)d,  that  the  Lord  through  him  wrought  several  mira- 

,  eleB,by  witnessing  which  many  persons  turned  to  the  Lord, 
renouncing  their  errors  and  forsaking  their  evil  deeds. 
The  Jews,  persevering  in  their  malice,  when  they  saw 

I  ftat  the  magician,  whom  they  considered  invincible,  and  his 
friends,  had  become  believers  in  Christ,  offered  money  to 
I^  and  Theocritus,  the  centurions  of  Jerusalem,  who 
airested  James,  and  committed  him  to  prison.  The  apostle 
was  brought  with  great  tumult  into  the  judgment-hall, 
where  all  admired  his  confidence  in  the  Lord.  Being 
qiiestioned  by  the  Pharisees,  he  returned  excellent  answers, 
sad  commented  on  the  holy  scriptures  with  wisdom  and 
eloquence.     He  proved  from  them  irrefragably  Christ's 

TOl.  I.  W 


178  OBDEEICVS  TITiXIB.  [b.h.  cn.i. 

birth  from  a  pure  yirgin,  his  passion  and  resorrection,  and 
all  the  rest  as  confessed  hj  the  Catholic  church.  The  apostle 
concluded  his  discourse  with  such  power,  that  all  who  were 
present  believed,  confessed  their  sins,  and  became  faithful 
adherents  to  the  church  of  GK>d. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  Abiathar,  the  chief  priest,  per- 
ceiving  that  so  great  a  multitude  believed  in  the  Lord,  wai 
grieved  to  the  heart,  and  by  giving  money  to  the  people, 
stirred  up  a  violent  tumult ;  the  result  of  which  was,  that 
the  scribe  Josias  put  a  cord  round  the  neck  of  the  apostle, 
and  dragged  him  to  the  palace  of  king  Herod,  son  of 
Aristobulus.  The  king,  wishing  to  please  the  Jews,  ordered 
that  he  should  be.  beheaded.  While  James  was  on  the  way 
to  the  place  of  execution,  he  saw  a  man,  afflicted  with  the  palsy, 
lying  on  the  ground,  who  begged  him  with  £&ith  to  heal  his 
infirmity ;  the  apostle  said  to  him,  "  In  the  name  of  my 
crucified  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  whose  sake  I  am  led  away 
to  be  beheaded,  rise  up  sound  in  every  limb,  and  bless  your 
Saviour."  The  palsied  man  immediately  got  up,  and  re- 
joicing at  being  able  to  run,  began  to  bless  the  Lord. 
At  this  sight,  Josias  threw  himself  at  the  apostle's  feet,  and 
humbly  implored  his  pardon. 

James,  perceiving  that  the  heart  of  the  scribe  was  visited 
by  the  grace  of  God,  rejoiced,  and  Josias  confessed  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  true  son  of  the  living  God.  Then  Abi»^ 
thar  ordered  him  to  be  detained  while  the  bystanders  beat 
him  in  the  face  with  their  hands,  and  having  sent  to  Herod 
a  report  of  what  had  happened,  requested  permission  to 
behead  the  new  convert  also.  When  James  had  embraced 
the  neophyte,  he  laid  his  hand  on  his  head,  and  blessed  him, 
making  the  sign  of  the  cross  upon  his  forehead.  Josias, 
thus  perfected  in  the  faith,  was  beheaded  with  the  apostle, 
and  the  Almighty  Emmanuel  granted  them  both  an  eternal 
reward. 

The  martyrdom  of  the  blessed  apostle  James,  the  brother 
of  John  the  great  Evangelist,  having  been  consummated 
on  the  8th  of  the  calends  of  August  [the  25th  of  July], 
the  day  on  which  the  devotion  of  the  church  celebrates  Ws 
festival,  seven  disciples  who  had  been  instructed  in  the  iarue 
faith  by  him,  and  were  present  at  his  passion,  by  divine 
inspiration,  placed  his  body  on  board  an  old  ship,  and  com-. 


JL.D.  44.]  PETEB  BELEASED  EBOM   PBISOIT.  179 

mitted  themselves  to  the  sea,  without  a  pilot,  without 
rigging,  but  full  of  confidence  in  God's  providence.  They 
arrived  in  a  miraculous  manner  on  the  coast  of  Spain,  and 
being  well  received  bv  the  king  of  Gbllicia,  were  the  first  to 
preach  the  faith  and  religion  to  the  Spanish  nation,  and 
gave  their  master  an  honourable  burial.  Manv  miracles 
were  there  efiected  through  the  merits  of  St.  James  the 
apostle,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  province  soon 
embr&ced  the  faith  of  Christ.  The  canons  of  the  cathedral 
church  watch  with  veneration  the  precious  body  of  the 
apostle ;  and  devout  Christians,  from  every  quarter  of  the 
globe,  flock  thither,  where  they  meet  to  implore  the  mercy 
of  God  through  the  intercession  of  the  apostle.* 

King  Herod,  called  Agrippa  by  Josephus,  finding  that 
the  execution  of  James  was  acceptable  to  the  Jews,  put 
Peter  also  in  prison,  and  delivered  him  to  the  custody  of 
four  quaternions  of  soldiers.  Peter,  therefore,  was  kept  in 
prison,  as  they  intended  after  Easter  to  bring  him  forth  to 
the  people,  to  put  him  to  death.  The  prayers  of  the  church 
ascended  incessantly  to  the  Divine  Majesty,  beseeching  him 
that  the  young  flock  might  not  be  deprived  of  the  guardian- 
ship of  its  pious  shepherd.  The  Lord,  in  his  clemency, 
listened  to  the  prayer  of  his  spouse  and  loving  handmaid 
on  behalf  of  her  protector.  Heavenly  aid  was  not  wanting 
to  the  church,  and  Herod's  cruel  designs  were  provided 
against  and  frustrated.  Peter  was  sleeping  at  night  between 
two  soldiers,  bound  with  two  chains,  and  the  keepers  before 
the  door  kept  the  prison ;  when  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  him,  surrounded  with  light,  and  smote  him  on  the  side, 
and  raised  him  up,  saying,  "  Eise  up  quickly."     Immediately 

'  All  that  is  known  with  any  certainty  of  St.  James  the  Great  is,  that  he 
was  the  first  of  the  apostles  who  shed  his  blood  for  the  faith,  haying  been 
beheaded  by  Herod  Agrippa  some  time  before  the  passover.  The  cireum- 
rtances  of  his  martyrdom,  related  by  our  author,  are  completely  apocry- 
phal, and  the  persons  introduced  supposititious,  including  the  high-priest 
Abiathar,  who  never  existed  but  in  the  days  of  David.  The  whole  of  this 
legend  is  merely  an  extract,  sufficiently  exact,  from  the  fourth  book  of  the 
"Apostolic  History"  of  the  Pseudo-Abdius,  printed  in  the  Codex  Apoery- 
thus  Novi  Teskmenti  of  J.  A.  Fabricius. 

If  the  relics  of  this  apostle  were  really  translated  to  Compostella,  which 
is  very  doubtful,  it  could  not  have  happened  before  the  seventh  or  eighth 
century.  It  is  certain  that  in  the  ninth  they  had  already  acquired  a  great 
leputatioii,  and  ivere  highly  venerated. 

K  2 


180  OBDEBICUS   TITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.I. 

the  chains  fell  from  off  his  hands,  and,  taking  his  girdle, 
binding  on  his  sandals,  and  casting  his  garment  about  him, 
he  followed  the  angel,  passing  through  the  guards,  unto  the 
iron  gate  which  opened  to  them  of  its  own  accord.  At  first 
he  thought  that  all  this  had  happened  in  a  dream;  but 
when  the  angel  had  departed  from  him,  Peter  came  to 
himself,  and,  perceiying  the  truth,  returned  thanks  to  his 
deliverer  for  his  escape.^  He  then  went  to  the  brethren 
who  were  assembled  in  the  house  of  Mary  the  mother  of 
John,  whose  surname  was  Mark,  and  as  he  knocked  at  the 
door,  a  damsel,  named  Bhoda,  went  to  see  who  was  there. 
When  she  knew  Peter's  voice,  she  opened  not  the  gate  for 
gladness,  but  ran  in,  and  told  how  Peter  stood  before  the 
gate.  At  length,  having  obtained  admission,  he  cheered  the 
drooping  spirits  of  the  astonished  disciples,  and  declared 
unto  them  now  the  Lord  had  brought  him  out  of  the  prison, 
and,  immediately  departing,  retired  to  another  place.  His 
escape  caused  great  commotion  among  the  soldiers,  and,  as 
they  could  not  discover  where  he  was.  King  Herod  was 
greatly  incensed  with  the  guards.  However,  his  cruel  treat- 
ment of  the  apostle  was  not  suffered  to  remain  long  un- 
Eunished ;  bitt  the  avenging  hand  of  God  was  quickly  upon 
im,  as  Luke  tells  us  in  the  ''  Acts  of  the  Apostles,"  and 
Josephus  in  the  nineteenth  book  of  his  "Antiquities." 
For  on  his  going  to  Ca&sarea,  anciently  caUed  the  Tower  of 
Strabo,  on  a  set  day,  he  entertained  the  citizens  with  public 
shows,  in  honour  of  the  emperor.  Splendidly  arrayed  in 
apparel  admirably  embroidered  with  gold  and  silver,  he 
proceeded  to  the  theatre,  and  sitting  upon  his  throne,  made 
an  oration  to  the  people,  who  shouted  that  it  was  not  the 
voice  of  a  man  but  of  a  god.  And  immediately  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  smote  him,  because  he  gave  not  God  the  glory ; 
and  five  days  afterwards  he  expired,  eaten  of  worms.' 
Agrippa,  the  son  of  Herod,  reigned  twenty-six  years,'  that 

»  Acts  xii.  3—12. 

'  Acts  xii  13 — 23.  The  death  of  Herod  Agrippa  certainly  happeaied 
A.i>.  44,  shortly  after  the  miraculous  deliverance  of  St.  Peter. 

'  It  might  be  supposed  from  our  author's  mode  of  expresaon,  that 
Agrippa  succeeded  his  father;  but  it  was  Herod,  his  uncle,  he  succeeded  in 
the  kingdom  of  Chalds  and  the  custody  of  the  temple,  a.d.  49.  Three 
years  afterwards  he  received  in  exchange  the  tetrarchate  of  Philip^  together 


A.D.  42 — 45.]  ST.  PAXIL  IN  CTPBU8.  181 

is  to  say,  imtil  the  extermination  of  the  Jews.  He  lived  in 
peace  with  the  Eomans  and  Christians,  and  the  word  of  Qod 
grew  and  multiplied. 

There  were  in  the  church  at  Antioch,  certain  prophets 
and  teachers,  viz.  Eamabas,  and  Simeon  Niger,  Lucius  of 
Cyrene,  Manaen,  foster-brother  of  Herod  the  tetrarch, 
and  Saul.  As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord  ^and  fasted, 
the  Holy  Ghost  said :  "  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for 
the  work  whereunto  I  have  called  them."  And  when  they 
had  fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands  on  them,  they 
sent  them  away.  So  they,  being  sent  forth  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  departed  unto  Seleucia,  and  from  thence  they  sailed 
to  Cyprus.  At  Salamine  they  preached  the  word  of  God  in 
the  synagogues  of  the  Jews,  and  travelled  over  the  island 
as  far  as  Paphos.^ 

There  the  proconsul,  Sergius  Paulus,  a  prudent  man, 
called  for  Eamabas  and  Saul,  and  having  thankfully  heard 
the  word  of  God,  believed.  The  apostle  then  struck  Ely- 
mas  the  sorcerer  blind  for  a  season,  because  he  withstood 
the  doctrine  of  the  faith.  Saul  now  justly  gained  the  name 
of  Paul,  from  the  first  among  the  gentiles  whom  he  brought 
into  subjection  to  the  faith,  as  Scipio  was  sumamed  Africanus 
after  he  conquered  Africa.  They  then  repaired  to  Perga  in 
PamphHia,  and  afterwards  to  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  where  they 
went  into  the  synagogue  on  the  sabbath-day,  and  sat  down. 
After  reading  the  law  and  the  prophets,  the  rulers  of  the 
synagogue  having  granted  permission,  Paul  stood  up,  and, 
beckoning  with  his  hand  for  silence,  admirably  reviewed  the 
history  of  the  patriarchs,  and  proved  clearly  that  the  pro- 
mises of  God,  made  long  before  by  the  prophets,  were  now 
fulfiUed  in  Christ.* 

The  next  sabbath-day  almost  the  whole  ci^  came  to  hear 
the  word  of  God,  but  the  most  bigoted  of  the  Jews  used  their 
earnest  endeavours  to  oppose  the  preaching  of  the  apostles 
by  their  blasphemous  outcries.  Then  Paul  and  Barnabas 
boldly  exclaimed  :  "  It  was  necessary  that  the  word  of  Gtod 
should  first  be  spoken  to  you ;  but  seeing  that  ye  put  it  from 

with  that  of  Lysanias.  After  the  destruction  of  Jenualem  (a.d.  70)  he 
came  to  reside  at  Rome,  where  he  died  in  the  year  90.  ^ 

1  Acts  xiii.  1—6.     (a.d.  42  or  44.) 

3  Acts  xiii.  7—43.     (a.d.  44  or  45.) 


182  OEDEEICUS  TITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.I. 

you,  and  judge  yourselves  unworthy  of  everlasting  life,  lo, 
we  turn  to  the  gentiles.  For  so  hath  the  Lord  commanded 
us,  saying :  '  I  have  set  thee  to  be  a  light  of  the  gentiles, 
that  thou  shouldest  be  for  salvation  unto  the  ends  of  the 
earth.' "  When  the  gentiles  heard  this,  they  were  glad, 
and  as  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life  believed. 
But  the  Jews  raised  persecution  against  Paul  and  Barna- 
bas, and  expelled  them  out  of  their  coast.  Then,  filled  with 
loy,  they  came  to  Iconium,  and  preached  in  the  synagogue 
both  to  the  Jews  and  Greeks.  Bemaining  in  that  city  for 
some  time,  they  laboured  boldly  for  the  glory  of  Q-od,  who 
worked  signs  and  wonders  by  their  hands.  But  the  imbe- 
lievers,  both  gentiles  and  Jews,  insulted  them  in  their  rage, 
and  attempted  to  stone  them.  But  they  fled  to  Lystra  and 
Derbe,  cities  of  Lycaonia,  and  unto  the  whole  region  that 
lieth  round  about,  and  there  they  preached  the  gospel ;  and 
their  doctrine  caused  a  great  commotion  among  the  whole 
population.^ 

At  Lystra,  a  lame  man,  who  had  never  been  able  to  walk, 
having  heard  Paul  speak,  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  was  immediately  healed,  and,  leaping  up  full  of  faith, 
glorified  the  Lord.  "When  the  people  saw  wnat  Paul  had 
done,  they  were  struck  with  wonder,  and  exclaimed,  in  the 
speech  of  Lycaonia :  "  The  gods  are  come  down  to  us,  in 
tne  likeness  of  men."  And  they  called  Barnabas,  Jupiter; 
and  Paul,  Mercurius.  Then  the  priest  of  Jupiter  and  the 
people  would  have  offered  sacrifice  to  them,  but  the  apostles 
unmediately  ran  in  among  the  people,  rending  their  clothes, 
and  humbly  gave  the  glory  of  the  miracle  to  the  Lord.  But 
although  they  thus  humbled  themselves,  they  could  scarcely 
restrain  the  people  from  doing  sacrifice  unto  them.  And 
there  came  suddenly  thither  Jews  from  Antioch  and 
Iconium,  who  persuaded  the  people  to  stone  Paul ;  so  that 
they  drew  him  out  of  the  city,  supposing  him  to  be  dead. 
But  while  the  disciples  stood,  round  him,  he  rose  up  and 
came  into  the  city,  and  the  next  day  he  departed  to  Derbe. 
Some  time  after,  the  two  apostles  returned  again  to 
Lystra,  Iconium,  and  Antioch,  and  passed  through  Pisidia, 
preaching  every  where  the  word  of  life,  and  strengthening 
the  souls  of  the  disciples  by  their  exhortations ;  and  when 

1  Acts  xiii.  44 — siv,  6.     (aj).  45.) 


a;d.  45 — 50.]     PAUL  aitd  baeitabas  at  jeetjsalem.    183 

they  had  ordained  them  elders  in  every  church,  and  had 
prayed  with  fasting,  they  commended  them  to  the  Lord. 
From  Paraphilia  they  went  down  into  Attalia,  and  thence 
sailed  to  Antioch.^ 

There  they  abode  a  long  time  with  the  disciples.  Then 
certain  men,  which  came  down  from  Judea,  persuaded  the 
believing  gentiles  to  be  circumcised  and  observe  the  law  of 
Moses.  Paul  and  Barnabas  opposed  this  teaching,  and  were 
sent,  by  unanimous  consent,  to  the  apostles  and  elders  at 
Jerusalem,  to  have  the  question  determined.  Passing 
through  Phenice  and  Samaria,  they  published  the  conversion 
of  the  gentiles,  and  caused  great  joy  unto  all  the  brethren. 
At  Jerusalem,  they  were  received  of  the  church,  and  de- 
clared all  things  that  God  had  done  with  them.  However, 
as  certain  of  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees,  which  believed,  were 
strongly  inclined  to  Judaize,  Simon  Peter,  James,  and  the 
other  elders  handled  with  great  zeal  the  question  proposed 
to  them,  and  at  last  decided,  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  chosen  and  experienced  brethren  should  be  sent 
to  the  gentiles,  entrusted  with  a  letter  requiring  them  to 
cast  off  all  other  burdens,  except  abstaining  from  meats 
offered  to  idols,  and  fromi  blood,  and  from  things  strangled, 
and  from  fornication.* 

Paul,  therefore,  and  Barnabas,  with  Judas,  sumamed  Bais 
sabas,  and  Silas,  were  sent  to  Antioch,  and  delivered  the 
epistle  of  the  apostles  and  elders  to  the  multitude  of  believers 
among  the  gentiles,  who,  when  they  had  read  it,  rejoiced 
for  the  consolation.  Judas  and  Silas,  being  also  prophets, 
comforted  the  brethren  with  many  words,  and  confirmed 
them,  and  after  a  while  returned  in  peace  to  Jerusalem. 
Notwithstanding,  Paul  and  Barnabas  preached  the  word  of 
the  Lord  for  some  tipie  at  Antioch.  On  their  departure 
from  thence,  they  separated;  Barnabas,  with  Mark  and 
John,  embarked  for  Cyprus,  while  Paul,  having  chosen 
Silas  for  his  companion,  went  through  Syria  and  Cilicia, 
confirming  the  churches,  and  commanding  them  to  observe 
the  commands  which  the  apostles  and  elders  had  given. 
He  then  came  to  Derbe  ana  Lystra,  and  there,  to  obviate 
the  subtle  scruples  of  the  Jews,  circumcised  Timothy,  who 

^  Acts  xiv.  7—25.     (a.d.  45,  46.) 
,  >  Acta  xiv,  26r-^XY.  29.     (a.ii.  50.*) 


I84r  OBDEKIOXJS  YITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.I 

was  the  son  of  a  gentile.  Passing  through  Phrygia,  G^alatia 
and  Mysia,  he  came  down  to  Troas,  and,  warned  by  a  vision  in 
the  night,  crossed  over  into  Macedonia.  He  preached  at 
Philippi,  which  is  the  chief  city  of  that  part  of  Macedonia, 
where  Lydia,  a  seller  of  purple,  who  worshipped  God, 
listened  to  the  things  which  were  spoken  of  Paul,  and 
believing,  and  being  baptized  with  her  household,  she  con- 
strained the  apostles,  by  her  repeated  entreaties,  to  lodge 
with  her.* 

As  Paul,  with  his  companions,  was  going  forth  to  prayer, 
he  was  met  by  a  certain  damsel  possessed  with  a  spirit  of 
divination,  who  brought  her  masters  much  gain  by  sooth- 
saying.  This  girl  followed  them  exclaiming,  "  These  men  are 
the  servants  of  the  most  high  G-od,  which  show  unto  us  the 
way  of  salvation."     Having  done  this  for  many  days,  Paul 
being  grieved,  said  to  the  spirit :  "  I  command  thee,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  come  out  of  her."     And  he  came 
out  the  same  hour.    But  when  her  masters  saw  that  the 
hope  of  their  gains  was  gone,  they  were  in  a  great  rage,  and 
caught  Paul,  and  Silas,  and  drew  them  into  the  market* 
place  unto  the  rulers,   and  accused  them  of  causing  dis- 
turbances in  the  city  by  introducing  customs  foreign  to  the 
manners  of  the  Eomans,    The  excited  populace  also  joining 
in  the  attack  upon  these  innocent  men,  they  were  scourged, 
and,  by  order  pf  the  magistrates,  thrust  into  the  inner  prison, 
with  their  feet  made  fast  in  the  stocks.    At  midnight,  Paul 
and  Silas  prayed  and  sang  praises  unto  God;  and  soon 
received  his  special  assistance.    Eor  suddenly  there  was  a 
great  earthquake,  so  that  the  foundations  of  the  prison  were 
shaken;  and  immediately  all  the  doors  were  opened,  and 
every  one's  bonds  were  loosed.    At  this  sight,  the  gaoler 
was  terrified  beyond  measure,  and  having  heard  from  the 
lips  of  Paul  the  grounds  of  his  faith,  believed  and  was 
baptized  with  all  his  household.    The  magistrates  of  the 
city  feared,  when  they  heard  that  the  apostles  were  Bomans, 
and,  releasing  them  from  prison,  desired  them  to  depart  out 
of  the  city.    Being  set  free,  they  went  to  the  house  of 
Lydia,  and    then    departed   for  Thessalonica  by  way  cf 
Ainphipolis  and  Apollonia.    At  Thessalonica,  on  three  sab- 
bath-days, Paul  entered  the  Jews'  synagogue,  and  publicly 
>  Acts  XV.  32—xvi.  IS.    (a.d.  51, 52.) 


I.D.  52.]  ST.  PAUL  AT  ATHEK8.  185 

reasoned  with  them  out  of  the  scriptures,  alleging^  that 
"  Christ  must  needs  have  suffered,  and  risen  again  from  th© 
dead ;  and  this  Jesus,  whom  I  preach  unto  you,  is  Christ." 
Many,  both  Jews  and  gentiles,  believed  and  joined  the  com- 
pany of  Paul  and  SDas.  But  the  bigoted  Jews,  moved  with 
envy,  stirred  up  the  multitude  against  them,  and  accused 
Jason  and  the  other  brethren,  whom  they  drew  before  the 
rulers  of  the  city.  But  the  rulers,  when  they  had  taken 
security  of  Jason,  and  of  the  other,  let  them  go.  And  the 
brethren  immediately  sent  away  Paul  and  Silas  by  night 
unto  Berea;  and  thence,  as  the  Jews  had  raised  tumults 
there  also,  the  brethren  conducted  Paul  to  Athens.  Here 
he  waited  for  Silas  and  Timothy,  whom  he  had  left  at  Berea. 
Meanwhile,  he  disputed  in  the  synagogue  with  the  Jews 
and  devout  persons,  and  preached  in  the  market-place  every 
day  to  those  who  came  to  hear  him.  Then  certain  philoso- 
phers of  the  Epicureans  and  Stoics  disputed  with  him. 
For  the  Athenians,  and  strangers  which  were  there,  spent 
their  time  ia  nothing  else,  but  either  to  tell  or  to  hear  some 
new  thing.  Then  Paul,  standing  ia  the  middle  of  the 
Areopagus,  rebuked  the  Athenians  for  their  idolatry  and 
superstition,  and  began  to  speak  of  the  altar  on  which  he 
had  foimd  an  inscription :  "  To  the  unknown  God."  These 
words  he  took  for  the  text  of  his  expected  discourse,  and 
announced  to  them  the  true  God,  who,  in  former  times, 
was  unknown  to  the  world ;  then,  saying  much  in  a  few 
words,  he  preached  earnestly  the  faith,  and  the  hope  of  the 
resurrection.^ 

Then  Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  with  his  wife  Damaris, 
and  a  few  others,  clave  unto  the  apostle  and  believed  his 
words.  Paul  afterwards  departed  from  Athens  and  came  to 
Corinth,  where  he  testified  to  the  Jews  and  the  Greeks  that 
Jesus  was  the  Christ,  and  earnestly  devoted  himself  to  the 
ministry  of  preaching ;  and  he  reasoned  in  the  synagogue 
every  sabbath.  Meanwhile  Silas  and  Timotheus  arrived 
fix)m  Macedonia.  Crispus,  the  chief  ruler  of  the  synagogue, 
convinced  by  the  arguments  of  Paul,  believed  and  was  bap- 
tized, with  all  his  house,  and  many  of  the  Corinthians. 
And  Paul  entered  into  a  certain  man's  house  named  Titua 
the   Just,  whose    house   joined    hard  to  the  synagogue. 

*  Aoto  xvi.  16— xm  81.    (a.d.  52.) 


l86  osDnictrs  yitalib.  [b.ii.  ch.h 

Obedienfc  to  the  commands  of  Gk)d  made  known  to  him  hy 
a  vision  in  the  night,  Paul  continued  there  a  jear  and  sii 
months,  teaching  constantly  the  word  of  God.     There  lived 
at  Athens  a  Jew,  of  the  name  of  Aquila,  bom  in  Pontus, 
and  his  wife  Priscilla ;  Paul,  being  a  tent-maker  as  well  as 
Aquila,  assisted  them  in  their  labours,  and  thus  gained  a 
livmg  by  the  work  of  his  own  hands.     Paul  then  took  leave 
of  the  brethren,  and  sailed  thence  into  Syria,  and  came  to 
Ephesus.     He  then  went  to  Cesarea,  and  thence  came  to 
Aitioch ;  and  after  he  had  spent  some  time  there,  he  de- 
parted, and  went  over  the  country  of  Galatia  and  Phrygia 
strengthening  the  disciples.^ 

Ch.  II.     Idfe  of  St.  Peter,  from  the  Acts  of  the  ApostUs^ 
aiid  the  Recognitions  of  St.  Clemens  Romanus. 

Thus  far  I  have  made  brief  extracts  from  the  history 
of  the  primitive  church  as  related  by  Luke  in  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  as  far  as  the  account  of  Paul's  baptizing  at 
Ephesus,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  those  disciples 
who  had  before  received  the  baptism  of  John.  He  after- 
wards remained  there  for  three  months  with  those  who,  filled 
with  the  Holy  Qhost,  spake  with  tongues  and  prophesied ;  he 
himself  contmually  setting  forth  the  kingdom  of  Gt>d,  to 
the  profit  of  many :  and  then  departing  thence,  for  the  next 
two  years  he  preached  the  gospel  boldly  in  every  part  of 
Asia,  and  performed  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  a  number 
of  miracles  on  the  sick  and  demoniacs.'  I  must  now  have 
recourse  to  other  works,  and  collect  some  short  notices  of 
the  apostles  generally,  from  authorities  which  are  considered 
authentic,  and  are  used  by  the  church. 

The  Creator  of  all  things  only  knows  the  degrees  of  rank 
and  the  respective  merits  of  the  apostles;  and  He,  who 
searches  the  secrets  of  the  human  heart,  has  apportioned  to 
each  the  rewards  of  his  labour.  The  word  apostle  signifi^ 
sent ;  for  Christ  sent  them  to  preach  the  gospel  throughout 
the  world,  in  order  that,  as  fishermen's  nets  haul  shoals  of 
fishes  from  the  depths  of  the  sea,  the  apostle's  preaching 
might  draw  from  the  pit  of  perdition  to  the  light  of  life, 

•  .      »  Acts  xvii.  34— xviii.  23.    (A.D.  52—55.) 

a  Acts  x«.  1—10.    (a.D.  54^57^) 


1.3>.  33.]  CiXLIKa  OF   ST.  PETBB.  187 

those  who  were  lost  in  the  depths  of  sin.  Their  names  are 
these :  Simon  Peter,  and  Andrew  his  brother ;  James,  the 
son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  his  brother;  James,  the  son  of 
Alphens,  and  Philip;  Thomas  and  Bartholomew;  Leyi, 
Matthew,  and  Simon  the  Canaanite ;  Judas  Thaddeus  and 
Matthias.^ 

Peter,  called  the  first,  the  greatest  in  dignity,  the  key- 
bearer,  he  who  zealously  obeyed  Christ,  and  followed  him 
with  his  whole  heart — he  it  was  who  filled  the  highest  seat 
in  the  company  of  the  apostles.  He  was  the  son  of  Jonas 
or  John,  and  bom  at  Bethsaida,  a  village  near  the  lake 
of  G-ennesaret,  in  the  proyince  of  Q-alilee.  To  announce 
his  future  dignity  and  illustrious  power,  he  receiyed  three 
names.  The  significations  of  the  tnree  words  indicated  the 
many  virtues  vouchsafed  to  him  by  Heaven;  for  Simon 
means  obedient,  Peter  acJcnowledginq,  and  Cephas  a  head} 
Thus  Simon,  by  the  obedience  with  which,  as  soon  as  he 
heard  the  Lord's  commandment,  he  attached  himself  to  him, 
leaving  all  things,  and  ready  to  follow  him  to  death,  rose  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  ineffable  divinity.  Inspired  by 
Heaven,  he  ardently  desired  to  be  acquainted  with  divine 
things,  above  the  powers  of  human  intellect,  and  in  the 
sincerity  of  his  faith  loudly  proclaimed  a  glorious  confession, 
"  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  He 
therefore,  was  honoured  above  measure  by  Christ  himself, 
made  the  head  and  foundation  of  the  church.  The  generous 
Benefactor,  who  had  inspired  him  divinely  with  the  know- 
ledge of  himself,  rewarded  with  the  nighest  rank  and 
authority  the  faith  of  a  pure  heart  to  which  his  mouth  had 
given  utterance  by  that  confession.  "  Blessed  art  thou," 
said  he,  "  Simon  Baijona,  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  re- 
vealed it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven."' 

Truly  blessed,  indeed,  is  Simon,  that  is  to  say,  the  obe- 
dient, who  is  also  called  Barjona,  that  is  to  say,  the  son  of  a 
dove,  the  symbol  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "An  obedient  man," 
saith  Solomon,  "  boasts  his  victories." 

1  Actsi.  13,26.    (a.d.  33.) 

*  We  are  not  aware  that  Peter  is  synonymous  with  agnoscens  in  any 
language.  As  for  the  Syro-Chaldaic  word  Cephas,  it  is  by  a  mere  abuse  of  its 
similarity  that  it  can  be  connected  with  the  Greek  word  icc^aXi),  captUy  a  head. 

»  Matt.  xvi.  16,  17. 


188  OBDSBIOUS  YITAXI8.  [b.U.  CH.I 

He  who  unremittingly  observes  the  divine  commandmeni 
is  attacked  by  divers  temptations  in  his  daily  conflicts  wit 
Satan,  whom  he  overcomes  by  perseverance  in  the  law  ( 
Gk)d.  What,  indeed,  does  the  divine  law  command  or  teac] 
but  that  every  man  must  engage  in  spiritual  warfare,  combf 
the  old  serpent,  who  is  always  lying  in  ambush  for  us,  an 
labour  diligently  to  obtain  the  rewsud  of  his  heavenly  cal 
ing  ?  Thus,  the  brave  soldier  of  the  Lord  doubtless  spea^ 
of  his  victories,  when  he  returns  thanks  to  Gk)d  his  pr( 
tector,  after  triumphing  over  the  enemy,  saying  with  th 
prophet: — "Thou  hast  girded  me  with  strength  unto  th 
battle ;  thou  shalt  throw  down  my  enemies  under  me  ;"*  an 
others  in  the  same  strain^  No  one  can  please  God  tL 
Father  by  his  holy  works,  if  he  have  not  obtained  the  virtu 
of  obedience  through  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Then  the  Saviour,  nobly  consummating  the  reward  c 
Simon's  pious  confession,  said  to  him: — "  Thou  art  Petei 
and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church,  and  the  gate 
of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it."  Petrus,  in  Latii 
CephaSy  in  Syriac,  are  names  derived  in  both  language 
from  the  word  petra,  a  stone,  that  is,  from  Christ,  who  is  th 
chief  comer-stone  upon  which  the  church  is  founded.  Thu 
Simon,  by  his  obedience,  was  prepared  to  acknowledge  th 
Son  of  God,  a  knowledge  which  not  flesh  and  blood,  but  th 
heavenly  Eather,  revealed  to  him ;  and  therefore  Peter  wa 
considered,  by  our  Saviour  himself,  to  be  worthy  of  the  sui 
name  of  ctcknowledgirw.  Having  afterwards  given  to  hii 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  the  King  of  Sabaot 
appointed  him  to  be  Cephas,  that  is  to  say,  head  of  ^ 
church,  the  prince  and  sovereign  pontiff  of  the  apostle: 
gifted  with  the  power  of  binding  and  loosing,  pre-eminei] 
in  doctrine  and  sanctity,  exalted  by  signs  and  miracles,  th 
flrst  pastor  of  the  flock  of  Christ  in  his  church,  and  hi 
special  vicar. 

Peter  preached  the  word  to  those  of  the  circumcision  fc 
the  space  of  seven  years,  and  performed,  during  that  time 
the  wonderful  works  which  Luke  records  in  the  Acts  of  th 
Apostles,  as  I  have  mentioned  above.  He  healed,  at  th 
Beautiful  gate  of  the  Temple,  the  lame  man,  aged  fort 
years,  and  baptized  the  Ave  thousand  Jews  who  were  cd): 

^  Psalm  xviil  39. 


A.D.  37 — 41.]         ST.  petee's  mieacles.  189 

verted ;  he  punished,  with  his  censorial  power,  Ananias  and 
his  wife  Sapphira,  who  were  guilty  of  deceit  and  falsehood, 
and  thus  gave  a  terrible  warning,  to  the  men  of  that  daj 
and  to  posterity,  of  the  chastisement  to  be  given  for  their 
souls'  health.  As  he  passed  along  the  streets,  his  shadow 
^ne,  falling  upon  the  multitude  of  sick  people  as  they  lay 
in  their  beds,  was  sufficient  to  heal  them,  so  great  were  the 
merits  and  power  which  Heaven  bestowed  upon  him. 

At  Lydda  he  restored  to  health,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
the  paralytic  Eneas,  who  had  kept  his  bed  eight  years ;  and 
brought  to  the  faith  those  who  saw  and  wondered  at  so 
unhe«rd-of  a  miracle.  At  Joppa  he  raised  to  life  the  vener- 
able widow  Tabitha,  and  presented  he^  alive  to  the  saints 
and  widows.  The  rest  of  his  acts,  from  Judea  to  An- 
tioch,  and  how  he  repeatedly  overcame  Simon  Magus  in 
his  £requent  disputes  with  him,  Clemens  Bomanus,  the  son 
of  Eaustinian,  has  related  in  his  book  of  the  BecognitionSy  a 
work  which  he  has  also  entitled  the  Itinerary  of  Peter. 
This  author,  harnng  abandoned  all  he  possessed  at  Eome, 
embarked  for  Palestine,  and  met  the  apostle  Peter  at 
CsBsarea  Stratonis,  his  residence  being  pomted  out  to  him 
by  Barnabas,  whom  he  had  hospitably  entertained  at  Eome, 
and  who  treated  him  as  a  friend  and  guest  worthy  of  the 
greatest  respect.  Clemens  was  kindly  received  by  Peter, 
as  a  son  by  his  father,  on  account  of  his  regard  for  both  him 
and  Barnabas,  and  being  fully  instructed  in  the  faith  of  the 
true  Prophet,  and  renewed  at  the  sacred  font,  he  inseparably 
attached  himself  to  Peter.*^ 

Peter  disputed  with  Simon  Magus  at  CsDsarea,  and  after 
Simon  had  retired  in  the  evening  with  a  thousand  of  his 
followers,  he  strengthened  in  the  faith  those  who  remained, 
and,  invoking  the  name  of  God,  healed  the  demoniacs  and 
the  sick. 

The  next  day,  the  discussion  was  renewed,  and  with 
Gbd's  help,  Simon  was  put  to  silence  on  many  points.  At 
last,  as  night  was  approaching,  Simon,  confounded,  left  the 
place  with  a  few  adherents,  and  the  people  rejoicing,  threw 

^  St.  Clemens,  the  disciple  and  the  third  successor  of  St  Peter,  died  in 
the  year  100,  after  filling  the  pontifical  chair  nine  years.  The  book  of  The 
BeeoffnitioM,  attributed  to  him  by  our  author,  was  justly  rejected  as  apo- 
cryphal even  in  the  time  of  St  Jerome. 


190  0BDKBICU8  TITALI8.  [b.H.  CH.H. 

themselves  at  Peter's  feet.  The  demoniacs  and  the  sick 
were  cured  by  his  prayers,  and  having  heard  the  doctrine 
and  experienced  the  mercy  of  the  true  God,  they  retired  full 
of  joy.  On  the  third  day,  Peter  established  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  by  the  truth  of  his  arguments,  ae^ainst  Simon, 
who  denied  it,  and  laid  bare  his  wicked  principles,  by  giving 
proofs  of  them.  The  people,  indignant,  drove  the  blas- 
phemer from  the  hall,  and  even  thrust  him  out  of  the  door 
of  the  house ;  and  of  the  numbers'  who  had  been  his  follow- 
ers for  a  long  time,  scarcely  one  now  ventured  to  keep  com- 
Eany  with  him.  However,  Simon  loaded  the  shoulaers  of 
is  companion  with  the  polluted  and  execrable  instruments 
of  his  art,  and  fearing  that,  if  he  were  taken,  he  should  come 
within  the  grasp  of  justice,  he  threw  them  at  night  into  the 
sea,  and  ran  away,  his  attendant  refusing  to  accompany  him, 
because  he  had  by  this  time  found  him  to  be  a  detestable 
impostor. 

Peter  dwelt  three  months  at  CsBsarea,  ordaining  Zaccheus 
bishop  of  that  city ;  and  baptized  on  a  day  of  festival  an 
immense  number  of  believers,  amounting  to  ten  thousand. 
From  thence  he  sent  twelve  brethren  after  Simon,  to  follow 
his  track.  Sophonias  and  Joseph,  Micheas  and  Eleazar, 
Phineas  and  Lazarus,  ElissBus  and  Benjamin,  son  of  Saba; 
Ananias,  son  of  Saphra ;  Eubelus,  the  brother  of  ZacchsBUS ; 
Nicodemus  and  Zacharias  the  architect,  were  selected  by  the 
apostle,  that  he  might  be  assisted  in  the  worship  of  Gk)d  by 
twelve  faithful  brethren,  though  relying  principally  on  divine 
grace,  and  that  by  their  aid  he  might  follow  up  Simon  Magus 
and  the  other  enemies  of  righteousness. 

Having  completed  the  three  months  he  spent  at  CsBsarea, 
Peter  went,  by  way  of  Dora,  to  Ptolemais,  and  there  remained 
ten  days  teacning  the  people  the  law  of  God.  After  this  he 
''  was  also  employed  in  sowing  the  seed  of  the  divine  word  at 
Tyre,  Sydon,  and  Berytus ;  and  then  entered  Tripoli  with  a 
considerable  number  of  the  elect,  who  followed  •  him  from 
each  of  these  cities.  At  Tripoli  he  was  entertained  in  the 
house  of  Maro  with  every  token  of  regarcj  from  the  citizens, 
who  also  granted  to  all  the  companions  of  Peter  a  gratui- 
tous hospitality,  marked  with  the  greatest  kindness.  The 
following  morning  an  immense  multitude  crowded  into 
Maro' 8  garden  to  hear  the  apostle,  who,  in  the  first  place,. 


A.D.  41 — P]  LEGEin)  OP   ST.  FETEB.  191 

pat  to  flight  the  foul  spirits  which  cried  out  from  the  bodies 
they  possessed,  and  after  his  sermon  healed  the  sick  in  that 
place.  There,  for  the  space  of  three  months,  he  sowed 
abundantly  the  words  of  salvation,  and  baptized  Clemens, 
and  several  others,  at  fountains  which  were  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  sea ;  appointing  Maro,  his  host,  who  was 
already  perfectly  prepared  in  all  things,  bishop. 

Thence  he  repaired  to  Antarados,  and  divided  the  multi-^ 
tude  of  believers  who  followed  him  into  two  bodies,  ordering 
Nicetas  and  Aquilas  to  conduct  them,  and  go  before  him, 
to  Laodicea,  firom  fear  that  such  a  concourse  of  persons 
accompanying  him  might  excite  the  jealousy  of  the  enemies 
to  the  faith.  During  the  journey,  Clemens  inforuied  Peter, 
in  a  familiar  conversation,  whence  he  came,  described  his 
family,  and  related  the  history  of  his  parents.  The  next 
day,  he  visited  a  neighbouring  island,  in  order  to  see  some 
pillars  of  glass  ^  of  an  immense  size ;  and  here,  thanks  to 
Peter,  he  recognized  his  mother  Matidia,  after  a  separation 
of  twenty  years.  Peter  healed  by  his  prayers  a  paralytic 
woman,  who  was  the  hostess  of  Matidia,  and  Clemens  gave 
her  a  thousand  drachms  as  a  remuneration  for  her  services. 

After  this,  Peter  went  to  Balancas,  and  then  to  Palthos 
and  G-abala,  and  thus  reached  Laodicea,  where  he  stayed  ten 
days ;  during  which  time  the  recognition  of  the  mother  and 
her  three  sons,  Clemens,  Faustinus,  and  Faustus,  took  place. 
Two  of  the  brothers,  who  were  twins,  related,  that  after 
being  shipvsrrecked,  as  they  were  tossed  to  and  fro  by  the 
waves,  holding  on  to  a  piece  of  plank,  some  pirates  found 
them,  and  taking  them  on  board  their  boat,  sailed  with  them 
to  CsBsarea,  and  there  sold  them  under  feigned  names  to  a 
certain  woman,  who  had  acted  most  justly  towards  them, 
having  educated  them  as  her  own  children,  instructed  them 
in  liberal  and  Greek  literature,  and,  when  they  had  arrived 
at  the  proper  age,  put  them  to  the  study  of  philosophy. 

While  Peter  remained  at  Laodicea,  incessantly  occupied 
as  was  his  custom,  in  pious  works,  an  old  man,  named 
Faustinian,  who  appeared  to  be  in  a  state  of  poverty,  went 

^  VUreas,  M.  Le  Pr^yost  proposes  to  read  viteas,  observing  that  pillan 
of  vine-wood,  however  large  we  iray  suppose  them,  are  less  incredible  than 
pillars  of  glass,  immensis  magnitudinis.  The  learned  editor  remarks,  that 
the  temple  of  Juno  at  Metapontum  was  supported  by  pillars  of  vine-wood. 


192  0EDEEICU8  TITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.H. 

to  him,  and  began  to  deny  the  existence  of  Gtod,  of  a  pro- 
vidence in  this  world,  and  the  necessity  of  divine  worship ; 
assorting  that  every  thing  was  done  by  mere  chance  and  by 
generation.^  His  three  sons,  whom  ne  had  not  yet  recog- 
nized, opposed  him  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  people  for  three 
days,  and,  by  their  answers,  instructed  their  hearers  in  many 
abstruse  doctrines. 

The  first  day,  Nicetas  ably  argued  that  there  exists  a 
God  who  is  master  of  all  things,  who  made  the  world,  and 
governs  it  by  his  providence,  a  just  Gk)d,  who  will  reward 
every  man  according  to  his  works.  On  the  second  day, 
Aquilas  discoursed  with  eloquence  on  the  just  disposal  of 
all  things  by  a  God  of  justice.  On  the  third  day,  Clemens 
disputed  on  the  origin  of  things,  inquiring  whether  all 
depended  upon  generation,  or  whether  there  was  aught  in 
us  effected  not  by  the  hazard  of  birth,  but  by  the  will  of 
God.  It  was  then  that,  by  a  divine  motion,  without  which 
nothing  happens,  the  obstinate  old  man  and  his  wife  recog- 
nized their  children,  although  twenty  years  had  elapsed. 

The  chief  magistrate  of  the  town  used  his  utmost  en- 
deavours to  detam  at  his  house  Peter  and  the  brethren  who 
were  with  him;  and  his  daughter,  who  for  twenty  years 
had  been  the  prey  of  a  cruel  demon,  was  set  free  and  healed. 

At  this  time,  as  Faustinian,  while  on  a  visit  to  his  friends, 
Anubis  and  Appio,  who  lodged  at  the  house  of  Simon,  was 
taking  his  supper  with  them,  his  face  was  transformed  by 
magic  art  into  that  of  Simon :  a  circumstance  which  caused 
the  greatest  fear  to  all  his  friends,  as  they  dreaded  that,  by 
an  order  of  the  emperor,  he  would  be  taken  for  the  magician, 
and  punished  in  his  room. 

After  this  Peter  went  to  Antioch,  where  he  was  received 
with  great  demonstrations  of  joy  by  the  inhabitants :  he 
there  preached  the  word  of  God,  restored  to  health  the  sick 
who  were  brought  to  him,  and  healed  the  people  afflicted 
with  the  palsy,  possessed  with  a  devil,  as  well  as  all  those 
who  suffered  from  any  kind  of  accident.  The  number  of 
the  sick  was  immense.  Peter  was  offering  up  a  prayer  to 
the  Lord  for  them  aU,  in  the  presence  of  the  people,  when 
suddenly,  by  the  grace  of  God,  an  extraordinary  light  ap- 
peared in  the  midst  of  the  audience,  and  all  who  were 
1  ^Genesis:*'  ffenitura,fatum,  horoscopus, — Ducange,  Qlost* 


A.i>.  42  ?]  vr.  PKizm  at  astiock.  193 


afiSicted  in  way  war  imrdiitrlj'  lemicied  tiieir  liealliL 
In  conaeqnenoe,  ill  die  inhibitaaitB  of  Antiocli,  with  one 
YOioe,  confegaed  the  Loid,  and  vidun  seren  days  move  tkan 
ten  thousand  aoola  hdiering  in  God  vere  bapdied. 

Tbeophifau,  who  heid  the  highest  nnk  among  die  great 
men  of  the  citj,was  inflamed  with  so  ardoit  a  lore  lor  God, 
that  he  freelj  cfSkxed.  the  great  hall  of  his  own  house  to  be 
conTerted  into  a  spadons  ehnrdi.^  It  was  ocmsecnted  under 
the  name  of  a  church,  and  an  episcopal  thnme'  was  oected 
in  it  for  the  apostle  Peter  br  the  entire  pc^vdadon.  Mean- 
while Fanstinian,  laying  open  his  mind  to  the  hearenhr 
mysteries,  at  tiie  aght  of  so  many  miracles  threw  himapjf 
publidj  zt  die  £eet  o£  the  apostk,  and,  abjuring  his  ancient 
errors,  requested  to  be  bspdzed.  Peter  enj<Mned  him  a 
pfeparatory  fvt,  baptized  him  on  the  fcdlowing  Sunday, 
and,  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  people,  made  the  cm- 
Tersion  of  Panstinian  the  subject  of  a  discourse,  in  which 
he  recounted  the  erents  of  the  oouTert's  life.  This  account 
was  generally  pleasing  and  useful,  and  gained  for  die  old 
man  and  his  family  the  favour  and  esteem  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Antioch.  The  entire  city  made  a  hsppj  progress  in 
divine  things,  and  the  number  of  the  fiuthful  increasing 
daOy,  holy  mother  church  rejoiced  in  Christ  Jesus.' 

Ijie  blessed  apostle  Peter  filled  the  see  of  Antioch  fat 
the  first  seren  years,  and  preached  the  w(»d  in  Pontus, 
Ghdatia^  Cappadocia,  Asia,  and  Bithynia.  Afterwards,  Simon 
Magus  havmg  gone  to  Some,  Peter  set  in  order  the  church 
of  Antioch,  and  consecrated  Evodius  bishop  in  his  place. 
He  then  proceeded  to  Borne,'  attended  by  sereral  (^oeoi 
disciples,  and,  entering  the  city  in  the  time  of  the  empoor 
Claudius,  finmd  the  juggle,  so  often  mentioned,  decerring 

'  BanBta  ;  firmn  a  Greek  vord  Bgni^ring  a  rojal  palace,  hall,  or  oonit 
of  justice.  Etrt  one  knows  that  matt  of  the  eari  j  Qiriatiaii  cliurcfaea 
ooDflsted  of  iDdi  halli  cooTerted  to  religioiis  ues ;  from  wbenoe  it  aran 
that  in  old  vnlen  thii  wofd  m  often  synon jmou  with  dmrch. 

'  Caihedra,  liteiallj  a  chair  or  uai;  hence  <^  St.  Peters  duir,"  "the 
see,"  or  ''■eat  of  a  hishop,"  and  the  ecclesiastical  phiadte, ' sat,**  "  filled 
the  see,*  &e. 

*  Omr  author's  quotations  from  the  Recogmiiimu  of  St.  ClemcBa  end 
here :  ReeogmAmuam  8,  ClewtmtU  md  Jaeobum  fratrem  ZhmuUy  hhii  x. 

*•  This  fint  jomnej  of  St.  Peter  to  Home  is  general] j  sappoaied  to  hare 
taken  place  in  the  jear  42;  hot  there  are  great  doubts  respectiBg  it 

TOL,  I.  O 


IM  OBDIBICITS  TTEAI^ra.  [b.H.  GH.n 

tte  people  with  a  variety  of  phantoms  raised  by  virtue  o 
the  oiabolical  power  called  a  familiar  spirit.  This  imposto] 
was  so  puffed  up  with  pride,  that  he  set  himself  up  for  t 
god,  and  even  obtained  from  the  Soman  citizens  the  nonom 
of  having  a  statue  erected  to  him,  as  a  god,  on  the  banks  oi 
the  Tiber,  between  the  two  bridges.  In  fact,  Satan  had 
taken  entire  possession  of  this  insane  contriver  of  all  wicked- 
ness, who  was  the  first  he  armed  with  the  weapons  oi 
impious  heresy  to  war  against  the  true  faith  of  the  church 
The  Almighty  Emmanuel  prepared  the  illustrious  leader  of 
his  army  to  contend  with  him  in  close  combat;  I  mean 
Simon  Peter,  to  whom  Christ  entrusted  the  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  and  appointed  him  to  be  the  prince  of 
the  apostles  and  the  firm  ruler  of  his  church.  He,  there- 
fore, on  his  arrival  in  Home,  dispelled  the  darkness  of 
falsehood  by  the  brilliant  light  of  truth  and  justice ;  and 
there,  as  a  worthy  censor,  judging  with  equity,  he  filled  the 
see  twenty-five  years,  two  mopths,  and  three  days.  * 

When  the  bright  light  of  the  word  of  God  had  shone  forth 
in  the  Eoman  capital,  and  the  word  of  truth,  which  Peter 
preached,  had  enlightened  the  minds  of  all  his  hearers,  and 
had  caused  them  so  much  satisfaction  that  hearing  only 
did  not  satisfy  those  who  daily  attended,  Mark,  a  disciple 
of  the  apostle,  was  induced  by  repeated  solicitations  to 
compose  his  gospel,  that  what  the  one  taught  by  word  of 
mouth  might  be  committed  to  writing  by  the  other,  and 
thus  transmitted  to  posterity  for  the  perpetual  instructkm 
of  the  readers.  Peter  was  delighted  to  find  that  through 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  his  teaching  was  ap- 
propriated by  a  kind  of  pious  fraud  ;*  and  perceiving  m 
this  their  faith  and  piety,  he  confirmed  himself  the  work 
of  the  evangelist,  and  delivered  this    Scripture^  to   the 

^  It  is  the  common  opinion  of  the  churchy  still  current  at  Home*  that 
Peter  governed  that  chuch  more  than  twenty-five  year^  Unfor- 
tunately, there  is  nothing  less  authentic,  or  more  easily  reflated,  than  the 
assertion  of  this  long  residence  of  St.  Peter  at  Rome.  What  appears  most 
probable,  after  &  careful  inquiry,  is  that  he  made  Ms  first  joomey  to  Rome 
in  A.D.  58,  and  returned  there  in  65. — M,  Le  Prevost, 

*  Religioso  se  spoliatiun  furto, 

'  It  is  a  tradition  generally  received  by  the  church,  that  St.  M)irlc 

'  wrote  his  gospel  from  details  given  him  by  St.  Peter  of  the  actioof 

and  woidA  of  Jesus  Christ;   but  as  this  gospel,  which  is  so  mnfib 


JL.D.  42  P]  ST.  FXTEH  AT  BOMB.  105 

churches  to  be  read  for  ever ;  besides  which,  he  composed 
two  epistles  which  are  called  canonical.^  Peter  worked 
manfully  iu  Christ's  vineyard,  during  the  reigns  of  Tiberius 
Caesar,  Caius  Caligula,  Claudius,  and  Nero,  niu4;uring  many 
excellent  disciples,  and,  when  they  were  well  imbued  with 
virtue  and  learning,  sending  them  into  different  countries. 
He  placed  his  disciple  Mark,  whom  he  loved  as  a  son,  first 
at  AquiLeia,  and  then  at  Alexandria ;  Martial  at  Limoge» ; 
ApoUinaris  at  Eavenna;  Valerius  at  Treves;  and  many 
more  in  different  places,  where,  in  Christ's  name,  they 
brought  vast  crowds  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  light  of  faith, 
and  having  regenerated  them  placed  them  in  the  bosom  of 
our  holy  mother  the  church,  by  the  water  of  holy  baptram. 
One  day  when  Peter  was  at  Bome,  while  several  of  the 
brethren  were  at  table,  Titus  said  to  the  apostle,  "  As  thou 
hast  cured  all  the  sick,  why  dost  thou  let  Petronilla  lie 
suffering  from  palsy?"  The  apostle  answered,  "It  is  ex- 
pedient for  her  that  it  should  be  so ;  but  in  order  that 
no  one  may  think  that  I  wish,  by  words,  to  cloak  my 
inability  to  heal  her,  I  say  to  this  woman,  'Bise  up,  Petro- 
nilla,  and  come  and  serve  us.'"  She  rose  up  able  to 
minister  to  them ;  but,  as  soon  as  her  attendance  was  no 
longer  required,  he  ordered  her  to  return  to  her  pallet. 
However,  when  she  began  to  be  proficient  in  the  fear  of 
God,  not  only  was  she  perfectly  healed  of  her  own  infirmity, 
but  her  prayers  were  the  means  of  restoriug  health  to 
others.' 

shorter  than  those  of  St  Matthew  and  St.*  Luke,  contams  only  two  facts* 
and  those  of  slight  importance,  which  are  not  related  by  the  other  evan- 
gelistSy  we  may  be  permitted  to  doubt  his  having  drawn  his  information 
from  a  source  which  would  have  supplied  a  vast  number  of  particulars 
omitted  by  the  others.  At  any  rate,  the  account  given  by  our  author  must 
be  considered. altogether  apocryphal. 

*  The  authenticity  of  the  First  Epistle  of  St,  Peter  has  never  been 
suspected ;  that  of  the  second  was  questioned  by  Origen,  Eusebius,  and  St. 
Jerome;  but  at  the  present  day  it  is  generally  admitted. 

^  The  legend  of  St.  Peter  which  Ordericus  has  inserted  in  this  chaptei^ 
has  no  claims  to  a  detailed  examination.  Except  the  last  three  paragraphs^ 
it  is  a  tolerably  £uthful  extract  from  the  apocryphal  book  of  The  Recogni' 
iioM,  already  referred  to.  The  foundation  of  the  church  of  Antioeh  by/ 
St  Peter  is  generally  fixed  a.d.  86.  His  pretended  journey  to  Rome,  a.d. 
42,  has  been  already  commented  on.  The  date  of  his  martyrdom  is  better 
established,  as  having  occurred  on  the  29th  of  June^  66.    A»  to  th.9 

o2 


106       *  OBDEEICUS   TITALIS.  [b.II.  Cn.III. 

Ch.  III.  Life  and  death  of  St.  Paul,  compiled  from  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles  and  ancient  legends — with  St.  Feter't 
martyrdom. 

Paul,  the  illustrious  champion  of  the  Almighty,  a  chosen 
yessel,  the  teacher  of  the  Gentiles,  and  preacner  of  the 
truth,  who  was  worthy  to  fill  the  twelfth  throne  among  the 
apostles,^  and  was  caught  up  into  heaven  to  hear  the  mys- 
teries which  man  must  not  repeat, — ought  to  be  worthily 
extolled  and  continually  honoured  by  the  sons  of  the  church 
as  their  learned  schoolmaster.  He  was  first  called  Saul, 
which  means  in  Hebrew  temptation ;  because  he  began  his 
career  by  tempting  the  holy  mother  church.  Having  after- 
wards changed  his  name,  instead  of  Saul  he  was  called  Paul, 
that  is  to  say,  wonderful,  having  been  converted  in  a 
marveUous  manner,  from  a  ravenous  wolf  into  a  mQd  lamb. 
In  Latin  Paul  may  be  taken  for  little ;  wherefore  he  said 
publicly,  when  speaking  of  himself,  '*  I  am  the  least  of  the 
apostles." 

Paul  was  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  a  pharisee  of  the  phari- 
aees,  bom  at  Tarsus,  a  city  of  Cilicia,  but  brought  up  at 
Jerusalem  from  his  childhood,  and  instructed  in  the  law  of 
God  by  Qtimaliel.  In  the  second  year  after  our  Lord's 
ascension,  while  he  displayed  excessive  zeal  for  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  elders,  and  became,  therefore,  a  violent 
persecutor  of  the  Christians,  he  went  to  Damascus,  bear- 
mg  letters  from  the  high  priest,  commissioning  him  to 

Sersecute  even  to  death  dl  the  worshippers  of  Christ  who 
welt  there.  When,  however,  he  came  nigh  the  city,  he  was 
suddenly  surrounded  by  an  extraordinary  light,  and,  hearing 
with  amazement  the  heavenly  voice  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
he  fell  to  the  ground ;  but  his  salvation  was  secured,  for 
he  arose  divested  of  his  former  ferocity,  and  was  led  by 

episode  of  St  Petronilla,  copied  from  the  Acts  of  SS.  Nereus  and  Achil- 
leu8,  and  St.  Peter's  sending  St.  Martial  to  Limoges^  St.  Mark  to  Aquileia, 
^t.  Apollinaris  to  Ravenna,  and  St.  Valerius  to  Treves,  they  must  be 
considered  as  entirely  apocryphal. 

^  Our  author  expresses  himself  incorrectly,  and  contradicts  what  he  has 
previously  said,  when  he  describes  St  Paul  as  the  twelfth  apostle.  It  has 
fdieady  appeared  that,  long  before  his  con?er8ion,  the  number  of  the  apostles 
was  filled  up  by  the  election  of  St.  Matthias.  The  truth  is,  that  St.  Paul 
mm  ordained  as  apostle  of  the  gentiles^  along  with  St  Bamahas,  at 


A.D.35.]  ST.  Paul's  conveesiok.  197 

his  companions  of  the  journey  into  Damascus,  where,  for 
three  days,  he  was  unable  to  move.  At  the  end  of  that 
time,  by  God's  command,  he  was  visited  by  Ananias,  and 
embraced  the  faith  which  he  had  combated,  and,  having 
been  baptized,  boldly  preached  it  to  Jews  and  Gentiles. 
Beginning  at  Jerusalem,  he  proceeded  as  far  as  lUyria,  Italy, 
and  Spain  ;^  and  made  known  the  name  of  Chnst  to  the 
inhabitants  of  many  countries  who  had  not  yet  heard  it. 

Luke,  the  evangelist,  Paul's  companion  and  fellow  la* 
bourer,  speaks  of  him  to  the  end  of  his  work  with  exactness 
and  dignity,  pursuing  the  thread  of  his  history  to  the  omis- 
sion of  others.  Arator,  also,  a  sub-deacon  of  the  holy  Eoman 
church,  has  written  a  second  book  on  this  subject,  in  which 
he  piously  made  a  metrical  version  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  in  which  he  related  the  labours  of  Paul,  his 
patience  in  adversity,  and  the  shipwreck  he  suffered.  I 
nave  already  collected  from  these  works  some  brief  notices 
respecting  him  in  the  preceding  pages,  but  it  is  by  no  means 
an  irksome  task  to  recapitulate  them  to  the  glory  of  God. 

Saul,  who  is  likewise  called  Paul,  having  parted  from  his 
companions,  in  obedience  to  an  admonition  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  preached  at  Paphos,  where  he  struck  blind  Elymas 
the  sorcerer,  who  resisted  the  words  of  the  faith,  and  con- 
verted to  Christianity  the  proconsul  Paulus.  Having 
entered  the  synagogue  at  Antioch,  he  commanded  silence 
by  waving  his  hand,  and  related  how  the  people  of  Israel 
went  out  of  Egypt  by  passing  through  the  sea,  and  spoke 
of  the  different  miracles  which  were  wrought  in  the  desert. 
On  another  sabbath  day  he  rehearsed  Christ's  passion  and 
resurrection,  which  he  illustrated  by  passages  from  the 
prophets,  and  increased  the  flock  of  the  church  by  a  great 
number  of  believers. 

At  Lystra,  Paul  healed  a  man  impotent  in  his  feet  from  his 
mother's  womb,  who  listened  with  attention  to  the  word  of 
God ;  but  when  he  saw  the  ancient  superstition  of  the  Lycao- 

Antiocb,  in  the  year  44,  but  this  mission  had  nothing  in  common  with 
tbat  of  the  twelve  apostles  properly  so  called. 

*  We  have  no  account  of  St.  Paul  having  included  lUyrium  and  Spain 
in  his  journeyings.  He  announced  his  intention  {Rom»  xv.  24 — 28)  to 
^  tiie  latter  country,  but  there  is  nothing  to  show  that  he  canied.it  into 
effect  . 


198  OSDXBICV8  TITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.m. 

nians,  who  wished  to  offer  sacrifice  to  him,  he  rent  bis 
clothes,  and  used  eloquence  and  reason  to  restrain  their 
zeal. 

After  much  opposition  to  his  preaching,  he  handled  the 
Question  raised  by  the  baptized  Jews,  whether  believing 
Gentiles  ought  to  be  baptized  before  they  were  circumcised. 
Pau],  therefore,  went  to  Jerusalem  with  others  chosen  from 
among  the  faithful,  and  consulted  Peter  and  James,  and 
the  other  elders,  and  transmitted  an  epistle  containing  their 
decision  that  Christians  need  only  abstain  from  meats 
offered  to  idols,  and  from  blood,  and  from  things  strangled, 
and  frx>m  fornication. 

At  Philippi  he  cast  an  unclean  spirit  out  of  a  young 
woman  who  was  a  Pythoness,  and  who  gave  responses  ^ 
those  who  consulted  her;  the  demon  being  expelled,  her 
covetous  masters  were  deprived  of  the  gains  obtained  by 
her  divination.  They  therefore  accused  Paul  before  the 
magistrates,  by  whose  orders  he  was  imprisoned.  In  the 
night,  the  apostle  prayed  to  the  Lord  of  light,  and  the 
merciful  guardian  of  his  faithftd  people  quickly  heard  him. 
Por  there  was  a  sudden  earthquake,  and  the  chains  of  the 
prisoners  fell  from  them;  and  the  keeper  of  the  prison 
having  been  baptized,  with  his  whole  family,  Paul  and  Silas, 
the  servants  of  the  God  of  Sabaoth,  were  allowed  to  go  free. 

Paul,  preaching  at  Athens,  was  sumamed  by  the  people 
there,  the  sower  of  the  word,'  and  thus  received  a  suitable 
name  frx)m  the  unbelievers  ;  for  his  words  were  a  fountain 
of  eternal  life  to  thirsty  souls,  and  he  scattered  fi-eely  the 
seed  of  salvation  for  all  who  desired  to  gather  it.  He 
disputed  with  the  philosophers,  both  Epicurean  and  Stoic, 
and  eloquently  proclaimed  the  true  Qt)d  who  was  called  by 
the  Athenians  "  The  Unknown  God."  Dionysius  the  Are- 
opagite,  and  his  wife  Damaris,*  believed  and  were  baptized ; 
and  Paul  admitted  him  among  his  most  intimate  mends, 
on  a(^unt  of  his  wisdom  and  love  of  righteousness.     Soon 

^  Semmiverbitu ;  in  the  Greek  text  of  Acts  xvii.  18,  <nr€(}fio\6yoe ;  in 
the  authorixed  Englirii  Tenion  ^  a  babbler.'* 

'  It  is  by  no  means  certain  that  Damaris  was  the  wife  of  Dionysius^  or 
Sc  Denys,  the  Areopagite,  and  the  text  of  St.  Luke  by  no  means  favonn 
the  anertion  {Acts  xvii.  34).  All  that  we  know  for  certain  of  St.  Denja, 
by  the  testimony  of  his  namesake  of  Corinth,  is  that  he  was  bisibop  d 
Athens.    It  appears  also  that  he  suffered  martyrdom. 


A.D.  54 — 66.]  ST.  PAUL  AT  ATHENS  AND  EPHESUS.     199 

afterwards,  as  Aristides  the  Athenian  tells  us,  Dionjsius  was 
ordained  bishop  of  Athens  by  the  apostle,  and  after  an 
illustrious  life  received  the  glorious  crown  of  martyrdom. 
Paul  went  from  thence  to  Corinth,  where  he  found  Aquila 
preaching,  with  his  wife  Priscilla ;  he  went  to  reside  at  their 
house,  and  there  practised  the  art  of  tent-making,  in  which 
they  were  expert.  There  also,  being  admonished  by  Christ 
not  to  cease  from  preaching,  he  faithfully  obeyed,  and  many 
were  converted. 

At  Ephesus,  twelve  men  lately  baptized  by  Paul  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
had  the  gift 'of  divers  kinds  of  tongues.  Also,  while  Paul 
was  healing,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  those  who  were 
afflicted  with  various  sorts  of  diseases,  seven  Jews,  the  sons 
of  one  Sceva,  chief  of  the  priests,  took  upon  them  to  lay 
their  hands  on  a  man  who  had  an  evil  spirit,  calling  over 
him  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  whom  Paul  preached. 
But  the  demon,  acting  through  the  man  who  was  possessed, 
made  a  public  acknowledgment  of  Jesus  and  his  disciple 
Paul.  He  also  suddenly  rushed  upon  the  unbelieving  exor- 
cists, whom  he  wounded  and  put  to  flight.  A  great  number 
of  the  Ephesians,  having  heard  the  truth  preached  to  them, 
believed  and  were  baptized.  Some  of  those  who  used 
curious  arts,  burnt  their  books  of  magic,  th^  value  of  which 
they  estimated  at  fifty  thousand  pence.  So  mightily  grew 
the  word  of  God  and  prevailed ;  and  his  grace  thus  strength- 
ening the  faithful,  the  party  of  the  ungodly  dwindled  and 
was  confounded.  But  Paul  sent  Timotheus  and  Erastus 
ittto  Macedonia,  while  he  himself  stayed  in  Asia  for  a  season.^ 

Demetrius,  a  silversmith,  perceiving  that  the  teaching  of 
Paul  induced  the  inhabitants  of  Ephesus  to  forsake  the 
temple  of  Diana,  and  grieved  that  the  profits  of  his  trade 
were  reduced  to  almost  nothing,  by  the  idols  being  con- 
demned to  destruction,  called  together  his  fellow  workmen, 
and,  setting  forth  their  common  grievances,  stirred  up  a 
clamorous  tumult  of  the  people.  The  riotous  mob  rushed 
furiously  into  the  theatre,  having  caught  Gains  and  Aris- 
tarchus,  men  of  Macedonia,  Paul's  companions ;  but  their 
uproar,  while  they  quarrelled  among  each  other,  was  to  no 
purpose.* 

>  Acts  xk.  1—22.  «  Acta  ik.  23—40. 


200  0BDEBICU8  TITALI8.  [b.11.  CH.in. 

Paul,  haying  called  tbo  disciples  to  him,  bid  them  fare- 
well,  after  exhorting  them  to  persevere  in  their  new  career ; 
and  then  departed  to  go  into  Macedonia.  He  remained 
three  months  in  Greece.  His  companions  were  Sosipater, 
son  of  Birrus  of  Berea;  and  of  the  Thessalonians,  Aris- 
tarchus  and  Secundus ;  Gtuus  of  Derbe,  and  Timotheus ; 
and  of  Asia,  Titicus  and  Trophimus.  After  the  days  of 
imleayened  bread,  Paul  and  Luke  sailed  from  Philippi,  and 
came  to  Troas  in  five  days ;  where  they  abode  seven  days. 
And  upon  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when  several  of  the 
disciples  came  together  to  break  bread,  as  they  were  listen- 
ing to  a  long  discourse  which  Paul,  who  was  ready  to  depart 
on  the  morrow,  continued  until  midnight,  a  young  man, 
named  Eutychus,  who  sat  in  a  window,  fell  down  from  the 
third  loft,  overcome  by  sleep,  but  was  restored  to  life  by  the 
prayers  of  Paul,  to  the  joy  of  all  beholders.* 

Erom  Miletus  Paul  sent  to  Ephesus,  and  calling  the 
elders  of  the  church,  addressed  them  at  length  on  matters 
pertaining  to  the  salvation  of  souls.  And  when  he  had 
nnished  his  discourse  he  kneeled  down  and  prayed  with 
them  all.  And  they  all  wept  sore,  and  when  they  had 
embraced  each  other,  the  bretoren  accompanied  Paul  unto 
the  ship.  Then  embarking,  he  came  with  a  straight  course 
unto  Coos,  and  to  Ehodes,  and  from  thence  to  Patara,  and, 
passing  through  Syria,  arrived  at  Tyre,  where  he  stayed 
seven  days  with  his  faithful  friends  in  Christ.  From  Ptole- 
mais  he  went  to  CsBsarea,  and  entered  into  the  house  of 
Philip  the  evangelist,  who  had  four  daughters,  virgins,  which 
did  prophesy.* 

Then  came  down  from  Judea  a  prophet,  named  Agabus, 
who  bound  his  own  hands  and  feet  with  Paul's  girdle,  and 
by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost  clearly  predicted  that  the 
Jews  at  Jerusalem  would  bind  Paul  in  the  same  manner, 
and  would  deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  the  Gentiles.  All 
who  heard  him  began  to  weep,  but  Paul  said  to  those  who 

^  Acts  XX.  1 — 12.  Our  author,  following  Origen,  gives  the  name  of 
Sosipater  to  the  person  St.  Luke  calls  Sopater.  He  makes  him  the  son  of 
Birrus,  instead  of  Pyrrhus ;  of  Gaius  of  Derbe,  he  makes  two  persons, 
Gains ;  Derbeus.    He  always  writes  Titicus  for  Tychicus. 

*  Acts  XX.  1 3 — ^xxi.  9.  St.  Philip,  the  deacon,  who  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  the  apostle  of  the  same  name. 


A.D.  58.]      ST.  PAUL  IMPEISOITED  AT  JEErSALEM.  201 

besought  him  not  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  "  I  am  ready,  not 
to  be  bound  only,  but  also  to  die  at  Jerusalem  for  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus."^ 

Thus  supported  by  the  firmness  of  his  faith,  Paul  went  up 
to  Jerusalem,  and  related  to  James  and  the  other  elders 
what  things  God  had  wrought  among  the  gentiles  by  his 
ministry ;  and  when  they  heard  of  the  conversion  of  the 
gentiles,  they  magnified  God  the  Creator  of  all  things. 
The  next  day  Paul  entered  into  the  temple  to  purify 
himself,  and  began  to  perform  the  ceremonies  of  the  Mosaic 
law,  in  order  to  remove  every  occasion  of  scandal  to  those 
who  were  zealous  for  the  laws  of  their  fathers ;  that  thus 
making  himself  a  Jew  among  the  Jews,  he  might  gain 
all  men.  But  the  Jews  which  were  of  Asia,  when  they  saw 
him  in  the  temple,  stirred  up  the  people  by  their  malevoleht 
clamours,  and  laid  hands  on  him.  And  all  the  city  was 
moved,  and  the  people  ran  together ;  and  they  took  Paul, 
and  drew  him  out  of  the  temple,  and  forthwith  the  doors 
were  shut.  They  then  began  to  beat  him,  and  sought  to  kill 
him.  Claudius  Lysias,  the  tribune  of  a  cohort,  when  he 
heard  that  aU  Jerusalem  was  suddenly  in  an  uproar,  imme- 
diately took  soldiers  and  centurions,  and  ran  down  to  them, 
and,  to  prevent  the  populace  from  taking  the  apostle's  life, 
he  forcibly  rescued  him  out  of  their  hands,  and  having  bound 
him  with  two  chains,  drew  him  out  of  the  crowd,  aud  com- 
manded him  to  be  carried  into  the  castle,  that  he  might 
inquire  of  him  who  he  was,  and  what  he  had  done.  With 
the  tribune's  consent,  Paul  ascended  the  stairs,  and,  speaking 
to  the  people  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  gave  a  full  account 
of  his  conversion,  and  of  his  former  conversation  as  a  Jew, 
and  offered  afterwards  the  best  arguments  for  his  change 
to  the  faith  of  Christ.  "While  he  was  thus  judiciously  speak- 
ing, the  Jews,  impatient  at  the  force  of  his  words,  began  to 
raise  violent  clamours,  and  furiously  exclaimed :  "  Away  with 
such  a  fellow  from  the  earth :  for  it  is  not  fit  that  he  should 
live."  The  chief  captain,  therefore,  commanded  him  to  be 
brought  into  the  castle,  and  scourged  and  tortured.  Then 
Paul  said  unto  the  centurion  that  stood  by :  "  Is  it  lawful 
to  scourge  a  man  that  is  a  Eoman  and  imcondemned?'' 

1  Acts  xxi.  10—13.    (a.d.  58.) 


202  OBDXBICUS  TITAL18.  [b.h.  CH.ni, 

The  chief  captain,  after  he  knew  that  he  was  a  Boman 
citizen,  was  afraid  because  he  had  bound  him.^ 

On  the  morrow  Paul  was  brought  before  the  council, 
and  standing  in  the  midst  defended  himself  with  great 
ability.  But  the  high  priest  Ananias  commanded  them 
that  stood  by  to  smite  him  on  the  mouth.  Then  said  Paul 
unto  him :  "  Gbd  shall  smite  thee,  thou  whited  wall ;  for 
sittest  thou  to  judge  me  after  the  law,  and  commandest 
me  to  be  smitten  contrary  to  the  law  ?"  And  they  that 
stood  by  said,  "  Revilest  thou  God's  high  priest  ?"  Then 
said  Paul :  "  I  wist  not,  brethren,  that  he  was  the  high 
priest.  For  it  is  written  :  Thou  shalt  not  speak  evil  of  the 
ruler  of  thy  people."'  But  when  Paul  perceived  that  the 
one  part  were  saiiducees,  and  the  other  pharisees,  he  cried 
out  in  the  council,  "  Men  and  brethren,  I  am  a  phansee, 
the  son  of  a  pharisee ;  of  the  hope  and  resurrection  of  the 
dead  I  am  called  in  question."  At  these  words,  there 
arose  a  dissension  between  the  two  parties,  and  the 
multitude  was  divided.  For  the  sadducees  say  that  there 
is  no  resurrection,  neither  angel  nor  spirit ;  but  the  phari- 
sees confess  both.  Some  of  the  pharisees  took  his  part, 
saying,  "  We  find  no  evil  in  this  man ;  but  if  a  spirit  or  an 
angel  hath  spoken  to  him."'  .  .  .  Ajid  when  there  arose  a 
great  dissension,  the  tribune,  fearing  lest  Paul  shoiild  be 
pulled  in  pieces  by  them,  commanded  the  soldiers  to  take 
him  bv  force  from  among  them,  and  to  bring  him  into  the 
castle.^ 

And  the  night  following,  the  Lord  stood  by  him,  and 
said :  "  Be  of  good  cheer ;  for  as  thou  hast  testified  of  me  in 
Jerusalem,  so  must  thou  bear  witness  also  at  Rome.'*  And 
when  it  was  day,  more  than  forty  Jews  came  to  the  chief 
priests  and  elders,  and  bound  themselves  by  an  oath  that 
they  would  neither  eat  nor  drink  tiU  they  had  killed  Paul 
when  on  his  way  to  the  council.  The  tribune,  hearing  of 
this  conspiracy  from  Paul's  sister's  son,  dextrously  defeated 
the  plot  of  these  wicked  men.    For  at  the  third  hour  of  the 

*  Acts  xxl  14— xxii.  29.     (a.d.  58.) 

*  Exodus  xxil  28. 

'  Ordericus  omits  the  concluding  words  of  the  sentence :  **  Let  us  not 
fight  againt  God." 

*  Acts  xxii.  30— xxiii.  13. 


A.D.  58.]  PAirii   SENT   TO   C^SABEA.  203 

night,  he  sent  the  apostle  in  chains  to  CsBsarea  under  an 
escort  of  two  hundred  soldiers,  and  threescore  and  ten 
horsemen,  and  two  hundred  spearmen,  and  remitted  the  case 
to  the  governor  Eelix  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  him. 
Thus  conducted  to  Caesarea,  Paul  was  confined  in  the  guard- 
house of  Herod's  palace,  and  after  five  days  was  called 
before  the  assembly.  Ananias,  the  high  priest,  was  present 
with  the  elders  of  the  Jews,  and  the  orator  TertuUus  framed 
an  insidious  accusation  against  Paul.  The  accused,  with 
the  governor's  permission,  briefly  replied,  and  by  his 
prudent  answer  completely  refuted  all  that  was  laid  to  his 
charge.  Felix  the  governor  then  adjourned  the  assembly 
until  the  arrival  of  the  tribune,  and  ordered  the  centu- 
rion to  treat  Paul  kindlv.  And  after  certain  days,  Felix 
e^une  with  his  wife  Drusilla  who  was  a  Jewess,  and  sending 
for  Paul,  heard  him  concerning  the  faith  in  Christ  Jesus. 
And  as  he  reasoned  of  righteousness,  temperance,  and 
judgment  to  come,  Felix  trembled ;  but  he  often  sent  for  him, 
hoping  to  obtain  money  from  him.  At  the  end  of  two 
years,  Portius  Festus  succeeded  Felix,  who,  willing  to  show 
the  Jews  a  pleasure,  left  Paul  bound.* 

Not  long  afterwards  Festus  went  down  to  Caesarea,  and 
there  commanded  the  Jews  to  bring  forward  their  accusation 
against  Pauli  In  consequence  they  laid  many  and  grievous 
complaints  against  him,  which  they  could  not  prove,  while 
Paul  justified  himself  in  these  words :  "  Neither  against  the 
law  of  the  Jews,  neither  against  the  temple,  nor  yet  against 
Caesar,  have  I  offended  anything  at  all."  At  last,  through 
the  under-hand  arts  of  the  Jews,  and  the  double  dealing  of 
the  judge,  whose  policy  it  was  to  conciliate  them,  Paul  found 
it  necessary  to  appeal  to  Caesar.  He  was  also  brought 
before  an  assembly  over  which  King  Agrippa  and  the 
governor  Festus  presided,  when,  raising  his  hand,  he  gave 
an  account  of  his  calling  and  his  faith  in  Christ,  in  a  very 
eloquent  speech.  When  it  was  ended,  all  present  admired  his 
wisdom;  and  the  great  men  going  aside,  talked  between 
themselves,  saying:  "  This  man  hath  done  nothing  worthy  of 
death  or  of  bonds..  He  might  have  been  set  at  liber^,  if 
he  had  not  appealed  unto  Caesar."  He  was,  therefore, 
delivered  to  Julius,  a  centurion  of  the  Augustan  cohort,  one 

1  Acts  xxiii.  10 — xxiv.  27. 


204  OBDEBICUS  TITjLLIS.  [b.h.  CH.in. 

Aristarchus,  a  Macedonian,  and  Luke,  being  his  fellow  tra- 
vellers.  There  were  in  the  ship  two  hundred  and  seventy-six 
souls ;  the  voyage,  which  violent  tempests  rendered  very 
dangerous,  lasted  fourteen  days,  during  which  they  saw 
neither  sun  nor  stars;  and  took  no  food  as  they  despaired  of 
being  saved.     Paul  had  tried  to  persuade  them  to  winter  in 
Crete,  but  the  earnest  advice  of  the  pilot  and  the  master  of 
the  ship  prevailed  with  the  centurion  and  soldiers  to  prose- 
cute the  voyage.     Their  heedless  haste  induced  them  to 
brave  the  storms  of  the  winter  season,  and  almost  the  whole 
of  them  would  have  been  lost,  but  for  the  aid  afforded  them 
by  the  merits  of  Paul.    But  they  suffered  much  from  terror 
and  fatigue  when  they  were  wrecked  on  the  quicksands ;  and 
all  the  tackle  of  the  ship  was  carried  away,  and  they  were  forced 
to  throw  overboard  the  wheat  and  all  that  burdened  the  vessel. 
Meanwhile,  the  angel  of  Qod  stood  before  Paul,  and  said  to 
him,  "  Eear  not,  Paul ;  thou  must  be  brought  before  Caesar ; 
and,  lo,  Gtod  hath  given  thee  all  them  that  sail  with  thee.* 

After  the  ship  had  gone  to  pieces,  it  was  with  the  greatest 
difficulty  that  they  reached  the  island  of  Mitylene.'  And 
the  barbarous  people  showed  them  great  kindness,  and 
kindled  a  fire  for  their  comfort,  because  of  the  rain  and  cold. 
And  when  Paul  was  heaping  faggots  on  the  ^e,  a  viper 
came  out  of  the  heat,  and  fastened  on  his  hand.  The  bar- 
barians, seeing  this,  cried  out  that  the  man  was  a  murderer, 
and  would  doubtless  soon  die.  But  Paul  shook  the  viper 
into  the  fire,  and,  to  the  surprise  of  all,  felt  no  harm.' 

Publius,  the  governor  of  the  island,  hospitably  entertained 
the  shipwrecked  people  three  days.  "While  there,  Paul  went 
to  see  the  father  of  Publius  who  lay  sick  of  fever  and  dysen- 
tery, and  having  prayed  over  him,  laid  his  hands  on  him,  and 
he^ed  him.  Others  also  of  the  islanders  who  had  diseases 
came  to  him,  and  were  healed.  They  therefore  treated  the 
shipwrecked  crew  and  passengers  with  great  respect,  on  ac- 
count of  Paul's  merits,  and  when  they  departed,  supplied  them 
with  all  that  was  necessary  for  their  voyage.  At  the  end  of 
three  months,  they  embarked  in  a  ship  of  Alexandria,  which 

*  Acts  XXV.  1 — ^xxvii.  24. 

'^  St.  Luke  calls  this  island  Melita,  generally  supposed  to  be  the 
present  Malta. 

•  Acts  xxvii.  25 — xxvlil  6. 


A.D.  63.]  ST.  PAUL   AT   EOME.  205 

had  wintered  in  the  island,  and,  hj  G-od's  guidance,  arrived 
not  long  afterwards  at  Eome ;  when  some  of  the  brethren, 
hearing  of  Paul's  arrival,  went  out  to  meet  and  congratulate 
him.  At  Eome  Paul  was  suffered  to  dwell  by  himself,  in 
the  custody  of  a  soldier ;  and  after  three  days,  he  called  the 
chief  of  the  Jews  together,  and  complained  to  them  of  his 
arrest  and  the  iU-treatment  he  had  suffered  from  theiir 
brethren  at  Jerusalem.  He  then  gave  them  a  faithful 
account  of  the  true  faith  which  is  in  Jesus  Christ.  He 
dwelt  two  whole  years  in  his  own  hired  house,  preaching  to 
all  men  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  teaching  the  things  which 
concern  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  all  confidence,  no  man 
forbidding  him.'  * 

I  have  hitherto  followed  the  narrative  of  St.  Luke  the 
evangelist,  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  who,  omitting  fur- 
ther notice  of  the  other  apostles,  relates  that  Paul  went  to 
Eome,  where,  for  the  space  of  two  years,  he  preached  the 
word  of  God  without  hindrance.  He  came  to  Eome  in  the 
second  year  of  the  reign  of  Nero,  and  defended  himself 
before  the  emperor,  who  at  the  commencement  of  his  reign 
was  as  yet  disposed  to  be  merciful.  By  God's  help,  he  was 
set  at  fiberty  at  the  command  of  Nero,  whom,  by  a  figure, 
he  calls  "The  Lion;"  and  quitting  Eome,  he  journeyed 
through  the  nations  of  the  west,  as  far  as  Narbonne,  a 
city  of  Gtiul.  It  is  reported  that  he  there  built  a  church, 
which  he  dedicated  in  honour  of  the  Maccabean  martyrs, 
where  is  still  seen  the  sign  of  the  cross,  marked  in  oil, 
which  the  apostle  traced  with  his  thumb  on  the  wall;  he  then 
ordained  his  disciple  Paul  bishop  of  that  city,  who  there,  j 
after  performing  many  good  works,  terminated  his  career  by 
a  happy  end.* 

In  the  same  manner,  several  others,  who  had  been 
instructed  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Catholic  faith  by  the  holy 
doctor  of  the  gentiles,  shed  a  wonderful  lustre  on  the  church 
of  God,  being  placed  in  the  chair  of  authority  to  govern 
the  people  of  God  in  various  countries.    Luke  m  Bithynia, 

*  Acts  xxviii.  7—31.     (a.d.  61—63.) 

*  The  metropolitan  church  of  Narbonne  was  neither  founded  by  St, 
Paul  nor  one  of  his  immediate  disciples,  but  by  a  person  of  the  same  name,    . 
one  of  the  seyen  bishops  sent  into  Gaul,  about  a.d.  250,  as  we  learn  firom 
Gre  jory  of  Tours. 


20G  OBDXBICUB  YITALI8.  [b.H.  CH.m. 

Titus  in  Crete,  Carpus  at  Troas,  Timothy  and  Arcliippus 
in  Asia,  Trophimus  at  Aries,  Onesimus  at  Ephesus,  Sos- 
thenes  at  Corinth,  TVchicus  at  Paphos,  Dionjsius  the  Areo- 
iMigite  at  Athens,  Epaphras  at  Colosse,  and  Erastus  at 
Plulippi,  spread  the  nets  of  &ith,  and  drew  the  heathen 
nations  from  the  darkness  of  ignorance  to  the  light  of  truth, 
as  fishes  are  caught  from  the  depths  of  the  sea.  Pointing 
out  to  others  the  path  of  righteousness,  they  retained  them 
in  it  by  their  words  and  actions.  Their  names  are,  therefore, 
written  in  the  book  of  life,  and  all  nations  will  proclaim 
their  wisdom  and  celebrate  their  praise.* 

It  now  becomes  necessary  for  me  to  speak  of  the  trium- 
phant deaths  of  *  the  saints,  and  I  shall  faithfully  continue 
the  thread  of  my  narrative  from  the  materials  furnished  by 
the  writings  of  the  fathers.  I  shall  have  to  tell  how  these 
glorious  princes  of  the  earth,  nobly  bearing  the  standard  of 
the  true  Joshua,  re-conquered  the  land  of  promise ;  how  they 
loved  each  other  during  their  lives,  and  were  not  sepa- 
rated in  death ;  how,  animated  with  the  same  spirit,  they 
fought  at  Rome  against  the  emperor  Nero  and  Simon  the 
magician;  and  how,  having  vanquished  the  enemy,  they 
received  on  the  same  day  their  heavenly  crowns,' 

Marcellus,  a  Roman,  son  of  the  prefect  Marcus,  baptized 
by  the  apostle  Peter,  has  described  the  frowardness  of  Simon 
Magus  and  the  simplicity  of  Peter,  in  a  letter  addressed  to 
the  holy  martyrs  Nereus  and  Achilleus,'  while  they  were 

^  St  Trophimus,  the  disciple  of  St  Paul,  is  a  different  perscm  fiom  his 
namesake,  the  bishop  of  Aries,  one  of  the  seven  bishops  mentioned,  in  the 
preceding  note.  Ordericus  Vi talis  has  made  other  mistakes  of  the  same 
Kind  in  this  passage.  Thus  St  Luke,  though  he  preached  in  many  parts 
of  Bithynia,  never  settled  there,  and  SS.  Carpus  and  Sosthenes  were 
simply  disciples  of  St.  Paul,  without  any  particular  mission  or  ecclesiastical 
rank.  The  attributing  to  Onesimus  the  bishopric  of  Ephesus  arose  from 
confusing  the  disciple  of  the  apostle  with  a  bishop  who  was  contemporary 
with  St.  Ignatius  in  1 07.  Tychicus  was  not  sent  to  Paphos,  but  succes- 
sively to  Colosse  and  Ephesus.  As  for  Erastus,  all  that  is  known  about 
him  is,  that  he  held  the  post  of  treasurer  of  some  city  (probably  Corinth) 
before  he  attached  himself  to  St  Paul. 

*  Ordericus  is  speaking  particularly  of  the  apostles  SS.  Peter  and  Paul, 
though  the  former  parts  of  the  passage  may  apply  to  the  apostles  and 
martyrs  in  general. 

'  The  apocryphal  account  of  the  martyrdom  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  has 
been  published  by  Florentinius  in  his  Notes  oti  the  Ancient  Marijfrok^ 


LEGEKBS  OF  ST.  PETIB.  207 

banished  to  the  island  of  Palmaria  for  the  faith  of  Christ, 
and  daily  combated  the  magicians  Eurius  and  Priscus,  dis- 
ciples of  Simon  Magus  with  irrefragable  arguments  for  the 
truth.  Marcellus  relates  that  on  a  certain  day,  while  Simon 
was  disputing  with  Peter,  calling  him  a  magician,  and  en- 
deavouring to  excite  the  hatred  of  the  Eoman  people  against 
him,  a  widow  happened  to  pass  with  a  great  crowd,  following 
to  the  grave  her  only  son  over  whom  she  mourned  with 
loud  cries.  Then  Peter  said  to  the  followers  of  Simon, "  Ap- 
proach the  bier,  and  remove  the  corpse.  Whoever  restores 
it  to  life  may  be  well  believed  to  possess  the  true  faith." 
When  the  people  had  done  as  he  desired,  Simon  said :  "  If 
I  should  bring  him  to  life  again,  will  you  put  Peter  to 
death?"  The  multitude  answered:  "We  will  bum  him 
alive!"  Then  Simon  having  conjured  up  his  demons, 
began  with  their  aid  to  operate  on  the  body,  which  made 
a  slight  motion,  and  the  people,  observing  it,  raised 
shouts  in  praise  of  Simon,  and  threatened  Peter  with  death. 
However  Peter,  having  with  some  difficulty  obtained  silence, 
addressed  the  crowd  in  these  words :  "  If  this  body  lives, 
let  it  speak,  walk,  take  food,  and  return  home.  If  not,  be 
assured  that  you  are  deceived  by  Simon."  Then  the  people 
exclaimed  with  one  voice :  "  If  Simon  be  not  able  to  do 
this,  he  shall  suffer  the  punishment  which  he  destined  for 
Peter."  Simon  now,  feigning  to  be  angry,  tried  to  run 
away ;  but  the  crowd  caught  hold  of  him,  and  loaded  him 
with  reproaches.  Peter,  then  extending  his  hands  towards 
heaven,  said:  "  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  saidst  unto  us  thy  dis- 
ciples :  *  Go,  in  my  name,  cast  out  devils,  heal  the  sick,  raise 
the  dead;'  restore  now  this  child  to  life,  that  all  the  people 
here  may  acknowledge  that  thou  art  God,  and  that  there  is 
none  other  than  thou,  who  livest  and  reignest  with  the  Father 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  through  all  ages,  Amen."  The  child  im- 
mediately arose,  and  worslupped  Peter,  saying :  "  I  saw  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  commanding  his  angols  thus :  '  At  the 
request  of  Peter,  my  faithful  fnend,  let  that  orphan,  and 
only  child,  be  restored  to  his  widowed  mother.' "   The  people 

of  St,  Jerome,  Ordericus  has  borrowed  several  passages  from  it  in  the 
sequel,  as  will  be  observed  in  passing;  but  this  paragraph,  and  part  of  that 
which  follows,  is  taken  from  another  source,  the  legend  of  SS.  Nereus  and 
Achilleus.    Act,  SS,  Meruit  Maii,  iii.  pp.  9, 10. 


208  onDERicrs  titalis.  [B.n.  CH.nr. 

now  began  to  exclaim  unanimously:  "There  is  but  one 
Gk)d,  the  one  that  Peter  preaches.*'  Simon  meanwhile  trans- 
formed himself  into  the  shape  of  a  dog,  and  tried  to  escape; 
but  the  populace  held  him  fast,  and,  as  they  strove  to  throw 
him  into  the  fire,  Peter  rushed  into  the  midst  of  the  crowd 
and  set  him  free.  "  Our  Master,"  he  said,  "taught  us  to 
render  good  for  evil.*'  Simon,  therefore,  escaped,  and  went 
to  see  Marcellus,  whom  be  had  already  seduced,  and  tied 
up  at  the  entrance  of  the  house  an  enormous  dog,  which 
could  scarcely  be  held  fast  by  the  iron  chain  with  which  it 
was  bound.  "  "We  shall  now  see,"  said  he,  "if  Paul,  who  is 
accustomed  to  come  to  see  you,  will  be  able  to  enter.*'  An 
hour  had  scarcely  elapsed  when  Paul  appeared  at  the  door, 
and,  making  the  sign  of  the  cross,  imchained  the  dog,  saying: 
"  Go  and  say  to  Simon  :  Cease  from  employing  the  services 
of  demons  to  deceive  the  people  for  whom  Christ  shed  his 
blood.'*  Marcellus,  witnessing  such  wonders,  ran  to  meet 
Peter,  and  throwing  himself  at  his  feet,  received  him  into 
his  house,  from  which  he  expelled  Simon  with  utter  con- 
tempt. The  dog  now  became  gentle  towards  every  one 
except  Simon,  whom  he  continuafly  worried ;  but,  one  day, 
when  he  had  got  him  under  him,  Peter  ran  up  to  him, 
exclaiming :  "  I  command  thee,  in  the  name  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  not  to  inflict  a  bite  on  any  part  of  that  man's 
body."  The  animal  from  that  moment  could  not  touch  one 
of  Simon's  limbs,  but  it  so  tore  his  clothes  that  no  part 
of  his  body  remained  covered.  Then  all  the  people,  and 
especially  the  children,  ran  after  him  with  the  dog,  and 
drove  him  beyond  the  walls  of  the  town,  howling  as  if  they 
had  been  in  pursuit  of  a  wolf.  Unable  to  bear  the  scandal 
of  this  ignominious  treatment,  Simon  did  not  venture  to  make 
his  appearance  for  a  whole  twelvemonth ;  but  after  that,  he 
made  nimself  known  to  the  emperor  Nero,  and  the  rogue 
thus  attaching  himself  to  one  of  the  worst  of  men,  became 
all  the  worse  for  the  connexion. 

As  the  end  of  the  apostle's  warfare  drew  nigh,  the  Lord 
appeared  to  his  servant  Peter  in  a  vision,  saying :  "  Simon 
and  Nero,  fully  possessed  by  demons,  are  plottmg  against 
thee.  Fear  not,  for  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  grant  thee  the 
consolation  of  seeing  Paul  my  apostle,  who  to-morrow  will 
enter  Eome.      In  concert  with  nim,  thou  shalt  make  war 


8S.  PETEB  XSJ)   PAUL  AT  HOME  T06ETHEB.     209 

npon  Simon  for  the  space  of  seven  months,  and  when  thon 
hast  conquered,  driven  away,  and  cast  him  into  hell,  ye 
shall  both  come  to  me  crowned  as  victors.  All  this  took 
place.  Indeed  Paul  arrived  the  very  next  day.  Pope  St. 
Linus  has  related  when  and  how  the  apostles  met,  and  how 
they  had  a  conflict  with  Simon  seven  months  afterwards ; 
with  full  particulars  of  their  martyrdom  in  a  work 
written  in  the  Greek  language  for  the  use  of  the 
eastern  churches,*  From  this  narrative  I  propose  to  make 
some  extracts  in  the  way  I  have  already  done,  and  to 
compile,  in  as  few  words  as  I  can,  an  abridged  account  of  all 
the  circumstances. 

Having  learnt  that  Paul  was  arrived  at  Rome,  Peter  was 
oveijoyea,  and  immediately  rose  and  went  out  to  meet 
him.  When  they  saw  each  other,  they  wept  with  delight, 
remained  for  a  long  time  locked  in  a  close  embrace,  and 
bathed  themselves  mutually  with  tears.  These  two  great 
apostles  beginning  to  preach  the  word  of  God,  the  greater 
part  of  the  mixed  population  believed,  nor  could  the  in- 
furiated assemblies  of  Jews  or  Gentiles  make  any  open 
resistance  to  those  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  had  largely  endowed 
with  the  fulness  of  all  wisdom. 

While  an  innumerable  multitude  of  persons  were  con- 
verted to  the  Lord  by  Peter's  preaching,  it  happened  thai 
Livia,  the  consort  of  Nero,  and  Agrippina,  the  wife  of  the 
prefect  Agrippa,  also  embraced  Christianity ;  and,  in  conse- 
quence, they  separated  from  their  husbands,  and  vowed  to 
lead  a  life  of  chastity  for  love  of  the  eternal  King. 

Paul  also  displayed  the  lustre  of  manifold  graces,  and 
roused  the  wonder  of  the  Eoman  world  by  signs  and  won- 
,  ders,  by  his  great  learning,  and  admirable  sanctity.*  Having 
purchased  a  public  garden  outside  the  walls,  there,  assisted 
by  Luke,  Titus,  and  other  faithful  members  of  the  church, 
he  discoursed  on  the  word  of  life.     Meanwhile  he  began  to 

1  Ordencus  here  refers  to  a  pseudononymous  work  entitled,  />.  Ztnt, 
pontificum  seeundi,  de  sui  pradeccssoris  D.  Petri  apostoli  passione  libellus, 
....  Item  de  passione  D,  Pauli  libellus  alter.  Our  author  has  ouly 
made  use  of  this  second  part.  See  the  Bibliotheca  Patrum  mcuima,  t  11, 
pp.  1 — 67. 

*  The  preceding  paragraph  is  borrowed  from  the  legend  of  St  Linus. 
The  'next,  with  those  which  follow,  are  extracted  from  the  account 
attributed  to  Marcellus. 

VOL.  I.  P 


310::  OEDEBICUS^TUAXia.        .-     [b.I^ .  CH.ni. 

Qollect  a  very  great  multitude  of  hearers,  and,  bj  God's  help^ 
many  souls  were  added  to  the  faith  through  him ;  so  that 
trhe  fame  of  his  preaching  and  holiness  was  noised  through- 
put the  city,  and  his  reputation  spread  over  the  whole 
neighbouring  country.  Many  officers  of  the  emperor's 
household  hastened  to  hear  him  preach,  and  became  be- 
lievers in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Home  also  of  the  guards, 
of  the  imperial  bed-chamber  resorted  to  him,  and,  becoming 
Christians,  left  the  service.  Inflamed  with  inward  fervour,, 
they  attached  themselves  to  Christ,  and  refused  to  return  to 
theur  ranks  in  the  palace,  preferring  the  glory  conferred  by 
the  true  faith  and  its  virtues,  to  the  profession  of  arms, 
riches,  and  honours.  Thus  every  day  the  cause  of  Satan  suf- 
fered loss,  while  the  triumphs  of  the  faithful  increased.  Even 
Seneca,  the  emperor's  tutor,  formed  so  close  an  intimacy  with 
J*aul,  finding  in  him  divine  knowledge,  that  he  could,  scarcely 
live  for  a  moment  without  conversing  with  the  apostle ;  and 
when  he  was  prevented  from  listening  to  his  words,  he  sought 
by  an  interchange  of  letters  to  enjoy  the  charms  of  friendly 
communication,  and  to  profit  by  his  good  advice.  It  was  thus 
that,  through  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  his  doctrine 
spread  itself  and  made  itself  beloved ;  so  that  he  taught 
freely,  and  was  listened  to  with  enthusiasm  by  his  numerous 
bearers.  He  disputed  with  the  pagan  philosophers  and 
confounded  the  Jews;  and  almost  all  the  world  submitted  to 
his  teaching.  Even  some  of  his  writings  were  read  to  the 
emperor  by  his  own  tutor ;  a  circumstance  which  made  him, 
generally  esteemed :  the  senate  also  were  not  indifferent  to 
Ids  merits. 

But  while  these  two  illustrious  apostles  thus  shed  Q^ 
divine  lustre,  not  only  amongst  the  Bomans,  but  also 
amongst  all  who  from  different  countries  thronged  to 
Jlome,  the  capital  of  the  world,  the  elders  of  the  synagogues 
and  some  chief  men  of  the  gentiles,  inflamed  with  bitter 
zeal,  stirred  up  the  hatred  of  the  turbulent  mob  against 
the  apostles  by  their  impious  accusations.  They,  therefore, 
sent  Simon  Magus  to  Nero  as  he  was  leaving  the  palace,  and 
commissioned  him  to  prefer  false  charges  against  the  blessed 
apostles.  Simon  began  to  speak  much  evil  of  Peter,  declar- 
ing him  to  be  a  magician  and  a  corrupter  of  the  people. 
The  wicked  believed  this  man,  who  deluded  them  with' 

■i  •    ..   .    7 


BT.  PETEB*CONFOijin)S   BIMO]^  MAGUS.  21T 

tnagicial  tricks,  at  which  they  gaped  with  ignorant  wonder ;', 
for  at  his  command  a  brazen  serpent  moved,  dogs  cut  in 
stone  barked,  bronze  statues  laughed  and  walked;  while  he' 
himself  would  run  and  suddenly  rise  into  the  air.  ? 

As  a  contrast  to  these  impositions,  Peter  cured  the  sick 
with  a  word ;  restored  sight  to  the  blind  by  his  prayers ;' 
drove  away  demons  by  a  simple  command.  Meanwhile  he" 
even  raised  the  dead,  and  drew  away  all  those  he  could  from 
the  pernicious  company  of  the .  magician.  The  result  was 
that  every  religious  man  detested  Simon,  while  all  the 
\Vjcked  men,  on  the  contrary,  became  his  accomplices,  andt 
by  false  testimony  accused  Peter  of  crimes  which  he  had  not 
committed.  At  last  these  accusations  came  to  the  ear  of 
Nero,  who  ordered  the  magician  to  appear  before  him; 
When  conducted  into  the  emperor's  presence,  he  began  to 
deceive  the  spectators  by  illusive  tricks,  transforming  him- 
self into  different  shapes,  so  as  at  one  time  to  appear  a  boji 
the  next  moment  an  old  man,  and  at  another  time  a  youth.' 
Thus,  by  the  help  of  Satan,  he  played  his  antics  ini 
different  forms ;  a  sight  which  so  astonished  the  emperor, 
that  he  took  him  for  the  son  of  God.  Then  the  magician, 
with  his  accomplices,  accused  the  apostles,  and  Nero  gav6 
orders  that  Peter  and  Paul  should  be  brought  in  great 
haste  before  him.  As  early  as  the  day  after,  the  apostles 
and  the  magician  disputed  before  Caesar ;  and,  as  our  faith- 
ful narrative  informs  us,  they  performed  many  wonders.  For 
the  disciples  of  the  truth  declared  the  truth,  asserting  that 
the  magician  was  throughout  a  thief  and  a  rogue ;  and  to 
prevent  the  weak-minded  from  listening  to  him,  protested 
solemnly  that  he  was  an  infamous  apostate.  When  Simon 
threatened  to  send  his  angels  to  punish  Paul,  the  latter 
eecretly  requested  Nero  to  order  that  a  barley-loaf  should 
be  brought  and  given  to  him  privately.  This  having  been 
done,  Peter  took  the  loaf,  which  he  blessed,  broke,  and  hid 
in  his  sleeve :  he  then  inquired  of  the  magician,  who  boasted 
of  being  the  son  of  God,  what  he  had  just  done.  Provoked 
at  not  being  able  to  discover  the  apostle's  secret,  Simoii 
called  loudly  to  several  enormous  dogs,  and  ordered  them  to 
come  and  devour  Peter  before  the  eyes  of  Caesar.  Behold, 
suddenly  there  appeared  dogs  of  a  wonderful  size,  which 
leaped  upon  Peter.      The  apostle,  however,  kneeling  on  the 

p  2 


212  OBPIJIICUB  VTTALIS.  [b.H.  CH.IH. 

ground,  extended  his  two  bands,  and  exhibited  the  loaf 
he  bad  blessed.  As  soon  as  tbe  dogs  perceived  it,  tbey 
suddenly  disappeared.  Thus  tbe  magician  was  publicly 
exposed,  and  became  the  laughing-stock  of  ail  tbe  world, 
as  he  could  only  exhibit  the  ferocity  of  his  dogs,  instead  of 
the  power  of  tho  angels  he  had  promised  to  send  against 
the  apostle ;  and  in  this  manner  showed  that  the  angels 
who  obeyed  his  orders  came  from  the  kennel,  and  not  from 
heaven. 

At  last,  Simon  Magus  having  been  frequently  confounded 
by  the  power  of  the  apostles*  words,  Nero  commanded  that 
a  lofty  wooden  tower  should  be  built  in  the  Field  of  Mars. 
The  next  day,  the  emperor,  the  senate,  the  Eouian  knights, 
and  all  the  people  assembled  there  to  witness  the  show; 
and,  by  the  command  of  Nero,  the  apostles  were  also  brought 
to  the  place.  Then  Simon,  having  ascended  to  the  top  of 
the  tower,  before  all  the  people,  crowned  with  laurel^  he 
extended  his  hands  towards  heaven,  and  began  to  take  his 
flight  in  the  air.  Meanwhile,  Paul,  on  his  knees  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  crowd,  was  praying  to  the  Lord; 
while  Peter  was  attentively  watching  Simon's  tricks,  and 
waited  patiently  for  the  moment  favourable  for  the  infliction 
of  divine  vengeance.  At  last  he  said  to  his  faithful  com- 
panion, "  Paul,  raise  your  head  a  little,  and  look."  Paul 
lifted  up  his  eyes,  full  of  tears,  and  saw  Simon  already  flying 
through  the  air ;  then  he  said :  "  Peter,  why  do  you  delay  ? 
Finish  what  you  have  begun,  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
already  calls  us  to  him.'*  Then  Peter,  looking  towards 
Simon,  exclaimed:  "  Angels  of  Satan,  who  bear  this  impostor 
through  the  air  to  lead  into  error  the  hearts  of  the  unbe- 
lievers, I  adjure  you,  by  God,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  and 
by  our  Lord  Jesus,  his  Son,  who  on  the  third  day  was 
raised  from  the  dead,  that  from  this  moment  you  cease  to 
carry  him,  and  let  him  fall." 

Immediately,  obeying  the  voice  of  Peter,  the  demons  al- 
lowed their  burden  to  drop  from  the  clouds,  and  the  magician 
fell  on  the  spot  which  is  called  the  Sacred  Street  \_Via  Sacra], 
where  his  body,  broken  into  four  quarters,  spread  over 
four  stones,  which  bear  testimony  to  the  triumph  of  tbe 
apostles  to  the  present  day.  Hearing  the  crash,  Paul  raised 
ji^s  head,  and  returned  thanks  to   God,  the  just  judge. 


SS.  FETES  AKO  FAITL  IK  THE   HAHEBTIKE  FBISON.    218 

Nero,  inflamed  with  rage,  ordered  Peter  and  Paul  to  bo 
thrown  into  prison;  while,  hy  his  orders,  Simon's  corpse'' 
was  carefully  guarded  for  three  days  and  as  many  nights, 
because  he  was  convinced  that  the  magician  would  rise  again 
on  the  third  day.  Paul,  on  the  contrary,  asserted  that  he 
was  damned  to  all  eternity.  While  the  apostles  were  re- 
joicing in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  openly  confessed  that  th^ 
Lord  Jesus  was  their  master,  Nero,  transported  with  anger, 
said  to  his  prefect  Agrippa :  "  It  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  those  impious  men  snould  perish  by  a  condign  punish- 
ment; procure,  therefore,  some  iron  chains,  and  let  them 
be  burnt  in  the  Naumachia.'*  Agrippa  replied :  "  It  is  not 
right  that  you  should  order  them  to  be  executed  in  that 
way,  as  Paul  appears  to  be  innocent  of  the  murder  of 
Simon;  it  is,  however  but  just  that  ho  should  lose  hift 
head,  on  account  of  his  impiety.  As  for  Peter,  who  com- 
mitted the  homicide,  order  him  to  be  crucified."^  The 
emperor  assenting,  the  teachers  of  eternal  salvation  were 
immediately  removed  from  his  presence  and  delivered  over  to 
Paulinus. 

Paulinus,  one  of  the  most  illustrious  of  the  Eoman  magis- 
tracy, received  the  charge  of  the  apostles  of  Christ,  arid  con- 
fined them  in  the  Mamertine  prison,  where  they  were  guarded 
by  Processus,  Martinian,  and  other  soldiers.  They  remained 
in  this  prison  for  nine  months,  and  cured  by  their  prayers 
many  sick  people  and  demoniacs  who  came  to  them.  More- 
over, as  their  fellow  prisoners  cried  without  ceasing,  and 
united  in  begging  for  water  to  quench  the  thirst  that  tor- 
mented them,  the  blessed  apostles  prayed  to  G-od,  and  their 
prayer  was  quickly  answered  by  him  whom  they  trusted. 
For  the  blessed  apostle  Peter,  having  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  on  the  Tarpeian  rock,  at  the  same  moment  a  spring 
burst  from  the  side  of  the  hill.  Then  Processus,  Martinian, 
and  all  the  prisoners,  threw  themselves  at  the  feet  of  the 
apostle  Peter,  and  forty-seven  persons,  believing  in  the  Lord, 
were  baptized.  The  apostle  offered  up  for  them  the  eucha- 
ristic  sacrifice  and  made  them  partake  of  the  holy  com- 
munion. 


'  This  paragraph,  thus  far,  and  the  two  preceding  ones,  are  extracted 
firom  the  apocryphal  work  attributed  to  Marceilus 


tl4t    .!  OBDSBIOUSf^  TITALIS.  [fi.H.  CH.ni. 

f  At  the  sight  of  so  many  wonders,  the  officers/  Proce88i,u6 
and  Martinian,  said  to  the  apostles :  "  Depart  wherever 
you  like,  for  Nero  has  forgotten  you,  and  will  not  miss  you." 
reter  and  Paul,  being  entreated  by  the  brethren  to  leava 
the  prison,  quitted  it  at  the  end  of  nme  months,  and,  passing 
along  the  Via  Appia,  arrived  safe  at  the  city  gate.  Then 
Paul  went  to  visit  his  acquaintance  and  friends  in  the  city, 
^d  strengthened  in  the  faith  the  Eomans  and  the  rest  of 
the  believers,  who  rejoiced  greatly  at  his  escape ;  and,  as 
his  custom  was,  sowed  the  seed  abundantly  of  the  word  of 
God,  and,  with  his  help,  added  for  some  days  to  the  number 
of  the  faithful.  The  blessed  Peter,  who  had  the  flesh  of  his 
leg  eaten  into  by  the  fetters  (the  bandage  falling  off  by  the  side 
6f  the  fence  in  the  Via  Nova),  had  almost  reached  the  Appian 
Gate,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  appeared  to  him.  As 
soon  as  Peter  had  perceived  him,  he  worshipped  him,  saying: 
"Lord,  whither  goest  thou?"  The  Lord  said  to  him: 
"  Follow  me,  Peter ;  for  I  am  going  to  Eome  to  be  crucified 
a  second  time."  The  apostle,  immediately  following  him, 
turned  back  towards  Eome,  and  our  Saviour  then  said  to 
him :  "  Pear  not,  for  I  am  with  you  until  I  introduce  you 
into  my  Father's  house." ' 

"When  Paul  returned  to  the  city  in  the  morning,  the 
officers  arrested  him,  and  dragged  him  before  the  emperor's 
tribunal.  Then  Nero,  remembering  what  had  before  occurred, 
gave  orders  that  Peter  should  be  nailed  to  a  cross,  and 
Paul  be  beheaded.  But  when  Peter  was  led  to  the  foot  of 
the  cross,  his  thoughts  wholly  occupied  with  heavenly  things, 
he  acutely  felt  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  descended 
from  heaven  upon  the  earth,  had  been  raised  upon  a  cross 
planted  upright,  and  he  entreated  the  executioners  to  reverse 
his,  and  crucify  him  with  his  head  downwards.  This  they 
did,  fixing  his  feet  above  and  his  hands  underneath.  Then 
an  innumerable  multitude  of  people  assembled  so  full  of  in- 
(lignation  that  they  would  have  committed  the  emperor  Nero 

'  -^  Magistriani,  called  also  magisteriani,  were  ministerial  officers  of  the 
lower,  empire.    Ducange  describes  them  as  agentes  in  rebus, 

*  These  two  paragraphs,  and  the  sentence  which  precedes  them,  are 
taken  from  a  work  called  The  Acts  ofSS,  Processus  and  Martinian,  Act, 
SS.  Mensis  Juliiy  i.  pp.  303,  304.  A  church  built  on  the  spot  which 
tmditlon.  reports  to  be  the  scene  of  this  apparition,  took  its  name  from  St. 
yeiet*B  wotda  i  Domine  quo  vadii  i ,  ^  v 


iL,D.C7?]  ■-'       martybcqm:  OE  st.  pbtee.  :2tK 

himself  to  the  flames.  But  Peter  forbade  them,  saying; 
"  Nay,  nay,  my  children,  put  no  obstacle  in  my  way ;  my 
feet  already  walk  on  the  road  to  heaven.  Grieve  not,  but 
rather  rejoice  with  me,  for  to-day  I  receive  the  fruit  of  my 
labours.'* 

Then  after  a  long  exhortation,  in  which  he  clearly  explained 
the  type  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  whose  steps  he  followed,  he 
prayed,  and  returned  thanks  to  God,  saying:  "I  give 
thanks  to  thee,  O  good  Shepherd,  because  the  flock  that  thou 
hast  entrusted  to  my  care  share  with  me  this  trial ;  and  I 
beseech  thee,  Lord,  to  let  them  partake  with  me  of  thy 
mercy  in  thy  kingdom."  He  added :  "  Good  Shepherd,  Jesus 
•Christ,  I  commend  to  thee  the  sheep  that  thou  didst  com- 
mit to  my  care,  that  they  may  not  perceive  that  they  have 
lost  me,  having  thee  for  their  protector,  by.whose  aid  I  have 
been  able  to  govern  this  flock."  With  these  words  he 
yielded  up  his  spirit. 

Immediately,  there  appeared  men,  who  had  never  been 
seen  in  that  place,  and  whom  no  one  had  been  able  to  see 
there,  either  before  or  afterwards,  and  they  said  that  they 
were  come  from  Jerusalem  for  Peter's  sake.  These  men,  in 
concert  with  the  illustrious  Marcellus,  secretly  carried  off 
the  body  of  the  apostle,  and  deposited  it  under  a  turpentine 
tree,  near  the  JSTaumachia,  in  the  place  which  is  called 
the  Vatican;  testifying  that  the  friends  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  were  ordained  to  be  the  mighty  patrons  of  the 
Romans,^ 

I  shall  now  make  some  brief  extracts  from  the  history  of 
the  martyrdom  of  St.  Paul,  the  teacher  of  the  Gentiles, 
showing  now  he  fought  a  good  fight,  and  finished  his  course, 
and  obtained  the  reward  of  his  heavenly  calling,  inserting 
the  account  in  this  place  to  the  praise  of  the  ineffable 
Saviour.* 

After  Paul  had  left  the  prison,  as  before  related,  he 
returned  to  the  garden,  where  he  lodged  before;  and 
there  great  numbers  of  his  friends  resorted  to  him 
with    much  joy.      At    last    one    day,    towards    evening, 

^  The  preceding  three  paragraphs  are  borrowed  from  the  account  pub^ 
lished  under  the  name  of  St.  Marcellus. 

^  Here  our  author  again  takes  up  the  apocryphal  story  of  St.  Linua^ 
whiclx  h€  follows  in  this  and  the  six  following  paragraj)k8. 


916  OBDEBICUS  TITALI8.  [s.n.  CH.UI. 

gB  he  was  inculcating  his  saving  doctrine,  and  teaching 
the  crowds  in  an  upper  chamber,  Patroclus,  the  em- 
peror's cup-bearer,  having  been  invited  by  some  of  his 
own  intimate  friends,  withdrew  from  his  master's  presence, 
and  repaired  at  nightfall  to  Paul  that  he  might  hear 
the  lessons  of  everlasting  life.  But  on  account  of  the 
crowd  he  could  not  get  near  the  master,  to  hear  con- 
veniently the  word  of  God  which  he  fervently  loved:  he 
therefore  got  up  into  a  very  high  window,  and  there  sat. 
Now  as  Paul  prolonged  his  discourse  until  a  late  hour,  the 
young  man  became  drowsy,  and  through  the  snares  and 
malice  of  Satan,  fell  asleep,  and  falling  from  the  window  of 
the  room,  which  was  on  a  very  high  floor,  expired.  The  news 
of  this  accident  was  speedilv  carried  to  Nero  as  he  was 
returning  from  the  bath,  and  being  extremely  attached  to 
the  young  man,  he  was  much  concerned,  and  appointed 
another  to  be  cup-bearer  in  his  place. 

Meanwhile  Paul,  who  still  contmued  his  instructions  within, 
immediately  knew,  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  informed  those  present  of  the  accident,  ordering 
them  to  bring  forthwith  the  lifeless  body  to  him.  As  soon 
as  the  corpse  was  brought  into  the  room,  Paul  addressed 
the  people,  and  exhorted  them  to  pray  with  a  full  faith  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  for  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  man.  All 
present  fell  on  their  knees  to  join  in  prayer,  which  being 
concluded,  Paul  said:  "Young  ratroclus,  nse  up  and  relate 
what  the  Lord  has  done  for  you."  "Whereupon  Patroclus 
Suddenly  arose  as  if  from  sleep,  and  began  to  glorify  Al- 
mighty Grod.  Then  Paul  sent  him  away  rejoicing  with  the 
other  officers  of  Caesar's  household.* 

While  Nero  was  lamenting  the  death  of  Patroclus,  and 
abandoning  himself  to  extreme  grief,  he  heard  those  about 
him  say  that  Patroclus  was  alive  and  standing  at  the  gate 
of  the  palace.  On  hearing  this,  the  emperor  was  seized 
with  fear,  and  forbade  him  to  enter  the  palace  and  appear  in 
his  presence.  At  last,  listening  to  the  persuasions  of  his 
friends,  he  gave  Patroclus  permission  to  come  in,  and  when 
he  saw  him  safe  and  sound,  and  showing  no  signs  of  deaths 

^  This  tale  is  one  of  the  repetitions,  so  frequent  in  the  apocryphal 
legends,  of  the  miracle  in  which  St.  Paul  restored  to  life  the  young 
Eutychus  of  Philippi 


LEQEirsS  OF   ST.  PAXTL.  217' 

He  was  orerwhelved  with  amazement;  and  having  conversed 
with  him  for  awhile,  perceived  that  he  was  hecome  a  Chris- 
tian ;  and,  unable  to  restrain  his  rage,  gave  him  a  blow  on 
the  cheek,  which  caused  Patroclus  to  rejoice  the  more  in 
the  Lord  Jesus. 

Then  Barnabas  and  Justus,  Paul,  the  soldier  Arion  of 
Gappadocia,  and  Festus  the  Galatiau,  all  attendants  and 
friends  of  Csesar,  said  to  their  master :  "  Why  did  you  buffet 
this  young  man  who  is  well  taught,  and  gave  true  answers? 
We  also  are  soldiers  of  the  invincible  king,  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord."  When  Caesar  heard  them  all,  with  one  mind 
and  one  voice,  call  Jesus  the  invincible  king,  he  ordered  them 
to  be  thrown  into  prison,  resolving  to  torture  cruelly  those 
he  had  fondly  loved.  He  also  commanded  a  strict  search 
to  be  made  for  all  the  setters  forth  of  this  great  King,  and 
published  a  cruel  edict  that  as  many  as  were  discovered 
should  be  tortured  and  punished  without  trial.  In  conse- 
quence, a  strict  search  was  made  for  the  faithful  by  the 
officers,  and  a  great  number  of  them  were  found  and  brought 
into  the  presence  of  Csesar. 

Amongst  these,  Paul,  always  in  bonds  for  Christ's  sake, 
was  led  before  the  emperor  in  chains.  All  the  other  Chris- 
tians looked  upon  him  as  their  master,  and  justly  honoured 
him  whom  the  Lord  had  pronounced  to  be  a  chosen  vessel, 
each  of  them  preferring  him  to  himself  in  all  things.  Nero, 
therefore,  without  any  witness  could  easily  understand  that 
Paul  commanded  the  soldiers  of  the  great  King.  Having 
asked  him  why  he  had  furtively  intruded  himself  into  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Eoraan  state  and  enticed  his  soldiers  to 
desert  the  imperial  service,  and  enlist  under  the  banner  of 
his  own  King,^  Paul,  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  boldly  pro- 

^  However  npocryphal,  and  even  absurd,  are  many  of  the  details  of  this 
legend,  the  writer  eeems  to  have  penetrated  the  true  motive  of  these  pei^ 
fecutions.  Under  the  large  toleration  allowed  by  the  religious  system  of 
the  Romans  in  the  time  of  the  emperors,  the  introduction  of  a  new  god 
might  have  been  received  with  indifference,  or  even  with  favour ;  but,  in 
addition  to  the  exclusive  character  of  the  new  faith,  the  ruling  powers 
became  evidently  alarmed  lest  the  kingly  character  attributed  to  Christ 
should  int^fere  with  their  temporal  power.  This  view  of  the  case  was 
adroitly  put  forward  by  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim  when  Christ  was  arraigned 
before  the  Roman  procurator;  but  Pilnte  either  believed  our  Lord's 
•disclaimer  of  **  a  kingdom  of  this  world/*  or  thought  him  too  insignificant 
a  person  to  cause  any  serious  disturbance,  and  therefore  handed  him  over 


ajjLS*  OKDEBICFS  VITALIS.   .  [b.H.  CH.ni. 

daimed  before  all  present,  the  power  of  Almighty  God,  and; 
invited  thein  all  to  partake  of  the  bounties  of  his  hand  which 
c^  dispense  the  richest  gifts  to  every  one  according  to  his 
deserts.  He  also  admonished  the  emperor  himself  to  pay 
dutiful  allegiance  to  the  supreme  King.  Lastly,  he  asserted 
that  his  King  would  come  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead, 
and  destroy  the  world  by  fire.  At  these  words,  Nero  CsBsar 
was  inflamed  with  anger,  and  commanded  that  all  the  sol- 
diers of  Christ  should  be  burnt  at  the  stake.  But  Paul 
was  treated  as  one  guilty  of  high  treason,  and  a  decree  of 
tjie  Senate  was  passed,  condemning  him  according  to  the 
Itoman  laws  to  lose  his  head.  Having  been  delivered  to 
the  prefects  Longinus  and  Megistus,  and  the  centurion 
Acestus,  to  bo  executed  without  the  walls,  Paul  preached  to 
them  by  the  way,  without  intermission,  the  word  of  salva- 
tion. The  apparitors  and  officers  also  who  were  hastily 
despatched  by  Nero  to  seek  for  them,  used  their  utmost 
endeavours  to  hunt  out  the  Christians  who  concealed  them- 
^Ives,  in  order  to  put  them  to  death.  In  consequence,  such 
immense  numbers  of  the  faithful  were  massacred,  that  the  Bo-, 
man  people,  becoming  exasperated,  made  a  forcible  entrance 
into  the  palace,  with  the  intention  of  laying  violent  hands  on 
Caesar  himself.  Then  Nero,  frightened  at  the  clamours  of 
the  people,  issued  another  edict  commanding  that  the  Chris- 
tians should  be  allowed  to  live  in  peace.  This  rendered  it 
necessary  that  Paul  should  be  brought  before  him  a  second 
time;  but  as  soon  as  Nero  saw  him,  he  vehemently  ex- 
claimed :  "  Take  away  the  magician,  take  away  the  sorcerer; 
cut  off  the  impostor's  head,  and  sweep  from  the  fiice  of  the 
earth  this  perverter  of  the  people's  minds."  But  Paul 
firmly  declared  that  after  death  he  should  live  eternally, 
and  be  with  his  invincible  King,  and  that,  to  prove  the  truth 
of  his  words,  he  would  show  himself  visibly  alive  to  the 
emperor  himself  after  they  had  beheaded  him.  Paul  was 
now  led  rejoicing  to  the  place  of  execution,  unceasingly 
publishing  the  words  of  lite  to  his  executioners,  and  to  all 
who  accompanied  him.  With  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
he  showed  the  emptiness  of  idolatry,  proved  its  nothingness, 

to  his  accusers  to  be  dealt  with  according  to  their  law,  and  he  was  finally 
sentenced,  on  his  own  confession,  for  what  they  called  blasphemy,  that  is 
(h^  ai^Bertion  of  his  divine  nature.  ^ 


A.D.  G7  ?]  MAETTEDOM  OP  ST.   PlUL.  2i§ 

and  admirably  set  before  them  the  true  faith  and  the  know^ 
ledge  of  the  true  Grod;  concluding  his  discourse  with  a 
magnificent  description  of  the  damnation  of  the  repro- 
bate, and  the  glorious  rewards  of  the  righteous.  He 
did  not  speak  in  vain,  for  his  divine  teaching  suddenly  pro- 
duced its  fruits ;  touching  and  inflaming  the  hearts  of  the 
crowds  who  listened  to  him,  and  converting  the  shouts  of  the' 
new  converts  into  wailings  for  their  sins. 

In  the  meantime,  as  these  holy  occupations  caused  some 
delay,  while  the  dense  crowd  rent  the  air  with  their  cries,' 
Kero  sent  Parthenius  and  Phereta  to  see  if  his  orders  had 
been  carried  into  effect,  and  hasten  the  apostle's  execution,' 
il'  he  were  still  alive.  In  these  men  also  Paul  endeavoured 
to  plant  the  seeds  of  salvation,  but,  evil  prevailing,  and  their 
hearts  being  hardened,  his  labour  was  in  vain. 

As  he  went  towards  his  place  of  martyrdom,  followed  hy 
innumerable  multitudes,  he  met  at  the  gate  of  the  city  of 
Eome,  Plautilla,  a  noble  matron,  to  whom  he  said :  "  Acfieu, 
Plautilla,  daughter  of  eternal  salvation."   He  then  requested' 
her  to  give  him  the  kerchief  she  wore  on  her  head,  to  bind' 
his  eyes  at  the  time  of  his  suffering.      The  lady,  in  tears,- 
immediately  presented  him  the  kerchief,  and  commending' 
herself  to  his  prayers,  retired  a  little  out  of  the  crowd,  as  the  • 
apostle  had  commanded  her.     Paul,  observing  that  she  was* 
subjected  to  insults  by  the  pagans,  who  reproached  her  with' 
believing  in  a  magician  and  an  impostor,  spake  words  of 
comfort  to  her,  ordered  her  to  wait  for  his  return  in  some " 
unfrequented  place,  and  told  her  that  she  would  receive,  by 
means  of  her  kerchief,  an  unmistakeable  token  of  his  death. ' 
He  then  in  few  words  instructed  Longinus  and  those  of  his 
companions  who  believed,  how  and  by  whom  they  could  be' 
baptized  after  his  death.     Arriving  at  the  place  of  execution, 
he  turned  towards  the  east,  lifted  up  his  hands  to  heaven^-^ 
and  prayed  in  Hebrew  for  a  long  time  with  the  tears  trick- 
ling down  his  cheeks,  and  concluded  with  returning  thanks  < 
to    Grod.     After  this,  taking  leave   of  the  brethren,   ho. 
blessed  them,  and  having  bound  his  eyes  with  Plautilla's| 
hood,  he  knelt  down  on  both  knees,  and  stretched  out  his. 
neck.    The  executioner  struck  him  with  all  his  might,  andj 
cut  off  his  head,  which,  after  it  was  separated  from  the  body, 
pronounced  with  a  clear  voice  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  iii' 


220  OBDSBIOUS   TITA1.I8.  [b.U.  CH.ni. 

Hebrew.  A  stream  of  milk  immediately  gashed  from  the 
body  upon  the  soldier's  clothes,  and  blood  flowed  after- 
wards. The  hood,  which  he  had  bound  over  his  eyes, 
disappeared.  Such  an  intense  light  burst  from  heaven  at 
the  moment  of  his  decollation,  attended  by  delicious  per- 
fume, that  the  mortal  eyes  could  not  bear  the  brightness, 
and  no  human  tongue  could  give  a  description  of  the  fra- 
grance. All  who  witnessed  these  wonders  were  filled  with 
admiration,  and,  for  a  long  time,  gave  praises  to  the  invin- 
cible King  of  Sabaoth.  But  Farthenius  and  Phereta 
returned  to  the  city,  and  when  they  reached  the  gate,  found 
there  Plautilla  giving  glory  to  the  Lord ;  but  they  presently 
asked  her  in  derision,  why  she  did  not  cover  her  head  with 
the  hood  she  had  given  to  Paul.  She,  inspired  with  the 
ardour  of  faith,  answered  nobly :  "  O  vain  and  wretched 
men,  who  know  not  how  to  believe  even  the  things  that 
you  see  with  your  own  eyes  and  touch  with  your  own  hands ! 
I  have  indeed  the  kerchief  I  gave,  now  gloriously  tinged 
with  that  precious  blood."  She  then  told  them  with  tri- 
umph that  Paul  had  come  from  heaven,  attended  by  an  in- 
numerable company  of  angels  clothed  in  white,  and  restored 
her  hood,  thanking  her  for  her  kindness  towards  him,  and 
adding  the  promise  of  an  eternal  reward.  Then  Plautilla 
drew  the  hood^  from  her  bosom,  and  showed  it  to  them 
dyed  red  with  blood.  On  seeing  this  the  men  were  struck 
with  terror,  and  quickened  their  pace  to  reach  the  palace, 
and  inform  Ciesar  of  what  they  had  seen  and  heard.  Upon 
receiving  the  intelligence,  the  emperor  was  greatly  aston- 
ished, and,  horribly  alarmed,  began  to  consult  the  philoso- 
ophers,  his  own  friends,  and  the  officers  of  state  as  to  the 
meaning  of  all  that  had  been  reported  to  him. 

About  the  ninth  hour,  while  they  were  all  wondering  at 
these  events,  and  inquiring  and  conversing  about  them,  Paul 

*  This  article  of  female  attire,  which  became  the  object  of  so  much 
superstition,  is  variously  called  in  the  legend,  as  quoted  by  our  author, 
pannum,  a  cloth,  napkin,  or  kerchief,  pannieulumt  and  mafora^  otherwise 
mavora,  a  covering  for  the  head  (Ducanre  Glossar,),  but  never  velum  or 
velameriy  a  veil,  the  character  assigned  to  it  by  modem  writers.  It  appears 
to  have  been  either  a  hood,  or  a  kerchief,  which,  wrapped  round  the  head, 
still  forms  the  graceful  head-dress  of  Italian  females  of  the  lower  order, 
and  must  also  be  familiar  to  many  readers  as  that  of  the  Madonnas  of 
Carlo  Dolce  and  Sassa  Ferrata. 


A.D.  67.]        THE  riEST   GENEEAL  PEESKCUTIOIT.  221 

entered  the  palace  although  the  doors  were  closed,  and  standing 
before  the  emperor,  said  to  him :  "  0  Caesar  Nero,  behold  Paul, 
the  soldier  of  the  eternal  and  invincible  King,  stands  before 
you !  You  will  now,  perhaps,  believe  that  I  am  not  dead, 
but  live  by  the  power  of  my  God.  As  for  you,  wretched  man, 
unutterable  woes  await  you  shortly,  the  bitterest  punish- 
ment and  eternal  death ;  because,  among  your  other  crimeB, 
you  have  shed  like  water  the  blood  of  the  faithful.'*  Having 
said  these  words,  he  suddenly  disappeared ;  while  Nero,  on 
hearing  them,  was  struck  with  unspeakable  horror;  and 
having  almost  lost  his  senses,  was  at  a  loss  how  to  act.  At 
last,  by  the  advice  of  his  friends,  he  ordered  Patroclus  and 
Barnabas  to  be  set  at  liberty,  with  all  those  who  had  been 
thrown  into  chains  with  them.  Longinus,  also,  and  his 
companions  came  to  Paul's  sepulchre  early  in  the  morning, 
as  he  had  appointed,  and  there  saw  two  men  praying, 
and  Paul  standing  between  them.  Terrified  at  this  wonder- 
ful sight,  they  dared  not  approach  nearer ;  but  then  Titus 
and  Luke,  awaking  from  the  trance  into  which  they  had 
fallen  in  the  fervour  of  their  prayer,  saw  the  prefects 
and  the  centurion,  who  had  been  the  instruments  of  Paul's 
death,  hastening  towards  them,  with  natural  alarm  they  im- 
mediately took  to  flight.  But  the  officers,  calling  to  them  in 
gentle  accents,  they  immediately  stopped,  and  having  heard 
their  profession  of  faith,  baptized  them  with  religious  joy. 

At  this  time,  the  first  thunder-cloud  of  a  terrible  perse-, 
cation  burst  over  the  Christians,  who  furnished  admirable 
examples  of  resolution  and  constancy  for  those  that  fol- 
lowea.  In  Tuscany,  Torpes,  one  of  the  great  officers  of 
Nero,  was  beheaded,  after  suffering  various  tortures ;  at 
Borne,  Processus,  Martinian,  and  forty-six  of  their  com- 
panions were  baptized  by  the  blessed  apostle  Peter.  Lon- 
ginus and  two  others  were  converted  by  Paul,  and  received 
the  washing  of  salvation  at  the  hands  of  Titus  and  Luke. 
All  these,  followed  their  spiritual  teachers  step  by  step,  for 
their  faith  and  martyrdom.  At  Milan,  Nazarius,  Gervasius, 
Protasius,  and  Celsus,  a  boy,  suffered  for  Christ.^  Thus 
Nero  added  war  against  God  to  his  innumerable  crimes,  and 

^  It  hardly  need  be  remarked  that  we  possess  no  authentic  account*  of 
any  of  these  persons,  whose  acts  in  the  martyrologies  are  completely 
apocryphaL 


3^  0BDEEICU8  TITALI8.  {B.lI.Xm.II^. 

in<Jurred  the  hatred  of  the  army  and  Eoman  people,  wh« 
decreed  that  he  should  be  publicly  scourged  to  death.  Oijl 
hearing  this  sentence,  he  trembled  with  fear,  and,  struck  with 
intolerable  alarm,  the  wretched  prince  absconded,  and  was 
pever  seen  agaiu.  Some  relate  that,  while  wandering  about 
after  his  flight,  his  limbs  became  stiff  from  hunger  and  cold, 
and  he  was  devoured  by  wolves.^ 

Such  are  the  notices  respecting  the  two  most  eminent 
senators  of  the  church,  which  I  have  collected  faithfully, 
extracting  from  the  accounts  of  their  remarkable  acts, 
contained  in  a  great  number  of  volumes,  a  short  abridgment 
for  the  information  of  posterity. 

•  Peter  preached  for  seven  years  to  the  circumcision,  and 
held  the  see  of  Antioch  for  another  seven  years.  He  went 
to  Bome  in  the  time  of  Claudius  Caesar,  to  oppose  Simon 
Magus,  and  there  preached  the  gospel  for  twenty-five  years, 
being  the  first  bishop  of  Rome.  He  was  crucified  in  the 
thirty-sixth  year  after  Christ's  passion,  on  the  third  of  the 
calends  of  July  [June  29],  and  his  body  was  interred  by  the 
Aurelian  Way,  near  the  palace  of  Nero  on  the  Vatican.* 
On  the  same  day,  Paul,  after  nobly  suffering  innumerable 
pains  and  labours,  was  beheaded  at  the  second  milestone 
on  the  road  to  Ostia,  in  the  gardens  situated  ad  aquus  Sal- 
vias, [at  the  Salvian  waters.^]  Both  the  apostles  suffered  at 
Home  during  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Nero,  when  Bassus 
and  Tuscus*  were  consuls ;  the  first  is  honoured  with  the 
devotion  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  near  the  Trium* 
phal  Way,  the  second  enjoys  similar  honours  on  the  road 
to  Ostia.*    Rome,  the  capital  of  the  world,  glories  in  having 

*  The  conclusion  of  this  paragraph  is  taken  from  the  apocryphal  work 
attributed  to  St.  Marcellus.  The  received  opinion  is  that  the  tyrant  Nero 
took  refuge  in  the  cottage  of  one  of  his  freedmen,  and  ended  his  days  by 
suicide. 

■  The  martyrdom  of  the  two  apostles  took  place,  not  in  the  thirty-sixth^ 
but  in  the  early  part  of  the  thirty-fourth  year  after  our  Lord's  crucifixion. 

*  It  was  on  this  spot  that  the  church  of  Sio.  Paulo  fuori  muri  was 
afterwards  erected. 

*  Tuscus,  one  of  the  two  consuls  here  mentioned,  is  a  supposititious 
petsomige.  C.  Lecanius  Bassus  was  consul  in  64,  two  years  before  the 
date  which  seems  to  be  the  right  one. 

*  Notwithstanding  the  respectable  traditions  which  support  the  state- 
ment, there  is  some  difficulty,  as  it  has  been  already  intimated,  in  belieying 
that  for  the  purpose  of  opposing  Simon  Magus,  or  even  with  the  object  df 


;  LEJ»ENDS  OF  ST.  Ain)KElHr.  '223 

for  her  patrons  such  exalted  saints,  to  whose  temples  the 
faithful  resort  from  all  parts  of  the  globe,  in  order  that,  by 
iissistance  of  these  powerful  advocates,  they  may  be  protected 
from  all  their  adversaries  and  all  hostile  influences.  All 
who  with  becoming  devotion  implore  their  intercessions, 
quickly  experience  their  aid,  through  the  mercy  of  Q-od,  the 
supreme  King,  who,  in  the  unity  of  Trinity,  reigns  through- 
out all  ages.   Amen. 

Ch.  IY.     The  acts  of  St.  Andrew  the  apostle— and  his  mat*' 
tyrdom,  collected  from  the  legeiids. 

Andbew,  the  brother  of  Simon  Peter,  according  to 
the  Hebrew  etymology,  signifies  handsome  or  responding ; 
but  in  Grreek  is  derived  aich  to\j  avd^hg^  that  is,  a  viro, 
and  means  virile.  To  this  apostle  Scythia  and  Achaia  were 
allotted,  for  the  field  of  his  ministerial  labours ;  in  which 
last,  in  the  town  of  Patras,  he  died  suspended  on  a  cross; 
upon  the  second  of  the  calends  of  December  [November 
30].  We  possess  a  short  but  excellent  work,  containing 
particulars  of  many  wonderful  acts  of  St.  Andrew.  Al- 
though the  name  of  the  author  is  unknown  to  me,  yet  some 
account  of  these  will,  I  think,  be  very  acceptable  to  the 
reader.  I  propose,  therefore,  to  make  brief  extracts  from 
the  narrative,  to  the  glory  of  the  Almighty  Messiah,  and 
insert  them  in  my  own  work. 

When  Matthew,  apostle  and  evangelist,  published  thd 
word  of  salvation  to  the  Myrmidons,  he  was  seized  by  some 
cruel  men  who  put  out  his  eyes,  and  threw  him  into  prison 
Mid  chains.  Meanwhile,  the  apostle  Andrew,  by  command 
of  the  angel  of  God,  went  down  to  the  sea-shore;  and 
having  found  a  ship,  immediately  embarked,  and  the  winds 
being  favourable,  made  a  quick  passage  to  the  town  where 
St.  Matthew  was  confined  in  a  loathsome  prison.  Here, 
seeing  his  fellow  apostle  and  the  other  prisoners,  in  great 

founding  a  church  at  Rome,  Peter  undertook  a  journey  Jhere  as  early  as 
the  year  42,  from  which  he  had  to  return  to  Jerusalem  in  44.  It  is 
equally  difficult  to  admit  that  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  suffered  martyrdom 
at  Rome  the  same  day,  the  one  on  the  Vatican,  the  other  on  the  road  to 
Ostia,  two  miles  from  the  city.  We  learn  from  Prudentius  that  in  the 
Iburth  century  it  was  supposed,  and  this  is  a  more  probable  story,  that  thtf 
game  meadow  was  watered  with  the  blood  of  the  two  apostles.  * 


224i  OBDXEICUS  TITiXlS.  [b.ii.  ch.it. 

affliction,  he  wept  bitterly;  but  -when  they  had  prayed 
together,  the  whole  place  suddenly  shook  under  them,  and  a 
light  shone  in  the  prison.  The  eyes  of  the  blessed  eran- 
gelist  were  also  restored  to  him,  and  their  fetters  being 
unloosed,  Matthew  and  the  rest  of  the  prisoners  were  set 
free,  and  quitted  the  dungeon.  While,  however,  Andrew 
was  preaching  the  word  of  God  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
country,  they  seized  him,  tied  his  legs  together,  and  dragged 
him  through  the  street  of  the  town,  so  that  his  hair  was 
torn  out  by  the  roots,  and  blood  flowed  from  his  head. 
At  last,  the  prayers  of  the  apostle  being  heard,  great  fear 
fell  on  the  inhabitants  of  Myrmidonia,*  who  presently  set  him 
at  liberty.  Then  prostrating  themselves  at  his  leet,  they 
eagerly  listened  to  his  preaching,  and,  divinely  influenced, 
believed  in  the  Lord  and  were  baptized.  After  this,  Andrew 
departed,  and,  returning  to  his  own  country,  there  touched 
the  eyes  of  a  blind  man  who  immediately  recovered  his 
sight. 

Demetrius,  the  governor  of  the  city  of  Amasia,"  having 
heard  of  the  miracles  which  Andrew  performed  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  came  in  tears  to  throw  himself  at  the  feet  of  the 
apostle,  beseeching  him  to  restore  to  life  a  young  Egyptian 
who  had  died  of  fever.  The  kind  apostle  consoled  him  in 
his  affliction,  repaired  with  him  to  the  house  of  mourning, 
and  after  he  had  prayed,  the  child  arose  in  perfect  health. 
All  who  saw  this  miracle  rejoiced,  believed,  and  were  bap- 
tized. 

Sostratus,  a  Christian  youth,  having  been  tempted  by  his 
mother  to  commit  incest,  ran  off  to  the  apostle;  but  the 
woman,  full  of  spite,  accused  her  son  of  the  crime  before  the 

Eroconsul.  The  young  man  remained  silent  through  modesty, 
ut  St.  Andrew  defended  him,  and  publicly  rebuked  the  lewd 
woman  for  her  iniquity.  The  proconsul,  in  anger,  ordered 
the  young  man  to  be  tied  up  in  the  leathern  sack  used  for 
parricides,  and  to  be  thrown  into  the  river,  and  Andrew  to 

^  The  preaching  of  St.  Matthew  among  the  Myrmidons  is  a  fact  com- 
pletely apocryphal,  as  well  as  all  the  other  events  mentioned  by  our  author 
as  connected  with  the  history  of  St.  Andrew.  The  whole  of  this  legend 
is  also  borrowed  from  the  Pseudo  Abdias,  lib.  iii. 

"  There  is  no  such  town  in  Achaia,  the  country  of  St.  Andrew,  .acced- 
ing to  the  preceding  paragraph.  There  were  several  of  the  name,  but  all 
situate  in  Asia  Minor. 


ST.  A^DBEW'S  MIBACLES.  225 

be  taken  to  prison.  But  while  he  was  praying,  a  violent 
earthquake,  attended  with  frightful  claps  of  thunder,  threw 
the  proconsul  from  his  seat,  and  the  rest  all  fell  on  the 
ground.  The  mother  of  the  lad  was  struck  by  lightning, 
and  burnt  to  death.  Then  the  proconsul  threw  himself 
at  the  feet  of  the  apostle,  saying:  ''Have  compassion  on 
us,  thou  servant  of  Grod,  for  we  are  perishing,  and  the  earth 
wQl  swallow  us  up."  By  the  prayers  of  Andrew,  the  earth- 
quake ceased ;  the  air  became  serene,  and,  going  round,  he 
restored  aU  those  who  were  agitated  with  fear.  The  pro- 
consul received  the  word  of*GK)d,  and,  believing  in  the  Lord 
with  his  whole  family,  was  baptized  by  the  apostle. 

Gbatinus  of  Sinope,^  havmg  an  attack  of  fever,  fell 
seriously  ill,  and  at  the  same  time  his  wife  became  swollen 
with  the  dropsy.  His  son  also,  while  washing  in  the 
women's  bath,  was  grievously  tormented  by  a  demon,  which 
deprived  him  of  his  reason.  At  the  request  of  the  proconsul, 
Andrew  ascended  a  chariot  and  came  into  the  town,  and  as 
soon  as  he  entered  the  house  of  Gratinus,  drove  out  the 
demon,  and  cleansed  and  healed  the  young  man.  He 
rebuiked  a  man  and  his  wife  who  were  foul  with  adultery, 
and  cured  them,  after  having  received  a  promise  that  they 
would  amend  their  lives;  afterwards,  when  both  were  re- 
covered, they  received  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  were 
baptized  witn  great  joy,  and  their  whole  house. 

At  Nice,  seven  demons  lurked  among  the  tombs  by  the 
wayside,  and  stoned  those  who  passed  by  at  mid-day,  having 
already  killed  a  great  niunber.  At  last,  hearing  that  the 
apostle  was  approaching  the  ^ates,  the  whole  city  was  in  a 
tumult  of  joy,  and  the  inhabitants,  going  out  to  meet  him 
with  branches  of  palm-trees,  exclaimed :  "  Thou  man  of  God, 
oup  salvation  depends  on  you."  They  then  explained  to 
him  the  state  of  affairs,  and  heard  in  return  from  the 
apostle's  lips  all  the  rules  of  faith  and  religion.  They  were 
immediately  filled  with  joy,  believed  in  the  Lord,  and  con-? 
fessed  that  Jesus  Christ  was  the  Son  of  God.  Andrew  theH 
returned  thanks  to  God  for  their  instant  conversion ;  and, 
commanding  the  demons  to  appear  before  the  people  in  the 
shape  of  dogs,  banished  them  to  arid  and  barren « wastes, 

^  There  is  no  more  a  town  of  this  name  in  Achaia  than  one  of  that  of 
Amasia.    Sinope  was  a  town  of  some  importance  in  Paphlagonia. 

VOL.  I.  q 


226  0BDEB1CU8  TITALI8.  [b.II.  CH.IT. 

where  tbey  could  hurt  no  one.  Thus  armed  with  the  power 
of  God,  he  delivered  the  city  of  Nice,  baptized  the  citizens 
who  believed,  and  appointed  Celestine/  a  good  and  wise 
man,  to  be  their  bishop. 

At  the  gate  of  Nicomedia  Andrew  met  a  young  man  lying 
dead  on  a  pallet,  whose  aged  parents  were  following  to  tl^ 
grave  the  corpse  of  their  son,  weeping  bitterly.  Gneved  at 
seeing  their  tears,  he  inquired  what  was  the  cause  of  the 
youth's  death.  But  they  were  a&aid  and  returned  no 
answer;  their  servants  answered  his  question,  saying: 
''  While  he  was  alone  in  his  room,  seven  dogs  suddenly 
appeared  and  leaping  upon  him,  miserably  tore  him,  so  that 
he  fell  down  dead."  Then  Andrew  knew  that  this  was  the 
work  of  the  seven  demons  he  had  driven  out  of  Nice,  and 
sighing  towards  heaven  he  begged  of  Gt)d  the  life  of  the 
deceased.  Having  concluded  his  prayer,  he  turned  himself 
towards  the  bier,  and  said :  *'  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christy 
rise  up."  To  the  great  astonishment  of  the  people,  the 
young  man  arose,  and  attached  himself  to  him  to  whom 
he  owed  his  restoration  to  life.  The  apostle  took  the  young 
convert  with  him  as  far  as  Macedonia,  and  instructed  him 
in  the  words  of  salvation. 

Having  quitted  the  town,  he  went  on  board  a  ship,  and 
entered  the  strait  called  Hellespont,  intending  to  saol  to 
Byzantium,  when  suddenly  the  sea  became  rough,  and  a 
violent  gale  sprung  up  which  nearly  sank  the  ship,  so  that 
the  sailors  expected  to  perish  every  moment.  At  length 
the  blessed  Andrew  prayed  to  the  Lord,  at  whose  command 
the  wind  was  still  and  the  sea  tranquil,  so  that  a  favourable 
voyage  soon  brought^  them,  delivered  from  their  peril,  to 
Byzantium. 

As  they  approached  the  shores  of  Thrace,  a  great 
multitude  of  men  appeared  with  drawn  swords,  and  brandish- 
ing lances  in  their  hands,  ready  to  fall  upon  those  who 
came  within  their  reach.  But  the  blessed  Andrew  made  the 
sign  of  the  cross  towards  them,  and  prayed  to  Gt>d  for  the 
preservation  of  his  followers.  Then  the  angel  of  the  Lord, 
passing  through  the  band  with  great  radiance,  touched  their 

^  In  the  Pseudo  Abdias  this  person  is  called  Calixtus.  We  are  now 
fairly  landed  in  Asia,  as  those  words  are  inserted  after  Nice  in  the  original 
work. 


ST.  AITDEEW'S   MIEACLE^.  227 

swords  and,  falliiig  on  tlie  ground,  ttey  allowed  the  man  of 
God  and  those  who  accompanied  him  to  go  through  unhurt. 
The  apostle  Andrew  arrived  at  Perinthus,  a  maritime  city  of 
l^hrace,  where  he  found  a  vessel  which  was  to  sail  with  all 
speed  for  Macedonia.  The  angel  of  God  commanding  him 
to  embark  in  it,  when  on  board  he  preached  the  word  of 
God,  and  the  pilot  and  all  the  sailors  believed  in  the 
Lord. 

There  was  at  Thessalonica  a  young  nobleman  extremely 
richi  named  Exous.  He  went  to  the  apostle  without  his 
family  knowing  it,  and  having  heard  him  preach  the  word  of 
God  believed  in  the  Lord,  and,  leaving  his  parents  and 
property,  attached  himself  to  him.  His  relations  searching 
for  him,  found  him  at  Philippi,  and  used  their  utmost 
endeavours  to  detach  him  from  the  apostle  by  employing 
presents  and  threats,  but  were  not  able  to  do  so.  Andrew 
whom  they  treated  with  contempt,  preached  to  them  the 
word  of  salvation,  and,  having  got  together  a  numerous 
band,  they  threw  fire  upon  the  house,  and  being  furnished 
with  bundles  of  rushes  and  sedges  and  with  torches, 
they  began  to  succeed  in  their  efforts  to  reduce  it  to  ashes. 
Then  the  young  man,  having  called  upon  the  name  of  Christ, 
poured  upon  Sie  flames  a  bottle  of  water,  and  the  divine 
power  extinguished  the  fire  in  an  instant,  as  if  it  had  not 
Deen  lighted.  Enraged  at  the  failure  of  their  attempts, 
they  brought  ladders  to  scale  the  walls,  and  put  to  the  sword 
all  who  were  in  the  house ;  but  they  were  struck  blind  by 
the  power  of  God,  so  that  they  were  unable  to  see  how  to 
ascend  the  ladders.  Then  Lysimachus,  one  of  the  citizens, 
acknowledged  the  hand  of  God,  and  strongly  rebuked  his 
neighbours  for  their  folly,  saying ;  "  Why,  O  simple  mortals, 
do  you  consume  your  strength  m  fruitless  attempts  ?  Gtoi 
himself  fights  for  these  men,  and  you  do  not  perceive  it! 
Cease  this  folly,  lest  the  anger  of  Heaven  should  destroy 
you."  At  these  words  they  were  pricked  to  the  heart,  and 
while  the  darkness  of  night  was  thickening  around  them, 
they  were  illuminated  by  light  from  heaven.  Gt)ing  up 
they  found  the  apostle  praying ;  and,  prostrating  themselves 
on  the  floor,  entreated  his  forgiveness,  which  they  received. 
He  then  kindly  raised  them  up,  and,  being  strengthened  in 
the  fSuth,  they  praised  the  Lord.    However  the*  parents 

q2 


228  OBDSSICUS  TITALIS.  [b.H.  CH.IT. 

of  the  young  man  were  not  among  the  number  of  those 
who  beheved ;  and  cursing  their  child^  they  returned  to  their 
own  country,  where,  at  the  end  of  fifty  days,  they  both 
expired  in  the  same  hour.  Then  the  young  man  received 
his  whole  patrimony  from  his  fellow-citizens,  by  whom  he 
was  much  beloyed,  and  attaching  himself  to  the  apostle,  h^ 
distributed  amongst  the  poor  the  revenue  of  his  estates. 

Some  time  after  the^  both  departed  together  for 
Thessalonica,  where  the  citizens  thronged  about  them  in  the 
theatre  with  great  rejoicings.  While  Exous  was  preaching 
to  them  the  word  of  God,  the  blessed  Andrew,  admiring  his 
wisdom,  listened  in  silence.  After  this,  at  the  request  of  the 
multitude,  he  ordered  them  to  bring  to  him  Adimathus,  the 
sick  son  of  Carpianus.  This  young  m^  having  received 
from  his  father  an  assurance  that  he  would  be  healed,  be- 
lieved his  words,  and  putting  on  his  clothes,  rose  from  the 
bed  on  which  he  haa  lain  twenty-three  years,  and,  run- 
ning swiftly,  so  that  he  left  his  parents  behind  him, 
repaired  to  the  theatre,  fell  down  at  the  apostle*s  feet,  and, 
to  the  amazement  of  the  people,  returned  thanks  for  the 
recovery  of  his  health.  A  certain  ThessfJonian,  having 
implored  the  apostle  to  heal  his  son  who  was  possessed  with 
a  devil,  Satan,  the  master  of  a  thousand  artifices,^  suffocated 
him  in  a  secret  chamber.  The  father,  having  found  his 
son  dead,  and  being  in  great  afOiction  at  his  bereavement, 
yet  strong  in  faith,  did  not  give  up  all  hope,  but  had  the 
corpse  carried  to  the  theatre  by  his  frienas,  and  told  his 
case  to  the  apostle.  The  latter,  turning  to  the  people,  ex- 
claimed :  "  0  men  of  Thessalonica,  what  can  it  pront  you 
to  witness  the  performance  of  miracles,  if  you  do  not 
believe?"  However,  as  they  promised  to  believe  if  they 
saw  the  miracle,  the  apostle  Andrew  said  to  the  dead  man : 
"  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  rise  up,  young  man !"  And 
he  immediately  arose,  and  the  people  astonished,  faithfully 
kept  the  promise  they  had  made  to  receive  the  faith. 

Medias  of  Philippi,  begged  St.  Andrew  with  tears,  to  have 
compassion  upon  his  son,  who  was  very  ill ;  and  the  bene- 
volent apostle  kindly  listened  to  his  request,  and,  taking  him 

1  MiUe  Artifex;  one  of  the  names  which  it  was  pretended  the  devil 
sometimes  gave  himself  as  will  be  seen  hereafter  in  the  legend  of  St« 
Marcellus. 


ST.  ANDEEW  AT  PHILIPPI.  229 

by  the  hand,  went  with  him  to  Philippi.  As  they  were 
entering  the  gate  of  the  city,  an  old  man  came  up  to  them, 
and  implored  his  interference  in  favour  of  his  sons,  who 
were  tMown  into  prison  by  Medias  for  some  offence  they 
had  committed.  The  apostle  exhorting  him  to  be  merciful, 
Medias  threw  himself  at  his  feet,  and,  in  the  hope  of  obtain- 
ing the  recovery  of  his  son,  pardoned  not  only  the  two  sons 
of  the  old  man,  but  also  seven  other  prisoners  for  whom  no 
one  had  said  a  word.  "WTien  they  were  set  at  liberty,  the 
apostle  healed  Philomede,  who  had  been  twenty-two  years 
infirm. 

The  people  then  calling  upon  the  apostle  to  cure  their 
eick  also,  Andrew,  trusting  in  the  Lord,  said  to  the  young 
man  whom  he  had  just  healed :  '*  Visit  all  the  sick  at  their 
own  homes,  and  command  them  to  rise  up  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ,  who  has  restored  you  to  healfch."  He  imme- 
diately obeyed  the  apostle's  word,  and  the  people  believed 
when  they  saw  the  miracles,  and  offered  many  presents  to 
the  man  of  Gk)d ;  but  as  he  preached  the  word  of  life  to  all 
without  reward,  he  refused  to  accept  of  anything,  but  in- 
vited all  men  to  come  and  receive  the  faith.  He  also  healed 
gratuitously  the  daufi;hter  of  Nicholas,  who  was  in  a 
languishing  state;  although  her  father  offered  him  a  very 
valuable  present,  that  is  to  say,  a  gilded  chariot  with  four 
white  mules,  and  the  same  number  of  horses. 

The  &me  of  the  apostle's  miracles  on  the  sick  spreading 
throughout  Macedonia,  Quirinus,  the  proconsul,  was  in- 
censed against  him,  and  he  sent  soldiers  to  Thessalonica  to 
hkv  hands  upon  Andrew ;  but  when  they  saw  the  brightness 
of  his  countenance,  they  dared  not  touch  him.  The  people 
of  the  place  who  believed  in  G-od  receiving  information  that 
a  band  of  soldiers  was  coming  there  to  do  harm  to  the 
apostle,  they  became  so  exasperated  that  they  were  ready  to 
fall  on  them  with  swords  and  staves;  and  although  the 
apostle  forbade,  they  could  scarcely  refrain  from  murdering 
them.  Again  the  proconsul  sent  a  band  of  soldiers,  who, 
when  they  saw  the  apostle,  became  so  agitated  that  they 
were  not  able  to  utter  a  single  word.  The  third  time,  the 
proconsul  despatched  a  large  body  of  troops,  one  of  whom 
was  possessed  with  a  devil,  and  made  use  of  the  roost  violent 
language  against  the  proconsul  in  his  absence.    The  demon 


230  OBDEEICVS  TITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.IY. 

afterwards  came  out  of  the  soldier,  who  fell  down  on  the 
ground  and  expired.    At  last,  the  proconsul  came  himself 
transported  with  fury,  but,  although  he  stood  near  the 
apostle  Andrew,  was  not  able  to  see  him  until  he  heard  him 
speak.    This  wretched  man,  seeing  the  holj  servant  of  Gk>d, 
loaded  him  with  abuse  and  threats.    But  the  benign  saint 
endeavoured  to  calm  the  furj  of  the  judge  with  gentle 
words;  and,  pouring  forth  prayers  to  the  liord,  restored 
the  dead  soldier  to  lue.    The  proconsul,  however*  still  per- 
sisted in  his  insane  fury,  and  the  next  morning  ordered  that 
wild  beasts  should  be  let  into  the  arena,  and  the  blessed 
apostle  led  to  the  spot,  and  thrown  to  the  wild  beasts. 
The  savage  guards  then  dragged  Andrew  by  the  hair  towards 
the  arena,  threw  him  in,  and  let  loose  upon  him  a  ferocious 
and  horrible  boar.     The  animal  walked  three  times  round 
the  holy  man  of  G-od,  but  did  him  no  harm.     By  order  of 
the  proconsul,  another  boar^  was  brought  bv  thirty  soldiers^ 
and  driven  into  the  place  by  two  hunters ;  out  it  would  not 
touch  Andrew,  while  it  tore  the  huntsmen  in  pieces.    Ai; 
last,  giving  a  horrible  grunt,  it  fell  down  and  expiredl 
"While  the  people,  for  this  deliverance,  were  celebrating  th^ 
praises  of  the  Lord,  an  angel  was  seen  to  descend  from 
heaven  to  comfort  the  holy  man  of  GK)d,  who  was  still  in  thb 
stadium.     At  last  the  cruel  proconsul,  boiling  with  rage^ 
commanded  that  a  most  ferocious  leopard  should  be  let 
loose;   but  as  soon  as  it  was  at  liberty,  disregarding  the 
apostle,  the  animal  ascended  the  steps  to  the  proconsul'fi 
seat,  and,  leaping  on  his  son,  instantly  strangled  himL 
Utter  madness  must  have  possessed  the  proconsul,  fop 
he  was  not  at,  all  grieved  at  wnat  had  happened,  nor  did  he 
speak  a  word.     Then  the  blessed  man  comforted  the  people 
with   the  love  of    God,  and,  to  strengthen  their  faith^ 
promised  to  restore    to    life    the    proconsul's  dead   son. 
Frostratin^  himself  upon  the  ground,  he  prayed  for  a  con- 
siderable tune,  and  then,  taking  the  hand  of  the  deceased  in 
his  own,  raised  him  up  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.   The  people 
^vitnessing  this  miracle  magnified  God,  and  would  have  killed 
the  proconsul  Quirinus,  who  in  his  unbelief  had  dared  resisj; 
G-od's  saint ;  but  the  apostle  would  not  permit  them.      The 
proconsul  retired  to  the  pretorium  in  confusion. 
>     -  ^  According  to  the  suppoutitious  Abdias  it  was  a  bull«, 


ST.  AI^DBEW'S  MIBACLES.  231 

I 

Moved  by  the  entreaties  of  a  certain  woman,  the  blessed 
Andrew  followed  her  to  a  farm  where  there  was  a  serpent 
fifty  cubits  long  which  devastated  the  whole  country.  At 
the  approach  of  the  apostle,  the  serpent  made  a  loud  hissing, 
and,  erecting  its  crest,  glided  towards  the  persons  present  to 
their  great  consternation.  Then  the  holy  man  of  God  said 
to  it :  ''  Hide  thy  head,  cruel  monster !  thou  hast  raised  it 
since  the  creation  of  the  world  for  the  destruction  of  the 
human  race.  Submit  thvself  to  the  servants  of  God,  and 
die."  The  serpent  immeoiately  uttered  a  tremendous  groan, 
and,  coiling  round  the  trunk  of  a  large  oak-tree  that  was 
near,  vomited  a  stream  of  poison  and  blood,  and  expired. 
The  apostle  afterwards  went  to  the  farm-house  belonging  to 
the  woman,  where  he  found  her  little  child  lying  dead,  having 
been  struck  by  the  serpent.  He  then  sent  the  parents  to 
see  that  the  reptile  which  had  killed  the  infant  was  itself 
dead.  After  they  had  left  the  place,  the  apostle  said  to  the 
proconsul's  wife :  "  Go,  and  restore  the  child  to  life."  She, 
nothing  doubting,  approached  the  corpse,  and  said :  ''  In  the 
name  of  my  God,  Jesus  Christ,  rise  up  whole;"  and  the 
child  instantly  arose,  to  the  great  joy  of  all  present,  who 
returned  thanks  to  God. 

On  the  following  night,  the  blessed  Andrew  saw  Peter  and 
John  in  a  vision,  when  it  was  revealed  to  him  that  in  a  short 
time  he  would  be  hung  on  a  cross,  and  thus  be  a  partaker 
of  the  same  suffering  as  the  Lord  Jesus  at  his  crucifixion. 
Whereupon  he  called  together  the  brethren,  and  related 
the  vision  to  them,  explaining  its  meaning,  and  endeavour- 
ing to  console  them  in  the  affliction  which  the  announcement 
of  his  sudden  departure  from  this  world  had  caused  them. 
During  five  days  he  instructed  them  in  saving  truths,  and 
having,  by  devout  prayers,  commended  the  flock  of  his 
church  to  God,  he  departed  for  Thessalonica.^ 

The  proconsul,  Lisbius,  endeavouring  to  resist  the  designs 
of  God,  sent  soldiers  on  several  occasions  to  take  Andrew, 
but  his  abominable  attempts  were  foiled ;  and,  on  the  arrival 
of  the  apostle,  Lisbius  was  cruelly  scourged  by  two  demons. 
Upon  this  he  sent  for  the  man  of  God,  and  confessed  his 
iniquity  to  him  in  the  presence  of  all  the  people.    He  then 

I  Our  author  has  forgotten  to  add  that  from  Thesaalonica  St.  Andrev 
repaired  to.Patnu,  where  the  events  that  follow  took  place. 


232  OBDEBICUS   YITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.IY. 

willingly  heard  the  word  of  God  from  the  apostle's  lips,  and 
being  healed  of  his  wounds,  believed  in  God,  in  whose  laws 
he  thenceforth  diligently  walked. 

Calista,  the  proconsul's  wife  was  extremely  jealous  of 
Trophima,  who  formerly  had  been  his  concubine,  but  who, 
being  now  united  to  another  man,  adhered  to  the  apostolic 
doctrine.  She  therefore,  unknown  to  lisbius,  sent  for  her 
steward,  and  ordered  him  to  condemn  the  winnan  as  a 
prostitute,  and  to  send  her  to  the  stews.  Trophima  being 
therefore  conducted  there,  and  given  up  to  the  bawd,  made 
incessant  prayers  to  God.  When  the  lewd  presented  them- 
selves, she  held  out  the  gospel  which  she  carried  in  her 
bosom,  and  suddenly  their  libidinous  desires  were  ex- 
tinguished. One  day  a  gay  young  man  of  reiy  licentious 
habits  drew  near  her,  and  would  hare  violated  her,  but  she 
resisted  him,  and,  during  the  struggle,  the  gospel  fell  to  the 
ground.  Then  Trophima,  in  the  extremity  of  her  distress, 
lifted  up  her  hands  to  heaven,  and,  bursting  into  tears,  said: 
''  Do  thou,  Lord,  save  me  from  pollution,  for  whose  name  I  am 
devoted  to  chastity."  The  angel  of  the  Lord  immediately 
appeared  to  her,  and  the  debauched  youth  fell  down  at  her  ' 
feet,  and  expired ;  she,  however,  comforted  by  divine  grace, 
blessed  Goi,  and  raised  the  young  man  to  life  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  and  the  whole  city  ran  to  witness  the  spectacle. 

Calista  repaired  to  the  bath  with  her  stewarc^  and  while 
they  were  in  the  water  together,  a  horrible  demon  appeared 
before  them,  and  struck  them  both  dead.  This  sudden 
catastrophe  was  followed  by  great  lamentations,  and  was 
announced  to  the  apostle  and  the  proconsul.  Calista's 
nurse,  who,  on  account  of  her  great  age,  was  obliged  to 
be  carried,  implored  the  apostle  to  restcH*e  her  mis^ess  to 
life.  Although  the  husband  was  justly  irritated  when  he 
heard  of  the  foul  offence  she  had  committed,  the  gentle 
apostle  ordered  the  corpse  to  be  laid  where  it  could  be 
generally  seen,  and,  approaching  the  body,  and  having 
prayed,  touched  the  head  of  the  woman,  saying :  "  Arise,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  my  God."  The  woman  im» 
mediately  rose  up,  and  begged  to  be  reconciled  to  Trophima. 
At  the  sight  of  these  divine  miracles  the  proconsul  Lisbius, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  apostle,  made  progress  in  the 
faith,  and  faithfully  obeyed  his  counsels  in  all  things. 


ST.  AITDEEW  AT   PATBA8.  -    233 

One  day  when  they  were  both  sitting  on  the  Bea-shorc» 
and  many  persons  were  there  listening  with  the  greatest 
attention  to  the  word  of  God  from  the  apostle's  lips,  a  dead 
body  was  thrown  by  the  waves  at  the  feet  of  Andrew, 
who  soon  brought  it  to  life  again  afber  he  had  offered  up 
a  prayer  to  GhSd.  The  body  was  that  of  a  young  man 
named  Fhilopater,  son  of  Sostratus,  a  Macedonian  citizen. 
He  bewailed  the  loss  of  his  companions  who  were  drowned, 
and  supplicated  Andrew  to  restore  them  to  him;  upon 
which  the  apostle  addressed  his  prayers  to  heaven,  and  the 
waves,  obeymg  his  commands,  brought  to  the  shores  thirty- 
nine  corpses,  which  he  restored  to  life,  commanding  each 
of  the  brethren  who  were  there  to  lay  his  hand  upon  a 
corpse,  and  to  say  to  it :  "  May  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  living  God,  raise  you  from  the  dead."  In  this  manner 
thirty-nine  men  came  to  life  again,  and  glorified  the  Lord 
Almighty. 

After  performing  many  miracles  and  good  works,  of  which 
it  woidd  be  impossible  for  me  to  give  a  particular  account, 
the  blessed  apostle  Andrew  went  to  Patras,^  where 
Maximilla  the  wife  of  the  proconsul  Egeas,*  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Lisbius  lay  seriously  ill.  Then  Effidima,*  who  had 
been  converted  by  the  preaching  of  Sosias,  besought  the 
apostle  to  visit  Maximilla,  lying  sick  under  an  attack  of 
fever.  He  repaired  to  the  bed-chamber  of  the  sick  woman, 
preceded  by  Effidima;  and,  having  prayed,  the  fever  dis- 
appeared, and  the  woman  was  cured.  The  proconsul  now 
offered  to  the  holy  man  of  God  a  hundred  silver  pieces, 
which  he  would  not  even  look  at.  While  the  blessed 
apostle  was  at  Fatras  performing  a  great  number  of  miracles, 
and  many  were  led  to  embrace  the  faith  of  Christ  by  these 
displays  of  corporal  succour,  Stratocles,  the  brother  of  the 
proconsul  Egeas,  arrived  from  Italy.  He  had  with  him  a 
slave  named  Algmana,'  of  whom  he  was  extremely  fond,  and 
who,  having  been  attacked  by  a  demon,  lay  in  the  court, 
foaming  at  the  mouth.  This  caused  much  disturbance,  and 
Stratocles,  whose  grief  was  unbounded,  at  the  instance  of 

^  In  the  original  legend,  St.  Andrew  returns  to  Patras,  after  a  journey 
to  Corinth  and  Mogara. 
'  These  names  ed^ould  be  written  Ageates  and  Ephidama,  or  Iphidamia. 
'  Alcman. 


284     '  OBDXBI0U8  YITALIB.  [s.n.  CH.IY. 


dmillA  and  Effidima,  sent  for  the  blessed  Andrew,  who, 
by  his  prajers,  healed  the  demoniac  boy.  In  consequence 
Stratocles  believed  in  the  Lord;  and,  strengthened  in  the 
faith,  attached  himself  to  the  apostle,  in  order  to  hear  him 
preach  the  word  of  Qod.  Egeas  had  left  for  Macedonia ; 
and  MaYimilla,  in  the  fervour  of  her  spiritual  love,  sought 
continual  opportunities  of  receiving  from  the  apostle  the 
beavenlj  doctrine,  and  piousl j  devoted  herself  to  him.  The 
proconsul  therefore  became  highly  incensed  aeainst  the 
apostle,  and  indignant,  because  nis  wife,  after  she  had  re- 
ceived the  doctrine  of  salvation,  would  no  longer  share  his 
bed. 

I  shall  now  endeavour  to  relate  briefly  the  martyrdom*  of 
the  most  blessed  Andrew,  inserting  carefully  in  my  work 
the  account  which  the  pious  devotion  of  our  holy  mother  the 
church  has  preserved  in  her  libraries,  and  faitmully  recites. 
The  priests  and  deacons  of  the  churches  of  Achaia  were, 
doubuess,  eye-witnesses  of  it  clearly,  and  they  described  it 
well  for  the  instruction  of  all  the  churches  founded  in  the 
four  climates  of  the  globe.' 

The  proconsul  Egeas,  on  his  return  from  Macedonia, 
went  to  Fatras,  a  city  of  Achaia,  and  began  to  compel  the 
believers  in  Christ  to  offer  sacrifices  to  idols.  St.  Andrew 
went  to  see  him,  and  reasoned  with  him  to  bring  him  over 
to  the  true  feith ;  but  wisdom  could  not  penetrate  his  per- 
verse mind.  Then  the  liberal  steward  of  divine  knowledge, 
although  his  attempts  to  profit  the  impious  Egeas  were  not 
crowned  with  success,  abundantly  supplied  the  food  of  his 
heavenly  doctrine  to  others  who  were  predestinated  to  life. 
He  discoursed  with  wisdom  on  the  mystery  of  the  cross, 
showing  plainly  why  God  was  made  man  and  suffered  for  us, 
and  fuUy  explained  the  history  of  our  Lord's  passion,  and 

1  Ordericus  Vitalis  always  uses  the  word  pasiion  to  describe  the  final 
scenes  of  suffering  and  death  which  closed  the  career  of  the  primitive 
martyrs.  The  theological  sense  of  the  word  is,  perhaps,  generally  imder- 
stood  from  its  application  in  the  formularies  of  tiie  church  to  our  Lord's 
last  sufferings,  but  it  has  been  thought  most  advisable  in  these  cases  to 
substitute  the  word  martyrdom. 

^  Our  author  often  speaks  of  the  ^^four  climates/'  as  we  do  of  the  four 
quarters  of  the  globe,  and  as  the  theory  of  the  zones  is  now  antiquated, 
(he  modem  phraseology  might  have  been  adopted  but  for  its  involying  an 
anachronism  in  the  state  of  geographical  knowledge. 


ST.  ANDBEW'S   SITTFEBIKaS.  23^ 

the  common  advantages  which  mankind  had  derived  from  it. 
Irritated  at  this  discourse,  Egeas  ordered  the  apostle  to  he 
seized  and  thrown  into  prison,  where  multitudes  visited 
'him  from  abnost  every  part  of  the  province,  intending  to  kill 
the  pix)conBul  and  liberate  the  apostle  by  forcing  the  prisoi;! 
doors.  But  Andrew  restrained  them  by  ms  salutary  counselfij, 
spending  the  whole  night  in  teaching  them,  and,  recalling  to 
their  memory  the  patience  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  earnestly 
entreated  the  people  not  to  offer  any  obstacle  to  his 
passion. 

The  next  day  the  proconsul  Egeas  sent  to  have  the  apostle 
brought  before  him,  and,  sitting  on  the  tribunal,  employed 
every  means  to  gain  him  over ;  but  the  saint,  whose  faith 
was  built  on  G-od,  firmly  resisted  both  his  threats  and  his 
fair  words.  Egeas  at  last  ordered  him  to  be  stretched  out  and 
lashed  with  seven  scourges  of  three  thongs ;  ^  but,  after  re- 
ceiving these  stripes,  the  brave  champion  of  Christ  set  fortljL 
the  merits  of  the  cross,  and,  notwithstanding  the  fiiiy  of  the 
tyrant,  firmly  maintained  the  truth  of  his  averments. 

Then  the  enraged  proconsul,  exasperated  to  the  last 
degree,  ordered  the  apostle  to  be  attached  to  the  cross,  com- 
manding the  ministers  of  torture  to  bind  his  feet  and  hands, 
and  stretch  his  Hmbs  as  if  he  was  placed  on  the  wooden 
horse,  that  his  sufferings  might  be  protracted,  because,  if  he 
were  fastened  with  nails,  he  would  die  too  soon.  As  thQ 
holy  man  was  led  along  by  the  executioners,  he  was  followed 
by  a  great  concourse  of  people  who  clamoured  loudly,  say- 
ing: "What  has  this  just  man,  the  Mend  of  God,  done, 
that  you  are  leading  him  to  be  crucified  ?"  But  Andrew 
walked  with  composure  and  cheerfulness,  begging  the  crowd 
not  to  hinder  his  passion,  and  continuing  to  teach  his  saving 
doctrine.  When  lie  had  arrived  at  the  spot  which  was  to 
witness  his  last  struggle,  and  saw  the  cross  at  a  distance,  he 
exclaimed  in  a  loud  voice :  "  Hail,  O  cross,  consecrated  by 
having  borne  the  body  of  Christ,  and  adorned  by  having  his 
limbs  attached  to  thee  as  if  they  were  precious  jewels !  O, 
good  cross,  that  hast  received  from  these  thy  lustre  and 
beauty ;  long  desired,  dearlv  loved,  sought  for  unceasingly, 
and  now,  at  last,  prepared  for  my  longing  soul!"     Having 

I  Septem  iemionibiu  JIagellis ;  the  French  translator  renders  the  phiasc) 
tejU/ouets  trets^s,  but,  as  usual|  avoids  the  difficulty. 


236  OSDERICUS  TITALI8.  [b.H.  CH.IV. 

^ven  utterance  to  this  and  much  more  fuU  of  love  and  devo- 
tion,  the  apostle  stripped  himself,  and  gave  his  clothes  to 
the  executioners,  who  drew  near  the  cross,  on  which  they 
stretched  his  limbs,  and  suspended  him  with  cords.  In  this 
cruel  manner  they  executed  the  orders  of  the  impious  pro- 
consul. A  crowd  of  more  than  twenty  thousand  men  stood 
round,  exclaiming  that  the  holy  man  was  suffering  unjustly; 
among  whom  was  Stratocles,  the  brother  of  Egeas.  St 
Andrew  comforted  the  minds  of  the  faithful,  exhorting  them 
to  patience  under  worldly  afflictions,  because  marfyrdom 
was  the  best  road  to  an  eternal  reward. 

Meantime,  the  multitude  thronged  to  the  palace  of  Egeas, 
shouting  with  one  accord,  "  What  sentence  is  this  you  have 
pronounced,  proconsul  ?  Tou  have  ^ven  an  unrighteous 
judgment.  Grant  us  the  life  of  this  just  man ;  restore  to 
us  this  holy  man ;  do  not  put  to  death  a  man  who  is  dear  to 
God."  Egeas,  hearing  these  and  other  such  cries  of  the 
people,  was  seized  with  fear,  and  promising  to  take  the 
apostle  down,  immediately  went  with  them  towards  the  place 
of  execution.  As  soon  as  St.  Andrew  saw  him,  he  exhorted 
him  to  believe  in  Christ,  and  to  have  recourse  to  the  faith 
for  his  salvation  while  it  was  still  in  his  power.  All  this 
time,  suspended  from  the  cross,  he  serenely  triumphed;  and, 
enjoying  the  vision  of  Christ,  whom  he  had  loved  with  all  his 
soul  and  long  desired  to  see,  in  his  excessive  joy  he  ex- 
claimed :  "I  now  see  my  King;  I  now  adore  him;  I  am  come 
into  his  presence."  Then  the  executioners,  handling  the 
cross,were  unable  to  touch  him ;  and,  though  they  all  made  suc- 
cessively repeated  efforts  to  loose  him,  the  arms  of  those  who 
attempted  to  take  him  down  became  benumbed.  Then  St. 
Andrew  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  and  poured  forth  a  devout 
prayer  to  God.  After  having  prayed  for  a  long  time  to 
Jesus,  his  good  Master,  he  was  suddenly  surrounded  in  the 
sight  of  all  the  people,  by  an  extraorainary  light  flashing 
like  lightning  from  neaven,  too  bright  for  human  eyes  to 
bear.  This  luminous  appearance  continued  about  half  an 
hour,  and,  at  the  moment  when  it  vanished,  Andrew,  the 
illustrious  champion  of  Christ,  gave  up  the  ghost,  and 
went  with  it  to  meet  the  Lord.  Maximilla,  a  woman  of 
senatorial  rank,  respectfully  removed  his  body ;  and,  having 
caused  it  to  be  embalmed,  interred  it  in  a  well-chosen  spot. 


ABOUT  A.D.  70.]   ST.  ANDBEW's  MAETrSPOM.  237 

But  Egeas  was  seized  by  a  demon  as  lie  was  returning 
to  his  palace,  and  died  tormented  by  the  evil  spirit,  on  the 
public  road,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  people.  As  for  Strato- 
cles,  the  brother  oi  Egeas,  he  would  not  touch  the  smallest 

Eortion  of  his  fortune,  but  withdrew,  carrying  with  him  the 
ody  of  the  holy  apostle  Andrew.  All  the  inhabitants  of  the 
province  were  seized  with  such  a  consternation  that  not  a 
person  remained  who  did  not  believe  in  the  Saviour,  our 
God.  It  is  reported  that,  from  the  sepidchre  of  St. 
Andrew,  manna  Ime  flour,  and  oil  of  an  exquisite  odour  flow, 
which  indicate  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  countiy  what  will 
be  the  fertility  of  the  year.  If  the  produce  be  small,  the 
earth  gives  her  fruit  sparingly ;  if,  on  the  contrary,  the  yield 
be  abundant,  the  harvest  is  also  great.^ 

Glorious  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ !  inspired  by  a  singular 
affection  for  thee,  I  have  briefly  descnbed  the  course  of 
thy  life  so  happily  adorned  with  aivine  grace,  to  the  praise 
of  thy  omnipotent  Master  to  whom  thou  didst  remain 
Mthfully  devoted  until  death.  Gentle  Andrew,  kindly  take 
under  thy  patronage  me,  thy  devoted  servant,  and  recom- 
mend me,  sinner  that  I  am,  by  thy  pious  prayers,  to  the 
Creator's  mercy,  in  whose  worship  1  aesire,  with  his  aid,  to 
remain  constant  through  good  and  evil.  As  thou  didst, 
when  hanging  on  the  cross,  exhort  the  cruel  Egeas,  thy 
persecutor,  to  embrace  the  true  faith,  succour  unceasingly 
the  Mthfiil  sons  of  the  church,  who,  with  the  utmost  devo- 
tion of  their  hearts  and  the  modulations  of  their  voices, 
address  to  thee  this  pious  canticle :  "  Blessed  Andrew,  the 
gentlest  of  the  saints,  obtain  for  us  the  pardon  of  our 
offences;  and  by  thy  intercession,  raise  up  us  who  are 
weighed  down  by  the  burden  of  our  sins.  We  are  tossed 
among  the  turmoils  of  a  reeling  world,  and  groan  in  our 

.  ^  This  apocryphal  account  of  St.  Andrew*8  martyrdom  may  be  seen  in 
Surins,  under  the  date  of  the  30th  of  November ;  but,  with  the  exception 
of  an  unimportant  addition  at  its  close,  describing  the  marvels  connected 
with  the  tomb  of  the  saint,  the  particulars  are  entirely  supplied  by  the 
pseudo-Abdias,  to  which  reference  may  be  made  for  the  complete  legend. 

We  have  very  few  authentic  notices  respecting  St.  Andrew,  the  tra[ditions 
respecting  him  having  been  only  collected  in  the  fifth  century.  It  is 
generally  believed  that  having  travelled  through  Sogdiana  (Capital 
Sanoarcand),  Colchis,  European  Scythia,  Pontus,  Epirus,  the  Pelopon- 
nesus, and  Achaia,  he  suffered  martyrdom  at  Patras  about  the  vear  70. 


238  0BDX&ICU8  TITALIS.  [b.H.  CH.t. 

weakness.    Beseech  the  majesty  of  the  Lord  that  he  will 
grant  lis  the  enjoyment  of  the  true  light.    Amen !  " 

Ch.  V.  The  calling — life — wffervngi — hanuihment — act% — 
arid  death  of  St,  John  the  evangelut^  from  the  gospels 
and  legends. 

Jakxs  and  John,  the  sons  of  Zehedee,  were  named  bj  Christ 
Boanerges,  or,  what  would  read  much  better,  Boane- 
reem,^  that  is  to  say,  the  sons  of  thunder ;  on  account  of  the 
strength  and  greatness  of  the  faith  with  which  they  kept 
inviolably,  and  taught  in  all  its  purity,  the  law  of  the  Lora. 
James  [Jacobus]  signifies  he  that  supplants,  but  John  the 
grace  of  Ood,  or  in  whom  is  grace.  These  elect  brethren 
well  merited  such  distinguished  names,  as,  by  supplanting 
of  vice,  they  obtained  a  brilliant  victory  over  the  crooked 
serpent  on  the  stage  of  this  frail  life,  and  became  the 
especial  friends  of  Gk>d,  and,  full  of  his  manifold  grace, 
enlightened  our  holy  mother  the  church  with  the  doctrine  of 
truth.  I  have  inserted  in  the  preceding  Book  of  this  work,* 
a  plain  and  short  account  of  the  blessed  James,  carefully 
abridged  from  the  writings  of  ancient  authors;  reUting 
how  he  carried  the  gospel  into  Judea  and  Samaria,  and  how 
he  suffered  martyrdom  by  the  command  of  Herod^  the  son 
of  Aristobulus,  on  the  accusation  of  the  chief  priests  and 
pharisees.  I  now  enter  on  the  inquiry  what  has  been 
written  respecting  John  the  divine,'  the  beloved  disciple  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  desiring  to  make  a  brief  summary  of  all  that 
relates  to  him,  to  the  glory  of  the  Qod  of  Sabaoth.  I  shall 
consult  what  Mellitus^  wrote  to  the  Laodiceans  and  the 

^  This  correction  was  suggested  by  St  Jerome. 

*  We  find  the  legend  of  St.  James  the  Great,  not  in  the  first,  bat  in  the 
present  book,  page  176.  It  is  borrowed,  as  before  stated,  from  the  pseudo 
Abdias. 

'  Theohffo.  It  has  been  already  remarked  in  the  fust  book,  that  our 
author  adopts  this  title  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist  from  the  writings  of^tbe 
Fathers,  and  the  acts  of  the  council  of  Ephesus.  It  was  constantly  lised 
by  the  Greeks;  and  they  gave  him  also  the  title  of  Sjfmmista,  the  co- 
initiated,  borrowed  from  Clemens  Alexandrinus. 

*  The  following  narrative  is,  as  our  author  states,  extracted  with  great 
exactness,  and  for  the  most  part  literally,  from  the  apocryphal  history  of 
St  John,  attributed  to  a  supposititious  Mellitus,  bishop  of  Laodiceo.  It 
was  published  at  Lucca  in  the  Martffrology  of  Florentinus,  in  the  year 
1688.    Seep.  130,  &c  '      . 


A.D.  95.]  ST,  JOHK  BAKI8HED   TO  PATMOS.  239 

other  fJEiitliful  brethren  scattered  over  the  fabe  of  the  earth, 
and  what  other  celebrated  antiqixarians  have  published 
relating  to  St.  John,  especially  Jerome,  the  commentator 
on  the  holy  scriptures,  in  his  preface  to  the  Apocalypse. 

John,  the  apostle  and  evangelist,  was  chosen  to  perpetual 
celibacy  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  loved  him  more 
than  aU  the  other  disciples,  insomuch  that  he  allowed  him 
to  recline  on  his  bosom  at  the  paschal  supper,  and  after- 
wards committed  to  him  the  care  of  his  own  mother,  when 
he  was  the  only  disciple  standiag  by  the  cross;  thus 
appointing  to  the  guardianship  of  a  virgin,  one  whom  he 
had  called  to  perpetual  chastity  at  the  time  when  he  thought 
of  manying.  While  John  was  publicly  preaching  the  word 
of  Gk>d  in  Asia,  and  incessantly  oearing  testimony  to  Jesus' 
Christ  both  to  Jews  and  Gentiles,  an  accusation  against  him- 
was  forwarded  to  Borne  by  the  malicious  enemies  of  the 
truth.  By  order  of  Domitian,  who,  after  the  example  of 
Nero,  raised  the  second  persecution  of  the  Christians,  he 
was  carried  off  &om  Ephesus,  and  brought  before  Caesar  and 
the  senate,  near  the  Latin  gate.  Standing  firm  in  the  true 
faith,  as  immovable  as  a  strong  and  lofty  mountain,  he  was 
thrown  into  a  caldron  of  boiling  oil,  by  Domitian's  command, 
on  the  second  of  the  nones  [6th]  of  May ;  but,  protected 
by  the  divine  grace,  he  came  out  of  it  unhurt.  On  that  day, 
in  every  year  the  faithful  devoutly  celebrate  a  festival  to 
bis  memory.  He  was  then  banished  to  the  isle  of  Fatmos, 
where  he  wrote  the  Apocalypse,  in  which  the  condition  and- 
order  of  the  church  are  described,  as  foreshown  to  him, 
in  seven  stages,  together  with  the  depths  of  tribulation' 
and  the  rewards  of  good  deeds. 

At  len^h,  by  the  providence  of  God,  who  disposes  all 
things  anght,  the  same  vear  that  John  was  banished,  the 
Boman  senate  condemned  Domitian  to  death  for  his  cruel- 
ties ; '  and  declared  also,  by  a  general  decree,  that  all  the 
orders  issued  by  the  emperor  should  be  considered  null  and 

^  These  words  probably  refer  to  some  tradition  of  an  intended  marriage 
of  St.  John,  which  has  not  reached  us. 

*  St*  Jolm*8  immersion  in  a  cask  of  boiling  oil,  and  his  banishment  to 
the  Isle  of  Patmos,  one  of  the  Sporades,  in  the  Egean  Sea,  took  place 
May  6,  A.D.  95.  Domitian  was  not  assassinated  during  the  course  of  the 
■ame  year^  nor  for  a  year  afterwards,  but  in  September,  96. 


210  OBDEBICPS  VITALI8.  [b.TI.  CH.T, 

void.  In  consequence  of  this  decree,  St.  John  the  apostle, 
who,  bj  command  of  Domitian,  had  been  banishea  with 
ignominy,  returned  to  Ephesus  with  honour,  amid  general 
rejoicings.  For  the  whole  population  of  Ephesus  went  out 
to  meet  him  on  his  return,  and  both  men  and  women,  in  the 
faithful  expression  of  their  joy,  exclaimed  as  if  with  one  voice, 
'*  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.** 

As  John  was  entering  the  city,  behold  they  were  carrying 
to  the  grave  the  corpse  of  Drusiana,  who,  loving  him  fer 
vently,  had  desired  to  see  him  before  her  death.  The 
widows,  and  the  poor,  parents  and  orphans,  all  wept  together, 
and  exclaimed :  "  St.  John,  the  apostle  of  God,  you  see  us 
bearing  to  the  grave  Drusiana,  who,  following  your  hol^ 
counsels,  fed  us  all,  served  GK>d  in  chastity  and  humility, 
and,  sighing  for  your  return,  said  daily :  ^  O  that  I  could  see 
with  my  own  eyes  the  apostle  of  Qod  before  I  die !' "  Then 
the  blessed  John  having  commanded  them  to  put  down  the 
bier,  and  to  uncover  the  corpse,  said  with  a  loud  voice: 
" Drusiana,  may  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ  restore  thee  to  life! 
!Etise  up  on  thy  feet,  and  return  to  thy  house,  and  there  pre- 
pare refreshment  for  me."  Immeoiately  she  arose,  and 
obeyed  the  apostle's  command  with  great  joy,  as  well  she 
might,  for  it  seemed  to  her  that  she  had  been  awakened  not 
from  death,  but  from  sleep.  And  then  the  people  ceased 
not  shouting,  for  the  space  of  three  hours :  "  There  is  but 
one  Gk>d,  he  whom  St.  John  preaches ;  there  is  but  one  Lord, 
Jesus  Christ." 

At  that  time,  two  brothers,  who  were  extremely  rich,  sold 
their  inheritance  by  the  advice  of  Crato  the  philosopher,  and 
,  bought  diamonds  of  singular  value,  which  they  crushed  in. 
i  the  forum  before  all  the  people;  thus  making  an  osten* 
-  tatious  exhibition  of  their  contempt  for  the  world.    St.  John 
happening  to  be  passing  through  the  forum,  witnessed  this 
display,  and  pitying  the  folly  of  these  misguided  men,  kindly 
gave  them  sounder  advice.     Sending  for  Crato  their  master, 
who  had  led  them  into  error,  he  blamed  the  wasteful  de- 
struction of  valuable  property,  and  instructed  him  in  the 
true  meaning  of  contempt   for   the  world  according  to 
Christ's  docmne;  quoting  the  precept  of  that  teacher,  his 
own  master,  when,  in  repljr  to  the  young  man  who  inquired 
of  him  how  he  might  obtain  eternal  life,  he  said :  ^'  If  thou 


LSGEKDS  OF  ST.   JOHjr.  24il 

wilt  be  perfect,  go  and  sell  all  that  thou  hast  and  give  to  the 
poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven;  and  come 
and  follow  me."  ^  Crato  the  philosopher,  acknowledging  the 
soundness  of  the  apostle*s  teaching,  entreated  him  to  restore 
the  jewels  which  bad  been  foolishly  crushed  to  their  former 
condition.  St.  John  then  gathered  up  the  precious  frag- 
ments, and  while  he  held  them  in  his  hand,  prayed  for  some 
time,  with  his  eyes  raised  to  heaven.  His  prayer  being 
concluded,  and  all  the  faithful  present  having  said  Amen^ 
the  broken  pieces  of  the  jewels  became  so  closely  united 
that  there  remained  not  the  slightest  appearance  of  any 
fracture.  Then  Crato  the  philosopher^  with  all  his  disciples^ 
threw  himself  at  the  apostle's  feet,  believed,  and  were  bap- 
tised; and  Crato,  preaching  openly  the  faith  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  became  a  true  philosopher.*  Moreover,  the  two 
brotiiiers,  who  before  destroyed  their  property  to  no  purpose, 
now,  in  obedience  to  the  evangelical  precept,  sold  their 
jewels  amd  distributed  the  price  in  alms  to  the  poor  of 
Christ.  .And  a  multitude  of  believers  began  to  attach 
themselves  to  St.  John  and  to  follow  his  steps. 

Atticus  and  Eugenius,  two  brothers,*  and  noble  Ephesians, 
imitated  the  conduct  of  the  youths  already  mentioned  ^ 
selling  all  that  they  had  and  distributing  to  the  poor,  and 
becoming  followers  of  the  apostle  as  he  w^t  about  the 
cities  preaehing  the  word  of  GkwL  It  happened  that  as 
they  were  entering  Fergamus  they  beheld  their  own  slavea 
parading  in  garments  of  silk,  and  making  a  display  of  worldly 
vanities.  The  devil's  malice  shot  the  arrow,  when  the  pride 
of  the  two  brothers  was  wounded  at  seeing  their  slavea 
swaggering  and  gay,  while  they  were  poor  ana  reduced  to  a 
single  cloaJL  The  blessed  apostle,  comprehending  the  wilea 
of  &ita2i,  directed  that  bundles  of  straight  twigs  and  small 
pebbles  ih)m  the  sea-shore  should  be  brou^t  to  him* 
When  this  waa  done,  be  called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  tw%s  were  turned  into  gold,  and  the  pebbles  into 
precious  stones.    Then  the  holy  apostle  said  to  the  brothers ; 

>  Wait,  xix.  21. 

*  Either  this  Crato,  or  another  of  the  nme  name,  is  subsequently  men- 
tioned bj  Ordericus  in  book  ii.  c.  11  of  the  present  history. 

'  In  ibe  original  legend  the  brothers,  whose  names  are  here  given,  bm 
the  aame  at  th<we  mentioned  in  the  preceding  paragraph. 

VOL.  I.  B 


242  OBDEBICUS   VITALI8.  [b.II.  CH.T. 

"  Go,  for  seyen  days,  among  the  goldsmiths  and  jewellers, 
and  let  me  know  when  you  have  tested  your  gold  and  dia- 
monds/' The  brothers  accordingly  went  round  the  work- 
men's shops,  and  returning  at  the  end  of  the  seven  days 
informed  the  apo.^tle  that  the  goldsmiths  declared  the  gold 
to  be  pure,  and  the  jewellers  pronounced  the  stones  precious. 
Then  St.  John  said:  "  G-o,  now,  and  re-purchase  the* lands 
which  you  sold,  for  you  have  lost  the  heavenly  inheritance. 
Clothe  yourselves  in  robes  of  silk,  that  you  may  be  as  gay 
as  the  rose  for  a  season.  The  flower  is  delightful  both  fut 
its  scent  and  colour,  but  soon  fades.  You  envied  the  ap- 
pearance of  your  slaves,  and  regretted  that  you  had  reduc^ 
yourselves  to  poverty;  flourish  then  for  a  while  that  yw 
may  decay  and  perish ;  be  rich  in  this  world,  that  you  may 
be  stripped  of  all  in  the  next.  Is  not  the  hand  of  the  Lof4 
powerful  to  make  his  servants  abound  in  wealth  and  above 
measure  glorious  ?  But  he  has  appointed  a  trial  of  the 
soul,  that  men  may  believe  that  these  will  obtain  eternal 
riches,  who  for  his  sake  have  relinquished  their  worldly  ad^- 
vantages." 

While  the  blessed  John  was  delivering  these  edifying 
precepts  and  others  like  them,  and  descanting  nobly  on  the 
misery  and  contempt  of  the  world,  on  apostacy,  and  pers©- 
verance  in  well-doing,  it  happened  that  a  young  man  named 
Stacteus  was  followed  to  his  grave  by  his  mother  who  was  a 
widow.  In  her  deep  affliction  the  mother,  with  the  crowd 
of  people  attending  the  funeral,  threw  themselves  at  the 
apostle's  feet,  and  besought  him  with  many  tears,  that  in 
the  name  of  G-od  he  would  restore  this  young  man  to  Hfe, 
as  he  had  done  in  the  case  of  Drusiana,  and  kindly  relieve 
the  distress  of  his  mother  and  his  newly  married  wi^ 
Then  the  apostle  knelt  down  and  prayed  for  some  time 
weeping,  thrice  rising  from  his  supplications,  lifting  his 
hands  to  heaven  and  praying  in  secret.  Then  he  directed 
the  body  to  be  loosed  from  the  grave-clothes,  and  calling  on 
the  youth  by  name,  commanded  him  to  arise  and  give  a  tro^ 
account  of  what  he  had  seen  while  he  was  dead.  Then 
Stacteus  arose,  and  worshipping  the  apostle  began  to  rebuke 
his  disciples :  "  I  saw,"  he  said,  "  your  angels  weeping, 
while  Satan's  angels  were  rejoicing  at  your  humiliation^  j 
saw  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you,  and  chambers  garnished 


ST.  JOHK  AT  XPHESUS.  243 

with  bright  jewels,  full  of  delights,  feasts,  riches ;  endless 
life,  eternal  fight,  and  all  the  joys  which  you  have  lost.  I 
saw  also  the  chambers  of  darkness,  for  which,  alas !  you  have 
made  the  exchange, — full  of  dragons  and  pit-falls,  full  of 
hissing  flames  and  torments,  full  of  corruption  and  sorrow.** 
While  Stacteus  was  describing  these  and  similar  scenes,  the 
crowd  of  people  who  listened  to  him  were  struck  with 
amazement.  But  Atticus  and  Eugenius,  with  the  young 
man  raised  from  the  dead,  threw  themselves  at  the  apostle*a 
feet  together,  and  entreated  him  to  intercede  with  the  Lord 
on  their  behalf.  At  length,  St.  John  gave  this  answer  to 
their  entreaties,  that  they  should  do  penance  for  thirty  days, 
during  which  time  their  chief  prayer  to  God  should  be  that 
the  golden  twigs  should  be  restored  to  their  primitive  state, 
and  the  stones  become  as  worthless  as  they  were  at  first. 
It  turned  out,  however,  that  the  thirty  days  elapsed  without 
^e  gold  being  changed  into  twigs,  or  the  jewels  into  peb- 
bles. The  brothers  then  came  to  the  apostle  in  great 
distress,  and  besought  his  clemency  with  many  tears  and 
prayers.  Compassionating  their  grief  and  penitence,  and 
moved  by  the  intercessions  of  the  multitude  on  their  behalf, 
the  apostle  then  ordered  the  twigs  to  be  carried  back  to 
the  wood,  and  the  pebbles  to  the  beach,  restored  to  their 
own  nature.  Upon  which,  the  two  brothers  recovered  the 
grace  they  had  forfeited,  so  that,  as  they  had  done  before, 
they  cast  out  devils,  healed  the  sick,  gave  sight  to  the  blind, 
and  performed  many  miracles  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

While  the  name  of  John  was  in  every  one's  mouth,  and 
his  character  reverenced,  not  only  at  Ephesus,  but  through 
the  whole  province  of  Asia  Minor,  that  city  became  the 
scene  of  tumults  raised  by  the  idol- worshippers.  The 
heathen,  roused  to  frenzy,  dragged  John  to  the  temple  of 
Diana,  and  used  all  their  efforts  to  induce  him  to  join  in 
their  impure  sacrifices.  But  he,  inspired  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  proposed  to  them  that  they  shoidd  accompany  him 
to  the  church  dedicated  to  Christ,  and,  invoking  the  aid  of 
Diana,  lay  it  in  ruins  by  her  power ;  while,  if  they  failed  of 
8ucce9fi,  be  would,  in  the  name  of  the  God  he  served,  over- 
throw the  temple  of  Diana  and  destroy  her  image.  Reason 
would  convince  them  that,  if  he  did  this,  they  ought  to 
aban4o|i  their  vain  superstition,  and  follow  the  path  of  ^^  ^ 

H  2 


24A  OBDEBICUS  YITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.T. 

true  and  right  faith.  A  proposal  of  this  «ort  was  suited  to 
the  popular  impulse,  although  some  few  ohjected  to  affairs 
being  put  on  such  an  issue.  And  now  John  gently  ex- 
horted the  crowd  to  stand  aloof  while  he  with  a  devout 
znind  prayed  audibly  to  Almighty  God.  Immediately  the 
temple  and  all  its  shrines  fell  to  pieces  and  were  ground  to 
powder,  like  dust  scattered  by  the  wind  from  the  face  of 
the  earth.  The  same  day  twelve  thousand  heathens,  not 
counting  women  and  cluldren,  were  converted  and  received 
baptism  in  the  name  of  the  holy  Trinity.  Then  Aristo- 
demus,  who  was  chief  pontiff  of  all  the  idol  temples,  at  the 
instigation  of  the  evil  spirit,  stirred  up  the  commonally  tp 
a  new  insurrection,  in  which  citizen  was  ready  to  nght 
against  citizen.  Upon  which  John^  whose  loving  mind  w»3 
bent  on  preserving  peace,  addressed  himself  to  Anstodemus, 
saying :  ''  TeU  me,  0  Anstodemus,  what  I  can  do  to  abate 
your  indignation."  The  pontiff  replied:  "If  you  desiip 
that  I  should  believe  in  your  God,  drink  the  poison  which  I 
will  give  you,  and  should  you  escape  death  it  will  be  manifest 
that  yours  is,  indeed,  the  true  God.^'  The  apostle  assent 
ing  to  this  proposal,  Aristodemus,  to  strike  terror  into  him, 
went  to  the  proconsul  and  begged  of  him  two  culprits  whp 
lay  under  sentence  of  decapitation  for  their  crimes.  Having 
obtained  his  consent,  they  were  brought  into  the  forum, 
and  there,  having  drunk  poison  in  the  presence  of  the 
apostle  and  all  the  people,  forthwith  expired.  Then 
the  blessed  John,  standing  over  their  dead  bodies,  fear- 
lessly took  into  his  hands  the  poisoned  cup,  and  making 
the  sign  of  the  cross  over  it,  with  devout  prayers,  he  re- 
counted to  all  who  were  within  hearing  the  marvellous 
works  of  God.  Having  ended  his  discourse,  he  armed  him- 
self with  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and,  draining  the  cup  to  the 
dregs,  remained  uninjured,  offering  thanksgiving  to  God. 
Upon  which  the  spectators  shouted:  "There  is  one  only 
true  Grody  and  John  is  his  prophet." 

Meanwhile,  Aristodemus,  after  narrowly  watching  the 
apostle  for  the  space  of  three  hours,  and  perceiving  that.he 
neither  looked  pale  nor  exhibited  any  signs  of  fear,  waA  so 
£ir  from  yieldi])g  to  the  truth  that  he  hardened  his  heart 
against  it,  thoiigh  the  by-standers  complained  loudly  of  lus 
withholding   his  belief.     At  last,  he  required  that  the 


8T.  John's  MiBACLES.  245 

EHsoners  who  had  died  by  the  poison  should  he  restOTed  ta 
fe,  upon  which  all  doubt  wou}d  b&  removed  from  his 
mind.  The*  crowd,  however,  were  incensed  with  rage,  and 
threatened  that  thej  would  set  fire  to  his  house  and  throw 
him  into  the  flames  if  he  ventured  further  ta  persecute 
the  Lord'ff  apostle.  Whereupon^  John,  perceLving  that  a 
desperske  conflict  was  impendrng-  between  the  faithful  and 
the  xmbeHevers,  interposed  and  thus  addressed  the  sur- 
rounding throng :  "  Patience  is  an  exemplary  virtue,  one  of 
tbe  divine  graces  which  it  is  our  duty  to  imitate.  If  th^i 
Aristodemus  iv  still  held  in  the  bonds  of  unbelief,  let  it  be 
onra*  to  set  him  free;  and  I  wiH  never  desist  from  my 
undertaking  until  I  have  found  a  remedy  for  his  disordered 
mind,  Hke  a  skilful  physician  who  perseveringly  adapts  his 
cure  to  the  various  forms  of  his  patient's  disease.  In  the 
case  of  this  distempered  man,  if  what  has  been  dcme  already 
faik  of  restoring  him  to  a  sound  mind,  we  mttst  do  some^ 
thing  which  hitherto  has  not  been  tried."  He  thea  called 
Aristodemus  to  hira  and  invested  him  with  his  own  tunic, 
while  he  himself  stood  covered  with  his  mantle,  and  gave 
these  ddreetions  to  the  pontiff:  "  Go,  and,  stretching  yourself 
upon  the  corpses  of  the  deceased  malefactore,  say :  "  John, 
the  apostle  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  hath  seat  me  unto 
you,  that  in  his  name  you  may  be  restored  to  life,  and  that 
all  may  know  that  life  and  death  obey  Jesus  Christ,  my 
Lord  and  master."  Aristodemua  obeyed  the  apostle's  com- 
numd,  and,  struck  with  astonishment  at  the  restoration  of 
the  dead  men,  worshipped  John,  and,  hastening  to  the 
proconsul,  eagerly  rdated  to  him  all  that  had  occurred,  and 
then  with  a  wise  determination,  he  said  to  the  proconsul:  '^Let- 
ufl  go  to  the  apostle,  and  implore  his  pardon  on  bended 
knees/'  Thia  they  accordingly  did,  and  John,  lovingly 
receiving  them,  offered  up  on  their  behalf  prayer  and  thanks- 
giving to  Gt>d,  and  enjoined  on  them  a  week's  fasting.  At 
the  expiration  of  this,  the  apostle  baptized  them,  with  their 
parents,  their  kindred  and  their  whole  households ;  and  they 
destroyed  their  idol  images^  and  dedicated  a  church  to  the 
IVHiour  of  St^  John,  in  whieh  he  was  afterwards  buried. 

.  When,  at  last,  the  blessed  John  was  ninety-nine^  7.®^  ^ 
age,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  appeared  to  him  with  his  disciples 

^  la  tlw  onginal  legend  we  zeadjeveiu 


I 


2^G  OEDEEICrS   TITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.T. 

Ba,jmg :  "  Come  unto  me,  for  it  is  time  that  tbou  sbouldest 
sit  down  to  feast,  with  thy  brethren,  in  my  kingdom," 
Then  John,  arising,  prepared  to  depart ;  but  the  Lord  said 
to  him :  "  On  the  Sunday,  which  is  the  anniversary  of  my 
resurrection,  three  days  nence,  thou  shalt  come  unto  me :" 
and  having  thus  spoken  ascended  to  heaven.  On  the  Lord's 
day  following,  therefore,  the  whole  multitude  of  the  faithful 
assembled  with  John  in  the  church  erected  in  his  name, 
where  he  celebrated  the  divine  mysteries  from  cock-crowing 
to  the  third  hour,  when  he  addressed  the  congregation, 
saying :  **  Brethren  and  fellow  servants,  co-heirs  and  par- 
takers of  the  kingdom  of  God,  ye  know  what  gifts  and 
graces,  and  signs  and  miracles,  together  with  doctrine,  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  vouchs^ed  to  you  through  my 
ministry.  Henceforth  continue  without  csasing  to  walk,  in 
his  commandments,  for  the  Lord  is  pleased  now  to  call  me 
out  of  this  world."  • 

Thereupon  he  caused  a  grave  to  be  dug  near  the  stately' 
altar,  and  the  earth  thrown  up  to  be  carried  out  of  the 
church.  He  then  descended  into  the  grave,  and,  lifting  Tip 
his  hands  to  the  Lord,  said :  "  O  Lord  Jesu  Christ,  at  thy 
summons  I  come,  with  thanksgiving,  to  the  heavenly  ban- 
quet to  which  thou  hast  graciously  vouchsafed  to  invite  me, 
knowing  that  I  have  desired  thee  with  my  whole  heart. 
Beholding  thy  face,  I  am  restored  to  life  even  from  the 
tomb.  The  odour  of  thy  presence  s'heds  in  my  heart  desires 
of  everlasting  life.  Thy  voice  is  sweeter  than  honey,  and 
thy  words  far  beyond  angelic  eloquence.  I  have  committed 
to  writing  thy  works  which  my  own  eyes  have  seen,  and  thy 
words  which  I  heard  with  my  own  ears.  And  now.  Lord,  1 
commend  to  thee  thy  children  which  their  virgin  mother  the 
church  hath  regenerated  in  thy  name  by  water  and  the 
Holy  G-host.  Eeceive  me  now,  that  I  may  join  the  com- 
pany of  my  brethren,  with  whom  thou  appearedst  to  call  me 
o  thy  presence.  Open  unto  me  the  gate  of  life  and  lead 
me  to  the  heavenly  banquet,  in  which  all  thy  faithful  dis- 
ciples feast  with  thee.  For  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  living  God,  who,  according  to  the  will  of  the  Father, 
didst  become  the  Saviour  of  the  world.     To  thee,  therefore, . 

^  Qttttdratumf   four-square. — Duchesne,     The   reading  of  the   French 
HJetorical  Society  is  quadratam,  applied  to  the  grave. 


ST.  John's  death.  247 

we  give  thanks  for  ever  and  ever."  And  when  all  the 
people  had  answered  "  Amen!"  the  apostle  was  surrounded, 
fof  the  space  of  an  hour,  with  a  light  so  effulgent  that  no 
eye  could  bear  to  look  on  it.  It  was  then  discovered  that 
the  grave  had  been  filled  up,  and  contained  manna  only, 
which  the  place  produces  to  the  present  day,*  being  distin- 
guished by  the  multitude  of  miracles  in  honour  of  him  who 
was  in  a.n  especial  manner  our  Lord's  beloved  disciple. 
Crowds  resort  to  the  spot,  pouring  out  prayers  and  suppli- 
cations to  God,  receiving  through  the  merits  of  St.  John, 
the  apostle  and  evangelist,  answers  to  their  petitions,  and 
obtaining  by  his  intercession  the  relief  they  implore  from 
their  diseases  and  sufferings.  Among  whom  let  me,  sinner 
that  I  am,  present  myself,  humbly  paying  my  devotions,  and 
pouring  forth  my  heart  in  prayer,  with  faith  and  hope,  to 
the  beloved  disciple  of  our  Lord : — 

"*0  blessed  John,  our  Lord's  familiar  friend,  who  wert 
chosen  by  the  same  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  be  a  virgin,  and, 
being  loved  more  than  others,  and,  specially  taught  in  the 
heavenly  mysteries,  became  his  most  distinguished  apostle 
and  evangelist,  I  humbly  implore  thy  aid ;  beseeching  thee, 
that  unworthy  as  I  am,  yet  Being  thy  devoted  follower,  thou 
wouldest  vouchsafe  to  listen  to  my  petitions.  Pity,  I  be- 
seech thee,  the  pains  and  sorrows  which  I  continually  suffer, 
and,  regarding  my  manifold  infirmities  of  body  and  troubles 
of  mind,  cause  them  to  be  effectually  removed  by  virtue  of 
thy  living  merits  and  devout  prayers  to  the  Lord  on  my 
behalf,  that  being  cleansed  from  my  sins  I  may  be  worthy 
to  join,  without  ceasing,  in  the  heavenly  worship,  and  with 
the  white-robed  company  of  the  fiaithful,  offer  eternal  praises 
to  the  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth,    Amen !" 

Ch.  VI.     Life  of  St.  James  the  Less — Account  of  his 
martyrdom  from  Segesippus, 

James  the  less,  the'  son  of  Alpheus,  is  called  in  the 
Gospel  our  Lord's  brother,  because   Mary,  the  wife  of 

*  The  manna  produced  at  the  tomb  of  St.  John  is  spoken  of  by  Su 
Augustine,  Gregory  of  Tours,  and  other  ecclesiastical  writers  as  late  as  the 
eighth  century.  Our  author  appears  to  adopt  the  opinion  put  forth  by 
St.  Ephrem  and  others,  that  St.  John  did  not  actually  die,  or  that  he  was 
immediately  restored  to  life.  The  opinion  was  founded  on  a  well  known 
passage  in  his  gospel,  cb.  xi.  22,  23. 


24rS  OBDEKICirS  TITALIB.  [b.II.  CH.TI. 

Alpheus,  who  is  named  bj  John  the  Baptist  Mary  the  wife 
of  Cleophas,  was  the  aunt  of  our  Lord's  mother.  Im* 
mediatelj  after  the  ascension,  James  was  ordained  by  the 
apostles  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  which  see  he  filled  during 
tnirtj  years.  He  was  held  in  deep  reverence  by  all  the 
other  apostles,  both  on  account  of  his  great  sanctily  and  his 
kindred  to  our  Lord ;  so  that,  howeyer  they  were  dispersed 
in  their  mission  of  preaching  the  gospel  through  distant 
regions,  they,  from  time  to  tune,  resoited  to  him  as  theif 
common  father,  and  humbly  implored  his  counsels,  as  their 
master,  when  occasion  required.  At  length,  in  the  seyenth 
year  of  Nero's  reign,  while  James  was  preaching  Christ  the 
Son  of  Gtodj  at  Jerusalem,  he  was  tlu*own  headlong  from 
that  temple  by  the  Jews  and  stoned  to  death,  and  buried 
there  near  the  temple  on  the  first  of  May.^ 

Hegesippus,'  a  holy  and  learned  man,  who  liyed  near  the 
apostles'  times,  mentions  James  the  Just  in  the  fifth  book  of 
his  ^Commentaries ;  relating  that  after  the  death  of  Festus, 
who  succeeded  Felix  as  proconsul  of  JudjBa,  while  the  pro* 
yince  was  without  a  goyemor  and  chief  before  the  app<»nt- 
ment  of  Albinus,  James,  the  brother  of  the  Lonl,  was 
cruelly  martyred  by  the  Jews.  He  was  sanctified  from  his 
mother's  womb ;  wine  or  strong  drink  he  never  tasted,  nor 
ate  fiesh;  steel  never  approached  his  head,  nor  were  his 
limbs  anointed  with  oil,  and  he  never  used  the  bath.  He 
wore  no  garments  made  of  wool,  but  contented  himself  with 
a  wrapping  of  coarse  cloth.  He  spent  his  time  in  solitary 
prayer  for  the  pardon  of  his  people,  until,  by  continual 
kneeling,  his  knees  became  callous,  like  those  of  a  cameL 
His  marvellous  self-denial  and  rigid  virtue  obtained  for  him 
the  surname  of  the  Just,  and  of  Oblias,  which  signifies  the 
defence  of  the  people. 

^  St.  James  the  Lett  had  the  govertu&ent  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem 
committed  to  him  by  the  other  apostles,  a  few  months  after  our  Lord's 
ascension.    He  suffered  martyrdom  by  order  of  the  high-priest  Ananias 
about  Easter  in  the  year  62,  and  consequently  in  the  eiphth  year  of  Nero'tf' 
reign. 

'  Hegesfpptis,  the  oldest  of  the  church  historians,  was  bom  about  the 
beginning  of  the  second  century,  and  died  about  a.i>.  180.  Some  fragments 
only  of  bis  Eceksiastieai  Hiitory  are  extant  The  present  legend  of  St. 
James  the  Miner  is  an  CKtract  from  it.  See  Euxbiw^*  Eecl,  ffUt,  ii.  29^ 
and  iv.  22. 


MABTYBDOM  OF  ST.  JAMES  THE  LE8S.  240 

A  person  belonging  to  (me  of  the  seven  Jewish  sects 
having  asked  him  what  was  meant  bj  Jesiis  being  the 
door,'  he  replied :  "  It  means  the  Saviour."  The  Jews, 
indeed,  are  divided  among  themselves  into  aeren  sects^  all 
of  which  have  departed  from  the  waj  of  truth.  Thus  the 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  the  Essenes  and  Galileans,  the 
Hemero-baptistSy  the  Masbuthseans,  and  the  Samaritans,* 
glorj  in  distinct  names,  and  hold  and  defend  with  ob^dnacj* 
the  various  doctrines  which  they  severally  adopt.  Some  of 
these,  through  the  ministry  of  James,  were  converted  to  the 
faith  of  Christ.  But  when  many  of  the  principal  Jew» 
believed  in  Jesus,  the  scribes  and  pharisees  were  in  great 
consternation,  and  said :  "  What  remains,  bikt  that  all  the 
people  should  speedily  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  P' 
They  then,  acting  in  concert,  presented  themselves  to  James^ 
and  'Courteously  besought  him  to  ascend  a  pinnacle  of  the 
temple  at  the  feast  of  the  passover,  and  bear  a  true  testi- 
mony concerning  Christ  to  the  multitudes  of  Jews  and 
Gentiles  assembled  at  the  feast,  both  firom  the  neigh- 
bourhood and  from  distant  countries.  The  apostle  was 
filled  with  joy  at  the  opportunity  thus  afforded  him  ot 
declaring  the  truth,  and  gave  his  consent  to  what  they 
entreated,  though  not  according  to  what  those  wicked  mea 
designed ;  for  the  just  man  knew  that  this  was  directed  by 
divine  inspiration,  and  therefore  it  was  that  he  acceded  to 
their  request.  Standing,  accordingly,  on  a  pinnacle  of  the 
temple,  he  addressed  the  people  with  a  loud  voice,  showing 
clearly  and  vnthout  doubt  that  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  had 
fulfilled  all  that  the  prophets  had  foretold  concerning  him. 

The  apostle  James,  having  now  concluded  his  faithful  dis- 
course, the  multitudes  shouted  with  joy, "  Hosanna  to  the  Sou 
of  David ! "  But  the  pharisees  and  other  enemies  of  the  truth 
were  greatly  trpubled,  ai;id,  taking  counsel  together,  ex* 
claimed,  " Oh!  Oh!  The  Just  one  also  is  deceived."  Then 
was  fulfilled  what  is  written  in  the  book  of  Wisdom,  "  We 
will  take  away  the  just,  for  he  is  unprofitable  to  us.*'*  The 
pharisees  now  ascending  to  the  place  where  he  stood^  said 

*  St  John  X.  7. 

*  Our  author  has  bonoved  this  enumeration  of  the  Jewish  sects  ftom  a 
qootation  of  Hegesippus  in  the  E§ol4»a8tiaU  Huiory  of  Eusebha,  v.  c.  22. 

»  Wild.  xL  12. 


250  OBDSRICUB  YITALI8.  [b.II.  CH.YII. 

to  him :  "  We  entreated  thee  to  disabuse  the  people  of  their 
error  couceming  Jesus,  but  thou  hast  given  it  strength  ;*'  to 
which  James  replied,  "I  have  opened  their  eyes  to  their 
error,  and  given  them  to  see  the  truth."  The  pharisees 
therefore  finding  that  the  multitude  received  with  joy  the 
preaching  of  the  apostle,  and  believed  in  Christ,  threw  him 
&om  the  summit  of  the  temple  and  began  to  stone  him. 
But  he  fell  on  his  knees  praying,  "  O  Lord,  my  God  aod 
Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  tliey  do." 
While  he  was  thus  praying,  and  stones  were  being  showered 
upon  him,  one  of  the  priests,  a  son  of  Kechab,  cried  outt 
**  Spare  him,  I  beseech  ye,  spare  him,  what  do  ye  ?  The 
Just  one  whom  you  are  stoning  prays  for  you."  Then  one 
of  the  pharisees,  in  a  frenzy  of  rage,  seized  a  fuller's  beam 
and  struck  the  apostle  violently  on  the  head  and  beat  out  his 
brains.  Thus  was  the  martyrdom  of  the  confessor  of 
Jesus  Christ  accomplished,  and  he  was  interred  near  the 
temple  on  the  calends  [Ist]  of  May.' 

Shortly  afterwards,  Vespasian  waged  war  against  the 
Jews,  which  the  wisest  of  them  believed  was  ordained  by 
divine  Providence  as  a  retribution  for  their  cruelty  to  James 
the  Just,  as  is  clearly  seen  in  the  works  of  Josephus,  the 
celebrated  Hebrew  historian.  While  the  unbelieving  Je^d 
were  exposed  to  double  peril,  the  church  of  G-od,  triumphing 
in  a  true  faith  and  saving  grace,  invokes  the  help  of  het ' 
intrepid  warrior  in  her  daily  conflicts  with  pure  devotioii 
and  m  these  exalted  words:  "Have  compassion,  O  Jacob 
the  Just,  brother  of  our  Lord,  on  us  who  are  pufl^ed  up  witK,i 
pride  and  vainglory  and  polluted  with  the  lusts  of  the  world i,,^ 
mercifidly  hear  our  prayers,  and  procure  for  us  the  joys  dt 
the  divine  light.  Thou  who  didst  pray  for  thy  enemiea^i, 
vouchsafe  thy  aid  to  us  who  are  devoted  to  thee,  that  ^' . 
may  obtain  the  everlasting  reward.     Amen."  '    ■ 

Ch.  VII.     Life  of  St.  Philip — Legend  from  Abdias  of  thi* 
conversion  of  the  Scythians — Predicts  his  own  death.     •■''* 

Philip  is  interpreted  the  lamp*s  mouth ;  by  which  name  it ' 
is  signified  that  he  was  entirely  open  to  the  infusion  of  %.s 
twofold  charity,  obeying  the  divine  commands  and  imbttfii-ai 

.  1  The  martyrdom  of  St.  James  took  place  about  the  10th  of  Aprfl,  ^^n 
and  not  the  Ist  of  May,  as  oiir  author  states,  probably  from  that  6^' 


LBGEITD   OF   ST.  PHILIP.  251 

with  sacred  graces;  so  that, like  a  shining  lamp,  he  enlightened 
barbarous  races  by  his  bright  example  and  true  doctrine. 
Born  at  Bethsaida,  a  town  of  Gralilee,  he  was  among  the  first 
who  followed  the  steps  of  Christ.  After  our  Lord's  ascension 
he  preached  the  gospel  during  twenty  years  to  the  Qauls  or 
Graktians,  and  Scythians,  thus  bringing  different  nations  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  true  light.  It  happened  while  he  was 
in  Scythia  that,  being  seized  by  the  heathen  and  dragged 
before  an  image  of  Mars  to  compel  him  to  sacrifice  to  the 
idol,  an  enormous  serpent  issued  from  the  base  of  the  statue 
and  struck  dead  the  son  of  the  pontiff,  whp  was  serving  the 
fire  for  the  sacrifice,  as  well  as  the  two  tribunes  who  govern- 
ed the  province,  and  whose  officers  held  the  apostle  Philip  in 
bonds.  The  venom  exhaled  by  the  serpent  also  infected 
all  who  were  present,  so  that  they  began  to  faint  and  to  ex- 
hibit symptoms  of  severe  disorder. 

Then  Philip  exhorted  them  all  to  believe  in  God,  and  to 
throw  down  and  break  in  pieces  the  statue  of  Mars,  fixing 
in  its  place  the  cross  of  our  Lord,  as  the  object  of  their 
adoration ;  adding  that,  if  they  did  this,  the  languishing 
would  recover,  the  dead  be  restored  to  life,  and  the  deadly 
serpent  be  put  to  flight  in  the  name  of  Christ.  Those 
who  were  suffering  immediately  exclaimed  in  the  bitterness 
of  their  pains :  "  Restore  our  strength  and  we  will  cast  down 
the  statue."  The  apostle  thereupon  called  for  silence  and 
sxorcised  the  serpent  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  commnnding 
Lt  to  depart  forthwith,  and  without  injuring  any  one,  betake 
Itself  to  the  wilderness  and  dwell  in  solitary  places  far  from 
tshe  paths  of  men.  Upon  this,  the  fierce  serpent  went  forth  and, 
gliding  quickly  away,  was  no  more  seen.  The  apostle  also  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  raised  to  life  the  son  of  the  pontiff  and 
bhe  tribunes  who  had  been  struck  dead,  and  also  restored 
bo  liealth  the  crowd  who  were  infected  by  the  serpent's 
venom.  All  those  who  had  persecuted  Philip  repented, 
md  were  ready  to  worship  him,  supposing  him  a  god. 
But  he,  diligently  instructing  them  for  a  whole  year,  imbued 
•heir  minds  with  the  knowledge  of  the  supreme  G-od,  and 

sating  been  selected  by  the  church  for  celebrating  his  feast  The  oldest 
imrtyiologies  placed  it  on  the  25th  of  March.  Its  being  transferred  to  the 
Ut  of  May  seems  to  have  arisen  from  the  dedication  on  that  day  of  a 
dmrcb  built  to  his  honour  at  Rome  in  the  sixth  century. 


i 


252  OBDZBicus  TiTALiB.         [b.u.  cn.Tin. 

zealously  sowed  in  the  hearts  of  the  belierBrs  all  1^ 
belonged  to  the  tme  faith.  Many  thousands^  were  thus  can- 
▼erted  and  baptized  hj  the  apostle. 

By  the  abundant  aid  of  divine  grace,  Philip  also  built 
many  churches,  and  ordained  in  them  bishops  and  priesti, 
with  the  other  ecdesiastical  orders.  Being  recalled  to  Asb 
hy  a  revelation,  he  took  up  his  abode  at  Hierapolis,  whese 
he  eradicated  the  malignant  heresy  of  the  Ebiomte»,  who 
deny  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  do  not  belief^ 
that  he  took  a  true  human  body  in  the  virgin's  woioB. 
Two  of  Philip's  daughters  accompanied  him,  eonsecratei 
virgins,  by  whose  ministry  the  Lord  increased  the  numb«s 
of  such  holy  women.  The  apostle  himself,  seven  dsj^ 
before  his  death,  assembled  the  priests  and  deacons,  widl 
the  bishops  of  the  neighbouring  cities,  and  predioted  a 
their  presence  that  he  should  live  only  seven  days  kmoer, 
and  he  enjoined  them  all  to  stand  firmly  in  the  faith,  aad  to 
be  always  mindful  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Loid.  Then  il» 
blessed  a^stle,  having  exhorted  the  people  at  great-  len^b, 
departed  m  the  Lord  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age  asnd  oe 
the  8th  of  May,  his  sacred  remains  being  interred:  air 
Hierapolis.  Some  years  afterwards  his  two  daughtierft;weve 
buried  there,  one  on  his  right  the  other  on  hisrkff^f  aid 
many  miracles  are  performed  by  the  merits  of  the  i^osti^'m 
answer  to  faithful  prayers;  and  there  resort  affiansed 
spouses,  and  joyfully  chant  with  loud  voice*:  **  ProBtnte 
before  thy  tomb,  0  Philip,  mouth  of  the  lamp,  we  beseiek 
thee  to  cause  our  petitions  to  reach  the  ears  ofthe  Almigti^ 
Judge,  that  we  may  be  saved  from  the  punishment  yfehtm 
deserved  and  obtan  the  heavenly  joys  t(»  whieh  we  praf. 
Amen.*'* 

Ch.  Yin.  The  early  ecclesiastical  legends  to  he  recatei 
with  caution — Extracts  from  those^  relating  to  St.  Thomof 
— Sis  acts  in  India — Sis  martyrdom — Trcmslation^^  of  }^ 
relics  to  ^Ekkssa. 

Thomas  signifies  an  abyss,  and  Bidymus  a  ttmi^  bckaUBO' 
this  apostle,  like  our  Saviour,  was  full  of  grace  and  heavea^ 

^  This  legend  of  St.  Philip  is  almost  literally  boirowed  from:  fhe  Um 
''Abdias,  forming  the  tenth  book.  All  that  is  reollj  knoira  of  titti 
apostle  is,  that  he  piMched  the  &ith  ia  FhiTgiav  where  he  iraa  intens^ 


CHABACTEB  OF   THE  LXaElTDS.  253 

giflbs.  He  preached  the  gospel  to  the  Farthians  and  Medes, 
the  Hircanians  and  Persians,  the  Bactrians  and  Indians, 
and  suffered  martyrdom  in  the  city  of  Calamine  the  12th  of 
the  calends  of  January  [21st  of  December]  not  long 
jd^rwards  he  became  illustrious  by  nimierous  miracles  in 
tke  city  of  Edessa. 

We  find  many  variations  in  the  accounts  giren  of  the 

Jipostles,  arising  both  from  their  remote  antiquity,  and  from 

the  vast  distance  of  the  regions  in  which  the  labourers  in 

Ghnsfs  field  preached  to  the  barbarians,  who  so  widely 

differed  fixim  the  £omans  both  in  their  <;uatoms  and  in  their 

languages.     We  may  therefore  have  our  doubts  of  some 

things  whidi  have  been  handed  down  to  us  respecting  the 

hofy  Apostles,  because  they  have  come  to  us  irom  authors 

hat  little  known ;  and  more  especially  because  pope  Gelasius 

und  otiier  learned  doctors  have  pronounced  them   to  be 

apocryphaL     The  illustrious  prelate,  St.  Augustine,^   also 

iiesitated  respecting  some  works  of  this  description,  and  has 

burnished  an  example  against  Eaustus  the  Manichean,  in  his 

serupuious  researches  in  regard  to  the  life  of  Bt.  Iliomas. 

What  I  have  remarked  on  these  contradictions,  which  are 

discovered  in  ancient  records  through  all  parts  of  the  world, 

ifl  not  intended  to  ^sparage  the  accounts  of  the  miracles  of 

holy  men,  but  that  wnatever  is  recorded  of  the  apostles  or 

.^ner  saints  by  the   diligence  of  early  writers  should  be 

•examined  with  extreme  caution,^  for  the  confirmadon  of  the 

•fiiith  and  the  edification  of  manners.     I  will  now,  in  the 

name  of  G-od,  pursue  briefly  my  narrative  of  St.  Thomas's 

jousneyiDgs,  iwhich  were  abundantly  fruitful,  his  preaching 

irith  his  two  daughters,  who  weie  virgins,  and  are  often  confounded  with 
the  tlaiighten  of  Philip  the  deacon.  It  is  supposed,  from  a  passi^  in 
JbmoteoM,  thatrtbe  a|)o«tle  survived  at  least  till  the  year  81. 

'  St  Augustiue  a^gainst  Faustus  the  Manichean,  xxU.  79. 

^  Considering  the  age  in  which  Ordericus  Vitalb  Nourished,  this  caution, 
'asd  the  ddubts  just  before  expressed  as  to  the  apocryphal  character  of 
many  of  these  early  ecclesiastical  records,  do  credit  to  the  author's  judg- 
xnen't  and  candowr.  The  passage  may  be  taken  as  a  sort  of  protest,  once 
§ar  all,  that  although  be  has  inserted  in  his  history  laige  extxmcts  from 
^these  Ifgends,  they  must  be  taken  fbr  what  they  are  worth.  Considered  od 
SBtig^oQsromanoes,  many  of  them  are  curious  spedmeoi  of  the  popular 
Etecatore  of  the  age  in  which  they  were  written. 


25i  OB]>EItICUS  TITALIfl.  [b.II.  CH.Vin. 

Christ  with  glorious  success,  and  his  painful  passage,  bj 
martyrdom  to  eternal  life. 

Thomas  Didymus  being  at  Ciesarea,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
appeared  to  him  and  commended  him  to  Abbanes  the  minis- 
ter of  Gondafor,  king  of  the  Indians,  who  invited  him  to 
return  with  him  to  India,  and  build  a  royal  palace  after  the 
Roman  manner.  During  the  voyage  Thomas  conversed 
mysteriously  with  Abbanes  on  the  knowledge  of  his  art,  and 
engaged  to  execute  wonderful  works  of  all  kinds  in  marble 
and  wood.  On  the  seventh  day  they  reached  Andronopolis, 
after  a  prosperous  voyage,  and  as  they  were  landing  were 
struck  with  the  sounds  of  voices  singing  to  the  music  of  flutes 
and  pipes  and  harps.  They  learnt  that  the  king  of  that  city 
was  celebrating  tne  nuptials  of  his  daughter  Pelagia  witi 
Dionysius.  Heralds  proceeded  through  the  streets,  proclaiio- 
ing  that  all  should  come  to  the  royal  banquet,  whether  rich  or 
poor,  nobles,  citizens  or  strangers ;  and  that  whoever  refused 
would  offend  the  prince.  Abbanes  and  Thomas,  therefore, 
presented  themselves  among  the  ,guests ;  but  Thomas,  as  was 
his  habit,  took  no  part  in  the  merriment  and  the  feast,  but 
was  wholly  occupied  in  heavenly  contemplation.  Meanwhile, 
a  Hebrew  female  singer,  with  a  flute  in  her  hand,  went  round 
the  tables  singing  such  melodies  as  any  of  the  guests  required^ 
but  when  she  came  near  St.  Thomas,  she  stood  lingering  be^ 
fore  him,  for  observing  that  he  neither  ate  nor  drank,  but  thai 
his  eyes  were  raised  to  heaven,  she  comprehended  that  he  was 
a  Hebrew,  and  a  worshipper  of  the  Lord  of  heaven.  Bejoie* 
ing  therefore  at  finding  one  of  her  own  race,  she  began  sing^ 
ing  in  her  mother  tongue :  "  The  God  of  the  Hebrews  is  one 
only  God  ;  the  Creator  of  all  things ;  who  made  the  heavens 
and  the  earth,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the  seas.*'  (hi 
hearing  this,  the  apostle  prayed  more  fervently,  desiring  the( 
Hebrew  girl  to  repeat  the  sacred  words  she  had  sung,  witS 
greater  care.  The  steward  of  the  feast,  however,  rebuked  St^ 
Thomas  because  he  neither  ate  nor  drank,  buffeting  him  (Ni 

'  In  other  legends  of  ibis  saint,  the  name  of  this  place  is  writtan  Af^^ 
drinopolis.  It  is  supposed  to  be  the  present  Aden,  a  small  sea-port  «t  tid! 
mouth  of  the  Straits  of  Babelmandel,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Red  Sei^  HOW 
vrell  known  from  its  having  become  a  station  on  the  overland  xovd/6  ii 
India. 


LSGENB   OF   ST.  THOMAS.  255 

the  face.  The  apostle  then  predieted in  Hebrew  ^hat  would 
presently  befall  nim  before  the  end  of  the  banquet.  And 
thus  it  happened;  the  steward  going  forth  to  draw  water 
from  a  fountain,  a  lion  attacked  him,  and,  after  sucking  his 
blood,  departed.  Dogs  came  and  devoured  his  limbs,  and 
one  of  these  animals,  which  was  black,  came  into  the  guest- 
ehamber  carrying  in  his  mouth  the  right  hand  which  had 
buffeted  the  apostle.  The  guests  were  struck  with  astonish- 
ment at  this  spectacle,  but  the  Hebrew  singer,  who  aJoue 
understood  the  apostle's  prediction,  threw  down  her  flute, 
and  running  to  him  began  to  kiss  his  feet,  exclaiming:  "This 
is  either  a  prophet  or  an  apostle  of  God:  for  when  the 
steward  struck  him  he  foretold  this  catastrophe  in  tlie 
Hebrew  tongue,  saying,  *  I  shall  not  rise  from  this  banquet 
until  I  see  that  hand  brought  hither  by  a  black  dog.'  " 

The  king,  inquiring  the  cause  of  the  disturbance  and 
hearing  what  had  happened,  called  the  apostle  aside,  and 
entreated  him  to  give  his  blessing  to  his  daughter  and  her  • 
husband.  St.  Thomas  therefore  accompanied  the  king  to 
the  bride-chamber,  and  placing  his  hands  with  prayer  on 
the  heads  of  both  the  espoused,  gave  them  his  blessing  in 
the  name  of  God,  repeating  also  the  names  of  the  patriarchs. 
The  apostle  was  then  leaving  the  chamber,  conducted  by  the 
bridegroom,  when  a  branch  of  a  palm-tree  loaded  with  fruit, 
suddenly  appeared  in  the  hand  of  the  young  prince.  It 
filled  him  with  delight,  and  he  ran  quickly  to  the  bride  and 
plucked  the  fruit  for  her  to  taste ;  and  when  they  had  both 
partaken  of  it,  they  suddenly  fell  asleep,  and  both  dreamed 
the  same  dream.  They  saw,  as  it  were,  a  mighty  king 
ufcith  a  jewelled  crown  and  ornaments,  who  stood  between 
them,  and  embracing  both,  thus  addressed  them:  "My 
apostle  hath  given  you  his  blessing,  to  the  end  that  ye  may 
be  partakers  of  everlasting  life."  On  their  waking,  each 
told  the  other  the  vision  they  had  seen,  when,  behold  St. 
Thomas  stood  in  their  presence,  saying :  "  My  Lord  and 
King,  who  just  now  spoke  to  you  in  the  vision,  brought 
me  in  hither,  although  the  doors  are  shut,  in  order  that  the 
blessing  I  gave  you  may  be  brought  to  good  effect.  Yours 
is  the  innocence  which  is  the  queen  of  all  virtues,  and  the  fruit  , 
of  everlasting  salvation.  Virginity  is  the  sister  of  angels,  and  ' 
the  earnest  of  all  felicity  j  virginity  is  the  victory  gained 


256  OUDXBIOUS  VITALI8.  ?        [b.h.  CH.vm. 

over  tbe  p&snotra,  tbe  trophy  of  faitli,  s  triumph  over  the 
enemy,  and  an  assurance  of  eternal  rest.  For  &om  oornip* 
tion  springs  uncleanneas,  from  undeannesA  guilt,  frcmi 
guilt  dismay. 

St.  Thomas  having  discoursed  thus,  and  more  at  large,  in 
praise  of  virginifcy,  and  on  the  foulness  of  lust,  wit£  the 
many  ineonyeniences  which  frequently  arise  from  eanisl 
intercourse,  Dlonysius  and  Pelagia  thankfully  list^ied 
to  the  teaching  of  the  apostle,  and  thereupon  two  angds 
appeared  to  them :  "  We  are  angels,'*  they  said,  "  sent  by 
God,  in  consequence  of  the  aposSie's  blessmg,  that  as  long 
as  you  observe  his  precepts,  we  may  offer  U)  tbe  LordaU 
your  petitions." 

Instructed  by  these  and  other  pious  monitions,  tbe  husband 
and  bride  threw  themselves  at  tbe  apostle's  feet,  saying, 
"Ck)Bfirm  us  in  all  truth,  that  nothing  relating  to  tiie 
knowledge  of  God  be  wanting  to  us.*'  The  apostle  answered, 
"  I  will  come  to  you  the  following  night,  and  fully  instruct 
you  before  I  depart."  He  came  accordingly,  and  having 
initiated  them  both  into  tbe  mysteries  of  eternal  life,  he 
sanctified  them  by  the  water  of  baptism.  After  these  events 
he  resumed  his  voyage ;  but  in  the  course  of  time  he  s^ 
them  one  of  his  disciples,  whom  he  ordained  priest,  in  order 
that  he  might  be  stationed  and  establish  a  church  in  that  mty* 
in  which  a  multitude  of  people  were  converted  to  OroA,  It 
became  the  seat  of  St.  Thomas  tbe  apostle,  and  tbe  Catholic 
faith  is  held  there  to  the  present  day.  Dionysius  became 
bishop,  his  wife  received  from  his  hanos  the  consecrated  vefl, 
and  aflber  his  death  completed  her  twofold  martyrdom; 
having  renounced  her  marriage  rights,  she  refused  also  te^ 
sacrifice  to  idols.  She  was  consequently  beheaded  for  her 
confession  of  Christ;  and  the  following  in8criptk>n  w» 
placed  over  her  tomb  in  the  Greek  tongue::  "  Ijr  this  fl^cs 

IiUS  THE  WIFE  op  DlONYSniS  TIB  BISHOP,  A^KJ)  SAl^^mTSK 

OP  Thomas  the  apostle." 
On  their  arrival  at  Hierapolis,  a  city  of  India,^  Abbsnoi 

^  It  was  the  tradition  of  the  chiirch  in  tbe  time  of  Origen  (hi^  Bt 
Thomas  earned  the  faith  among  the  Parthians,  and  even  into  India*  Xl^ 
French  editors  of  Ordericus  consider  that  there  is  no  evidence  of  the 
apostle  having  penetratod  into  the  south  of  4he  peninsala,  ''  Malgr^  k 
pretention  des  Portugais  d'avoir  retrouv6  des  traises  et  des  momuiMnts  d» 


8T.  THOMAS  HT  HTDlA..  257 

presented  hhnflelf  before  his  king  Q-ondafo]p,  and  informed 
nim  that  he  had  brought  with  him  a  skilful  architect-  whose 
name  was  Thomas.  The  king  consulted  with  him  on  the 
plans  of  the  palace  he  proposed  building,  and  pointed  out  to 
him  the  site  on  whicn  he  intended  to  erect  it.  Thomas 
then  took  a  rod,  and  measuring  the  ground  said ;  "  Here  I 
nhall  place  the  gates ;  the  entrance  will  be  towards  the  east ; 
this  first  space  will  be  the  vestibule;  next  will  come  an 
ante-chamber ;  then  the  hall  of  audience ;  the  fourth  space 
will  be  the  banqueting  room ;  the  fifth,  the  winter  chamber; 
the  sixth  the  summer  chamber;  the  seventh,  the  room  for 
burning  perfumes;  the  eighth,  the  warm  baths;  the  ninth, 
the  gymnasium ;  the  tenth,  the  kitchens ;  the  eleventh,  the 
cist-ems  and  tanks ;  in  the  twelfth  will  bo  the  hippodrome 
and  circular  portico  for  the  promenade."*  The  king  having 
considered  this  arrangement,  said  to  Thomas ;  "  You  are,  in- 
deed, an  architect,  and  deserve  to  build  palaces  for  kings ;" 

aon  s^jour  but  la  odte  de  Coromandel."  It  is,  however,  weU  known  in 
fingland  that  there  is  a  church  of  native  Christians  of  great  antiquity  on  the 
ooait  of  Malabar,  whose  traditions  are  that  it  was  founded  by  St.  Thomas ; 
Imd  the  primitive  simplicity  and  purity  of  their  doctrine  and  institutions, 
with  their  secluded  and  independent  existence,  ajfford  considerable  pre- 
■umptive  evidence  that  their  claims  may  be  admitted.  Geddes,  in  his 
hirtpry  of  this  church,  says  that  on  the  discovery  of  Malabar  by  tfa6 
Portuguese  in  1504,  they  found  the  south  inhabited  by  the  Christians  of 
8t.  Thomas,  so  calling  themselves  on  accoiyit  of  their  having  been  con- 
verted to  the  Christian  £Eiith  by  the  apostle  of  that  name.  They  have 
always,  or  at  least  for  1300  years,  been  under  the  patriarch  of  Babylon. 
Dr.  Claudius  Buchanan,  who  visited  them  a  few  years  since,  says  in  his 
Ckfiilian  Reiearchety  **  We  have  as  good  authority  for  believing  that  the 
apostle  died  in  India  as  that  St.  Peter  died  at  Rome."  St.  Thomas  is  said 
to  have  landed  from  Aden  at  Cranganore,  near  which,  at  Paroor,  is  the 
Mdest  Syrian  church  dedicated  to  that  apostle;  and  the  tradition  is  that  he 
continued  there  till  he  went  to  Melapoor  and  St  Themes'  Mount  in 
Goromandel,  where  he  was  martyred. 

^  M.  Le  Provost,  the  French  editor  of  Ordericus,  considers  this  curious 
enumeration  of  the  various  parts  of  a  palace^  which  differs  essentially  from 
the  ancient  arrangement,  to  have  been  borrowed  from  a  description  of  the 
ralace  of  the  dukes  of  Spoleto,  about  A.i>.  814,  in  which  there  are  found 
Byzantine  innovations  on  the  plan  of  the  old  Roman  housea  This  inter* 
iitiiig  acoount  has  heen  published  by  Mabillon  {Rerum  Jialic,  ii.  p.  11) 
igad  by.Muratori  {Annali  (fltaliapiy.  11),  and  has  been  republished  faf 
Mazoie  (Rmnes  de  Pompeia)^  who  renders  important  assistance  in  deter- 
yuming  the  author's  precise  meaning.  See  note  to  the  Parili  edition  of 
Ordericus  (1838),  torn.  i.  p.  311. 

VOL.  I.  S 


258  OBDEBICUS  TITALIS.  [b.h.  CH.Tni. 

and  the  king  departed,  leaving,  with  him  a  brge  sum  of 
money. 

The  apostle,  however,  began  to  journey  through  the 
provinces  and  cities,  preaching  the  word  of  G-od,  baptizing 
those  who  believed,  and  distributing  alms  abundantly  among 
the  poor.  He  thus  converted  immense  multitudes  to  the 
Lord,  ordained  priests,  and  built  churches,  and  for  two 
years,  during  the  absence  of  Qondafor,  established  the 
faithful.  However,  when  the  kin^  returned  and  learnt  how 
the  apostle  had  been  employed,  be  ordered  both  him  and 
Abbanes  to  be  thrust  into  the  lowest  dungeon,  bound  in 
chains.  But  while  he  was  thinking  of  having  them  flayed 
alive  and  then  burnt,  his  brother  Gad  died,  and  as  he  was 
much  beloved  there  was  great  lamentation.  The  barbarians, 
according  to  their  usages,  wrapped  the  corpse  in  purple  and 
fine  linen,  adding  jewelled  ornaments,  and  the  King  com- 
manded a  monument  to  be  erected  to  his  brother  of  purple 
stone,  and  his  body  to  be  deposited  in  a  sarcophagus  of 
porphyry.  While  the  workmen  were  preparing  tnese  mag-, 
nificent  works  which  delayed  the  performance  of  the  Mineral 
rites.  Gad  himself,  the  dead  man,  rose  again  the  fourth  day 
at  the  first  hour,  to  the  great  astonishment  and  terror  of 
all :  and  the  wailings,  which  according  to  Indian  custom 
accompany  a  royal  funeral,  were  hushed  into  silence. 
Meanwhile  G^  blamed  the  king  his  brother  for  designing 
to  flay  and  to  bum  the  favorite  of  Heaven,  whom  the  angeb 
obeyed.  He  related  that  he  had  seen  in  heaven  a  wonder- 
ful palace,  planned  in  the  manner  Thomas  had  proposed, 
and  reportea  besides  much  more  on  the  merits  of  that  holy 
man,  and  the  secrets  of  heaven.  He  then  hastened  to  the 
prison,  freed  the  apostle  from  his  fetters,  and  throwing 
himself  at  his  feet  entreated  his  pardon  for  Gondafor. 

As  the  apostle  was  taking  his  departure,  the  king  himself 
now  rendered  more  humane,  came  to  meet  him,  and  prostrat- 
ing himself  before  him  entreated  his  forgiveness.  And 
now  the  apostle,  finding  the  opportunity  favourable,  applied 
himself  to  preaching  amongst  the  barbarians  and  proclam- 
ing  the  truth.  Among  other  things  he  said :  "  Jesua  Christ, 
my  Lord,  hath  shown  you  great  favour  in  that  he  hath  revealed 

*  The  word  memoria  !fl  here  used  in  the  sense  of  monianenium,  St. 
Augutttiae  uses  the  phrase,  memoria  marmorata,  a  tomb  of  marble. 


ST.  TUOMLiS   TEJlVELS   TO   ITPPEB  IISTDIA.  259 

his  secrets  to  you.  Lo,  your  provinces  are  full  of  churches ; 
prepare  yourselves,  therefore,  that  you  may  be  sanctified/' 
Such  words  and  many  more  he  addressed  to  the  princes, 
instructing  them  in  the  faith  and  the  true  religion. 

All  India  speedly  heard  the  report  of  the  wonders  which 
bhe  Lord  wrought  by  the  hands  of  his  apostle,  and  great 
multitudes  of  people  were  gathered  to  him  from  the  cities 
both  far  and  near.  They  proposed  to  pay  him  divine  honours, 
offering  him  sacrifices  of  calves  and  rams,  as  they  did  to 
their  gods.  Meanwhile  king  G-ondafor,  by  the  apostle's  advice, 
commanded  them  to  wait  a  month  until  the  whole  province 
was  assembled,  and  that  they  should  then  do  what  he  directed. 
Accordingly,  at  the  expiration  of  thirty  days,  multitudes  of 
people  assembled  on  the  plain  at  the  foot  of  mount  G-azus, 
Ecmong  whom  there  were  a  great  number  afflicted  with  divers 
disorders.  The  apostle  then  desired  them  to  gather  all  the 
sick  into  one  body,  and  placing  himself  in  the  midst,  he 
spread  forth  his  hands  to  heaven  and  prayed  on  their  behalf. 
When  his  prayer  was  finished,  a  ray  oi  light  darted  upon 
them  with  such  force  that  they  all  thought  themselves  on 
the  point  of  being  destroyed  by  lightning.  They  fell  pros- 
trate on  the  ground  with  the  apostle,  and  remained  in  that 
position  for  nearly  half  an  hour,  being  sensible  that  the 
gracious  presence  of  God  was  among  them ;  for  many  who 
had  fevers,  and  the  dumb,  and  the  blind,  and  the  lame,  and 
those  who  had  other  disorders,  were  healed  by  the  power  of 
the  Creator.  All  now  rose  from  the  ground,  at  the  apostle's 
3ommand,  and  each  one,  full  of  joy  for  his  recovery,  glorified 
the  Lord. 

Then  the  blessed  Thomas  mounted  on  a  rock  where  he 
could  see  all  the  people,  and  be  seen  of  them,  and  calling 
for  silence  explained  to  them  fully  his  true  doctrine.  The 
Sunday  following,  nine  thousand  men  were  baptized,  besides 
tvomen  and  children.  The  apostle  afterwards,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  revelation,  undertook  a  journey  to  Upper  India; 
uid  there  all  the  people  hastened  to  hear  him,  and,  being 
iritness  of  the  signs  and  wonders  which  he  wrought,  were 
so  astonished  that  they  did  not  dare  to  despise  his  preaching. 
Ee  cast  out  devils,  gave  sight  to  the  blind,  cleansed  the 
[epers,  healed  all  diseases,  both  rheums  and  fevers,  and 
raised  the  dead. 

u  2 


SGO  0&DERICU8  TITALI8.  [b.H.  CH.^TH 

A  certain  woman  named  Sintice,  who  had  been  blind  for 
six  years,  was  so  cured  that  no  sign  was  left  of  her  former 
infirmity.  Hearing  of  this,  the  curiosity  of  Mygdonia,  wile 
of  Carisius,  a  cousin  of  the  King  Mesdeus,  was  ^xcited^  sad 
disguising  herself  she  mingled  among  her  handnunds  wUle 
tbe  holy  St.  Thomas  was  preaching  a  saving  discourse  on 
the  true  God.  The  whole  multitude  beliered  at  the  apostle'^ 
teaching,  and  after  a  fast  of  seven  days  received  baptisip* 
Mygdonia,  however,  after  hearing  the  apostle's  diseofuc^e^ 
would  not  again  enter  her  husband's  oed.  Upon  ili^ 
Carisius  went  to  the  king  in  great  anger,  and  obtaxned  pe^ 
mission  to  have  the  apostle  arrested  and  thrown  into  pns^ 
But  Sintice  conducted  Mygdonia  to  the  prison,  and  by 
bribing  the  gaoler  obtained  access  to  the  apostle's  dttngeoBi 
When  he  was  informed  of  the  faith  of  Mygdonia^  h&  eom- 
manded  her  to  return  immediately  to  her  own  house,  carO' 
fully  close  her  chamber,  and  expect  him.  Accordingly  at 
midnight  the  apostle  appeared  in  the  chamber  as  ^e  had 
promised,  and  comforting  Mygdonia  insia*ucted  her  .in  th^ 
faith  and  appointed  her  a  seven  days'  fast.  On  the  eightib, 
he  returned  in  a  similar  manner,  and  baptized  the  betieving 
woman,  and  all  others  who  received  the  £uth.  Me^nwhU^ 
Carisius,  whose  sister  King  Mesdeus  had  married,  begg^ 
that  the  queen  Treptia  might  be  sent  to  his  own  "wmif^ 
endeavour  to  recall  her  to  her  conjugal  duties,  l^iiiig 
Mesdeus  consenting,  the  queen  went  to  Mygdonia^  and  lavish^ 
ing  caresses  on  her,  used  every  effort  to  induce  h^r  io  retiWTI 
to  her  former  habits.  But  she,  now  confirmed  i^  the  faith 
of  Christ,  earnestly  refused,  and  becoming  a  chaippipA  ijn 
the  cause  of  truth,  in  her  turn  contended  with  Treptia,  and 
ended  by  persuading  her  to  yield  to  Christ.  jFor  she 
replied  to  that  queen  with  endearing  words,  adroitly  ior 
stUled  into  her  mind  a  regard  for  the  apostle,  and  gaina4 
her  heart  by  a  discourse  of  this  kind :  "  My  sister  Trepi^ 
if  you  knew  all  I  have  learnt,  you  would  consider  him  not  i^ 
9  man  but  a  god,  for  he  gives  hearing  to  the  deaf,  Kq  |^ 
restored  health  in  all  manner  of  disorders,  and  sometii^ 
he  has  even  raised  the  dead.  He  teaches  that  there,  p 
mother  and  immortal  life,  free  from  pain  and  aU  sorrQtf* 
This  yery  night  he  restored  life  to  a  dead  man ;  for  Sio^ 
forus,  the  captain  of  the  soldiers,  went  to  the  prisom.  a^ 


8T.  THOMASES  MIRACLES  AliTD  MABTYBDOM.  261 

taking  upon  himself  the  safe  custody  of  the  apostle,  received 
him  from  the  gaoler  aiid  conducted  him  to  his  own  house. 
The  apostle  having  prated,  restored  to  life  the  onlj  son  of 
'  the  captain,  who  lay  dead.  Even  now  he  remains  in  that 
'  bouse,  teaching  all  who  come  to  him,  and  healinr  all  dia- 
'  orders."  Treptia  f&swered :  "  If  it  he  as  you  say,  let  us  go 
'and  see  this  man ;  and  if  I  find  these  things  to  he  true,  I 
also  will  immediately  accept  the  faith.  It  is  unwise  not  to 
eeek  eternal  life,  and  not  to  helieve  such  extraordinary 
gifts/*  They  went  therefore  to  the  captain's  house,  hut 
saving  entered  were  unahle  to  ohtain  access  to  the  apostle, 
who  was  engaged  in  laying  his  hands  on  people  lahouring 
under  various  infirmities.  The  queen,  at  the  sight  of  so 
many  miracles,  elclaimed  in  astonishment,  **  Cursed  of  Ghod 
be  tnose  who  do  not  helieve  the  works  of  salvation."  Then 
a  man  was  hrought  in  hy  the  apostle's  command  suffering 
:from  elephantiasis,  of  horrihle  appearance,  with  a  hoarse 
Toice,  and  his  face  rough  with  soahs.  The  apostle  wept 
aver  him,  and  praying  a  long  time  on  hended  knees,  laid  his 
hand  on  him,  supplicating  God.  Next^  a  hoy  appeared  with 
a  cheerful  aspect,  and,  leading  a  leper  from  a  retured  comer, 
stripped  him  of  his  clothes,  his  skin  also  peeling  off  &om  his 
body  like  a  tunic,  or  as  when  one  flays  a  calf.  Being 
brought  to  the  apostle,  he  signed  him  with  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  and  having  baptized  him,  caused  him  to  he  clothed  in 
new  white  garments.  At  this  spectade  the  people  magni« 
fied  Gbd,  and  the  queen  kissing  the  apostle's  feet  entreated 
to  be  baptized ;  and  he,  perceiving  that  the  time  of  his  de- 
nartnre  m>m  the  body  was  at  himd,  baptized  her  with  the 
rttt  who  were  present. 

On  the  queai's  return,  she  announced  her  conversion  to 
the  king,  and  expressed  her  determination  to  continue  in 
the  faith.  Then  the  king's  heart  was  trouhled,  and  his 
anger  being  raised  against  Carisius,  he  exclaimed,  '*  While 
T  was  endeavouring  to  recover  your  wife,  I  have  lost  my 
own ;  for  Treptia  is  become  worse  to  me  than  Mygdonia  to 
thee."  Whereupon  he  sent  for  St.  Thomas,  commanding 
.hijii  to  be  brought  into  his  presence  with  his  hands  bound 
.behind  his  back.  The  king  on  seeing  him,  commanded  him 
to  use  his  inflnenee  with  the  women  he  had  deceived  tp 
induce  them  to  return  to  their  conjugal  dutiet.    XI^ii  ha& 


262  0RDEBICU8   VITALTS.  [b.H.  CH.Tni. 

refusing  this,  and  endeavounng  to  bring  his  persecutors  to 
a  saving  faith,  the  king  ordered  iron  plates  to  be  heated, 
and  the  apostle  to  be  placed  upon  them,  standing  with  bare 
&et,  until  he  fainted  from  pain.     Immediatelj,  however,  a 

Sring  burst  forth,  and  cooled  the  iron  plates.  Next,  bj  the 
vice  of  Carisius,  he  was  thrown  into  the  furnace  at  th^ 
baths:  but  thej  were  unable  to  heat  the  baths,  and  the 
apostle  ag^ain  departed  unhurt.  At  last  they  attempted  to 
compel  him  to  offer  sacrifice  to  the  image  of  the  sun.  The 
statue  was  of  gold,  standing  in  a  golden  car  drawn  by  four 
horses,  and  appeared  to  hold  the  reins  loosely,  while  the  car 
was  whirled  rapidly  through  the  sky.  In  the  temple 
heathen  priests  led  the  dance  with  barbaric  rites,  aad 
virgins  sung  hymns  to  the  melody  of  their  lyres,  with  flutes 
and  timbrels,  and  fillets  and  censers.  The  king  and  his 
courtiers  having  brought  the  apostle  to  the  temple  and 
exhorted  him  to  sacrifice  to  this  image  of  the  sun,  address- 
ing the  demon  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  he  commanded  him 
to  come  forth  and  obey  his  orders.  The  demon,  having 
made  his  appearance,  stood  before  the  apostle,  so  that  he 
was  visible  to  him  only;  and  the  apostle  talked  with  the 
devil  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  while  no  one  knew  what  he 
said,  or  with  whom  he  was  conversing. . 

When,  at  length,  St.  Thomas  had  worshipped  the  Lord  in 
the  idol-temple  on  his  bended  knees,  and  in  presence  of  the 
king  had  enjoined  the  demon,  in  Christ's  name,  to  do  injury 
to  no  one,  but  immediately  to  destroy  the  molten  image, 
the  idol  instantlv  dissolved  and  melted  like  wax  at  the  fire. 
Then  all  the  priests  raised  shrieks,  and  the  pontifiT  pierced 
the  apostle  through  the  body  with  a  sword.  The  king  and 
Carisius  took  to  night,  and  tnere  was  a  great  tumult  among 
the  people,  as  the  greater  part  shouted  for  the  apostle,  and 
sought  for  his  murderer  that  they  might  bum  him  alive. 
The  apostle's  body  was  honourably  borne  with  hymns  of 
praise  to  the  church,  and  being  embalmed  with  precions 
aromatics,  great  signs  and  miracles  were  wrought  there^  for 
demoniacs  were  &eed,  and  all  diseases  were  healed.^ 

^  These  acts  of  St.  Thomas  are  not  borrowed  directly  from  the  Aim 
Abdias,  but  from  some  other  legend  which  has  altered  aome  of  the  detail^ 
and  shortened  the  concludon.  See  note,  p.  257,  respecting  the  missioB  of 
St.  Thomas  to  India. 


SELICS   or   ST.  THOMAS   AT  EDE88A.  268 

A  long  time  afterwards  the  Syrians  obtained  a  promise 
from  Alexander,  emperor  of  Eome,  on  his  return  from  the 
Parthian  war  after  defeating  Xerxes,  that  he  would  send  to 
the  pettj  kings  of  India  to  demand  that  the  remains  of 
St.  Thomas  should  be  restored  to  them.*  The  body  of  the 
apostle  was  therefore  transported  from  India,  and  deposited 
in  the  city  of  Edessa  in  a  silver  coffer,  suspended  by  chains 
of  the  same  metal.  There  no  idolaters,  no  heretics^  no 
Jews  can  live. 

Abgarus*  was  chief,  or  king  of  Edessa,  when  he  had  the 
honour  to  receive  the  letter  written  by  our  Saviour's  hand, 
which  is  read  by  a  newly  baptized  child,  standing  over  the 
gate  of  the  city,  when  any  barbarous  tribe  advances  to 
attack  the  place.  The  very  same  day  the  letter  is  read,  the 
invaders  either  make  peace,  or  retreat,  in  terror  both  of  our 
liord's  letter,  and  of  the  prayers  of  St.  Thomas  the  apostle, 
sumamed  Didymus,  who  having  touched  the  Lord's  side 
cried  out,  "  Lord,  thou  art  my  God." 

George  Florence  Gregory,  the  venerable  archbishop  of 
Tours,  writes  that  he  had  heard  some  particulars  respecting 
St.  Thomas  from  one  Theodore  who  had  lately  travelled  in 
India,  and  on  his  return  related  what  follows,  as  well  as 
other  circumstances. 

"  In  India,  at  the  place  where  the  body  of  the  blessed 
apostle  St.  Thomas  was  first  deposited,  there  is  a  monastery 
and.  church  of  vast  size,  and  built  and  ornamented  with 
great  care.  In  this  church  the  Lord  works  a  great  miracle. 
A  lamp  burning  before  the  tomb  of  the  apostle  gives,  day 
and  night  perpetually,  a  splendid  light,  by  God's  special 
provision,  though  it  is  neither  fed  with  oil  nor  supplied  with 
wicks.  It  is  neither  extinguished  by  the  wind,  nor  is  it 
injured  by  any  accident,  nor  does  the  flame  diminish,  re- 
ceiving its  increase  by  virtue  of  the  apostle  in  a  manner 
unknown  to  man,  who  can  only  attribute  it  to  divine  power. 

^  Our  author  speaks  of  the  expedition  of  Alexander  Severus  against  the 
Parthians  under  their  king  Artaxerxes,  founder  of  the  dynasty  of  the 
Sassanides,  which  was  undertaken  in  the  year  233.  But  we  find  nothing 
in  the  history  of  that  emperor  to  countenance  the  demand  here  attributed 
to  him.  It  is,  however  certain,  that  as  early  as  the  fourth  century,  the 
body  of  St.  Thomas  was  supposed  to  be  translated  to  Edessa. 

*  Agbarus. 


204  O&DE^CUS  TITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.TIII. 

At  the  cit J  of  Edessa  where,  as  we  have  abeady  said,  the 
blessed  remains  of  the  apostle  are  deposited,  at  the  feast  of 
the  anniversary'  of  his  translation,  a  great  concourse  oi 
people  assembled  from  foreign  countries  both  in  performance 
of  vows  and  for  the  purposes  of  commerce,  and  during  a  flEur 
held  for  thirty  dajs  there  is  free  libertnr  to  buy  and  sell 
without  payment  of  any  tolls.  In  these  oays,  which  happei 
}n,  the  S&h  month,  great  and  unusual  favours  are  conferred 
on  the  people.  No  quarrels  take  place  in  the  throng,  and 
neither  flies  infest  tainted  meat,  nor  is  there  scarcity  of 
water  for  the  thirsty  crowd ;  for  although  during  the  rest  of 
the  year  water  is  drawn  from  the  wells  at  a  depth  of  a 
hundred  feet ;  during  the  &ir,  if  you  only  pierce  the  surface, 
springs  burst  forth  abundantly.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
toat  these  wonders  must  be  attributed  to  the  apostle's 
power.  When  the  days  of  the  feast  are  expired,  tolls  are 
again  levied,  the  flies  return,  the  springs  diy  up ;  but  rain 
sent  by  God's  providence  so  washes  the  whole  court  of  the 
church  from  the  fllth  and  rubbish  accumulated  during  the 
fair,  that  that  you  would  suppose  the  pavement  had  not 
been  even  trod  upon."^ 

Almighty  Goa,  our  just  and  compasionate  judge  and 
patient  rewarder,  glorifies  his  saints,  crowning  them  with 
iueflable  honour,  chastises  mankind  by  his  terrors,  and  in 
punishing,  saves  them  by  penitence.  Let  us  supplicate  him 
while  we  groan  in  this  valley  of  tears,  let  us  give  him  thanks 
for  his  unspeakable  benefits,  and  let  us  hasten  to  him  by 
keeping  his  commandments.  Let  us  also  pray  to  St 
Thomas  the  apostle,  sumamed  Pidymus,  and  confiding  in 
his  intercession,  s^  in  our  chaunts : 

''  0  IhomaSi^  who  didst  touch  the  side  of  our  Lord,  wo 
beseech  thee  by  those  sacred  wounds  which  have  taken  away 
all  the  sins  of  the  world,  cleanse  us  &om  our  guilt  by  thy 
prayers.  We  feel  the  cruel  wounds  of  our  sins ;  we  groan 
in  our  trouble,  and  pray  with  tears :  in  pity  offer  for  us  thy 
powerful  intercession  to  God  the  thunderer.    Amen.  " 

I  The  preceding  para^aph  is  literally  transcribed  from  Gregpiy  of 
Toun,  De  Ghr,  Martyr,  i.  32.  . 


t       .  ST.BA^BTHOLO^fXW^  265 

Ch.  IX.  Acts  of  Fit  Bdrtholomew — Legend  of  his  preaching 
and  miracles  in  India — Description  of  his  personal  habits 
— JEKs  martyrdom — His  relics  translated  to  lApan  and 
Seneventtim, 

Babtholomew  is  a  Sjriac  word,  signifying  the  son  of  Him 
Trtio  suspends  the  water.^  It  fell  to  this  apostle's  lot  to 
preach  in  Ljcaonia ;  afterward^  he  carried  the  gospel  into 
Assjrria  and  the  third  India.  At  length,  when  dwelling  at 
Albano,  of  the  greater  Armenia,  he  was  flayed  alive  by  the 
barbarians,  and  beheaded  by  order  of  King  Astyas;es,  beinc; 
interred  on  the  9th  of  the  calends  of  September  [24th 
August.]  His  sacred  body  was  at  flrst  translated  to  the 
island  of  Lipari,  and  thence  to  Beneventum  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  809,  where  it  is  held  by  the  faithful  in  pious 
yeneration.  Our  careful  researches  will  now  be  directed 
to  the  examination  of  the  whole  history  of  his  passion,  and 
the  following  brief  account  is  inserted  &om  ancient  manu- 
scripts. 

According  to  historians,  India  is  divided  into  three 
regions,  which  are  reported  to  have  contained  five  thousand 
towns,  and  nine  thousand  people.'  The  flrst  India  extends 
a^  £i.r  as  Ethiopia ;  the  second  to  the  Medes  ;  the  third  to 
the  extremity,  where  it  is  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  region 
of  darkness,  on  the  other  by  the  ocean.  It  was  to  this  part  of 
Ipdia  Bcurtholomew  came,  and  entering  a  temple  in  which 
stood  the  idol  Astaroth,^  he  made  it  his  resting  place  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  pilgrims.     On  the  apostle's  arrival 

'  '  The  word  Bartholomew  is  evidently  Syriac.  Our  author's  version  of 
it,  filiut  suspendentU  aquatf  which  is  given  literally  in  the  text,  seems  like 
the  viffffXfi  ytpkra  Zivg,  ^  the  oloud-compelling  Jove,^  of  Homer ;  but  It 
is  difficult  to  conjecture  its  origin.  It  is  probable  that  Bartholomew  really 
means  the  son  of  Tholorosea,  or  Tholomi,  referring  to  the  place  of  the 
apostle's  birth,  as  Simon  the  Canaanite  is  called  in  the  Syriac  Cananaia.    - 

*  We  cannot  suppose  that  Ordericus  would  assign  a  population  of  only 
dOOO  sculs  to  a  country  contaming  5000  towns.  There  must,  therefore,  be 
some  error  in  the  M$S.,  though  they  seem  all  to  agree,  and  the  emimeni? 
tion  is  made  in  words*  and  not  in  figures. 

*  The  worship  of  this  idol^the  Syrian  Astarte,  was  early  introduced 
among  the  Hebrews  (1  3am.  xii.  10),  and  encouraged  by  Solcfmon  and 
Jezel^l.  Astarte  was  represented  as  a  female,  and  like  the  Egyptian  Isis 
and  the  Kphe^an  Dianai  typified  the  mopn,  while  Baal  was  worshipped  9$ 
the  sun. 


266  OKBEBIGUS  TITiLlilg.  [B.n.  CH.Tin. 

Astaroth  became  dumb,  giving  no  answers  to  those  ^ho 
consulted  the  idol,  nor  being  able  to  succour  those  who  were 
injured.  The  temple  now  became  fuU  of  diseased  people, 
Astaroth  making  no  reply  to  those  who  daily  offered  sacri- 
fice ;  the  infirm  therefore,  who  where  attracted  there  from, 
distant  parts,  miserably  bewailed  their  sufferings,  and  the 
idol-worshippers,  neither  profiting  by  their  sacrifices,  nor  bj 
cutting  themselves  according  to  their  custom,  went  to 
another  city  where  a  demon  named  Berith^  was  worshipped, 
and  offering  him  sacrifice,  inquired  respecting  the  silence  of 
their  own  god,  and  other  recent  occurrences.  The  reply 
was  this ; ''  X  our  god  is  held  captive,  bound  in  chains  of  flame, 
that  he  cannot  utter  a  word,  nor  scarcely  breathe,  since 
Bartholomew  the  apostle  of  God  arrived  in  this  country." 
They  then  asked  him  who  this  Bartholomew  was  ;  to  wmcb 
the  demon  answered :  "  He  is  the  friend  of  the  supreme  GJod, 
and  is  come  into  this  country  for  the  purpose  of  expelling  the 
gods  worshipped  by  the  Indians.'*  The  votaries  of  Astaroth 
said:  "Tell  us  by  what  tokens  we  may  distinguish  him 
among  the  millions  we  see."  The  idol  replied :  "  His  hair 
is  black  and  curling,  his  skin  fair,  his  eyes  full,  his  nose 
regular  and  straight,  his  ears  covered  by  his  long  hair,  \m 
beard  is  long  and  but  slightly  grey,  and  his  stature  is  of 
the  middle  height,  neither  long  nor  short.  He  wears  a 
white  tunic,  without  sleeves,  fastened  with  purple  clasps,  over 
which  is  a  white  mantle  having  ruby  coloured  gems  in  the 
corners.'  For  twenty-six  years  he  has  worn  the  same 
clothes,  which  are  neither  soiled  nor  have  they  grown  old. 
So  also  the  sandals  worn  on  his  feet  during  the  same  period 
exhibit  no  signs  of  decay.  A  hundred  times  in  the  day  he 
bends  his  knees  before  God,  a  hundred  times  in  the  night 
he  rises  to  pray.  His  voice  is  clear  as  the  sound  of  i 
trumpet.    The  angels  of  God  are  his  companions,  and  per- 

'    '  See  Judges  viii.  33,  and  ix.  4,  where  this  idol  is  called  Baal-Berith. 

'  M.  L.  Provost  remarks  that  our  author,  or  we  should  rather  say  the 
legend  he  copies,  has  given  St.  Bartholomew  a  dress,  the  BysantsM 
magnificence  of  which  is  little  accordant  with  apostolic  simplicity.  The 
eoiobium,  here  translated  tunic,  was  a  vestment  without  sleeves,  or  having 
them  very  short  and  close-fitting,  in  opposition  to  the  full  sleeves  of  the 
dalmatic,  which  was  substituted  for  it  in  the  dress  of  the  priests  by  Pope 
Silvester.  However  this  may  be,  the  whole  deseription  of  the  apostle 
is  highly  graphic  and  characteristic. 


LEGEND   OP   ST.  BARTHOLOMEW.  267 

mit  him  neither  to  suffer  fatigue  nor  hunger.  His  aspect  is 
always  the  same,  the  same  spirit  animates  him,  he  is  always 
serene  and  happy.  He  foresees  all  things,  knows  all  things, 
and  speaks  and  understands  the  languages  of  all  the  nations 
of  the  earth.  Even  now  he  is  aquainted  with  your  inquiries, 
and  my  replies  respecting  him .  The  angels  of  God  obey  him, 
and  are  his  precursors."  Having  said  thus  much  and  more, 
the  demon  was  silent.  ^ 

On  their  return,  these  people  searched  all  the  places  fre- 
quented by  strangers,  narrowly  observing  their  persons  and 
dress ;  but  for  two  days  they  were  unable  to  discover  the 
apostle.  At  length  a  demoniac  named  Seusticus  cried  out : 
"Apostle  Bartholomew,  thy  prayers  send  fire  through  me." 
Upon  which  the  apostle  said :  "  Hold  thy  peace,  and  come 
out  of  him."  And  the  man,  who  for  many  years  had  been 
tormented  by  an  evil  spirit,  was  freed  from  his  power. 

Polemius,*^  the  king  of  that  country,  having  heard  of  these 
occurrences  sent  to  Bartholomew,  entreating  him  to  heal  his 
daughter  who  was  a  lunatic,  and  bit  with  her  teeth,  or  tore 
or  beat,  all  who  came  within  her  reach.  The  apostle  imme- 
diately arose,  and  accompanying  the  king's  messenger, 
coitimanded  the  girl  to  be  released  from  the  fetters  with 
which  she  was  bound :  and  when  the  attendants  were  afraid 
to  come  near  her,  the  apostle  said :  "  I  hold  in  chains  the 
enemy  who  had  taken  possession  of  her ;  go  then  and  loose 
bear,  let  her  wash  and  eat,  and  bring  her  to  me  to-morrow 
early ;"  they  did,  therefore,  as  the  apostle  commanded,  and 
the  demon  was  no  longer  able  to  torment  her.  Then  the 
king  loaded  two  camels  with  gold  and  silver,  and  precious 
stones  and  garments,  and  sent  them  to  the  apostle,  but  as 
he  was  not  to  be  found,  they  were  brought  back  to  the 
palace. 

At  the  first  dawn  of  day  on  the  morrow,  when  the  king 
was  yet  in  his  chamber,  and  the  door  securely  closed,  the 
apostle  appeared  to  him,  all  alone,  and  instructed  him  in  the 
true  beliei,  and  the  doctrines  of  salvation.  He  treated,  in 
ovd^,  of  the  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God  by  the  immacu- 
late virgin,  and  of  the  thrice-repeated  temptation,  a^d  the 
threefold  victory. 

1  In  the  ^Ise  Abdias,  this  prince  is  called  Polf/miuSf  and  the  demoniac 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  Pteutiiut, 


•268  OBOEBICUS  TITALI8.  [b.H.  CH.U. 

The  king  PolemiuR,  yielding  to  the  apostolical  teaching, 
particularly  ordered  the  idol  priests  to  sacrifice  on  the 
morrow.  When  therefore  they  were  sacrificing  at  day  break, 
the  demon  broke  silence,  complaining  of  the  torments  to 
which  he  was  subjected  by  the  angels.  At  the  apostie's 
command  he  also  openly  confessed  the  frauds  by  which  he 
had  injured  the  people.  Then  the  apostle  said  to  the  multi- 
tude ;  "  See  what  a  god  is  this,  that  you  thought  could  heal 
you.  Hear  now  the  true  God,  your  Creator,  who  dwells  in 
the  heavens ;  and  if  you  desire  that  I  should  pray  for  you, 
and  that  all  the  sick  now  present  be  restored  to  health, 
overturn  this  idol,  and  break  it  to  pieces.  When  this  u 
done,  I  will  consecrate  the  temple  in  Christ's  name,  and  will 
here  sanctify  all  by  his  baptism."  Upon  this  the  king 
commanded  ropes  and  pulleys  to  be  brought,  but  with  all 
their  efforts,  the  crowd  was  unable  to  throw  down  tb9 
image.  Then  the  apostle  said  to  them  ''  Loose  the  fasten- 
ings." And  when  all  were  loosened,  he  commanded  the 
demon  to  go  forth  and  demolish  the  image ;  and  he  immedi- 
ately obeyed,  and  broke  in  pieces  the  idols  of  every  descripr 
tion.  All  therefore  who  were  eye-witnesses  shouted  with 
one  voice :  "  There  is  but  one  6od  who  is  almighty,  «f4 
Jiim  his  apostle  Bartholomew  preaches."  Then  the  blessed 
apostle  spread  out  his  hands  to  the  Lord,  and  prayed  long 
for  the  salvation  of  all  present.  And  when  the  multitude 
answered  "Amen,"  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  having  wiqgs 
and  shining  like  the  sun,  appeared,  and  taking  his  flight 
round  the  fi)ur  sides  of  the  temple,  engraved  with  his  finger 
the  sign  of  the  cross  on  the  comer  stones.  The  apo^ 
commanded  the  people  also  to  make  with  their  fingers  the 
sign  of  the  cross  on  their  foreheads.  He  then  showed  them 
a  gigantic  Egyptian,  blacker  than  soot,  his  features  kee^ 
his  beard  long,  and  his  hair  hanging  down  to  his  feet,  hui 
eyes  flashing  fire,  and  emitting  sparks  like  red  hot  iroQi 
Sulphureous  flames  issued  from  his  mouth  and  his  nostrils^ 
he  had  bristly  feathers,  and  wings  like  the  ^phinx,^  his  bapdp 
were  bound  behind  him,  and  he  was  secured  by  chaina  of  firei 
This  malignant  devil,  having  been  seen  by  all  the  people,  yrtA 
set  ffee  by  the  angel,  and  receiving  a  command  th^  %9 
should  depart  into  desert  places,  where  none  of  humw  }aM 
^  The  false  Abdyae  for  j»pbinx,  reade  hyttrur,  a  porcupine; 


HASTYBDOM  07  8T.  BABTHOLOMEW.        269 

dwelt  and  there  await  the  day  of  judgment,  uttering  a 
fearful  sliriek  with  his  terrible  voice,  he  flew  away  and  was 
Been  no  more.  At  the  same  time  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
ascended  to  heaven  in  the  iight  of  all. 

Hereupon  King  Folemius,  with  his  wife,  his  two  sons,  and 
his  whole  armj,  and  all  the  people  who  were  healed,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  his  own  citj  and  of  the  neighbouring 
towns  belonging  to  his  kingdom,  believing,  was  baptized ; 
and  laying  aside  his  diadem  and  his  purple,  devoted  himself 
to  the  apostle.  Meanwhile,  the  priests  and  idolaters 
assembled  from  all  the  temples,  and  thus  complained  to  king 
Astyages,  the  elder  brother  of  their  prince :  "  Tour  brother 
has  become  the  disciple  of  a  magician  who  takes  possession 
of  our  temples,  and  breaks  in  pieces  the  images  of  our 
gods."  While  they  were  making  these  sorrowful  complaints, 
the  priests  of  other  cities  came  with  lamentations  to  repeat 
the  same  tale.  Astyages,  incensed,  sent  a  thousand  armed 
men  in  company  with  the  priests  to  take  the  apostle 
wherever  they  could  find  him,  and  bring  him  in  chains 
before  him.  feeing  brought  to  the  king,  and  questioned  by 
him  concerning  the  true  God,  he  replied  with  firmness. 
Meanwhile,  it  was  told  the  king  that  his  god  Waldack  bad 
jfaQen  down,  and  was  reduced  to  atoms.  Then  he  rent  his 
purple  robe,  and  commanded  the  blessed  apostle  to  be 
scourged  with  rods,  and  afterwards  beheaded.  And  an 
innumerable  multitude  of  people  from  twelve  cities,  who 
were  believers,  came  with  pomp  and  hymns,  and  transported 
his  body  to  a  spot  where  a  noble  church  was  dedicated  to  the 
apostle,  aud  there  they  deposited  his  sacred  remains.  On 
the  thirtieth  day  after  the  deposit,  the  king  Astyages  and 
all  the  priests  were  taken  possession  of  by  the  devil,  and 
coming  to  the  church  acknowledged  the  apostle,  and  by  the 
just  judgment  of  Gk)d  feU  dead.  And  great  fear  fell  upon 
the  unbelievers ;  and  those  who  witnessed  the  manifest 
vengeance  of  G-od  were  converted  to  the  faith,  aud  baptized 
by  uie  priests  whom  the  apostle  Bartholomew  had  ordained^ 
The  king  Polemius  had,  in  consequence  of  a  revelation,  been 
ordained  bishop  by  the  apostle,  with  the  acclamations  of 
the  clergy  aud  people.  He  worked  miracles,  and  lived  twenty 
years  in  his  episcopate,  when,  having  well  ordered  ana 
established  the  infant  church,  he  departed  to  the  Lord. 


270  OBDEBIOUS  VITAXI8.  [b.II.  CH.I. 

Many  years  passed  away ;  and  again  a  persecution  was 
raised  against  the  Christians.  And  when  the  heathen  saw 
the  concourse  of  people  which  flocked  to  the  tomb  of  the 
blessed  Bartholomew,  offering  him  incessantly  the  incenie 
of  their  prayers,  they  were  roused  by  envy  to  carry-  off  his 
body,  and  enclosing  it  in  a  leaden  cnest,  they  cast  it  info 
the  sea.  But  by  God's  providence,  the  leaden  coffin,  float- 
ing on  the  waves,  was  carried  to  the  island  of  Lipari, 
where  it  was  revealed  to  the  Christians  that  tbey  should 
receive  it  with  honour.  It  was  therefore  interred  witir 
suitable  attendance,  and  a  magnificent  church  built  over 
the  tomb,  with  a  choir  of  monks  to  perform  divine  worship.' 

Ch.  X.  St.  Matthew  preache9  in  Macedonia,  and  finsXi^ 
in  JEthiopia — According  to  the  legend  of  Abdias,  he  diH' 
concerts  the  magicians,  and  converts  the  king  and  naHaih^ 
Sis  martyrdom — Writes  his  gospel  in  Sehrew. 

Matthew,  or  Levi,  as  he  relates  in  his  own  gospel,  was 
a  tax-gatherer,  but  being  called  from  among  the  publicans 
he  was  added  by  our  Lord  to  the  number  of  his  apostles, 
and  endowed  with  much  grace.  He  first  preached  the 
gospel  in  Judea ;  afterwards  in  Macedonia.  At  length  he 
suffered  martyrdom  in  Ethiopia  while  he  was  celebrating 
mass,  under  Hyrtacus  Adelphus,  after  he  had  converted 
and  baptized  in  the  faith  of  Christ  the  king  Eglippus  with 
many  tnousands  of  his  people.  He  thus  happily  departed 
in  the  Lord  on  the  eleventh  of  the  calends  of  October  [2l8t 
of  September].  The  following  account  of  the  preaching 
and  passion  of  the  blessed  evangelist  is  copied  from  ancient 
histories. 

^  This  legend  is  borrowed  almost  literally  from  the  false  Abdias. 
Nothing  certuin  is  known  of  the  preaching  of  St.  Bartholomew,  or  the 
circumstances  attending  his  death.  The  received  opinion  is,  that  he  carried 
the  faith  into  Arabia  Felix ;  but  the  city  of  Albano,  where  the  scene  of 
his  martyrdom  is  laid,  was  the  capital  of  Albania  on  the  'shore  of  the 
Caspian  Sea.  The  Emperor  Anastanius,  having  built  the  city  of  Diaras  in 
Mesopotamia  in  509,  is  said  to  have  caused  the  relics  of  St.  Bartholomew 
to  be  translated  there,  it  is  not  mentioned  from  whence.  About  the  same 
time  they  were  believed  to  be  deposited  in  the  Isle  of  Lipari,  according  to 
the  tradition  followed  by  our  author.  Being  profaned  by  the  Saracens  in 
808,  they  are  said  to  huve  been  collected  by  a  Greek  monk,  and  carried 
to  Beneventum  the  year  following. 


LEGEND  OF   ST.  MATTHEW.  271 

The  apostle  Matthew,  after  writing  hia  gospel  in  Judea 
in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  by  the  divine  command  went  among 
the  Ethiopians,  where  he  worked  many  miracles,  and  brought 
multitudes  to  salvation.  Having  come  to  the  great  city 
Kadaber,  he  detected  the  artifices  of  the  magicians  Zaroes 
and  Arphaxath,  who  said  that  they  were  gods,  and  thus 
imposed  upon  the  king  Eglippus  and  his  people.  They 
rendered  men  motionless  as  long  as  they  pleased :  they  had 
the  art  to  blind  them,  and  cause  them  to  become  deaf; 
serpents  inflicted  wounds  at  their  command,  which  they 
heiJed  by  their  incantations.  Their  fame  spread  through 
all  Ethiopia,  so  that  crowds  flocked  to  these  magicians  from 
the  furthest  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  dupes  worshipped 
their  deceivers.  Indeed,  as  the  proverb  says,  fear  causes 
more  reverence  to  the  workers  of  evil  than  love  to  the 
kindly  disposed. 

The  merciful  Lord,  therefore,  in  his  providential  care  for 
mankind,  sent  Matthew  the  apostle  to  the  relief  of  the 
Ethiopians  thus  doubly  black,  both  naturally  and  morally. 
The  Ethiopian  Eunuch  Candace,*  who  had  been  baptized  by 
Philip  the  apostolic  deacon,  upon  seeing  Matthew,  threw 
himself  at  his  feet  rejoicing,  and  brought  him  with  great 
reverence  into  his  house.  The  friends  of  Candace  resorted 
to  him,  and  hearing  the  word  of  life,  believed  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  many  being  baptized,  when  they  perceived 
that  the  apostle  nullifled  all  the  mischief  which  the  magicians 
caused  to  men.  In  fact,  these  impostors  wounded  all  whom 
they  got  in  their  power  that  they  might  have  the  credit  of 
healing  them ;  and  those  passed  for  being  cured  whose 
wounds  no  longer  appeared.  But  Matthew,  the  apostle  of 
Christ,  not  only  healed  those  who  had  been  hurt  by  the 
magicians,  but  all  others  who  were  brought  to  him,  under 
whatever  diseases  they  were  labouring.  He  also  taught 
divine  truth  to  the  people,  so  that  all  were  astonished  at 
his  eloquen.ce,  he  being  able  to  discourse  with  ease  in  the 
Greek,  Egyptian,  and  Ethiopic  tongues.  Candace,  having 
asked  him  questions  in  oonfldence,  and  in  a  kindly  way, 
the  apostle  clearly  explained  to  him  that  the  confusion  of 

^  Candace  was  not  the  name  of  the  eunuch  baptized  by  St.  Philip,  but 
of  the  queen  in  whose  service  he  was.  Acts  viii.  27.  It  appears  to  have 
been  a  name  common  to  several  queens  of  Ethiopia. 


272  OEDEBICITS  T1TAI.IS.  [b.II.  CH.I. 

tonnes  occurred  at  Babel  from  man's  presnmption ;  and 
again  how  the  Diety  incarnate  redeemed  mankino,  and  otcIs 
threw  the  old  enemy  by  Christ's  humiliation ;   and  how  tlrt 
Holy  Spirit  kindlea  the  flame  of  inspiration  in  hij^  eldct 
servants,  imparting  to  them  the  gift  of  tongues,  and  maldiig 
them  fully  to  understand  the  hidden  wisdom  of  the  hdtf 
scriptures.    While  the  blessed  apostle  was  engaged  in  fred$^ 
opening  to  his  hearers  many  life-giving  truths  from  tte 
treagures  of  wisdom,  some  one  came  and  reported  that  tiie 
magicians,  with  their  serpeijits,  were  near  at  hand.     These 
serpents  were  crested,  their  breath  was  as  a  flame  of  fire^ 
and  their  nostrils  gave  forth  a  sulphureous  odour,  sufficient 
to  destroy  those  who  inhaled  it.    Then  St.  Matthew  crossed 
himself,  and  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  Candace  f^ 
eunuch,  went  forth  to  meet  them ;  and  as  soon  as  he  stood 
before  the  magicians,  both  the  serpents  lay  down  sleeping* 
at  his  feet.      Upon  this  the  apostle  said  to  the  magicuttu^ 
*'  "Where  is  your  art  ?    Eouse  tne  serpents  fipom  their  sleep, 
if  you  are  able.'*     They  accordingly  endeavoured  by  th&r 
magio^l  charms  to  rouse  up  the  serpents,  but  entirely  &il6d. 
A  crowd  had  now  assembled,  and  were  astonished  at  whtk 
they  saw.     At  length  the  blessed  apostle  commanded  the 
fierce  snakes,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  retire  peaceaUf 
to  their  own  place,  departing  without  doing  harm  to  any 
one.     The  serpents  forthwith,  raising  their  heads,  began 
to  depart,  and  passing  through  the  open  gates  of  the  city, 
were  never  more  seen. 

The  holy  evangelist  then  addressed  the  people,  who  were 
full  of  joy,  in  an  affectionate  discourse,  recounting  to  them 
in  order  the  original  state  of  man,  the  delights  of  paradise, 
the  envy  and  crafb  of  the  apostate  angel,  the  fall  of  Adam 
the  first  man,  in  consequence  of  his  prevarication,  and  his 
recovery  by  the  passion  of  the  Son  of  God.  While  the 
apostle  was  thus  largely  discoursing  on  these  abundant 
themes,  his  audience  were  suddenly  startled  by  a  tumult  of 
grief  in  which  lamentations  were  made  for  the  death  ot 
Euphranon,  the  son  of  the  king  Eglippus.  The  magicians 
conducted  his  obsequies,  and  not  bemg  able  to  restore  him 
to  life,  assured  the  king  that  his  son  was  caught  up  by  the 
gods  into  their  assembly  above,  persuading  him  that  he 
should  be  numbered  among  the  divinities,  and  a  temple 


BT,  MATTHEW  PBEACHES   IN  ETHIOPIA.  273 

erected  to  his  honour.  But  the  queen  Euphenisia  received 
a  wiser  counsel  from  the  faithful  Candace,  and  holding  the 
magicians  in  utter  contempt,  sent  nobles  of  rank  to  bring 
Mattiiew  to  the  king.  Upon  his  entering  the  palace,  she 
threw  herself  at  his  feet,  and  fervently  and  devoutly  en- 
treated him  to  restore  her  son  to  life.  The  blessed  apostle 
commended  her  sincere  feith,  and  prayed  to  Almighty  Q-od 
to  give  life  to  the  dead.  Then  taking  the  young  man's 
hand,  he  commanded  him  to  arise  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  immediately  the  young  man  rose  up. 

At  the  sight  of  such  a  mirade  the  king  was  struck  with 
fear,  a&d  causing  a  crown  and  purple  robe  to  be  offered 
him,  sent  heralds  through  all  the  towns  and  provinces  of 
Ethiopia,  proclaiming :  **  Come  to  the  city,  and  see'  the 
Lord  manifested  in  the  guise  of  man."  Ghreat  multitudes, 
therefore,  assembled  with  tapers  and  lamps,  with  incense 
and  offerings  of  various  kindis  for  sacrifice :  but  St.  Mat- 
thew thus  addressed  them :  "  I  am  no  god,  but  the  servant 
of  Almighty  God,  who  has  sent  me  to  free  you  from  your 
carrors,  Mid  bring  you  to  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God, 
that  you  may  worship  him.  Take  away  this  splendid  crown, 
and  the  silver  and  gold;  go  and  erect  a  temple  to  the 
Lord,  in  which  you  may  assemble  and  hear  the  word  of 
God  together." 

On  hearing  this,  the  crowd  departed  rejoicing,  and  sixty 
tliousand  men  set  about  building  a  temple  to  God,  so  that 
the  church  was  completed  within  thirty  days,  Matthew 
caMed  it  the  Church  of  the  Eesurrection,  in  memory  of  the 
restoration  of  the  king's  son.  It  became  his  apostolic  seat 
for  twenty-three  years,  and  he  attached  to  it  priests  and 
deacons,  ordained  bishops  in  the  cities  and  towns,  and 
founded  many  churches.  The  king  and  queen,  and  the 
different  tribes  of  Ethiopia  received  the  baptism  of  Christ, 
and  the  magicians  in  terror  made  their  escape  into  Persia. 
Innumerable  miracles  were  worked  by  St.  Matthew,  which 
it  ifl  impossible  to  recount  in  detail.  The  blind  received 
sight,  paralytics  were  cured,  demoniacs  liberated,  and  even 
the  dead  were  raised  to  life. 

The  most  Christian  king  Eglippus  departed  to  the  Lord 
in  exisreme  old  age,  and  Hyrtacus  Adelphus  succeeded  to 
tlie    government.      He   desired  to  marry  Iphigenia,  the 

VOL.  I.  T 


274  0BDEBICU8   TITALIS.  [b.H.  CH.I. 

daughter  of  the  late  king,  a  consecrated  virgin  who  had 
received  the  veil  from  the  apostle's  hands,  and  now  presided 
over  a  company  of  more  than  two  hundred  virgins*  Hyrta- 
cus,  hoping  for  success  in  his  suit  through  the  apostle's 
influence,  negociated  with  him  for  that  purpose :  "  "fake," 
said  he,  "  the  half  of  my  kingdom,  so  that  I  may  be  united 
in  marriage  with  Tphigenia."  Then  the  blessed  Matthew 
commanded  the  king,  and  Iphigenia,  and  all  the  people,  to 
assemble  in  the  church  on  Sunday  to  hear  the  word  of 
Almighty  Gk)d ;  which  was  done  accordingly.  While  strict 
silence  was  observed  in  the  congregation,  the  apostle  dis- 
coursed concerning  celibacy,  and  a  fitting  matrimony  with 
its  proper  results,  expatiating  on  these  subjects  with  wisdom 
and  eloquence.  He  showed  clearly  that  indulgence  in  food 
and  the  conjugal  connexion  were  not  sinful,  though  they 
may  involve  some  degree  of  pollution.  "  Bodily  unclean- 
ness,"  he  said,  "  might  be  purged  by  alms  and  good  deeds, 
while  sins  could  not  be  washed  away  but  by  the  tears  of 
penitence.  If  any  one,  afler  eating  carnal  food,  presumes 
on  the  same  day  to  partake  of  the  spiritual  food  of  the  body 
of  Christ,  he  is  guilty  of  a  double  i^rime,  indecency  and 
presumption;  not  because  he  satisfied  his  appetite,  but 
because  he  aspired  to  the  privileges  of  the  eucharist  against 
order,  and  justice,  and  the  laws  of  God.  Thus,  homicide 
and  falsehood,  though  in  themselves  sins,  may  yet  appear 
justified  by  their  motives.  For  instance,  if  any  one  tells  an 
untruth  to  protect  an  innocent  person,  and  thus  shields  him 
against  his  enemy ;  or,  if  a  judge  condemns  to  death  one 
malefactor,  to  save  the  lives  of  many  innocent  persons ;  in 
such  cases  the  results  are  good  and  profitable.  This  plainly 
appears  in  the  homicides  of  Goliath  and  Sisera,  of  Haman 
and  Holophemes.  Thus  also  when  marriages  are  contracted, 
they  are  founded  on  a  right  principle,  if  they  are  engaged 
in  with  justice  and  sanctity.  But  if  a  king's  servant  should 
presume  to  lift  his  eyes  to  his  master's  betrothed  bride,  he 
would  clearly  commit  not  only  an  offence,  but  so  grievous  a 
crime,  that  he  would  deserve  to  be  cast  alive  into  the  flames. 
His  crime  would  be,  not  that  he  married  a  wife,  but  that  he 
committed  injustice  against  his  superior."  By  this  discourse 
and  others  of  the  like  nature,  the  apostle  St.  Matthew  dis- 
suaded King  Hyrtacus  from  marrying  the  consecrated  virgin 


MAETTEDOM  OP  ST.  MATTHEW.  275 

Ipliigenia,  showing  tliat  lie  would  incur  the  divine  wrath  if 
he  presumptuously  contracted  matrimony  with  her.      This 
only  roused  the  king's  wrath,  and  he  departed  in  anger, 
whilet  the  apostle,  full  of  determination  and  cheerfulness, 
continued  his  exhortations  and  prayers.     Then  he  bestowed 
his  blessing,  before  all  the  people,  on  Iphigenia,  who  had 
thrown  herself  at  his  feet,  and  gave  the  veil  to  all  the  vir- 
gins who  were  present.   The  whole  congregation  having  now 
received  the  sacred  mysteries,  the  mass  being  celebrated, 
returned  to  their  homes,  but  the  apostle  remained  near  the 
altar  where  he  had  just  consecrated  the  Lord's  body,  and  was 
praying  with  uplifted  hands  when  he  received  his  death-blow. 
For  then  a  soldier  sent  by  Hyrtacus  stabbed  the  apostle  in  the 
back  and  thus  made  him  a  martyr  to  Christ.     On  this  being 
reported^  the  populace  rushed  to  the  palace  with  torches,  and 
it  was  not  without  difficulty  that  the  priests  and  deacons 
and  other  religious  persons,  by  their  pious  remonstrances, 
prevented  them  from  burning  the  king  with  all  his  court. 
Meanwhile,  Iphigenia  gave  to  the  priests  and  clergy  all  the 
gold,  and  silver,  and  jewels  she  possessed,  to  enable  them  to 
build  a  church  worthy  to  be  dedicated  in  honour  of  the 
apostle,  and  the  rest  she  ordered  to  be  distributed  among 
the  poor.     Hyrtacus,  on  his  part,  first  employed  the  wives 
of  his  nobles,  and  afterwards  the  inagicians,  to  persuade  her 
to  agree  to  his  wishes.   At  last,  when  his  suit  entirely  failed, 
he  caused  the  building  where  she  dwelt  with  the  other  vir- 
gins, serving  God  day  and  night,  to  be  surrounded  with 
flames.     But  when  the  fire  was  raging  on  all  sides,  an  angel 
of  the  Lord  appeared  in  company  with  Matthew  the  apostle, 
and  comforting  the  sacred  virgins,  promised  them  speedy 
deliverance.     Accordingly,  before  long,  the  Almighty  sent  a 
powerful  wind,  which  swept  the  conflagration  entirely  away 
from  the  abode  of  his  servant  the  virgin,  and  wrapt  in  flames 
the  king's  palace,  until  it  was  entirely  consumed,  with  all 
his  wealth.     He  made  his  escape,  indeed,  with  great  diffi- 
culty, saving  his  only  son;  but  from  that  time  he  never 
enjoyed  a  moment's  happiness.      A  powerful  demon  took 
possession  of  his  son,  and  dragging  him  rapidly  to  the  tomb 
of  Matthew  the  apostle,  the  devil  himself  Dound  his  hands 
behind  him,  and  forced  him  to  confess  his  father's  crimes. 
As  for  the  Mng,  he  was  attacked  by  elephantiasis,  and  fell  by 

T  2 


276  OBDiBicrs  vitalis.  [b.h.  ch.k* 

his  own  hand,  having  plunged  his  sword  through  his  bowels, 
and  thus  expiated  the  apostle's  martyrdom.  AU  the  people 
insulted  his  remains,  and  taking  Behor,  the  brother  oflpm- 
genia,  who  had  been  baptized  by  the  apostle,  raised  him  to 
the  throne.  He  was  twenty-five  years  old  when  he  began 
his  reign,  which  lasted  sixtyHrwo  years,  during  which  he 
maintained  a  firm  peace  with  the  Bomans  and  Persians.  All 
the  provinces  of  Ethiopia  were  supplied  with  churches,  and 
many  wonderful  miracles  were  wrought  at  the  place  of  the 
martyrdom  of  St.  Matthew  the  apostle.  He  was  the  first 
who  published  a  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  he 
wrote  in  th*e  Hebrew  tongue,  and  which  was  discovered  on 
his  own  revelation,  in  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Zeno.*  Our 
holy  mother  the  church  observes  the  festival  of  his  memoiy 
on  the  eleventh  of  the  calends  of  October  [September  21], 
and  lifbs  voice  and  heart  to  his  honour  with  a  sweet  melody: 
"  Holy  Matthew,  powerful  with  thy  twofold  gifts,  without 
ceasing  pray  to  Chnst  our  Lord  for  us,  that  we  hereafter 
may  escape  the  eternal  gulf! " 

Ch,  XL     SS,  Simon  and  Jude  receive  Persia  for  their 
province^T-Their  acts  and  martyrdom. 

Simon  the  Canaanite,  or  Zelotes, — so  called  to  distingmih 
him  from  Simon  Peter,  as  well  as  from  the  traitor  Judas, 
who  was  called  also  Simon  Iscariot, — ^was  of  Cana,  a  village 
of  Galilee,  where  the  Lord  turned  water  into  wine.  Egypt 
was  the  station  in  which  he  was  allotted  to  preside. 

Jude,  the  son  of  James,  had  three  names;  for  he  was 
called  Thaddeus  and  Lebbeus  as  well  as  Jude.  He  preached 
in  Mesopotamia  and  the  interior  of  Pontus.    Both  Simon 

^  This  legend  of  St.  Matthev  is,  like  the  preceding  ones,  extracted  from 
the  fictitious  Abdias,  Tvith  some  omissions.  So  little  is  known  of  the  life 
and  death  of  this  apostle,  that  it  is  not  even  certain  he  suffered  marf^rdcHn. 
His  gospel  is  generally  belieted  to  have  been  composed  in  Hebrew,  or 
rather  in  Syro-Chaldaic,  soon  after  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  at  loait 
before  any  of  the  othen.  It  was  soon  afterwards  translated  into  Giedc 
The  fact  of  a  discovery  of  a  MS.  of  this  gospel  in  the  tomb  of  Barnabas, 
about  the  year  488,  has  been  already  noticed,  p.  ]  12.  It  could  not  have 
been  the  original  text,  as  our  author  alleges,  but  a  Greek  version,  as  tbe 
gospel  of  the  day  was  read  from  it  on  Holy  Thursday  in  the  chapel  of  ^ 
palace  at  Constantinoule  after  it  was  there  deposited  by  order  of  the 
£Diperor  Zeno, 


fiS.  dIMON  A!n>  JTTDK.  277 

and  Jude  having  travelled  into  Persia  in  c6mpany,  after 
converting  vast  multitudes  of  the  people  of  that  country  to 
the  &ith  of  Christ,  suffered  martyrdom  on  the  fifth  of  the 
calends  of  November  [October  28]. 

Orato,  the  disciple  of  these  apostles,  has  given  a  long 
account  of  their  acts  during  thirteen  years,  and  thei^ 
sufferings  in  Persia,  comprising  them  in  ten  volumes,  which 
Africanus  the  historian  translated  into  Latin.  Abdias  also, 
who  was  ordained  by  those  apostles  bishop  oi  Babylonia, 
wrote  their  memoirs  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  which  were 
translated  into  Greek  by  his  disciple  Eutropius,  from  which 
a  Latin  version  was  also  made  by  AMcanus.^  From  these 
works  I  propose  to  make  a  short  extract  for  the  use  of  those 
who  may  wish  to  know  the  history  of  their  preaching  &om 
the  beginning,  and  by  what  end  they  lefb  this  world  and 
departed  te  the  realms  above. 

Now  the  holy  apostles  Simon  and  Jude,  having  gone  into 
Persia  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  met  there  the 
two  magicians,  Zaroes  and  Arphaxath,  who  had  fled  from  the 
presence  of  St.  Matthew  the  apostle  in  Ethiopia.*  The  doc- 
trine of  these  men  was  depraved,  and  full  of  deadly 
blasphemy  against  the  Lord  and  his  prophets.  The  apostles 
having  arrived  in  Persia,  fell  in  with  Warardach,  the  general 
and  commander  of  the  king  of  the  Babylonians,  whose  name 
was  Xerxes,  and  who  had  engaged  in  war  against  the 
Indians,  in  consequence  of  their  having  invaded  his  frontier. 
On  the  apostles'  arrival^  the  demons,  who  delivered  false 
oracles  te  those  who  sacrificed  to  them,  became  dumb  in  all 
their  temples,  whereupon  their  worshippers  resorted  to  the 
temple  of  a  neighbouring  city  for  advice.  There  the 
demons  uttered  groans,  and  intimated  to  those  who  came  to 

1  ^  All  the  &cto  here  alleged  are  apcx^phal.  We  have  no  knowledge 
<^  any  disciples  of  the  apostles  of  the  names  of  Crato  or  Abdias.  There 
was  no  occasion  for  Julius  Africanus,  a  Greek  writer  of  the  third  century, 
to  translate  into  Latin  the  stories  attributed  to  the  fictitious  Abdias,  because 
they  were  originally  composed  in  that  language." — M.  Le  Pr^vosi,  note  to 
the  Paris  edition.  It  has  escaped  the  learned  editor's  memory  that  a 
Crato,  called  ^the  philosopher,"*  became  the  disciple  of  St.  John  at 
Ephesusy  according  to  the  account  before  given  by  Ordericus,  p.  241 ;  but 
be  may  not  be  the  writer  referred  to  in  the  text. 

*  See  the  legend  in  the  account  of  St  Matthew,  p.  271  of  tho  present 
voinnie. 


278  OSDEBICUS  TITALI8.  .[B.n.  CH.XI. 

consult  them  that  their  owii  gods  could  not  speak  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Simon  and  Jude,  the  apostles  of  Gk)d.      Then 
Warardach,  the  general,  caused  the  apostles  to  be  searched 
for,  and  on  their  being  found,  inquired  who  they  were,  and 
whence  they  came;  to  which  they, replied  that  they  were 
Hebrews,  and  were  come  there  on  the  errand  of  the  salva- 
tion of  men.     Upon  his  entreating  them  to  restore  the 
power  of  speech  to  their  gods,  they  poured  forth  a  prayer, 
and  gave  permission.     But  the  fanatics  were  immediately 
led  away  by  the  demons,  who  predicted  that  a  great  battle 
would  ensue,  and  vast  numbers  be  slain  on  both  sides.     The 
apostles  ridiculed  this  prediction,  while  the  general  was 
greatly  alarmed ;  but  at  their  instance  he  defarred  till  the 
morrow  despatching  ambassadors  to  demand  peace.     The 
heathen  priests  being  incensed  against ,  the  apostles,  and 
exclaiming  that  low  persons,  in  tattered  garments,  ought  not 
to  be  allowed  to  speak,  or.be  listened  to  in  a  city  so  magnifi- 
cent as  Babylon,  the  general  ordered  both  the  apostles  and 
these  outrageous  priests  to  be  kept  in  custody  till  the 
morrow,  and  by  the  advice  of  the  former,  waited  till  then 
the  issue  of  the  affair. 

The  day  following  the  word  of  the  apostles  was  accom- 
plished. The  envoys  of  the  general  returned,  mounted  on 
swifb  dromedaries,  with  the  ambassadors  of  the  Indians,  and 
brought  intelligence  that  all  had  happened  as  the  apostles 
had  predicted.  In  short,  the  Indians  restored  the  territories 
they  had  invaded,  payed  tribute,  and  concluded  a  treaty  of 
lasting  peace.  The  general,  finding  that  the  apostles  had. 
told  the  truth,  as  the  event  manifested,  was  enraged  with 
the  priests,  and  causing  a  great  fire  to  be  kindled,  ordered 
them,  with  their  accomplices,  to  be  cast  into  the  flames. 

The  apostles,  mindful  of  our  Lord's  commands,  threw 
themselves  at  the  general's  feet,  scattering  dust  on  their 
heads,  and  implored  the  pardon  of  their  enemies,  proclaiming 
loudly,  to  the  admiration  of  all  present,  that  suqh  was  the 
teaching  of  the  G-od  of  the  Christians. 

In  the  end,  "Warardach  ordered  the  priests  to  be  numbered, 
and  an  account  taken  of  all  their  possessions,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  made  over  to  the  apostles.  The  number  of 
the  priests  attached  to  the  temples  was  found  to  be  a 
hundred  and  twenty,  each  of  whom  received  from  the  taxes 


LEGENDS  OF   SS.  SIMON  AS^D  JUDE.  279 

a  pound  in  gold :  but  the  chief  priest  received  four  times  as 
much  as  the  others.  Their  wealth  in  gold,  and  silver,  and 
vestments,  and  cattle  was  so  immense  that  it  could  not  be 
reckoned.  All  this  the  general  offered  to  the  apostles,  but 
they  utterly  rejected  the  gift,  and  commanded  it  to  be  dis- 
tributed to  the  poor. 

At  length,  however,  the  general,  having  reported  these 
proceedings  to  the  king,  enlarging  on  the  apostles'  merits, 
Zaroes  and  Arphaxad,  who  were  then  at  court,  took  occasion 
to  depreciate  them,  endeavouring  to  instigate  a  persecution 
of  them,  unless  they  consented  to  worship  their  gods.  The 
general,  on  his  part,  defended  the  apostles ;  and  at  length  a 
disputation  was  appointed  to  take  place  in  the  king's  pre- 
sence. The  magicians,  having  here  spoken  freely  before  all 
the  people,  the  advocates  on  the  other  side  were  dumb,  and 
for  the  space  of  nearly  an  hour  no  one  of  those  who  before 
were  so  eloquent  and  loquacious ,  could  utter  a  word.  At 
length  the  magicians  permitted  them  to  speak,  but  they 
found  themselves  unable  to  walk,  and  stepping  backwards, 
could  see  nothing,  though  their  eyes  were  open.  The  spec- 
tators were  much  astonished  at  this  prodigy,  and  reverenced 
the  magicians,  more  however  from  fear  than  love.  This 
spectacle  was  exhibited  from  dawn  of  day  till  the  sixth  hour, 
when  the  advocates  returned  home  in  confusion. 

The  general  related  all  this  to  the  apostles,  who  were 
much  beloved  by  him,  and  he  assembled  in  his  house  the 
advocates  who  had  been  thus  foiled,  presenting  them  to  the 
apostles  of  God,  that  they  might  learn  how,  in  obedience  to 
their  instructions,  they  could  triumph  over  the  magicians. 
The  advocates,  seeing  before  them  men  in  mean  attire,  were 
disposed  to  hold  them  in  contempt;  but  Simon  checked 
their  insolence  by  his  shrewd  remarks.  He  reminded  them 
distinctly  that  articles  of  little  worth  were  often  inclosed  in 
coffers  01  gold,  enriched  with  diamonds ;  while  precious  jewels 
were  deposited  in  common  boxes  of  wood ;  and  that  splendid 
vases  were  filled  with  vinegar,  while  rich  wines  were  stored 
in  vessels  presenting  externally  a  foul  aspect.  Thus  a  mean 
exterior  not  unfrequently  conceals  the  eminent  virtues  of 
persons,  who  by  their  merits  are  especially  pleasing  to  the 
supreme  Creator. 

Then  the  holy  apostles  gave  salutary  counsel  to  the  advo- 


280  ovDzaicva  titalis.  [B.n.  ch.xi. 

cates,  and  commended  him  to  God  by  prayers,  signing  them 
on  their  foreheads  with  the  sign  of  the  cross.  Upon  this, 
Zebedee  and  the  other  advocates,  coming  before  the  king, 
began  to  deride  the  magicians,  who  found  no  means  of 
harming  them«  At  length,  in  their  rage,  they  brought  in  a 
number  of  serpents,  to  the  great  alarm  of  all  the  spectators. 
The  king  immediately  summoned  the  apostles,  who  on  their 
arrival  filled  their  mantles  with  the  serpents,  and  hurled 
them  boldly  against  the  magicians.  The  serpents  instantly 
began  to  gnaw  their  flesh,  till  they  howled  like  wolves,  to 
the  great  joy  of  all  who  witnessed  the  tortures  of  those 
impious  men.  The  king  and  all  the  people  said  to  the 
apostles,  "  Let  them  die.'*  But  they  answered:  "We  are 
sent  to  bring  back  from  death  to  life,  not  to  cast  down  from 
life  to  death."    Then  they  prayed,  and  commanded  the  ser- 

Sents  to  withdraw  their  venom  from  the  magicians,  and 
epart  to  their  own  place.  But  the  magicians  suflTered  still 
greater  tortures  when  the  serpents  a^ain  gnawed  their  flesh 
and  sucked  their  blood  to  eradicate  the  venom.  When  the 
serpents  were  departed,  and  the  afflicted  magicians,  by  the 
apostles'  advice,  had  neither  eat,  nor  drunk,  nor  slept,  for 
three  days,  the  apostles  came  to  visit  them,  and  instead  of 
returning  evil  for  evil,  healed  their  wounds.  But  the  magi- 
cians still  persisted  in  their  malice,  and  as  they  had  fled 
from  the  presence  of  St.  Matthew  the  apostle,  in  Ethiopia, 
so  they  now  retreated,  covered  with  confusion,  before  the 
two  apostles,  and  raised  against  them  the  fury  of  the  idola- 
ters through  the  whole  of  Persia.  They  went  about 
offering  sacrifices  in  all  the  temples,  and  by  their  incanta- 
tions caused  men  to  be  suddenly  motionless,  and  then  free 
to  move ;  suddenly  blind,  and  again  restored  to  sight ;  now 
deaf,  and  then  able  to  hear.  Thus  they  imposed  on.  those 
who  sacrificed  to  idols,  and  were  like  themselves. 

At  the  entreaty  of  the  kin^  and  his  general,  the  apostles 
continued  in  Babylonia,  workmg  great  wonders  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  making  the  deaf  to  hear,  the  lame  to  walk,  the 
blind  to  see,  and  cleansing  the  lepers,  and  driving  the 
demons  out  of  the  bodies  they  had  t£^en  possession  oil  In 
consequence  they  made  many  disciples,  out  of  whom  they 
ordained  priests,  and  deacons,  and  clergy,  in  the  churches. 
The  daughter  of  a  very  opulent  satrap,  who  had  been 


HIBA0L£8  07  8S.  SIMOK  AJTD  JVDE.  28l 

seduced,  was  in  great  danger  during  childbirth,  ftnd  the 
deacon  EustcNsinus  was  consequently  accused  of  having 
debauched  her.  The  apostles,  hearing  of  this,  required  the 
parents  of  the  girl  and  the  deacon  to  appear  before  them, 
and  had  the  infant  also  brought,  which  was  bom  the  same 
daj,  at  the  first  hour.  Haying  commanded  the  infant  to 
speak,  it  said  in  a  veiy  clear  voice:  "This  deacon  is  a  chaste 
and  holy  man;  he  nas  never  polluted  his  flesh."  The 
parents  msisted  on  learning  who  was  the  father  of  the  child, 
but  the  apostles  replied:  "It  is  our  duty  to  absolve  the 
innocent,  but  not  to  make  known  the  guilty." 

Nicharon,  the  king's  friend,  while  engaging  in  warlike 
exercises,  was  shot  by  an  arrow  in  the  knee,  which  could 
jaot  by  any  means  be  drawn  out  of  the  bone.  Then  the 
blessed  Simon  invoked  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  applying  his 
hand,  immediately  drew  out  the  arrow,  and  the  man  was 
instantly  healed,  so  that  not  even  a  sign  of  the  wound 
appeared. 

Two  most  ferocious  tigresses,  having  escaped  from  their 
dens,  devoured  all  that  came  in  their  way.  Then  the  people 
fled  to  the  apostles  of  God,  who  invoked  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  upon  which  the  savage  animals,  which  never 
eould  be  tamed,  became  gentle  as  lambs.  During  the  day 
they  remained  like  sheep  among  the  people,  and  returning 
in  the  evening  to  the  apostles'  cell,  became  its  guardians 
when  the  apostles  visited  other  cities.  From  hence  they 
took  occasion  mildly  to  instruct  the  people,  pointing  out 
what  men  gifted  with  reason  ought  to  do,  and  how  they 
ought  to  obey  G-od,  by  the  example  of  the  brute  animals 
thus  exhibited  to  their  observation. 

At  the  entreaty  of  the  king  and  the  people  the  apostles 
abode  at  Babylon  one  year  and  three  months,  during  which 
period  more  than  sixty  thousand  men,  besides  women  and 
children,  were  baptized,  the  king  and  all  his  courtiers  being 
the  first  to  receive  the  faith.  For  they  saw  that  by  a  word 
the  sick  were  cured,  the  blind  received  sight,  and  the  dead 
were  raised.  Abdias,  who  had  accompanied  the  apostles 
from  Judea,  and  had  himself  seen  the  Lord  Jesus  with  his 
own  eyes,  was  ordained  bishop,  and  the  city  [of  Babylon] 
was  fuU  of  churches.  All  which  being  duly  regulatea,  the 
apostles  departed,  followed  by  crowds  of  disciples,  to  the 


282  OBBEEICUS  YITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.XI. 

number  of  two   hundred   and   upwards,   and  they  went 
through  the  twelve  provinces  of  Persia  and  the  cities  thereof. 

It  18  now  time  that  the  passion  of  the  holy  apostles 
should  be  related.  The  magicians  Zaroes  and  Arphaxad, 
of  whom  mention  has  been  already  made,  committed  abomi- 
nations  throughout  the  country,  pretending  to  be  of  the 
race  of  the  gods,  but  always  fleeing  from  the  face  of  the 
apostles.  They  only  remained  in  any  city  until  such  time 
as  they  understood  the  apostles  were  at  hand.  There  were 
seventy  priests  of  the  idol  temples  in  Sanir,  who  received 
from  the  king  a  pound  in  gold  each,  four  times  a  year,  when 
they  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  sun,  that  is  to  say,  at  the 
beginning  of  spring  and  summer,  autumn  and  winter.  The 
before-named  magicians  raised  all  the  opposition  in  their 
power  against  the  apostles,  and  by  precedmg  them  had  it  in 
their  power  effectually  to  do  so. 

The    holy    apostles,    having    passed    through    all   the 
provinces,  took  up  their  abode  at  Sanir  in  the  house  of 
Sennea  their  disciple.     But  on  a  sudden,  about  the  first 
hour  of  the  morning,  the  priests  rushed  in  a  body  to  the 
house  of  Sennes,  shouting  terribly  that  the  enemies  of  their 
gods  should  be  given  up.     In  short,  they  seized  the  holy 
apostles,  and  dragged  them  to  the  temple  of  the  sun.     On 
their  entering  the  temple,  the  demons  cried  out  through 
some  who  were  possessed :  "  What  have  we  to  do  with  you, 
O  apostles  of  the  living  Qod !  since  your  entrance  here  the 
flames  consume  us."     In  a  chapel  of  the  temple  towards 
the  east  there  was  a  chariot  of  gold  drawn  by  four  horses,  in 
which  was  the  statue  of  the  sun  encircled  by  rays  also 
wrought  in  gold.    In  another  chapel  the  image  of  the  moon 
was  wrought  in  silver,  having  a  car  drawn  by  a  yoke  of 
oxen,  all  in  the  same  metaL     While  the  priests  and  ma- 
gicians, with  the  people,  were  urging  the  apostles  to  worship 
the  idols,  they  were  conversing  together  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  on  a  vision  of  the  Lord,  whom  they  beheld  calling 
them  into  the  midst  of  the  host  of  angels.     The  angel  of 
the  Lord  also  appeared  to  them,  and  comforted  them.    Then, 
procuring  silence,  they  addressed  the  people,  pointing  out 
to  them  in  a  reasonable  manner  their  error  of  idly  wasting 
on  the  creature  the  worship  which  is  due  to  God  only ;  and 
that  it  was  injurious  to  him  to  enclose  in  buildings  made 


MAETTEDOM  OF   SS.  SIMON  AlTD  JX7DE.  283 

with  hands  the  sun  and  the  moon  which  he  had  created 
from  the  beginning,  and  set  in  the  heavens  to  give  light 
through  all  generations.  While  all  were  in  amazement, 
Simon  commanded  the  demon  to  break  in  pieces  the  image 
of  the  sun  and  his  chariot ;  Jude  also,  in  like  manner,  com- 
manded the  image  of  the  moon  to  be  broken.  Then  two 
Ethiopians,  with  their  black  skins  and  naked  bodies,  and 
horrible  features,  were  seen*  by  all  the  people  to  come  forth, 
and  while  crushing  the  image|  uttered  hoarse  and  lamentable 
cries.  Meanwhile  the  infuriated  priests  rushed  on  the 
apostles,  and  slew  them  while  they  were  rejoicing  and  giving 
thanks  to  God.  Sennes,  their  host,  also  suffered  with  them, 
because  he  refused  to  sacrifice  to  the  idols.  At  that  very 
time,  when  the  heavens  were  perfectly  serene,  they  shot 
forth  bright  flashes  of  lightning,  which  rent  the  temple  into 
three  parts  from  the  highest  pinnacle  of  the  roof  to  the 
lowest  foundation.  Zaroes  and  Arphaxad  were  struck  by 
the  lightning  and  burnt  to  ashes. 

Three  months  afterwards  King  Xerxes  confiscated  the 
property  of  the  priests,  and  translated  the  bodies  of  the 
apostles  with  great  pomp  to  his  own  city,  in  which  he 
erected  an  octangular  church,  each  of  the  angles  containing 
eighty  feet;  so  that  its  circuit  embraced  eight  times  eighty 
feet,  the  height  being  one  hundred  and  twenty.  It  was 
built  entirely  of  hewn  blocks  of  marble,  squared  and  faced, 
and  the  chapels  were  panneled  with  gilt  plates.  In  the 
centre  of  the  octagon  was  placed  a  sarcophagus  of  pure 
silver.  Eour  years  of  incessant  labour  were  employed  in 
the  erection,  and  it  was  completed  on  the  birth-day  of  the 
two  apostles ;  that  is  to  say,  the  fifth  of  the  calends  of 
November  [28th  October],  and  worthy  to  be  dedicated  to 
the  honour  of  the  saints.^  The  faithfid  who  venerate  their 
martyrdom,  which  they  suffered  even  imto  death  for  the 

'  This  is  another  of  the  legends  borrowed  from  the  fictitious  Abdias. 
Nothing  certain  is  known  respecting  the  preaching  and  death  of  these  two 
apostles.  Others  have  made  St.  Simon  the  Cananite  journey  in  Lybia, 
and  even  as  fa^  as  England.  As  for.  St.  Jude,  cousin  of  our  Lord,  and 
brother  of  St.  James  the  Less,  some  made  him  exercise  his  apostleship  in 
Lybia,  others  in  Persia.  What  appears  more  decided,  is  that  he  was 
married  and  left  children.  According  to  Eusebius,  two  of  his  grandsons, 
brought  before  Domitian  as  descendants  of  David,  were  sent  home  by  that 
prince,  and  lived  till  the  time  of  Trajan. 


284  OEBEBIOTTB  TITALI8.  [b.IT.  CH.Xm. 

sake  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  obtain  lieavenlj  gifls  on  that 
spot.  We  also,  who,  hoping  in  the  Lord,  are  engaged  in 
writing  these  memorials,  set  forth  the  praises  of  the  blessed 
apostles  who  belong  to  the  company  of  those  who  feast 
triumphantly  with  the  great  King,  while  we  devoutly  sing 
to  their  honour  in  the  courts  of  Jerusalem,  with  the  clnldreii 
who  cried  Hosanna  to  the  Eedeemer: — 

"Blessed  Simon  and  illustrious  Thaddeus,^  behold  our 
grief  and  tears,  that  we,  who  through  our  fall  deserve  eternal 
punishment,  may,  by  your  intercession,  obtain  admission  to 
neaven.    Amen." 

Ch.  XII.     Election  of  St.  Matthias — Se  preaches  in  Judea 

— and  is  there  martyred, 

Matthias,  one  of  the  seventy  disciples,  having  been  elected 
by  lot  among  the  apostles  in  the  place  of  Judas,  preached 
in  Jud»a,  where  he  suffered  martyrdom  for  Christ.  His 
feast  is  celebrated  on  the  sixth  of  the  calends  of  March 
[24th  February],  when  the  reverend  choir  in  devout  pro- 
cession thus  chants  their  prayer  to  him :  "  O  Matthias 
the  just !  raised  by  lot  to  the  throne  of  the  twelve,  free  us 
from  all  the  bonds  of  guilt  that,  through  thy  holy  interces- 
sion, we  may  come  to  the  joys  of  the  true  light.    Amen."* 

Ch.  XIII.  Apostacy  of  Jadas  Iscariot — Eulogy  of  the  eleven 
apostles  who  remained  faithful — Their  history  given  in  the 
preceding  chapters, 

J  CD  AS,  Simon  Iscariot,  was  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  and 
counted  in  the  number  of  the  twelve  apostles.  But  in- 
flamed with  a  fatal  covetousness,  having  sold  his  master  and 
Lord  to  the  Jews  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  he  lost  the  rank 
of  an  apostle,  and,  after  a  late  repentance,  miserably  hanged 
himself  Even  now  there  are  many  successors  of  Judas  in 
the  church,  men  who  assume  a  sacred  title  without  acting 

^  St.  Jude  is  often  confounded  with  Thaddeus,  one  of  the  seventy-two 
disciples  who  were  supposed  to  have  been  sent  to  £de8sa  by  St.  Thomas. 
He  is  one  of  the  apostles  mentioned  by  St  Paul  as  having  women  in  his 
company,  which  was  very  natural,  as  he  was  a  married  man. 

*  Some  particulars  respecting  St.  Matthias  are  to  be  found  in  the  cd- 
lection  of  the  Bollandists,  under  the  24th  of  February,  unknown  to  our 
author,  because  they  were  only,  introduced  into  the  church  in  the  tw^liUi 
century,  by  a  monk  of  Treves.  This  apostle  seems  to  have  confined  hima^ 
to  Palestine. 


APOSTACX  CV  JVVJkB  ISCAEIOT.  285 

worthily  of  it.  Unwortliy  aa  he  was,  Judas  had  worthy  and 
mystical  names  by  which  false  Christians  are  typified  in  the 
church.  For  instance,  Judas  means  confessing;  by  whiclji 
name  those  are  signified,  who,  as  the  apostle  says,  "  profess 
that  they  know  God,  but  deny  him  by  their  works."  More- 
over, Simon  means  ohedient,  by  which  word  are  signified 
hypocrites  and  deceivers,  and  those  who  obey  falsely,  not 
doing  the  will  of  God  from  love  of  him  and  desire  of  heaven, 
but  speciously  following  the  traditions  of  their  elders,  for 
vainglory  and  the  applause  of  men.  Many  among  them  are 
blinded  by  their  covetousness,  like  Judas  Iscariot,  and  quit^ 
ting  the  pursuits  and  the  companionship  of  good  men,  fidl 
readily  into  detestable  crimes  and  become  indissolubly 
entangled  in  the  snares  of  sin,  enjoying  a  transitory  reward 
in  the  present  life,  and  receiving  some  recompense  for  a 
certain  propriety  and  exterior  decency  of  conduct,  they  are 
elated  with  vanity;  but  in  the  future  life  they  will  wail, 
inextricably  chained,  in  the  loathsome  dungeons  of  heU,  and 
tormented  for  the  sins  they  have  committed  with  indescriba- 
ble forms  of  punishment,  without  any  hope  of  forgiveness. 

The  traitor  Judas  ha;ing  withdrawn  from  the  company 
of  the  apostles,  what  did  those  merit  who  remained  faithful 
to  the  Lord  Jesus?  Unspeakable  honour  and  eternal 
blessedness.  Holy  mother  church  holds,  and  every  true 
Catholic  faithfully  believes,  that  the  twelve  apostles  are 
truly  blessed  and  exalted  and  partakers  of  everlasting 
felicity.  The  salt  of  the  earth  and  the  light  of  the  world, 
the  twelve  hours  of  the  eternal  day,  the  finStful' branches  of 
the  true  vine,  the  fellow  labourers  with  Christ,  and  fellow 
heirs  of  his  heavenly  kingdom,  their  memories  are  every 
where  cherished  in  the  hearts  of  the  faithful,  and  who  are 
honoured  by  all  nations  who  profess  the  true  faith,  and  de- 
voutly reckoned  the  teachers  of  the  people  and  rulers  of  the 
churches,  as  being  appointed  by  Christ  judges  of  the  world, 
strict  censors  of  the  reprobate,  but  kind  helpers  of  the 
devout,  and  their  constant  intercessors.  Por,  holding  all 
worldly  things  in  contempt,  they  indissolubly  attached 
themselves  to  Christ  who  is  the  true  vine  and  hfe  eternal. 
An4  now  they  reign  in  heaven  with  the  King  of  kizvgs^ 
joining  with  tne  angels  in  praising  him  for  ever,  and  sitting 
on  twelve  drones,  jn^e,  with  the  Lord,  the  tw^ve  tribes 


286  OBDEEIOrS  TITiXIS.  [b.ii.  ch.xiy. 

of  Israel.  I  have  searched  out  their  acts  as  they  are  read 
in  the  church,  and  employed  myself  in  abbreviating  their 
histories,  as  I  find  them  recorded  in  ancient  books. 

Ch.  XIV.     Companions  and  successors  of  the  apostles — 

St.  Barnabas, 

I  PUBPOSE  now  to  treat  of  the  companions  and  successors 
of  the  apostles,  and  by  God's  help  will  give  a  faithful  ac- 
count of  some  of  them  in  my  present  work.  I  enter  upon 
this  undertaking  from  no  vain  fancy  that  they  need  mj 
commendation,  of  whom  God  himself  is  the  praise,  who 
reigns  Triune  through  all  eternity,  and  blesses  his  saints 
with  everlasting  rewards  in  his  own  presence;  but  my 
work  is  intended  to  exhibit  my  devotion  to  these  blessed 
saints,  and  to  obtain  their  favour,  in  order  that  I  may  piously 
obtain  my  own  salvation  through  their  intercession. 

Joseph,  sumamed  Barnabas,  that  is  to  say,  the  son  of 
consolation^  and  a  native  of  the  city  of  Cyprus,  founded  by 
Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  was  joined  with  Paul  in  his  mission 
to  the  gentiles  the  third  year  after  our  Lord's  passion.'  He 
was  one  of  the  seventy-two  disciples  of  our  Lord,  and  taking 
part  with  the  apostles  both  in  their  joys  and  tribulations, 
ministered,  as  his  name  implies,  the  utmost  consolation  to 
the  faithful. 

In  the  first  place,  he  sold  the  land  he  possessed  and  laid 
the  price  of  it  at  the  apostles'  feet.  He  gave  the  hand  of 
fellowship  to  Paul  after  his  conversion,  introducing  him  to 
the  apostles  by  whom  he  was  as  yet  unknown  and  suspected, 
and  relating  the  account  of  his  call  to  those  who  were  igno- 
rant of  it.  He  was  sent  by  the  apostles  to  Antioch,  where 
he  rejoiced  at  seeing  the  grace  of  God  manifested  in  the 
disciples,  and  by  his  preaching  a  great  multitude  was  con- 
verted to  the  Lord.  Thence  he  went  to  Tarsus  to  find  Saul, 
and  haviijg  found  him  brought  him  to  Antioch,  where  both 
sojourned  a  whole  year  and  taught  much  people  :  there  the 
disciples  were  first  called  Christians.* 

Bamabus  and  Saul,  being  compassionate  and  beiievolent. 
brought  the  alms  of  the  gentile  believers  to  the  brethren  in 
Judea.  On  their  return  from  Jerusalem,  after  accomplish- 
ing this  mission,  they  joined  John  whose  surname  wa? 
^  Acts  iv.  36.  2  Acts  xi.  29,*  30;  xil  25;  xiil  1—48.      - 


HISTOBT  or   ST.   BABKABAS.  287 

Mark,  and  continued  at  Antioch  among  the  prophets  and 
doctors.  And  as  these  were  ministering  to  the  Lord  and 
fasting,  the  Holy  Ghost  said  unto  them :  "  Separate  me 
Saul  and  Barnabas  for  the  work  whereunto  I  have  called 
them."  And  being  sent  forth  by  the  Holy  Ghost  they 
came  to  Seleucia,  and  then  sailed  to  Cyprus.  Afterwards 
they  struck  Barjesus,  the  magician,  who  was  also  called  Ely- 
mas,  with  blindness  for  a  time,  converted  Sergius  Paulus 
the  proconsul  to  the  true  faith,  and  brought  great  multi- 
tudes to  the  light  of  truth. ^ 

"While,  therefore,  the  elect  walked  in  the  way  of  faith  and 
righteousness,  the  reprobates,  inflamed  with  rage,  made  a 
tumult  and  drove  the  apostles  out  of  their  neighbourhood. 
But  they,  rejoicing  and  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  preached 
the  word  of  God,  and  converted  to  the  Lord  great  multi- 
tudes of  Jews  and  Greeks.* 

Coming  to  Lystra  they  healed  one  who  was  lame  from  his 
mother's  womb ;  on  seeing  which  miracle  the  people  took 
them  for  gods,  saying :  "  The  gods  are  come  down  unto  us 
in  the  likeness  of  men."  And  they  called  Barnabas  Jupiter, 
and  Paul  Mercury.  And  the  priest  of  Jupiter  who  was 
near  the  city  brought  oxen  and  garlands  to  the  gates  and 
would  have  sacrificed  with  the  people.  But  the, apostles, 
in  horror  of  such  an  abomination,  drove  them  away,  and 
rending  their  clothes  ran  among  the  people  exclaiming 
against  it  with  much  reasonable  discourse,  which  with  diffi- 
culty persuaded  the  crowd  from  sacrificing  to  them.* 

After  this  they  came  to  Derbe,  preaching  the  gospel  there, 
teaching  many,  and  giving  them  instruction  in  virtue.  .  And 
passing  through  several  provinces  in  which  they  made  known 
the  word  of  God,  at  length  they  arrived  at  Jerusalem,  and 
being  received  by  the  holy  apostles  told  what  wonderful 
things  God  had  wrought  by  their  means.  At  that  time 
some  evil  disposed  persons  raised  questions  respecting  the 
necessity  of  circumcision.  Upon  this  the  apostles  took 
counsel  and  sent  Paul  and  Barnabas  to  Antioch  to  allay  the 
dissensions,  who,  coming  there  armed  with  an  apostolic 
epistle,  succeeded  by  their  preaching  in  exterminating  the 
impious  heresy ."• 

*  Acts  xi.  29,  30;  xii.  25;  xiii.  1—48.  «  Acts  xiii.  49—52. 

'  Acte  xiv.  6—17.  Acts  xiv.  6;  xv.  1—21. 


288  OEDIRICUS  TITIXIS.  [b.II.  CH.XIT. 

Like  true  pastors,  they  published  the  word  of  God,  taught 
the  iguorant,  healed  the  sick,  and  anxiously  devoted  them- 
selves to  promote  religion  in  every  way.  They  therefore 
frequently  visited  the  churches  in  which  they  set  forth  the 
true  faith,  using  every  precaution  lest  the  neophytes  should, 
fall  into  heresy.  For  they  knew  how  crafty  were  the  wiles 
of  Satan,  and  watched  against  the  hearts  of  the  reg^ierate  be- 
coming foul  with  the  deadly  seed  of  the  tares.  Afterwards, 
as  Luke  the  evangelist  relates,  it  seemed  expedient  that 
Paul  should  return  to  Jerusalem,  and  Barnabas  to  CypiUB 
his  native  city,  having  John,  sumamed  Mark,  as  his  co- 
adjutor in  the  ministry.  He  had  been  a  gentile,  and,  with 
bis  companion  Orduon,  was  in  the  service  of  Cyril,  the 
high  priest  of  the  execrable  Jupiter,  but  was  baptized  by 
Paul  and  Barnabas  at  a  place  called  Iconium,  and  afterwards 
faithfully  accompanied  them  in  their  joumeyings. 

At  length,  while  the  apostles  just  named  w^«  preaching 
in  Pamphiba,  and  many,  both  Jews  and  gentiles,  believed  in 
the  Lord,  it  was  revealed  to  Paul  by  the  vision  of  an  angel 
in  the  night  that  he  should  quickly  go  to  Jerusalem,  toA 
permit  Barnabas  to  return  to  Cyprus.  Having  made  known 
the  vision,  they  prayed  on  bended  knees,  and  kissing  each 
oth^,  bade  farewell  with  many  tears,  and  separated  in  liie 
body,  never  again  saw  each  other  in  this  life. 

Barnabas  and  John  now  visited  Laodicea  and.  came  to  a 
city  called  Anemoria,*  where  certain  prudent  and  weU- 
disposed  gentiles,  having  heard  Christ  preached,  believed, 
and  being  baptized,  received  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
They  then  sailed  to  Cyprus,  where  they  found  Timon  and 
Aristion,  servants  of  the  Lord.  Timon  was  suffering  fipom 
a  burning  fever,  but  Barnabas  having  laid  his  hands  on  him, 
with  the  holy  gospel,  inijoking  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus, 
the  fever  immediately  left  him,  and  his  strength  was  so  re- 
stored that  he  followed  with  joy  the  Lord's  saints. 

By  the  instructions  of  the  apostles,  St.  Barnabas  always 

^  Acts  3CV.  2,  38,  39.     It  was  not  to  return  to  Jerusalem  that  St.  Paul 

finally  separated  from  St.  Barnabas;  and  their  parting  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  so  friendly  as  our  author  describes  it  The  sacred  writer  sajB, 
**  The  contention  was  so  sharp  between  them^  that  they  parted  asunder  one 
from  the  other." 

*  rjiny  calls  this  place  Anemurium, 


LEOEl^D  OF  ST.   BJLBKABJLS.  289: 

carried  with  him  the  gospel  of  St.  Matthew  the  apostle,  and, 
wherever  be  found  sick  peraons,  laid  it  upon  them,  and  they 
were  immediately  healed  of  whatever  disease  they  laboured 
under.  Barnabas  also  ordained  Heraclius,  who  had  been 
baptized  by  the  apostle  Paul,  bishop,  for  the  teaching  of  the 
faithful.  Afterwards  when  Barnabas  wished  to  gain  admis- 
sion to  Paphos,  Barjesus,  the  Jewish  sorcerer,  whom  Paul 
had  etruck  blind  for  a  time,  recognized  the  apostle,  and 
opposing  him  to  the  utmost  of  his  power,  forbade  his  entering 
Paphos.  The  holy  man,  however,  came  to  a  certain  place 
where  he  saw  the  heathens,  both  men  and  women,  running 
naked  in  public  games.  His  indignation  being  roused  he 
cursed  the  temple ;  and  immediately  part  of  it  fell  down, 
from  the  foundation  upwards,  and  many  of  the  heathens 
were  crushed  and  perished  in  the  ruins,  but  those  who 
escaped  took  refuge  in  the  temple  of  Apollo,  The  illustrious 
champion  of  Christ  now  entered  the  city  of  Salamis,  and 
finding  th^e  a  synagogue  of  Jews,  he  constantly  preached 
the  gospel  to  them  and  converted  many  of  the  Jews  to  the 
&ith  of  Christ.  Upon  finding  this,  Barjesus  displayed  all 
the  malice  of  which  he  was  capable,  and  raised  a  tumult 
against  the  holy  apostles  of  God,  The  Jews  were  willing  to 
arrest  Barnabas  and  deliver  him  to  the  consul  of  Salamis, 
having  first  subjected  him  to  much  suffering  and  various 
kinds  of  tortures.  At  length,  as  they  were  dragging  him  to 
judgment,  bruised  and  shaken  with  their  ill-usage,  they 
found  that  Eusebius,  an  illustrious  and  powerful  man,  and  a 
Telation  of  the  emperor's,  had  landed  in  the  island,  and 
fearing  that  he  would  snatch  their  victim  out  of  their  hands, 
they  ^tened  a  rope  round  his  neck  and  dragged  him  lace- 
rated from  the  synagogue  to  the  Hippodrome,  and  from 
thence  outside  the  gate.  There  they  made  a  fire  round 
him  and  cruelly  burnt  him.  Thus  the  blessed  apostle,  afber 
many  sufferings  and  long  conflicts,  was  burnt  for  the  love  of 
Christ,  and  departed  to  everlasting  joys.  The  impious 
Jews,  not  content  with  his  death,  collected  his  remains,  and 
enclosing  them  in  a  leaden  coffer,  intended  to  throw  it  into 
the  sea ;  but  John  IViark,  with  Timon  and  Eodon,  carried 
off  the  holy  body  by  night  and  deposited  it  in  the  crypt 
which  had  been  formerly  the  habitation  of  tiie  Jebuseans  on 
the  third  of  the  ides  [11th]  of  June.   In  consequence  of  this 

VOL,  I.  V 


290  0BDEBICU8  TITiXIS.  [b.II.  CH.IT. 

secret  interment  the  venerable  remains  lay  concealed  for  a 
number  of  years,  the  Christians  not  being  able  to  discover 
where  they  were  buried.  At  length  they  were  found,  by  the 
revelation  of  the  apostle  himself,  in  the  time  of  the  emperor 
Zeno  and  pope  Gelasius,  when  they  were  gloriously  en- 
shrined with  hymns  and  thanksgivings  to  the  honour  of 
God.  Blessings  are  bestowed  on  those  who  piously  implore 
them  through  the  merits  of  St.  Barnabas  the  apostle,  of 
which  may  the  abundant  grace  of  Grod,  which  works  with- 
out ceasing,  make  us  partakers,  who  is  the  protector  through 
all  ages  of  those  whom  he  has  predetermined  to  life. 
Amen.* 

Ch.  XV.  Acts  of  St,  Mark — Legend  of  his  mission  to 
Aquileia — Appointed  first  bishop  of  Alexandria — JERs 
apostleship  there  and  in  the  Pentapolis — Sis  marttfrdom 
— Sis  remains  translated  to  Aquileia  and  Venice, 

Makk,  the  evangelist,  was  both  the  disciple  and  the  scribe 
of  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  whose  son  he  was  in  baptism,  and 
from  whose  dictation  he  wrote  his  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  reported  of  him  that  he  caused  his  thumb  to 
be  cut  off  that  he  might  be  disqualified  for  the  priesthood, 
but  was  so  far  from  being  rejected  by  the  apostles  on  that 
account  that  they  elected  him  bishop  of  Alexandria.  When 
St.  Peter  was  at  Kome,  he  called  upon  him  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  Gentiles  in  Italy.  "  W  hy,"  he  said,  "  do  you 
remain  inactive  with  us  ?  you  are  fully  informed  of  all  that 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  did ;  arise  and  go  to  Aquileia,  and  there 
propagate  among  the  people  the  doctrines  of  the  true 
religion.**  Mark,  having  nis  province  for  preaching  thus 
allotted,  and  receiving  the  episcopal  staff,  took  the  road 
assigned  to  him  and  arrived  at  Aquileia,  which  is  the  first 
of  the  cities  of  Italy.  He  found  there  a  young  man  afflicted 
with  leprosy,  whose  name  was  Ataulfus,  son  of  XTlfinus, 
the  first  and  most  illustrious  of  the  citizens ;  and  having 
spoken  with  him,  took  him  by  the  hand  and  arm,  and  um- 
mediately  the  hand  and  arm  were  cleansed  of  the  leprosy. 
Perceiving  this,  the  youth  ran  to  his  father,  and  told  him 

*  This  history  of  St.  Barnabas  is  compiled,  with  some  slight  yariations, 
from  his  Act8,  alleged  to  have  been  written  by  his  disciple  John  Maik. 
They  are  to  be  found  in  the  collection  of  the  BoUandists,  11th  of  Junew   > 


LBOSND  or  ST.  HABK.  291 

with  joy  what  Mark  had  done  to  him.  Upon  this,  Ulfinus 
hastening  to  the  apostle,  with  a  great  crowd,  found  him 
sitting  at  the  eastern  gate,  and  implored  him  with  eager- 
ness to  heal  his  son.  Upon  its  being  promised,  if'  he  be- 
lieved, he  declared  his  belief  in  the  Lord  Jesus ;  whereupon 
Mark  baptized  the  young  man,  and  he  was  entirely  freed 
from  the  leprosy.  After  this  cure  Ulfinus  also,  with  all  bis 
household,  was  baptized,  and  a  multitude  of  the  people 
besides,  on  the  same  day.  After  some  years,  Mark,  desiring 
to  see  Peter,  proposed  to  withdraw  privately  and  go  to 
Rome;  but  the  people,  discovering  his  design,  assembled 
round  him  in  great  numbers  at  the  dawn  of  day,  and  en- 
treated him  with  shouts  to  appoint  them  a  pastor.  Then 
Hermagoras,  being  elected  by  the  people,  was  taken  by  St. 
Mark  with  him  to  Eome.  There  he  was  ordained  by  St. 
Peter  the  apostle,  first  bishop  of  the  Italian  province,  and 
after  many  miracles  which  God  wrought  by  him  among  the 
people,  he  was  martyred,  with  Portimatus  his  arch-deacon, 
in  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Nero,  under  Sebastus  the 
prefect,  on  the  third  of  the  ides  [13th]  of  July.^ 

As  for  the  blessed  St.  Mark,  he  undertook  the  eovem- 
ment  of  the  chiurch  of  Alexandria  by  the  command  of  St. 
Peter  the  apostle,  being  the  first  who  preached  the  gospel 
of  Christ  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  He  also  proclaimed  the 
true  rehgion  in  Marmorica  and  Ammonian  Libya,  or  the 
PentapoHs;  the  inhabitants  of  this  country  being  uncir- 
cumcised  idolaters,  in  the  practice  of  all  uncleanness.  When 
therefore  Mark  arrived  at  Cyrene  in  the  PentapoHs,  and 
found  the  natives  immersed  in  execrable  wickedness,  begin- 
ning with  a  discourse  on  divine  things,  he  healed  the  sick 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  cleansing  lepers,  and  expelling 
many  evil  spirits  by  his  word  alone.  Numbers  who  wit- 
nessed these  miracles  believed,  and  destroying  their  idols, 
and  cutting  down  their  sacred  groves,  were  baptized  in 
the  name  of  the  Triune  God. 

After  this,  it  was  commanded  him  by  a  revelation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  that  he  should  go  to  Alexandria.'     Mark  there- 

*  The  legend,  vrhich  is  evidently  apocryphal,  of  this  pretended  patriarch 
of  Aquileia  is  to  be  found  in  Mombritius. 
^  The  text  reads  Alexandria  phanum;  perhaps  employed  as  a  pynonym 

IT  2 


292  OBDZBicirs  titalis.  [b.ii.  ch.iy 

fore  took  leave  of  the  brethren,  making  known  to  them  wha 
had  been  revealed ;  and  they  accompanied  him  to  the  ghi^ 
and  having  broken  bread  together  they  parted  from  him 
saying :  "  Jesus  Christ  prosper  you  in  your  loumey."  B 
reached  Alexandria  on  the  seventh  day,  and  disembarkinj 
from  the  ship  hastened  to  the  city,  when,  as  be  was  eo 
tering  it,  his  sandal  burst.  "  Truly,"  he  said,  "  my  joume; 
is  now  at  an  end." 

The  holy  man  gave  his  sandal  to  a  certain  cobbler  name( 
Aniarius,  to  be  mended;  who,  while  at  work  upon  it 
sharply  punctured  his  hand,  exclaiming  at  the  same  time 
"  There  is  but  one  God."  The  blessed  Mark  hearing  thi 
said,  inwardly  rejoicing:  "The  Lord  has  prospered  m] 
journey;"  and  spitting  on  his  right  hand  he  anointed  thI 
man's  hand,  saying,  "  May  this  hand  be  healed  in  the  nami 
of  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God,"  and  it  wai 
instantly  healed.  The  cobbler,  struck  by  the  presence  d: 
such  a  man  and  the  efficacy  of  his  words,  as  well  as  by  th( 
modesty  of  his  appearance,  requested  him  to  honour  hii 
house  by  eatine  bread  with  him.  Mark  entering  writh  joy 
pronounced  a  blessing,  with  prayer,  and  made  known  th( 
tidings  of  the  gospel  to  all  who  heard  him,  declaring  thai 
the  wisdom  of  this  world  is  foolishness  with  Gtod,  H( 
subsequently  added  to  his  instructions  si^s  and  wonders 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  Aniarius,  bemg  baptized  witl 
his  whole  household  and  many  of  his  neighbours,  became 
the  assistant  of  his  teacher  in  preaching  the  truth. 

Meanwhile  the  idolaters  of  Alexandria,  perceiving  tiial 
the  GalilfiBan  preacher  was  destroying  their  worship  and 
ceremonies,  sought  to  put  him  to  death  and  laid  many 
snares  for  him.  But  the  blessed  Mark,  who  knew  theii 
designs,  ordained  Aniarius  bishop,  and  three  priests,  Me- 
lirius,  Paberius,  and  Cerdon,  with  seven  deacons,  and  eleven 
others  with  functions  in  the  service  of  the  church.  Aftei 
that  he  went  into  the  PentapoHs,  and  dwelt  there  two  yean, 
comforting  the  brethren  who  were  already  believers,  And 
ordaining  bishops  and  clergy  in  those  parts.  Eetimiinfl 
to  Alexandria  he  found  the  brethren  increased  in  faith  an3 
grace.    Seeing  also  a  church  built  by  them  at  a  place  called 

for  pharum,  a  pharos,  or  beacon.      The  French  translator  rendeife  it 
temple  (TAiejeandrief  supposing  phanum  to  be  a  corruption  of/aiMnii» 


MAETTADOU  01"  ST.  ^XBK,  298 

the  Bucolia,  that  is,  the  cattle  market,  which  is  imder  the 
cliffs  by  the  sea-shore,  he  was  greatly  delighted,  and  kneel- 
ing down  glorified  Grod,  and  kindly  lent  his  aid  to  the  good 
work  by  his  exhortations  and  prayers. 

In  tne  fulness  of  time,  when  the  Christians  were  multi- 
plied, and  the  images  of  the  idols  overthrown,  the  heathen 
ieamed  the  return  of  the  holy  apostle,  and  were  j&lled  with 
rage  at  the  miracles  which  they  found  him  perform.  Por 
he  healed  the  sick,  preached  to  the  unbelievers,  and  made 
the  deaf  to  hear  and  the  dumb  to  speak.  But  though  they 
determined  to  arrest  him,  they  were  not  able  to  find  him ; 
80  that  they  gnashed  their  teeth  in  their  idolatrous  cere- 
monies, and  exclaimed  in  their  orgies :  "  Great  is  the  power 
of  this  magician.''  At  length  on  Easter  Sunday,  that  is  the 
eighth  of  the  calends  of  May  [24th  April],  at  the  time 
when  the  feast  of  Serapis  was  celebrated,  their  spies  dis- 
covered the  apostle  consecrating  the  most  holy  ofFering  to 
the  Divine  Majesty.  These  impious  men  immediately  seized 
the  servant  of  God,  and  putting  a  rope  round  his  neck, 
dragged  him  cruelly  over  the  stones,  so  that  they  were 
sprinkled  with  his  blood,  and  the  soil  stained  with  his  torn 
flesh.  But  while  they  were  shouting  with  fury :  "  Let  us 
drag  this  buffalo  to  the  bull-ring,"  St.  Mark  offered  praises 
to  God,  saying :  "  0  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  I  give  thee  thanks 
that  thou  hast  thought  me  worthy  thus  to  suffer  for  thy 
name." 

Night  approaching,  the  idolaters  threw  him  into  prison, 
while  they  consulted  by  what  death  he  should  Be  de- 
spatched. But  at  midnight,  when  the  doors  were  close  shut 
and  the  keepers  were  slumbering  before  the  gates,  behold 
there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
descended  from  heaven  and  touching  him,  said :  "  Mark, 
the  servant  of  God,  the  first  and  chief  publisher  of  his  holy 
laws  throughout  Egypt,  lo,  thy  name  is  written  in  the  boot 
of  life,  and  thy  memorial  shall  be  preserved  through  all 
ages.  Thou  art  admitted  into  the  fellowship  of  the  hosts 
above ;  in  the  heavens  they  shall  receive  thy  spirit,  and  thy 
rest  shall  know  no  end."  On  hearing  this  the  blessed 
Mark,  stretching  out  his  hands  to  heaven  said:  "I  give 
thee  thanks,  0  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  thou  hast  not  de- 
serted me,  but  hast  remembered  me  among  thy  saints. 


294  ORDEBICXrS  TITALIS.  [b.H.  CH.1T. 

Eeceive,  I  beseech  thee,  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  my  soul  in 
peace,  and  suffer  me  not  to  be  longer  separated  from  thee.'* 
When  he  had  said  this,  the  Lord  Jesus  came  to  him  in  the 
form,  and  clothed,  as  he  had  dwelt  with  his  disciples  before 
his  passion,  saying  to  him :  "  Peace  be  with  thee,  Mark,  my 
evangelist."  Mm>k  replied:  "Thanks  be  unto  thee,  0 
Lord.''  And  in  the  morning  the  whole  populace  of  the 
city  assembled,  and  again  putting  the  rope  round  his  neck 
dragged  him  away,  saying :  "  Take  this  bufialo  to  the  bull- 
ring." And  as  he  went  along,  he  gave  thanks  to  Gt)d,  say- 
ing :  "  Into  thy  hands,  0  Lord,  I  commend  my  spirit ;"  and 
so  saying,  he  gave  up  the  ghost.  An  immense  crowd  of  the 
heathen  now  lighted  a  fire  in  the  place  which  is  called,  "  Of 
the  Angels ;"  resolving  to  bum  the  sacred  remains.  But, 
by  God's  providence,  a  violent  tempest  arose,  with  a  strong 
wind,  and  the  sun's  face  was  hidden,  and  there  was  load 
thunder.  Heavy  rain  also  fell  from  morning  to  night,  so 
that  many  houses  were  washed  away  and  numbers  perished. 
The  guards,  in  terror,  abandoned  the  bodj  of  the  saint  and 
fled ;  and  some  said,  mocking,  that  Serapis  raised  the  storm 
on  his  feast-day  in  hatred  of  his  enemy. 

Devout  men  then  came  and  took  the  body  and  buried  it 
with  honour  in  a  tomb  of  hewn  stone  on  the  seventh  of  the 
calends  of  May  r25th  April].  Thus  St.  Mark  the  evangelist, 
the  first  bishop  of  Alexandria,  suffered  martyrdom  fpr  Christ, 
and  his  body  was  buried  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  city. 
After  a  long  course  of  vears,  when  Alexandria  was  threatened 
with  the  incursions  oi  the  infidels,  who  overran  all  the  east 
like  locusts,  and  subdued  the  greatest  part  of  the  world  both 
to  the  north  and  the  south,  the  faithful  Christians  translated 
the  apostle's  remains  to  Aquileia  where  St.  Mark  first  propa- 

fated  the  faith  of  Christ.*     The  bishop  of  Aquileia  therefore 
as  now  succeeded  to  the  patriarchate  formerly  held  by  the 
bishop  of  Alexandria,  and  holds  the  fourth  primacy  in  the 

*  It  is  generally  believed  that  St.  Mark  was  sent  by  St.  Peter  to  goyem 
the  church  of  Alexandria  about  a.d.  52,  and  that  he  there  suffered  maiv 
tyrdom  in  the  eighth  year  of  Nero's  reign,  the  25th  of  April,  G2.  Our 
author  is  one  of  the  oldest  writers  who  has  given  credit  to  his  pretended 
mission  to  Aquileia.  As  for  the  details,  equally  apocryphal,  which  ave 
here  given  of  his  apostleship  at  Alexandria  and  his  martyrdom,  they  are 
almost  identically  the  same  as  those  supplied  by  the  Bollandista  under  ^ 
litofAprH.  -  .  * 


ST.  LUKE.  295 

world  from  reverence  for  St.  Mark,  to  whom  Peter,  who 
bears  the  keys  of  heaven,  committed  Egypt,  appointing  him 
chief  pastor  in  the  southern  regions  for  the  salvation  of 
many  souls.  The  Venetians^  and  people  of  the  west  now 
glory  in  possessing  the  remains  of  the  blessed  evangelist, 
and  continually  pay  them  reverence  to  the  praise  of  Almighty 
Gk)d,  beseeching  him  that  they  may  be  reckoned  in  the 
number  of  the  blessed  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

Ch.  XYI.  St.  Luke  writes  his  gospel,  and  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles — Dies  in  Bithynia  ? — H.is  remains  translated  to 
Constantinople, 

St.  Ltjke  the  evangelist,  a  native  of  Syria,  who  practised  the 
art  of  medicine  at  Antioch  with  great  skill,  became  a  disciple 
of  the  apostles  of  Christ,  and  following  St.  Paul  even  to  his 
martyrdom,  remained  constant  in  unblemished  celibacy, 
serving  the  Lord.  By  divine  inspiration,  he  wrote  his 
gospel  in  the  parts  of  Achaia,  setting  forth  to  the  believing 
Greeks  our  Lord's  incarnation  in  a  faithful  narrative,  and 
showing  how  he  was  descended  from  the  stock  of  David. 
He  afterwards  published  a  special  book  for  the  purpose  of 
clearly  recording  the  acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  first 
beginning  of  the  infant  church.  These  two  books  Luke 
dedicated  to  Theophilus,  that,  is  one  who  loves  God,  and 
published  them  for  all  who,  under  the  inspiration  of  the 
holy  Ghost,  are  inflamed  by  a  double  charity.  In  his  first 
book  he  has  described  the  true  priesthood  of  Christ,  in  which 
the  Lamb  of  God  has  expiated  the  sin  of  the  world  by  shed- 
ding his  own  precious  blood.  In  the  second,  he  has  unfolded 
the  majesty  of  the  ineffable  Deity,  to  which  the  Son  of  God 
has  ascended  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Pather  in  human  flesh, 
and  related  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Paraclete,  on 
the  apostles  in  tongues  of  fire,  through  which  the  primitive 
church  shone  with  so  glorious  a  light.  In  these  two  books  of 
Luke  the  spiritual  physician,  is  found  the  true  medicine  by 
which  the  deadly  diseases  of  sin  are  expelled,  and  the  remedy 
of  justification  unto  life  is  provided  for  all  who  religiously 

*  Every  one  knows  that  the  republic  of  Venice  claimed  to  be  under  the 
especial  protection  of  St.  Mark,  in  virtue  of  possessing  the  relics  of  the 
holy  evangelist,  and  many  will  recollect  the  richly  decorated  basilica  of 
Byaantine  architecture,  and  the  stately  piazza  which  bear  the  saint's 
cherished  name.  The  lion  of  St  Mark  was  emblazoned  on  the  standard 
of  the  republic. 


296  OBDEBicrs  titalis.         [b.ii.  cH.xm. 

seek  it.  The  blessed  Luke  proclaimed  the  Lord  bj  his 
writings  as  well  as  his  discourses^  and  exhibited  the  light  of 
truth  to  those  who  were  in  darkness.  Among  other  mira- 
cles, he  is  said  to  haye  restored  life  to  a  dead  man,  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  At  length,  he  died  in  Bithjnia  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years,  full  of  the  Holy  Grhost,  on  the 
£}%eenth  of  the  calends  of  November  [18th  October].  His 
bones,  with  those  of  St.  Andrew  the  apostle,  and  Timothy,  St 
Paul's  disciple,  were  translated  to  Constantinople  on  the 
seventh  of  tno  ides  [9th]  of  May,  in  the  twentieth  year  of 
the  reign  of  the  emperor  Constantine.^ 

Ch.  XVII.     St.  Martial,  apostle  of  the  Qauls,  first  bishop  of 

Limoges — Legend  of  his  life  and  martyrdom, 
I  HATE  now  gladly  enumerated  all  the  apostles  and 
evangeUsts  who  were  contemporary  with  and  comDanions  of 
our  Saviour,  the  same  our  Lord  lending  me  his  nelp ;  aad 
have  briefly  and  faithfully  collected  their  sacred  histories,  as 
well  as  I  could,  digesting  them  from  various  works  into  one 
continued  narrative. 

It  yet  remains  that  I  should  give  some  account  of  the 
blessed  Martial  of  Limoges,  whose  extraordinary  virtues  have 
raised  him  to  the  highest  rank  of  saints  after  the  apostles. 
Aurelian,  whom  he  restored  from  death  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  has  written  the  details  of  his  life  with  order,  truth,  and 
diligence.  Prom  this  narrative  I  propose  to  make  some 
extracts,  invoking  the  Holy  Spirit  to  vouchsafe  his  aid  to 
my  undertaking. 

While  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  preaching  in  Judea, 
and  great  crowds  of  the  Jews  flocked  around  him,  fumishiog 
him  with  things  necessary  for  his  h|aman  wants,  and  learning 
the  way  of  salvation  by  attentively  listening  to  his  instructions, 
one  of  the  noblest  of  the  Jews  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin, 
whose  name  was  Marcellus,  came  to  him,  bringing  vdth  him 
his  wife  Elizabeth,  and  his  only  son  Martial,  who  was  then 
fifteen  years  of  age.  Beholding  his  marvellous  works,  and 
the  savmg  doctrines  he  preached,  they  believed  in  Christ 
with  contrite  hearts,  and  at  his  command  were  baptized  by 
the  blessed  apostle  St.  Peter.    When  all  the  others  returned 

^  It  is  the  commonlj  received  opinion  that  St.  Luke  wrote  his  goepei 
while  he  was  in  Greece,  ahout  a.d.  53.  He  did  not  die  in  Bithyniaas  here 
stated,  but  in  Achaia,  probably  at  Fatras,  at  a  very  advanced  age.  The 
translation  of  his  relics  to  Constantinople  took  place  the  3rd  March,  357. 


ST.  HABTIAL,  APOSTLE  OP  THE   OATTLS.  297 

;o  their  own  homes,  Martial  devoted  himself  entirely  to  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  became  one  of  his  constant  disciples.  In 
)o  doing,  he  closely  attached  himself  to  the  aposue  Peter. 
,0  whom  he  was  nearly  related.  He  was  a  spectator  of  the 
rising  of  Lazarus  after  being  four  days  in  the  grave,  as  well 
IS  of  many  other  miracles.  He  ministered  with  Cleophas 
it  the  last  supper,  and  other  mystical  rites,  and  was  present 
vith  other  disciples,  at  sundry  appearances  of  our  Lord 
kfter  his  resurrection,  said  at  his  glorious  ascension.  He 
3artook  of  the  blessings  connected  with  the  descent  of  the 
Eloly  Spirit,  and  was  abundantly  endowed  with  his  supema- 
iur^I  gifts,  so  that  he  was  well  prepared  by  grace  and  faith 
or  prosecuting  vigorously  the  work  of  evangelizing. 

"When  the  apostles  were  dispersed,  Martial  weut  to 
^tioch  with  his  kinsman  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  and  thence^ 
leven  years  afterwards,  to  Eome.  There  Peter  and  his 
jompanions  were  hospitably  entertained  by  MarceHus,  the 
ionsul,  living  for  some  time  in  his  palace,  and  preaching 
)ublicly  to  the  Eomans  the  saving  precepts  of  eternal  life, 
it  that  time  the  Lord  Jesus  appeared  to  St.  Peter,  and 
jommanded  him  to  send  Martial  to  preach  in  the  provinces 
)f  Gaul.  The  apostle  then  called  Martial  to  him,  and  duly 
nformed  him  of  the  divine  command ;  upon  hearing  which 
le  wept  bitterly,  from  fear  of  such  distant  countries  and 
mrbarous  tribes.  But  the  blessed  Peter  gently  consoled 
lim,  and,  reminding  him  of  the  divine  monitions,  sent  him  on 
lis  errand  of  preaching  the  gospel.  "W  ithout  delay,  therefore, 
Vlartial,  with  two  priests,  Alpinian  and  Austriclinian,  set  for- 
«rard  on  the  journey  enjoined  him.  Austriclinian,  however, 
lying  on  the  road.  Martial  returned  sorrowful  to  Eome,  and 
nformed  Peter  of  the  death  of  his  companion.  But  at  the 
ipostle's  command,  he  returned  to  his  deceased  brother,  and, 
x)uching  his  body  with  the  apostle's  staff,  he  was  immediately 
restored  to  life,  by  the  merits  and  intercessions  of  the  saints. 

Martial  then,  prosecuting  his  journey  with  his  disciples, 
irrived  at  the  castle  of  Tulle,^  where  he  was  hospitably 
entertained  by  a  wealthy  man  named  Amulf,  with  whom  he 

^  M.  Le  Pr^Tost  considers  that  this  is  not  Tulle  in  the  Limousin,,  the 
Latin  name  of  which  was  Tutela,  but  a  place  called  Toulx  on  Cassini's 
oaap,  on  an  elevated  spot  in  La  Marcbe,  a  few  leagues  N.£.  of  Gu^t, 


208  ORDE&ICtTS  TITALIS.  [b.H.  CH.Xm. 

remained  two  months,  diligently  employed  in  publishing  the 
word  of  Qt)d.  Crowds  of  people  flocked  to  him  daily, 
hearing  thankfully  from  his  lips  the  words  of  salyation,  and 
witnessing  miracles  before  unknown.  During  this  time  the 
daughter  of  Amulf,  who  was  daily  vexed  by  a  dtml,  was 
deliyered  from  the  unclean  spirit  at  the  command  of  Martial, 
nnd  became  as  one  dead ;  but  the  man  of  Gt)d  took  her  br 
the  hand,  and,  raising  her  up,  restored  her  to  her  father, 
perfectly  healed.  He  was  holy,  benevolent,  humble,  and 
constant  in  prayer. 

The  governor  of  the  castle  of  Tulle  whose  name  was  Ner?a, 
and  who  was  related  to  the  emperor  Nero,  had  a  son  who 
was  strangled  by  the  devil.  Upon  this,  the  father  and 
mother  of  the  deceased,  with  all  the  crowd  who  were  present, 
threw  themPiclves  at  the  feet  of  Martial  and  placed  the 
youth's  corpse  before  him  with  loud  cries  and  lamentations, 
exclaiming  in  their  grief:  "Man  of  Gk)d,  help  us."  The 
holy  pontiff  had  compassion  on  the  sorrow  of  tnese  people; 
indeed  he  himself  ana  his  disciples  wept  with  them,  and  thef 
joined  in  prayer  to  Almighty  God  for  the  restoration  of  life 
to  the  dead.  The  prayer  being  ended,  and  the  holy  prelate 
having  commanded  the  dead  man  to  arise  whole  in  the  name 
of  the  crucified  Saviour,  he  forthwith  arose,  and,  throwing 
himself  at  the  feet  of  the  holy  man,  began  to  cry  out: 
"  Baptize  me,  thou  man  of  Gtod,  and  sign  me  with  the  sign  rf 
the  faith;'*  adding:  "Two  angels  came  to  me  with  great 
pwiftness,  saying  that  I  should  be  restored  to  life  by  the 
prayers  of  the  blessed  Martial.  Hell  has  no  bounds ;  there 
2fl  nothing  but  weeping  and  bitterness,  darkness,  wailing*' 
and  groanings,  and  deep  sorrow;  the  heat  and  cold  are* 
intense  and  terrible,  and  never  fail ;  there  are  the  gnawings 
of  serpents,  and  insupportable  smells,  corruption  and  misery, 
and  the  worm  that  never  dies ;  there  are  infernal  gaolers  who' 
torment  the  souls  they  seize  with  various  sufferings.** 
When  he  had  made  this  and  similar  declarations,  all  the 
people  began  to  confess  the  Lord,  and  three  thousand  six 
hundred  souls  of  both  sexes  were  baptized  on  the  spot. 
Many  gifts  were  offered  to  the  blessed  man,  all  which  he 

where  the  foundations  of  a  fortification  and  many  Roman  antiquities  baye 
heen  discovered. 


ST.  KiLBTIAL   COMES  TO   LIMOGES.  29^ 

commanded  to  be  given  to  the  poor.  After  this  he  went  to 
the  idol  images,  and  broke  and  reduced  to  atoms  all  their 
sculptured  statues. 

The  blessed  prelate  with  his  disciples  came  next  to  the' 
village  of  Ahun,*  and  preached  tne  true  faith  to  the 
idolaters,  who  were  deceived  by  the  snares  of  the  devil. 
Upon  this  the  heathen  priests  assembled,  and  severely  beat 
the  holy  preachers.  But  they,  blessing  the  Lord  and 
patiently  bearing  their  ill-treatment  for  his  sake,  and  faith- 
fully supplicating  his  aid  in  this  imminent  peril,  their 
persecutors  were  suddenly  struck  blind,  and,  holding  each 
other  by  the  hand,  groped  their  way  to  the  statue  of 
Mercury.  On  their  consulting  the  oracle  as  usual,  it  made 
no  reply,  the  demon  being  bound  by  the  angels  of  God. 
Having  recourse  to  another  idol  they  learned  that  their  god 
could  give  them  no  answer,  because  he  was  chained  by  the 
angels  of  God  in  fetters  of  flame. 

The  priests  who  had  been  struck  blind,  came  therefore  to 
St.  Martial,  and  throwing  themselves  at  his  feet  implored  his 
pardon;  and  the  holy  bishop  restored  their  sight,  and, 
presenting  himself  with  all  the  people  before  the  image  of 
Jupiter,  he  adjured  the  demon  in  the  Lord's  name  to  come 
out,  and  break  in  pieces  the  statue  in  presence  of  the  multi- 
tude; which  command  was  immediately  obeyed  and  the  statue 
reduced  to  atoms.  Two  thousand  six  himdred  souls  were 
baptized  there. 

A  man  who  was  paralytic,  hearing  of  this  miracle,  caused 
himself  to  be  carried  to  the  man  of  God.  He  was  of  high 
family,  and  rich  in  gold  and  silver,  and  great  possessions. 
When  now  the  man  of  God  heard  his  entreaties  and 
perceived  his  faith,  he  took  him  by  the  hand,  and,  praying 
for  him,  healed  him.  Thus  restored  to  health,  the  paralytic 
glorified  God,  and  ofiered  rewards  to  the  man  of  God,  which 
he  refused  to  accept,  and  ordered  all  to  be  distributed  among 
the  people. 

"While  St.  Martial  dwelt  there,  the  Lord  appeared  to  him 
in  a  vision,  saying :  "  Fear  not  to  go  down  to  Limoges,  for  I 
will  glorify  thee  in  that  place,  and  will  be  ever  with  thee." 
Thereupon  the  blessed  bishop,  having  encouraged  those  he 
bad  baptized,  commended  them  to  the  Lord,  and  went  to  the 

*  Ahun,  near  Gu^ret 


80D  ORDIBIOUB  TITiXIB.  [b.U.  CH.XTn« 

citj  with  bis  disciples.  Thej  were  hospitably  received  in  the 
bouse  of  a  noble  widow  named  Susanna,  and  on  tbe  morrov 
began  to  preach  the  Lord  in  public. 

There  was  a  man  afflicted  with  frenzy  and  bound  in 
fetters  in  the  house  where  the  man  of  God  was  entertaiiied, 
whom  no  one  dared  to  unloose.  Susanna  having  supplicated 
the  bishop  to  heal  him  as  he  had  done  others  who  were  siek, 
be  yieldea  to  her  entreaties,  and,  making  the  sign  of  the  cnw 
over  the  diseased  man,  his  chains  fell  o£^  and  he  was  niade 
whole.  The  noble  mother,  and  her  daughter  Valeria,  upon 
witnessing  this  miracle,  believed,  and  were  baptized  bj  Uie 
holy  bishop,  with  six  hundred  of  their  household. 

The  priests  of  the  idols,  bein^  incensed  that  the  holy  men 
preached  in  the  theatre,  severely  scourged  them,  and  tbreic 
them  into  prison ;  but  St.  Martial  and  his  companions  bore 
patiently  the  injuries  they  received,  giving  thanks  to  God 
St.  Martial  was  praying  about  the  third  hour  of  the  daj 
following,  when  suddenly  a  light  like  that  of  the  bright  sun 
shone  in  tbe  dungeon,  and  the  fetters  of  those  who  weie 
confined  fell  to  pieces,  and  the  doors  were  opened ;  so  that 
all  who  witnessed  it  entreated  to  be  baptized.  The  city  was 
shaken  with  an  earthquake,  there  were  lightnings  and 
thunder,  the  heathen  seeking  in  vain  the  protection  of  their 
idols,  for  the  priests  who  had  scourged  the  holy  men  of  God 
were  killed  by  a  thunderbolt.  The  citizens,  therefore,  were 
struck  with  universal  terror,  and,  rushing  to  the  prison,  threw 
themselves  at  the  bishop's  feet,  entreating  pardon  and  help. 
The  bishop  and  his  colleagues  offering  their  prayeas, 
Aurelian  and  Andrew^  were  restored  to  fife,  and,  throwing 
themselves  on  their  kneoB,  sought  forgiveness,  confessiog 
the  true  G-od,  with  all  the  people  who  saw  with  amazement 
such  unheard-of  prodigies.  The  day  following  St.  Martial 
assembled  the  whole  population,  from  the  least  to  the  eldest, 
and,  having  addressed  to  them  a  suitable  exhortation, 
baptized  them  all.  Thus  twenty-two  thousand  believed  in 
the  Lord,  and  submitted  with  joy  to  his  saving  worship. 

The  holy  bishop  then  hastened  with  all  the  people  to  the 
temple,  in  which  stood  the  statues  of  Jupiter,  Mercury, 
Diana,  and  Yenus,  and,  destroying  the  images,  converted  the 

1  Probably  two  of  the  idol-priests  so  named. 


{ 


HABTYBDOM  07  TALEBIA.  301 

temple  into  a  church  dedicated  to  the  honour  of  St.  Stephen, 
the  first  martjrr. 

The  hlessed  Susanna  died  happilj  in  the  Lord,  and  was 
buried  hy  St.  Martial  with  great  honour.  She  had  conferred 
innumerable  gifts  and  possessions  on  the  holy  bishop,  and 
had  granted  to  him  the  service  of  a  number  of  her  slaves. 
Moreover,  her  daughter  Valeria  devoted  her  virginity  to  the 
liord,  and,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  showed  herself  a  model  of 
all  good  works.  Hearing  that  Duke  Stephen,  to  whom  she 
was  betrothed,  was  on  his  road  to  Limoges,  and  feeling  sure 
that  he  would  be  grievously  offended  by  her  vow  of  chastity, 
she  distributed  to  the  poor  all  her  wealth  in  gold,  and  silver, 
and  vestments  of  various  kinds,  and  precious  stones.  She 
had  already  joined  her  mother  in  making  over  to  the  holy 
bishop  all  their  domains,  with  their  slaves  and  serfs,  that 
after  his  death  his  holy  remains  might  be  there  interred. 

Duke  Stephen's  principality  extended  from  the  river 
Hhone  to  the  ocean,  and  he  possessed  all  the  country  on  this 
side  the  Loire,  with  Aquitaine,  inhabited  by  the  Gascons  and 
Q-oths.^  He  was  not  called  king,  because  no  prince  assumed 
that  title  except  Nero,  who  possessed  the  Eoman  empire. 
On  Stephen's  reaching  Limoges,  he  ordered  Valeria,  his 
affianced  bride,  to  be  conducted  to  him,  and,  finding  from  the 
conference  that  he  was  rejected  by  her,  and  that  it  was 
certain  he  would  never  prevail  on  her  to  become  his  wife, 
be  became  so  enraged  that  he  broke  off  the  conversation, 
and  ordered  her  to  be  immediately  led  out  of  the  city  and 
beheaded.  Arrived  at  the  place  of  execution  she  foretold  the 
sudden  death  of  the  executioner,  and,  spreading  out  her  hands 
in  prayer,  commended  herself  with  confidence  to  the  Lord 
her  Gtod.  During  her  prayer  a  voice  was  heard  from  above, 
saying :  "  Fear  not,  Valeria,  thou  art  expected  in  the  celestial 
brightness  which   never   ends."      The  virgin   rejoiced   at 

^  We  might  be  surprised  to  find  the  Goths  and  Gascons  settled  in 
Aquitaine  during  the  first  century,  if  it  were  not  known  that  the  legend 
writers  of  the  middle  ages  stuck  at  no  anachronism.  It  was  not  till  the 
beginning  of  the  fifth  century  (a.d.  412)  that  the  Goths  took  possession  of 
the  basin  of  the  Garonne,  aiid  in  the  course  of  the  rixth  the  province  of 
Novempopulanie  changed  its  name  for  that  of  Gascony,  derived  from  the 
Gascons  of  Spain.  The  only  historical  personage  of  this  country  of  the 
name  of  Stephen  was  a  count  of  Auve]:gne,  killed  by  the  Normans  in 
t$4. 


802  OBDEBICUS  TITALI8.  [b.II.  CH-XTII. 

hearing  these  words,  and,  lifting  up  her  ey^es  to  heaven,  said: 
"  Lord,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spu-it."  Having  thus 
spoHen,  she  voluntarily  offered  her  neck  to  the  executioner, 
who  cut  off  her  head  with  a  single  blow.  Many  persons  saw 
her  spirit  depart  from  the  body,  bright  as  the  sun,  and  rising 
to  heaven  in  a  globe  of  fire,  with  a  choir  of  angels,  singing: 
"  Blessed  art  thou,  Valeria,  mart)T  of  Christ,  for  thou  hast 
kept  the  commandments  of  G-od.  Henceforth  thou  shalt  be 
for  ever  in  his  sight,  in  the  brightness  of  the  light  thafc 
knows  no  end.*' 

The  squire  of  Duke  Stephen,  who  had  beheaded  Valeria, 
hearing  these  words  hastened  to  his  master,  and  told  him  all 
he  had  seen  and  heard.  Mentioning  last  the  virgin's  pre- 
diction of  his  own  impending  death,  he  was  struck  by  an 
angel,  and  fell  at  the  duke's  feet,  and  presently  expired. 
Pear  and  trembling  seized  the  duke  and  dl  the  people,  and 
the  duke,  covering  himself  with  sackcloth,  requested  the 
blessed  Martial  to  come  to  him.  On  his  arrival,  the  duke 
prostrated  himself  at  his  feet,  and  said,  with  many  tears:  "I 
have  sinned,  most  holy  man,  in  that  I  have  shed  the  blood  of 
the  righteous ;  but  I  pray  thee  to  restore  this  my  squire  to 
life,  and  cause  me  to  believe  in  your  God."  Then  the  holy 
bishop  convoked  the  whole  Christian  population,  and 
exhorted  them  all  to  supplicate  for  the  recovery  of  the  dead 
man.  Silence  being  then  made,  he  himself  prayed  with  a 
loud  voice,  and,  his  prayer  ended,  he  approached  the  body  of 
the  dead,  and  taking  his  hand  commanded  him  to  rise  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  And  he  immediately  arose,  and,  throwing 
himself  at  the  bishop's  feet  entreated  to  be  baptized.  Duke 
Stephen,  also,  on  seeing  this  miracle,  knelt  before  the  holy 
bishop,  imploring  his  forgiveness  for  the  sin  he  had 
committed.    The  blessed  prelate,  therefore,  enjoined  him  a 

Eenance  for  putting  to  death  the  virgin  and  martyr,  and 
aptized  him  with  all  his  counts,  and  officers,  and  the  whole 
army,  and  all  the  people  of  both  sexes,  to  the  number  of 
fifteen  thousand.  The  duke  of  whom  we  are  speaking,  g$Te 
to  Martial,  his  master  in  Christ,  large  sums  of  gold  and 
silver,  that  he  might  build  churches  to  the  honour  of  tfaff 
Lord.  He  also  granted  aim  large  domains,  with  many 
beneficiary  estates,  and  vineyards,  and  serfs,  in  the  province 
of  Limoges,  to  enable  him  to  embellish  the  churches  he  buili^ 


CHHISTIAN   GAXTLS  AT   HOME.  303 

and  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  clergy,  who  were  to  servB 
God  in  them.  He  afterwards  erected  a  hospital  for  the 
poor,  to  the  charitable  memory  of  Valeria,  in  which  ho 
directed  three  hundred  poor  persons  to  be  fed  daily.  He 
also  founded  another,  in  which  he  made  provision  for  refresh- 
ment being  given  daily  to  a  crowd  of  the  indigent,  to  the 
number  of  six  hundred ;  and  he  also  built  a  church  over  the 
tomb  of  St.  Valeria,  virgin  ana  martyr. 

Meanwhile  Stephen,  prince  of  the  Gauls,  was  summoned 
to  Italy  by  order  of  the  emperor  Nero,  and  there  served  in 
the  army  for  six  months  with  four  legions  of  soldiers. 
During  his  military  service  Stephen  did  not  forget  the  divine 
laws,  but  so  ordered  his  troops  that  every  one  was  satisfied 
with  his  own,  and  if  any  committed  robbery  he  suffered 
death.  After  the  term  of  his  service  was  expired  Stephen 
obtained  his  leave  of  absence,  but  he  was  unwilling  to  return 
to  his  own  states  until  he  had  seen  the  blessed  Peter  the 
apostle.  He  hastened  therefore,  with  all  his  troops,  to 
Eome,  and  entering  the  city  they  found  the  apostle  teaching 
great  crowds  of  people  in  a  place  called  the  Vatican. 
Approaching  the  apostle  with  bare  feet  and  sackcloth  on 
their  loins,  they  knelt  before  him  and  humbly  besought  his 
blessing.  St.  Peter,  seeing  the  flower  of  the  youth  of  Guul, 
and  learning  that  they  had  all  been  instructed  in  the  gospel 
of  Christ  and  baptized  by  the  blessed  Martial,  was  filled 
with  joy  and  gave  blessings  to  the  Lord.  He  made  many 
anxious  inquiries  of  the  pious  duke  concerning  the  manners 
and  grace  and  way  of  life  of  the  holy  bishop,  and  the  duke 
took  pleasure  in  recounting  many  particulars  of  his  goodness 
and  miracles,  and  the  conversion  of  the  people  who  hastened 
from  all  parts  to  the  font  of  holy  baptism. 

When  the  duke  had  received  absolution  from  the  apostle 
for  having  shed  the  blood  of  the  innocent  Valeria,  he  offered 
bim  the  two  hundred  gold  livres  which  he  had  just  received 
as  a  donation  from  the  emperor  Nero,  but  the  apostle 
directed  him  to  take  the  gold  to  the  holy  bishop,  that  he 
might  employ  it  in  ferecting  churches  or  relieving  the  poor. 
Elaving  therefore  received  the  apostolic  benediction,  Stephen 
and  his  soldiers  returned  to  Gaul,  and  at  the  duke's  sugges- 
bion  they  visited  their  common  father  before  they  returned  to 
bheir  own  homes.    Arriving  at  a  certain  royal  palace  called 


3Q1  OBDEEICUS  TITALI8.  [b.  H.  CI.XTII. 


kn 


*Ecr 
fcic- 


8t.  Junien,  they  pitched  their  tents  and  pavilions  on  tti 
bank  of  the  river  Vienne/  The  heat  of  the  wefftf^"^ 
drove  them  to  the  river  for  refreshment  both  from  the  M 
and  from  the  sun*s  ravs,  when  Hildebert,  son  of  Aieidfli 
count  of  Poitou,  was  cfrowned  by  the  devil  at  a  place  oU 
Garri,  and  died  on  the  spot,  nor  could  his  body  be  foo^ 
although  the  whole  army  searched  for  it.  Arcadius  aDiBlT^  ^ 
the  soldiers  were  overwhelmed  with  grief,  and  ha8teiffl*|jj^'2 
with  lamentations  to  Limoges,  he  humbly  implored  thfi»|^  ^ 
of  Martiid  on  his  son's  behalf.  Great  crowds  of  Gt)th8ial|:^ 
Saxons,  and  people  of  other  provinces,  had  now  flocked  tif^^ 
Limoges,  desiring  to  hear  the  word  of  salvation  fipom  ftl  1*^' 
holy  man.  Arcadius  therefore  and  all  the  people  tbi0vl^ 
themselves  at  Martial's  feet,  beseeching  him  with  nndkl^ 
lamentation  on  behalf  of  the  young  man  drowned  in  tittl^^ 
river.  The  holy  man  wept  with  them,  and  came  to  thfi  1^ 
place  clothed  in  sackcloth,  and  with  naked  feet.  All  prsBeii^  1^ 
joining  in  prayer,  the  man  of  God  adjured  the  demons,  yA»  1^ 
lurked  in  a  hollow  of  the  channel,  that  they  should  render  k 
themselves  visible  to  the  people  and  bring  the  corpse  of  tbe  |^ 
young,  man  to  the  river-bank.  Immediately  the  bodyim 
cast  ashore  at  the  distance  of  about  six  furlongs^  the  demoBfl 
appearing  in  the  shape  of  swine.  At  length,  the  peopb 
making  deprecatory  prayers  and  the  bishop  adjuring,  they 
rushed  violently  from  the  river,  and  came  and  Lay  down  i 
the  feet  of  St.  Martial.  They  were  like  the  Ethiopiani^ 
black  as  soot,  their  feet  enormous,  their  eyes  terrible  and 
bloody,  their  whole  body  was  covered  with  bristly  hair,  and 
from  their  mouths  and  nostrils  they  breathed  sulphureoiu 
flames.  Their  speech  resembled  the  croakings  of  the  raven; 
and  when  the  bishop  demanded  their  names  one  of  them 
answered ;  ^  I  am  called  thousand-craft,  because  I  have  ft 
thousand  arts  of  deceiving  the  human  race,"  Another  said; 
"  I  am  called  Neptune,  because  I  have  dragged  numbers  rf 
men  into  this  hole  and  plunged  them  into  the  torments  of 
hell.''  The  holy  bishop  inquired,  "  Why  do  you  wear  rings 
of  fire  on  your  snouts  ?"  The  demons  replied :  "  "When  we 
have  seduced  the  souls  of  men,  it  is  by  chains  attached 
to  these  we  drag  them  to  our  master."     The  bishop  asking 

^  There  is  a  commune  still  called  du  Palais  on  the  banks  of  the  Vieoac^ 
•bout  oae  league  from  Limoges. 


\ 


ST.  jiabtial's  mibacles.  805 

jter's  name,  tliey  replied :  "  Strife,  for  he  never  ceases 
quarrels,  and  his  rage  and  passion  are  without  end." 
ons  then  entreating  the  bishop  that  he  would  talk 
with  them  in  Latin,  and  would  not  send  them  into 
s  or  the  boundless  ocean,  he  commanded  them,  in 
Tew  tongue,  to  depart  into  a  desert  place,  and  to 
living  creature  to  the  day  of  judgment.  The 
then  flying  through  the  air  appeared  no  more. 
V  the  duke  with  the  whole  crowd  of  people,  and  all 
r  collected  from  different  provinces,  and  present  at 
:aordinary  spectacle,  threw  themselves  at  the  feet  of 
bishop  pitifully  imploring  him  to  restore  life  to  the 
an  who  then  lay  dead.  The  bishop,  moved  at  their 
commanded  all  with  one  heart  to  make  intercession 
ord,  and  taking  the  hand  of  the  deceased-  said,  "  In 
e  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Hildebert  arise ; "  and 
diately  arose  and  lived  piously  twenty-six  years  after- 
While  all  who  witnessed  so  glorious  a  miracle  were 
God,  St.  Martial  called  Hildebert  and  made  inquiry 
for  the  edification  of  the  hearers,  what  he  saw  while 
lead.  With  some  hesitation,  he  related  as  follows : — 
led  in  sweat  from  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun,  I 
hing  myself  in  the  river,  when  suddenly  the  demons 
me  into  a  deep  hole  and  drowned  me.  But  when  they 
3d  to  bind  me  in  chains  of  fire,  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
'  me  and  delivered  me  out  of  their  hands.    We  had 

0  take  the  road  to  the  east,  when  two  bands  of 
opposed  our  progress,  throwing  at  us  fiery  darts, 
these  bands  attacked  us  in  front,  while  the  other 
d  us  in  the  rear.  For  my  part  I  was  terribly 
ed,  but  the  angel  my  companion  encouraged  me ; 
ig  to  sing  with  a  melodious  voice  and  sweet  expres- 
sless the  Lord,  0  my  soul ;  and  all  that  is  within  me, 
is  holy  name.  Who  forgiveth  all  thy  iniquities  and 
th  thy  life  from  the  pit.'  At  length  we  reached  the 
rial  fire,  where  Christians  are  punished  for  such  of 
ily  transgressions  as  are  not  aggravated  to  mortal  sins, 
ry  is  a  river  of  fire,  with  a  bridge  across,  over  which 
3I  of  the  Lord  conducting  me  stood  still,  and  taking 
i  said ;  *  Here  you  will  remain  until,  being  cleansed 

1  your  sins,  you  are  fit  to  be  a  partaker  of  the 
I.  z 


806  OSDJCBICUS  TITAU0.  [b.II.  CH.] 

heavenly  kingdom.'  This  being  pasaed  we  arriyed  at 
gate  of  Paradise,  near  which  we  found  a  crowd  of  dei 
assembled,  whose  rage  and  whoae  slanders  I  horribly  fei 
But  at  that  moment  a  voice  was  heard  firom  heaven,  say 
'  Let  the  soul  of  the  young  man  return  to  his  body,  am 
him  live  twentv-sii  years.*  The  angel  who  canducted 
was  of  incredible  beauty,  his  whole  aspect  surpassing 
human  race.  To  my  inquiries  concemmg  our  doctor, 
Martial,  he  replied :  '  His  merit  in  heaven  is  great  becau£ 
has  continued  in  celibacy,  and  is  and  means  to  be  free  i 
the  love  of  women.  From  his  youth  he  began  to  serve 
Lord  and  attach  himself  to  the  blessed  Peter,  m 
returning  to  his  father's  house.  As  he  is  known  to  be 
from  the  concupiscence  of  the  flesh,  so  he  will  be  deliv( 
from  the  pains  of  death.  Twelve  angels  are  conunissio 
by  the  Lord  to  attend  him  constantly,  who  do  not  suffer! 
to  be  weary,  nor  to  hunger  or  thirst,  but  preserve  him  £ 
all  evil  and  shield  him  from  every  touch  of  sorrow.*  '* 

While  Hildebert  was  relating  these  things  and  otl 
similar  to  them,  the  hearts  of  the  bishop  and  the  duke : 
all  the  assembled  people  were  gladdened,  and  they  ofle 
thanksgivings  to  the  Lord  for  all  the  benefits  confer 
upon  them.  Hildebert,  observing  the  angel's  admondtk 
shaved  his  head,  and  attaching  himself  to  the  blessed  pre] 
devoted  himself  to  the  service  of  the  Lord,  neither  drink 
wine  nor  eating  flesh.  He  went  bare-foot,  and  was  sa 
fled  with  bread  and  water  for  food,  and  Siackcloth 
raiment.  He  gave  himself  up  to  constant  prayers^  a 
frequent  fastings,  and  the  continual  performance  of  gc 
works.  All  that  he  inherited  from  his  parents  he  distribui 
to  the  poor ;  and  reserved  nothing  for  himself  on  the  m 
row.  Multitudes  followed  his  example,  and  renouxw?i 
their  own  wills  hastened  to  Christ  by  the  narrow  way. 

Duke  Stephen  published  an  ordinance  directing  til 
through  all  the  nations  which  were  subject  to  his  donmoc 
the  temples  and  idols  should  be  broken  down  a^ad  bm 
with  ^e,  and  that  they  should  worship  the  one  &alj  Q^ 
whom  they  should  strive  to  obey.  He  himself^  ^.  hci  h 
learnt  from  his  master,  observed  a  life  of  religion  to^mr 
God.  He  was  liberal  in  alms,  just  in  his  judgm€a:\t8^-€^ 
M  for  the  poor^  doeile^  and  deyoted  tQ  iih»  p¥i@9ta^  ^fiii 


ST.  MABTIAL  AT  BOUBBIiAUX.  807 

the  ministers  of  God ;  lie  was  the  wise  father  of  the  Chris- 
tiaiis,  but  a  fierce  persecutor  of  the  pagans.  From  the  day 
of  his  baptism  he  was  never  defiled  by  connection  with 
any  woman,  but  lived  in  chastity  to  the  oblj  of  his  death. 

There  was  in  the  city  of  Bordeaux  a  count  named  Sige- 
bert,  who  for  six  years  was  grievously  a£9icted  with  para- 
lysis. Hearing  the  miracles  which  were  wrought  by  the 
blessed  Martial,  he  directed  his  wife  Benedicta  to  go  with 
all  haste  to  the  man  of  Gx)d,  and,  taking  with  her  twenty- 
six  livres  in  gold  and  a  sufficient  sum  in  silver,  implore 
the  favour  of  Grod  through  the  intercession  of  his  fhend^ 
She  used  the  utmost  despatch  in  preparing  what  was  com- 
manded, and  hastened  to  the  man  of  GK)d  with  an  escort  of 
two  thousand  eight  hundred  horsemen.  On  her  arrival  she 
earnestly  petitioned  the  man  of  .Qod  for  her  husband's  health, 
which  he,  rejoicing  in  her  faith,  promised  to  restore.  He 
therefore  delivered  his  staff  to  the  matron,  commanding  her 
to  lay  it  on  her  husband  and  he  would  be  healed.  He 
refused  to  accept  the  gold  and  silver,  but  according  to  the 
liord's  commandment  conferred  the  spiritual  benefits 
gratuitously.  He  baptized  the  noble  Benedicta  and  aU  the 
companions  of  her  journey,  and  dismissed  them  to  their 
homes  confirmed  in  the  faith. 

Meanwhile,  when  the  populace  of  Bordeaux  flocked  to 
the  idol  temples  and  the  priests  burnt  incense,  the  demon 
said  that  he  would  come  out  at  the  command  of  a  certain 
Hebrew  named  Martial,  and  published  with  sorrow  the 
great  virtues  of  the  holy  bishop  and  his  honour  with  GK)d. 
As  the  matron  was  entering  the  city  on  her  return,  the 
elders  of  the  people  proceeded  to  meet  her,  and  told  her  all 
that  they  had  heard  from  Jupiter.  Then  the  countess  sent 
for  the  chief  pontiff  of  the  idols,  and  commanded  him  that 
he  should  go  to  all  the  temples,  except  those  of  the  unknown 
Ck)d,  and  utterly  destroy  them.  She  then  with  her  Chris- 
tian comj^anions  implored  Qod's  mercy,  and  coming  in  his 
name  to  her  husband's  bed,  placed  on  him  the  blessed 
apostle's  staff.  Immediately  his  limbs,  which  had  been 
injured  by  the  contraction  of  the  nerves,  and  dried  up  by 
fever,  became  instantly  as  though  they  had  never  lost  their 
power.  After  the  just-named  Count  Sigebert  was  healed 
ne  went  with  a  great  retinue  to  the  holy  b\ek\io^  %sA  ^^rc>& 

2  X 


808  .         OBDIBICUS  TITALIS.  [b.II.  CH.XTn. 

t 

reeeDerated  by  him,  with  all  his  followers,  in  the  water  of 
holy  baptism.  He  returned  abundant  offerings  of  pray^ 
and  thanks  for  the  heavenly  benefits  conferr^  upon  nio, 
and  liyed  many  years  afterwards  happily  in  the  aerrice  of 
the  Lord. 

It  happened  on  a  certain  occasion,  that  when  the  city  d 
Bordeaux  was,  for  the  presumption  of  the  inhabitants,  ii 
danger  of  being  consumed  by  fire,  the  flames  threatening  ill 
entire  destruction,  the  pious  Benedicta,  in  full  faith,  of* 
posed  the  staff  of  the  man  of  Grod  to  the  progress  of  toe 
nre,  invoking  the  aid  of  the  Creator,  whose  onmipoteace 
she  confessed.  And  the  conflagration  was  immediately 
extinguished,  so  that  no  traces  of  fire  remained. 

At  that  time  Martial,  the  bishop  of  Christ,  moved  if 
divine  inspiration,  went  to  the  bank  of  the  river  Guroioe^ 
and  preacned  the  gospel  to  multitudes  who  flocked  to  hiii 
at  a  place  called  Mortagne ;  remaining  there  three  montbs  ii 
the  saving  work  of  his  divine  mission.  Nine  demoniacs 
brought  by  their  parents  in  chains  from  the  city  of  Bordeaoi 
were  healed  by  St.  Martin,  the  demons  being  expeM 
The  demons  also,  who  by  virtue  of  Christian  faith  wen 
expelled  from  the  city  of  Bordeaux,  incensed  with  those 
whom  they  had  subjugated,  took  possession  of  some  miBe- 
rable  idolaters,  and  entering  their  bodies  grievously  vexed 
them.  Their  parents  therefore  brought  them  to  the  mano( 
God,  at  whose  prayers  and  commands  their  malignant 
enemies  issued  forth  from  their  mouths  with  torrents  of 
blood,  and  were  no  more  seen. 

On  one  occasion  when  the  blessed  St.  Martial  preached 
in  Mortagne,  and  crowds  of  people  flocked  to  hear  the  tran 
doctrine.  Count  Sigebert  resolved  to  join  him  with  a  cofr 
siderable  body  of  soldiers,  and  to  show  his  friendship  bf 
supplying  him  with  all  that  was  necessary  for  meat  and 
drmk.  Among  other  things  he  desired  a  quantity  of  fish, 
and  despatched  his  servants  to  the  sea  for  the  purpose  d 
fishing.  When  at  last  the  fishermen,  bringing  with  them 
many  kinds  of  fish,  were  looking  forward  with  anxieij 
to  reach  the  shore,  a  sudden  storm  arose  and  threatened 
them  with  shipwreck  and  destruction.  The  countess  Bene- 
dicta, who  with  a  crowd  of  people  was  on  the  shore  waiting) 
saw  the  danger  in  great  alarm.    And  now.  men  bfgaa  to 


CHUECHES  BUILT  AT  LIMOGES.  309 

sink  with  the  boats,  when  the  devout  woman,  extending  her 
iiands  towards  heaven,  called  upon  G-od  with  a  loud  voice, 
md  the  storm  immediately  ceased.  The  fishermen,  with 
bheir  boats,  and  fish,  and  nets,  came  safe  to  the  harbour,  and 
all  who  saw  it  glorified  God. 

On  his  return  from  Mortagne  the  amiable  prelate  again 
risited  Limoges,  and  thence  went  to  a  village  called  Ansae. 
[t  boasted  an  idol  of  Jupiter  held  in  great  veneration  by 
bhe  heathen,  which  drew  together  numbers  of  sick  folk 
labouring  under  various  infirmities.  On  the  bishop's  arrival 
bhe  demon  was  dumb,  but  at  the  request  of  the  inhabitants 
the  man  of  God  commanded  him  to  come  out  of  the  image, 
and  breaking  the  statue  show  himself  to  the  people  in  a 
visible  form.  There  forthwith  issued  from  the  statue  what 
had  the  appearance  of  a  negro  boy,  black  as  soot,  covered 
with  dark  and  rough  hair  from  head  to  foot,  and  fire 
flashing  from  his  mouth,  nostrils,  and  eyes,  with  a  sulphu- 
reous smeU.  Thus  the  saint  showed  the  people  what  sort  of 
god  they  had  worshipped,  and  repeated  his  order  to  the 
demon  that  he  should  destroy  the  image ;  which  he  accord- 
ingly reduced  to  powder,  and  never  again  ^.ppeared.  Then 
the  venerable  bishop  assembled  round  him  all  the  sick,  and 
making  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  them  healed  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  baptizing  all  those  who  appeared  to 
dwell  in  that  place.  Eetuming  afterwards  to  his  own  see, 
he  caused  oratories  to  be  built,  and  decorated  them  care- 
fully with  rich  ornaments.  One  he  dedicated  to  the  honour 
of  St.  Stephen  the  first  martyr,  his  own  kinsman,  and 
another  to  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  his  ownDnaster.*  The  altar 
was  overlaid  all  round  with  plates  of  gold.  When  the 
churches  were  built,  the  blessed  bishop  fixed  a  day  for  the 
consecration,  and  Duke  Stephen  caused  preparations  to  be 
made  for  entertaining  all  who  came  to  the  holy  solemnity. 
When  however  the  holy  bishop  was  celebrating  the  mass, 
Herve,  count  of  Tours,  was  earned  off*  by  the  devil,  as  well  as 
his  Christian  wife.  But  the  holy  man  did  not  suffer  them 
to  be  long  tormented,  but  calling  them  to  him,  he  rebuked  the 

^  The  cathedral  of  Limoges  is  still  under  the  invocation  of  St.  Stepheii. 
The  church  here  called  St.  Peter's*  has  been  known  by  the  name  of  St. 
Martial  since  the  time  that  the  relics  of  that  apostle  of  the  Limousin  were 
deposited  in  it. 


310  OBDEBICUS  TITALIB.  [b.H.  CH.XVH. 

devils  for  taking  possession  of  tbem.  But  tliej  replied,  that 
it  was  permitted  them  on  account  of  the  transgression  of 
the  coimt  and  his  wife,  who,  contrary  to  the  bishop's  precept, 
had  polluted  themselves  with  carnal  knowledge  the  whole 
night.  Upon  the  count  and  the  people  entreating  farour 
for  the  possessed,  the  holj  bishop  restored  them  to  sound 
health  and  vigour,  expelling  the  demon  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  The  church  of  St.  Peter  was  consecrated  on  the 
sixth'  of  the  nones  [2nd]  of  May,  in  the  reisn  of  the  etnperor 
Nero,  when  so  dazzling  was  the  light  shed  in  it  on  the  day 
of  dedication,  that  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  distinguish 
oneperson  from  another. 

These  ceremonies  being  duly  performed,  the  blessed  Mar- 
tial ordained  Aurelian  to  succeed  him  in  the  see  of  Limoges 
after  his  own  decease.  He  also  caused  Andrew  the  pnest 
to  preside  over  the  church  of  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  settling 
in  it  Hildebert,  son  of  Count  Archadius,  and  thirty-six 
clerks  besides,  for  whom  Duke  Stephen  provided  out  of  his 
own  domains  an  abundant  revenue,  to  supply  food  and 
clothing. 

Much  has  been  written  on  the  life  of  the  blessed  Martial, 
which  cannot  be  fully  recounted  in  detail.  To  sum  np  his 
character  shortly,  he  was  deeply  imbued  with  divine  wis- 
dom, illustrious  for  his  piety,  exemplary  in  his  morals,  and 
regarded  with  awe  for  the  miracles  he  wrought.  Holding 
the  world  cheap,  and  loving  God  and  his  neighbour,  for  him 
"  to  live  was  Cnrist,  to  die  was  gain."  He  restored,  as  we 
have  often  noticed,  sight  to  the  blind,  and  caused  the  deaf 
to  hear,  the  lame  to  walk,  the  dumb  to  speak,  and  the  dead 
to  return  to  life.  There  are  many  other  particulars  worthy 
to  be  recorded,  as  Aurelian  remarks,  of  works  done  by  St. 
Martial  by  the  grace  of  Christ,  which  would  be  considered 
as  apocryphal  by  unbelievers,  if  they  were  committed  to 
writmg. 

In  the  year  40,  after  our  Lord's  resurrection,  wh^i  the 
blessed  Martial  was  praying,  as  he  was  wont,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  appeared  to  him  in  glory  with  his  disciples, 
and  having  graciously  saluted  him  by  name,  predicted  that 
the  fifteenth  day  from  thence  would  be  the  period  of  hia 
departure  out  of  this  world.  The  holy  man,  full  of  joy,  gave 
thanks  to  God,  and  during  two  weeks,  prepared  foi:  his  end 


DEJLTn  OP   ST.  MABTIAX.  811 

with  fasting,  and  watching,  and  prayer.  After  a  short  ces- 
sation, to  rest  his  wearied  limbs,  he  rose  in  the  night  for 
prayer  at  the  hour  appointed,  and  continued  his  prayers 
and  divine  lauds  to  the  second  hour  of  day.  Then  he 
offered  the  holy  sacrifice  to  the  Lord,  for  himself  and  the 
whole  church,  at  the  second  hour,  and  afterwards  preached 
diligently  until  the  evening*  Towards  the  close  of  day,  as 
night  approached,  he  took  the  nourishment  to  which  he 
rigorously  confined  himself,  viz.  breaxi  and  water. 

The  period  of  his  vocation  being  near,  the  holy  man  con- 
voked his  brethren  and  announced  to  them,  that  the  day  of 
hifl  departure  was  at  hand;  making  known  the  same  also 
by  messengers  he  despatched  through  all  the  provinces  and 
districts  which  he  had  gained  for  the  Lord.  Great  numbers 
assembled  in  deep  sorrow,  viz.,  the  people  of  Poitou,  Berry, 
Auvergne,  Gascony,  and  Gothia.  The  day  of  his  death 
drawing  near,  at  the  request  of  all  he  went  out  of  the  gate 
of  the  city  called  the  Lime-gate,  and  there  delivered  a 
discourse  on  the  true  faith  and  the  divine  operations,  and 
profitably  recounted  the  blessed  virtues  which  adorn  the 
Christian  life.  At  the  end  of  his  discourse  he  gave  the 
benediction  to  the  people,  commending  them  to  God  in 
devout  prayer,  and  then  causing  himself  to  be  carried  into 
the  oratory  of  St.  Stephen,  and  lying  there  in  sackcloth  and 
ashes  waited  his  end,  while,  with  bended  knees  and  hands 
outstretched  to  heaven,  he  caused  prayers  to  be  offered  to 
aid  him  in  his  last  struggle.  At  the  close  he  thus  addressed 
the  Lord :  "  Into  thy  hands,  O  Lord,  I  commend  my  spirit  ;*' 
and  whilst  those  who  stood  around  were  weeping  and  pray- 
ing, he  made  a  sign  with  his  hand  for  silence,  and  said  to 
them :  "  Be  still,  hear  ye  not  the  songs  of  praise  proceeding 
firom  heaven?  surely  the  Lord  cometh,  as  he  promised;" 
and  immediately  a  great  light  shone  around,  and  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  was  heard  calling  him,  and  saying :  "  Blessed 
spirit,  depart,"  and  instantly  he  rose  to  heaven,  surrounded 
by  the  glorious  light,  while  a  concert  of  angels  was  heard. 
On  the  morrow,  at  the  third  hour,  a  paralytic  who  touched 
his  bier  immediately  became  sound.  When  his  body  was 
carried  forth  for  burial,  at  the  moment  of  the  departure 
towards  the  church  of  St.  Stephen^  the  heavens  were  opened 
and  continued  open  while  the  bearers  of  the  holy  remain^ 


312  0BDSBICU8  TlliXIS.  [b.U.  CH.XTIIL 

• 

carried  them  to  the  place  of  intenneiit.  Moreoyer,  as  i 
multitude  of  infirm  persons  was  collected  at  the  funeral, 
the  blessed  Alpinian  taking  the  sudarium  of  the  holy  bishop 
applied  it  to  the  bodies  of  the  sick,  and  inyoking  the  name 
of  Christ  all  were  healed.  Among  the  rest  a  dropsical  man 
was  brought  from  Toulouse,  with  six  blind  persons  and  four 
demoniacs,  who,  on  the  day  following  the  obit  of  the  ho^ 
bishop,  were  presented  before  his  tomb,  and  healed  bj  tab 
touch  of  the  sacred  napkin. 

Innumerable  other  miracles  were  wrought  by  the  most 
holy  prelate  after  his  interment,  the  great  number  of  which 
forbids  their  bein^  reduced  to  writing  in  detail.  Probaiilj 
larger  volumes,  il  they  were  written,  would  not  content 
those  who  are  dissatisfied  with  the  present  account.^ 

May  the  holy  bishop  Martial,  the  cotemporary  of  Chiiflt 
and  the  companion  of  the  apostles,  who  was  the  pious  pastcv 
of  Limoges,  and  the  first  who  preached  to  the  people  of  tiie 
west,  intercede  for  us  who  speak  of  him,  that,  protected  by 
his  prayers,  we  may  be  found  worthy  to  be  partakers  of  w 
eternal  inheritance.    Amen. 

Cn.  XVIII.     Epitome  of  the  series  of  bishops  qf  JBomCt 
from  St,  Teter  to  Pope  Innocent  IL  a.d.  1143. 

Havikg  determined  to  compose  a  history  fi^m  the  works 
of  former  writers,  I  commenced  with  ecclesiastical  history, 
in  the  beginning  of  which  I  collected  some  short  accounts 
of  the  holy  apostles.  Now,  by  God's  help  I  shall  endeavour 
to  give  a  regular  series  of  the  Eoman  bishops,  beginning 
with  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  to  whom  Christ  gave  the  keys  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  an  undertaking  I  consider  neces- 
sary, and  useful  to  studious  persons  and  others  who  desire 
instruction.  My  careful  researches  extend  through  eleven 
centuries,  from  the  time  that  the  Almighty  Emanuel  came 
to  us,  veiled  in  the  flesh  which  he  borrowed  from  the  im- 

^  These  supposed  acts  of  St.  Martial  appear  to  have  been  substituted 
for  the  original,  which  was  then  lost,  a  few  years  before  994,  the  date  of 
the  second  translation  of  his  relics.  Till  that  time  it  was  believed,  acooid- 
ing  to  Gregory  of  Tours,  that  the  period  of  his  mission  could  not  be  canied 
higher  than  the  reign  of  Trdjan.  A  council  at  Limoges  in  1029,  another 
at  Bourges  in  1031,  and,  finally,  a  bull  of  the  holy  see,  sanctioaed  tiie 
assertions  of  the  fictitious  account. 


A.D.  66 — 78.]  SUCCESSION  OF  POPES.  313 

maculate  virgin.  The  city  of  Eome,  which  from  its  very 
foundation  carried  its  fasces  in  triumph  over  all  its  neigh- 
bours, and  which,  by  God's  providence,  extended  its  fron- 
tiers to  the  Euphrates  and  the  Ocean,  saw  also  many 
illustrious  champions,  who,  by  God's  aid,  held  the  reins  of 
ecclesiastical  discipline.  It  is  delightful  to  trace  their  tri- 
umphant course  over  the  waves  of  this  world,  that  those 
.  who  walk  in  the  steps  of  the  Christian  heroes  may  strive  to 
imitate  their  noble  acts  which  lead  to  salvation. 

The  blessed  Simon  Petee,  the  prince  of  the  apostles,  son 
.  of  John,  and  bom  at  Bethsaida,  in  the  province  of  Galilee, 
i  first  filled  the  see  of  Antioch  during  seven  years.  He  then 
went  to  Eome  in  the  reign  of  Claudius,  to  oppose  Simon 
Magus,  and  there  preaching  governed  the  church  twenty- 
five  years.  He  often  disputed  before  Nero  and  the  people 
against  Simon,  whom  he  defeated;  and  his  martyrdom  oy 
!Nero  at  the  same  time  as  that  of  St.  Paul,  took  place  in  the 
year  36  from  the  passion  of  our  Lord,  on  the  third  of  the 
calends  of  July  [29th  June].^ 

Linus,  son  of  Herculanus,  and  bom  in  Tuscany,  occupied 
the  see  of  Eome  eleven  years,  three  months,  and  twelve 
days,  suffering  martyrdom  on  the  sixth  of  the  calends  of 
December  [26th  November].  Eollowing  the  precept  of  the 
apostle  Peter,  he  decreed  that  no  woman  snould  enter  a 
church  without  having  her  head  covered.* 

Cletus,  bom  at  Eome,  sat  twelve  years,  one  month,  eleven 
days,  and  suffered  under  Domitian  on  the  sixth  of  the 
calends  of  May  [26th  April].  The  see  remained  void 
twenty  days.  Eufinus,  priest  of  Aquileia,  says  in  the  pre- 
face of  his  history  of  Clemens,  that  Linus  and  Cletui- 
performed  the  functions  of  bishops  during  the  life  of  Pete^ 
the  apostle,  and  afterwards  succeeded  him.  1  am  much 
surprised  that  so  sensible  a  critic  and  historian,  and  one  so 
well  read,  both  in  Greek  and  Latin  authors,  should  not  have 
recollected,  that  both  these  bishops  finished  their  blessed 

^  See  fonner  notes  on  the  date  of  St.  Peter's  ministry  at  Antioch  and 
Rome,  and  his  martjrrdom,  pp.  194  and  195. 

'  Our  author  has  followed  the  martyrology  of  Ado  in  placmg  the  death 
of  Linus  on  the  25th  of  December.  It  is  generally  placed  on  the  23rd  of 
September.  It  is  very  doubtful  whether  this  pope  and  his  successor 
suffered  martyrdom. 


bU  0BDEBICU8  TTTJLUB.  [b.H.  CH.XYIU. 

course  by  martyrdom,  and  that  no  one  suffered  persecutioiiat 
Borne  for  the  cause  of  Christ  until  the  thirteenth  year  of 
Nero,  after  the  fall  of  Simon  Magus.  Linus  Buffered  in  tiie 
time  of  Vespasian,  and  Cletus  in  the  peraecution  undff 
Domitian.^ 

Clemens^  bom  at  Some  on  the  Oelian  Mounts  wiioie 
father  was  Faustinus,  filled  the  see  ten  jeara,  two  numtlM, 
ten  days,  and  was  thrown  into  the  sea  under  the  empeiw 
Trajan  on  the  ninth  of  the  calends  of  December  [23rd  No- 
vember]. The  see  was  vacant  twenty-one  days.  Following 
the  discipline  of  the  blessed  Peter  the  apostle,  be  was  so 
eminent  tor  the  ornaments  of  a  good  converaatKniy  that  1» 
was  esteemed  by  tl)e  Jews  and  Gentiles,  as  well  as  by  tiie 
Christians,  whose  poor  he  caused  to  be  all  registered,  not 
suffering  those  who  had  beenpurified  by  holy  baptimn  to 
become  public  mendicants.  He  gave  the  consecrated  toI 
to  Flavia  Domitia,  a  virgin  who  was  niece  of  Domitian  aad 
espoused  to  Aurelius,'  and  confirmed  Theodora  the  wife  of 
count  Sisinnius  in  her  resolution  of  chastity.  Her  husband^ 
having  been  led  by  his  passions  to  follow  her  as  she  seGM% 
entered  the  church,  was  immediately  by  St.  ClemflO^ 
prayers  struck  blind  and  deaf.  His  servants  seeking  to 
remove  him  could  not  find  the  door,  although  they  seaiched 
for  it  all  round  for  some  time,  untU  Theodora  obtained  br 
her  prayers  on  her  husband's  behalf,  that  he  and  his  attend- 
ants might  depart.  Conducted  home,  his  blindness  still 
continued,  and  when  mass  was  ended  Theodora  stated  all 
the  circumstances  to  Pope  Clemens,  who  exhorted  the 
people  to  offer  their  prayers.  He  himself,  with  the  woman, 
visited  the  diseased  man,  and  by  his  supplications  caused 
his  sight  and  hearing  to  be  immediately  restored.  But 
though  he  recovered  his  bodily  senses,  he  lost  his  reason^ 
and  ordered  Clemens,  whom  he  accused  of  following  his 
wife,  to  be  siezed  and  brought  to  him.    iBla  servants  -also 

^  This  pope  is  also  called  Anaclete.  The  history  of  these  first  two 
successors  of  St.  Peter  is  very  obscure.  There  appears  to  be  no  foundatioa 
for  the  opinion  of  Rufinus,  but  the  fact  which  our  author  opposes  to  it,  is^ 
as  already  observed,  doubtftil.    [23rd  September  ?  78 — 91. 

*  If  we  believe,  with  the  church,  the  existence  of  this  saint,  she  nUnit 
have  been  the  niece,  not  of  Domitian,  but  of  Flavins  Clemens,  his  cousiii- 
german,  who  was  consul  in  82.  Unfortunately  we  have  no  other  guarantee 
for  this  story  but  the  very  suspicious  Acts  of  SS.  Nereus  and  Achillea 


A.D.  91 — 100.]  POPE   CLEMKirS.  81^ 

attaclied  ropes  to  stone  pillars,  and  dragged  them  'vntliin 
and  without  the  house.  Sisinnius  and  his  servants  being 
thus  mad,  Clemens  departed^  and  Theodora  spent  the  whole 
day  in  weeping  and  praying  for  her  husband.  At  length  in 
ihB  evening  Peter  the  apostle  appeared  to  her  and  com* 
fbrted  her,  saying :  "  Sismnius  shall  be  saved  by  thee,  in 
order  that  the  word  spoken  by  my  brother  Paul  the  apostle 
be  fulfilled :  '  the  unbelieving  husband  is  sanctified  by  th^ 
believing  wife.'  "^  Sisinnius,  recovering  his  reason,  caused 
Theodora  to  invite  Clemens  to  come  to  him,  and  confessing 
his  former  folly,  declared  his  belief  in  Almighty  God,  and 
being  confirmed  in  the  faith  was  baptized  the  following 
Easter,  with  three  hundred  and  twenty-three  persons  of 
both  sexes.^  Many  noble  and  illustrious  persons  believed 
through  him,  and  professing  the  true  faith  received  baptism. 
Publius  Torqueanus,  count  of  the  sacred  offices,  becoming 
.jealous  of  the  increase  of  the  Christians,  gave  money  to  his 
officers  in  various  provinces,  to  stir  up  opposition  to  the 
name  of  Christ.  A  tumult  of  the  people  took  place  at  Home, 
while  Mamertine  was  prefect,  and  by  command  of  Publius 
Torqueanus,  Clemens  was  privately  brought  before  him ;  but 
the  bishop,  by  his  sensible  replies,  endeavoured  to  bring  him 
oyer  to  the  true  faith.  The  tumult  still  raging,  a  report 
concerning  Clemens  was  forwarded  to  Nerva,  and  also  to 
Trajan.  The  rescript  of  Trajan  ordered  that  if  Clemens 
refused  to  sacrifice  to  the  idols,  he  should  be  banished  to  the 
city  of  Chersona,  beyond  the  Euxine  Sea.  But  the  Lord 
gave  such  grace  to  the  blessed  Clemens  that  even  the  heathen 
judges  grieved  for  him%  Julian,  the  president,  sorrowfully 
commended  him  by  prayer  to  Q-od,  and  supplied  him  with 
a  ship,  freighted  with  all  that  his  comfort  required,  and  he 
was  accompanied  in  his  exile  by  many  devout  persons,  both 
of  the  clergy  and  laity.  The  holy  pope  found  at  his  place  of 
banishment  more  than  two  thousand  Christians,  condemned 
to  hew  blocks  of  marble;  and  rejoiced  that  they  were 
suffering  for  the  name  of  Christ,  instructing  them  fully  in 
the  doctrine  of  patience  and  keeping  the  faith.  Hearing 
that  they  had  to  fetch  water  on  their  shoulders  six  miles,  he 

1  1  Cor.  vii.  14. 

'  The  whole  of  this  legend  of  St.  Theodora  is  apocryphal,  as  it  is  cany  to 
discover. 


816  OBDEEICUS   VITALIS.  [S.n.  CH.XVIIL 

prayed  the  Lord  to  give  them  water.  When  Ids  prayer  was 
ended,  he  saw  a  lamb  standing  on  a  hill,  and  gently  struck 
with  a  short  rod  the  spot  which  the  lamb  had  pointed  out,  by 
lifting  its  foot ;  whereupon  a  fountain  burst  forth  supplied 
by  copious  springs,  ai\d  speedily  forming  a  river.  This  being 
mown,  the  whole  province  flocked  together,  and  great 
numbers  listened  to  the  teaching  of  St.  Clemens,  so  that  in 
one  day  five  hundred  souls,  or  more,  were  baptized ;  and  in 
less  than  a  year  seventy-five  churches  were  erected,  the  idols 
being  demolished  by  the  believers. 

After  three  years,  a  malicious  accusation  was  forwarded  to 
Traian  at  the  instance  of  the  pagans ;  and  he  sent  the  tribune, 
Aundius,  who  put  to  death  many  Christians  by  various  kinds 
of  suffering.  After  this  general  massacre  he  ordered  Clemens 
to  be  embarked  alone  on  the  sea,  and  thrown  into  the  wares 
with  an  anchor  attached  to  his  neck.  While  this  was  doing, 
Phaebus  and  Cornelius,  with  a  crowd  of  Christians,  stood  on 
the  shore  praying,  with  floods  of  tears,  when  the  sea  receded 
for  almost  three  miles  from  the  shore,  and  people  walking  on 
the  dry  land  saw  a  strange  spectacle.  For  they  found  a 
small  building,  having  the  appearance  of  a  marble  chapel, 
built  by  angelic  hands,  and  the  body  of  St.  Clemens  deposited 
therein  in  a  stone  coflGoi  by  the  ministry  of  angels,  with  the 
anchor  by  which  the  body  had  been  sunk  laid  near.  It  was 
revealed  to  the  disciples  that  they  should  not  remove  the 
body,  as,  on  the  recurrence  of  the  anniversary  of  St. 
Clemens'  martyrdom,  the  sea  would  again  recede,  and  for 
seven  days  permit  approach  to  the  tomb.  Many  miracles 
were  wrought  there,  and  all  the  heathen  in  the  neighbourhood 
believed  in  Christ,  and  became  servants  of  Him  who  liveth 
and  reigneth  for  ever  and  ever.    Amen.* 

By  a  constitution  of  Clemens' s,  the  altar-cloth,  the  chair, 
and  the  candelabrum,  were  to  be  burnt  when  they  became 
worn  out. 

Anaoletits,*  a  Greek,  of  Athens,  filled  the  see  nine  years 
two  months,  ten  days ;  and  on  his  death  the  third  of  the 
ides  [13th]  July,  it  was  vacant  sixteen  days.     By  a  decree  of 

^  The  details  respecting  St.  Clemens  contained  in  this  and  the  preceding 
paragraph,  are  altogether  apocryphal. 

*  See  the  note  in  p.  314,  which  describes  Pope  Anaclete  as  the  same  as 
Cletus. 


A.D.  100 — ]27.]  EYABISTUS— SIXTUS.  317 

his  no  accusation  was  to  be  received  against  a,  priest,  except 
it  were  preferred  by  men  of  character  and  probity,  above 
suspicion. 

ETABiSTrs,  a  Jew,  of  Bethlehem,  whose  father's  name  was 
Juda,  filled  the  see  nine  years,  ten  months,  two  days,  in  the 
reigns  of  Domitian,  JSTerva,  and  Trajan.*  After  his 
martyrdom  the  see  was  vacant  eighteen  days.  Evaristus 
appointed  seven  deacons  to  attend  the  bishop  during  his 
preaching,  to  be  witnesses  of  his  doctrine,'  and  to  supply  the 
place  of  eyes  in.  his  superintendence  of  all  parts  of  his  diocese. 
He  also  decreed  that  a  man  should  not  divorce  his  wife,  or 
the  wife  leave  her  husband ;  and  that  no  church  should  have 
a  new  bishop  while  the  former  was  alive. 

Alexakdeb  was  bom  at  Eome,  in  the  quarter  of  the  Bull's 
Head,  his  father's  name  being  also  Alexander.  He  filled  the 
see  ten  years,  seven  months,  eleven  days.  He  introduced 
the  custom  of  blessing  houses,  by  sprinkling  holy  water  in 
which  salt  was  mixed ;  as  well  as  the  reference  to  our  Lord's 
passion,  in  the  prayer  used  by  the  priest  in  celebrating  mass. 
The  Lord  wrought  many  miracles,  and  brought  salvation  to 
many  souls  bv  his  instrumentality.  At  length  he  was 
beheaded  on  the  Nomentan  way,  on  the  fifth  of  the  nones 
[3rd]  May,  and  the  see  was  vacant  thirty-five  days. 

SixTUS,  bom  at  Eome  in  the  Latin  Street  [vid  Latind] 
whose  father's  name  was  Pastor,  sat  ten  years,  two  months, 
one  day.    He  decreed  that  none  but  persons  in  orders  should. 

firesume  to  touch  holy  things.  He  also  introduced  into  the 
canon  of  the]  mass,  the  hymn  of  angels  and  men,  to  be  sung' 
by  the  priests  in  the  presence  of  the  people :  "  Hdly,  holy, 
holy.  Lord  Q-od  of  sabaoth.  Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of 
thy  glory:  hosanna  in  the  highest.  Blessed  is  he  that 
Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord :  hosanna  in  the  highest." 
Sixtus  ordained  that  the  character,  truthfulness,  life,  and 

^  Our  author  commits  a  great  anachronism  in  placing  a  part  of  the* 
pontificate  of  St  Evaristus  (who  died  a.d.  109)  under  the  reigns  of 
Domitian  and  Nerva,  the  last  of  whom  died  in  the  month  of  January,  98. 

'  This  passage  is  very  obscure.  The  text  runs,  qui  eustodirent  eptsco- 
pum  pradicantem  per  atilum  veritatis,  "by  the  pen  of  truth."  The 
ecclesiastical  historians  paraphrase  it,  somewhat  as  is  here  done,  with 
the  gloss,  •'  lest  the  bishop's  detractors  should  attribute  to  him  errors  in  his 
preaching,  which  he  had  not  committed  ;"  a  curious  instance  of  the  use  of 
what  we  cali  shorthand- writers  in  very  early  times. 


818  0BDXBICU8  TITAUB.  [b.II.  CH.XYm. 

conversation  of  any  one  who  brought  forward  charges  againrt 
the  clergy,  should  be  narrowly  scrutinized,  and  that  no 
attention  should  be  paid  to  such  as  were  ignorant  of  the  trod 
faith,  whose  lives  were  irregular,  or  who  came  from  lie 
houses  of  Christ's  enemies.  At  length  he  suffered  martyrdom 
on  the  nones  [5th]  of  April,  and  at  his  death  the  bishopric 
was  vacant  fourteen  days. 

Telesphobus,  a  Greek,  held  the  see  eleven  years,  three 
months,  twenty-one  days,  in  the  time  of  Antonine  and 
Marcus  Aureliusi  This  pope  ordained  that  the  fast  hefotB 
Easter  should  last  seven  weeks,  and  the  midnight  mass  at  the 
feast  of  the  Nativity,  and  introduced  the  hymn  of  the  an£;elfl, 
that  is  the  "  Gloria  in  excelsis,'*  as  the  commencement  of  the 
holy  office.  He  was  at  lens^th  martyred  on  the  nones  [5th] 
of  January.    The  see  was  then  vacant  for  seven  days.* 

Hygikus,  an  Athenian,  who  had  been  a  philosopher,  held 
the  bishopric  four  years,  three  months,  four  days,  in  the 
time  of  Verus  and  Marcus.  He  forbade  metropolitans  to  hear 
causes  in  the  absence  of  all  the  bishops  of  tneir  provinces; 
and  bishops  without  the  assistance  of  their  clergjr ;  otherwise 
the  decisions  of  both  should  be  void.  This  pope  was 
interred  on  the  third  of  the  ides  [11th]  of  January,  and  the 
see  was  void  three  days.* 

Pius,  an  Italian,  bom  at  Aquileia,  filled  the  see  nineteen 
years,  four  months,  three  days,  in  the  time  of  Antoninus 
Pius.     From  the  teaching  of  an  angel  in  guise  of  a  shepherd,' 

^  A.D.  127 — 139.  Our.  author  here  commits  two  mistakes.  Hemakei 
the  popedom  of  St.  Telesphorus  continue  to  the  reign  of  Marcus  AureliuSy 
though  it  did  not  exceed  the  first  year  of  Antoninue  Plus;  and  he  attribatei 
to  him  the  addition  of  a  seventh  week  to  the  Lent  fast,  while  there  woe 
only  six  as  late  as  the  time  of  Gregory  the  Great.  The  other  innovatioBt 
attributed  to  him  may  not  be  better  founded. 

'  A.D.  139 — 142.  Our  author  again  makes  a  grare  mistake  in  placing 
this  popedom  under  the  reign  of  Marcus  Aurelius,  and  still  more  of  Yenis^ 
who  was  not  associated  in  the  empire  till  161,  though  Marcus  Aurelius 
was  created  Csesar  in  139.  The  apostolical  constitutions  attributed  to 
Hyginus  are  generally  supposed  to  have  been  a  compilation  of  much  later 
date. 

'  A.D.  142 — 157.  This  obscure  paragraph  is  an  imperfect  extract  from 
Bede.  It  has  been  already  remarked,  p.  90,  that  the  book  called  The 
Paitor,  directly  mentioned  by  Bede  in  this  place,  was  written  by  Hennas, 
the  disciple  of  the  apostles,  and  not  by  the  pretended  St.  Hermes,  said  to 
have  been  brother  of  Pope  Pius  I.  I^  however^  contains  nothing  lelative 
to  the  time  of  keeping  £aste& 


-    A.D.  142 — ^218.]  PIUS — CALIXTUS.  31& 

he  decreed  that  the  feast  of  Easter  should  be  observed  on  a 
:  Sunday.  He  died  on  the  fifth  of  the  ides  [11th]  of  July,  and 
~  the  bishopric  was  vacant  fourteen  days. 

AiaoETrs,  a  Syrian,  sat  eleven  years,  four  months,  three 
,  days,  in  the  time  of  Severus  and  Marcus.  He  decreed  that 
.  tlie  clergy  should  cut  their  hair;  that  no  less  than  three 
bishops  should  be  present  at  the  ordination  of  a  bishop; 
and  that  a  metropolitan  should  be  consecrated  by  his 
suffi*agans.  He  suffered  martyrdom  on  the  twelfth  of  the 
calends  of  May  [20th  April].  The  bishopric  was  vacant 
iseventeen  days.* 

SoTBB,  who  was  born  at  Eondi,  a  town  in  Campania,  and 
whose  father's  name  was  Concordius,  filled  the  see  of  Some 
-  nine  years,  seven  months,  twenty-one  days,  in  the  time  of 
Severus.  He  died  on  the  fifteenth  of  the  calends  of  May 
[17th  April],  and  the  bishopric  was  vacant  twenty-one  days.* 
ELErTHBEius,  a  Greek,  whose  father's  name  was  Abun- 
dius,  filled  the  see  fifteen  years,  three  months,  in  the  times 
of  Antonine  and  Caracalla.  This  pope  decreed  that  no  one 
should  be  condemned  in  his  absence,  or  the  accusation  of  an 
informer  be  heard  against  him :  also,  that  no  food  should  be 
r^ected  by  Christians,  which  was  fit  in  reason  for  human  use. 
He  died  on  the  seventh  of  the  calends  of  June  [26th  May], 
and  the  episcopal  see  was  in  abeyance  five  days.' 

ViCTOB,  an  African,  filled  the  see  ten  years,  eleven 
months,  ten  days  :  he  received  the  crown  of  martyrdom  on 
the  calends  of  August ;  and  the  bishopric  was  void  twelve 
days.  He  decreed  that  no  one  should  be  placed  on  his  de- 
fence upon  loose  charges.  * 

ZEPHYBiims,  bom  at  Eome,  sat  eight  years,  seven 
months,  and  ten  days,  in  the  time  of  Antoninus  and  Severus, 
He  was  interred  on  the  Appian  Way  on  the  seventh  of  the 
calends  of  September  [26th  August],  and  the  see  was  vacant 
seven  days.  A  constitution  of  his  ordained  that  a  clerk 
unjustly  expelled  should  be  provisionally  restored  to  his 
benefice,  and  then  should  make  answer  to  those  who  ac- 

»  A.D.  157—168. 

*  A.D.  168 — 177.    This  pope  could  not  have  been  contemporaij  ^th 
Septimus  Severus,  whose  reign  did  not  begin  till  193. 

■  A.D.  177—193. 

*  A.D.  133—202. 


320  OBDEBICTJS  TTPALIS.  [b.H.  CH.ITin. 

cused  bim,  according  to  law,  being  allowed  sufficient  time, 
if  he  required  it.* 

Calixtus,  a  Eoinan,  from  the  province  of  Baveniu^ 
filled  the  see  seven  vears,  two  months,  and  ten  days,  under 
Macrinufl  and  Hehogabalus.  According  to  a  decision  of 
his,  the  bishops  were  not  to  judge  or  excommunicate  those 
who  belonged  to  another  diocese ;  no  one  being  subject  to 
trial  or  sentence  by  any  other  bishop  than  his  own.  He 
determined  that  a  man  who  had  lapsed  into  sin  should  be 
restored  to  his  former  office,  after  undergoing  fitting  pen- 
ance, and  if  he  held  no  office  before  was  capable  of  receiving 
an  appointment.  He  ordered  the  Saturday's  fast  to  be 
observed  three  times  a  year,  of  com,  wine,  and  oil,  according 
to  the  prophecy  the  fourth,  the  seventh,  and  the  t^th. 
At  last  he  was  martyred  on  the  third  of  the  ides  [14th]  rf 
October,  under  the  emperor  Alexander,  and  the  see  wae 
void  six  days.  At  that  time  Calepodius  the  priest,  with 
Astirius  and  Falmatius,  consular  men,  and  two  hundred  of 
their  familes,  suffered  martyrdom.' 

Ueban,  a  Eoman,  sat  four  years,  ten  months,  and  twelve 
days.  He  decreed  that  all  the  faithful  should  receive  tiie 
Holy  Q-host  by  the  imposition  of  the  bishop's  hands,  after 
baptism,  for  their  confirmation  in  the  Christian  faith.  In 
his  time  Tiburcius,  Valerian,  Maximus,  and  Cecilia,  suffered 
martyrdom,  and  he  himself  on  the  eighth  of  the  ides  of 
June  [6th  May].' 

PoKTiAN,  a  Eoman,  filled  the  see  nine  years,  five  months, 
and  two  days,  in  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Alexander,  by 
whom  he  was  banished  to  Sardinia  with  the  priest  Hyppo- 
litus.  He  died  on  the  third  of  the  calends  of  November 
[30th  October],  and  the  bishopric  was  vacant  ten  days.* 

'  AD.  202—218. 

*  A.D.  219 — 222.  No  such  person  as  Palmathis  is  known  to  hate 
existed.  If  we  believe  the  martyrologies,  there  was  no  reign  in  which  so 
much  Christian  blood  was  shed  as  that  of  Alexander  Severus,  while,  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  certain  that  the  church  then  enjoyed  perfect  tranquillity. 

'  A.D.  223 — 230.  It  would  appear  that  this  pope  has  been  placed  on 
the  list  of  martyrs  by  mistake  for  Another  St  Urban,  a  bishop.  As  for  the 
other  saints  named  in  this  paragraph,  St  Cecilia  is  the  only  one  whdM 
worship  is  too  old  and  too  authentic  to  leave  any  doubt  as  to  her  existence; 
but  her  acts  are  apocryphal,  and  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  she 
suffered  martyrdom  in  Sicily  in  the  time  of  Marcus  Aurelius 

*  A.a  230--235.    It  was  not  by  Alexander  Severus,  but  by  the  cmei 


A.D.  235 — 253.]  ANTHEEOS — LUCIUS.  821 

Aothebos,  a  Greek,  sat  twelve  years,  one  montli,  twelve ' 
days.     He  suffered  martyrdom  on  the  third  of  the  nones 
[3rd]  of  January,  and  the  see  was  void  thirteen  days.* 

Fabian,  a  Eoman,  sat  fourteen  years,  eleven  months. 
Among  other  judgments  of  his,  the  following  is  recorded : 
'^  No  account  is  to  be  taken  of  an  accusation  made  by  a  man 
in  a  passion.  Let  him  who  brings  forward  a  charge  prove 
ity  and  if  he  fails  let  him  suffer  the  punishment  he  would 
have  had  inflicted  on  another."  This  pope  suffered  martyr- 
dom on  the  fourteenth  of  the  calends  of  February  [19th 
January],  and  the  bishopric  was  in  abeyance  seven  aays.* 

CoBNELius,  a  Eroman,  sat  two  vears,  two  months,  and 
three  days.'  This  pope  disinterred  the  apostles'  remains 
by  night,  at  the  request  of  St.  Lueina.  He  deposited 
the  body  of  St.  Paul  on  the  road  to  Ostia,  and  that  of 
St.  Peter  in  the  temple  of  Apollo  on  the  golden  mount  at 
the  Vatican.*  Cornelius  was  exiled  to  Centum  Cellae  in  the 
reign  of  Decius,  but  was  afterwards  brought  back  to  Eome, 
where  he  made  many  conversions,  and  was  beheaded  on  the 
eighteenth  of  the  calends  of  October  [14  September], 
when  the  bishopric  became  vacant  for  thirty-five  days. 
This  pope  determined  that  priests  should  take  oaths  only 
by  pled^g  their  faith.* 

Lucius,  a  Eoman,  filled  the  see  three  years,  three  months, 
three  days,  in  the  time  of  Gbllus  and  Volusianus.  By 
Gt>d's  will  he  returned  from  banishment  and  was  beheaded 

Maximin,  his  successor,  and  consequently  after  the  month  of  March,  235, 
that  St.  Pontian  was  bmiisfaed  to  Skurdinia. 
1  Norember  23, 235— January  3,  236. 

*  A.D.  236--250. 

»  June  4, 251— September  14, 252. 

*  Some  remarks  have  been  already  made  (p.  96)  on  the  translation  of 
the  relics  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  attributed  to  St.  Cornelius.  It  is  certain 
that  they  were  deponted,  the  one  at  the  Vatican,  the  other  ad  aquas 
Salvitu^  long  before  his  time.  To  complete  the  details  already  given 
•especting  these  relics,  it  should  be  added  that  the  report  is  that  they  were 
:ollected  and  weighed  by  Pope  St.  Silrester  in  319,  and  then  distributed 
n  equal  portions  between  the  two  churches  where  they  now  rest,  so  that 
>ach  should  possess  one  half  of  the  body  of  each  apostle.  See  Roma  Sub- 
erranea,  1.  iiL  c.  3,  p.  246. 

*  It  was  not  under  the  reign  of  Decius,  but  in  the  reign  of  GaUus,  that 
St.  Cornelius  was  banished  to  Centum  CelUs^  now  called  CSvita-Vecehia. 
Ele  is  supposed  to  have  died  there,  but  his  claim  to  be  ranked  as  a 
nartyr  is  doubtfUl, 

TOL.  I.  X 


322  ORDEEICUB  YITALI8.  [b.II.  CH.XTin. 

by  Valerian  the  third  of  the  nones  [5th]  of  ^larch  ;  the  aee 
was  void  thirty-five  days,  lie  ordained  that  two  priests  and 
three  deacons  should  on  all  occasions  be  present  with  the 
bishop  for  ecclesiastical  testimony.^ 

Stephek,  a  Eoman,  sat  seven  years,  five  months,  and 
two  days,  in  the  time  of  Valerian  and  G-allienus  [and  Maxi- 
mus].  He  restored  sight  to  Lucilla  who  was  blind  finom 
her  infancy,  and  baptized  her  father  IsTemesiua  the  tribune, 
with  seventy-two  others  of  both  sexes.  After  the  marty^ 
dom  of  Sempronius,  Olympius,  Exuperia,  and  Theodot'uF, 
with  twelve  priests,  among  whom  were  Bonus,  Faustus, 
Maurus,  Frimitius,  Calumniosus,  John,  Exuperantius,  Quiril- 
lus  and  Honoratus,  who  suffered  martyrdom  before  him  on  the 
calends  [1st]  of  August,  he  himself,  having  said  mas8,was  be- 
headed on  the  fourth  of  the  nones  [2nd]  of  August,  and  the 
bishopric  was  void  twenty-seven  days.  He  ordained  that  in- 
famous persons  should  not  be  allowed  to  accuse  priests,  and 
that  priests  and  the  rest  of  the  clergy  should  not  have  their 
sacred  vestments  in  daily  use,  but  in  the  church  only.' 

SiXTUS,  a  Greek,  formerly  a  philosopher,  sat  one  year, 
ten  months,  twenty-three  days,  in  the  time  of  Ghdlienus  and 
Decius.  He  made  a  law  that  whoever  should  despise  his 
own  judge  and  resort  to  another  should  be  excommunicated. 
At  length  he  was  beheaded  on  the  eighth  of  the  ides  [6th] 
of  August  with  six  deacons — Felicissimus,  Agapitus,  Jana- 
arius,  Magnus,  Vincent,  and  Stephen.  The  see  was  void 
thirty-five  days.  At  that  time  Laurence,  the  archdeacon, 
and  Hippolitus  with  his  family,  and  Abelon  and  Seniles^ 
petty  kings  of  Persia,  and  many  others,  suffered  martyrdom 
in  various  ways.^ 

DiOKYsius,  who  had  been  a  monk,  filled  the  see  six  years, 
two  months,  and  four  days.    This  pope  granted  churches  to 

1  September  25,  252— March  4,  253.  It  is  unjust  to  attribute  the 
death  of  St.  Lucius  to  Valerian,  who  did  not  ascend  the  throne  till  the 
following  year,  and  only  began  to  persecute  the  Christians  in  256. 

'  A.D.  253— -257.  It  is  probable  that  the  Mazimus  here  named  «tf 
Galerius  Maximus,  pro-consul  of  Africa,  who  eaused  Cypiian  to  be  beheaded 
in  258.  All  the  persons  and  facts  mentioned  in  this  paragraph  appear  to 
be  apocryphal,  not  excepting  the  martyrdom  of  St.  Stephen  himself. 

'  August  24, 257 — August  6,  258.  Our  author  has  confused  this  pope 
with  a  Pythagorean  philosopher  of  the  same  name.  He  was  conteiD|Kiiii' 
neons  with  Valerian  and  Galltenus^  not  (vallienus  and  Deciua. 


A.D.  2G9— 30i.]      rjsLix — maboellinds.  323 

the  priests,  and  founded  cemeteries,  parishes,  and  dioceses. 
He  suffered  martyrdom  on  the  sixth  of  the  calends  of  Janu- 
ary [27th  December],  and  the  bishopric  was  in  abeyance  five 
days.  He  decreed  that "  A  forced  confession  is  not  to  be  ac- 
cepted, for  it  ought  not  to  be  extorted,  but  made  voluntarily."* 

Felix,  a  Roman,  sat  four  years,  three  months,  twenty- 
five  days,  in  the  time  of  Claudius  and  Aurelian.  He  was 
crowned  with  martyrdom  on  the  third  of  the  calends  of  June 
[30th  May],  and  the  see  was  void  five  days.  He  decreed 
that  a  bishop  could  not  be  deprived  of  his  bishopric  before 
his  cause  was  heard.' 

Etjttohian,  a  Tuscan  of  the  town  of  Luna,  filled  the  see 
one  year,  one  month,  one  day,  in  the  time  of  Aurelian.  He 
died  on  the  sixth  of  the  calends  of  August  [27th  July],  and 
the  bishopric  was  vacant  eight  days.' 

Caius,  a  Dalmatian,  sat  eleven  years,  four  months,  twelve 
days,  in  the  time  of  Carinus,  Diocletian,  and  Constantius. 
This  pope  divided  the  clerks  in  orders  into  seven  ranks ; 
viz.,  porters,  readers,  exorcists,  subdeacons,  deacons,  and 
priests.  He  suffered  martyrdom  on  the  tenth  of  the  calends 
of  May  [22nd  April],  and  the  see  was  vacant  eleven  days.* 

Mabcellh^its,  a  Roman,  held  the  see  nine  years,  four 
months,  sixteen  days,  in  the  time  of  Diocletian  and  Maxi- 
mian.  By  a  decree  of  his,  superiors  were  not  subject  to  the 
judgments  of  inferiors,  and  no  laic  was  suffered  to  accuse  a 
clergyman.  None  of  the  clergy  of  whatever  rank  were 
allowed  to  sue  any  one  in  the  secular  courts,  without  the 
bishop's  leave.  This  pope  suffered  martyrdom  on  the 
seventh  of  the  calends  of  Mav  [25th  April].  Eighteen 
thousand  persons  were  slain  with  him  for  the  faith  of  Christ 
in  thirty  days;   so  grievous  was  the  persecution  of  the 

^  A.D.  July  22,  259— December  26,  269.  All  that  our  author  relates  of 
this  pope  is  without  foundation,  including  his  martyrdom. 

'  A.D.  269 — 274.  The  martyrdom  of  this  pope,  without  being  quite 
certain,  is  more  probable  than  that  of  his  predecessor. 

'  A.D.  275 — 283.  Our  author  has  greatly  mistaken  the  duration  of  the 
popedom  of  St.  Eutychian,  who  was  not  only  contemporary  with  Aurelian, 
but  with  Tacitus,  Probus,  and  Carus. 

*  A.D.  283 — ^296.  It  is  doubtful  whether  this  pope  suffered  martyrdom, 
and  there  is  no  foundation  for  the  assertion  that  he  instituted  the  seven 
orders  of  the  clergy. 

t2 


\ 


824  OBDEBICITfl  TITALIS.  [d.II.  CH.X>'UI. 

Chnstians,  that  the  bishopric  remained  void  for  seTen  years, 
seven  months,  and  twenty-five  days.* 

MAitCELLrs,  a  Boman  of  the  Via  ZatOy  sat  ten  yean, 
seven  months,  and  twenty-one  days,  in  the  time  of  majeBr 
tiulB  and  Maximin.  He  was  condemned  by  the  tyrant  to 
groom  horses  in  a  stable,  and  died  at  length  on  the  seven- 
teenth of  the  calends  of  February  [10^  January].  The 
see  was  vacant  twenty  days.' 

EusEBiTTS,  a  Greek,  who  was  formerly  %  physidan,  bA 
six  years,  one  month,  a^d  three  days,  in  the  tune  of  Gob- 
stantine.  He  died  on  the  sixth  of  the  nones  [2nd]  of 
October,  and  the  see  was  void  seven  days.  In  his  time  tbe 
cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  found  on  the  fift^  of  tiie 
nones  [3rd]  of  May,  and  Judas  Ovriacus  was  baptised.^ 

Melchiades,  an  African,  filled  the  see  four  yeaars.  Be 
forbade  the  faithfol  to  fast  on  Sundays  and  Thxmdays, 
according  to  pagan  rites.  He  was  interred  in  the  cemt' 
tery  of  Calixtus,  on  the  Appian  Way,  on  the  fourth  of  ikB 
ides  [lOth]  of  December,  and  the  see  was  void  sizteoi 
days.* 

SiLYESTEB,  a  Boman,  whos^  :&ther's  n26nc  was  lUifiniiB, 
and  his  mother's  Justa,  was  lashop  of  Borne  twenty-three 
yeiu*s,  ten  months,  eleven  da^s.*^  He  was  educated  at  Borne 
by  Cyrinus  the  priest,  and  imitating  his  life  and  conveisa* 
tion,  reached  the  highest  point  of  ChristiiEffi  perfection. 
From  his  youth  he  was  given  to  hospitality  and  other  good 
works.  At  that  time  he  entertained  Tunothetis  on  hie 
coming;  from  Antioch  to  Bome,  and  seconded  his  'eS&t^ 
in  publicly  preaching  Christ.  Eifbeen  months  afberwardS) 
when  Timotheus  was  put  to  death  for  the  teith  by  5^ 
quin,  prefect  of  the  city,  Silvester  conveyed  the  body  rf 

^  A.D.  296 — 304.  The  preceding  observations  may  be  applied  te  the 
martyrdom  and  decrees  of  Marcellinus.  The  number  of  the  matlTnirlw 
perished  in  304  is  not  generally  reckoned  as  more  than  'sixteen  or  aeTeD* 
teen  thousand.  The  holy  see  was  vacant,  not  seven,  but  three  yean  and  a 
halC 

'  May  19,  308— January  16,  310.  (The  degradation  t>f  Maredlns  ii 
very  doubtful. 

'  A.D.  310.  The  discovery  of  the  true  cross  by  the  emptetB  Helena  wtf 
not  made  till  327.    Judas  Quiriacus,  or  Cyriacus,  is  an  imaghianr  peiaoi. 

*  July  2,  311— January  10  or  11,  314. 

B  January  31,  314— December  SI,  335. 


A.U.  314! — 335,]  POPE  9IIiYB^TEB.  225- 

the  martyr  bv  mghh.  tot  hh  Qwn  house,  where  he  assembled 
Melchiades  the  bishop,  with  the  holj  priests  and  deacons,  to 
perform  the  obsequies  of  the  martyr  for  Christ.  Timotheus 
was  thus  honourably  interred  in  th,e  garden  of  Theona,,  a 
Christian  matron,  near  the  tomb  of  St.  Paul.  But  Silvester 
was  arrested  by  order  of  Perpenna  Tarquin,  and  thrown  into 
prison  to.  be  tortured  on  the  morrow  as  a  conJfessor  of 
Christ.  Meanwhile,  however,  the  prefect,  while  at  dinner, 
was  choked  by  a  fish-bone  in  his  throat,  and  Silyester  was 
joyously  released  Irom  prison,  while  his  persecutor  was  car^ 
ried  with  mourning  to  the  grave.  Silvester  Was  thirty 
years  old  when  he  was  ordained  deacon,  and  soon  afterwards, 
at  the  entreaty  of  all  the  people,  he  was  ordained  priest  by 
Melchiades  the  holy  bishop.  On  his  death,  Silvester  was 
unanimously  elected  pope.  He  was  illustrious  for  his  virtues, 
and  the  merit  of  his  sanctity  procured  for  him  the  esteem 
of  all  men. 

An  enormous  dragon  appeared  on  the  Tarpeian  mount,  on 
which  the  Capitol  stands,  ^d  the  magicians  with  the  sacri- 
legious virgins,  resorted  to  it  once  a  month,  with  sacrifices, 
and  ofierings,  descending  three  hundred  and  forty-five  steps, 
as  if  they  were  going  to  the  infernal  regions.  The  dragon 
rose  suddenly,  and  though  he  did  not  go  forth,  his  breath  so 
poisoned  the  air  of  the  neighbourhood,  that  it  caused  a, 
great  mortality,  and  especially  there  was  much  lamentation 
for  the  death  of  childiren.  At  length,  the  heathen,  having 
entreated  Silvester's  help,,  he  ei\ioined  a  three-days'  fast  on 
the  Christians,  after  which,  as  he  had  been  instructed  in  a 
vision  by  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  he  descended  with  thrfe 
priests  and  two  deacons,  and  in  the  imght  of  Qod  chained 
up  the  dragon,  so  that  the  whole  city,  &om  that  day  and 
ever  afterwards,  delivered  from  its  pestiferous  breath,  gave 
thanks  to  G-od.  Many  of  the  Eomans  who  witiiessed  this, 
having  thus  escaped  the  plague  of  the  dragon,  and  believing 
in  Ckrist,  were  baptized. 

The  emperor  Constantine,  compelling  the  Christians  tq 
sacrifice  to  idols,  and  making  great  slaughter  among  those 
who  refused  to  worship  images,  Silvester  retired  from  the 
eity,  with  his  clergy,  and  concealed  himself  for  some  time  on 
Mount  Soracte,  devoted  to  fasting  and  prayer..  The  avenging 
band  of  God,  however,  struck  Constantine. with  elephantine 


826  OSDEBICUfl  YITALIB.  [b.TI.  CH.XYm. 

leprosy,  and  thus  checked  the  effusion  of  the  blood  of  his 
senrftnts.  The  emperor,  in  despair  at  such  a  calamity, 
inquired  anxiously  for  some  cure  for  his  disorder,  and  by 
the  abominable  counsel  of  the  priests  of  the  Capitol,  ordered 
a  crowd  of  infants,  to  the  number  of  three  thousand,  to  be 
massacred,  that  a  bath  might  be  prepared  of  their  blood,  in 
which,  plunging  while  it  was  yet  reeking,  he  was  told  his 
leprosy  would  be  cured.  But  when  Constantine  went  forth 
from  his  palace  to  the  baths,  and  perceiyed  crowds  of  women 
bitterly  bewailing  the  [threatened]  slaughter  of  their  child- 
ren ;  he  inquired  the  cause  of  such  great  lamentation,  and 
learning  the  fact,  was  dreadfully  shocked.  He  condemned 
such  sayage  cruelty,  and  extolling  the  humanity  of  the  Bo- 
man  government  in  a  long  and  eloquent  speech,  ordered  the 
children  to  be  restored  to  their  mothers  unharmed,  adding 
liberal  gifts,  with  provisions  and  carriages,  and  thus  sent 
them  away  to  their  nomes  rejoicing. 

The  night  following,  the  blessed  apostles  Peter  and  Faai 
appeared  to  him  in  a  vision,  and  admonished  by  them,  he 
recalled  Silvester  and  his  clersy,  and  heard  from  nis  mouth 
instruction  in  the  true  way  of  salvation,  and  truly  submitted 
to  him  in  all  things.  Then  the  pope  imposed  on  bimsdf 
and  the  whole  Christian  population  a  week's  fast,  at  the  eoi 
of  which,  on  Saturday  evenmg,  he  ordered  the  laver  of  sal- 
vation to  be  prepared  in  the  Lateran  palace,  and  consecrated 
it  according  to  the  ritual.  Constantme  was  then  baptized, 
and  while  a  bright  light  shone  round  for  nearly  half  an 
hour,  he  was  cleansed  of  his  leprosy,  and  confessed  that  he 
had  seen  Christ. 

By  command  of  the  emperor  Constantine,  a  council  d 
forty-four  bishops  was  assembled  at  Eome.  In  it  Pope 
Silvester  disputed  with  twelve  of  the  most  learned  Jews, 
overwhelming  them'by  Gtod's  help,  with  a  mass  of  powerful 
authorities.  He  contended  against  the  rabbins  Abiathar  and 
Joases,  that  the  Pather,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Q-host  are 
one  G-od.  Against  the  scribes  Gt)doliah  and  Anna,  he 
showed  clearly,  from  the  books  of  the  prophets,  that  Ghriat 
was  bom  of  a  virgin,  tempted  by  the  devil,  betrayed  by  a 
disciple,  arrested  by  his  enemies,  mocked  and  scourged; 
that  ne  drank  vinegar,  and  was  sold ;  that  his  garments  were 
divided  by  lot ;  that  he  was  nailed  to  the  cross,  dead,  and 


A.D.  314 — 335.]    LBGEIO)   OP  POPE   8ILTESTEB.  827 

buried.      Against  Bohet  and  Chusi,  masters,  and  Bonoin 
and  Arohel,  interpreters  of  the  law,  he  showed  the  vast 
benefits  arising  from  the  incarnation,  the  temptation,  and 
the  passion  of  Christ.     Against  the  pharisees  Jobal  and 
Thara,  it  was  authoritatively  maintained  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  perfect  Q-od  and  perfect  man,  who,  in  his  human  nature, 
was  tempted,  suffered,  and  died,  that  he  might  procure  the 
salvation  of  all  men;   but  the  divine  nature  wa«  exempt 
from  suffering,  as  the  light  which  shines  upon  a  tree,  when 
an  incision  is  made  bj  the  stroke  of  an  axe,  receives  no 
impression.    A  copious  argument  was  sustained  by  Seleon 
the  priest,  that  the  Son  of  God  is  rightly  called  the  Lamb 
without  spot,  because  he  was  slain  for  the  offences  of  the 
whole  people.     He  was  born  of  the  virgin,  that  we  may  be 
horn  of  our  virgin  mother  the  church.     He  was  thrice 
tempted,  that  he  might  deliver  us  from  the  like  temptation  ;• 
taken,  that  we  may  be  set  free;  bound,  that  we  may  be 
liberated  from  the  bonds  of  the  curse ;   mocked,  that  he 
might  deliver  us  from  the  illusions  of  the  demons;  sold, 
that  he  might  redeem  us;   humbled,  that  we  might  be 
exalted ;  a  captive,  that  he  might  deliver  us  out  of  captivity 
to  the  demons;  stripped,  that  the  nakedness  of  the  first 
man,  .by  which   death  entered  into  the  world,  might  be 
covered ;  crowned  with  thorns,  that  he  might  eradicate  from 
us  the  thorns  and  thistles  of  the  original  curse ;  having  gall 
for  meat,  and  vinegar  for  drink,  that  he  might  bring  us  into 
a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honejr ;  and  finally,  sacrificed 
on  the  altar  of  the  cross,  that  he  might  take  away  the  sins 
of  the  whole  world.      Here  the  cause  of  the  devil  failed, 
who,  having  set  calf  against  calf,  and  goat  against  goat, 
could  not  find  a  lamb  to  set  against  the  Lamb  without  spot. 
Our  King  died,  that  he  might  subdue  the  power  of  death ; 
he  was  buried,  that  he  might  consecrate  the  tombs  of  the 
saints ;  he  rose  again,  that  he  might  give  life  to  the  dead ;  he 
ascended  into  heaven,  that  he  might  not  only  restore  to  man 
the  paradise  he  has  lost,  but  might  also  open  to  him  the 
gates  of  heaven.     He  now  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father,  that  he  may  grant  the  prayers  of  believers ;  and  he 
will  come  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead,  that  he  may 
render  unto  every  one  according  to  his  works.     This  is  th© 
true  faith  of  Christians. 


328  0&DXRICU8  TITALIB.      '     [X.II.  CH.XTIIL 

When  Silvester  had  argued  these  and  many  other  matters 
with  mat  force,  and  Sele<Mi,  in  the  ailenoe  of  the  other 
Jews,  nad  commended  the  statements  of  the  pope,  Zambri 
the  twelfth,  who  was  a  Teiy  skilful  magician,  put  himself 
forward  in  opposition.  This  man  chose  to  contexiay  not  with 
the  authentic  words  of  scripture,  hot  with  magic  arta,  de- 
manding that  a  mad  bull  should  be  brought  to  him  in  the 
presence  of  them  all.  The  pope  and  the  emperor  asaentiiii^ 
presently  the  bull  of  Terence,  who  was  so  fierce  that  a  hoii' 
dred  stout  soldiers  could  hardly  hold  him,  was  brought  in; 
And  upon  Zambri's  whispering  something  secretly  into  ite 
ear,  the  wretched  animal  groaned,  and  its  eyes  leaping  from 
their  sockets,  instantly  expired.  Upon  this,  the  crowd  of 
Jews  began  to  insult'  Silvester,  and  for  nearly  two  hours 
there  was  a  violent  tumult.  The  emperor,  havmg  at  length 
enforced  silence,  Silvester,  advancmg  to  the  wingyr*^^ 
demanded  whether  he  could  restore  to  life,  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  the  bull  which  he  bad  just  put  to  deatbu  This 
Zambri  was  unable  to  do,  but  he  declared  loudly  aaid  swocs, 
by  the  life  of  the  emperor,  that  if  Silvester  would  recover 
the  bull  from  death,  all  the  Jews  would  renounce  the  law  of 
Moses,  and  embrace  the  religion  of  Christ.  Hearing  this, 
'the  holy  pontiff  spread  out  his  hands,  and  prayed  for  some 
time  in  tears,  and  on  bended  knees.  His  prayers  heing 
ended,  he  drew  near  to  the  bull,  and  cried  with  a  loud  vaioe: 
*'  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  was  crucified  by  the  Jem 
imder  Pontius  Pilate,  rise  up,  and  stand  quickly."  The 
animal  immediately  arose,  and  the  holy  bishop,  naving  set 
free  its  horns  from  the  bonds,  "  Go  peaceably,"  he  said,  "to 
the  herd  to  which  you  belong."  And  the  bull  immediatdy 
returned  to  the  herd  with  all  gentleness.  Then  all  the  Jews 
threw  themselves  at  the  feet  of  Silvester,  and  entreated  that 
thgr  might  be  regenerated  by  the  water  of  baptism. 

Helena,  herself,  the  emperor's  mother,  appeared  in  public 
without  reserve,  kissing  the  feet  of  the  pope  in  the  sight  of 
all,  and  begging  him  to  assign  her  a  place  of  penance.  At 
the  same  moment,  many  demons  came  out  of  the  bodies 
they  had  taken  possession  of,  confessing  that  they  w^^ 
compelled  to  depart  by  the  commands  of  St.  Silvester. 

In  the  disputation  between  the  Jews  and  Christia^is, 
which  has  been  already  mentioned,  the  empei'or  and  ^eq^j^Q 


A.D.  335.]         SILY£ST£Il'S  D£OBE£S  AJSTD  DEATH.  329 

appointed  Zenophilus  and  Crato  censors  and  umpires,  the 
one  being  a  Qreek  and  the  other  a  Latin.  Both  were  skil- 
ful orators,  me&  of  wit,  and  lovers  of  truth,  and  had  been  for 
a  long  time  held  in  the  highest  esteem  in  the  Boman  court, 
as  men  of  probity  and  contemners  of  ayarice.  Both  were 
heathens,  so  that  thej  might  favour  neither  party  on  aceount 
of  religions,  but  study  only  to  promote  justice,  neither 
Christians  nor  Jews  suspectmg  them  of  inclining  to  their 
side. 

On  the  triumph  of  the  Christian  cause  through  Silvester, 
many  gentiles  as  well  as  Jews  believed,  and  as  the 
controversy  was  held  in  the  beginning  of  the  iSrst  month, 
they  changed  their  names,  and  were  baptized  at  Easter. 
Prom  that  time  the  Lord's  name  began  to  be  magnified  by 
the  Eoman  people,  and  the  company  of  the  faithful 
throughout  the  world  to  be  strengthened,  and  greatly  exalted 
everywhere  by  the  power  of  GU)d. 

At  the  command  of  Constantino,  Silvester  assembled  a 
council  of  318  bishops  at  Nice,  in  Bithynia,  and  of  227  at 
Borne.  It  was  decreed  that  no  layman  should  prosecute  a 
charge  against  a  clerk,  and  that  the  oppressed  should  choose 
their  own  judges.  Deacons  were  to  wear  dalmatics,  and  to 
cover  their  right  arm  with  a  linen  napkin.  No  clerk  was  to 
proceed  in  the  civil  courts  for  any  cause  whatever,  nor  to 

?lead  before  any  judge  except  in  the  ecclesiastical  court, 
'be  sacrifice  of  the  mass  was  not  to  be  celebrated  with  a  silk 
or  coloured  altar-cloth,  but  with  one  of  linen  only,  as  it  is 
read  our  Lord's  body  was  so  wrapped  by  Joseph  at  his  burial. 
Whoever  wishes  to  become  a  soldier  of  the  church,  and  to 
rise  in  the  ranks,  he  must  be  a  reader  for  twenty  years,  an 
exorcist  for  thirty  days,  an  acolyte  five  years,  a  sub-deacon 
five  years,  a  deacon  seven  years,  a  priest  three  years ;  and 
afterwards,  if  he  be  worthy,  he  may  be  made  a  bishop. 
Silvester  died  at  last,  after  a  long  course  of  excellence,  on 
the  sixth  of  the  calends  of  January  [31st  December].*  The 
see  was  vacant  165  days. 

^  St.  Silvester's  feast  occurs  in  the  Roman  breviary  on  this  day.^  It 
need  hardly  be  remarked,  that  almost  all  our  author  has  said  of  him  is  of 
a  legendary  character.  It  does  not  appear  even  that  the  council  of  Nice 
was  convoked  by  the  pope;  and  his  great  age  not  allowing  him  to  be 
present,  he  was  represented  by  his  legates. 


830  *  0BDEBICU8   VITALI8.  [b.II.  CH.ITm. 

Majblel,  a  Eoman,  the  son  of  Priscus,  filled  tlie  see  two 
years,  seyen  months,  and  twenty  days.  He  founded  two 
churches,  one  in  the  cemetery  of  Balbina,  on  the  road  to 
Ardea,  where  he  was  buried,  and  the  other  in  the  city  of 
Borne,  near  the  Palatine  mount.  He  ordained  twenty-seyen 
bishops  to  different  sees,  and  died  on  the  nones  [7th]  of 
October,  and  the  bishopnc  was  Toid  twenty  days.^ 

Julius,  a  Eoman,  woose  fiithor*s  name  was  Busticus,  sat 
fifteen  years,  two  months,  seven  days.  He  suffered  much 
tribulation  in  the  time  of  Constantius  the  lieretic,  and  was 
ten  months  in  exile  for  the  Catholic  faith ;  but  after  the 
tyrant's  death  he  was  restored  with  honour  to  his  bishoprie. 
He  founded  two  churches,  and  three  cemeteries,  and 
consecrated  nine  bishops.  He  died  the  day  before  the  ides 
[12th]  of  April,  and  the  see  was  void  twenty-five  years.* 

LiBEBius,  a  Soman,  son  of  Augustus,  held  the  see  six  years, 
three  months,  four  days,  in  the  time  of  Constantius.  He 
was  three  years  in  exile  for  the  faith ;  but  afterwards,  joining 
the  party  of  the  Arians,  he  was  recalled  by  Ursatius  and 
Yalens,  the  heretical  priests,  and  violently  persecuted  the 
Catholics.  At  length  he  was  interred  on  the  seventh  of  the 
calends  of  May  [25th  April]  in  the  cemetery  of  P^iscilll^  on 
the  Salarian  Boad ;  and  the  see  was  void  six  days.' 

Felix,  a  Eoman,  whose  father's  name  was  AnastasLua,  sat 
one  year,  three  months,  three  days,  during  the  exile  of  Liberins. 
In  a  council  of  forty-eight  bishops  he  excommunicated  the 
emperor  Constance,  who  had  been  re-baptized  by  Eusebius, 
bishop  of  Nicomedia,  as  well  as  the  heretics,  Ursatius  and 

*  January  18 — October  7,336.  One  of  the  churches  built  by  Mark 
still  retains  the  name  of  St.  Balbina ;  the  other  bears  his  own  name.  The 
cemetery  of  St.  Balbina,  more  anciently  called  the  cemetery  of  St.  Fketes- 
tatus,  was  situated  between  the  Appian  and  Ardeatine  roads,  near  that 
of  St  Calistus,  with  which  it  had  a  communication. 

'  A.D.  337 — 352.  This  pope  was  neither  subject  to  the  banishment  nor 
the  tribulations  attributed  to  him.  The  western  church  enjoyed  prolcmn^ 
peace  during  his  popedom.  One  of  the  churches  he  built  stood  in  the 
Forum,  and  another  on  the  side  of  the  Flaminian  Way ;  Ids  three  ceme- 
teries along  the  Flaminian,  Aurelian,  and  Ostian  roads. 

*  May  22,  352— September  24,  366.  Liberius  was  banished  from  3o5 
to  358.  He  had  the  weakness  to  subscribe  tho  decrees  of  the  first  council 
of  Sirmich,  but  he  never  persecuted  the  Catholics,  and  returned  to  tbe 
orthodox  faith  in  359.  Our  author  is  mistaken  as  to  the  length  of  his  pope* 
dom  and  the  day  of  his  death,  but  not  as  to  the  place  of  his  interment 


366 — 384.]  POPE  DAMASUS.    V  831 

ens.  In  consequence,  lie  was  deposed  and  put  to  death 
;he  city  of  Corona/  on  the  third  of  the  ides  [11th]  of 
'-ember,  and  the  see  was  void  thirty-seven  days.  He 
secrated  nineteen  bishops;  and  his  days  count  ift  the 
copate  of  Liberius;  for  the  statutes  which  Liberius 
.e  Defore  his  banishment  have  force,  but  those  enacted 
r  his  return  are  void,  because  he  had  joined  the  heretics.' 
Uhasus,  a  native  of  Spain,  whose  father's  name  was 
hony,  filled  the  see  eighteen  years,  three  months,  eleven 
).  Ursinus  was  consecrated  in  opposition'  at  the  same 
;,  but  being  expelled  from  Eome  he  was  made  bishop  of 
>les.  Damasus  merits  great  praise  for  his  virtues.  He 
e  researches  for,  and  discovered,  many  remains  of  saints 
rhose  memory  he  composed  verses.  Being  maliciously 
Lsed  of  adultery  by  two  deacons,  Concordius  and  Calixtus, 
ras  acquitted  of  tne  charge,  and  his  accusers  condemned 
i  synod  of  forty-four  bishops.  He  ordered  the  psalms 
)e  sung  regularly  dav  and  night  in  the  churches,  and 
smitted  a  decree  to  that  effect  to  the  priests  and  bishops 
monasteries.  Damasus  had  a  great  regard  for  St.  Jerome 
interpreter  of  the  divine  law,  supporting  him  with  his 
dfical  authority,  and  encoiu*aging  nim  to  establish  the 
sense  of  the  scriptures.  He  ordained  sixty-two  bishops 
ifferent  cities.  He  was  buried  near  his  n^other,  in  the 
•ch  which  he  built  on  the  road  to  Ardea,  on  the  third  of 
ides  [11th]  of  December,  and  the  see  was  void  thirty- 
days.* 

There  was  a  city  of  this  name  in  the  Peloponnesut.  The  French 
ator,  however,  renders  it  Cortona,  which  was  in  Tuscany,  on  the 
m  of  Umbria,  a  more  probable  reading. 

^elix  having  been  substituted  for  Liberius  immediately  after  the 
timent  of  the  latter,  he  can  only  be  considered  an  anti-pope.  All  that 
ere  read  of  him  is  controverted,  except  the  council  he  convoked  in 
After  the  restoration  of  Liberius  Felix  retired  into  the  country,  and 
n365. 

ttib  intentione,  a  phrase  often  used  by  our  author  to  express  a  double 
9n,  or  one  in  opposition. 

.D.  366 — 384.  Baronius  has  collected  the  greatest  part  of  the  poems 
osed  by  Damasus  in  honour  of  the  saints.  The  council  of  forty-four 
ps  at  which  it  is  said  Pope  Damasus  cleared  himself  of  the  chaige  of 
ery,  being  then  eighty  years  of  age,  rests  on  the  authority  of  tho 
Jicahf  and  could  not  have  been  earlier  than  the  year  381.  The  part 
e  catacombs  where  he  was '  interred  was  near  the  cemetery  of  St 


332  OSDEBI0U8  yiTAJJs.        [b.h.  CH.XTm. 

SiBicius,  a  Eoman,  son  of  Tiburtius,  sat  fifteen  yean. 
He  made  nianj  useful  decrees,  which  he  pvomulgated 
throughout  the  world,  being  deeply  concerned  for  the  flock 
of  Christ.  He  consecrated  thirty-two  bishops  in  diffiareDt 
parts.  He  was  interred  in  the  cemetery  of  PrisciUa  on  the 
Saiarian  Eoad  on  the  eighth  of  the  calends  of  March  [22iid 
February],  and  the  bishopric  was  vacant  twenty  days.^ 

Anastasius,  a  Eoman,  son  of  Maximus,  sat  three  yean, 
and  ten  days.'  He  ordered  that  when  the  holy  gospel  m 
read  the  priests  should  not  sit,  but  stand  with  their  heads 
inclined.  He  forbade  that  any  foreign  clerk  should  be 
ordained  without  the  signature  of  his  own  bishop.  He 
built  the  Crescentian  church  in  the  second  region  of  the 
city  of  Borne,  and  consecrated  eleven  bishops.  He  was 
interred  in  his  own  cemetery  at  UrsipUatum'  the  fifth  oftiie 
calends  of  May  [27ih  April],  and  the  see  was  void  twenl7<* 
one  days. 

Innocent,  of  Albano,  whose  fiei>ther's  name  was  alio 
Innocent,  held  the  see  fifteen  years,  two  months,  twenty-iooe 
days.  He  made  a  great  number  of  decrees ;  he  discoveved 
and  banished  many  Montanists,^  and  condemned  the  herotics 
Pelagius  and  Cselestes.  Innocent  consecrated  the  church  in 
honour  of  the  holy  martyrs  Gervase  and  Protase>*  built  so* 
cording  to  the  will  of  an  illustrious  woman  named  Yestiiia; 

CalistuB,  on  the  Via  Ardea,  as  here  stated.  His  rernams  were  afterwards 
translated  to  the  church  he  built  near  the  theatre  of  Pompey»  and  which 
bears  the  strange  name  of  St  Laurent  in  Damato, 

^  A.D.  384 — 398.  We  owe  the  first  decretal  which  is  consdered 
authentic  to  this  pope.  The  epitaph  inscribed  on  hja  tomb  in  the  cemetery 
of  Priscilla  has  been  published  by  Gruter  and  Baronius. 

«  December  5,  498— April  27,  502. 

'  This  word  is  written  in  the  MS.  of  St.  'EytouM  ArtipUeahmi ;  the 
French  editor  says  it  should  be  read,  ad  Ursum  pihiUum ;  queij  nthsr 
pilatum  9  answering  to  our  '^  bear  and  ragged  staff/'  the  cogninunoe  of  the 
Beaucbamps,  earls  of  Warwick.  There  were  two  cemeteries  of  this  name 
near  Rome;  the  one  here  mentioned  is  situated  on  the  read  to  the 
episcopal  city  of  Ostia.  It  having  been  destroyed,  Pasoal  L  tnmsiated 
the  remains  of  his  predecessor  to  the  church  of  St.  F^idhui 

*  Kataphrygas,  The  Pontifical  of  Anastasius  is  the  ^oubtihl  aHthoifty 
on  which  rests  our  author's  statement  of  the  banishment  of  the  Montaniils 
by  Innocent. 

^  The  situation  of  this  church  is  unknown,  but  it  formed  a  title  of  ^ 
Roman  church  which  was  no  longer  in  .existence  in  the  time  of  Grtegoiy 
the  Great. 


A.D.  417—422.]         ZOSIMAS — ^BOKIFACB.  338 

and  be  honoured  it  with  many  gifts.  He  ordained  fifty- 
four  bishops.  He  ordered  a  fast  to  be  observed  on  Saturday, 
because  on  that  day  our  Lord  lay  in  the  sepulchre,  and  his 
disciples  fasted.  He  was  interred  in  the  cemetery  at 
Undpilatum  the  fifth  of  the  calends  of  August  [28th  July], 
and  the  see  was  Toid  twenty-two  days.^ 

ZosiMAS,  a  Gl-reek,  whose  other's  name  was  Abramius, 
gat  one  year,  three  months,  eleyen  days.'  He  made  many 
ecclesiastical  constitutions ;  amongst  others,  he  ordered 
deacons  to  have  the  left  arm  covered  with  Imen  napkins, 
and  that  candles  should  be  blessed  in  the  parishes.^  He 
consecrated  eight  bishops. 

BoKiFACE,  a  Boman,  whose  father  was  Jocundus,  a  priest, 
sat  three  years,  eight  months,  seven  days.**  He  was  conse- 
crated on  the  same  day  with  Eulalius,  in  opposition,  and  the 
schism  among  the  clergy  lasted  seven  months  and  fifteen 
days.  Eulalius  was  consecrated  in  the  church  of  Constan- 
tine,  and  Boniface  in  that  of  Julius ;  but  both  were  expelled 
by  the  authority  of  the  emperor  Honorius,  and  of  Valen- 
tdnian,  son  of  i^lacidia  Augusta.'^  At  the  approach  of 
faster,  Eulalius  entered  Some,  baptized  in  the  church  of 
Constantino,  and  celebrated  the  festival.  But  the  emperors, 
incensed  at  his  presumption,  banished  him  to  Campania,  and 
recalling  Boniface  to  Eome,  established  him  in  the  bishop- 
ric. He  made  a  decree  that  no  nun  or  woman  should  touch 
or  wash  the  holy  altar-cloth ;  and  that  no  one  but  one  of 
the  clergy  should  carry  incense  into  the  church.  No  slave, 
and  no  one  liable  to  any  office  in  the  courts,  or  in  other 
afi&irs,  could  receive  hol^  orders.*    Pope  Boniiace  founded 

»  A.D.  402—417. 

■  «  Zozimafl."    March  18,  417— December  26,  418. 

'  These  two  regulations  are  correctly  attributed  to  Pope  Zosimas. 

*  ±,T>,  418--422. 

'  Bona&ce  I.  was  consecrated  in  the  church  of  St.  Marcellus,  not  in  that 
of  Constantine,  now  called  St.  John  Lateran.  Honorius  at  first  fiivoured 
the  cause  of  Eulalius,  but  after  a  synod  held  at  Milan  both  the  pretenders 
were  forbidden  to  enter  Rome  untU  the  decision  of  a  council  convoked  at 
Spoleto  for  ihe  Idth  of  Jime  was  known.  £ulalius  disregarded  this  pro- 
hibition, but  as  he  was  driven  out  of  the  Lateran  church  and  expelled  the 
city  on  Holy  Thursday,  he  could  not  have  celebrated  Easter  there»  as  our 
author  states. 

'  The  two  constitutions  here  attributed  to  Pope  Boni&ce,  according  to 
the  PontifictUSf  are  of  very  questionable  authority. 


834  0&DEBICU8  TITJLLIB.  [b.U.  CH.XTin. 

an  oratory  in  the  cemetery  of  St.  Felicitas  the  martyr,  near 
her  tomb ;  and  ordained  bishops  in  thirty-six  different  places. 
At  last,  he  was  interred  near  the  body  of  St.  Felicitas,  on 
the  Salarian  road,  the  eighth  of  the  calends  of  Noyember 
[October  25].  The  bishopric  was  yacant  nine  days.  Then 
the  clergy  or  the  people  demanded  the  return  of  Enlalios, 
but  he  would  not  consent  to  return  to  Some.' 

Celestin,  a  Soman,  son  of  Prisons,  sat  eight  years,  ten 
months,  seyenteen  days.  He  made  many  good  decrees.  He 
ordered  that  some  of  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  psalms  of 
Bayid  should  be  chanted  by  a  double  choir  before  the  sacri* 
lice  of  the  mass ;  for  before,  only  an  epistle  of  St.  Paul  was 
read,  and  the  holy  gospel,  and  then  mass  was  said.  He  con- 
secrated forty-six  bishops.  He  was  buried  in  the  cemetery 
of  Priscilla,  on  the  fourth  of  the  ides  [lOth]  of  April,  and 
the  see  was  yoid  twenty-one  days.' 

SiXTUs,  a  Soman,  whose  father's  name  was  Xistus,  sat 
eight  years  and  nineteen  days.  Being  accused  by  a  man 
named  Bassus,  the  emperor  V  alentinian  assembled  a  council 
of  fifly-six  bishops,  by  whom  the  pope  was  a<;quitted,  and 
Bassus  condenmed.  The  latter  diea  within  three  months, 
and  his  body  was  interred  at  St.  Peter's  by  the  pope.  Pope 
Sixtus  added  many  ornaments  to  the  churches  of  the  saints, 
and  ordained  fifty-two  bishops.  He  was  interred  on  the 
road  to  Tibur,  in  a  crypt  near  the  body  of  St.  Lawrence;' 
and  the  see  was  void  twenty-two  days.* 

Leo  was  bom  in  Tuscany,  and  his  father's  name  was 
Quintian.  He  sat  twenty-one  years,  one  month,  thirteen 
days.*    He  assembled  at  Chalcedon,  with  the  concurrence 

^  It  is  incorrect  that  Eulalius  was  proposed  for  successor  to  Boniface; 
nothing  is  known  respecting  him  after  this  expulsion. 

«  September  10,  422— July  26,  432. 

'  Among  the  works  of  this  pope  are  reckoned  the  restoration  of  ike 
basilica  of  Liberius,  now  called  the  church  of  Sta.  Maria  Maggiore,  mi 
the  baptistery  of  St  John  Lateran.  He  was  interred,  as  here  stated,  by 
the  side  of  the  road  to  Tivoli,  in  a  cr  t  of  the  church  of  St.  Lawrence  «• 
agro  Verano. 

*  July  31,  432— August  18,  440.  Our  author  has  gathered  this  stwr 
of  the  charge  made  against  Sixtus  III.  from  the  Pontifical  of  Anastasiiii^ 
in  which  the  accuser  is  called  Bassus,  who  is  described  as  of  consular  rank. 
In  the  text  of  Ordericus  the  phrase  is  a  guodam  vassOf  ^bj  a  certsn 
Vassal." 

*  A.D.  440—451. 


A.D.  440 — 492.  ST.  LEO — ^TELIX  .II.  836 

of  Marcian,  a  Catholic  prince,  a  council  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty-six  bishops,  and  having  obtained  the  assent  by  their 
signatures  of  four  hundred  and  six  bishops,^  he  set  forth  the 
Catholic  faith,  and  condemned  the  heretics  Eutyches  and 
Nestorius.  Pope  Leo  wrote  a  number  of  epistles  m  defence 
of  the  faith,  confirming  frequently  the  decision  of  the  coun- 
cil of  Chalcedon.  He  addressed  twelve  epistles  to  the 
emperor  Marcian ;  to  Pulcheria  the  empress,  nine ;  to  the 
eastern  bishops,  eighteen.  Pull  of  zeal  in  sacred  things,  he 
did  much  good.  He  consecrated  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  bishops.  He  was  interred  at  St.  Peter's,  the  third  of 
the  ides  [11th]  of  April,  and  the  bishopric  was  vacant 
seven  days.* 

HiLABY,  a  native  of  Sardinia,  whose  father's  name  was 
Crispin,  held  the  see  of  Bpme  six  years,  three  months,  ten 
days.'  He  addressed  many  epistles  to  the  oriental  churches, 
confirming  the  three  councils  of  Nice,  Ephesus,  and  Chalce- 
don, and  condemning  all  heresies  by  an  anathema.  He 
placed  many  rich  ornaments  in  the  churches  of  the  saints, 
and  ordained  twenty-two  bishops.  After  many  good  works, 
he  was  buried  at  the  church  of  St.  Lawrence,  in  the  crypt, 
Bear  the  tomb  of  Pope  Sixtus,  and  the  bishopric  was  vacant 
fifteen  days. 

SiMPMCius,  bom  at  Tibur,  son  of  Castinus,  sat  fifteen 
years,  one  month,  seven  days.  He  ordained  thirty-six 
bishops,  and  was  interred  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter  the 
Apostle,  on  the  sixth  of  the  nones  [2nd]  of  May.  The  see 
vras  void  six  days.* 

Felix  [II.],  a  Eoman,  son  of  the  priest  Pelix,  by  the 
title  of  Pasciola,  filled  the  see  eight  years,  eleven  months, 
seventeen  days/  in  the  times  of  the  emperor  Zeno,  and 

^  The  number  of  the  bishops  assembled  at  the  council  of  Chalcedon  was 
520,  and  the  subscriptions  (as  our  author  himself  states,  book  i  ch.  xxiii. 
p.  ]23)  were  630. 

'  The  tomb  of  St.  Leo  was  placed  in  the  porch  of  the  church  of  St. 
Peter.  It  was  opened  in  1607.  See  Aringhi,  Roma  Subterranean  L  p. 
160,  and  the  BoUandists. 

»  A.D.  461—468. 

*  A.D.  468-^83.  He  was  buried,  like  Pope  Leo,  in  the  porch  of  St. 
Peter's  church. 

*  A.D.  483 — i92.  The  title  of  Fasciola  was  the  same  with  that  of  St. 
Nereus  and  St.  AchillcusL 


836  OBDEBicns  titaub.        [b.h.  cH.xTin. 

Odoacer,  king  of  the  Gt)th8,  to  the  reign  of  Theodoric.  This 
pope  excommunicated  Peter,  bishop  of.  Alexandria,  and 
Acacius,  bishop  of  Constantinople,  who  had  departed  firam 
the  right  faith,  sending  two  bishops,  Misenus  and  YitaliB, 
from  the  apostolic  see  to  depose  them.  But  when  tbej 
reached  the  city  of  Heraclea^  thej  were  induced  by  bribes 
not  to  execute  the  pope's  commission.  Pelix,  having  heard 
this,  examined  the  affair  and  excommunicated  boUi.  Be 
consecrated  thirty-one  bishops,  and  was  buried  in  the  churdi 
of  St.  Paul,  the  Apostle,  in  the  time  of  the  king  Theodoric, 
and  Zeno,  the  emperor.  The  bishopric  was  vacant  five 
da3r8.^ 

GJ-ELASius,  an  A&ican,  son  of  Yalerius,  sat  eight  years, 
eighteen  days.'  He  was  a  kind  friend  to  the  poor,  increased 
the  power  of  the  clergy,  and  delivered  Borne  from  famine 
and  danger.  This  pope  published  constitutions  for  the  entire 
church.  He  composed  tracts  and  hymns  like  St.  Ambrose, 
and  published  works  against  Eutyches  and  Nestorius,  wUdi 
are  preserved  to  the  present  day  in  the  archives  of  the 
libraries.  He  ordered  the  Manicheans,  whom  he  discovered 
at  Borne,  to  be  carried  into  banishment,  and  caused  tiieir 
books  to  be  burnt  before  the  doors  of  the  Church  of  Santa 
Maria.  He  condemned  for  ever,  if  they  did  not  repent^ 
Peter  and  Acacius,  for  the  many  crimes  and  murders  they 
had  caused.  He  ordained  sixty-seven  bishops,  and  was 
buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter  the  Apostle,  on  the 
eleventh  of  the  calends  of  December  [21st  November]. 
The  see  was  void  seven  days. 

Anastasius  [II.],  a  Boman,  whose  father's  name  was 
Peter,  of  the  fifth  region  called  the  Bull's  Head,  fill^  i^ 
see  one  year,  eleven  months,  and  twenty-four  days.'    Many 

^  These  legates  arrived  at  Constantinople  in  484.  It  wns  not  at 
Heraclea,  but  at  the  Dardanelles,  that  they  were  arrested  by  order  «f  tlw 
emperor  Zeno.  The  council  at  which  they  were  excommunicated,  together 
with  Acacius  and  Peter  Mongus,  was  held  after  their  return  in  the  moBth 
of  July,  the  same  year.  The  death  of  Felix  improperly  styled  III.  (for 
the  pope  designated  Felix  II.  was  an  antlpope),  is  incorrectly  aaeagned  to. 
the  reign  of  the  emperor  Zeno,  which  ended  on  the  9th  of  April,  491,11 
well  as  to  that  of  Theodoric,  who  did  not  succeed  Odoacer  till  March,  493. 

«  March  1,  492— November  14,  496. 

'  November  24, 496 — November  17, 4^8.  It  is  easy  to  refute  wnas  our 
author  has  taken  from  the  Book  qf  Pontificals  on  the  schiain  connected 
with  the  recall  of  Acacius,  since  he  died  in  489. 


▲.D.  498— -514.]  POPE   SYMHACHUS.  S37 

of  the  clei^  withdrew  from  his  communion,  on  his  wishing 
to  recall  Acacius  privately,  which  he  could  not  accompli^ 
because  he  was  struck  hj  G-od.  He  consecrated  twenty 
bishops.  He  was  buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter  thjB 
Apostle,  on  the  thirteenth  of  the  calends  of  December  [19th 
November],  and  the  bishopric  was  vacant  four  days. 

Syhmaghus,  bom  in  Sardinia,  whose  father's  name  was 
Fortunatus,  filled  the  see  fifteen  years,  seven  months, 
twenty-seven  days,  in  the  time  of  Theodoric  the  king  and 
Anastasius  the  emperor.^  He  was  consecrated  in  opposition 
to  Lawrence,  bishop  of  Nocera;  and  by  the  decision  of 
Theodoric,  as  he  was  the  first  consecrated  and  had  the 
majority,  he  was  confirmed  in  the  apostolic  see.  But,  three 
years  afterwards,  he  was  falsely  accused  through  the  ill-will 
of  the  Komans,  and  Peter,  bishop  of  Altinum,  usurped  the 
apostolic  see  contrary  to  the  canons.'  A  great  schism  was 
therefore  made  in  the  church,  and  the  clergy  again  divided. 
But  Pope  Symmachus  justified  himself  in  a  synod,  in  which 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  bishops  were  assembled,  and  Peter 
of  Altinum,  the  usurper  of  the  apostolical  see,  and  Lawrence 
of  Nocera,  were  condemned.  Then  Symmachus  was  replaced 
on  the  apostolical  throne  at  St.  Peter's  by  all  the  bishops, 
the  clergy,  and  people,  in  great  triumph.  However,  Pestus, 
chief  of  the  senate,  and  Probinus,  ex-consuls,  and  other 
senators,  commenced  disturbances  in  the  city,  and  attacked 
aU  who  were  in  communion  with  Symmachus  with  such 
violence  that  they  even  dragged  nuns  from  their  convents 
and  retreats,  and,  regardless  of  their  sex,  scourged  them 
until  their  naked  bodies  were  wounded  with  the  stripes. 
They  fought  daily  against  a  church  in  the  middle  of  the  city, 
where  many  priests  and  others  of  the  faithful  were  slain. 
Among  others,  Dignissimus  and  Qordian,  priests,  were  taken 
and  slain  with  staves  and  swords,  as  well  as  many  other 
Christians.     None  of  the  clergy  were  safe  in  the  city,  by 

*  November  22,  498— July  19,  514.  The  consecration  of  Symmachus 
and  his  competitor  Lawrence,  who  was  afterwards  bishop  of  Nocera,  took 
place  the  same  day. 

*  The  second  schism  appears  to  have  commenced  as  early  as  499.  The 
last  sitting  of  the  council  which  confirmed  the  election  of  Symmachus  was 
held  on  the  23rd  of  October,  501,  and  its  decrees  were  subscribed,  not  by 
115,  but  by  76  bishops.  The  scandals  and  outrages  described  by  qui 
author  occurred  in  the  early  part  of  the  preceding  September, 

VOL.  I.  Z 


338  ORDERICUa  titalis.         [b.u.  ch.xyui. 

night  or  by  dav ;  and  Faustus,  the  ex-consul,  was  the  onlr 
one  who  fought  for  the  church.  Notwithstanding^,  Sjm- 
machus  maintained  himself  from  the  consulship  of  Paulmiu 
to  that  of  Senator.  lie  drovo  into  banishment  the 
Manicheans,  whom  he  discovered  at  Some,  and  burnt  their 
images  and  books  before  the  gates  of  the  basilica  of 
Constantine.  He  enriched  the  churches  of  the  saints  with 
a  variety  of  ornaments,  and  ordained  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  bishops.  He  ordered  the  angelic  hymn*  to  be 
sung  every  Sunday.  Every  year  he  supplied  money  and 
clothes  to  the  bishops  who  were  banished  to  Africa  and 
Sardinia.  He  ransomed  captives  in  Liguria  and  other 
provinces,  and  distributed  largely  to  the  poor.  After  many 
good  works  he  was  interred  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter,  gsl 
the  nineteenth  day  of  the  mouth  of  July ;  and  the  bishopne 
was  vacant  seven  days. 

HoBMisDAS,  bom  in  Campania,  son  of  Justus,  of  the  ciiy 
of  Frusinone,  filled  the  see  eight  years,  and  seventeen  days. 
By  the  advice  of  King  Theodoric  he  sent  to  Constantinople 
Eunodius,  bishop  of  Favia;  and  Fortunatus,  bishop  <i 
Catania;  to  absolve  the  Greeks  who  had  been  excom- 
municated on  account  of  the  heresies  of  Peter,  bishop  of 
Alexandria;  and  Acacius  of  Constantinople.  But  the 
emperor  Anastasius,  favouring  the  Eutychian  heresy,  sent 
back  the  envoys  in  great  haste,  and  in  his  rescript  to  the 
pope,  among  other  things,  said  haughtily :  *'  It  is  ours  to 
command,  not  to  be  commanded."  Not  long  afterwards,  by 
God's  permission,  he  was  struck  with  thunder.  He  wa» 
succeeded  by  Justin,  a  Catholic,  who  willingly  submitted  to 
the  directions  of  the  pope  in  all  things,  and  received  with 
honour  Germanus,  bishop  of  Capua,  and  the  other  envoys 
from  the  apostolic  see,  who  were  conducted  by  the  conmil 
Vitalian,  and  a  great  company  of  monks  and  men  of  rank, 
from  the  Bound  Tower  to  the  city  of  Constantinople.  Some 
of  the  clergy  who  were  accomplices  with  Acacius,  envious  of 
such  a  triumph,  shut  themselves  up  in  the  great  church  of 
St.  Sophia,  and  taking  counsel  together,  sent  a  message  to 
the  emperor,  that  unless  Acacius,  their  bishop,  iru 
unconditionally  restored,  they  would  refuse  submission  to  , 
the  apostolic  see.  At  this  time,  Clovis,  king  of  the  Frank% 
^  The  Gloria  in  ExceUis,  mentioned  before,  p.  318. 


A.D.  623 — 526.]  POPE  JOHK.  339 

becoming  a  Christian,  sent  an  offering  to  the  tomb  of  St. 
Peter  the  Apostle,  with  precious  jewels.  The  aforenamed 
pope  flourished  from  the  consulship  of  Senator  to  the  time  of 
Sjrmmachus  and  Boetius,  and  ordained  fifty-five  bishops  in 
different  places.  He  was  interred  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter 
the  Apostle,  on  the  eighth  of  the  ides  [6th]  of  August. 
The  bishopric  was  vacant  seven  days.* 

John,  a  native  of  Tuscany,  son  of  Constantius,  sat  two 
years,  nine  months,  and  sixteen  days,  from  the  consulship  of 
Maximus  to  that  of  Olibrius.  At  that  time  Justin,  the 
orthodox  emperor,  wished  to  extinguish  all  heresies,  and 
have  the  churches  in  which  they  were  taught  consecrated 
to  the  true  faith.  At  this  Theodoric  Walamir,  being  a 
heretic,  was  much  incensed,  and  determined  on  ravaging 
the  whole  of  Italy  with  the  sword.  Pope  John  was  re- 
quested by  the  king  at  Eavenna  to  undertake  a  mission  to 
Constantinople,  which,  though  he  was  sick,  he  accomplished, 
and  while  there  gave  sight  to  a  blind  man.  He  was  received 
with  great  honour  by  the  emperor  Justin  whom  he  crowned, 
and  obtained  from  him  indulgence  for  the  heretics  to  save 
Italy  from  devastation.  Meanwhile,  the  heretic  king  put 
to  death  the  illustrious  senators  and  ex-consuls  Symmachus 
and  Boethius.  Pope  John  also,  and  the  senators  who  had 
been  honourably  entertained  by  the  emperor,  were  treache- 
rously arrested  by  Theodoric  on  their  return ;  and  the  pope 
was  imprisoned  at  Eavenna  and  suffered  martyrdom  on  the 
fifbeentb  of  the  calends  of  June  [18th  May].  Theodoric 
himself,  by  the  will  of  Q-od,  died  suddenly  ninety-eight  days 
afterwards.     Pope  John  consecrated  fifteen  bishops.    His 

'  A.D.  514 — 523.  The  mission  of  the  bishops  of  Pavia  and  Catania  to 
Omstantinople  took  place  m  515.  It  was  on  a  second  mission,  in  517, 
that  the  emperor  Anastasius  made  a  reply  in  much  the  same  terms  as  are 
bere  reported.  Doubts  are  entertained  whether  he  was  really  struck  by 
lightning  on  the  8th  of  July  of  the  year  following,  as  also  before  stated,  p. 
113.  It  is  certmn,  however,  that  he  expired  in  the  midst  of  the  fright 
occasioned  by  the  thunder  storm.  Justin  succeeded  him  the  next  <^y. 
The  pope's  legates  arrived  at  Constantinople  the  25th  of  March,  519.  It 
has  been  already  observed,  that  Acacius  was  dead  ten  years  before.  The 
dispute  respecting  him  was  limited  to  the  question  whether  his  name 
should  be  retain^l  in  the  diptichs.  The  resistance  made  by  part  of  the 
cleigy  entrenched  in  Sta.  Sophia  is  a  mere  fable.  It  was  not  with  this 
pope,  but  with  his  predecessor  Anastasius,  that  Clovis  corresponded  after  hit 
conversion. 

z  2 


340  O&DEBICUB  TITALI8.  [b.H.  CH.XYm. 

body  was  translated  from  Baveima  to  the  church  of  St. 
Peter  at  Borne;  and  the  bishopric  was  vacant  fifby-eight 
days.' 

jPelix,  a  Samnite,  son  of  Castorius,  filled  the  see  four 
years,  two  months,  and  thirteen  days,  in  the  time  of  The- 
odoric,  and  Alaric  his  nephew,  and  of  the  emperor  Justinian, 
from  the  consulship  of  Tiburtius  to  that  of  Lampadius  and 
Orestes.  He  was  inaugured  without  tumult,  and  ordained 
twenty-nine  bishops.  He  was  interred  in  the  church  of  St 
Paul  the  Apostle  on  the  fourth  of  the  ides  [12th]  of  Oc- 
tober.   The  bishopric  was  vacant  three  days.' 

BoioPACS,  bom  at  Bome,  whose  father's  name  waji  Sieir 
buld,  sat  two  years,  twenty-five  days,  in  the  time  of  AlanCi 
the  heretic,  and  the  emperor  Justinian.  At  his  election,  there 
was  great  dissension,  both  among  the  clergy  and  in  the 
senate,  for  twenty-eight  days.  Dioscorus  was  consecrated 
at  the  same  time  in  the  basilica  of  Constantine ;  but,  by 
God's  will,  he  died  shortly  afterwards  on  the  second  of  im 
ides  [14th]  of  October.  He  had  numerous  partisans.  As  far 
Boniface,  he  gave  dishes  of  meat  to  the  priests  and  deacooa, 
and  notaries,  supplied  from  his  own  patrimony,  and  made 
abundant  provision  of  food  for  the  clergy  when  famin^ 
threatened.  He  assembled  a  synod  in  the  church  of  Si 
Peter,  and  chose  the  deacon  Yigilius  for  his  successor,  but 
afterwards,  repenting  his  having  subscribed  the  act,  erase4 
his  signature  m  the  presence  of  the  clergy  and  senate.  He 
was  interred  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  the 
month  of  October,  and  the  see  was  void  two  months  fifteen 
days.' 

John  Meecijet,  a  Boman,  son  of  Projectus,  of  the  Coelian 
Mount,  filled  the  see  two  years,  four  months,  six  days,  in 
the  time  of  Alaric  and  Justinian.     That  pious   empercft, 

^  A.D.  523 — 526.  In  speaking  of  heresies  in  this  paragraph,  the  Antn> 
are  to  be  understood.  In  giving  to  Theodoric  the  surname  of  Walamir, 
our  author  seems  to  adopt  the  opinion  of  those  who  regard  him  as  Wals- 
mir*s  son,  but  he  appears  to  have  been  only  his  nephew.  The  joumey  of 
the  pope  to  Constantinople  took  place  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  525. 
Boetius  was  arrested  at  Pavia,  and  put  to  death  as  early  as  524. 

^  A,D.  526 — 530.    There  was  no  consul  of  the  name  of  Tiburtius. 

'  A.D.  530 — 532.  The  name  of  the  father  of  this  pope  appears  to  have 
been  Sigiswult,  from  which  we  may  conclude  that  he.  was  of  Gothic  oi%ii^ 
though  bom  at  Rome. 


A.D.  535 — 538.]         AGAPETE — ^^SILVEEITIS.  341 

actuated  by  warm  devotion  to  the  Christian  religion  dre# 
up  a  statement  of  his  belief,  which  he  sent  to  the  apostolical 
see,  with  his  own  signature  and  many  valuable  gifts,  by 
the  hands  of  Eparchius  and  Demetrius.  John  consecrated 
twenty-one  bishops.  He  was  interred  at  St.  Peter's  on  the 
sixth  of  the  calends  of  June  [27th  May]^  and  the  see  was 
Yoid  six  days.* 

A&APiTUs,  a  Soman,  son  of  Grordian,  a  priest,  filled  thi^ 
see  elevien  months,  eighteen  days.  Theodotus,  king  of  the 
GK)ths,  who  had  put  to  death  Amalasonta,  daughter  of  king 
Theodoric,  sent  him  to  Justinian  the  emperor,  by  whom  he 
vas  honourably  received  at  Constantinople.  While  there 
he  procured  the  banishment  of  Anthemius,  bishop  of  that 
city,  because  he  denied  the  two  natures  of  Christ.  Having 
consecrated  Mennas,  a  Catholic,  bishop  of  Constantinople, 
be  died  there  6n  the  tenth  of  the  calends  of  May  [22nd 
April.]  His  body  was  conveyed  to  Eome  in  a  leaden  coffin^ 
and  interred  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  twelfth  of  October,  and 
the  bishopric  was  vacant  one  month  twenty-eight  days.' 

SiLVEBius,  a  native  of  Campania,  son  of  Hormisdas, 
bishop  of  Eomcj  sat  one  year,  five  months,  six  days.  He 
owed  his  elevation  to  the  tyrant  Theodotus,  who  wad  in- 
duced by  bribery  to  effect  it  by  violence  and  terror.  Two 
months  afterwards,  by  Q-od's  will,  Theodotus  died,  and 
Witigis  having  carried  off  and  married  the  daughter  of 
Amalasonta,  ascended  the  throne.  The  emperor  Justinian 
commissioned  Belisarius  the  patrician  to  deliver  Italy  from 
the  Goths.  The  patrician  consequently  laid  siege  to  Naples, 
which  he  took  by  storm,  putting  all  the  G-oths  and  citizens 
to  the  sword,  so  that  not  even  the  priests  and  nuns  in  the 
monasteries  escaped.  Soon  afte)*  this  Witigis,  collecting  an 
army  of  Q-oths,  besieged  Eome  for  a  whole  year,  vast  num- 
bers perishing  by  the  sword  as  well  as  by  the  famine  which 
now  prevailed  throughout  the  world.  No  one  was  allowed 
to  enter  or  depart  from  the  city.  All  property,  private  and 
public,  not  excepting  the  churches,  was  destroyed  by  fire,, 
and  the  inhabitants  were  either  butchered,  or  fell  victims  to 
fiunine  and  pestilence.     At  length,  God  in  his  mercy  sent 

^  A.D.  533 — 535.     The  embassy  of  Hy^&eiufi  (not  Eparchius)  and 
Demetrius  to  the  pope  took  place  in  538. 
«  A.D.  535—536. 


842  OBDEAICUS  TITALIS.  [b.U.  CH.XVIU. 

Belisarius  to  defeat  the  Gbths  and  save  Home.  The  em- 
press requested  8ilverius  to  recall  the  heretic  Anthemius, 
Dut  the  pope  putting  his  trust  in  Gt)d  refused  compliance, 
and  defended  the  sentence  of  his  predecessors  by  his  own 
authority.  Upon  this,  the  empress  commanded  ^lisarios 
the  patrician  to  send  Silverius  into  exile,  and  to  substitute 
Anthemius  as  his  vicar-general  in  the  church  of  Borne. 
Belisarius  very  reluctantly  complied  with  the  orders  of  the 
empress,  and  the  pope  being  charged  by  false  witnesses  - 
with  plotting  to  deliver  up  Bome  to  the  Gothic  king,  l^ 
introducing  him  at  the  Asinarian  gate  near  the  Lateran,  he 
was  arrested  in  the  Fincian  palace.  Antonine,  the  patricisD, 
then  sharply  rebuked  the  pope,  and  John  the  sub-deacon, 
removing  the  pallium  from  his  shoulders,  divested  him  of 
his  pontifical  robes  in  his  chambers  and  dressed  him  as  a 
monk.  Silverius  was  banished  to  the  island  of  Pontia^ 
where,  after  great  suffering,  and  being  reduced  to  bread  and 
water  for  sustenance,  he  was  buried  on  the  twelfth  of  the 
calends  of  July  [20th  June].  He  consecrated  eighteen 
bishops,  and  after  his  death  performed  many  miracles  in 
healing  the  sick.     The  see  was  void  fourteen  days.^ 

ViGiLius,  a  Boman,  son  of  the  consul  John,  filled  the 
see  fifteen  years,  six  months,  twenty-six  days.  At  this  time 
Belisarius  defeated  Witigis,  and  John,  the  bloody  master- 
general  of  the  army,  pursued  him  all  night  and  made  him 
prisoner.  The  captive  king  being  conducted  to  Constan- 
tinople, Justinian  received  him  into  favour,  and  creating 
him  patrician  and  count,  sent  him  to  reside  on  the  I'ersian 
frontier,  where  he  remained  until  his  death.  The  emperor 
also  conferred  on  Belisarius  the  highest  military  dignity,  and 
employed  him  in  Africa.  Deceiving  Guittarith,  king  of  the 
Vandals,  with  friendly  professions,  Belisarius  put  him  to 
death,  and  restored  Airica  to  the  dominion  of  Home,  from 
which  it  had  been  detached  ninety-nine  years.  He  then 
visited  Bome,  and  made  many  ofi'erings  to  God  and  St. 

^  A.D.  536 — 538.  Theodotus  was  killed  towards  the  month  of  August, 
536.  Belisarius  came  from  Sicily  to  Italy  in  the  spring  of  that  year;  took 
Niiples  after  a  siege  of  twenty-two  days,  and  entered  Rome  the  10th  of 
December.  The  siege  of  Rome  by  Witigis  was  in  537 — 638.  .  Silverius 
was  first  banished  to  Fatara  in  Lycia,  afterwards  to  the  island  of  Palmaiia 
on  the  coast  of  Italy,  where  he  was  starved  to  death. 


A.D.  538—555.]  POPE  viGiLius.  343. 

Peter,  distributing  also  alms  to  the  poor,  from  the  spoils  of 
the  Vandals. 

The  Empress  Theodora  urged  Pope  Vigilius,  also,  to 
recall  the  heresiarch  Anthemius,  but  he  positively  refused^ 
adhering  strictly  to  the  opinions  of  his  predecessors.  At 
the  suggestion  therefore  of  some  ill-disposed  Eomans,  who 
imputed  the  death  of  Silverius  to  the  pope,  Anthemius 
aent  an  imperial  commissioner,  arrested  Pope  Vigilius  in 
the  church  of  St.  Cecilia,  and  carried  him  to  Constantinople 
by  way  of  Sicily.  Por  two  years  the  Greeks  used  the  whole 
influence  of  the  imperial  authority  to  induce  him  to  recall 
the  heretic,  as  he  had  promised  when  he  filled  the  office  of 
deacon.  But  the  pope  persisted  in  his  refusal,  preferring 
an  honourable  death  to  a  dishonourable  life.  At  length, 
when  upon  his  strongly  declaring  his  resolution  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Justinian  and  Theodora,  some  one  struck  him  in 
the  face,  the  pope  fled  to  the  church  of  St.  Euphemia,  and 
clung  to  the  pillar  of  the  altar.  But  he  was  forced  out  of 
the  church  and  dragged  round  the  city  by  a  rope  about  his 
neck  till  the  evening.  He  was  then  committed  to  close 
custody,  and  the  Eoman  clergy  who  had  attended  him  were 
sent  to  diiferent  mines. 

Meanwhile,  the  Goths  elected  Totila  king,  and  soon  after- 
wards laid  siege  to  Home.  During  the  continuance  of  the 
siege  the  famine  in  the  city  was  so  severe  that  mothers 
were  ready  to  feed  on  their  own  children.  Totila  at  length 
gained  entrance  into  the  city,  of  which  he  held  possession 
for  some  time,  the  people  sheltering  themselves  in  the 
churches.  But  afterwards  the  emperor  sent  Narses  his 
eunuch  and  chamberlain  into  Italy,  who  defeated  the  army 
of  Totila  who  fell  in  the  battle.  The  emperor  Justinian 
was  full  of  joy  at  this  intelligence,  and  on  the  petition  of 
Narses  and  the  Eomans  set  at  liberty  Pope  Vigilius  and  his 
clergy;  but  he  died  of  stone  at  Syracuse.  His  body  was 
brought  to  Eome  and  interred  in  the  church  of  St.  Mar- 
cellus,  on  the  Salarian  road,  when  the  see  was  void  three 
months  and  five  days.  This  pope  consecrated  eighty-one 
bishops,  and  appointed  Ampliatus  the  priest  his  vicar  to 
govern  the  church  during  his  exile,  and  sent  from  Sicily 
Valentine  the  bishop  to  the  Lateran.* 

^  A.D.  538 — 555.    Vigilius  waa  elected  and  consecrated  pope  in  the 


81:1  0BDEB1CU8   VITAXI8.  [B.U.  CH.XYUI. 

Pelaqius,  a  Eoinan,  son  of  Jolm  the  near-general,  filled 
the  see  eleven  yearst,  teu  moutlia,  and  twenty-seven  days. 
He  was  consecrated  by  two  biabops,  John  of  Perugium 
and  Bonus  of  Ferentino,  with  Andrew  priest  of  OstUL 
Numbers  of  the  religious,  and  well-informed,  and  nobk 
persons  separatt^d  from  his  communion  in  the  persuaeioD 
that  Pelagius  was  a  party  to  the  death  of  Pope  Yigilios,  in 
consequence  of  the  sufferings  he  had  undergone.  Pope 
Pelagius,  therefore,  and  Xarses  consulted,  and  a  procession 
having  been  formed  from  the  church  of  St.  Pancras,  wlua 
litanies  were  sung,  and  hymns  and  anthems  chanted,  on 
their  arrival  at  tSt.  Peter's,  the  pope  ascended  a  pulpit, 
holding  the  gospels  in  his  hand  with  the  crucifix  raised  on 
high,  and  satisfied  the  people  that  he  had  done  no  injury  to 
Vigilius.  He  consecrated  forty-nine  bishops.  Pelagius  wm 
buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  6th  of  the  nones  [2nd]  oi  March. 
The  bishopric  was  vacant  three  months,  and  twenty-five  dayB.^ 

JouN,  a  Eoman,  son  of  the  illustrious  Anastasius,  filled  tlie 
see  twelve  years,  eleven  months,  and  twenty-six  days.  At 
that  time  the  lleruli  having  elected  Sindbal  their  king; 
were  bent  on  subjugating  the  whole  of  Italy,  but  Narses 
slew  their  king  and  entirely  defeated  them.  He  also,  by 
God's  aid,  put  to  death  Amingus  [Lothaire],  and  Buceline, 
chiefs  of  the  Franks,  who  invaded  Italy,  to  which  he  restored 
peace  and  prosperity.  The  Eomans,  however,  from  envy, 
accused  him  to  Justinian,  and  raised  disturbances  against 
his  government.  Norses  therefore,  upon  finding  himself 
deprived  of  his  dignities  by  the  emperor,  called  in  the 

lifetime  of  his  predecessor,  but  we  date  his  popedom  from  the  death 
of  Silverius.  Witigis  whs  taken  prisoner,  and  sent  to  Constantinople  in 
540.  Belisarius's  expedition  to  Africa  was  undertaken  in  532,  and  the 
war  ended  by  the  captivity  of  Gelimer,  king  of  the  Vandals,  in  634 
Nothing  is  known  of  the  person  our  author  calls  Guittarith,  and  hit 
murder  by  Belisarius.  The  latter  returned  from  Afirica  to  Home  in  the 
bef;inning  of  547*  soon  after  the  pillage  of  the  city  by  Totila.  Vi^ui 
arrived  at  Constantinople  the  25th  of  January.  We  have  no  other  account 
of  the  ill  treatment  he  received  in  551,  proceeding  to  the  length  of  hit 
being  buffeted  in  the  presence  of  the  emperor  and  empress ;  indeed  Theo- 
dora was  not  then  living,  having  died  in  548.  liome  was  taken  by  Totila 
the  second  time  in  549.  Pope  Vigilius  died  at  Syracuse  the  10th  of 
January,  555,  as  he  was  on  his  return  to  R^)me. 

'  A.o.  555 — 560.    The  epitaph  on   Pope  Pelagius  may   be  Men  h 
Axinghi,  lioma  Subterraneaj  i.  p.  liil. 


A..D.  574 — 678.]      POPE  BENEDICT.  845 

Quinilian  Lombards,  who  inhabited  Pannonia,  to  invade 
Italy.  Narses  died  not  long  afterwards,  and  his  body  being 
enclosed  in  a  leaden  coffin  was  conveyed,  with  all  his 
(wealth,  to  Constantinople.  Pope  John  consecrated  sixty- 
Due  bishops,  and  was  buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Petei? 
bhe  apostle  on  the  3rd  of  the  ides  [13th]  of  July.  The 
bishopric  was  vacant  ten  months  and  eleven  days.^ 

Benedict,  a  Roman,  son  of  Boniface,  sat  four  years,  one 
month,  and  twenty-eight  days.'  King  Alboin  led  the 
Lombards  into  Italy  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  668.  A  great 
famine  then  afflicted  Italy  and  compelled  it  to  submit  to 
Alboin.  Upon  learning  this,  the  emperor  Justinian  sent  to 
Egypt,  and  causing  ships  loaded  with  com  to  be  despatched 
bo  Rome,  thus  saved  the  city  from  the  famine  which 
threatened  it.  This  emperor,  for  his  numerous  victories  over 
foreign  enemies,  received  the  surnames  of  Alamannicus, 
G-othicus,  Vandalicus,  and  Africanus.  He  founded  a  church, 
^thin  the  walls  of  Constantinople  to  the  honour  of  Christ, 
0vhich  is  called  in  Greek  "  Hagia,"  meaning  Santa  Sophia. 
Fkis  building  so  surpasses  all  others  that  it  stands  unrivalled 
imong  all  the  edifices  in  the  world.  Justinian  was  a  prince 
levoted  to  the  Catholic  faith,  pure  in  his  conduct  and  just 
n  his  judgments,  so  that  he  succeeded  in  all  his  enterprises. 
[n  his  time  Cassidorus,  a  senator  who  afterwards  became  a 
nonk,  distinguished  himself  at  Rome  both  in  sacred  and 
profane  learning.  Among  his  other  excellent  works,  one  of 
ihe  principal  is  a  commentary  on  the  Psalms. 

At  that  time  also  Dionysius,  who  was  made  an  abbot  at 
Etome,  composed  an  admirable  work  on  calculating  Easter. 

Priscian,  also,  a  native  of  CsBsarea,  but  established  at 
Constantinople,  penetrated,  if  I  may  so  speak,  all  the  depths 
of  gi*ammatical  science. 

Arator,  likewise,  sub-deacon  of  the  church  of  Rome,  an 

*  A.D.  560 — 573.  Sindbal,  chief  of  the  Heruli,  was  hung  by  order  of 
Nanes,  before  he  had  time  to  make  great  devastations.  Our  author  has 
substituted  Amingtis  for  Lothaire,  one  of  the  French  chiefs  put  to  death  by 
Narsea  For  observations  on  the  calumnies  of  the  JEtomans  against  Nanes, 
see  before,  book  i.  p.  115,  and  the  same  note  respecting  the  GuinUu 

^  A.D.  574 — 578.  Alboin,  king  of  the  LomlMurds,  issued  from  Pannonia 
the  2nd  of  April,  568,  to  invade  the  Venetian  provinces;  he  took  Milan 
the  4th  of  September  in  the  year  following,  and  afterwards  made  himself 
master  of  the  greatest  part  of  Italy,  including  the  duchy  of  Beneventuro« 


846  OBDEBICUS   TITALIS.  [B.II.  CH-XTIIL 

admirable  poet,  gave  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  in  hexameter 
▼erae. 

Then  also  the  most  reverend  father  Benedict,  who  M 
settled  at  a  place  called  Subiaco,  forty  miles  from  Bobm^ 
and  afterwards  at  Monte  Cassino,  shed  around  him  the  ligl^^ 
of  his  great  virtues  and  apostolical  life.  His  life,  as  is  f^ 
known,  has  beeu  the  subject  of  an  eloquent  discourse  it 
Pope  Gregory's  Dialogues. 

Pope  Beuedict  died,  worn  out  with  labours  and  tronbH 
and  was  buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter,  the  2nd  of  the 
calends  of  August  [31st  July].  He  consecrated  twentT* 
one  bishops  ;  the  see  was  void  three  months  and  ten  days. 

Pelagius,  a  Soman,  son  of  Winigild,'  filled  the  seeta 
years,  eleven  months,  and  ten  days.  He  was  consecrated 
without  the  emperor's  confirmation,  because  Home  fti 
besieged  by  the  Lombards  who  were  fearfully  devastata^ 
Italy.  In  his  time  there  was  much  bloodshed  and  excess^ 
rain.  The  pope  was  suddenly  carried  off  by  a  contagifiBi 
pestilence,  and  died  on  the  7th  of  the  ides  [7th]  of  FebruiffJ 
and  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's.  He  consecrated  forty-eig» 
bishops  for  different  places,  and  the  see  was  vacant  iSl 
months  and  twenty-five  days.' 

1  Our  author  makes  a  great  mistake  in  representing  Pope  Benedict  i 
contemporary  with  Justinian,  wlio  died  on  the  14th  of  November,  56i 
The  church  of  Santa  Sophia  was  consecrated  27th  of  December,  53 
Cassiodnrus  had  died  at  an  advanced  age  in  the  time  of  Pope  John  II! 
about  the  year  5b'5.  Reference  has  been  already  made  in  the  notes,  h» 
i.  p.  11 5,  to  Dionysius  the  Little,  who  died  in  540.  Priscian,  the  od 
brated  grammarian,  flourished  at  Constantinople  about  a.d.  .525.  Ant 
as  it  has  been  already  remarked,  was  contemporary  with  Pope  Yi^ 
St.  Benedict,  who  was  bom  in  480,  after  having  founded  his  first  monaSU 
at  Subiaco  as  far  back  as  497,  retired  to  Monte  Cassino,  where  he  died  1 
21st  of  March,  543. 

*  It  is  curious  to  observe  how  speedily  the  posterity  of  barbarian  ■ 
heathen  invaders  not  only  adopted  the  faith  and  civilization  of  the  peo 
subjected,  but  raised  themselves  to  its  first  ranks.  Pelagius  is  the  seoc 
pope  of  Home,  in  the  sixth  century,  who  was  of  Gothic  extraction.  Bo 
face  (see  p.  340)  being  the  first.  Thus  we  shall  find  in  the  sequel  of  t 
work  that  in  England  the  primacies  of  Canterbury  and  York  were  b 
filled  by  Danes  or  Norwegians  within  fifty  years  afler  the  island  was  I 
devastated  by  a  people  represented  by  the  writers  of  the  times  to  beii 
state  of  unmitigated  barbarism. 

'  November  30,  570— February  8,  590.  Pelagius  fell  a  victim  to  1 
plague  which  ravaged  Rome  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  590. 


A.D.  590 — 604.]   ST.  GEEGOET  THE  GEEAT.  347 

Gbegoet,  a  Eoman  and  philosopher,  son  of  Gordiau  the 
prsBtor,  a  man  of  the  highest  rank,  and  of  the  most  excellent 
Sylvia,  presided  over  the  Eoman  see  thirteen  years,  six 
months,  ten  days,  in  the  reigns  of  the  emperors  Tiberius, 
Constantine,  Maurice,  and  Phocas.^  Gregory  composed 
forty  homilies  on  the  gospels;  he  wrote  commentaries  on 
the  Psalms  and  Ezekiel,  and  published  a  pastoral  and  a  dia- 
logue, with  many  other  works  which  we  cannot  stay  to 
enumerate.  This  incomparable  doctor  was  highly  distin- 
guished for  deep  wisdom  and  great  learning,  both  in  th© 
writings  and  discourses  of  his  useful  labours,  by  which  h& 
rendered  the  greatest  service  to  the  sons  of  the  church  of 
Q-od.  He  added  to  the  canon  of  the  mass  the  words,  "And 
grant  thy  peace  in  our  days,"  &c?  The  Eoman  patrician 
and  exarch  came  to  Eome  while  Gregory  was  pope,  and 
occasioned  great  troubles.'  On  his  return  to  Eavenna,  he 
seized  the  cities  of  Sutri,  Bomarzo,  Amelia,  Perouse,  and 
some  others  held  by  the  Lombards.  Upon  this,  the  king 
Agilulf,  being  greatly  incensed,  attacked  Perouse  with  a 
powerful  army,  besieging  in  it  Maurision,  general  of  the 
Lombards,  who  had  submitted  to  the  Eomans,  whom  he 
made  prisoner  in  a  few  days,  and  immediately  put  to  death. 
Not  long  afterwards,  Agilulf,  having  returned  to  Pavia, 
made  a  lasting  peace  with  the  Eomans,  through  the  media- 
tion of  the  blessed  pope  Gregory. 

At  the  same  time,  St.  Gregory  commissioned  the  servants 

*  September  3,  590 — March  12,  604.  It  was  not  St.  Gregory's  father 
who  was  prantor  of  Rome,  but  the  bishop  himself  before  his  conversion. 
His  popedom  did  not  correspond  with  the  reign  of  Tiberius  Constantine, 
but  only  with  those  of  the  two  other  emperors  here  named. 

'  The  words  added  are,  dies  nostras  in  iua  pane  disponaSf  atque  ab 
atema  damnatione  nos  eripi  et  in  electorum  tuorum  jubeas  grege  numerarim 
Per  Chrisivm  Dominum  nostrum ;  **  Dispose  our  days  in  thy  peace, 
preserve  us  from  eternal  damnation,  and  number  us  among  thine  elect ; 
through  Christ,''  &c.  The  clause  immediately  precedes  the  consecration 
prayer  in  the  office  of  the  mass.  It  appears  to  have  been  first  introduced 
during  the  perils  to  which  Rome  was  exposed  when  besieged  bv  Agilulf  in 
595. 

*  The  Roman  pntrician,  who  was  also  exarch  of  Ravenna  from  590  to 
597,  constantly  opposed  the  pacific  policy  of  Gregory.  The  siege  of  Rome 
resulted  fiom  the  exarch  having  taken  possession  of  the  places  here 
named,  which  the  Lombards  hud  held.  Peace  with  them  was  not  restored 
until  598. 


848  0&DERIC178  TirUiIS.  [b.H.  CH.XYm. 

of  God,  Mellitus,  Augustine,  and  John,  with  several  others 
who  feared  the  Lord,  to  preach  to  the  English  nation,  and 
convert  them  to  the  faith  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  After 
many  great  and  memorable  works.  Pope  Gregory  was  buried 
in  tne  church  of  St.  Peter  the  Apostle,  before  the  sacristy, 
on  the  fourth  of  the  ides  [4th]  ot  March.  He  consecrated 
seventy-two  bishops  in  different  places,  and  the  bishopric 
was  vacant  five  mouths  and  eighteen  days.* 

Sabiniak,  a  native  of  Blesa,*  in  Tuscany,  whose  father's 
name  was  Bonus,  sat  one  year,  five  months,  and  nine  days. 
At  this  time  Home  was  afflicted  with  a  grievous  famine;  and 
the  pope,  having  concluded  a  peace  with  the  Lombards, 
caused  the  granaries  of  the  church  to  be  opened,  and  con 
to  be  sold  at  the  rate  of  thirty  bushels  of  wheat  for  a 
shilling.  This  pope  was  buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter, 
on  the  sixth  of  the  calends  of  March  [February  24].  He 
consecrated  twenty-six  bishops,  and  the  see  was  void  eleven 
months  and  twenty-three  days. 

Boniface  [III],  a  Eoman,  son  of  John  of  Cappadoeia, 
filled  the  see  eight  months  and  twenty-two  days.*  He 
obtained  from  the  emperor  Phocas  his  confirmation  of  the 
claim  of  the  apostolical  see  to  be  the  head  of  all  churches,  the 
church  of  Constantinople  having  made  pretensions  to  prece- 
dence over  that  of  Rome,  and  assumed  the  primacy.  He 
was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  second  of  the  ides  [12th] 
of  November.  He  consecrated  twenty-one  bishops,  and  the 
see  was  void  ten  months  and  six  days. 

Boniface  [lY.],  a  native  of  Valeria,*  a  city  of  the  Mard, 
son  of  John  the  physician,  filled  the  sea  six  years,  eight 
months,  and  thirteen  days.  In  his  time  there  were  grievoiM 
famines,  and  pestilences,  and  inundations.  He  petitioned 
the  emoeror  Phocas  for  the  temple  called  the  Pantheon, 

^  See  before,  book  i.  p.  117,  respecting  tbe  mission  of  St.  Augustine  and 
his  companions  to  England ;  and,  in  regard  to  the  tomb  of  St.  Gr^oiy  at 
St.  Peter's,  Aringhi,  lioma  Subterranean  i.  p.  161.  The  seeretarium  d 
the  pontifical  churches  was  a  sacristy  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  popea^  id 
which  thej  were  robed  before  they  took  part  in  the  service. 

■  September  13,  604— February  22,  606.  Blesa  is  now  called  Bi^di,  • 
town  ten  miles  from  Viterbo. 

•  February  25 — November,  606. 

*  A.D.  607 — 615.     Valeria  is  a  town  of  the  Abruzzi. 


A..D.  615 — 625.]  DEUSDEDIT — BONIFACE  T.  Ei9 

and  haying  obtained  it,  dedicated  it  in  honour  of  All  Saints.' 
He  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  eighth  of  the  calends 
of  June  [May  25].  He  consecrated  thirty-six  bishops.  The 
see  was  void  six  months  and  thirty-five  days. 

Deusdedit,  a  Eoman,  son  of  Stephen,  a  sub-deacon,  sat 
three  years,  twenty-three  days."  He  greatly  loved  and 
konoured  the  clergy.  At  that  time  Eleutherius,  the  patrician 
and  chamberlain,  reduced  Naples,  and  slew  John  Campius, 
in  whose  rebellion  many  had  fallen.  Peace,  therefore,  pre- 
vailed through  all  Italy,  but  there  was  a  great  earthquake, 
followed  by  so  foul  a  pestUence,  that  no  one  could  recognize 
the  dead  bodies  of  their  friends.'  Pope  Deusdedit  was 
buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  sixth  of  the  ides  [8th]  of  No-^ 
vember.  He  bequeathed  to  each  of  the  clergy  a  vestment* 
for  his  obsequies.  He  consecrated  twenty-nine  bishops,  and 
the  see  was  void  one  month  and  sixteen  days. 

Bonieace  [V.],  of  the  city  of  Naples,  in  Campania,  whoso 
father's  name  was  John,  filled  the  see  five  years.  He  was 
the  mildest  of  men,  and  did  great  good  in  the  church.  At 
that  time  Eleutherius  the  patrician  invaded  the  kingdom, 
but  he  was  slain  by  the  troops  from  Eavenna,  on  his  ro^d 
from  Luceoli  to  Some.  This  pope  was  interred  at  St. 
Peter's,  on  the  eighth  of  the  calends  of  November  [Oct.  25]. 

*  See  note  to  book  i.  p.  118,  for  the  day  of  the  dedication  of  the  Pan- 
theon after  it  was  converted  into  a  church  by  Boniface  IV.  The 
anniversary  of  this  feast  attracted  so  many  strangers  as  sometimes  to 
threaten  the  city  with  famine;  in  consequence  Gregory  IV.  changed  the 
day  to  the  first  of  November,  a  season  of  the  year  when  Rome  was  better 
supplied  with  provisions. 

'  November  13,  615 — December  3,  618.  Eleutherius  was  exarch  from 
6-16  to  619.  When  marching  from  Ravenna  to  Rome,  to  compel  it  to 
receive  him  as  emperor,  he  was  killed  by  his  troops. 

'  This  pestilential  disease  appears  to  have  been  the  elephantiasis,  a  sort 
of  leprosy  which  produced  a  frightful  scurf,  which  might  have  the  effect 
here  described. 

^  Rogam  unam  dimisit,  M.  Le  Provost  considers  the  meaning  to  be 
that  the  pope  left  a  legacy  of  a  certain  amount,  *'  un  legs  spioial  en 
argent"  to  each  of  his  clergy.  The  word  roguy  however,  from  rogtu,  a 
funeral  pile,  rogalisj  of  or  belonging  to  a  funeral,  seems  to  point  to  some- 
thing immediately  connected  with  that  ceremony.  M.  Du-Bois,  the 
French  translator  of  Ordericus,  renders  the  passage  *'  il  accorda  pour  se 
9bseques  un  vitement  d  chacun  des  membres  du  clergt,*  a  sense  which  is 
bere  adopted. 


350  0BDSBICU8  TITALIB.  [b.H.  Cfi.XTm 

He  consecrated  twenty-nine  bishops.  The  bishopric  was 
vacant  thirteen  days.* 

HoKORiUB,  a  native  of  Campania,  son  of  the  consul 
Petronius,  filled  the  see  twelve  years,  eleven  months,  and 
twenty-two  days,  iu  the  time  of  the  emperor  Heraclius.'  His 
good  deeds  were  numerous  and  his  teaching  zealous.  He 
appointed  that  every  Saturday  there  should  be  a  procesffloo, 
departing  from  the  church  of  St.  ApoUinarius,  and  going  to 
St.  Peter's,  the  people  accompaupng  it  with  hymns  and 
spiritual  songs.  He  consecrated  eighty-one  bishops,  and 
was  buried  on  the  fourth  of  the  ides  [12th]  of  October,  in 
the  church  of  the  blessed  martyr  St.  Agnes,  which  he  had 
himself  built  from  the  foundation.'  The  bishopric  was  vacant 
one  year,  seven  months,  and  seventeen  days. 

Seterin,  a  Koman,  son  of  Albienus,  filled  the  see  two 
months  and  two  days,  under  the  emperor  Heraclius.  He 
was  mild  and  liberal,  and  very  kind  to  the  clergy  and  the 
poor.  In  his  time  the  Lateran  palace  was  violently  pillaged 
by  the  Boman  army  under  the  command  of  Maurice,  keeper 
of  the  records,  and  Isaac,  patrician  and  exarch.  This  pope, 
having  consecrated  four  bishops,  was  buried  at  St.  Peter'a, 
on  the  nones  [2nd]  of  August.  The  see  was  vacant  three 
months  and  tNVenty-four  days.* 

JouN,  a  Dalmatian,  son  of  Yenantius  the  Scholastic,  sat 

^  A.D.  G18 — G25.  Castrum  Luceoli  appears  to  be  the  place  now  called 
Ponte  Riccioli. 

«  October  27,  625— October  12,  638.  The  father  of  this  pope  is  called 
a  con$iul.  or  consular  man,  at  a  time  when  the  consulship  had  long  oeaaedto 
exist  either  as  nn  office  or  dignity,  in  the  primitive  sense  of  the  term.  It  ii 
probable  that  Petronius  held  some  local  magistracy  to  which  the  name  had 
been  transferred.  It  was  revived  in  still  later  times  as  a  title  of  honour,  'i 
not  of  office.  Not  only  do  the  early  English  historians  sometimes  use  the 
title  indistcriminately  with  that  of  earl,  but  Robert,  the  distinguished  son  of 
Henry  I.  of  England,  was  expressly  created  **  consul  of  Gloucester." 

'  The  church  of  St.  Agnes,  first  erected  by  Constantine  at  the  reqont  of 
his  daughter  Constantine,  and  embellished  by  Tiberius  II.,  had  been 
restored  by  Symmachus,  and  was  now  rebuilt  from  the  foundation  faf 
Honorius.  The  moi^aics  which  ornamented  the  apsis  are  still  preserved, 
and  represent  the  pope  at  the  left  hand  of  the  saint,  who  stands  in  the 
centre.     See  Ciampini,  vols.  ii.  and  iii. 

*  May  29 — October  11,  640.  The  papal  treasury  was  pillaged  during 
the  unusual  interval  which  elapsed  between  the  death  of  the  late  pope  and 
the  election  of  Severin. 


.A.D.  642 — 656.]       THEODOfiE — HA.STnr.  351 

one  year,  nine  months,  e:gliteen  days.  He  transmitted 
large  sums  of  money  by  the  holy  abbot  Martin  into  Istria 
and  Dalmatia  for  the  redemption  of  captives ;  and  caused 
the  relics  of  saints  to  be  reverently  transferred  from  thence. 
He  v^as  buried  at  St.  Peter's,  on  the  fourth  of  the  ides 
[12th]  of  October ;  and  the  see  was  vacant  one  month,  thir- 
teen days.* 

Theodobe,  a  Greek,  son  of  Bishop  Theodore,  and  bom 
at  Jerusalem,  filled  the  see  six  years,  five  months,  eighteen 
days.'  At  that  time  the  abandoned  Maurice,  keeper  of  the 
records,  revolted  against  Isaac  the  patrician,  and  secured 
•the  adhesion  of  the  army  and  magistrates  by  oaths.  But 
Isaac  despatched  Donus,  his  master  of  the  troops  and  sacris- 
tan, to  oppose  Maurice,  with  directions  to  take  him  prisoner, 
and  having  beheaded  him,  to  expose  his  head  on  a  pole  in 
the  circus  at  Bavenna,  and  throw  the  others  implicated  into 
close  imprisonment  to  await  their  punishment.*  Isaac  him- 
self, however,  by  Q-od's  will,  soon  after  died  suddenly,  and 
Theodore  Calleopa  was  sent  by  the  emperor  to  succeed  him 
in  the  government  of  Italy.  Pope  Theodore  was  very  pious 
and  good.  He  deposed  Pyrrhus  and  Paul,  heretical  bishops 
of  Constantinople,*  and  consecrated  forty-six  bishops.  He 
was  interred  at  Sfc.  Peter's,  on  the  ides  [16th]  of  May ;  and 
the  bishopric  was  vacant  one  month,  sixteen  days. 

Maetin,  of  Lodi,  filled  the  Boman  see  six  years,  one  month, 
and  twenty-six  days.*  In  his  time,  Paul,  bishop  of  Constan- 
tinople, revolted  from  the  Catholic  doctrine,  and  rudely 
overturned  and  stripped  the  altar  belonging  to  the  see  of 
ILome,  which  was  dedicated  in  the  house  of  Placidia.  He 
prohibited  the  pope's  vicars  from  worshipping  there,  or 

^  December  24, 640 — October  1 1, 642.     The  relics  here  mentioned  were 
thoee  of  St.  Anastasius,  St.  Venantius,  i^t  Maur,  and  their  companions. 
«  November  24,  642— May  13,  649. 

*  Maurice,  after  the  pillage  of  the  papal  treasury,  took  refuge  in  the 
church  of  Sta.  Maria  Ma^giore,  from  which  he  was  dragged  forth,  and  his 
head,  having  been  cut  off  by  the  soldiers  who  had  orders  to  take  him  to 
Ravenna,  was  presented  to  Isaac.  The  latter  died  by  accident  in  648,  and 
was  interred  in  the  church  of  St  Vitalis,  where  his  epitaph  remained  fot 
several  centuries. 

*  The  deposition  of  the  patriarch  Paul  and  the  excommunication  of 
Pyrrhus  were  pronounced  at  a  council  in  which  the  pope  presided  in  648, 
the  decree  of  which  he  is  said  to  have  signed  with  consecrated  wine. 

*  July  5,  649— September  16,  655. 


852  OBDIBICUB  TITALI8.  [b.H.  OH.XTm. 

offering  the  consecrated  host,  and  celebrating  the  holy  oon- 
munion.  On  his  being  admonished  by  the  apostolical  yiein 
and  other  orthodox  bishops,  he  only  grew  more  fturiAOii 
insomuch  that  he  had  some  of  them  placed  in  confinement, 
some  he  sent  into  banishment,  and  others  were  subjected  to 
scourging.  Hearing  this.  Pope  Martin  assembled  one  hun- 
dred and  five  bishops  at  Borne,  and  condemning  the  heretie8> 
confirmed  the  faith  of  the  church  of  God.  Afterwards, 
however,  at  the  instigation  of  Paul,  the  emperor  Constantiiw 
sent  Theodore  into  Italy  as  exarch,  and  he  caused  F(^ 
Martin  to  be  banished  to  the  Chersonesus,  where  the  hdj 
bishop  died,  on  the  fifteenth  of  the  calends  of  October  [Sep- 
tember 17].^ 

EuQEXius,  born  at  Some  in  the  first  or  Aventine  quarter, 
and  son  of  Kufinian,  was  bred  to  the  church  m>m  bis 
infancy.  He  filled  the  see  two  years,  nine  months,  and 
twenty-four  days.^  He  was  a  most  excellent  bishop,  and 
excommunicated  Peter,  bishop  of  Constantinople,  for  his 
heresy.'  He  consecrated  twenty-one  bishops ;  and  tfm 
buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  4th  of  the  nones  [4th]  of  Julj. 
The  see  was  void  one  month,  twenty-one  days. 

YiTALiiLir,  born  at  Segni  in  Campania,  and  son  of  Ana- 
stasias,  filled  the  see  fourteen  years  and  six  months.  He 
was  a  strict  observer  of  order,  and  consecrated  ninety-sev^ 
bishops.  At  that  time  the  emperor  Constans  besieged 
Eomoald,  the  son  of  King  Grimoald,  in  Beneventum,  but 

*  The  council  assembled  by  Pope  Martin  was  held  in  the  month  of 
October,  649.  Though  he  was  carried  off  fi'om  Rome  m  Jun^  653,  he 
did  not  reach  Constantinople  till  the  17th  of  September  of  the  year  follov- 
ing,  having  been  detained  in  the  island  of  Naxos.  After  a  thousand  hard* 
ships  and  outrages,  his  imprisonment  was  transferred  to  the  ChersMiesas, 
where  he  died  at  the  time  already  stated. 

'  A.D.  654 — 657.  This  pope  was  nominated  by  the  emperor  in  the  life* 
time  of  his  predecessor.  The  Aventine  was  the  first  of  the  seveq  ecde* 
siastical  districts  called  regions,  into  which  Rome  was  divided  in  the  middle 
ages.  It  extended  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Tiber  as  far  as  the  church  of 
&t.  Paul,  which  was  included  in  it,  thus  enclosing  the  region  of  the  draiit 
of  Augustus,  called  the  Aventine,  and  perhaps  the  thirteenth  (the  Fiah- 
market),  and  the  first  (at  the  Capuan  gate). 

'  It  was  in  656  that  Peter,  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  having  sent  his 
confession  of  fkith  to  Rome,  it  was  rejected  with  indignation  by  the  deigf 
and  people,  who  would  not  permit  the  pope  to  celebrate  maas  until  he  m 
promised  not  to  accept  it. 


A.B.  657—678.]        viTALiAN — DONUS:  '355J 

being  defeated  and  forced  to  flee,  he  came  to  Rome,  where 
he  was  honourably  received  and  entertained  by  the  pope 
and  clergy  for  twelve  days,  but  he  raised  money  by  stripping 
the  city  of  the  monuments  which  embellished  it.  He  also 
wrought  much  evil  on  the  Italians  and  other  nations  who 
owed  him  allegiance,  but  was  soon  afterwards  assassinated 
in  Sicily  by  his  own  attendants  while  he  was  bathing.  On 
his  death,  the  tyrant  Mezentius  usurped  the  throne.  It 
was  now  that  the  Saracens  massacred  vast  numbers  of  the 
Christians  in  Sicily.  However,  Pope  Vitalian  was  then 
dead,  and  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  6th  of  the 
xjalends  of  February  [27th  of  January],  and  the  bishopric 
was  vacant  two  months  and  thirteen  days.^ 

Adeodatus,  a  Roman  who  had  been  a  monk,  and  son 
of  Jovian,  filled  the  see  four  years,  two  months,  and  five  days, 
Mezentius  was  now  put  to  death  by  the  Italian  army  at 
Syracuse,  and  his  head,  with  those  of  several  of  the  judges, 
was  carried  to  Constantinople.  The  Saracens  then  took 
Syracuse,  putting  a  multitude  of  the  citizens  to  the  sword, 
and  returned  to  Alexandria,  carrying  with  them  the  rich 
booty  which  the  emperor  Constans  had  lately  brought  from 
Borne.  This  pope  consecrated  forty-six  bishops,  and  was 
interred  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  6th  of  the  calends  of  July 
[21st  of  June].  The  bishopric  was  void  three  months  and 
sixteen  days.  At  that  time  there  were  such  violent  rains 
and  thunder  storms  that  the  harvest  could  not  be  got  in ; 
but  the  next  year  the  grain  sprung  up  self-sown.' 

DoNus,  a  Koman,  son  of  Maurice,  filled  the  see  one  year, 
five  months,  and  ten  days.  At  that  time  a  comet  appeared 
in  the  east  during  three  months,  in  the  month  of  August 

*  A.D.  657 — 672.  We  have  corrected  the  text  in  this  paragraph  by 
inserting  the  name  of  Constans  for  that  of  Constantino.  The  spoliations 
committed  by  Constans  when  he  visited  Rome  in  663,  after  his  fruitless 
siege  of  Romoald  at  Beneventum,  have  been  already  mentioned.  The 
name  of  the  usurper  was  not  Mezentius,  but  Mizizi ;  but  he  was  in- 
vested in  the  purple  for  some  weeks  against  his  own  wishes.  The 
Saracens,  who  had  already  made  themselves  masters  of  part  of  Sicily  ill 
663,  reduced  and  pillaged  Syracuse  about  the  year  673,  canying  off  to 
Alexandria  all  the  bronze  which  Constance  bad  stripped  from  the  edifices 
lit  Rome. 

'  A.D.  672 — 676.  It  was  Constantino  Pagonat  who  put  to  death  Mizizi, 
88  well  as  his  fother's  murderers.  Why  they  are  called  judges  we  are  lit  a 
loss  to  understand. 

TOL.  I.  ▲  A 


354  ORDERicira  yitixis.        [b.h.  CH.miL 

from  cock-crowing  till  day-break,  to  the  great  terror  of  the 
inhabitants  of  many  countries  in  which  it  was  visible. 
A  great  mortality  followed  in  the  east.  Pope  Donus 
granted  rariou?  honours  to  .  .  .  * ;  and  consecrated  six 
bishops.  lie  was  interred  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  third  of  the 
ides  [2nd]  of  April.  The  see  was  void  two  months  and 
fifteen  days. 

AoATUO,  a  Sicilian,  sat  two  years,  six  months^  and  four 
days,  in  the  time  of  the  emperors  Constantino,  Heraclius, 
and  Tiberius.*  At  that  time  the  moon  was  eclipsed  fw 
eighteen  days  in  the  month  of  June.*  A  great  mortality 
ensued ;  parents  with  three  or  four  of  their  children  being 
carried  to  the  grave  together.  The  pope's  legates  were 
honourably  received  by  the  emperors  in  the  royal  city,  and 
a  general  council  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  bishops  of  the  easi 
was  assembled  to  discuss  the  Catholic  faith.  George  of 
Constantinople,  being  convicted  of  heresy,  submitted  qfiietiy 
to  its  decision;  but  Macharius,  bishop  of  Antioch,  persisting 
in  his  obstinacy,  was  condemned  with  his  followers,  and 
being  deposed  by  a  unanimous  decree  was  banished  to 
Rome.^  Theophanius  was  made  abbot  in  the  island  of 
Sicily.  Pope  Agatho  consecrated  eighteen  bishops.  He 
was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  fourth  of  the  ides  [10th]  d 
January;  and  the  see  was  vacant  one  month  and  seven  day& 

Leo  the  younger,  a  Sicilian  by  birth,  son  of  Paul,  sat  ten 
months  and  seventeen  days.  He  was  very  eloquent,  well 
read  in  the  sacred  scriptures,  learned  in  the  Greek  and 
Latin  languages,  and  he  took  the  lead  in  chanting  and 
psalmody,  and  was  zealous  in  all  good  works.  He  convoked 
the  sixth  general  council  in  the  palace  of  the  emperor  Con- 
Btantine,  called  TruUus,  and  translated  its  acts  from  Greek 
into  Latin  with  great  care.      On  the^lGth  day  of  Aprili 

^  The  MSS.  are  imperfect  in  this  place.  M.  Le  Provost  suggests  tbik 
the  blank  should  be  supplied  with  clerum,  "  clergy." 

'  June  26,  679~ January  10,  682.  Heraclius  and  Tiberius  were  tb» 
brothers  of  Constantine  Pogonat,  who  associated  them  with  him  in  tte 
empire  at  the  commencement  of  his  reign,  and  put  them  to  death  befoif 
his  own  death. 

'  Every  one  knows  that  an  eclipse  cannot  last  many  days.  The  om 
here  mentioned  took  place  the  17th  of  June,  680. 

*  Macarius  died  at  Rome  in  the  monastery  ao^gned  for  his  ptmm  \if 
LeoIL 


A.D-  682—686.]  LEO  II.— JOHN.         •  S55 

the  first  indiction,  after  the  Lord's  supper,  the  moon  was 
eclipsed,  her  face  having  the  colour  of  blood  almost  all 
night,  but  after  cock-crowing  it  began  gradually  to  brighten. 
Pope  Leo  consecrated  twenty-three  bishops.  He  was 
buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  fifth  of  the  nones  [3rd]  of  July, 
and  the  bishopric  was  vacant  eleven  months  and  twenty- 
two  days.^ 

Benedict  the  younger,  a  Roman,  whose  father  name  was 
John,  filled  the  see  ten  months  and  twelve  days.  He  was 
in  the  service  of  the  church  from  infancy,  and  devoted  to 
good  works.  He  flourished  in  the  time  of  Justinian  and 
Heraclius.  At  that  time  the  moon  was  completely  over- 
shadowed by  a  cloud,  while  the  rest  of  the  sky  was  clear, 
during  the  Epiphany.  In  the  month  of  February  a  star 
disappeared  from  the  east  and  appeared  setting  in  the 
west.  Afterwards  in  March,  Mount  Bravius  in  Compania 
vomited  lava  for  ten  days,  and  the  whole  neighbourhood 
was  destroyed  by  the  ashes  of  the  eruptions.  This  pope 
consecrated  twelve  bishops ;  and  was  himself  buried  at  St. 
Peter's  on  the  eighth  of  the  ides  [8th]  of  May.  The  see 
was  void  two  months  and  fifteen  days.* 

John,  born  at  Antioch  in  Syria,  son  of  Cyriacus,  filled 
the  see  one  year  and  nine  days,  in  the  time  of  the  emperor 
Justinian.  While  yet  a  deacon,  he  had  been  sent  by  pope 
Agatho  with  certain  priests  to  the  imperial  city.  He  was 
interred  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  fourth  of  the  nones  [2nd]  of 
August,  and  the  bishopric  was  void  two  months  and 
eighteen  days.  He  was  continually  unwell,  and  ordained 
thirteen  bishops.' 

CoNON,  a  Sicilian,  whose  father's  name  was  Traceseus, 

*  August  17,  682— July  3,  633.  Pope  Leo  was  not  consecrated  till  the 
8th  of  October.  The  sixMi  general  council  ought  not  to  be  confounded,  as 
it  is  by  our  author,  with  the  council  in  Trullo  of  a.d.  691.  Leo  II 
implicitly  received  the  decrees  of  that  council,  but  it  is  not  known  that  he 
translated  them  into  Latin.  The  eclipse  mentioned  in  this  paragraph  took 
place  on  the  16th  of  April,  683,  at  eleven  p.m.,  being  Holy  Thursday. 

*  June  26,  684 — May  7,  685.  This  pope  was  not  contemporary  with 
the  emperor  Justinian  II.  or  Heraclius,  but  with  Constantino  Pogonat 
[668 — September,  685).  According  to  other  historians,  it  was  not  the 
moon,  biit  a  star  which  exhibited  the  appearance  here  mentioned ;  and  the 
mountain  which  was  in  a  state  of  eruption  was  Vesuvius. 

'  *  June  23,  685— August  1,  686.     This  pope  had  been  Pope  Leo's 
legate  at  the  council  of  Constantinople. 

A  A  2 


856  OHDEHICUS   TITi.LI8.  [b.H.  CH.IVUi. 

filled  the  see  eleven  months.  There  was  a  severe  con- 
test at  his  election,  the  clergy  supporting  Peter  the  arch- 
priest  and  the  army  Theodore  the  priest  who  was  next  on 
the  list.  But  suddenly,  hy  Gk)d*s  providence,  they  all 
abandoned  Peter  and  Theodore,  and  unanimously  chose 
the  lord  Conon,  an  old  man  of  a  noble  presence  and  great 
piety.  He  suffered  continually  from  sickness,  but  be  con- 
secrated sixteen  bishops.  He  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's 
on  the  tenth  of  the  calends  of  October  [2l8t  September], 
and  the  bishopric  was  void  two  months  and  twenty-three 
days.* 

Sebgius,  whose  family  belonged  to  Antioch  in  Syria,  bnt 
who  was  the  son  of  Tiberius,  settled  at  Palermo  in  Sicily, 
filled  the  see  thirteen  years,  eight  months,  and  twenty-three 
days,  in  the  time  of  the  emperor  Justinian  son  of  Constan- 
tine.*  On  the  death  of  Pope  Conon,  part  of  the  people 
elected  Theodore  the  arch-priest,  and  another  part  Paschal, 
the  arch-deacon ;  but  while  there  was  great  contention,  tbe 
clergy  chose  Sergius.  Paschal  had  privately  given  a  bribe 
to  John  Plantinus,  the  exarch,  hoping  through  him  to 
obtain  forcible  possession  of  the  papacy,  but  he  was  disap- 
pointed.* Some  time  afterwards  he  was  dismissed  from  the 
arch-deaconry  for  practising  magical  charms,  and  five  years 
afterwards  died  impenitent.  The  emperor  Justinian  ordered 
a  synod  to  be  held  in  the  imperial  city,  the  acta  of  which 
confirmed  by  his  own  signature,  he  sent  to  Pope  Sergius  at 
Bome  by  the  hands  of  Sergius,  master  of  the  oflfices.*  But 
the  pope,  finding  that  some  things  were  inserted  contrary 
to  the  doctine  of  the  church,  refused  his  subscription.    Tbia 

»  October  21,  686— September  21,  687.  .  M.  Le  Provost  proposes  to 
render  the  words  de  patre  TraceseOt  by  "  of  a  family  from  Thrace." 

«  December  15,  687— September  5,  701. 

'  For  Plantinus  read  Platyn.  The  amount  agreed  on  betireen  tht 
exarch  and  Paschal,  one  hundred  livres  d'or,  was  not  paid,  but  pnHiund{ 
however  Sezgius  was  compelled  to  fulfil  his  engagement. 

*  The  magisiriantu,  translated  **  master  of  the  offices,"  was  a  h^ 
officer  of  the  Greek  emperor's  household.  The  word  occurs  before,  p.  2R 
The  council  in  Trvllo  was  held  in  691,  its  decrees  being  subscribed  by  two 
hundred  and  eleven  bishops.  In  692,  the  emperor  sent  them  to  tbe  popc^ 
who  did  not  even  condescend  to  read  them ;  and  in  693  Zachariasi  th* 
protospathaire,  was  sent  to  Rome  to  arrest  Sergius.  This  enterprise  oO" 
tainly  did  not  succeed,  but  whatever  our  author  may  say,  the  pope  ha^W 
suiTer  banishment  for  five  years.    Aringhi,  i.  p.  166. 


iL.D.  687 — 701.]       .    POPE  SEBGius.  85^ 

produced  a  great  disturbance,  and  Zachary,  the  protospa- 
thaire,  was  despatched  to  Eome  by  the  emperor  with  orders 
to  arrest  the  pope,  and  bring  him  to  Constantinople.  But 
the  Almighty  stirred  up  the  troops  at  Ravenna  and  the 
Pentapolis,  who  marched  to  Eome  and  blockaded  the  city 
gates,  that  they  might  have  an  opportunity  of  killing 
Zachary,  while  he,  much  alarmed,  fled  to  the  pope's  own  cham- 
ber, and  pusillanimously  concealed  himself  under  the  bed  in 
terror  of  his  life.  The  soldiery  from  Ravenna,  entering  Rome 
by  St.  Peter's  gate,  beset  the  Lateran  palace  with  their 
armed  bands,  and  when  the  gates  were  shut  against  them, 
threatened  to  demolish  them  unless  they  were  immediately 
opened.  Upon  this,  the  holy  pope  went  out  and  gave  an 
honourable  reception  to  the  soldiers  and  the  people  who 
had  hastily  assembled  for  his  protection,  addressing  them 
in  courteous  terms,  so  that  their  fury  was  assuaged.  But, 
full  of  zeal  for  God  and  love  for  the  prelate,  they  would  not 
relinquish  the  guard  of  the  palace  until  they  had  driven 
the  before  named  spathaire  from  the  city  with  disgrace. 
His  employer,  also,  the  providence  of  G-od  speedily  so 
ordering  it,  was  driven  from  his  throne,  while  the  church  of 
Gl-od  and  its  first  bishop  were  by  Christ's  help  preserved 
in  safety.  Pope  Sergius  discovered  by  a  divine  revelation  a 
large  piece  of  the  true  cross  in  a  silver  case  in  the  sanctuary 
of  St.  Peter's,  and  directed  that  it  should  be  adored  by  the 
people  every  year  on  the  feast  of  the  exaltation  of  the 
cross.^  He  also  ordered  that  at  the  moment  of  breaking 
the  Lord's  body,  the  Agnus  Dei  should  be  sung  thrice  by 
the  people.'  This  pope  consecrated  Damian  archbishop  of 
Ravenna,  Bertwald  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  Clement 
WiUebrod  bishop  of  the  Frisians,  with  other  bishops  in 
various  provinces,  to  the  number  of  ninety-seven.  He  waa 
buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter,  on  the  6th  of  the  ides 
^th]  of  September,  under  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Tiberias. 
The  bishopric  was  vacant  one  month,  and  twenty  days. 

^  On  the  discovery  of  a  portion  of  the  true  cross,  see  before,  book  i.  p. 
133. 

'  This  was  another  of  the  additions  to  the  ancient  canon  of  the  mass 
made  bj  successive  popes.  It  is  retained  in  the  English  liturgy ;  *''  Lamb 
of  God,"  &c  Concerning  St.  Willibrod,  see  book  i.  He  arrived  in 
Frisia  in  690.  Brihtwald,  elected  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  July  1,  692, 
was  consecrated  June  29,  693,  by  Godwin,  aTchbi&ho^  ol  L>}0\i^« 


85S  ORDXBICUS  TITALIS.  [b.IT.  CH.XYIIL 

John,  a  Greek,  sat  three  years,  two  months,  and  twelve 
days.^  By  his  intercession  Theophylact,  exarch  of  Italy, 
was  saved  from  heing  put  to  death  in  a  tumult  of  the  Boman 
people.  He  also  caused  Gisulf,  chief  of  the  liombards,  who 
Dumt  and  ravaged  Campania,  to  retire  into  his  own  states, 
after  receiving  large  sums  for  the  ransom  of  his  prisoners. 
This  pope  consecrated  fifteen  bishops,  and  was  buried  at 
St.  Peter's,  the  see  remaining  void  one  month  and  eighte^ 
days. 

John,  a  Greek,  son  of  Plato,  filled  the  see  two  years,  six 
months,  and  seventeen  days.  He  flourished  in  the  reigns  of 
Tiberius  and  Justinian,*  and  was  a  most  learned  and  do- 
quent  prelate.  He  also  carefully  repaired  many  of  ti»e 
cemeteries  of  the  saints  and  the  churches  which  had  fallen 
to  decay  and  become  ruinous.'  It  was  then  that  Ariberty 
king  of  the  Lombards,  son  of  Raginbert,  duke  of  Turin, 
restored  to  St.  Peter  the  Cottian  Alps,  and  recorded  the 
donation  in  a  charter  with  golden  letters.*  The  emperor 
Justinian  also,  by  the  aid  of  Turbel,  king  of  the  Bulgarians, 
recovered  the  throne  which  he  had  lost,  and  caused  the 
usurpers  Leo  and  Tiberius  to  be  put  to  death  in  the  circus 
before  all  the  people.*  Pope  John  ordained  nineteen  bishops. 
He  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's,  before  the  altar  of  St.  Mary, 
mother  of  God,  which  he  had  himself  erected,  on  the  fifteen^ 
of  the  calends  of  November  [18th  October].  The  see  was 
void  two  months. 

SisiNNius,  a  Syrian,  son  of  John,  sat  twenty  days.'  His 
mind  was  firm,  and  he  was  anxious  for  the  prosperity  of 

1  October  28,  701— January  9,  705. 

«  March  1,  705— October  17,  707. 

'  The  cemeteries  repaired  by  this  pope  were  those  of  Damasos,  St 
Mark,  and  St.  Marcellinus,  on  the  road  to  Ardea.  He  also  rebuilt  the 
church  of  St.  Eugcnius,  which  had  become  ruinous.  The  chapel  he  built 
and  dedicated  to  St.  Mary  has  been  already  mentioned. 

•  The  facts  here  related  have  been  already  mentioned,  book  i.  p.  1^ 
It  must  not  be  understood  that  the  whole  Cottian  Alps,  or  Mont  Gen^vie, 
were  included  in  the  donation,  but  only  the  domains  situated  among  them. 
It  is  singular  that  the  Roman  church,  generally  so  careful  to  preserve  tb* 
records  of  its  title  to  estates,  should  have  lost  the  charter  of  Aribert  II.  as 
well  as  that  of  Liutprand. 

•  Ordericus  has  inverted  the  chronological  order  of  these  erents;  ti» 
first  topk  place  in  70*2,  the  second  in  701. 

•  January  18 — February  7,  708, 


jL.i>.  708 — ^731.]    sisnwius — gbegoby  n.  35d. 

Kome,  but  hs  was  a  martyr  to  the  gout,  and  expired  sud- 
denly on  the  twentieth  day  after  his  consecration.  He  was 
buried  at  St.  Peter's,  and  the  bishopric  remained  vacant 
one  month  and  eighteen  days. 

CoNSTASTiNE,  a  Syrian,  whose  father's  name  was  John, 
filled  the  see  eight  years  and  fifteen  days.^  In  his  time 
there  was  a  severe  famine  at  Rome  which  lasted  three  years, 
and  was  followed  by  a  season  of  extraordinary  plenty.  The 
emperor  Justinian  sent  the  patrician  Theodore  into  Italy, 
who  took  Bavenna,  and  sent  the  contumacious  archbishop 
Felix*  into  exile  in  Pontus,  deprived  of  sight.  The  pope,  at 
the  emperor's  request,  undertook  a  journey  to  Constanti- 
nople with  a  numerbus  retinue,  and  was  very  honourably 
received  by  Justinian  and  Tiberius  his  son  and  tlie  people. 
Not  long  afterwards  Philip  put  Justinian  to  death  and 
usurped  the  throne,  but  in  a  very  short  time  he  was  de- 
posed, and  Anastasius,  who  succeeded,  conformed  to  the 
orthodox  belief,^  This  pope  consecrated  sixty-four  bishops, 
and  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  of  the  ides  [8th]  of  January ; 
the  bishopric  remaining  void  forty  days. 

Gbegoby  [IL]>  ^  Eoman,  son  of  Marcelius,  filled  the  see. 
sixteen  years,  nine  months,  and  eleven  days,  in  the  reigns  of 
the  emperors  Anastasius,  Theodosius,  Leo,  and  Constan- 
tino,* He  founded  many  churches  and  abbies,  and  did 
many  other  good  works  which  it  is  impossible  to  enumerate. 

He  employed  Boniface,  the  bishop,  in  converting  the 
G-ermans  to  the  Christian  faith.     During  his  pontificate  the 

I  March  25,  708— April  9, 715. 

^  The  epithet  here  applied  to  the  archbishop  of  Ravenna  has  reference 
to  his  insubordination  to  the  holj  see. 

'  The  expedition  of  the  patrician  Theodore  to  Ravenna  was  undertaken 
in  709.  The  pope*s  journey  to  Constantinople  occupied  the  time  from 
October  5,  7 10,  the  day  of  his  departure,  to  the  24th  of  October  of  the 
jear  following.  Justinian  II.  was  beheaded  October  11,  711,  and  his  suc- 
cessor, Philip,  had  his  eyes  put  out  June  3,  713. 

*  May  19,  715— February  10,  731.  The  pontificate  of  Gregory  IT.  was 
£eir  from  lasting  to  the  reign  of  Constantino  Copronymus,  which  did  not 
commence  until  741.  The  works  undertaken  by  this  pope  consisted  more 
in  restorations  than  new  buildings.  He  sent  Boniface  into  Germany  in 
718.  There  appears  some  exaggeration  in  our  author's  account  of  the 
effects  of  the  inundation  of  the  Tiber  in  717 ;  according  to  other  historians 
the  flood  in  the  quarter  of  the  Via  Lata  did  not  exceed  the  height  of  a 
man. 


iOO^  OSDniCUS  TITALIS.  [b.ii.  CH.imii 

moon  had  once  the  appearance  of  blood  until  midnigliL 
The  river  Tiber  overflowed  its  banks  and  inundated  BW 
for  seven  days,  so  that  it  rose  above  the  passage  of  t)tt 
FUminian  Gate,  and  in  the  Broadway  was  the  depth  of  I 
mafi's  stature  and  a  half.  Pope  Gregory  and  his  cfeifji 
with  the  people,  chanting  fireouent  litanies,  by  the  mef<7  of 
Gh>d,  after  tne  eighth  day  the  flood  abated.  Anastaaa^ 
driven  from  the  tbrooe,  engaged  in  battle  with  TheodosiUr' 
but  he  was  defeated  and  forced  to  become  a  monk.  Tbi 
infidel  nation  of  the  Saracens,  having  afflicted  Spain  for  tei 
years,  attempted  to  pass  the  Ehone  into  France,  when  they 
were  met  by  Eudes  duke  of  Aquitain,  and  defeated  with  a 
slaughter  of  300,000  of  the  enemy,  while  1,500  Franks  oolj 
are  said  to  have  fallen.  At  that  time  a  fiery  rain  was  sees 
to  fall  from  the  sky  in  some  place  in  Campania,  which  bunt 
up  the  wheat  and  barley  and  pulse.  When  Leo  mn 
emperor,  Constantinople  was  twice  hesieged  bj  the  Saraeem, 
but  Gt>d  protecting  it,  the  city  was  not  taken,  but  300,000 
of  the  inhabitants  perished  by  famine  and  pestilence. 

Liutprand,  king  of  the  Lombards,  at  that  time  oppressei 
the  Eomans,  but  at  the  intercession  of  the  people,  ui 
respecting  his  prayers  and  sanctity,  he  was  induced  to  egm 
them,  Duke  Basil  and  Paul  the  exarch,'  with  other  mil- 
contents,  received  instructions  from  the  emperor  Leo  to  pn^ 

*  The  text,  which  has  it  Tiberius,  is  corrected.  Tbeodoaus's  ndttxj 
oTer  Asastasius  was  obtained  in  the  month  of  February,  716.  One  BU|^ 
suppose  at  first  sight  that  our  author  is  describing  the  irruption  of  AnbeHi 
across  the  Rhone,  but  it  is  phdn  by  the  amount  of  the  number  of  tlM  daa* 
that  he  is  speaking  of  the  battle  of  Toulouse.  Three  consecrated  raongv 
which  Eudes  pretended  to  have  received  from  the  pope,  and  wmdi  ht 
distributed  to  his  soldiers,  greatlj  contributed  to  inflame  the  aeai  of  tk 
Christians. 

'  The  conquest  by  Liutprand  of  the  greatest  part  of  the  towns  in  tli» 
duchj  of  Rome  was  effected  in  7-9.  It  was  the  exarch  Eutychius  who 
attempted  to  obtain  possession  of  the  city,  and  he  did  enter  it,  but  in  s 
peaceable  manner,  through  the  good  offices  of  the  pope  with  his  powerihl 
allj.  The  emperor  took  measures  against  the  pope  as  earl  j  ai  72G  at  JeaK 
when  Jordan,  the  keeper  of  the  rolls,  and  Lurion  (in  the  MS3.  called 
Barion),  were  killed  by  the  Romans,  and  the  duke  Basil  driTen  out  of  the 
dtj.  The  exarch  Paul,  who  was  not  better  treated  bj  the  ftnw>an«  in 
727,  fell  during  an  insurrection  at  Ravenna  in  728.  The  imprisoDnieBt 
and  murder  of  Exhilhnnit,  duke  of  Naples  (written  Exdarat  in  t^  MS&X 
and  his  son,  appear  to  be  connected  with  the  same  period. 


A..D.  715 — ^741.]    OBJEGOltT  U, — GBEGOUT  in.  361 

to  death  Pope  Gregorjr;  but  the  Bomans  and  Lombards/ by 
Gh)d's  providence,  resisted  their  attempts,  and  protected  the 
holy  bishop.  They  slew  Jordan,  the  keeper  of  the  records, 
and  John  Lurion,  and  Exhilharat  the  duke,  with  his  son 
Adrian,  and  entirely  frustrated  the  emperor's  nefarious 
designs.  He  had  decreed  that  no  image  of  our  Saviour  or 
of  his  holy  mother,  or  of  any  saint,  martyr,  or  angel,  should 
be  allowed  in  the  churches,  pretending  that  they  were  all 
forbidden.  He  therefore  commanded  sdl  images  in  the  im- 
perial city  to  be  removed  «ind  committed  to  the  flames^ 
threatening  all  who  opposed  with  loss  of  their  heads  or  their 
limbs.  Leo  deposed  GTermanus,  bishop  of  Constantinople, 
who  resisted  this  decree,  and  elevated  the  priest  Anastasius 
in  his  place.  Li  the  month  of  January,  the  star  which  is 
called  Antefer,  shone  with  bright  rays  in  the  west. 
After  this  Tiberius  Fetasus  made  an  attempt  on  the  crown, 
but  he  was  defeated  and  slain  by  Eutychius  the  exarch 
and  the  Eomans  who  had  flown  to  arms.^  Pope  Gregory 
consecrated  one  hundred  and  fifty  bishops,  and,  after  many 
good  works,  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  ides  [1st]  of 
February.  The  bishopric  was  vacant  one  month  and  five 
days. 

Gbegoby,  a  S3rrian,  whose  father's  name  was  John,  filled 
the  see  ten  years,  eight  months,  and  twenty-five  days,  in  the 
reigns  of  the  emperors  Leo  and  Constantino.^  He  was  much 
distinguished  for  his  sanctity,  piety,  wisdom,  and  eloquence 
in  the  Greek  and  Latin  tongues.  He  founded  many  sacred 
buildings,  and  added  ornaments  to  several  churches.  A 
synod  consisting  of  ninety-three  bishops  was  convoked  by 
him  at  Eome,  in  opposition  to  the  heresies  of  the  emperors 
XiCO  and  Constantino,  who  had  cast  out  the  images  of  Christ 
and  his  saints  from  the  chiu'ches,  and  irreverently  burnt 
them.  He  added  the  following  words  to  be  recited  by  the 
priest  in  the  canon  of  the  mass :  "  Whose  holy  festival  is 
this  day  celebrated  throughout  all  the  world  in  the  sight  of 
thy  majesty,  O  Lord  our  God ;"  causing  them  to  be  in- 

^  Germanus,  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  wai  deposed  the  17th  of  Jan. 
730,  and  Anastasius  was  appointed  in  his  place  five  days  afterward:}.  The 
revolt  of  Tiberius  Petasus  was  prior  to  the  edict  against  images,  which  was 
not  issued  until  730,  though  the  emperor  had  begun  to  oppose  them  in  727. 

«  March  18,  73.1— November  27  or  28,  741. 


3G2  OBDERICirS  YITALM.  [b.O.  CH.ITia 

scribed  on  stone  in  an  oratory.*  In  his  time  Liutprand, 
king  of  the  Lombards,  laid  siege  to  Eome,  on  which  occasion 
the  pope  sought  aid  from  Charles,  king  of  the  Franks.*  It 
was  then  that  Thrasimond,  duke  of  Spoleto,  having  sought 
refuge  at  Rome,  four  cities  were  taken  from  the  Somans. 
Tliis  holy  pope  consecrated  eighty  bishops,  and  was  buried 
at  St.  Peter's  on  the  fourth  of  the  calends  of  December 
[28th  November].     The  see  was  void  eight  days. 

Zachaby,  a  Greek,  son  of  Polychronius,  filled  the  see  toi 
years,  three  months,  and  fourteen  days.*  Adorned  with 
every  virtue  he  conferred  great  benefits  on  the  church,  k 
his  time  Italy  was  in  a  very  disturbed  state :  the  pope, 
however,  had  an  interview  with  King  Liutprand,  and  8U^ 
ceeded  in  negotiating  a  treaty  of  peace  for  twenty  yean, 
and,  recovering  the  prisoner  Liutprand,  died  in  the  thirty- 
second  year  of  his  reign,  and  was  succeeded  by  Ratchis,  sott 
of  Pemmon  duke  of  Forli.  Then  while  the  emperor  Constan* 
tine  marched  against  the  Arabs,  one  Artabasdus  contrived 
to  usurp  the  government,  but  Constantine  assembling  the 
army  of  the  east  took  the  imperial  city  by  storm,  and  de- 
prived the  rebel  and  his  accomplices  of  sight.  At  that  time 
Carloman,  son  of  Charles  Martel,  king  of  the  Franks,  became 
a  monk  at  Monte  Cassino.  King  Eatchis  also,  at  the 
exhortations  of  the  pope,  came  to  Eome,  and  by  Qt)d's  grace 
laying  aside  his  crown,  became  a  monk.*    Pope  Zachaiy 

*  The  council  mentioned  in  this  paragraph  was  held  in  732.  Ciampim 
iii.  c.  4,  preserves  three  prayers  which  Gregory  III.  caused  to  be  inscribed 
in  the  crj'pt  of  St  Peter,  but  the  fragment  quoted  by  our  author  is  not 
among  them,  and  if  the  passage  was  introduced  into  the  canon  of  the  mf^ 
its  use  has  long  since  been  discontinued.  There  are,  however,  correspond- 
ing words  in  the  collect  for  the  masses  for  martyrs,  confessors,  and  bishops 
and  on  the  anniversaries  of  the  dedication  of  churches. 

'It  will  be  observed  that  Ordericus  Vitalis,  like  the  Roman  writeny 
always  gives  Charles  Martel  the  title  of  king  of  the  Franks.  It  was  in  641 
that  Thrasimond,  duke  of  Spoleto,  who  had  revolted  against  Liutprand, 
having  sought  refuge  and  obtained  succour  at  Rome,  the  Lombard  kii^ 
revenged  himself  by  seizing  the  towns  of  Ameria,  Orti,  Bomarzo,  and 
Bieda,  (?)  and  by  besieging  Rome. 

»  November  SO,  741— March  14,  752. 

*  Liutprand,  in  his  treaty  with  the  pope  at  the  close  of  741,  restored  the 
four  towns  he  had  taken  the  preceding  year.  Thrasimond  was  pardoned 
on  condition  of  his  becoming  a  priest,  a  treatment  to  which  he  had 
subjected  his  father.  Liutprand  died  towards  the  month  of  January  744, 
after  a  reign  of  thirty-one  years  and  seven  xnonthsL    Hildebimnd,  hii 


A.I>.  752—757.]  POPE  STEPHE3T  II.  .        30i^ 

translated  the  four  books  of  Dialogues  of  Pope  St.  Gregory 
from  Latin  to  Greek,  and  consecrated  eiglity-five  bishops. 
He  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  ides  [15th]  of  March, 
and  the  bishopric  was  vacant  twelve  days. 

Stephen,  a  Eoman,  son  of  Constantine,  sat  five  years 
and  twenty-eight  days.^  The  people  had  elected  another 
Stephen,  a  priest;  but,  three  days  afterwards,  rising  from 
sleep  in  good  health,  and  sitting  down  for  the  despatch  of 
business,  he  was  suddenly  deprived  of  sense  and  the  power 
of  speech,  and  died  the  next  day.  Upon  this,  Stephen,  the 
deacon,  a  man  adorned  by  every  virtue,  was  elected  pope. 
At  that  time  Astulph,  king  of  the  Lombards,  cruelly 
persecuted  the  church,  and  used  every  effort  to  reduce  Eome 
itself  to  subjection.  In  consequence,  the  pope,  finding  that 
neither  money  nor  prayers  were  of  any  avail,  was  under  the 
necessity  of  undertaking  a  journey  to  Prance,  to  implore 
protection  for  the  church.  He  was  received  with  high 
honour  by  King  Pepin  and  the  Prank  nobles,  and  was 
entertained  the  whole  winter  at  the  Abbey  of  St.  Deny's, 
near  Paris  .^  Soon  afterwards  Pepin  laid  siege  to  Pavia  with 
an  army  of  Pranks,  and  compelled  Astulph  to  swear  to  a 
treaty  of  peace  with  the  Eomans,  but,  as  soon  as  Pepin 
retired  to  his  own  states,  Astulph  broke  his  oath,  besieging 
Itome  for  four  months,  and  violating  the  cemeteries,  in  which 
he  disinterred  the  bodies  of  many  of  the  saints.  At  the 
pope's  entreaty  Pepin  again  besieged  Pavia,  and,  forcing  the 
perjured  king  to  surrender  Ravenna,  Nami,  Eimini,  and 
many  other  towns,  added  them  to  the  patrimony  of  St. 
Peter.  Not  long  afterwards  Astulph  perished  while  he  was 
hunting,  by  a  stroke  divinely  directed,  and  Duke  Desiderius 
took  possession  of  the  throne.^    Pope  Stephen  consecrated 

nephew,  was  deposed  the  August  following,  and  Ratchis,  duke  of  Friuli, 
succeeded  him.  Artabasdus,  brother-in-law  of  Constantine  Copronymus, 
having  revolted  against  him  during  his  absence,  had  his  eyes  put  out  the 
2nd  of  November,  743.  Carloman  became  a  monk  at  Monte  Cassino  in 
747,  and  Ratchis  in  749. 

1  March  26,  752— April  25,  757.  • 

*  Concerning  this  journey  of  Pope  Stephen  II.  to  France,  see  previous 
note,  book  i.  p.  131. 

■  The  first  siege  of  Pavia  was  in  754,  that  of  Rome  by  Astulph  began 
January  1,  755,  and  the  second  siege  of  Pavia  was  undertaken  in  the 
courae  of  the  same  year.    The  number  of  places  ^h\c.\\  K.<s&.u\\|\w^^  ^^tsi- 


^M       ,  OBDXBI0U8  TITALI8.  [b.U.  CH.XTI 

fifteen  bishops,  and  crowned  Pepin  king  of  the  Franks,  wi 
his  Queen  Bertrnde,  and  their  sons  Charles  and  Carlomi 
lie  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  calends  [Ist]  of  May,  a 
the  see  was  void  five  days. 

Paul,  a  Boman,  brother  of  Stephen,  filled  the  see  t 
years  and  one  month,  in  the  time  of  Constantine  and  Le 
His  good  deeds  were  many ;  he  ordained  sixty  bishops,  a 
-after  his  death  the  see  remained  void  one  year  and  o 
month,  while  the  intruder  Constantine  took  possession 
the  apostolical  seat. 

Stephen,  a  Sicilian,  son  of  Olybus,  filled  tbe  see  thi 
years,  five  months,  and  twenty-eight  days.*  He  was  a  ^ 
wise,  and  excellent  prelate,  and  rendered  great  services  to  t 
church.  Before  his  election  an  unprecedented  outrage  t« 
committed  at  Eome;  for  To  to,  duke  of  Nepi,  compell 
George,  bishop  of  Prseneste,  very  reluctantly,  to  consecn 
the  duke*s  brother  Constantine  pope,  he  being  a  layma 
Soon  after  the  ordination  George  fell  sick,  and  became 
infirm  that  he  never  afterwards  sang  mass.  For  his  rig 
hand  dried  up  and  became  so  palsied  that  he  could  not  rai 
it  to  his  mouth.  A  year  after  Eome  was  delivered  im 
Christopher  the  dean,  and  Sergius  the  sacristan,  and  Bu 
Toto  was  treacherously  assassinated  by  Demetrius  a 
Gratiosus.  Upon  this,  Stephen  was  lawfully  elected  po 
with  the  general  consent;  and  not  long  afterwards  t 
intruder  Constantine,  with  his  brother  Passibius,  a 
Theodore,  bishop  and  apostolic-vicar,  were  seized  by  soi 
ruffians,  who  deprived  them  of  sight ;  and  Christopher,  wi 
his  son  Sergius  and  several  others,  perished  by  the  craft  a 
emissaries  of  King  Desiderius.*  Meanwhile  Stephen,  so 
after  his  consecration,  sent  Sergius  the  secondary  to  t 

pelled  to  cede  to  the  pope  amounted  to  tirenty-two,  among  which  m 
Fano,  Cesina,  Sinegaglia,  Forii,  Gomacchio,  and  Narni.  Astulph  d 
and  was  succeeded  by  Didier,  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  755. 

*  May  29,  757 — June  28,  767.  This  pope  was  not  contemporary  w 
the  emperor  Leo,  but  with  Constantine  only. 

*  August  7,  758— February^l,  772. 

'  Nepi  is  a  small  town  in*the  neighbourhood  of  Rome,  on  the  m 
Briglia.  Constantine  retained  possession  of  the  apostolic  83e  thirte 
months. 

*  It  was  five  years  afterwards  that  Christopher  and  his  son  Sergius  k 
their  eyes  put  out  by  Paul  A&iartes,  acting  in  concert  with  King  Desideria 


A.D.  i58 — 795.]      STEPHEN  HI. — ADRIAN  I.  '  365 

court  of  Charlemagne,  king  of  the  Franks,  entreating  his  aid 
and  advice.  Upon  this  the  king  deputed  to  Eome  twelve  of 
the  French  bishops  of  the  highest  character,  and  best 
instructed  in  the  holy  scriptures,  and  in  the  rules  of  the 
Bacred  canons.^ 

In  the  month  of  April  a  synod  of  bishops  assembled  in 
the  church  of  St.  Saviour,  near  the  Lateran  palace,  and  Con- 
stantine,  who  from  a  layman  had  been  so  precipitately  made 
-«  clergyman  and  pope,  was  unanimously  condemned.  The 
imiod  further  decreed,  under  penalty  of  excommunication, 
tnat  no  layman,  or  person  of  any  order,  should  be  raised  to 
the  popedom,  except  by  passing  through  the  regular  degrees 
of  orders;  and  that  all  which  this  Constantino  had  sanc- 
tioned in  ecclesiastical  affairs  and  divine  worship  should  be 
Serformed  anew,  except  baptism  and  holy  unction.  Pope 
tephen  consecrated  thirty  bishops,  and  was  buried  at  St. 
Peter's,  the  bishopric  remaining  void  eight  days. 

Adrian,  a  Eoman,  son  of  Theodore  who  lived  in  the 
district  of  the  Broadway,  filled  the  see  twenty-three  years, 
ten  months,  and  seventeen  days.^  Of  noble  rank  and  grace- 
ful person,  he  was  moreover  firm,  devout,  and  holy.  In  his 
time  Desiderius,  kiag  of  the  Lombards,  Inflicted  great  evils 
on  Bome,  on  Eavenna,  and  on  the  places  subject  to  them. 
In  consequence  Charlemagne,  at  the  pope's  request,  under- 
took an  expedition  into  Italy,  and  after  besieging  Pavia  for 
live  months,  by  God's  help  forced  it  to  surrender;  and 
marching  from  thence  to  Bome,  he  and  his  army  entered  the 
city,  amidst  the  highest  honours,  on  the  Saturday  before 
Easter.  He  sent  Desiderius  captive  to  France,  with  his 
queen,  and  restored  the  patrimony  of  St.  Peter  which  he 
had  seized.'     Pope  Adrian  founded  and  ornamented  churches 

^  Sergius  had  been  sent  as  legate  to  King  Pepin  immediately  after 
Stephen  became  pope,  but  on  his  arrival  (September  24,  768)  he  found 
Pepin  dead,  and  his  sons  Charlemagne  and  Carloman  in  possession  of  his 
dominions. 

«  February  9,  772— December  25,  795. 

'  The  Lombard  king  made  himself  master  of  Ravenna  in  772^  and  pro- 
ceeded on  his  march  towards  Rome  the  year  following.  The  siege  of  Pavin 
lasted  six  months,  as  our  author  correctly  states,  during  the  winter  and 
spring  of  774^  and  Charlemagne  entered  Rome  on  Holy  Saturday.  De- 
siderius was  confined  in  the  abbey  of  Corby,  where  he  ended  his  days. 
Charlemagne's  donation  to  the  Roman  church  included  more  territory  than 
the  Lombard  kings  had  wrested  from  it. 


803  0BDEBICU8   TITAXT8.  [s.n.  CH.XYin. 

and  did  many  memorable  things.  He  prevailed  on  the 
emperor  Constantine  to  assemble  a  council  of  three  hundred 
ana  fifty  bishops  at  Nice,  the  acts  of  which  he  caused  to  be 
translated  from  Greek  into  Latin.*  In  the  twentieth  year  of 
this  papacy  the  Tiber  overflowed  its  banks  as  far  as  the  door 
of  St.  Peter's  church,  doing  great  injury  to  the  citizens ;  but 
the  pope  ordered  processions,  and  the  Lord  in  his  mercy 
abated  the  flood.*  He  consecrated  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  'bishops,  and  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  seventh  of 
the  calends  of  January  [26th  December],  Leo  being  made 
pope  in  his  stead  the  same  day. 

Leo  [III.],  a  Roman,  son  of  Aizuppius,  sat  twenty  yean, 
five  mouths,  and  sixteen  days,^  following  in  all  things  the 
examples  of  his  predecessors.  While  he  was  engaged  in  the 
due  perlbrmance  of  his  office,  and  on  a  certain  day  was  going 
in  procession  with  the  people  to  the  church  of  St.  Peter, 
Paschal  the  primicier,  and  Campol  the  sacristan,*  rushed 
from  an  ambush  with  their  armed  followers,  and  dispersing 
the  terrified  and  unarmed  populace,  made  an  attempt  to 
deprive  the  pope  of  his  tongue  and  his  eyes  before  the  very 
altar  of  St.  Peter.  But  some  days  afterwards  Albinus  the 
chamberlain  released  him  from  prison,  and  the  Lord 
Almighty  restored  him  to  perfect  health.  Winigis,  also, 
duke  of  Spoleto,  came  to  his  aid,  and  seeing  the  pope,  who 
had  been  wounded  with  clubs  and  dashed  before  the  altar, 
half  dead  and  weltering  in  his  blood,  now  wonderfully 
restored  to  health,  the  duke  and  the  rest  of  the   faithful 

'  This  council  assembled  at  Constantinople  the  Ist  of  August,  786,  and 
resumed  its  labours  at  Nice  on  the  24th  of  September  of  the  year  follow- 
ing, continuing  them  to  the  23rd  of  October.  The  translation  of  its 
decrees  made  by  Pope  Stephen  was  so  literal  as  to  be  almost  unintelligiUe 

^  The  inundation  of  which  our  author  speaks  occurred  in  the  month  d 
December,  791.  The  flood  burst  into  the  city  at  the  Flaminian  gate,  now 
the  Porta  del  Popolo,  which  it  laid  in  ruins,  as  well  as  the  Sublidaa 
bridge. 

»  February  9,  772— December  25,  795. 

*  Primicerius,  Sacellarius.  The  primicier  was  the  first  officer  of  the 
Roman  church,  who  in  grand  ceremonies  attended  the  emperor  and  tin 
pope  on  one  side,  while  the  secondary  stood  on  the  other,  taking  pice9> 
dence  of  all  other  dignitaries.  The  sacristan  was  the  fourth  officer  of  tin 
church,  whose  duty  it  was  to  distribute  the  pay  of  the  troops,  and  tht 
douations  to  the  choir  and  clergy.  The  insurrection  beaded  by  then  tw« 
leaders  broke  out  on  the  23rd  of  April,  749.  .     . 


A.D.  772—824.]  LEO   III. — PASCHAL.  867 

glorified  Grod.  The  pope  afterwards  paid  a  visit  to 
Charlemague,  and  complained  to  him  of  the  treatment  he  had 
received.  He  was  received  with  the  honours  due  to  his  high 
rank,  and  on  his  return  was  attended  by  two  archbishops, 
Hildebald  and  Arno,  with  six  bishops  and  three  counts.* 
The  king  himself  soon  afterwards  went  to  Eome  and  was 
crowned  by  the  same  pope  on  Christmas  day  at  St.  Peter's, 
being  proclaimed  by  aU,  both  Eomans  and  Franks,  emperor 
of  Rome. 

After  this,  on  the  second  of  the  calends  of  May  [30th 
April],  the  ninth  indict  ion,  a  violent  earthquake  entirely 
destroyed  the  church  of  St.  Paul,  which  Pope  Leo  rebuilt 
with  great  magnificence.  This  pope  also  instituted  the 
rogations  for  three  days  before  our  Lord's  ascension.* 
None  of  his  predecessors  bestowed  so  much  care  on  the 
churches  of  the  saints,  their  ornaments  and  all  things 
necessary.  He  ordained  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
bishops,  and  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  the  second  of  the 
ides  [12th]  of  June.     The  see  was  void  one  month. 

Stephen,  a  Boman,  son  of  Marinus,  sat  seven  months.' 
To  establish  the  peace  of  holy  church,  he  went  into  France 
to  the  emperor  Lewis,  and  obtained  of  him  all  that  he 
requested,  and  mercifully  recalled  the  exiles  who  w^ere 
banished  for  their  outrage  on  Pope  Leo.*  He  consecrated 
five  bishops,  and  was  interred  at  St.  Peter's.  The  bishop- 
ric was  .vacant  twenty-six  days. 

Paschal,  a  Roman,  son  of  Bonosus,  filled  the  see  seven 
years,  four  months,  and  eighteen  days.*  He  followed  the 
examples  of  his  predecessors  in  great  sanctity,  doing  much 

*  Pope  Leo  met  Charlemagne  at  Paderborn,  and  returned  to  Rome  the 
29th  of  November  of  the  same  year.  Hildebald  (spelt  Idilvald  in  the 
text)  was  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and  Arno  of  Saltzburgh. 

^  The  earthquake  which  shattered  and  threw  down  the  roof  of  the 
church  of  St.  Paul  happened  in  801.  It  was  not  this  pope,  but  MfMnertus, 
•irho  instituted  the  rogations,  about  the  year  470.  It  should  seem  that 
pope  Leo  III.  introduced  them  at  Rome,  or  at  least  regulated  the  cere' 
monial  to  be  observed  in  them. 

■  June  11  or  12,  816— January  24,  817. 

*  The  emperor  received  the  pope  at  Rheims  in  the  month  of  August* 
Fhere  is  no  other  account  of  his  having  brought  back  from  France  tho 
issassins  of  his  predecessor,  and  it  is  not  a  very  probable  circumstance. 

*  January  25,  817— May  ll|  824.  This  pope  rebuilt  three  churches, 
St.  Praxede,  St.  Cecilia  in  Transteveie,  and  Santa  Maria  in  Dominica. 


3G8  jOBDXBICUS  yitaxis.  [b.ii.  CH.XY1 

that  was  both  useful  aud  ornamental  to  the  diurch. 
consecrated  eleven  bishops,  and  was  interred  at  St.  Fete 
the  see  being  void  four  days. 

EuGENius,  a  Eoman,  a  good  and  holj  prelate,  filled 
eee  four  years.^      At  that  time  extraordinary  plenty  { 
peace  reigned  throughout  the  world. 

Valentine,  a  Eoman,  son  of  Peter,  from  the  quartei 
the  Broad-way^  endowed  with  every  virtue,  filled  the 
fourteen  days.*  He  was  elected  in  the  Lateran  palace 
one  hundred  bishops,  and  the  chief  men  of  £ome  with 
the  people,  and  bemg  taken  from  the  church  of  St.  Mi 
motner  of  God,  was  placed  on  the  papal  throne;  but 
died  shortly  afterwards  in  sanctity. 

Gbegoey  [IV.],  a  Boman,  son  of  John,  distinguished 
his  noble  person  and  birth,  and  a  wise  and  holy  bisl: 
filled  the  see  sixteen  years.^  In  his  time  the  Saracens  m 
irruptions  from  their  own  territories  on  the  islands  i 
states  of  the  Christians,  which  they  grievously  rava( 
butchering  the  inhabitants,  and  destroying  in  their  fury 
churches  and  dwellings  of  the  faithful.  Pope  Gregory  i 
rounded  Ostia  with  walls  to  protect  it  from  their  incursi 
from  which  it  was  afterwards  called  Gregorianopolis.* 
other  good  deeds  were  numerous;  for  he  built  m 
churches,  and,  translating  numerous  relics  of  the  sai 
deposited  them  in  suitable  receptacles.  He  consecrated 
hundred  and  eighty-five  bishops,  and  was  buried  at 
Peter's.     The  bishopric  was  vacant  fifteen  days. 

Sebgitjs  [II.]>  a  Itoman,  whose  father's  name  was 
Sergius,  filled  the  see  three  years.*  Although  he  was 
nonically  elected,  John  the  deacon,  with  a  band  of  ari 
peasants,  burst  the  gates,  and,  trampling  on  all  the  ti 
tions  of  law  and  order,  forced  their  way  into  the  p 
palace.  But  in  the  course  of  an  hour  the  troops,  b< 
seized  with  a  panic,  took  to  flight,  and  John  the  intn 

»  June  6,  824 — August  27,  827. 

*  August  to  September,  827. 
»  A.D.  827—864. 

*  The  Saracens  made  themselves  masters  of  Crete  and  Sicily  bet 
the  years  820  and  830,  which  induced  Gregory  IV.  to  fortify  Otti 
protect  Rome  from  their  attacks. 

*  January  or  February,  844 — January  27,  847. 


A.D.  844—855.]      SEEGius  II.— LEO  IV.  369 

was  made  prisoner,  and  having  been  scourged  was  degraded 
from  his  office  of  deacon.^  At  that  time  the  emperor 
Xx)thaire  sent  to  Ecme  Dro^o,  archbishop  of  Metz,  witli  his 
own  son  Lewis,  attended  bj  many  bishops,  abbots,  and 
counts.  On  their  route  they  made  great  slaughter  in  the 
towns  and  country,  so  that  the  native  inhabitants,  terrified 
at  their  cruelty,  x^re  forced  to  take  refuge  in  woods  and 
dens.  Then,  on  a  certain  day,  the  sky  grew  black  with 
clouds,  and  sojoie  of  Drogo's  chief  attendants  were  struck 
with  lightning  and  killed.  Lewis,  however,  proceeded  to 
Some,  when  rope  Sergius  anointed  him  with  holy  oil,  and 
consecrated  him  king  of  the  Lohibards.'  This  pope  or- 
dained twenty-three  bishops  and  founded  several  abbies  and 
churches.  !He  was  buried  at  St  Peter's,  and  the  bishopric 
'was  vacant  two  months  and  fifteen  days. 

Leo  [IV.],  a  Eoman,  son  of  Eadvald,  sat  eight  years, 
three  months,  and  six  days.'  He  shone  brightly,  like  the 
8im,  in  the  world,  by  his  inestimable  gifts,  sening  the 
church  of  God  in  various  ways,  both  by  building  and 
embellishing  churches,  and  by  other  useful  undertakings. 
Presently,  after  the  death  of  Pope  Sergius,  the  Saracens 
pillaged  the  churches  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul ;  but  as 
their  fleet  was  returning  to  Africa  it  was  destroyed  by  a 
tempest.^  At  that  time  there  was  such  an  earthquake  at 
Some  that  all  the  elements  seemed  in  disorder.  Pope  Leo 
prohibited  laics  from  remaining  in  the  sanctuary  while 
mass  was  celebrated.  Li  the  first  year  of  his  papacy,  he 
drove  away  by  his  merits  and  prayers  a  basilisk  which,  liu:k- 
ing  in  the  dark  caverns  of  Borne,  destroyed  many  persons 
with  its  pestiferous  breath.  This  holy  pope  also  extmguished 

^  The  election  of  Pope  Sergius  II.  was  hardly  completed  when  John  the 
deacon  forced  his  way  into  the  papal  palace. 

'  Lewis  II.,  son  of  the  emperor  Lothaire,  arrived  in  Rome  on 
Sunday  the  8th  of  June,  844,  and  was  crowned  by  Sergius  II.  the  15th  of 
the  same  month,  king  of  Lombardy;  a  young  prince  who  defended  his 
Idngdom  and  the  imperial  rights  in  Italy  with  great  spirit. 

*  January  27  or  28,  847— July  17,  855. 

*  The  pillage  of  the  churches  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  both  then  fuori 
muri,  by  the  Saracens  occurred  in  the  month  of  August,  846,  and  con- 
nequently  in  the  time  of  Pope  Sergius.  They  were  attacked  by  Lewis  at 
the  head  of  the  Franks  on  their  retreat,  but  gained  their  fleet,  in  the  ship- 
wreck of  which  the  booty  they  carried  off  from  Rome  was  lost. 

VOL.  I.  B   B 


370  OBBSnCUB  titaus.  [b.ii.  CH-HX, 

n  firo  wfiich  raged  furionaly  in  the  street  of  the  Saxons,  b? 
HMiiplT  making  the  sign  of  the  croes.^  He  fbanded  kH 
pmbeflished  manj*  churehes,  rebuiH  citiea,  and  repaired  ^ 
wallri  of  Borne.  He  also  Imilt  a  wall  round  the  cbmch  of 
8t.  Peter,  and  waa  in  some  sort  the  founder  of  a  city,  sisee 
called  from  his  name,  the  Leonine  city,  which  he  conaeemtod 
in  the  presence  of  the  whole  population  of  Some  iriA 
^reat  rejoicings  on  the  4th  of  the  calends  of  July-  [2Stk 
June].' 

Ch.  XIX.  Oontinuation  cf  ike  seriei  of  popea^  Jrtm  ike 
death  of  Leo  TF.,  a.d.  855,  to  Innocent  tl^  the  r€^piui§ 
pope,  A.D.  1142. 

I  HATE  now  given,  in  a  short  chapter,  such  an  account  of  i 
hundred  popes  who  presided  in  the  apostolical  see  after  St 
Peter,  as  I  could  collect  from  the  writings  of  Pope  St.  D»- 
masus  to  Jerome,  or  in  the  Pontifical}  But  further,  respect- 
ing the  fort7  popes  who  filled  the  apostolical  see  jrbni  tbe 
time  of  Leo  IV.  to  the  present  time,  I  have  not  yet  been 
able  to  discover  an^  genuine  accounts;  I  shall,  therefore, 
venture  to  say  but  little  about  them.  Their  names  only  it 
will  be  my  endeavour  to  supply  in  regular  order,  but  I  am 
under  the  necessity  of  observing  silence  wi  their  origin  anci 

^  The  fire  here  mentioned  is  that  which  is  represented  bj  Raphad  io 
his  celebrated  picture,  which  goes  by  the  name  of  IneentHo  del  Borgo, 

'  Pope  Leo  IV.  repaired  many  of  the  churches  and  monaateries^  whicb 
he  enriched  and  embellished,  particularly  the  churches  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul,  from  which  he  was  anxious  to  remove  all  traces  of  tiie  deywta* 
tions  made  by  the  Saracens.  The  repairs  of  the  walls  of  Rome,  and  tbe 
fortifications  with  which  he  surrounded  the  Vatican,  incltiding  the  diar^ 
of  St.  Peter,  commenced  in  848.  These  latter  works  lasted  six  yean 
Gibbon  rematks  of  Pope  Leo:  ''The  capital  of  Christendom  owed  its 
salvation  as  ^uch  to  the  heroism  of  the  pope  Leo  IV.  aa  to  the  valoiir  of 
the  imperial  troops.  Bom  a  Roman,  the  courage  of  the  fiiit  Hgea  of  tbe 
republic  glowed  iti  his  bosom.'* 

'  It  is  generally  understood  that  the  Pontifical,  attributed  dnnng  tbe 
middle  ages  either  to  Pope  Damasus  or  St.  Jerome,  itas  the  work  of 
neither;  but  its  history  is  too  obscure  and  too  complicated  a  subject  to  be 
discussed  in  a  note.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  it  now  beers  the  nanto  of 
Anastasius  the  librarian,  who,  if  not  its  author,  was  at  least  its  compilcir  asd 
editor.  Orderious  has  miscounted  the  number  of  popes  contain^  in  his 
list,  which  (including  the  antipope  Felix  IL)  amounts  te  one  hundred  sad 
forty. 


A.D.  855 — 1047.]     STJCCESSIOK  OV  POPES.  871 

acts,  until,  by  Q-od*s  help,  I  shall  have  been  able,  as  I  wi^b, 
to  meet  with  fuller  records  concerning  them. 

Pope  Benedict  Med  the  see  one  year,  six  months,  asnd 
ten  days.^ 

Pope  NiOHOiiAS,  four  years  and  ten  months.* 

PoJ)e  Adeian,  five  years.' 

Pope  JoHK,  ten  years.* 

Pope  MAEDms,  one  year  and  four  months.* 

Pope  Adeiak,  one  year  and  four  months.® 

Pope  Agapitits,  one  year.' 

Ba&il  Stephen^  one  year ;  then  Foemosfs,'  Johk,*^  and 
SnSPHEy,"  flourished  in  the  time  of  Lewis  d'Outremcr," 
ihey  were  followed  by  Maeinits,  Agapittjs,  Octavianus, 
liBO,  Bekedict,  Benedict,  Geebeet,  Silvestee,  Aga- 
jpiTtrs,  and  Benedict.  Thus,  for  nearly  a  hundred  and  ten 
years,  eleven  popes  filled  the  apostolical  see  of  whom  I  have 
been  hitherto  unable  to  discover  either  the  genealogies,  or 
the  time  of  their  elevation,  or  the  date  of  their  deaths." 

Clement  Sttitgee,  who  had  been  bishop  of  Bamberg, 


»  Benedict  III.,  July  17  or  18— September  1.  855— April  8,  858. 

«  Ni<ihola»  I;,  April  24,  858— November  13,  867. 

P  Adrian  IL,  Norember  13  or  14,  867— December  13  or  14,  872. 

*  John  VIII.,  December  14,  872— December  15,  882. 

*  Marinus  I.,  December,  882— May,  884. 

•»  Adrian  III.,  May,  884— September,  885. 

'  Agapitus  was  the  same  person  as  Adrian  III. 

"  Stephen  V.,  who  bore  the  name  of  Basil  in  his  youth,  September,  88  3 
— August  7,891. 
■    •  Formosus,  September,  891 — April,  896. 

*•  For  John,  read  Boniface  VI.     He  was  pope  only  fifteen  days. 

*^  Stephen  VI.,  August,  896 — 897  ;  about  fourteen  months. 

"  Our  author  is  mistaken  in  representing  the  last  three  popes  as  con- 
temporary with  Louis  d'Outremer,  whose  reign  began  in  June,  936,  and 
terminated  the  1 0th  of  September,  954. 

*•  Ordericus  Vitalis  omits  the  fifteen  popjes  who  filled  the  see  of  Rome 
between  Stephen  VL  and  Marinus  II.  (897—942).  Instead  of  Octavian 
Iread  John  XII.  The  tiara  was  contested  between  Leo  VIII.  and  Benedict 
V.  The  crowning  of  Otho  the  Younger  by  John  XIII.  took  place  on 
f^^iristmaB  day,  967.  There  should  be  inserted  in  the  text  between  Benedict 
yi.  and  Benedict  VII.,  Donus  II.,  who  filled  the  papacy  for  some  months 
in  ^76;  iffter  Bienedict  VII.,  John  XIV.,  John  XV..  John  XVL,  and 
Gregory  V.;  after  Silvester  II.,  John  XVII.,  John  XVIII.,  and  Seigius 
rV.;  and  after  Benedict  VIII.,  John  XIX.,  Benedict  IX.-,  and  Gregory 

Ti. 

B   B  2 


872  OEDBBICUB  TITALI8.  [bJiI.  CH.XH. 

filled  tho  see  nine  years,  and  crowned  the  emperor  Heniy 
and  bis  empress  Agnes.^ 

Damasus,  formerly  bishop  of  Aquileia^  sat  one  year.' 
Leo,  a  Lorrainer,  sat  five  years.  Under  the  name  of  tiruno 
be  was  bishop  of  Tool.  l^Hien  pope  be  came  into  Gbkol  and 
held  a  great  council  at  Bbeims.  He  restored  to  yigour 
many  ancient  decrees  of  the  holy  fathers  which  had  fallen 
into  disuse,  and  made  many  useful  reforms  both  in  civil  and 
ecclesiastical  affairs.' 

Gebehabd  Victoe  filled  the  see  three  years.* 
Pbedebick  Stephen,  son  of  Duke  Gothelon,  sat  one  year.' 
Gerard  Nicholas,  the  first  pope  of  the  French  nation, 
sat  two  years.* 
Alexander  of  Lucca  filled  the  see  eleven  years.^ 
Gregory  HiLDEBRAin)^  a  monk  from  his  childhood,  filled 
the  see  fourteen  years.     Li  his  time  the  emperor  Heniy 
expelled  the  pope,  and,  intruding  Guitberg,  bishop  of  Ba- 
venna,  into  the  apostolical  see,  caused  great  disturbances  in 
the  church  of  Borne.* 

Desiderius  Victor,  who  was  abbot  of  Monte-Casino, 
filled  the  see  eleven  months.* 

Urban  Odo,  who  had  been  a  monk  of  Cluni,  and  bishop 
of  Ostia,  sat  twelve  years.  He  it  was  who  stirred  up  the 
armies  of  Christendom  to  march  to  Jerusalem  against  i^ 
infidels.^* 

^  Clement  II.  (previously  bishop  of  Bamberg),  December  25, 104$— 
October  9,  1047.  He  crowned  Henry  III.  and  his  queen  Agnes,  on  the 
very  dny  of  his  own  installation. 

*  Damasus,  July  16 — August  8, 1048.  This  pope  was  not  pievknMj 
patriarch  of  Aquilein,  but  bishop  of  Brixen. 

*  February  12,  1048— April  19,  1054.  As  to  this  pope,  see  book  I  p. 
151. 

*  March  13,  1055— July  28,  1057. 

»  Stephen  IX.,  August  2,  1057— March  29, 1058. 

*  Nicholas  II.,  December  28,  1058— January  18,  1059 — July  21  or  22, 
1061.  Ordericus,  when  he  describes  this  pope  as  the  first  Frenchman  who 
filled  the  holy  see,  forgot  Silvester  II.  (Cferbert),  who  was  a  native  of 
Auvergne. 

*  Alexander  II.,  bishop  of  Lucca,  September  30, 1061 — April  21, 1073. 

*  Gregory  VII.,  April  22— June  30,  1073— May  25,  1085.  Gilbert, 
archbishop  of  Vienna,  was  elected  by  an  assembly  at  Brixen,  the  23rd  of 
June,  1080,  and  died  in  1 100,  after  an  intrusion  of  twenty  years. 

*  Victor  III.,  Mav  24,  1086— September  16,  1087. 

^  Urban  U.,  March  1 1^  1088— July  29,  1099.    The  date  of  the  council 


A.T).  1099 — 1142.]  BUCCEssioir  op  popes.  373 

Pascal  Eedsteb,  a  native  of  the  valley  of  the  Brutians, 
a  monk,  sat  twelve  years.* 

Gelaskts  John,  bom  at  G-aieta,  sat  two  years.' 

Calixtus  Gut,  son  of  "William,  duke  of  Burgundy,  who 
was  archbishop  of  Vienna,  filled  the  see  six  years.' 

HoKOBiTTS  Lambebt,  who  was  bishop  of  Ostia,  sat  five 
years.* 

Ikkocettt  Geobge,  of  the  family  of  the  Papii,  has  filled 
the  see  twelve  years.  He  held  a  great  council  at  Eome  in 
the  ninth  year  of  his  papacy,  at  which  many  affairs  were 
determine^  although  there  are  but  scanty  records  of  its 
proceedings.* 

of  Clermonty  where  the  first  crusade  was  preached,  is  g^ven  before,  bodE  i 
p.  164.    The  crusaders  formed  a  junction  at  Nice  the  1 4th  of  May,  109"/, 
and  laying  si^e  to  Jerusalem  on  the  7th  of  June,  took  it  by  assault  on 
Friday,  the  15th  of  July,  in  the  same  year. 
1  Pascal  II.,  a  native  of  Bleda,  August  13,  1099 — January,  1118. 

*  Oelashis  II.,  born  at  Gaieta,  and  not,  as  our  author  describes  him,  at 
Cadiz,  Gaditanus,  January  25,  1118~January  19,  1119. 

'  Callistus  II.,  February  1,  1119— December  12,  1124.  He  was  the 
8tm  of  William,  earl  of  Boulogne,  and  filled  the  archiepiscopal  see  of  Vienna 
at  the  time  he  was  elevated  to  the  papacy. 

^  Honorius  II.,  December  21,  1124— Februaiy  14, 1130. 

*  Innocent  II.,  February  15,  1130— September  23,  1143.  Ordericus 
calls  him  Papiensia;  but  he  was  not  a  native  of  Pavia,  as  he  is  described 
more  expressly  towutls  the  close  of  book  i.,  but  belonged  to  the  family  of 
the  Papii.  The  council  here  mentioned  was  the  second  Lateran  (the  tenth 
general  council),  which  met  on  the  8th  of  April,  1139,  and  was  attended 
bj  nearly  a  thousand  bishops. 

The  mention  of  twelve  years  having  elapsed  mnce  the  election  of  Innocent 
IX.9liroTe8  that  this  passage  was  written  in  the  year  I L42,  and  consequently 
some  time  before  the  last  paragraph  but  one  in  the  first  book. 


874  OKDXBICVI  TTEALIB. 


BOOK  IIL^ 


THE  PEEFACB. 

It  is  our  dxxty  to  devote  ourselves  unceasing  to  the  Cre- 
ator's praise  in  all  bis  works,  altbough  bis  ipajesty  ^ 
might  are  beyond  our  powers  of  comprehension,  and  we  iuw 
quite  incapable  of  speaking  in  fitting  terms  of  bis  -tia^Hp 
loftiness  and  unwearied  lovingkindness.  These  9^  e^jii- 
bited  in  every  page  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament ;  these 
arathe  subjects  of  the  study  and  meditations  of  eveij  iriss 
man.  But  who  can  penetrate  the  mystery  oi  the  imm^isilj 
of  Gk)d  ?  The  knowledge  of  the  love  of  Christ  is  above  tbe 
skill  of  man,  while  to  search  it  out  and  embrace  it,  and  use 
our  utmost  efforts  in  pursuing  it,  is  both  our  proper  task 
and  fraught  with  the  nilness  of  everlasting  salvation.  Eor 
this,  holy  men  whose  worth  is  recorded  in  authentic  wiitmgs, 
now  associated  with  the  angels,  triumph  in  iAie  heavens; 
having  despised  transitory  things  axid  cpur(;ed  etefnal 
realities,  and  abhorred  carnal  delights,  that  thej  migfat 
outer  upon  the  blessed  fruition  of  those  thai  are  SpirituU: 
Following  their  Saviour's  footsteps  through  ^e  difBycnit 
path  of  a  holy  life,  they  have  left  us  a  salutary  ezaipple,  bjr 
imitating  which  we  also  may  reach  by  tl;i6  way  of  righteous^ 
ness  the  heavenly  inherituice;  an  enterprise  rendered  so 
difficult  to  our  sloth  and  weakness  bv  the  burden  of  onr 
sins.  Still  it  is  our  duty  to  struggle  &ithfullj  in  their 
steps  and  follow  the  course  they  have  pursued,  that  partici- 
patmg  in  their  merits,  we  may,  by  God's  mercy,  be  one  day 
found  worthy  to  share  the  joys  01  their  blessed  society. 
In  the  former  part  of  my  work,  I  have  had  the  satisfac- 

^  The  title  prefixed  bj  our  author  to  this  book  in  his  own  MS.  of  St 
Evroult,  is  Book  III.  of  the  Ecclesiastical  History  of  OEDBBicoi 
ViTALiB,  THB  ENGLISHMAN.  In  Duchesne's  edition,  the  words  Sfioats 
Part  are  added,  with  the  following  enumeration  of  the  contents :  Cm' 
tattling  a  clear  account  of  the  Norman  wart  in  France,  EngUmd,  aid 
Apulia;  of  the  foundation  of  monasteries ;  and  a  nearly  compleie  eeriet 
cf  the  bishops  and  abbots  of  Normandy,  with  many  other  important  matten 
in  the  time  of  Duke  William  IL,  sumamed  the  Bastard, 


PEEFAGS  TO  BOOK  JH.  875 

tion  of  giving  an  aocoimt  of  some  of  these  fideap^s  of  God, 
and  masters  and  rulers  of  his  people,  vto  moiii^t^  on  whose 
lives,  or  to  speak  of  them  faithfully  is  an  agreeable  exercise 
for  the  jsoul,  mA  a  salutary  remedy  for  her  isward  discnrders. 
iN'ow,  howeyqr,  my  s.up.ei:iqr9  have  set  me  axipthei:  task,  and 
an  ample  Md  opens  Ix^re  jskq  in  the  hi^tpry  pf  the  jQ'or- 
m^s,  who  issuing  &om  Denmark^  were  ajjidicted  not  to 
letters  hn.t  to  airms,  9iid  la^ho,  until  the  time  of  WilHom  the 
iBa9tard,  wex^  Qiore  given  to  fighting  thi^n  to  reading  or 
^vntiiig. 

Dudo,  dean  of  St.  Quentin,  has  rels/ted  wijth  eloquence 
the  wars  of  the  first  three  dukes,  of  whose  actions  his  worl^ 
is  a  copious  and  poetical  panegyiic'  It  was  dedicated  to 
Bichard,  the  son  of  *Gonor,  whose  good  graces  the  author 
wished  to  secure.  This  work  was  neatly  abridged  by 
William,  sumamed  Calculus,  a  monk  of  Jumiege,  who 

^  Dacia,  At  the  time  our  author  wrote,  and,  indeed,  long  afterwards, 
Denmark  was  confounded  with  Dacia ;  the  Danes  called  Dad,  and  the 
Norwegians,  Noriei,  We  may  also  observe,  that  the  Normans  as  well  as 
the  Anglo-Saxon  writers  made  no  distinction  between  the  tribes  of  the 
Northmen  who  came  from  Denmark,  and  the  Norwegians.  They  are  for 
the  most  part  indiscriminately  called  Danes;  Denmark  having  been  more 
known,  lying  nearer  to  the  eastern  coast  of  England,  and  consequently 
supplying,  at  one  time  at  least,  the  great  body  of  the  adventurers.  It  need 
hardly  be  remarked  that  both  these  people  were  derived  from  a  common 
stock.  Hollo,  we  know,  came  from  Norway.  Tradition  still  points  out 
the  coves  where  his  gallies  were  fitted  out,  near  Aalesund,  on  a  small  island 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Romsdal's  Fjord. 

'  The  word  panegyric  is  justly  applied.  The  work  of  Dudo  de  St. 
Quentin :  Dudonis  super  congregationem  S,  Quintini  decani  de  moribut 
ei  acHs  primorum  NormannuB  Ducum  libri  iii.,  published  in  Duchesne's 
Hisioria  Normannorum  Scriptores  Aniiquij  is,  in  truth,  much  less  a 
history,  properly  so  called,  than  a  verbose,  rhetorical,  and  often  &lse 
panegyric  of  the  first  three  dukes  of  Normandy.  Though  the  author  had 
great  opportunities  for  collecting  and  describin);  fidthfuUy  the  events  of  the 
times,  as  he  lived  at  the  courts  of  Richard  I.  and  Richard  II.,  he  has 
in  most  cases  either  omitted,  altered,  or  falsified  the  facts,  and  replaced 
them  sometimes  by  the  exaggerations  of  the  grossest  flattery,  and  at  others 
by  accounts  taken  hap-hazard  from  the  lives  of  persons  who  lived  in  earlier 
times,  or  from  traditions  altogether  &bulous.  The  consequence  is,  that 
instead  of  throwing  light  on  the  annals  of  the  first  age  of  Norman  history^ 
he  has  only  made  the  darkness  in  which  they  are  involved  more  visible. 
The  three  dukes  of  Normandy,  whose  history  was  written  by  Dudo,  are 
Rollo,  William  L,  sumamed  Longue-Epie,  and  Richard  I.,  sumamed 
Sant-Peur, 


37G  OBDEBIOUB  TITALIS.  [b.IIL 

flourished  somewhat  later,  and  added  a  short  but  perspi- 
cuous account  of  the  four  succeeding  dukes.* 

*  This  hittoriaii  it  Taitlj  tuperior  to  Dado  de  St  Qaentin«  but  itfll  he 
hai  committed  the  error  of  copying  and  Adopting  the,  more  or  leai^ 
monitrous  fables  of  his  predeoessor^  and  his  work  has  had  the  raisfoitmie 
of  being  disfigured  bj  a  continuation,  the  author  of  which  has  so  interpolated 
it,  and  made  so  many  iniudidous  additions,  as  to  have  essentially  altoed 
its  character.  William  de  Jumieges  wrote  the  histories  of  Ridiard  IL, 
Richard  IIL,  Robert  I.,  and  William  II.,  called  at  first  the  Bastsrd, 
and  afterwards  the  Conqueror.  It  appesrs  from  what  Ordericos  Yitalii 
here  says,  that  the  eighth  book  of  William  de  Jumieges  in  oar  editions  wai 
not  written  by  him,  as  it  gires  the  history  of  Henry  I.,  dghth,  or  ratlNr 
ninth  duke  of  Normandy.  In  point  of  fiict,  he  died  in  1090,  and  his  wori^ 
as  it  now  stands,  extends  far  bf^ond  that  year. 


377 


BOOK  in. 

Ch.  I.  Foundation  of  monasteries  in  Normandy — they  are 
ravaged  hy  the  Danes — restored  by  JRollo  and  succeeding 
dukes — others  founded — series  of  the  dukes  to  William 
the  Bastard, 

I  COMMENCE  my  present  undertaking  with  speaking  of  that 
vine  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  which  he  himself  plants,*  and 
preserves  throughout  the  world  against  the  devices'  of 
Behemoth.  The  shoots  of  this  vine  were  freely  propagated 
by  the  labours  of  the  Lord's  husbandmen  in  the  country 
formerly  called  Neustria,  but  now  Normandy,'  producing 
abundant  fruit  in  men  devoted  to  a  holy  life.  These  faith- 
ful labourers  founded  in  that  province  many  monasteries 
where  the  true  branches  of  the  vine,  that  is  good  Christians, 
planted  themselves  in  common  accord,  in  order  to  struggle 
more  safely  to  the  end  against  the  wfl.es  of  their  spiritual 
enemies. 

The  blessed  bishop  Ouen,  who  flourished  in  the  time  of 
Dagobert  king  of  the  Pranks  and  his  son  Clovis,  and  was  of 
distinguished  worth  both  in  civil  and  ecclesiastical  affairs, 
founded  a  convent  for  nuns  at  Pecamp,  and  another  for 
monks  in  the  city  of  Bouen,  where  he  was  himself  buried  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  678,  and  his  remains  lay  undisturbed 
for  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  years,  until  Eouen  was 
ravaged  by  the  Northmen.' 

'  The  metaphor  of  our  Lord^b  vine,  to  frequentlj  used  in  the  ho]j 
scriptures  and  the  writings  of  the  father^  seems  to  have  been  a  fiivourite 
%ith  our  author.  He  had  already  made  use  of  it  in  the  commencement  of 
his  first  book. 

'  It  was  a  common  error  to  connder  Neustria  as  synonymous  with  Nor- 
mandy ;  it  included  not  only  Normandy,  but  all  the  territory  between 
the  Mouse,  the  Scheldt,  the  Loire,  and  the  sea.  More  lately,  indeed,  the 
name  was  no  longer  given  to  the  country  between  the  Seine  and  the  Loire, 
and  from  this  era  may  be  dated  the  improper  application  of  the  term  to 
describe  exclusively  sometimes  Brittany,  sometimes  Normandy. 

'  St.  Ouen,  who  died,  not  in  678,  but  in  683,  cannot  be  conndered  the 
actual  founder  of  the  convent  for  nuns  at  Fecamp,  which  was  commenced 
by  his  contemporary,  St.  Waninge,  in  658.  Still  less  did  he  erect  that  of 
St  Peter  at  Rouen/which  took  his  name  when  his  remains  were  translated 
there^  but  which  dates  its  foundation  as  far  back  as  the  reign  of  Clotain  L 


378  0KDEBICU8  TITiXIB.  [B.m.CH. 

In  the  time  of  this  bishop,  St.  Wandrille  collected 
numerous  society  of  monks  at  Fontenelles,  and  the  blessf 
Philibert,  the  brave  standard-bearer  of  this  noble  army,  sh 
lustre  on  Jumieges.^ 

In  earlier  times,  also,  when  9Sk)e]!iCy  and  Ohildebert  h 
nephew,  governed  the  Franks,  and  protected  the  iqgaotei 
against  evil-doers  by  their  royal  authority,  Evroult,  a  iati\ 
oi  Bayeux,  ^ded  by  the  instructions  of  an  ang^  founM 
monastery  in  the  foreist  of  Ouche.'  He  thus  effected  t) 
reformation  of  the  rude  natives  who  before  lived  bj  plundi 
and  robbery,  attracting  thejooi  to  a  better  course  of  li&  ]^ 
the  doctrines  he  taught  them  and  the  miracles  he  exhibikj 
In  other  places  also  the  Lord  propagated  his  vine  by  tib 
labours  of  faithful  husbandmen^  abundantly  filHzig  ti 
hearts  of  the  Ghiuls  with  the  sweetness  of  his  salvation 

The  kingdom  of  the  Franks  having  been,  by  GK>d's  &tou 
highly  exalted  above  the  neighbouring  n^^ions^  and  widd 
extended  by  the  frequent  triumphs  of  the  Fiwik  kiie^ 
Pepin,  Charlemagne,  and  Lewis  the  Pious,'  avarice,  pria 
and  lust,  began  to  prevail  excessively  among  all  ranks  i 
men,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  plui^ging  them  inJ 
the  depths  of  iniquity,  and  causing  them  to  rebel  ^gaiiv 
the  Author  of  their  salvation,  whose  commandments  ^ey  a 
longer  obeved.  Both  the  clerflnr  and  laity  of  every  degr^ 
infected  with  these  disorders,  ^11  from  their  former  virtu 
^  and  yielding  to  the  seductions  of  the  world,  th^  di^cupiiji 
for  which  they  were  once  remarkable,  because  enervated  as 
extinct.  Still  the  divine  compasejon  long  spared  the  guj|^ 
calling  them  to  repentance  in  various  wajrs.  The  penitei 
mercimlly  snatched  from  the  snares  of  iniquitj  obtaine 

One  hundred  and  fifty-eight,  not  one  hundred  and  sixty-fiye  j^t^^tiMfM 
•between  the  translation  of  St.  Ouen*ft  senaai^  to  Rouea  a,94  jth^  ni^iiwti 
•abbey  by  the  Northmen  in  841. 

'  The  abbey  of  Fontenelle,  now  St.  W«A^|nll.ey  nfl^  £!)i;L|i4e4  ia  j$^  sp 
'that  of  Jumieges  in  654. 

'  St  Evroult,  a  natire  of  Bayeux,  retired  m^  ^bf^  99Jfifi^uffft^.toU 
vast  solitudes  of  the  forest  of  Oucbe  in  6fiff, 

*  The  emperor  Lewis,  called  Piut  by  the  BomaiM»  Ze  DehotMore  ^y  4] 

French.    The  laxity  of  roannen^  and  of  eccJiop^cal  disfcipliAe^  whi^  M 

author  attributes  to  this  age,  begpKi  long  before,  at  lea^  as  ^  bpi^ai^ 

usurpation  of  the  pioperty  and  digDiUeft  «f  the  Qhmch  by  h^  jtn  ihfk^ 

of  Charles  Martel. 


4.Di  841 — 876.]  THE  DASJ^^  BAYAaS  JtOEMANDY.  •     H79 

^^don,-  while  those  who  perished  in  their  evil  courses  ineu^ 
]^  the  inflicikion  of  the  scourge  of  the  divine  ai^er. 

In  the  time  of  Charley,  king  of  the  Pranks,  sumamed  tl^^ 
fiifiaple,  Biorn,  also  called  Jron-sides,  son  of  LodbroC;  jkipg  qf 
ike  JDanes,  aecopipanied  bv  ]Sa8ti;ng,  his  tutor,  and  a  ipwxfr 
f^OB  band  of  young  warnojrs,  issued  firom  their  hox^es  lifce 
i$i  s?Ford  from  the  scabbard,  fyf  the  destruction  of  t^^ 
;iataons.  Suddenly  sweeping  over  the  shores  of  Eranc^, 
ili(id  a  whirlwind  rising  from  the  sea,  and  reducing  to  ashc^ 
l^ma,  dties,  and  holj  minjsters,  £b^  tlnrtj  jetjx^  the  invaders 
ipi^  their  confederates  har^issed  the  Christians  with  co^r 
#aual  inroads.^  Then  Eouen  and  Noyon,  Tours  an4 
Poictiers,  and  other  principal  cities,  were  burnt,*  the  d^e- 
l(»iceless  inhabitants  were  butchered,  the  monks  and  cl^gy 
were  scattered^  and  the  relics  of  the  saints  were  either  left 
^islionaured  in  their  tombs  witl^n  the  ruined  churches,  or 
were  transported  by  their  pipigy?  worshippers  to  desol^t*^ 

l^b^^.  ... 

But,  in  the  dispensations  of  Providence,  the  same  race 
'which  inflicted  desolation  on  Neustria,  became  not  long 
afterwards  the  means  of  her  restoration.  About  thirty 
years  after  the  ravages  of  Hastings,^  Duke  Hollo,  at  the  head 
4}{  a  powerful  ba^d  of  Danish  youths,  invaded  Neustri^,  and 
strove  by  ceaseless  attacks  to  exterminate  the  Franks.  lo. 
a  pitched  battle  he  slew  their  stuadard-bearer  Eoland,  and 

^  Tb«  whole  of  this  paragmpby  hm^wed  by  Ord^ricii;^  from  p^^ic^ding 
•WlcitetBy  is  a  tissue  of  miuepresentations^  which  contemporary  writers  enab^ 
m  to  oorrtct.  Biom  I.,,  king  of  Upsala,  surnamed  Jamsida  (IroiDsi4^), 
«ppean  ta  h&ve  lived  about  the  end  of  the  eighth  century,  or  IpeginniBg  of 
tiiA  ninth,  and  he  never  set  foot  in  Fiance.  Hasting,  whose  invasions  an4 
lay^igefl  are  singularly  exaggerated,  according  to  authentic  accounts  did  no^ 
make  his  appearance  in  the  valley  of  the  Loire  and  in  Brittany  till  d67> 
ub4.  again  in  869  and  882;  afterwards,  in  that  of  the  Somme,  in  8dO. 

'  Rouen  was  fitat  ravaged  the  Uth  of  June,  8il,  Tours  in  85S',  apQ4 
Koyso  in  859.  As  £ar  Poitiers,  it  was  first  attacked  in  855,  nut  making  a 
vigoidtts  defence,  it  did  not  &11  into  the  hands  of  the  Northmen  ti^l  863» 

-^  A<;eoiiding  to  the  Saxon  Chronicle,  followed  by  Henry  of  Huntingdon 
■ad  Florence  of  Worcester,  Rollo  landed  in  Normandy  in  a.]>>  87^*  Ch^ 
Mrtkor,  who  has  placod  the  invasions  of  Hastings  under  tl^e  reign  of  Charles 
dbe -Simple,  here  makes  his  first  expedition  in  Fiance  to  have  been  in  847 
«r  B48,  fi>rgetting  that  he  had  hefooe  told  us  that  Rouen  was  fifst  attacked 
bgr  the  Nxurtl^en  a  hund^  and  sixiy-five  yean  ^&^^t  th«  ^eax  ^l^^/oa^ 
flootequcntly  in  843,  which  of  all  his  c^ulation^  i|  tl^i^  i)JWSKa}ii  ^^ 


880     '  OBBEBICTTB  TTTALIS.  [b.U 

defeated  Reginald  duke  of  Orleans  with  tlie  army 
Prauks.  He  besieged  the  city  of  Paris  for  four  yea 
Gk>d  defending  it,  was  unable  to  reduce  it.  Baieux  1 
by  storm,  putting  to  the  sword  its  count  Berenger. 
daughter  Poppa  he  married,  and  had  by  her  a  soi 
"William  Longue-epce}  In  this  and  innumerable 
conflicts  he  crushed  the  Pranks,  and  laid  waste  aim 
whole  kingdom,  as  far  as  Burgundy,  with  fire  and 
The  Pranks  being  unable  to  resist  these  attacks,  and  i 
in  their  supplications  for  peace.  King  Charles  ga 
daughter  Gisela  in  marriage  to  Bollo,  and  ceded  to 
perpetuity  the  entire  country  from  the  river  Epte 
ocean.' 

In  consequence,  Eollo  was  baptized  by  the  lord  Pi 
Archbishop  of  Eouen,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  91 
casting  away  the  idols  which  he  before  worsbippec 
all  his  army  devoutly  embraced  Christianity.  H 
five  years  after  his  baptism.^    William,  his  son,  wl 

^  Roland  leems  to  have  been  a  supposititious  character,  invente 
Nonnan  hiktorians;  and  the  person  they  call  Duke  of  Orleans  wa 
of  Maine,  killed  under  the  walls  of  Rouen  in  885.  Hollo,  wl 
mentioned  in  any  authentic  account  till  911,  was  not  present  at  tli 
nor  at  the  siege  of  Paris.  All  that  concerns  his  taking  Baieux, : 
Count  Berenger  and  his  daughter  Poppa,  is  still  the  subject  of  coi 

'  The  French  editors  of  Ordericus  Vitalis  consider  that  all  tha 
tions  of  RoUo,  as  well  as  his  marriage  with  Gisela,  are  but  attrib 
that  chief  of  misrepresentations  of  anterior  occurrences. 

*  It  certainly  appears  from  a  charter* of  Richard  I.  to  the  abb 
Denys,  that  his  grandfather  Rollo  took  the  name  of  Robert  Tl 
only  liuthentic  proof  we  have  of  his  baptism,  and  there  k  i 
doubt  his  haying  been  so  faithful  and  zealous  a  Cliristian  as  ov 
tnpposet.  It  appean^  however,  that  he  did  make  donations  or  re 
to  several  churches,  and  particularly  to  those  of  St  Denys  in  Fk 
Rouen  in  Normandy. 

The  French  editors  of  Ordericus  connder  that  Dudo  made 
mistake  in  fixing  the  death  of  Rollo  five  yeara  after  his  baptism,  n 
917y  an  account,  they  say,  implicitly  copied  by  all  the  aut^ 
middle  ages.  Our  Saxon  Chronicle  says,  under  the  year  876, 
first  mentions,  and  for  the  only  time,  Rollo's  invanon  of  Norwa 
he  reigned  fifty  winters,"  which  would  agree  with  our  author's  cs 
— 917.  M.  Le  Pr6vo8ty  however,  says  that  several  MSS.  of  tl 
Ohronide  (one  as  old  as  1001)  place  RoUo's  death  fifteen  yean 
baptism,  namely,  in  927.  M.  Deville  quotes  a  passage  from  I 
which  speaks  of  Rollo  retaining  the  son  of  Odo  as  an  hostage^  to  p 
the  Norman  duke  was  alive  in  928 ;  but  M.  Le  Provost  teStm  to 


3.  942 — ^996.]     DUKES  or  NOEMAin>r.  .381 

eded  him  in  the  duchy  of  Normandy  and  held  it  twenty- 
e  years,  restored  to  its  former  condition  the  monastery  of 
imieges,  which  Fhilibert  had  founded,  but  which  had  been 
id  in  ruins  by  Hasting. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  942,  when  Lewis  was  king  of 
»e  Pranks,  Duke  "William  was  murdered  by  the  treachery 
^  Arnulph  governor  of  Flanders;  and  Eichard  his  son,  then 
boy  of  twelve  years  of  age,  became  duke  of  Normandy, 
ttd  through  various  turns  of  fortune,  some  prosperous  and 
3me  adverse,  held  the  dukedom  fifty-four  years.  Among 
18  other  good  deeds,  he  founded  three  monasteries,  one  at 
^ecamp,  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Trinity,*  another  at  Mont 
t.  Michel  in  honour  of  St.  Michael  the  archangel,  and  the 
iird  at  Eouen  in  honour  of  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  and  St. 
uen  the  archbishop. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  996,  on  the  death  of  Eichard  the 
'ejr,  he  was  succeeded  by  Eichard  Gonorrides  his  son,' 
o  piously  governed  the  duchy  of  Normandy  thirty  years. 
'  J'ebuilt  the  abbey  of  Fontenelles  which  St.  Wandrille 
^  -founded  and  Hasting  had  ruined ;  and  Judith  his  wife, 
^^  of  Geoffrey  earl  of  Brittany,  founded  a  monastery  at 
^ai  in  honour  of  St.  Mary,  mother  of  God. 
J^  the  death  of  Eichard  Gonnorides,  his  young  son 
^ard  succeeded,  but  he  held  the  dukedom  not  quite  a 
*    and  a  half.'    Then  it  fell  to  his  brother  Eobert,  who 


£roin  the  same  historian,  in  which  he  mentions  a  treaty  concluded 
^  William  Longue-ep6e  with  Charles  the  Simple  at  £u,  in  927,  to 
^i&li  the  feet  that  Rollo  was  then  dead,  or  otherwise  his  son  would  not 
^een  the  party  to  that  treaty.  M.  Le  Provost  also  adduces  the 
^^ciy  of  the  monk  Richer,  to  prove  that  Rollo  was  slain  in  925,  when 
L^fng  £u  against  the  Franks  under  the  command  of  King  Rodolph. 
r^^hard  I.  founded  a  college  of  canons  at  Fecamp,  the  church  of 
^  ^as  dedicated  in  990,  hut  they  were  not  replaced  by  monks  till 
!^«  year  llOl,  at  which  time  also  the  abbey  of  St.  Ouen  was  restored, 
l^^Ycfore  under  Richard's  successor. 

^^^tlnor  was  second  wife  of  Richard  L  For  the  singular  occurrences 
1*^  introduced  this  lady  into  the  ducal  family,  see  the  continuator  of 
^vt)  de  Jumieges,  book  viii.  c.  36. 

« A.U  this  part  of  U)e  chronology  of  Normandy  is  surrounded  with  diffi- 
^^^  The  following  are  the  probable  results  of  a  careful  examination 
^^^.Q  French  editors:  Richard  II.  (Gonnorides)  died  a.d.  1027;  Richard 
"*  U  supposed  to  have  taken  the  administration  of  affairs  in  1026,  during 
^  Ufe  <^his  &tber,  who  passed  the  Uist  months  of  his  life  in  the  abbey  of 
r^^mp,  and  to  have  died  in  1028.  The  same  uncertainty  attends  the 
^  of  Richard  III.'s  death ;  it  appears  that  he  died  before  the  I2th  of 


882  ORDEBICUB  TITALIS.  ^E.m.CH.l 

held  it  with  great  honour  seven  years  and  a  half,  and  follow^ 
ing  the  example  of  his  ancestors,  laid  the  foundations  ofAe 
ahbey  of  Ccnsi.  Moved  however  with  the  fear  of  God,  h 
relinquished  his  worldly  honours  and  undertook  a  ToluntST 
pilgrimage  to  the  tomh  of  our  Lord  at  Jerusalem,  and  diei 
as  ne  was  returning  home  at  Nice,  in  Bithjnia,  in  the  jttt 
of  Christ  1035. 

William  his  son,  who  was  then  only  eight  years  oldyiw 
invested  in  the  duchy  of  Normandy,  which  he  gtmrmi 
firmly  fifty-three  years,  notwithstanding  the  machinatioiniit 
his  jealous  enemies.  He  devoted  himself  to  follow  tk 
example  of  his  ancestors  in  all  that  related  to  the  wonkD 
of  G-od,  and  by  his  favour  surpassed  them  all  in  Vreldtii  an 
|]k>wer.  He  founded  two  monasteries  at  Caen  ;  one  for  motib 
m  honour  of  St.  Stephen  the  first  martyr,  and  the  ot^erfiv 
nuns  in  honour  of  the  Holy  Trinity. 

The  barons  of  Normandy,  moved  by  the  zeal  for  holy  lA 
gion  which  they  observed  in  their  princes,  were  eager  to 
imitat-e  them,  and  animated  themselves  and  their  friends  to 
similar  undertakings  for  the  good  of  their  souls.  Theynrf 
with  each  other  in  taking  the  lead  in  such  good  works,  asl 
in  the  liberality  with  which  they  made  ample  endowmeiiti< 
The  most  powerful  nobles  held  themselves  cheap  if  therlni 
not  on  their  domains  some  establishment  of  monka  or  cmf 
provided  by  them  with  whatever  was  necessajy  for  At 
service  of  Gk)d. 

Thus  Boger  de  Toni  founded  the  abbey  of  Ch&tiDon, 
otherwise  called  Conches,^  where  Abbot  G-islebert,  a  man  of 
great  worth  and  wisdom,  rose  to  eminence.  Gosoefii 
d'Arques  was  the  founder  of  a  monastery,  outside  the  wifc 
of  Kouenon  the  mount  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  commoo^ 
called  St.  Catherine's,'  which  the  venerable  abbot  Isamb^ 
governed  with  much  prudence  and  piety.  "William,  coflBlt 
d'Eu,  at  the  instance  of  Lesceline  his  pious  wife,  oatised  th 
abbey  of  St.  Mary  to  be  built  on  the  river  Dive,'  the  difld- 

November,  1028,  and  the  probability  is  that  both  he  and  his  &Uier  diedk 
the  month  of  August  of  that  year.  From  July,  1035,  to  SM>tembte  9,  lM7i 
fhe  time  of  William  the  Conqueror^s  death,  the  fifty-thizd  jeu  wm  ist 
completed,  but  only  commenced. 

1  This  abbey  of  Conches,  called  originally  Chittillon,  fFom  iiie  teniMT 
on  which  it  was  built  near  the  town  of  Conches,  was  founded  in  1035. 

»  Founded  a.d.  1030. 
'  "  It  was  Lesceline  herself  who  founded  the  abbey  of  St.  Peter,  but  IXii> 


▲.D.  1034.]  ABBST  07  BEO  FOUlTBjED.  S8d 

pinie  oFwliieli  was  kmg  maintained  hj  Ainart,  a  German  of 
grieat  holiness  and  extensive  learmi^. 

In  the  time  c^  Duke  Bobert  I.,  Gislebert,  count  of 
Spionne,  made  an  iiutoad  with  three  thousand  armed  fol- 
fowers  into  the  diistrict  oi  Yikneux,  but  it  did  not  turn  out  as 
prosperously  as  he  ei^>ected ;  for  Ingelran,  count  of  Ponthieu 
mposed  him  with  a  si^ng  bodj  of  troops,  and,  giving  him  bat- 
tle^ ranquished  and  put  to  flight  all  his  force,  taking  some  of 
thefugitives  prisoners  and  killing  or  wounding  others.  In  this 
extremity  a  knight  named  Herluin,  being  in  peril  of  his 
life,  and  using  every  effort  to  save  himself  by  night,  mtf,de 
a  vow  that  if  he  escaped  safely  from  this  imminent  danger, 
hhelrould  never  again  devote  himself  to  any  other  service 
ftan  that  of  God.     Being  dielivered  in  honour,  by  God's 
IVelp,  from  the  fate  which  threatened  him,  the  knight,  mind- 
fid  of  his  vow,  retired  from  the  world  and  founded  an  abbey 
dh  his  estate,  at  a  place  called  Bee,  which  he  dedicated  to 
8t.  Mary,  mother  of  God.*    Thie  clergy  of  God's  holy  church 
then  elected  this  noble  and  pious  man  to  be  the  first  abbot 
ef  the  new  monastery  he  had  built.     While  it  was  under 
Ikiis  rulie  Lanfranc,  Anslem,  and   other  profound  philoso- 
phers,  resorted  there  to  the   Christian  schools ;'  and  there 
William  Pitz-Giroie,  and  Hugh  count  of  Mellent,  and  other 
3}iifitriou6  knights,  enlisted  themselves  in  the  army  of  Christ* 
Iliere,  up  to  the  present  time,  numbers  both  of  clerks  and 
Stfyman  liveimder  the  monastic  rule,  and  fighting  against  the 
ievil,  laudably  devote  themselves  to  Gt)d's  service. 

Humphrey  de  Vieilles,  son  of  Thurold,  began  to  erect 
ifi^o  monasteries^  one  for  monks  and  the  other  for  nuns,  at 
A^ux,  which  his  son  Eoger  de  Beaumont  kindly  fostered, 
jttdowing  them  liberally  from  his  own  revenues.'    William 

i;lii.  1078.  It  did  not  stand  in  the  toWn  of  Dive^  a  small  seaport  at  the 
Hbbth  of  the  riv^  of  that  name,  but  on  its  banks,  some  leagues  inland. 

^  The  pncke  dato  of  this  inroad  into  the  Yimeux  is  not  known,  but  Ingel- 
an,  count  of  Ponthieu,  who  made  so  brave  a  resistance,  was  living  in  1043. 
Ae  invasion  mni^  haVe  taken  placd  before  1034,  which  is  the  date  assigned 
b  tile  fbundation  of  the  abbe^r  of  Bee. 

*  Tbe  otiebrated  school  at  Bee  was  founded  by  Lanfranc  in  1046.  V/e 
ihall  hear  mOre  of  tliis' abbey  and  its  inmates  in  the  sequel. 

"  The  Bkbty  for  monks  called  St.  Piene  de  Pi^aux,  near  Pont-Audemer, 
m*  ibiinded  shortly  before  the  departure  of  Rc^rt  I.  for  the  Holv  Land 
n  1035,  and  that  for  nuni^  dedicated  to  St.  Leg*^,  shortly  afWrwards. 


SSi  OBBEBICITB  TITALI8.  [s.ni.  CH.n. 

Fitz-Osbome  also  founded  two  monastaries  on  his  own 
domain,  one  at  Lire,  and  the  other  at  Cormeilles,  where  he 
himself  lies  buried.^  Many  other  Norman  nobles,  also, 
according  to  their  means,  constructed  houses  for  monks  or 
nuns  in  various  (quarters.  Hugh  de  Grand-mesnil  and 
Bobert,  having  their  zeal  roused  by  such  examples,  made  a 
vow  to  build  a  monastery  on  their  hereditary  estates,  &r 
the  good  of  their  own  souls  and  the  souls  of  their  anceston. 

Ch.  II.  The  abbey  of  St.  JSvrauU — Notices  of  iU  foundm 
and  benefactors,  and  other  Norman  lord^ — JPartieulars  cf 
its  endowments. 

It  was  determined  by  Hugh  and  Sobert  that  the  monasteij 
should  be  erected  at  Norrei,*  a  vill  belonging  to  them  nev 
Grand-mesnil ;  and  the  work  was  already  in  progress,  when  a 
report  was  carried  to  William  Fitz-Q-iroie  their  uncle,  that 
his  nephews,  Hugh  and  Eobert,  had  commenced  building  a 
convent.  This  knight  had  been  a  man  of  great  eminence 
in  that  age,  terrible  to  his  enemies,  faithful  to  his  fnendt. 
He  was  at  the  head  of  a  powerful  &mily,  includii^g  son^ 
brothers,  and  numerous  nephews,  who  were  formidable  to 
their  foes,  far  and  near.  This  knight,  being  invited  bf 
William  Talvas,  son  of  William  Belesme,  to  his  nuptia]l^ 
and  unsuspectingly  accepting  the  invitation,  was,  without' 
any  cause  of  accusation  cruelly  deprived  of  his  eyes  and  lui 
genitals,  and  the  tips  of  his  ears  cut  off.  So  odious  a  crime 
rendered  Talvas  universallv  detested,  and  some  time  afl»^ 
wards  he  was  stript  of  his  honours  by  his  own  son  Amuk 
William  G-iroie  was  all  his  life  devoted  to  holy  chureh, 
and  held  the  monks,  and  clergy,  and  other  men  ox  religion 
in  high  honour.  Twice  he  made  pilgrimages  to  the  tomb 
of  our  Lord  at  Jerusalem ;'  once  when  he  was  in  the  faU 

^  William  Fitz-Osborne  founded  the  monastery  of  ComieilleB  about.tk 
year  1060,  and  that  of  Lire  as  early  as  1046.  We  shall  preseatly  find  tiai 
powerful  nobleman  playing  a  distinguished  part  in  the  conquest  of  Hlng^f^ 
and  succeeding  events. 

*  Norrei  is  situated  between  Grand-mesnil  and  Falaise.  The  faaaii^ 
tions  of  the  castle  of  the  ancient  lords  of  Grand-mesnU  may  yet  be  traoei 
K6bert,  the  ^ther  of  this  Hugh  and  Robert,  lost  his  life  in  the  same  bittli 
iu  which  Roger  de  Toni,  founder  of  the  abbey  of  Conchea,  fell: 

'  It  will  appear  in  the  course  of  this  history,  that  pilgrimage  to  tk 
Holy  Land  were  as  frequent  among  the  Normans  in  the  eleventh  cvitaift 
as  those  to  Rome  were  among  the  An^lo-Saxons  in  th«  dghtb. 


AJ>.  1050. J  ABBEX  O?  8T<  XYBOTTLT  KESTOBED.  ^885 

enjoyment  of  Health  and  prosperity,  and  a  second  time^  when 
he  hkd  suffered  the  outrage  which  we  have  just  mentioned. 
Oii  his  return  from  this  second  pilgrimage  he  determined 
on  quitting  the  world,  and  going  to  Bee,  there  assumed  the 
monastic  habit,  and:  piously  granted  the  church  of  Ouche 
to  that  abbey.  Upon  this,  abbot  Herluin  sent  Lanfranc, 
who  was  afterwards  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  with  threo 
other  monks  to  Ouche,  causing  them  to  re-establish  tiiere 
tiie  divine  worship  which  had  fallen  into  disuse.  Mantling 
iyy  overspread. the  mouldering  walls  of  the  church,  and  tte 
place  was  deserted,  except  by  two  aged  monks,  Eestould 
Ld  Ingran,  who  maintained  the  ser^ce  of  God  in  deep 
poverty,  but  to  the  best  of  their  power,  in  the  desolate 
wilderness. 

Some  time  aiterwards,  when  WilHam  Giroie  was  informed 
of  his  nephews'  vow  to  build  a  monastery,  he  sought  them 
out  and  thus  addressed  them :  "  It  causes  me  great  joy,  my 
dear  sons,  to  find  that  Almighty  Gtod  has  vouchsafed  to 
inspire  you  with  the  design  of  building  a  house  in  his  name. 
But  yoif  must  be  sensible  that  the  spot  on  which  you  have 
begun  to  build  is  not  suited  for  a  habitation  of  monks, 
because  it  wants  water,  and  the  forest  is  at  too  great  a 
distance.^  It  is  quite  certain  that  these  two  elements  are 
ibsolutelv  necessary  to  the  subsistence  of  a  convent.  Now, 
Bf  you  will  take  my  advice,  I  will  point  out  to  you  a  more 
convenient  site.  The  place  is  in  the  canton  of  Ouche,  where 
lihere  formerly  dwelt  a  holy  abbot,  the  friend  of  God,  whose 
name  was  Evroult,  who  assembled  there  a  large  body  of 
Btonks,  and  after  performing  many  miracles  died  happily 
iJoL  the  Lord.  Eestore  that  monastery  which  was  ruined  by 
Khe  pagans.  You  will  find  there  abundance  of  water,  and 
I  possess  a  forest  close  by  which  will  enable  me  to  supply 
tihe  convent  with  whatever  is  necessary.  Come  then  and 
iSee  this  spot,  and  if  it  pleases  you,  let  us  join  in  building 
iihere  a  house  of  Qod,  and  place  in  it  a  company  of  faith* 
Ebl  men  who  shall  offer  continual  prayers  on  our  behalf; 
imd  we  will  endow  it  &om  our  domains  with  such  secure 

1  It  was  almost  indispensable  in  those  times  that  the  monasteries  should 
le  established  near  the  verge  of  extensive  forests  for  two  reasons ;  first,  on 
I0o6imt  of  having  an  aboiidant  supply  of  fuel,  and^  secondly,  for  thft 
pasturage  of  their  large  herds  of  swine.  ...     ^ : 

TOIi.  I.  0  0 


V886  OBDXBIOVS  YITAUB.  .  [B.ni.  CE.IL 

reyenues  that  they  may  deTote  tbemselyes  altogether  to  tii& 
worship  of  God.'* 

Upon  hearing  this,  his  nephews  Hugh  and  Soberfe 
thanKed  him  for  his  proposal  and  they  all  proceeded 
together  to  survey  the  spot  he  had  pointed  oat.  'On  their 
coming  there,  a  hook  containing  the  life  of  the  holy  fithar 
Evroult  was  presented  to  Boheit,  which  he  carefully  peiuaed 
and  explained  with  intelligence  to  Hugh  and  the  rest  of  In 
companions.  Need  I  say  more  ?  The  situation  of  Oode 
pleased  the  two  brothers;  but  as  it  had  been  formei^ 
granted  to  the  abbey  of  Bee,  and  certain  monks  from  tint 
convent  were  already  stationed  there,  as  before  mentioned 
the  brothers  made  over  to  the  abbot  and  monks  of  Bee  i 
vill  called  La  Eoussiere,^  securing  in  exchange  the  fts 
of  the  land  at  Ouche. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1050,  the  plan  of  restormg  On 
abbey  of  Ouche  being  thus  determined  on,  WilUam  oi  1^ 
Bobert,  the  sons  of  Giroie,  with  Hugh  and  Bobert,  the«M|^< 
•of  Eobert  Grand-Mesnil,  applied  to  William  dub  ^P 
Normandy,  and  informing  him  of  their  intentions  enti^l^ 
the  assistance  of  his  paramount  authority  in  the  good  w^ 
they  had  undertaken.  They  likewise  made  over  the  ^^ 
so  often  mentioned  to  his  guardianship,  on  a  tenure  so  ^^ 
that  neither  they  nor  any  other  persons  whosoever  ^^*^ 
claim  from  the  monks  or  their  people  either  rent  o:^  ^ 
tomary  dues,  or  anything  else  except  the  benefit  o£  ^ 
prayers.  The  duke,  very  willingly  acceding  to  their  "^^^ 
ratified  the  charter  of  the  possessions  which  his  ^^^ 
granted  tb  St.  Evroult,  and  caused  it  to  be  confirmed  ^/^ 
signatures  of  Mauger,  archbishop  of  Bouen,  aam-^  "* 
suffragan  bishops. 

Hugh  and  Eobert,  having  the  duke's  licence  to  ch(p^^^. 
abbot,  then  proceeded  to  Jumieges,  and  besought  ^b^^^i 
Jiobert,  who  was  then  superior  of  that  abbey,  to  allo^  ^p 
monk  Theodoric  to  take  the  government  of  their  new  ai^lk 
and  abbot  Bobert,  readily  complying  with  the  request  ofHlikj 
noble  guests,  yielded  to  them  tne  monk  whom  he  well  to**  ^' ' 
to  be  well  qualified  for  such  a  pastoral  care.     Hugli  wi 

^  This  is  still  the  name  of  a  commune  in  the  arrondiiBemeirt  of  BeotlViQ) 
'between  Broglie,  Montreuil,  and  La  Barre.  Its  church  contiiiued  toUiflikb 
to  the  abbey  of  Bee  till  the  revolution.  i  ^^ 


A.D.  1050.]   THEODOaiC  HEST  ABBOT  QT>  ST.  EVBOXTLT.      3S7 

ifcoberfc  now,  with  great  satisfaction,  presented  Mm  to  the 
duke,  who  receiving  him  with  due  distinction,  delivered  to 
him  the  pastoral  staff,  as  the  custom  was,  thus  giving  him 
the  preferment  of  the  abbey  of  Ouche.  Afterwards  Hugh, 
bishop  of  Lisieux,^  with  Osbem  his  archdeacon,  and  others 
of  his  clergy,  came  to  Ouche  with  the  venerable  monk 
Theodoric  iu  their  company,  and  there  solemnly  consecrateTd 
him  on  the  3rd  of  the  nones  [5th]  of  October,  being  the 
Iiord's  day.  Thus  ordained,  he  betrayed  no  pride  or 
arrogance,  but  both  by  his  words  and  works  pointed  out 
the  way  of  true  religion  to  those  over  whom  he  was  set. 
Brought  up  from  his  childhood  in  the  Lord's  house  he  had 
Jeamt  by  long  practice  the  regular  course  of  a  religious  life. 
He  was  constant  in  holy  prayers,  in  vigils,  in  fasting.  He 
so  exposed  himself  to  the  rigour  of  the  cold,  that  he  some- 
times went  without  a  cloak  the  whole  winter.  However, 
dne  day  when  he  was  preparing,  as  he  was  wont,  to  offer 
the  sacrifice  of  the  mass,  he  perceived  a  cloak  of  dazzling 
whiteness  laid  on  the  altar.  Not  doubting  that  it  was  placed 
-fiiere  by  no  human  hands  but  by  the  ministry-  of  angels,  he 
returned  thanks  to  Grod,  and  investing  himself  with  it 
joyfully  performed  the  divine  service.  That  this  happened 
m  the  church  of  Jumieges,  while  he  was  yet  a  cloistered  monk, 
I  have  heard  from  trustworthy  monks  who  then  belonged 
to  that  monastery.  He  was  baptized  by  the  venerable 
35ieodoric  abbot  of  Jumieges,*  who  caused  him  to  be 
educated  according  to  the  monastic  rule  in  the  school  of 
Christ  and  loved  lum  much.  Arriving  at  man's  estate  and 
being  proved  fruitful  in  good  works,  the  abbot  appointed 
h^TTi  his  vicar,  to  the  great  gain  of  the  brethren's  souls  ;  and 
he  was  afterwards  made  master  of  the  novices,  and  charged 
iRrith  the  care  of  the  monastery  as  prior.  At  length,  as  we 
have  before  related,  he  was  translated  from  Jumieges  in  the 
Jfcime  of  abbot  Kobert,  and  placed  at  the  head  of  the  new 
abbey  of  Ouche,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1050,  the  fourth 
indiction,  being  the  nineteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Henry 

1  Hugh,  who  was  bishop  of  Lisieux  from  1049  to  1077|  was  son  of 
"WiUian  Count  d'Eu,  and  Lesceline,  foundress  of  the  abbey  of  St  Plerre- 
por-Dive. 

*  He  was  a  natlre  of  Dijon,  and  abbot  of  JumVegieft  tsoia  1uT)^\^\^N.^ 
f027oTl028^ 

c  0  2 


$88  "  '    "    OSDXBICUff  TITAU8.  [B.ni.CH«] 

kin^  of  tbe  iBVanks,  and  the  fifteenth  of  the  dukedom 
William  duke  of  Normandy. 

In  founding  the  new  society,  Theodoric  had  the  asf 

of  his  nephew  Eodolph,  with  Hugh  the  chanter,  and  oil 

of  the  hrethren  who  suited  his  purpose.     It  was  with  thcjjj 

and  hj  them  that  the  new  ahhot  zealously  established! 

regular  system,  and  mild  discipline,  and  becoming  order,  li 

divine  worship.    He  admitted  as  probationers  for  a  chan|| 

of  life  applicants  of  every  age  and  rank,  diligently  instructuj 

them  in  the  rule  of  the  holy  father  St.  Benedict.      AmoM 

the  first  of  those  he  humbly  taught  a  stricter  life  in  the  scIunJ 

of  Christ,  were  Humfrev,  iKeginald,  and  Eulk,  son  of  the  den 

Eulk,withsomeother  skilful  grammarians.  He  likewise  tre«te| 

with  the  greatest  kindness  Biculf,  an  old  man,  and  BogK 

both  country  priests,  and  Durand  the  gardener,  with  QeoC 

frey,  Olric,  ana  other  simple  disciples.  As  these  were  umJiil 

to  comprehend  the  depths  of  scripture  doctrine,  he  fed  thflii 

with  the  milk  of  pious  exhortation,  and  imparted  to  then 

health  and  strength  in  their  faith  and  devotion  by  ttl 

example  of  his  holy  life.    In  that  house  of  Qod,  also,  Her* 

bert  and  Berenger,  JosceUn  and  Bodolf,    Gislebert  anl 

Bernard,  Bichard  and  William,  with  other  youths  of  0x4 

natural  disposition,  were  carefully  instructed  in  rea£D(^ 

singing,  and  writing,  and  the  diligent  prosecution  of  other 

useful  studies,  suitable  to  the  servants  of  GK>d  seeking  to 

acquire  the  true  knowledge.      Meanwhile,  the  rude  natavei^' 

witnessing  the  growth  of  so  much  holixiess  on  a  barren  soil^ 

now  long  deserted,  were  struck  with  admiration.     This  wM 

the  salvation  of  some,  the  ruin  of  others.     Those  who 

remarked  the  good  conversation  of  the  monks  imitated  thdr 

example;  while  others,  becoming  jealous  of  them,  caoBcd 

them  all  sorts  of  inconveniences :  both  received  their  juflfc 

reward  frpm  Ood,  who  doeth  equal  justice.  Nobles  and  men 

of  the  middle  order  flocked  to  the  abbey  under  a  divine 

impulse,  commending  themselves  devoutly  to  the  prayers  of 

the  servants  of  Gk)d,  and,  offering  their  alms,  ^ve  blessinfll 

to  Ood,  who  provided  sustenance  for  his  mimstersy  thou^ 

on  a  barren  soil. 

The  abbey  of  Ouche,  thus  flourishing  through  tlie  merits  ef 
the  holy  fatner  St.  Evroult,  and  continually  increasing,  to  tte 
glory  01  God,  by  the  caie  and  labours  of  the  family  of  G^roie^ 


■"•       d 


.^.J)*  JL050.]  ~        ABBB Y  OP  ^BOABN  rO^QSTDBDi  88? 

Soger  de  Montgomery/ Viscount  d'Exme8,begaji  to  be  jealous 
.  of  his  neighbours,  because  they  showed  more  zeal  for  tne  love 
xf£  God  than  himself,  and  he  bethought  him  what  work  he 
r  could  imdertake  of  a  like  nature  for  the  good  of  his  own  soul. 
•JBLe  therefore  resolved  on  attaching  to  himself  Gislebert, 
/ftbbot  of  Chitillon,  with  his  monks,  who  had  begun  to 
.establish  themselves  at  !N^orrei ;  but,  on  Hugh  and  Bobert's 
altering,  their  plans,  as  before  mentioned,  refused  to  follow 
them,  nay,  more,  left  them  altogether,  accusing  them  of  fickle* 
liess,  for  having  changed  the  site  of  their  intended  monas- 
tery. Eoger  de  Montgomery,  therefore,  invited  these 
monks,  and  granted  Troam  to  them,  that  they  might  there 
,erect  an  abbey,  expelling  the  twelve  canons  who  had  been 
placed  there  by  his  father.'  These  secular  clergy  being  thus 
ejected  because  they  abandoned  themselves  to  gluttony, 
aebauchery,  carnal  delights,  and  worldly  occupations,  he 
settled  in  their  place  monks  who  were  subject  to  regular 
discipline.  In  short,  under  the  government  of  &ther  Gis^ 
lebert,  the  monks  established  a  strict  religious  rule  in  the 
phurch  of  St.  Martin  at  Troam,  the  maintenance  of  which 
they  committed  to  their  successors  to  the  time  of  their 
death,  and  which  has  been  preserved  to  this  day  under  thd 
enlightened  fathers  Gerbert,  Durand,  and  Amulf  succes- 
fdvely. 

I  wish  now  to  take  some  short  notice  of  Giroie,  son  of 
Amold-le-Qros,  of  Courceraut,'  son  of  Abbo  the  Breton, 
whose  family  conferred  many  benefits  on  the  monks  of  St. 
]BvTOult,  in  order  that  posterity  may  know  who  and  what  he 
was.  He  derived  his  origin  from  nobles  of  the  highest 
rank,  both  of  France  and  Brittany,  and  distinguished  himself 
ty  his  virtues  and  courage  in  the  reigns  of  Hugh  the  Great 

^  Roger  II.  de  Montgomery,  who  by  his  marriage  with  Mabel,  daughter 
of  William  Talvas,  inherited  the  vast  domains  of  that  fiimily.  He  was 
Afterwards  one  of  the  most  distinguished  followers  of  William  duke  of 
Normandy  and  conqueror  of  England,  by  whom  he  was  created  earl  of 
l^uewsbnry.  There  are  frequent  notices  of  this  great  nobleman  in  the 
oourse  of  the  present  history,  the  more  so,  perhaps,  as  Odellrius,  our  author's 
fiUher,  attended  him  to  England,  and  became  his  trusty  counsellor,  being 
IMobably  bom  in  the  earl's  household. 

'  In  1050  Roger  de  Montgomery  substituted  monks  for  the  canons  who 
l^ad  been  settled  at  Troam  since  the  year  1022. 

^  Coarcenutf  near  Mortage,  in  the  depaitoMnS^  ^  Onift* 


^890  OtaOIBICVB  TETALIS.  [B.III.€H.tL 

and  Bobert,  kings  of  the  Franks.  His  sister  EEildiarde  bad 
three  sons  and  eleven  daughters,  who,  being  married  to 
honourable  men,  gave  birth  to  numerous  sons,  who,  in  tbB 
next  ^neration,  became  formidable  to  their  enemies  in  the 
wars  m  France,  England,  and  Apulia.  Among  the  otiier 
gallant  exploits  of  Oiroie,  was  his  battle,  in  concert  will 
William  of  Belesme,  against  Herbert,  count  of  Muba 
William  and  his  followers  wereyanquished  and  put  to  fligl*J 
but  G-iroie  stood  firm,  and  bore  the  brunt  of  the  eoomct; 
until  Herbert  and  his  troops  were  foroed  to  retreat,  ssd 
Giroie  gained  a  victory,  which,  to  this  day,  commands  ^ 
applause  of  all  who  are  informed  of  it.  Heugon,^  a  -pow&M 
Norman  knight,  offered  him  his  only  daughter  in  marriage^ 
and  gave  him  Montreuil  and  Echaufour,  and  all  bis  Ismi 
adjoining  these  two  places.  Heugon  dying  soon  afterwudB; 
Geroie  succeeded  to  all  his  domains,  although  the  hdjio 
whom  he  was  betrothed  died  prematurely  before  the  !»»• 
riage.  In  consequence,  William  de  Belesme'  introdticed 
Giroie  to  Bichara  the  duke  of  Normandy  at  Sonen ;  and 
the  generous  duke,  in  acknowledgment  of  his  high  desorte) 
granted  all  the  lands  of  Heugon  to  him  and  his  heirs  fat  ever. 
On  his  return,  Giroie  married  Gisela,  a  daughter  of  Turstio 
de  Bastembourg,  by  whom  he  had  seven  sons  and  four  daug^ 
ters,  whose  names  are  as  follows :  Arnold,  William,  Fulk^ 
Ealphmal-Corona,  Eobert,  Hugh,  and  Giroie;  Herem- 
burge,  Hawise,  Emma,  and  Adelaide. 

Possessing  richly  all  that  this  world  can  give,  diildwo, 
riches,  and  ample  domains,  the  brave  knight  so  often  men- 
tioned faithfully  served  the  Giver  of  all  good  things,  and 
reverenced  his  church,  and  servants,  and  worship.  From  Iw 
own  fiinds  he  erected  six  churches  to  Good's  honour,  two  rf 
which  were  at  Vemeuces,  one  dedicated  to  St.  Mary,  mother 
of  God,  and  the  other  to  St.  Paul,  doctor  of  the  gentiles. 
The  third,  in  a  vUl  called  Gbs,  in  the  canton  rf 
Lisieux,  was  dedicated  to  St.  Peter,  prince  of  the  apostles; 
the  fourth  at  Echaufour,  to  St.  Andrew  the  aposfle;  the 

^  The  commune  of  Heugon  derives  its  present  name  fW>m  this  ban% 
being  situate  between  his  two  principal  domains,  Montreuil  rArj^Lllier  aad 
Echaufour. 

*  William  I.  de  Belesoie  ^aa  V^\©  isJiJaet  cS.'^^KcuBsiv'liSicw^  thft  httlW 
mentioned  just  bcfoxe  "Wtfa  ioiuifb^  «JQa\A  ^2t»  ^j^«  \^'^%. 


4BQfrT  1020-^1030.1  JPAMILY  OF  OIBODP.  391' 

fiAli,  whicli  he  built  at  Montreuil,  to  St.  George  the  martyr ; 
and  the  sixth  at  Hautriye,  to  St.  Martin  the  confessor. 
With  such  saints  as  his  patrons,  this  brave  knight  lived  long 
in  honour  in  this  world,  and,  dying,  obtained,  as  we  trust,  by 
the  merits  of  their  intercessions,  the  pardon  of  his  sins  and 
everlasting  rest  in  the  sociei^  of  the  blessed. 

At  the  death  of  Giroie^  hjs  sons  were  of  tender  years, 
except  two,  Arnold  and  William,  who  had  received  knight- 
hood under  these  circumstances :  Grislebert,  count  of  Brionne, 
relying  on  his  valour,  and  coveting  an  extension  of  his 
boundaries,  invaded  the  territories  of  the  young  heirs  with 
a  formidable  band,  endeavouring  to  wrest  Montreuil  from 
them  by  force  of  arms.  jHowever,  they  collected  a  body  of 
their  kinsmen  and  retainers,  and,  boldly  offering  battle  to 
Gifil^bert  in  the  open  fields,  defeated  him  with  much  slaugh- 
ter, and  put  him  to  flight,  not  long  afterwards  forcibly 
seizing,  by  way  of  revenge,  the  burgh  called  Sap.*  Mean- 
while, Duke  Eobert  interfered,  and  compassionating  the 
orphans,  while  he  praised  their  bravery,  he  induced  Gisle- 
"b&ct  to  cede  Sap  to  them,  that  the  peace  might  be  lasting. 
In  the  end,  that  same  count,  giving  uneasiness  to  the  seven 
sons  of  Giroie,  and  attempting  to  recover  the  burgh  of  Sap, 
which  he  had  given  up  to  them  at  the  instance  of  Duke 
Sobert,  met  his  death  through  their  boldness  and  courage, 
although  he  was  attended  by  a  large  body  of  men.^ 

All  these  brothers  were  brave  and  generous,  skilled  and 
active  in  warlike  exercises,  formidable  to  their  enemies, 
gi^ntle  and  courteous  to  their  associates.  They  prospered  in 
various  ways ;  but,  notwithstanding,  such  is  human  life,  they 
feU  to  decay  at  last.  It  would  be  too  long  and  impossible 
for  me  to  relate  distinctly  the  acts  of  all  the  brothers ;  but  I 
am  desirous,  at  least  to  leave  something  on  record  for  pos- 

^  Sap  is  a  village  near  Montreuil  and  St.  Evroult. 

'  It  has  been  already  remarked  that  the  circumstances  which  caused  the 
death  of  Gislebert,  count  of  Brionne,  were  far  fh>m  honourable  to  his 
memory.  It  appears  that  on  two  occasions  he  took  advantage  of  the  youth 
and  weakness  of  Giroie's  sons,  to  endeavour  to  wrest  from  them  one  of  the 
iMSt  of  their  patrimonial  domains.  At  the  same  time  the  details  of  his 
death,  which  &d  not  take  place  till  after  the  succession  of  Duke  William, 
are  also  discreditable  to  the  family  of  Giroie,  two  of  whom,  as  William  de 
Jtunieges  tells  ui^  set  upon  him,  and  cruelly  mutdexe^  \vm^'«\i^Ti\)A^«^& 
peace&hly  nding  near  EchauA4,  expecting  no  evil.    Hut.  Normau«  x^*^ 


892'  OBBXB^toiTa  titai.Ii.        '  [^.xtx.  (ni4t;v 

terity  as  to  the  end  of  each.  Arnold,  the  eldest,  a  bnre 
and  honourable  man,  while  one  day  amusing  himself  ynHk- 
sports  at  Montreuil,  in  wrestling  with  a  powerful  joung 
man,  fell  against  the  sharp  anele  of  a  bank,  and  breddng 
three  of  his  ribs,  died  on  the  tlurd  day  afterwards.  William, 
the  second  in  order  of  birth,  lived  for  many  years,  and  aU- 
his  life  governed  his  brothers ;  ibr  he  was  eloquent  and  gay, 
liberal  and  brave,  beloved  by  his  inferiors,  and  the  terror  of  his 
enemies.  None  of  his  neighbours  ventured  to  make  inroads 
on  his  territories  in  any  shape,  nor  to  subject  his  people  to 
any  kind  of  exactions.  He  exercised  episcopal  jurisdictioii 
in  the  lands  of  Montreuil  and  Echaufour,  and  no  archdeacon 
was  permitted  to  interfere  with  the  priests  of  'those  two 
lordships ;  for  it  happened  that  when  his  father  GKroie  sue* 
ceeded  to  the  domains  of  Heugon,  as  before  related,  ho 
inquired  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  district  in  what  bishopric 
it  was  situated.  They  replied  that  they  belonged  to  no  bishop* 
ric;  upon  which  he  exclaimed:  "This  is  quite  wrong;  fir 
be  it  from  me  to  live  without  a  pastor,  and  exempt  from  the 
yoke  of  ecclesiastical  discipline."  TJpon  further  inquiiji 
which  of  the  neighbouring  bishops  was  most  devoted  to  bis 
religious  duties,  being  ii^ormed  of  the  virtues  of  Eoger, 
bishop  of  Lisieux,  he  placed  all  his  territories  under  his 
juriscuction,  persuading  Baldric  de  Bauquencei  and  his  sons- 
m-law  Wascelin  d'Echanfr6  and  Eoger  de  Merlerault,  wb' 
enjoyed  a  similar  exemption,  to  place  their  domains,  in  like 
manner,  under  the  same  bishop.  Eoger,  bishop  of  Lisieux^' 
observing  that  these  nobles  made  a  voluntary  surrender  of 
their  immunities,  complimented  them  on  their  devotion,  and 
granted  them  the  privilege  that  the  clergy  on  their  estates 
should  not  be  impleaded  out  of  their  lords*  jurisdiction,  and 
should  be  exempt  from  the  oppressions  of  the  archdeacon*8 
visitations.  This  privilege  was  strictly  maintained  by 
William  de  Giroie,  who  obtained  the  same  exemption  for  the 
monks  of  St.  Evroult  from  Bishop  Hugh.^ 

^  This  exemption  from  episcopal  junsdiction  of  territories  which  wete  the 
fiefs  of  lay  lords,  was  not,  we  believe,  very  common.  There  are,  or  wve 
till  recently,  some  traces  of  it  in  England  in  the  case  of  parishes  wbeie  tiw 
patronage  had  the  name  of  a  donative.  It  was  very  usual  for  the  gietter 
abbeys  to  obtun  such  exem^lVotu^  eVV^cst  ttscv  >Ccw^  Y^'^^  <^t  the  fajshop^ 
tJienuelvef,  as  the  moBk»  o(  ^l*  ^TNra2L\  0(A«mfidL  issa)L\siiD«s^'^&3tt^^«^ 


Mi-cms  1050]]       ri^iiLt .09  GiBom  i  308: 


'  William    de    Giroie'  married    HiltMde    daxtehter    of, 
Fnlbert  de  Beine,  who  had  built  the  castle  of  L'aigle  in 
the  time  of  Duke  Eichard.    "Bj  her  he  had  a  pon  named 
Arnold    d'Echaufour;    and    afterwards    marrying   Emma,, 
daughter  of  Walchelin  de  Tannei,  who  bore  nim  William, . 
called  afterwards  in  Apulia  the  G-ood  Norman* 

The  knight  of  whom  we  have  repeatedly  spoken  was, 
much  beloved  by  Bichard  and  Eobert  dukes  of  Normandy, 
fcfr  the  fidelity  which  he  maintained  towards  his  liege  lords . 
Bobert  de  Belesme,  Talvas  and  G-eofirey,  and  others,  either 
his  [feudal]  superiors  or  allies.    In  so  doing  he  was  sub-, 
j^ctedto  constant  molestation  and  even  danger.    He  even 
voluntarily  razed  his  own  castle  of  Montacute^  to  effect  the 
redemption  of  his  Lord  G^ofirey  de  Mayenne,  when  he  was 
taken  prisoner  by  William  Talvas,  and  his  liberation  was 
refused  on  any  other  terms  than  the  demolition  of  that, 
castle  which  overawed  the  territories  of  Talvas,    The  release 
df  Geofirey  from  captivity  having  been  thus  obtained,  he 
built  the  castle  of  St.  Ceneri  on  the  Sarthe,  for  the  baron 
Giroie,  in  return  for  the  devoted  fidelity  he  had  shown. 
I   could  say  much  more  of  this  William  de  (Jiroie,  but. 
with  so  much  before  me  I  must  pass  on  tO  other  affairs; 
and  I  will  now,  as  I  promised,  give  a  short  account  of  hia 
brothers. 

Eulk,  the  third,  had  one  moiety  of  the  fief  of  Montreuil. 
He  had  two  sons  by  a  concubine,  Giroie  and  Fulk.  After 
the  death  of  Duke  Eobert  he  was  killed,  along  with  his 
countryman  Count  Gislebert,  with  whom  he  served.  Eobert 
£the  fourth  brother]  held  the  castle  of  St.  Ceneri  with  the 
^jacent  territory  for  a  long  course  of  years.  Duke  William 
gave  him  his  cousin  Adelaide  in  marriage,  and  he  had  by 
h6r  a  son  also  named  Eobert,  who  now  serves  in  the  army 

this  Was  often  accompanied  by  the  abbots  having  conferred  on  them  thd 
jurisdiction  of  an  ordinary  in  the  parishes  included  in  their  domains,  the 
origin  probably  of  that  kind  of  junisdiction  in  deans  and  oth^r  dignitaries 
of  the  English  church.  .  , 

1  Monte-Acuto,  or  Montagu,  near  Bais,  in  Mayenne ;  a  name  preserved 
In  the  English  peerage.  Drogo  de  Montaeute  gave  the  same  name  to  his 
castle  in  Somersetshire.  The  domain  of  St.  Coieri,  otherwise  St*  S^leiii^ 
on  the  Sarthe,  which  William  Giroie  received  in  exchango,  was  famous 
for  the  monagterjr  fotmded  on  it  by  its  lord  a\Kruit  tbo  xcodh!^  ^  ^Cga  ti^^^SD^ 


^  OBDBUOiri  YUALU.  rB.III.CE.XL 

of  Henry  kmg  of  England.  After  many  brilliant  achie?e- 
ments,  when  tnere  were  violent  disputes  between  the  Nor- 
mans and  Anjeyins,  this  Bobert,  lord  of  St.  Ceneri,  held  the 
castle  against  Dake  William^  and  while  besi^ed  in  it,  in 
the  twenty-fifth  year  of  William's  dukedom,  med  fire  days 
after  eating  a  poisoned  apple  which  he  had  snatched  out  of 
the  hands  of  his  wife. 

Balph,  the  fifth  brother,  was  sumamed  the  Clerk,  on 
account  of  his  knowledge  of  letters  and  skill  in  other  arts. 
He  was  also  called  Mida-corona,  because  in  his  youth  he 
gave  himself  up  to  military  exercises  and  other  mvolities. 
He  was  versed  in  medicine,  and  in  many  deep  secrets  of 
nature,  so  that  old  men  even  now  speak  of  him  with  wonder' 
to  their  children  and  grand-children.  In  the  course  of  time, 
he  retired  from  the  seductions  of  the  world  to  the  convent 
of  Marmoutier,  where  he  became  a  monk  under  the  abbot 
Albert,  and  devoutly  prayed  to  Otod  that  his  body  might  be 
overspread  with  the  loathsome  disease  of  leprosy,  that  so  his 
soul  might  be  cleansed  from  the  foulness  of  his  sins.  Ob- 
taining his  pious  wish,  he  died  happily  six  years  after  his 
conversion. 

Hugh,  the  sixth  brother,  was  unfortunately  shun  in  the 
flower  of  his  youth ;  for  while  he  was  returning  one  day 
from  the  castle  of  St.  Scholasse,  accompanied  by  his  brothers 
and  a  large  retinue,  he  stopped  near  the  church  of  St.  Gk^ 
manus,  on  the  lands  of  Echaufour,  to  practise  with  the  lance, 
and  his  own  squire,  hurling  a  spear  carelessly,  mortaHf 
wounded  him.  Being  of  an  amiable  disposition,  he  pre- 
sently called  for  the  squire  and  said  to  him  privately: 
"  Flee  with  all  haste,  for  you  have  severely  wounded  me. 
GK)d  have  mercy  on  you !  escape  before  my  brothers  are 
apprised  of  this  accicfent,  or  they  will  certainly  kill  you." 
The  noble  youth  expired  the  same  day. 

Giroie,  the  yoimgest  of  the  seven  brothers,  while  he  was 
yet  in  the  flower  of  his  youth  having  plundered  the  lands 
of  the  church  of  Lisieux,  while  on  his  return  to  Moiitrenil 

^  It  need  hardly  be  temarked  that  in  the  middle  ages  derUnUf  deAt 

was  the  designation  of  a  petson  in  holy  orders,  a  clergyman,  as  it  still  is  k 

legal  phrase.    By  a  metonymy  it  was  sometimes  applied   to  laymea, 

^iistinguished  fot  theVt  IVteiaxy  8b\^a^mciv\A^«ft  ^>a.  vx^lbLot  here  remaritt 

respecting  Ralph  Giioie.    "Kiig  Heon  ^«  '^^  ^"^  waoascs^  'B«fl»ir^!Kinv 


JLJ).  1050.]  £5D(yWH£KT  OF  ST.  STBOXJLt.  8dB 

Wits  seized  with  a  irenzj,  of  which  he  died.  Thus  death, 
in  various  shapes,  carried  off  all  the  sons  of  Oiroie,  without 
aflowing  one  of  them  to  live  to  old  age. 

Heremhurge,  the  eldest  of  the  daughters  was  given  in 
marriage  to  v  ascelin  du  Font-Echan&e,  and  had  by  him 
two  sons,  William  and  Ealph,  who  afterwards  were  firm^. 
adherents  to  Eobert  Guiscard,  duke  of  Calabria,  in  Apulia 
and  Sicilv.  Hawise,  the  next  daughter,  was  maaried  to 
!Bobert  de  Grand-mesnil,  by  whom  she  had  three  sous,' 
Hugh,  Eobert,  and  Arnold,  with  the  same  number  of 
daughters.  On  his  death  she  married  William,  son  of 
Hobert  the  archbishop,  to  whom  she  bore  Judith,  who. 
became  the  wife  of  Eoger,  count  of  Sicily.  The  third 
daughter  of  Giroie  was  Emma,  who  was  g^ven  in  marriage 
to  Kobert  de  Melerant,  from  which  marriage  sprung  £o- 
dolph,  and  William,  father  of  our  neighbours  Eoiiolph  and 
Soger.  Adelaide,  the  fourth,  married  Solomon  de  Bable, 
and  bore  him  Eeginald,  whose  son  Lisiard  is  now  a  great 
supporter  of  Henry,  king  of  England,  against  the  count  of 
Anjou.  Having  said  enough  of  the  famfly  of  Q-iroie,  let  us. 
now  return  to  the  matter  from  which  we  have  somewhat 
di^ssed. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  foundation  of  the  abbey  of  St. 
SSvroult,  William  and  Eobert,  sons  of  G-iroie,  and  Hugh  and 
Sobert,  their  nephews,  assembled  at  Ouche,  with  their  sons, 
nephews,  and  barons.  Consulting  together  for  the  advantage 
of  the  unfinished  monasteiy  which  they  had  begun  to  erect, 
they  agreed  in  common  that  each  of  them  should  at  his; 
death  bequeath  his  body  to  St.  Evroult  with  the  whole  o 
his  substance,  and  that  none  of  them  should  make  a  gift 
whether  of  tithes,  or  of  a  church  or  anything  appertainmg 
to  a  church,  nor  even  offer  it  for  sale,  without  first  giving  the 
option  to  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult.  This  agreement  was 
&mly  radfied  by  the  priest  Eulcoin,  and  Osmond  Basset,  by 
liOuvet  and  Eiilk,  sons  of  Eredenlend,  Odo  the  Eed  and 
!EUchard  son  of  Gulbert,  Eobert  de  Torp,  and  Giroie  des 
liOges,  with  others  their  barons.  The  founders  of  the  monas- 
tery then  took  account  of  their  possessions,  and  granted  a 
fidr  portion,  according  to  their  ability,  to  the  church  they 
were  building. 

These  are  the  possessions  which  lUibetVi  aDJi'&nJ^  «d^: 


896  OftBSBICtJI^  TITALIS.  [4'.m*^^6ff.t& 

Arnold,  Bona  of  Bobert  de  Grand-meanil,  granted  to  tli^ 
abbey  of  St.  Evroult  for  the  good  of  their  souls.  In  Noirei, 
the  church,  and  all  the  tithes,  with  the  priest's  glebe  anj 
three  plough-lands,  together  with  the  Till  called  Soulange; 
in  Ouillie,  all  the  benefice  which  Tezcelin  the  clerk  held, 
and  the  tithes  of  the  miUs  of  that  vill ;  English-Ville  with  its 
monastery;^  the  church  of  Villers  with  one  yearly  tenant j 
in  the  Till  called  0th,  the  monastery,  the  priest's  land, 
and  the  tithes  of  the  mills  of  that  Till ;  and  in  the  monastery 
of  Gueprei,  they  gaTe  that  part  which  their  £sither  Bobert 
held ;  besides  the  tithe  of  La  Bigne,  and  at  Beaumais  the 
third  part  of  a  mill  with  the  tithe  of  the  same ;  and  the  be* 
nefice  of  the  priest  Fulcuin,  namely  the  church  and  tithe  of 
Grand-mesnil,  and  the  tithe  of  the  mill  of  OliTet ;  one  yearly 
tenant  at  CoUeTille  with  the  tithe  of  the  whole  Till ;  also  the 
tithe  of  wax,  and  the  tithe  of  St.  Pierre  d'Entremont*, 
moreoTcr  the  church  in  the  Tillage  called  Fougi,  and  that 

Eortion  of  the  tithes  of  Coulonces  which  was  held  by  their 
ither  Bobert.  Hugh  gaTe  the  lands  of  Quilli  to  the  afore- 
said abbey,  on  the  petition  of  the  lords  of  that  vill,  whoae 
tenure  was  allodial ;  also  the  tithe  of  all  his  ploughs  and 
beasts  of  burden,  and  the  tithe  of  Mont-ChauTet,  both  of  tolls 
and  of  com,  and  the  church  of  Louvigni  with  the  priest's 
glebe.  He  gaTe  besides  the  land  called  Noyer^Mesnard ;  at 
the  place  named  Mesnil  Bernard,  one  plough-land,  and  the 
fields  of  the  Till  of  La  Tanaisie ;  moreoTcr  the  cell  of  ManseUes 
with  the  priest's  glebe ;  and  the  tenth  of  the  tolls  of  Sap; 
and  the  farm  called  Mesnil  Dode,  and  the  church  of  Lim' 

^  The  French  editors  have  bestowed  great  pains  in  ascertaining  the 
exact  localities  and  modem  names  of  all  the  places  mentioned  here,  and 
elsewhere  throughout  the  work,  but  as  they  possess  little  interest  f(ff  the 
general  English  reader,  these  topographical  notices  are  often  omitted  in  tbe 
present  edition. 

The  number  of  '^ monasteries"  enumerated  in  this  terrier  of  the 
possessions  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Erroult,  renders  a  word  of  explanation 
necessary.  The  French  editor  remarks,  that  in  this  case,  and  frequentiy 
in  the  writings  of  the  middle  ages,  the  word  **  monasteriumy*'  moutkr, 
ought  to  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  parish  church.  But  the  churches  are 
generally  mentioned  separately,  and  it  is  apprehended  that  the  residences  of 
the  cleigy  attached,  the  manse,  or  parsonage,  are  what  is  meant;  there  beifig 
generally  two  or  more  priests  employed  in  the  services  of  the  church  in  the 
&ser  country  paris\ies,  "vrVio  W^edL  \o%«^»  \&.  «^  vst^.  ^€  coiiTentual  lift^' 
ebltMcy  ])eginiung  to  pievaSV  ^\wi  «xnot»%  ^Cs^a  ^RcoSkia  .Ok»^« 


.^^1^1050.]:       POSSESSIOKS  0?  8T*0KTKOirLT«  9^ 

'  hauf  with  the  priest's  glebe ;  together  with  the  portion  which 
;  belonged  to  their  mother  in  Vieux-Mesnil.  At  Neuf-March6 
Hugh  gave  the  fourth  part  of  the  monastery  of  St.  Peter, 
and  the  tithe  of  one  half  of  the  tolls  of  the  whole  Till,  as 
.well  as  of  the  nulls  ;  and  in  Serifontaine  the  monastery  and 
,the  third  part  of  the  tithe  with  all  the  firstfiruits  and  fiye 
^^urtilages. 

William,  son  of  Giroie,  with  the  consent  of  his  sons 
JLmold  and  William,  and  his  brothers  Eobert  and  Eodolph 
Mala-corona,  who  joined  in  the  grant,  gave  to  the  aforesaid 
abbey  the  monastery  of  Echaufour  and  the  tenth  of  the  tolls 
of  that  vill,  with  the  land  of  the  priest  Adelelm,  and  the 
tithe  of  the  whole  forest  belonging  to  that  vill,  both  in 
^wine  and  in  money,  and  the  wood  for  all  necessary  uses ; 
jand  moreover  all  the  monasteries  which  were  on  his  domain^ 
one  of  which,  dedicated  to  St.  George,  was  bmlt  at  Mont- 
reuil;  two  at  Vemeuces,  one  in  honour  of  St.  Mary,  the 
other  in  honour  of  St.  Paul ;  two  at  Sap,  one  in  honour  of 
^t.  Peter,  the  other  in  honour  of  St.  Martin.  All  these  he 
granted  with  the  tithes  and  lands  thereto  belonging,  and 
4;he  tenths  of  all  tolls,  and  all  forest  rights  and  other 
customary  dues  in  Echaufour  and  Montreuil,  and  aLso 
in  Sap, 

.  WTien  Theodoric  had  been,  by  the  grace  of  God,  conse- 
-crated  abbot  of  the  convent  of  St.  Evroult,  he  bought  of 
Arnold,  son  of  William  before-mentioned,  with  the  consent 
of  his  uncle  Eobert  and  at  the  command  of  Count  William,* 
the  farm  of  Bauquencei,  as  it  had  been  held  by  Baldric  the 
said  coimt's  archer,  and  that  part  of  the  domain  of  Echau- 
four which  is  situated  between  le  Noir-Eau  and  Charen- 
^n,  and  Essart  d'Henri,  and  the  tithes  of  the  mill  of 
■[Echaufour.  Moreover,  Arnold  himself  gave  to  the  same 
abbey  the  lands  of  Haute-rive,  with  all  that  belonged 
thereto,  with  all  his  monasteries  and  glebe-lands,  and  the 
^u*m  of  Pouet-Moussu. 

^  The  dukes  of  Nonnandy  were  indiscrimmatelj  called  counts,  or  earls,  and 
iBometimes  they  assumed,  or  bad  conferred  on  them,  the  title  of  marquis, 
which  is  occasionaUy  used  by  Ordericus.  Richard  II.  receired  the  title  of 
'marquis  of  Normandy  from  the  king  of  France  and  the  pope,  and  he  k 
'^metimes  also  called  consul,  and  in  a  charter  of  his  to  Ralph,  count  of 
Ivri,  all  these  titles  of  <2uke,  marquis,  count,  and  consraCl  ol  '^^Tvsi^Q^^  ^^ 
i/iceamulated  ia-hia  aing^e  penoo.  ... 


•$99  :    OIASBXCVS  TTTAUB.  [B.in.'€1&tL 

Finallj,  William  his  brother,  son  of  the  William  alreaj^ 
mentioned,  with  the  consent  of  his  brother  Giroie,  snd  m 
cousins  Giroie  and  Folk,  granted  all  the  monasteries  be 
possessed,  in  consideration  of  no  small  sum  of  monejpai 
nim  by  the  abbot  of  the  said  conyent.  One  of  these,  oeii- 
cated  to  St.  Sulpicius,  was  situated  at  Mesnil-BeanuBd, 
another  at  Eoiville  dedicated  to  St.  Leger,  another  at  Mod- 
nai  dedicated  to  St.  Mary,  with  the  moiety  o/  the  same 
Monnai  in  the  tenure  of  Eobert,  he  consenting :  the  monaft' 
tery  also  of  Temant,  and  one  in  Les  Essarts  dedicated  to 
St.  Peter,  another  at  Au^rons  with  tiie  whole  vill,  and  one 
in  Bois-Herbert.  All  these  monasteries,  with  the  tithes 
and  glebe-lands,  were  giyen  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  as 
well  by  the  said  William  as  by  the  lords  thereof;  vi«. 
Soger  Goulafre  de-Mesnil  Bernard,  Herfred  de  Boiville^ 
Eobert  de  Monnai,  Herfred  de  Temant,  William  priest  of 
Essarts,  William  provost  of  Augerons,  and  Boger  JPaitel  d 
Bois-Hebert. 

Moreoyer  William  gave  to  the  said  abbey  for  the  redemp* 
tion  of  the  soul  of  his  mother  Emma  a  farm  of  one  plongOf 
situate  at  Yemeuces.  He  also,  his  brother  Arnold  con- 
senting, gave  one  moiety  of  the  mills  of  Vemeuces,  together 
with  what  he  possessed  there  in  his  own  right,  viz.,  the  fimn 
of  Warrin,  and  the  wood  of  Landigou,  and  the  farm  of  Bur- 
nend  in  Yemeuces,  and  two  fishermen  at  Temant^  with  two 
kilns  and  one  burgess  at  Montreuil.  Moreover,  William, 
son  of  Yauquelin  de  Pont-Erchanfre,  gave  the  church  of 
St.  Mary  to  the  said  abbey,  together  with  whatever  Osbem 
the  priest  held,  with  the  tenth  of  the  tolls  and  the  tithe  of 
the  mills  and  ploughs  which  he  possessed  or  should  possess 
there  or  elsewhere ;  as  also  all  the  monasteries  which  ne  posf 
sessed,  or  should  thereafter  possess,  and  that  part  of 
Boiville  which  belonged  to  him. 

Moreover,  Eobert  son  of  Heugon,  with  the  concurrence 
and  assent  of  his  lords,  viz.,  William  and  Eobert^  and  their 
sons  and  nephews,  sold  the  church  of  St.  Martin  on  tiie 
rivulet  called  Bailleul  to  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult,  and  the 
glebe  of  the  same  place  with  another  farm  of  eight  ploughs, 
for  which  they  paid  no  small  price.  He  also  gave  the 
moiety  of  the  monaBtery  of  St..  Ajidsew,  vrith  the  priests' 
glebe,  and  the  moiety  oi  «i\i  \i\^  \a5A  \sl  ^^^^  ^r^    Yi^iSwsfe. 


▲.B.  1050.]  i    possBssxoirs  of  st.  syboult.  899 

also,  ilie  son  of  Theodelin,  gave  the  other  moisty  of  the 
saaae  monastery  and  of  the  whole  vill. 

Further,  the  abbot  Theoderic  purchased  for  eighteen 
poujids  of  Williain  and  Eobert,  sons  of  Eobert  sumamed 
xVresnel,  the  church  of  Our  Ladj  of  the  Wood^^  as  it  was 
held  by  a  certain  monk  of  the  name  of  Placidus.  Moreoyer, 
Hubert  de  Anceins  sold  to  the  abbot  the  church  of  that  vill, 
Bud  some  acres  of  land.  All  these  belonging  to  the  lord- 
ship of  William  Eitz-Osbem  the  steward,  were  granted  by 
him. 

!Next,  Bobert  son  of  Giroie,  ratifying  and  confirming  all 
that  his  brothers  and  nephews  with  their  allies  had  given  to 
lihe  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  gave  also  to  the  same,  of  his  own 
possessions,  St.  Ceneri,  St.  Peter  de  la  F6te-des-nids,  with  all 
the  tithes  belonging  thereto,  and  one  half  of  the  wood  of 
St.  Ceneri,  with  fishings  in  the  Sarthe  for  the  use  of  the 
monks  who  lived  there,  and  St.  Mary  of  Mount  Gunde- 
lain,  and  the  whole  tithes  of  Siral,  and  of  all  the  lands 
which  he  should  thereafter  acquire.  Then  also,  Balph,  son 
of  Godfrey,  his  man-at-arms,  gave  with  his  consent  the 
church  of  Eadon  to  the  same  abbey.  Hearing  of  these 
benefactions,  a  good  knight  named  Wadon  de  Dreux  made 
ft  gift  of  the  church  of  St.  Michael  on  the  Arve,  in  the 
canton  of  Evreux,  with  the  consent  of  the  lords  under  whom 
he  held  it,  and  his  sons,  kindred,  and  j&iends. 

These  were  the  beneflEictions  with  which  William  and 
!Bobert  and  others  their  kinsmen,  endowed  the  abbey  of 
St.  Evroult,  and,  making  a  charter  of  them,  presented  it  to 
William  di^e  of  Nomandy  for  his  confirmation.  The  duke 
gave  a  favourable  reception  to  their  petition,  and  graciously 
ratified  their  donations  to  the  before-mentioned  abbey.  Bjb 
also  granted  this  special  privilege  to  the  abbey  of  St. 
Evromt,  that  it  should  be  K)r  ever  exempt  &om  all  foreign 
jurisdiction.  With  respect  also  to  the  election  of  the  abbots, 
he  vested  it  entirely  in  the  chapter  of  the  brethren,  subject 
to  the  rules  of  regular  discipline,  but  on  condition  that  the 
•votes  were  not  corruptly  obtained,  either  by  favouritism,  or 
relationship,  or  certainly  not  by  bribery.  At  the  end  of 
the  charter  the  duke  had  this  clause  inserted,  ratifying  the 

^  <*  SsRcta  Maries  de  B06C0,*'  A^o/r^-Dame-du-BoU,  (ff^^tnaSli^  ^^^T&sji2etnt 
ebmcb  oftbepamb  in  which  the  abbey  of  St.  BtcouV^  ^ivttitV^^ 


MO  '     0BDXSXCU8  TITiXtS,  :  [ifsOT.  < 

whole  in  the  foUowing  words :  '*  I,  William^  count  of 
mandy,  have  caused  this  deed  of  ^ift  to  be  put  in  wi 
and  have  had  it  confirmed,  under  pam  of  excommiinicati 
the  signatures  of  the  archbishop  of  Bouen,  and  the  bis 
abbots,  and  nobles,  whose  names  and  marks  are  her< 
subscribed,  in  order  that  its  provisions  maj  remain 
and  undisturbed  henceforth  and  for  ever ;  so  that  if  an; 
shall  presume  to  infringe  them  or  shall  in  any  wise  i 
them,  either  by  himself  or  any  other,  he  shall,  by  tl: 
thority  of  God  and  all  the  saints,  be  excommunicated 
all  Christian  privileges,  and,  if  he  do  not  repent,  b 
cursed  for  ever."  Puke  Willianr  subscribed  this  eh 
with  the  sign  of  the  cross ;  and  it  was  afterwards  signi 
Manger  archbishop  of  Bouen,  son  of  Itichard  Gk)nno: 
duke  of  Normandy;  by  Hugh,  bishop  of  Lisieux,  b< 
William,  count  d*Eu ;  by  Odo,  bishop  of  Bayeux,  ut 
brother  of  Duke  William ;  by  William,  bishop  of  Ev 
son  of  Gerard  Fleitel;  Gislebert,  abbot  of  Chati 
William,  Bobert,  and  Bdph,  sons  of  Giroie;  by 
nephews  Hugh  de  Grand-mesnil,  Bobert  and  Amolc 
William,  son  of  Vascelin ;  by  Balph  de  Toni ;  by  ] 
Taison;  by  Boger  de  Montgomery;  by  William 
Osbem ;  by  Bichard  de  Beaufour,  Bichard  de  St.  Schol 
and  many  others  of  the  Norman  nobles,  who  wer 
sembled  in  the  forest  of  Lions  at  the  duke's  palace  o 
river  Lieure,*  before  the  church  of  St.  Denys,  and  confi 
the  charter  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  in  the  year  o 
Lord  1050,  the  fourth  indiction. 

Q)he  same  year  Bobert  de  Grand-mesnil  put  off  the  sc 
habit,  and  submitted  to  the  monastic  rule  under  i 
Theodoric  at  St.  Evroult.  We  have  already  mentioned 
he  was  the  son  of  Bobert  de  Grand-mesnil,  a  poii 
baron  by  Hawise  the  daughter  of  Giroie.  Li  his  cnilc 
he  applied  himself  diligently  to  letters,  and  was  distingu 
among  those  of  his  own  age  for  his  retentive  memory* 
^m  his  earliest  youth  he  began  to  despise  the  ina 
t)f  learning,  and  sought  with  eagerness  tne  toils  of 

1  Formerly  St.  DeniS'enrlAons,    This  seems  to  have  been  a  & 
hunting-seat  of  the  dukes  of  Normandy.    Henry  I.  died  there  of 
iampreys,.  after  returning  from  the  chase  (December  1^  1 135)«    See 
of  BuntingdorCi  flwtorj/,  \).  m.  ip.  'ib^  <ii  BoWiC «  edjA\«iu^ 


JL.D.  1051.]   BOBEET  BE  GBAl^B-MESIflL  TTIENS  MONK.         401 

becoming  for  five  years  an  esquire  of  Duke  "William.  He 
was  then  raised  by  the  same  duke  to  the  honours  of  chivalry; 
and  having  been  knighted,  received  at  the  duke's  hands 
jioble  rewands.  Eeflecting  however  on  the  chances  of  life, 
he  chose  rather  to  serve  humbly  in  the  Lord's  house  than 
to  flourish  like  grass  in  the  coiits  of  the  wicked.  For  he 
recollected  the  perils  of  worldly  warfare,  which  had  been 
experienced  by  his  father  and  a  host  of  others,  who  attack- 
ing their  enemies  fell  into  the  snares  which  they  had  laid 
for  others  and  perished.  Thus  his  father  Bobert  joined 
with  Eoger  de  Toni  in  battle  against  Eoger  de  Beaumont, 
in  which  fight  Eoger  de  Toni,  with  his  two  sons  Elbert  and 
XSIinance  were  slain  outright,  and  Robert  received  a  mortal 
wound  in  his  bowels.  Being  carried  off  the  field  he  survived 
three  weeks,  and  divided  his  lands  between  his  sons  Hugh 
and  Bobert.  Dying  on  the  14th  of  the  calends  of  Jidy 
ri8th  of  June],  he  was  interred  without  the  church  of  St. 
Mary  at  Norrei.*  This  calamity  roused  his  son  Bobert  to 
strive  in  a  better  warfare.  His  first  intention  was  to  found  a 
convent  at  Norrei,  as  it  has  been  already  stated,  for  the 
eood  of  his  soul  and  those  of  his  ancestors,  and  to  endow  it 
nberally  with  the  whole  of  his  patrimony,  if  his  brother 
HEugh  consented.  But  his  plans  being  changed,  by  the 
advice  of  his  uncle  William  Giroie,  he  made  the  general 
deed  of  gift,  jointly  with  his  brother  Hugh  of  the  possessions 
already  enuinerated,  and  coming  to  St.  Evroult  there 
solemnly  professed  himself  a  monk  according  to  the  rule  of 
St.  Benedict.  He  suffered  much  inconvenience  in  supplying 
the  necessities  of  the  church,  and  often  laid  hands  on  the 
substance  of  his  kinsfolk,  who  were  very  wealthy,  charitably 
distributing  it  in  the  support  of  the  faithful,  for  the 
salvation  of  their  soids.  Paying  his  mother  Hawise 
tofrty  livres  of  Bouen,  he  deprived  her  of  her  dowry,  con- 
sisting of  lands  in  Noyer-Menard,  Yieux-Mesnil,  La  Tanaisie, 
and  Mesnil-Dode,  wnich  he  transferred  to  the  abbey  of  St. 
Evroult.  He  also  presented  to  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult  as 
his  mother's  gift,  the  great  psaltery  illuminated  with  pictures, 
which  the  choir  frequently  uses  to  the  present  time  in 
chanting   the  praises  of  God.      This  volume  was  given 

I  See  before,  in  book  i.  p,  150,  what  is  said  oi  l\ve  \»X\\fe  m  ^\!w2q^ 
Jtchert  de  Gmnd-mesnil  was  moitallj  wounded. 
VOL.  I.  I)  D 


402  OBDEBIOCS  TITALI8.  [b.UI.  CH.] 

by  Emma,  wife  of  Ethelred  king  of  England,  to  Eol 
archbishop  of  Rouen,  her  brother,  and  William  who 
son  of  that  prelate  had  secretly  abstracted  it  from 
father's  chamber  and  given  to  his  wife  Hawise  to  whc 
he  was  so  much  attached,  that  he  sought  every  means 
pleasing  her.    This  Robert  de  Grand-mesnil  conferred 
other  benefits  on  his  church,  and  rendered   himself  ve 
agreeable  to  his  brethren  both  by  the  ecclesiastical  oi 
ments  he   furnished,   and  by  the  necessary   comforts 
procured  for  them. 

Ch.  III.     Notices  cf  Theodoric  first  ahhot  of  Evroult.—. 
care  in  collecting  and  mulitiplying  copies  of  the  script 
and  the  fathers. — Legend  respecting  a  copyist. — Nc 
conqtiests  in  Apulia,  and  other  parts  of  the  south  ofltal^ 

The  venerable    abbot    Theodoric  zealously  enforced  thi! 
monastic  rule,  and  studied,  both  in  his  words  and  actions  tb 
profit  of  the  community  entrusted  to  his  charge.    He  was 
a  Norman  by  birth,  of  the  district  of  Talou ;  he  was  of 
middle  stature,  his  face  ruddy,  and  his  voice  agreeable ;  wel 
versed  in  the  sacred  scriptures,  and  engaged  in  the  dutiei 
of  divine  worship  from  childhood  to  old  age.     But  as  tarei 
spring  up  unexpectedly  among  the  wheat  and  are  rootei 
out  by  the  careful  husbandman  at  the  time   of  harvea^j 
and  delivered  to  the  destroying  flames,  so  sons  of  Belial  MW 
mingled  in  the  company  of  the  faithful,  until  at  the  timi-j 
predestined,  they  are  detected  by  the  righteous  Judge,  anij 
strictly  subjected  to  the  pimishment  they  deserve.     In  tk 
time  of  abbot  Theodoric  there  was  a  monk  in  the  society  « 
Evroult  named  Romanus,  who  was  instigated  by  the  devu  to 
to  steal  the  linen,  and  breeches,  and  other  articles  of  thdl 
nature ;  and  when  he  was  repeatedly  called  to  account  bj 
father  Theodoric  for  such  misdeeds,  he  stoutly  denied  beinj 
guilty  of  the  theft,  though  he  soon  after  confessed  it.     Oni 
night,  hovover,  while  he  was  in  bed  he  was  seized  by  tb 
demon  and  grievously  tormented.   The  monks  heard  his  boP 
rible  shrieks,  and,  coming  to  him  and  shaking  him,  sprinklec 
him  with  holy  water,  and  with  difficulty  released  him  trom  ^ 
evil  spirit  which  tormented  him.     Being  come  to  himself 
the  monk  understood  that  the  devil  had  obtained  this  powei 
over  him  on  account  of  the  thefts  he  had  committed,  woi 


) — 1057.]  MOKKS   or   ST.  ETBOULT.  403. 

e  promises  of  keeping  himself  for  the  future  from  such , 
ices.  But  afterwards  he  returned  like  a  dog  to  his 
it,  so  that  father  Theodoric  ordered  his  cowl  to  be 
>ped  off,  and  turned  him  out  of  the  convent.  Thus  expelled 
I  the  society  of  the  brethren,  it  is  reported  that  he 
jrtook  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem,  but  what  was  his 
re  lot  we  are  wholly  uninformed, 
certain  priest  whose  name  was  Ansered,  who  lived  in. 
commune  of  Sap  led  a  very  irregular  life.  But  while 
Ting  from  disease  he  entreated  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult 
Lve  him  the  habit  of  St.  Benedict.  Wrapped  in  this 
as  carried  to  the  abbey  and  sent  to  the  infirmary.  But 
oon  as  he  recovered  from  his  sickness,  he  resumed  as 
ly  as  possible  the  same  irregularity  of  conduct  which 
lad  exhibited  under  the  secular  dress,  so  true  it  is  as  a 
writer  says; — 

"  No  change  of  clime  can  bring  an  altered  mind.*'  ^ 

man  changed,  indeed,  his  habit,  but  not  his  habitual 
luct.  The  abbot  Theodoric  observed  his  reprehensible 
and  conversation,  and  heard  that  he  detested  the 
^ous  rule;  for  he  had  sent  word  to  his  father  and 
ber  that  he  was  slandered,  and  entreated  them  to  remove 
from  the  monastery.  The  abbot  therefore,  acting  in 
case  on  the  apostolic  precept,  "  Put  away  from  among 
'selves  the  wicked  person;"  and  that  which  saith:  "If 
mbelieving  brother  depart,  let  him  depart,'"  permitted 
to  retire  from  the  abbey  and  enter  again  into  the  world, 
man,  adding  sin  to  sin,  kept  company  with  a  woman  of 
i  chraacter :  and  not  satisfied  with  her,  made  love  to 
her  whose  name  was  Fomula.  He  made  an  appoint- 
t  with  her  that  they  should  go  together  to  the  shrine  of 
Giles,  hoping  to  keep  the  affair  from  coming  to 
knowledge  of  his  parents  and  friends.      Having  fixed 

her  a   place   of  meeting   from  which  they  should 
eed  in  company,  he  himself  set  forth  with  some  pilgrims 

were  going  to  the  church  of  St.  Giles.     The  woman, 
3ver,  without  informing  Ansered,  broke  her  engagement 

^  *'  Caelum  non  animum  mutant  qui  trans  mare  cumixiC 

*  J  Cor.  Y,  IS^yU.  15. 

PD2 


4M  ORDXBICUB   TITAIJll.  [B.in.CH.n 

and  formed  a  connection  with  another  clerk.  Anseijw 
arriving  at  the  appointed  place  of  meeting,  and  not  findin 
the  woman  there,  said  to  his  fellow  pilgrims:  "I  mw 
return  home,  having  forgotten  something  for  which  I  1wt< 
occasion ;  hut  you  need  not  lose  any  time  on  the  road,  fa 
I  shall  soon  overtake  you."  Eetracing,  then,  his  steps,  aw 
c;etting  into  the  house  in  which  the  woman  lived,  by  mM 
he  found  her  in  hed  with  the  clerk.  She  signified  to  M 
lover  that  Ansered  was  there,  upon  which  the  clerk  snatcW 
up  an  axe,  and  striking  Ansered  on  the  head  killed  him  « 
the  spot.  He  then  enclosed  the  hody  in  a  sack,  and  dng- 
ging  it  to  a  distance  concealed  it  from  sight  in  a  hole  intii 
ground.  Sometime  afterwards  the  body  was  found,  for  tin 
wild  beasts  had  disinterred  it,  devouring  a  leg  and  a  th^ 
and  the  discovery  was  made  by  the  offensive  smeU.  Indeed 
it  was  so  pestiferous  that  no  one  could  go  near  the  spot 
His  father  and  mother,  who  were  attached  to  him  more  thffi 
to  any  others,  took  up  the  remains  and  buried  them  outside 
the  cemetery  of  the  cnurch.  Such  was  the  end  of  oneww 
preferred  returning  to  the  vanities  of  the  world,  to  spej"* 
ing  his  days  with  the  servants  of  God  in  the  religious  Iw 
which  would  lead  him  upwards  to  the  heavenly  kingdom. 

Another  priest,  whose  name  was  Adelard,  having  assifflMj 
the  monastic  habit  in  consequence  of  his  infirmities,  gavej 
God  and  St.  Evroult  and  his  monks  the  church  of  Sap,  ^ 
the  tithes,  of  which  he  was  enfeoffed,  to  be  held  by  them* 
perpetuity.  But  having  recovered  his  health,  he  repent 
of  what  he  had  done,  and  was  bent  on  returning  to  tti 
world.  Abbot  Theodoric,  upon  hearing  this,  caused  »• 
rule  of  St.  Benedict  to  be  read  to  him,  and  then  thai 
addressed  him  :  "You  have  heard  the  rule  under  which  y* 
have  engaged  to  serve,  if  you  can  keep  it,  continue  with  ^ 
but  if  you  cannot,  depart  free ;"  for  he  would  not  detail 
any  such  against  their  will.  Whereupon,  Adelard,  obsr 
nately  persisting  in  his  evil  design,  withdrew  himself  &<"■ 
the  monastery,  and  resumed  the  secular  habit  which  he  h» 
relinquished ;  but  when  he  sought  to  recover  the  church » 
Sap  which  he  had  made  over  to  the  monks  of  St.  EvrouH 
Hugh  de  Grantmesnil,  to  whom  the  lordship  of  Sap  ^ 
longed,  would  not  conaeiit.  l^<a  ^J^'et^iort^  x^tired  amoDj 
his  rektiona  at  "Eiiat^e^^ot  \ia  ^^^  ^i  ^  %^iKi^  \1Ms£^^'«s 


>.  1050 — 1057.]   ABBEY  OF  ST.  MABTIN  AT  S:£eZ.  408 

3d  there  nearly  fifteen  years.  But  he  was  never  restored 
good  health,  being  afflicted  with  incessant  infirmities, 
last,  perceiving  that  his  -end  was  approaching,  and 
rmed  at  the  punishment  which  awaited  his  apostacy, 
entreated  abbot  Mainer,  who  was  the  fourth  in  succes- 
n  from  the  venerable  Theodoric,  that  he  might  be  allowed 
resume  the  monastic  habit  which  he  had  forfeited  for 
sins.  But  he  died  three  weeks  after  his  request  was 
.uted,  being  in  such  a  state  of  weakness  that  he  could  not 
pense  with  female  attendance,  so  that  he  never  returned 
re  to  the  monastery  from  which  he  had  withdrawn. 
Cn  the  time  of  William,  duke  of  Normandy,  Ivo,  son  of 
Jliam  de  Belesme,  held  the  bishopric  of  Seez,*  and,  on  the 
uth  of  his  brothers  Warin,  Bobert,  and  William,  inherited 
town  of  Belesme  as  his  father's  heir.  The  bishop  was 
tdsome  in  person,  learned,  wise,  and  eloquent ;  witty,  and 
a  most  cheerful  temper.  He  treated  his  clergy  ajid  the 
tiks  with  parental  kindness,  and  held  Abbot  Theodoric  in 
at  reverence,  as  among  the  chief  of  his  friends.  They 
L  much  private  intercourse,  for  the  city  of  Seez  is  only 
en  leagues  from  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult.*  Eoger  de 
mtgomery,  Viscount  d'Exmes,  had  married  Mabel,  the 
bop's  niece,  with  whom  he  acquired  a  large  portion  of  the 
ciains  of  William  de  Belesme.  This  !Boger,  at  the  sug- 
t;ion  and  by  the  advice  of  the  bishop,  transferred  the 
irch  of  St.  Martin  at  S6ez  to  Theodoric,  abbot  of  St. 
c^idt,  and,  in  conjunction  with  his  wife,  earnestly  begged 
•t  he  would  erect  a  monastery  in  that  place.  The  bishop 
tout  delay  commenced  the  work  assigned  to  him,  in  the 
td's  name,  and  settled  at  Seez  Eoger,  a  monk  of  St. 
roult,  in  priest's  orders,  together  with  Morin  and  Engel- 
%  and  others  of  his  disciples,  while  he  often  repaired 
fcher  himself,  remaining  sometimes  four  or  five  weeks  at  a 
le,  urging  the  prosecution  of  the  work  for  the  love  of 
•d  and  the  good  of  posterity.'  Now,  this  Mabel  was 
ih  powerful  and  politic,  shrewd  and  fluent,  but  extremely 

He  was  bishop  of  S^z  from  1035  to  1070. 

The  leagues  here  spoken  of  appear  to  be  about  2200  toises,  of  six  feet 
1. 

This  Roger  de  Montgomery,  afterwards  earl  of  Shrewsbury  in  England, 
the  patron  of  our  author's  father.    See  the  pTe&ce  to  V]bi&  ^c\»sba^«xA. 
,  c.  1,    - 


408  OBDEBICUS   TtTAT.IS.  [B-TH.  CI 

cruel.  Still  she  had  a  high  regard  for  the  excellent  Theoi 
and  in  Bomo  things  submitted  to  his  admonitions^  alth 
in  general  she  was  severe  with  men  of  religion.  In  c 
quence,  her  son  Roger,  whose  cruelties  to  his  wre 
dependants  has  made  him  notorious  in  the  times  in  i 
I  live,  was  brought  to  Soger  and  the  rest  of  the  n 
settled  at  S6ez,  to  receive  from  them  the  holy  sacramc 
baptism. 

True  grace  makes  those  in  whose  hearts  it  rulei 
delight  of  the  good  and  the  terror  of  evil-doers.  Thus  i 
Theodoric  was  deservedly  beloved  by  all  good  men,  whi 
was  feared  by  the  wicked.  As  far  as  possible  avo 
worldly  cares,  he  devoted  himself  with  earnest  zeal  t( 
worship  of  God.      But,  though  diligent  in  the  offic 

Erayer,  he  did  not  neglect  such  manual  labours  as  were  fi 
is  station.     He  was  a  skilful  scribe,  and  be  leH  tc 
young  monks  of  St.  Evroult  some  splendid  specimens  c 
calligraphy.     The  book  of  Collects,  the  Gradual,  and . 
phonary,  were  all  written  in  the  convent   with   his 
nand.      He    procured  also,   by  gentle   solicitations, 
his  colleagues  who  accompanied  him  from  Jumieges,  se 
precious   books   of   the   divine    law.      Thus,    his    ne 
Kodolf  transcribed  the  Heptateuch,'  and  the  missal 
which  the  mass  "fc'as  sung  daily  in  the  choir;  Hugl 
companion,  made  a  copy  of  the  commentary  on  Ezekiel 
the  Decalogue,  and  trie  first  part  of  the  moral  books ; 
Boger  the  priest,  of  the  Paralipomena,  the  books  of 
mon,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moral  books. 

The  worthy  abbot,  so  often  named,  by  these  scribes 
other  antiquaries  whom  he  succeeded  in  engaging  in 
work,  during  the  eight  years  he  governed  the  convent  c 
Evroult,  was  able  to  procure  for  the  library  of  the  a 
all  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  witl 
entire  works  of  the  eloquent  Pope  Gregory.  From 
same  school  proceeded  some  learned  and  excellent  pen 
such  as  Berenger,  who  was  afterwards  made  bisho 
Venusa,  Goscelin  and  Rodolph,  Bernard,  Turketil, 
Richard,  with  many  more,  who  filled  the  library  ai 
Evroult  with  the  works  of  St.  Jerome  and  St.  Augustim 

^  The  first  seven  books  of  tUe  Old  Testament.    The  books  before 
tioned  were  offices  used  in  l\ie  daiVj  «etV\<ie&  ^i  N^cv^  ^\tt^. 


•A,D.  1050 — 1057.]     THE   CONYEKT  LIBEAET.  407 

Ambrose  and  Isidore,  Eusebius  and  Orosius,  and  other 
doctors  of  the  church/  while,  by  their  useful  labours  and 
example  they  encouraged  the  youths  who  were  to  succeed 
them  in  similar  pursuits. 

These  novices  the  man  of  God  himself  instructed,  often 
admonishing  them  carefully  to  shun  the  idleness  of  an 
unstable  disposition,  which  is  apt  to  enervate  both  mind  and 
body;  and  addressing  them  in  such  words  as  these:  "One 
of  the  brethren  in  a  certain  convent  was  guilty  of  repeated 
transgressions  of  the  monastic  rule,  but  he  was  a  good  scribe, 
and  so  applied  himself  to  writing  that  he  copied  of  his  own 
Accord  a  bulky  volume  of  the  holy  scriptures.*  After  his 
death,  his  som  was  brought  before  the  tribunal  of  the 
righteous  Judge.  There  the  evil  spirits  sharply  accused* 
him,  laying  to  his  charge  his  innumerable  offences ;  the  holy 
angels,  on  the  other  hand,  produced  the  volume  which  the 
brother  had  transcribed  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord, 
counting  letter  for  letter  of  the  enormous  volume  against 
the  several  sins  which  the  monk  had  committed.  At  last 
the  letters  had  a  majority  of  only  one,  against  which  all  the 
devices  of  the  devils  failed  to  discover  an  equivalent  failing. 
The  mercy  of  the  Judge  was,  therefore,  extended  to  the  sin- 
ful brother,  and  his  soul  was  permitted  to  return  to  the 
body,  in  order  that  he  might  enjoy  an  opportunity  of 
amending  his  life.  Reflect  frequently,  my  dearly  beloved 
brethren,  on  this  example,  and  cleanse  your  hearts  from  vain 
and  sinful  desires,  offering  continually  the  works  of  your 
hands  as  an  acceptable  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  your  Q-od. 

^  The  French  editors  of  Ordericus  caused  diligent  search  to  be  made  in 
the  public  library  at  Alcncon,  to  which  the  books  saved  at  the  destruction 
of  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  were  removed,  in  the  hope  that  one  of  the  MSS. 
here  mentioned  might  have  escaped  the  ravages  of  time  or  violence,  but 
nothing  was  discovered  which  could  be  traced  to  the  period  of  abbot  Theo- 
doric,  except  St.  Gregory's  Homilies.  The  precious  psalter,  wh  ch  had 
belonged  to  Queen  Emma,  and  was  given  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  by 
Robert  de  Grant-mesnil,  had  probably  been  long  worn  out  by  its  daily  use 
in  the  choir  service. 

*  Mr.  Maitland,  in  his  valuable  Essays  on  the  State  of  Religion  ahd 
Literature  in  the  Ninth  and  following  Centuriesy  refers  (p.  198)  to  these 
interesting  notices  of  the  diligence  with  which  copies  of  the  holy  scriptures 
and  writings  of  the  early  fathers  were  collected  and  multiplied  by  the  monkf^ 
as  part  of  a  great  mass  of  evidence  lending  to  show  l\\aX  VVvt  toM^w\w«\Sssa.  ^ 
what  are  called  the  dark  ages  in  the  popular  idea,  \a  tax  \ao  wn^^'^yci^.    . 


408  O&DIRICUB  TITAJJS.  [b.UI.  CH.IIL 

Shun  sloth,  that  deadly  poison,  with  the  utmost  care,  far 
what  saith  our  holy  father  Benedict? — 'Sloth  is  the  moitd 
enemy  of  the  soul.*  Ponder  oflen,  also,  on  what  is  said  by 
a  doctor  of  einincnco  in  his  Lives  of  the  Mithers :  thi^ 
only  a  single  evil  spirit  vexes  with  his  wiles  the  monk  who 
is  iahoriously  occupied,  while  a  thousand  devils  infest  tiie 
idler,  and  provoke  him  by  the  keen  impulse  of  manifold 
temptations,  on  every  side,  to  loath  the  restraints  of  the 
cloister,  and  to  hanker  after  the  soul-destroying  vanities  of 
the  world,  and  indulgence  in  fatal  delights.  You,  indeed, 
have  not  the  means  of  feeding  the  poor  with  your  alms, 
being  possessed  of  no  worldly  substance ;  nor  can  you  build 
noble  churches,  like  the  kings  and  great  men  of  the  world, 
confined,  as  you  are  to  the  cloister,  and  deprived  of  all 
power  and  influence ;  at  least,  then,  bear  in  mind  the  exhort* 
ation  of  Solomon,  and  guard  unceasingly  the  avenues  to 
your  hearts,  striving  earnestly  to  please  God  without 
ceasing.  Pray,  read,  chant,  write ;  ana  be  instant  in  other 
occupations  of  the  like  kind,  thus  prudently  arming  your- 
selves against  the  temptations  of  evil  spirits." 

By  such  admonitions.  Father  Theodoric  instructed  his 
disciples,  diligently  stirring  them  up  by  argument,  by 
entreaty,  and  by  rebuke,  to  those  good  works  of  which  he 
he  himself  set  them  the  example,  not  only  in  the  offices  of 
devotion,  but  by  writing  and  other  useful  occupations.  For 
these  he  was  hated  by  some  of  the  monks,  who  preferred 
secular  concerns  to  their  religious  duties.  Alas !  they  cen- 
sured him  for  that  which  merited  the  highest  respect ;  while 
they  muttered :  "  This  man  is  not  lit  to  be  an  abbot,  for  he 
unaervalues  and  neglects  all  worldly  thrift.  But  how  are 
the  men  of  prayer  to  subsist,  if  the  men  of  the  plough  are 
not  forthcoming  ?  ^  He  must  be  a  fool  who  is  more  anxious 
about  reading  and  writing  in  his  monastery  than  about  the 
means  of  procuring  subsistence  for  the  Drethren."  Some 
of  the  monks  indulged  insolent  talk  of  this  description, 
wronging  the  man  of  God  with  more  of  the  same  sort ;  but 
William,  the  son  of  Giroie,  constantly  paid  him  deep  reve- 
rence for  his  sanctity,  and  checked  the  ebullitions  of  the 

^  We  are  obliged  to  use  a  periphrasis  for  one  of  those  antithetical 
phrases,  in  which  the  writers  of  those  times  delighted :  Unde  vivetU  oratores, 
si  dcfecerint  aralores  ? 


-  jUD.  1050 — 1057.]  tiTeodoeio  abbot  op  st.  eteoult.   40J> 

i  malcontents,  whom  I  forbear  to  name,  with  great  severity, 
i  affording  him  ready  aid  in  all  contentions  which  arose,  both 
:>  within  and  "wdthout  the  monastery.  However,  after  some 
T  time,  this  noble  soldier  resolved  on  a  journey  to  Apulia, 

-  upon  business  in  which  the  welfare  ot  the  abbey  of  St. 
:-  Evroult  was  concerned ;  and  during  his  absence,  which  was 
:.  much  prolonged,  the  holy  father  Theodoric  was  left  alone  and 

forlorn  in  Normandy. 
:  The  conduct  of  wicked  men  is  no  less  repugnant  to  the 
^  good,  than  theirs  is  to  men  of  corrupt  minds ;  so  that  as 
good  men,  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  use  all  the  means 
in  their  power  to  bring  the  wicked  into  the  way  of  righteous- 
liiess  ;  so  these,  actuated  by  the  malignant  influence  of  the 
devil,  often  strive  zealously  to  turn  the  righteous  into  the 
paths  of  wickedness.  They  may  not,  perhaps,  succeed  in 
ruining  them  utterly,  but  they  are  sometimes  able  to  per- 
plex them  in  various  ways,  and  cause  them  to  be  sluggish  in 
their  sacred  calling.  In  this  manner,  while  the  abbey  of 
Evroult  was  risiug,  and,  enriched  by  good  works,  was 
becoming  glorious  both  in  the  sight  of  Grod  and  man,  some 
flagitious  persons  fomented  various  grudges  against  the 
society,  causing  infinite  trouble  in  what  concerned  the  sub- 
sistence, and  the  clothing,  and  the  sacred  entertainments^  of 
the  monks.  But  although  tempestuous  waves  threatened  to 
overwhelm  the  ship  of  the  church,  Christ,  her  true  spouse, 
graciously  manifested  the  brightness  of  his  presence  to 
succour  his  servants  and  confound  the  machinations  of  their 
enemies. 

I  propose  in  this  place  to  give  a  true  account  of  what 
happened  to  Mabel,  daughter  of  William  Talvas,  though  it  is 
somewhat  out  of  order.  This  lady  caused  many,  troubles, 
iniquitously  contrived,  to  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult,  on 
account  of  the  hatred  she  bore  to  the  foimders  of  the  abbey, 
notwithstanding  that  the  monastic  rule  was  strictly  observed 
from  the  beginning,  and  the  offices  of  charity  were  duly 
performed  to  all  comers,  as  the  custom  is  to  this  day.  Per 
she,  as  well  as  her  father  and  all  her  kindred,  fostered  a 
never-ceasing  animosity  against  the  family  of  Giroie.  But 
as  her  husband  Boger  de  Montgomery  loved  and  honoured 

1  Aifdpen  ;  in  the  tUntt  sense  of  the  word,  the  \oNe-i«aatefc^ ^g«K;\]i^^  \» 
the  apostolic  and  primitiYe  ages  of  the  church. 


410  0BDEBICTJ8  VITALIS.  [b.HI.  CH.ni, 

the  monks,  she  did  not  venture  to  exhibit  any  open  signs  of 
her  malicious  feeling.  She  therefore  made  the  abbej  h& 
frequent  resort,  attended  by  numerous  bands  of  armed 
retainers,  under  pretence  of  claiming  the  hospitality  of  the 
monks,^  but  to  tneir  great  oppression  in  the  indigence  to 
which  they  were  subjected  by  the  barrenness  of  their  lands. 
At  one  time,  when  she  had  taken  up  her  abode  at  the  abbe^ 
with  a  hundred  men-at-arms,  and  was  questioned  by  abbot 
Theodoric  why  she  came  with  such  a  splendid  retinue  to  th^ 
abode  of  poor  anchorites,  and  was  warned  to  abstain  from 
such  absurdity,  she  exclaimed,  in  great  wrath :  "  When  I 
come  again,  my  followers  shall  be  still  more  numeroos." 
The  abbot  replied :  "  Trust  me ;  unless  you  repent  of  this 
iniquity  you  will  suffer  what  will  be  very  painful  to  you." 
And  so  it  happened :  for  the  very  night  following  she  was 
attacked  by  a  disorder  which  caused  her  great  suffering. 
Upon  this,  she  gave  instant  orders  for  being  carried  forth 
from  the  abbey,  and,  hastening  in  a  state  of  alarm  to  fly  from 
the  territory  of  St.  Evroult,  she  passed  by  the  dwelling  of  a 
certain  farmer  named  Boger  SSuisnar,  whose  infant  chud  she 
caused  to  suck  her  nipple,  which  occasioned  her  the  severest 
pain.  The  infant  died  soon  afterwards,  while  Mabel  reached 
her  home  restored  to  health.  She  lived  fifteen  years  after- 
wards, but  never  ventured  to  return  to  St.  Evroult,  after 
having  there  suffered  under  the  chastisement  of  God ;  and 
from  thenceforth  she  was  very  careful  not  to  meddle,  either 
for  good  or  evil,  with  the  occupants  of  the  abbey,  so  long  as 
she  enjoyed  the  checquered  delights  of  the  present  life. 
Notwithstanding,  she  had  a  great  regard  for  abbot  Theodoric, 
and  confided  to  him  much  more  than  to  the  convent  of  St. 
Evroult,  the  cell  of  St.  Martin,  as  I  have  already  remarked 
in  anticipation. 

[a.d.   1016—1030.]*     Wliile  Pope  Benedict  filled  the 

^  A  common  grievance  in  the  feudal  agea. 

'  Our  author  here  begins  an  account  of  the  Norman  conquests  in  the 
south  of  Italy,  which  is  far  from  satisfactory ;  it  is  therefore  proposed  to 
inquire  shortly  how  much  truth  and  how  much  error  it  contains.  It  was  in 
the  year  1016  that  a  band  of  forty  Norman  pilgrims  returning  from  Mount 
Garganus,  met  Melo  the  Lombard,  who  invited  them  to  acsist  him  in 
recovering  Apulia.  But  it  belonged  at  that  time  to  the  Greek  emperor. 
not  to  the  Saracens,  alll\oug,l\  the  latter  had  ravaged  it  for  two  centuries, 
but  without  establishing  any  «e\X\«aiev\\.,    "YlV^  ^  wi  HsJ^wvsi%^^<ftLo^  with 


A.D.  1016 — 1040.]    THE  NOEMANS  IN  APULIA.  411 

apostolic  see,  the  Saracens  of  Africa  made  an  annual  descent 
with  their  galleys  on  the  coast  of  Apulia,  levying  with 
impunity  whatever  contributions  they  pleased  from  the 
degenerate  Lombards,  of  the  Apulian  cities,  and  the  Greek 
colonies  in  Calabria.  In  those  days,  Osmond  sumamed 
Drengot,  hearing  William  Bepostel  insolently  boast,  in  the 
presence  of  the  Norman  nobles,  of  having  dishonoured  his 
daughter,  slew  him  in  the  presence  of  Robert  the  duke,  in  a 
wood  where  they  were  hunting.  For  this  crime  he  wad 
forced  to  make  his  escape  with  his  sons  and  nephews,  first 
into  Brittany,  afterwards  into  England,  and  at  length  to 
Beneventum.  He  was  the  first  Norman  who  established 
himself  in  Apulia,  having  obtained  from  the  prince  of 
Beneventum  the  grant  of  a  town  as  a  settlement  for  himself 
and  his  heirs.  AJterwards,  a  Norman  knight  who  had  gone 
on  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem  with  a  hundred  men-at-arms, 
was  hospitably  entertained  with  his  followers,  on  their  return, 
by  the  I)uke  Waimalch,  who  humanely  kept  them  several 
days,  in  order  that  they  might  refresh  themselves.  While 
they  were  there  twenty  thousand  Saracens  made  a  descent  on 
the  coast  of  Italy,  and  demanded,  with  great  threats,  tribute 
from  the  inhabitants  of  Salemum.  While  the  duke  and  his 
guards  were  gathering  the  tribute  jfrom  the  citizens,  the 

the  help  of  the  Nonnans,  recovered  this  fine  country  from  the  Greeks,  but 
in  1019  he  was  in  turn  defeated  by  Bugienus,  and  his  Norman  auxiliaries 
were  reduced  to  two  hundred  and  seventy.  Osmond,  or  Godfrey  Drengut, 
I'id  not  arrive  until  the  year  1020.  William  Repostel  was  not  the  fevourite 
of  Duke  Robert,  but  of  his  father,  Richard  II.  By  the  intervention  of 
Pope  Benedict  VIII.,  this  fresh  band  of  Normans  was  received  with  open 
arms  by  the  Lombard  chief,  who  employed  them  in  various  wars  against 
the  Greeks,  the  Saracens,  and  sometimes  among  themselves.  The  story  of 
the  20,000  Saracens  surprised  by  one  hundred  Normans  while  they  were 
taking  refreshment  in  a  meadow  near  Salerno,  appears  to  be  pure  inven- 
tion. In  Naples  the  Normans  first  established  themselves  at  Aversa,  a  city 
they  built  in  the  year  1030,  on  lands  granted  them  by  Sergius  III.,  the 
then  duke  of  Naples.  Drengot  was  dead  when  the  Emperor  Conrad 
created  his  brother  Ranulf  count  of  Aversa  in  1 038.  About  that  time 
William  Bras-de-fer,  Drogon,  and  Humphrey,  the  sons  of  Tancred  de 
Hauteville,  came  into  Italy.  William,  as  the  eldest,  was  acknowledged 
their  chief,  and  assumed  the  title  of  count  of  Apulia  in  1043.  Drogo,  who 
succeeded  him  in  1 046,  was  assassinated  at  the  instigation  of  the  Greeks. 
Robert  Guiscard  did  not  obtain  the  government  until  after  the  death  at 
Humphrey  (1051 — 1057).  Further  particuVan  o^  VYv^  '^Qrnv'Bx.  ^w^j^'a&j^ 
in  the  south  of  Italy  will  be  found  in  the  coune  oi  \.\ift  Y^^aeo^.  '«q^% 


412  OBDERICTB  VITJLLIS.  [b.IU.  CH.IIL 

pirates  disembarked  from  their  fleet,  and  began  to  prepare 
their  meal  in  full  security,  and  with  great  delight,  on  & 
missy  plain  Ijing  between  the  city  and  the  aea-dhore.  The 
Normans,  witnessing  this,  and  finding  that  the  duke  was 
collecting  money  to  pacify  the  infidels,  TOntly  rebuked 
the  Apulians  for  thus  ransoming  themselves  like  defenodiess 
women,  instead  of  defending  themselves,  sword  in  hand,  like 
brave  men.  They  then  flew  to  arms,  and,  making  a  sudd«i 
attack  on  the  Africans  who  were  waiting  for  the  tribute  in 
perfect  security,  many  thousand  of  them  were  slain  on  the 
spot,  and  the  rest  were  driven  with  disgrace  to  the  refuge  of 
their  ships.  The  Normans  returning,  laden  with  gold  and 
silver  plate  and  other  valuable  booty,  were  much  pressed  by 
the  duke  to  remain  in  honour  at  Salernum ;  but  as  they  were 
anxious  to  re-visit  their  own  country,  they  declined  to  accept 
his  proposal.  Some  of  them,  however,  promised  to  return, 
or  speedily  to  send  to  the  duke  a  chosen  band  of  Nonnan 
youths.  When,  therefore,  they  had  reached  their  native 
land,  they  had  much  to  tell  their  countrymen  of  all  that 
they  had  seen,  and  heard,  and  done,  and  suffered.  In  the 
end,  some  of  them,  fulfilling  their  engagement,  retraced  their 
steps  to  Italy,  and  by  their  example  induced  a  number  of 
their  light-hearted  countrymen  to  join  in  their  enterprize. 
In  short,  Turstin  sumamed  Citel,  and  Eanulph;  Itichard, 
son  of  Ansquetil  de  Quarrel,*  the  sons  of  Tancred  de 
Hauteville,  viz.  Drogo  and  Humphrey;  "William  and 
Herman ;  Eobert  sumamed  Guiscard,  ana  Boger  with  their 
six  brothers ;  William  de  Montreuil,  Arnold  de  Grant-mesnil, 
and  many  others,  left  Normandy  and  reached  Apulia,  not  all 
together,  but  at  different  times.  On  their  amyal,  they  in 
the  first  instance  took  service,  as  mercenaries  against  the 
infidels  mider  the  Duke  Waimalch  and  other  nobles.  After- 
wards, however,  disputes  arising,  they  attacked  those  to 
whom  they  were  previously  subject,  and  by  force  of  arms 
reduced  Salernum,  Bari,  and  Capua,  with  the  whole  of 
Campania  and  Calabria,  under  their  own  dominion.  They 
also  gained  possession,  in  Sicily,  of  Palermo,  Catania,  Castel- 
Giovannij  and  other  cities  and  fine  towns  which  are  held  by 
their  heirs  to  the  present  day. 

'  J^ichard  de  Care!  mamed  a  da,VLg\\\.«t  o^  'Yaxvcied  de  Hautville,  and 
obtmned  for  his  share  of  the  coivqyxeait  vVve  ^favcvg^JcLVj  Qil^:A.^\fflu 


L.D.  1050 — 1056.]  WILLIAM  GIEOIE's  mission  to  APULIA.  413 

Among  the  Normans  who  crossed  the  Tiber,  no  one 
distinguished  himself  more  than  William  de  Montreuil,  son 
of  William  Giroie,  and,  being  appointed  to  the  chief 
command  of  the  Eoman  troops,  he  carried  the  banner  of  St. 
Peter  to  the  conquest  of  the  fertile  plains  of  Campania. 
Being  a  friend  and  brother  of  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult,  to 
whom  he  made  large  grants,  as  already  mentioned,  before  he 
left  Normandy,  he  sent  to  desire  them  to  despatch  a  trusty 
messenger,  by  whom  he  might  forward  the  presents  he  had 
prepared  for  them.  His  father  William  bemg  informed  of 
this,  voluntarily  offered  to  undertake  the  mission  for  the 
good  of  holy  church.  Abbot  Theodoric  heard  the  proposal 
with  mingled  joy  and  grief;  joy,  at  the  devotion  which 
inflamed  the  heart  of  his  friend,  and  induced  him,  old  as  ho 
was,  to  undertake  so  toilsome  a  journey ;  grief,  at  losing  the 
society  of  one  who  was  ready  at  all  good  works.  At  length, 
the  holy  father  and  Eobert  the  prior,  with  the  whole  chapter, 
commended  the  Lord  William  to  God*s  protection,  selecting 
for  his  companions  Humphrey,  a  most  intelligent  monk,  and 
Roger  of  Jumieges,  a  skilful  penma^n,  with  twelve  other 
honourable  attendants.  Crossing  the  Alps  he  travelled  to 
Rome,  and  thence  pursued  his  journey  to  ApuHa,  where  he 
found  his  son  and  other  friends,  kinsfolk,  and  relations. 
His  arrival  caused  them  all  the  greatest  joy,  and,  prevailing 
on  him  to  remain  with  them  a  considerable  time,  during 
which  he  was  entertained  with  the  highest  distinction,  they 
committed  to  his  charge  many  magnificent  presents  for  the 
support  of  the  abbey  for  which  he  was  a  suitor.  Wishing 
however  to  send  relief  to  the  poor  brethren  without  delay, 
he  sent  back  the  monk  Humphrev,  with  a  considerable  sum  of 
money ;  but,  by  the  mysterious  decrees  of  God's  providence, 
this  enterprize  turned  out  otherwise  than  he  had  hoped; 
for  Humphrey,  having  got  as  far  as  Eome,  determined  to 
winter  there,  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Paul  the  apostle.  But  , 
he  was  poisoned  by  the  Eomans  for  the  sake  of  the  gold  he 
had  in  his  possession,  and  so  the  venerable  pilgrim  died  in 
the  confession  of  the  faith  of  Christ,  on  the  ides  [13th]  of 
December.  Shortly  afterwards  William  himself  took  his 
departure  for  Normandy,  conveying  a  large  sum  of  money, 
but  when  he  reached  Gaieta,  so  caWe^  itoxcL  >()cv^  \sa;:wfe  ^*L 
jEneaa  the  Trojan,  he  was  seized  w\t\v  «b  TasstNaSL  ^s»«^a»' 


414  OEDEBICUB   TITAIjIB.  [b.III.  CH.IH. 

Thereupon  he  summoned  to  his  side  the  two  knights, 
Ansquetil  du  Nojer,  son  of  Ascelin,  and  Theodelin  de 
Tanie,  and  thus  addressed  them :  "  You  know  that  your 
twelve  companions  who  came  out  of  Normandy  together  in 
full  health,  all  but  you  are  dead ;  I  also  am  attacked  by  a 
severe  disease  which  is  fast  hunying  me  to  the  grave.  I 
therefore  commend  to  your  custody  Ansquetil,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Theodelin  as  witness,  the  money  of  which  I  am  the 
bearer,  in  order  that  you  may  honestly  carry  it  to  the  lord 
iabbot  Theodoric,  and  my  nephew  Eobert,  and  the  other 
monks  of  St.  Evroult,  for  whom  I  am  now  in  a  foreign  land. 
Ye  are  both  liege-men  of  the  abbey,  and  are  bound  to  do  it 
faithful  service.  Let  no  love  of  lucre  lead  you  astray. 
Beflect  well  that  all  your  comrades  having  perished,  you 
only  survive,  through  the  merits  of  the  blessed  Evroult,  in 
order  perhaps  that  you  may  faithfully  render  him  this 
service.  Bear  my  last  farewell  to  the  monks  at  St.  Evroult, 
whom  I  love  in  Christ  as  my  own  life,  and  earnestly  entreat 
them  to  supplicate  Almighty  God  on  my  behalf  with  zealous 
fervour."  With  this  and  such-like  discourse  he  brought 
forth  the  gold,  and  rich  palls,  with  a  silver  chalice,  and  other 
articles  of  great  price,  and,  making  an  exact  inventory  of 
them  delivered  them  to  Ansquetil.  Not  long  afterwards,  his 
sickness  prevailing  to  extremity,  the  noble  knight  departed 
in  the  faith  of  Christ,  on  the  nones  [5th]  of  Pebmary,  and 
received  honourable  interment  in  the  church  of  St.  Erasmus, 
bishop  and  martyr,*  which  is  an  episcopal  see.  Ansquetil  and 
Th^odolin  then  pursued  their  journey  into  France,  and 
arrived  safely  at  home.  Some  days  afterwards  Ansquetil 
went  to  St.  Evroult  and  announced  to  the  brethren  the 
death  of  the  lord  William  and  his  companions,  but  observed 
total  silence  as  to  the  money  with  which  he  had  been 
entrusted  and  had  already  dishonestly  converted  to  his  own 
use.  On  hearing  the  death  of  the  founder  of  their  abbey 
the  monks  were  in  great  tribulation,  and  zealously  offered 
prayers,  and  masses,  and  other  sacred  offices  on  behalf  of  his 
soul  to  God,  in  whom  all  things  live ;  which  are  diligently 
continued  by  their  successors  to  the  present  day.     When 

^  St.  Elmo,  or  Erasmus,  bishop  of  Formiae,  and  martyr,  who  perished 
in  Diociet'an's  persecution.  "Bas  leYaaiua  '^lete  ^«^Qi\\ftA.Sisv\.\N&  \v&\^hbour- 
ijtg  cathedral  of  Gaieta. 


..T>.  1050 — 1056.]  DEATH  OF  POTJNDER  Or  ST.  EVEOULT.    415 

Lasquetil  had  returned  Home,  his  comrade  Theodelin  came 
o    St.  Evroult  and  inquired  of  the  monks  what  had  been 
wrought  to  them  from  Apulia,  and  was  astonished  to  find 
bat  they  had  received  nothing  but  the  sorrowful  tidings  of 
he  death  of  their  friends.     He  therefore  related  to  them  the 
vhole    truth,   describing    all  that  had  occurred,  both   in 
)rosperous  and  adverse  circumstances  during  their  peregri- 
lations.     Upon  this.  Abbot  Theodoric  sent  for  Ansquetil, 
Lnd  demanded  from  liim  the  money  committed  to  his  charge. 
Vt  first  he  denied  having  received  it,  but,  being  confronted 
vith  Theodelin,  he  admitted  the  truth :  "  I  did  receive,"  he 
laid,  "  the  money  you  demand  from  my  lord  William ;  part  of 
t  I  have  applied  to  my  own  use,  and  the  rest  I  deposited  at 
iheims,  by  the  advice  of  my  lord  Eodolph  Mala-Corona, 
vho  met  me  there."     On  hearing  this  the  monks  despatched 
lini  twice  to  Bheims  to  Gervase  the  archbishop,^  to  recover 
he  money  deposited,  once  in  company  with  Reginald  of  Sap, 
ne  of  the  monks,  and  again  with  Fulk.     The  monk  was 
eceived  with    great  kindness   by   the   metropolitan,  who 
ssisted  him,  as  far  as  it  was  in  his  power,  in  the  object  of 
is   journey.      For  while  he  was  bishop   of  Mans,  often 
3pairing  to  the  court  of  William,  duke  of  Normandy,  with 
horn  he  was  intimate,  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult  used  to  give 
im  honourable  entertainment  with  all  his  attendants.     On 
Being  therefore  the  monk  Fulk,  he  was  anxious  to  return 
indness  for  kindness.     But  as  a  long  time  had  elapsed,  and 
.nsquetil  had  carelessly  deposited  the  things  for  which  Fulk 
lade  inquiries,  he  was  only  able  to  recover  a  few  of  the  least 
aluable  of  all  the  articles  which  were  sent  from  Apuha; 
ith  difficulty  obtaining  the  silver  chalice,  two  chasubles,  an 
Lephant^s  tooth,  a  griffin's  claw,  and  some  others.     The 
lonks,  taking  into  consideration  the  fraudulent  conduct  of 
Liisquetil,  summoned  him  to  trial  in  their  court  at   St. 
Jvroult,  where  Richard  d'Avranches,  son  of  Turstin,  and 
lany  other  barons  appeared  to  support  him.     But,  on  the 
iBt     complaints    of    the    monks,    judguient    was    fairly 
renounced  against  him  of  forfeiture  of  the  whole  of  the  fief 
e  held  of  the  abbey.     In  the  end,  by  the  mediation  of 
riends  on  both  sides,  this  agreement  was  made :  Ansquetil 

»  Gervais  of  Ch^teau-du-Loir,  bishop  of  M.aM,  \t*i6— \^oT>^  ^x^X^v^^V 
fRheiws,  lOSS  -  '067. 


416  OBDEBICUg  VITAL18.  [b.IIT.  CH.ni. 

openly  confessing  his  guilt,  gare  pledges  to  abbot  Tbeodoric 
for  his  future  good  conduct,  and  humblj  supplicated  pardon 
from  the  monks ;  and,  as  a  compensation  for  the  loss  which 
'le  had  caused  them  by  his  default,  hfe  surrendered  to  the 
»bbey  of  St.  Evroult,  in  the  presence  of  many  witnesses,  the 
third  part  of  the  burgh  of  Ouche,  which  he  possessed  as  heir 
to  his  father.  In  token  of  this,  he  offered  on  the  altar  of  St. 
Evroult  one  mantle  of  silk,  of  which  a  cope  was  made  for  the 
chanter.  The  monks,  thereupon,  satisfied  by  his  penitence, 
pardoned  his  offences,  and  kindly  restored  to  him  tdl  the  rest 
of  his  fief,  except  the  part  which  he  had  surrendered  by  the 
advice  of  his  friends.  Not  long  afterwards  Ansquetil  went 
into  Apulia,  where  he  was  slain. 

The  old  enemy  never  fails  to  disturb  the  peace  of  tbe 
church  by  the  incentives  of  manifold  temptations,  bringing 
those  with  whom  he  is  able  to  prevail  mto  subjection  to 
worldly  vanities,  and  grievously  afflicting  those  who  by  pru- 
dent watchfulness  in  the  simplicity  of  the  Catholic  mth 
stand  manftilly  upright  in  the  perfection  of  their  Christian 
virtues.  "When  therefore  he  saw  a  regular  monastery  rising 
by  God's  help,  in  the  forest  of  Ouche,  and  that  abbot 
Theodoric  was  by  word  and  deed  profiting  the  souls  both  of 
young  and  old  in  the  neighbouring  town,  he  burnt  with  £he 
same  malice  which  wrought  the  expulsion  of  the  protoplast 
Adam  from  Paradise  through  the  desire  of  the  forbidden  fruit, 
and  stirred  up  the  prior  Eobert,  after  the  death  of  "William 
de  Giroie,  to  a  presumptuous  opposition  against  his  abbot; 
and  by  the  dissensions  thence  arising  for  a  long  time  dis- 
quieted the  minds  of  the  subject  members  of  the  firatemity. 
This  Eobert,  as  I  have  fully  noticed  before,  was  of  high  rank, 
being  the  brother  of  Hugh  de  Grant-mesnil ;  and  all  the 
levity  of  his  youth,  indomitable  resolution,  and  worldly 
ambition,  still  clung  to  him.  His  continence  and  other 
monastic  virtues  were  praiseworthy;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  as  Horace  says : — 


»»i 


**  Man's  happiness  is  ne'er  complete,' 

he  was  reprehensible  for  many  failings.  Por  whether  wnat 
he  coveted  was  right  or  wrong,  he  was  hasty  and  headstrong 
in  gaining  his  ends,  aad  ^2*a  q^agVVj  Ycritated  when  anything 


( 


A.D.  1050 — 1056.]  THBODOEIC,  ABBOT  OP  ST.  EVEOULT.  417 

he  heard  or  saw  offended  him ;  more  prone  to  lead  than  to 
follow,  to  command  than  to  obey.  His  hand  was  always 
open  both  to  receive  and  to  disburse,  and  his  mouth  to  give 
ready  vent  to  his  wrath  in  violent  ebullitions.  Illustrious 
by  the  high  lineage  already  mentioned,  and  being 
one  of  the  foimders  of  the  abbey  in  which  he  had 
collected  from  all  parts  brothers  whose  duty  was  to  perform 
divine  worship,  and  having  amply  endowed  them  with  aU 
things  necessary  for  their  subsistence,  he  found  himself' 
unable  to  submit  to  the  strict  rules  of  a  monastic  life  in  the 
new  establishment.  He  therefore  frequently  complained  in 
private  to  his  spiritual  father,  that  the  holy  man  was  more 
occupied  with  his  religious  duties  than  with  secular  concerns. 
He  even  sometimes  opposed  him  openly,  and  found  fault 
with  some  of  his  acts  simply  relating  to  exterior  objects. 
So  that  the  man  of  God  often  took  refuge  lq  his  quiet 
retreat  at  Seez,  abiding  there  six  or  eight  weeks,  doing  God's 
work  in  peace  and  zealously  promoting  the  salvation  of  men 
by  all  the  means  in  his  power.  He  thus  waited  for  the 
improvement  of  his  refractory  brother,  fulfilling  the  apostle's 
admonition:  "  Give  place  unto  wrath. "^  Pinding,  however, 
that  the  rancour  and  the  scandals  did  not  cease,  but  rather 
increased,  to  the  great  injury  of  the  brethren,  he  tendered 
his  pastoral  staff  to  William  the  duke  of  Normandy,  offering 
to  resign  his  rank  and  office  of  abbot.  The  duke  thereupon, 
taking  judicious  counsel,  committed  the  whole  matter  to  the 
decision  of  Maurilius,  archbishop  of  Eouen,  enjoining  him 
to  inquire  diligently  into  the  causes  of  the  dissension,  and 
to  make  such  order  thereon  as,  by  the  advice  of  prudent 
counsellors,  he  should  think  right. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1056,  the  eighth  indiction,  when 
Pope  Victor  filled  the  apostolic  see,  Henry,  sumamed  the 
Good,  emperor  of  the  Eomans,  and  son  of  Conon  [Conrad] 
departed  this  life,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Henry,  who 
reigned  fifty  years.*  The  same  year,  Maurilius  the  arch- 
bishop, and  Pulbert  the  sophist,  his  chancellor,  with  Hugh, 

^  Rom.  xii.  19. 

•  The  emperor  Henry  III.,  son  of  CJonrad  (not  Conon),  died  on  the  Sth 
of  October,  1056.    He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Heuty  lV.,^Vvc»  ^VrA. 
August  7.  1 106.    Vope  Victor  II.,  installed  AlPiU  il,  \0b5,  ^ve^S^v^^^^Co. 
aJuJr,  1068. 

VOL.  I.  BE 


418  OBDE&ICUS  TITALIS.  [b.IU,  CE.!?. 

bishop  of  Litticux,  Ansfrid,  abbot  of  Preaux  and  Lan&SDe, 
prior  of  Bee,  with  several  other  digaitaries  of  sound 
judgment,  assembled  at  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult;  and 
celebrated  the  feast  of  the  apostles  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paid 
on  the  third  of  the  calends  of  July  [29th  June].  ELaving 
inquired  into  and  carefully  considered  the  grounds  of  i^ 
dissension,  it  was  ordered  that  the  abbot  Theodoric  should 
continue  the  government  of  the  abbey,  as  he  had  done  befoi^ 
and  £»obert  the  prior  was  admonished,  in  the  fullest  terms,  to 
conform  to  his  vows  of  poverty  in  Christ,  and  to  obey  hii 
spiritual  father,  for  the  love  of  God,  in  all  humility.  The 
commissiouers  having  returned  home,  a  short  period  of  repoea 
was  enjoyed  by  the  flock  at  St.  Evroult ;  but  a  year  t&&t- 
wards,  when  the  news  arrived  of  the  death  of  William  de 
Giroie,  the  smothered  strife  again  broke  out,  and  disputes 
adverse  both  to  the  spiritual  and  temporal  welfare  of  the 
monks  distracted  the  community.  And  now  Theodoric,  to 
whom  peace  was  dear,  was  in  difficulties  on  every  side.  For 
at  Seez  it  was  out  of  his  power  to  promote  the  salvation  of 
souls,  and  to  finish  the  building  of  the  cell  which  Boger  and 
his  wife  had  begun  to  erect,  because  they  were  then  much 
occupied  by  worldly  aflairs,  and  exposed  to  serious  attacks 
from  their  enemies  in  various  quarters ;  while  at  St.  Evroult 
he  could  neither  further  his  ovsm  good  nor  that  of  others, 
by  reason  of  the  vexations  which  he  had  to  endure  from 
some  of  the  more  influential  monks.  At  last,  after  long 
reflection  upon  the  course  he  ought  to  pursue,  according  to 
the  will  of  Grodf  he  determined  to  abandon  all  and  underwe 
a  pilgrimage  to  the  tomb  of  our  Lord  at  Jerusalem. 

Ch.  IV.  Account  of  the  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem^  under- 
taken hg  Theodoric,  first  ahbot  of  St.  Evroult^  after 
resigning  his  charge — His  death  at  the  island  of  Cyprus, 

On  the  fourth  of  the  calends  of  September  [August  24th], 
abbot  Theodoric  left  Seez,  where  he  had  rested  long,  and, 
proceeding  to  St.  Evroult,  convoked  a  chapter  of  the  monks 
to  whom  he  made  known  his  intentions,  and  admonishing, 
absolving,  and  blessing  them  all,  he  commended  them  to 
Gt)d.  Thence  he  went  to  Lisieux,  and  surrendered  his  cure 
o{  souls  to  the  bishop,  by  whom  he  was  much  beloved ;  then 
he  commenced  h\a  noVj  i5^^^Tffi:ia%^  iort  <CJto^c^^  «saidat  the 


k..D.  1057-1058.]  THEODOBIC'SPILGRZMAQETO  JEBITBALEM.  419 

tears  of  many  of  his  firiends.  Herbert  de  Montreuil,  the 
first  monk  he  admitted  to  the  monastery  of  St.  Evroult, 
accompanied  him,  as  well  as  the  clerk  William,  surnamed 
Bonne- Ame,  son  of  Eadbod  bishop  of  Seez,  who  some  time 
itfterwards  held  the  metropolitan  see  of  Eouen  for  nearly 
twenty-six  years. 

In  those  days  there  existed  a  noble  hospital  on  the  con- 
fines of  the  territories  of  the  Bavarians  and  Hiins,^  which 
the  truly  Christian  and  powerful  barons  of  the  neighbouring 
jirovinces  had  founded  for  the  reception  of  the  poor  and 
pilgrims.  At  that  time  Ansgot,  a  Norman,  governed  this 
hospital,  having  been  elected  by  the  natives.  He  was  a 
cousin  of  Eobert  de  Toni,  called  the  Spaniard,  who  had 
borne  arms  with  distinction  under  Richard  and  Robert, 
dukes  of  Normandy ;  but  inspired  with  the  fear  of  God,  he 
had  relinquished  ail  worldly  advantages,  and  had  chosen  to 
undergo  voluntary  poverty  during  the  remainder  of  his  life 
for  Christ's  sake.  Recognizing  Theodoric  and  his  compar 
mons  as  countrymen,  he  gave  them  a  cordial  reception  and 
entertained  them  for  some  days  with  great  hospitality, 
paying  them  the  kindest  attentions. 

Meanwhile,  a  certain  religious,  the  chief  bishop  of  the 
Bavarians,  going  on  a  pDgrimage  arrived  at  the  nospital, 
where  he  was  honourably  received,  with  all  his  retinue,  as 
the  custom  was  by  the  liberal  Ansgot,  and  prevailed  on  to 
sojourn  for  awhile.  He  also  earnestly 'recommended  the 
venerable  Theodoric  and  his  attendants  to  the  care  of  this 
bishop,  pointing  out  his  sanctity  as  a  father  in  Gbd,  and  his 
worldly  rank  in  his  own  country.  The  bishop,  hearing  the 
abbot's  character,  gave  thanks  to  Qtod,  and,  cordially  paying 
the  respect  due  to  a  man  of  his  station,  took  him  in  his 
company  as  far  as  Antioch.  There  a  difference  of  opinion 
arose  among  the  pilgrims.  Some  of  them  wished  to  con- 
tinue their  journey  by  land,  as  they  had  hitherto  prosecuted 
it,  the  whole  way  to  Jerusalem.  Others,  alarmed  for  their 
safety  among  the  fierce  infidels,  determined  to  take  ship 
and  pass  into  the  Holy  Land  by  sea.  In  this  proposal  tm 
bishop  and  abbot,  with  some  others,  concurred.  While, 
however,  the  bishop  was  engaging  a  ship  and  an  able  crew, 

^  M.  Pertz  conjectures  that  this  hospital  was  atuated  al  "^o"^  Va.  \jKS««. 
Austria,  where  a  celebiated  abbey  w/is  founded  tw^nty-iox. 'JQASA  «SX«f««i^ 

JB  £   2 


420  0RDEBICU8   YITALIB.  [B.in.CI.ir. 

and  a  certain  religious,  who  was  arcbimandrite  of  the  cot 
vent  of  8t.  Simeon  in  the  port  of  Syria,*  was  hospitab^ 
entertaining  Theodoric  and  his  companions,  Herbert  ik  ^^ 
monk  of  St.  Evroult  was  seized  with  the  desire  of  hastemn^ 
his  journey,  and  preferred  to  continue  his  pilgrimage  to  tb 
holy  places  by  land  rather  than  by  sea.  His  abbot  accoAl* 
ingly  gave  him  permission  to  go  as  he  pleased.  Tafo^^ 
therefore,  the  road  through  the  country,  with  a  crow^* 
pilffrims  on  foot,  and  having  reached  Laodicea,  he  there 
sick,  and  was  compelled  to  abide  for  some  time,  his  (^^^ 
panions  proceeding  on  their  way.  As  soon  as  he  was 
to  rise  from  his  bed,  he  did  not  take  one  step  furth^^ 
advance,  but  bidding  farewell  to  the  east,  turned  west^^^ 
and  hastened  back  to  Normandy. 

The  bishop,  with  Theodoric  and  William  Bonne-^-' 
with  their  companions,  embarked  at  the  port  of  St.  Sim^^ 
and  sailed  to  the  island  of  Cyprus,  They  found  there  ^ 
the  sea-shore  a  convent  founded  by  St.  Nicholas  the  c»^ 
fessor,  archbishop  of  Myria.*  Entering  the  church,  they  p<i 
formed  their  devotions  as  each  was  inspired  by  divine  gracM 
and  Theodoric,  on  rising  from  his  prayers,  during  which  hek^ 
wept  much,  sat  down  exhausted  in  the  church,  for  his  fraiiJ 
was  shattered  by  the  weight  of  years,  his  sufferings  at  attS 
and  other  fatigues.  The  bishop,  his  faithful  compani(»i^ 
inquiring  of  him  what  had  happened,  he  replied :  "  I  hai 
proposed,  my  father,  to  visit  the  earthly  Jerusalem,  but . 
believe  that  the  Lord  has  otherwise  disposed  of  his  servant 
I  am  suffering  great  bodily  anguish,  and  I  am  led  to  thinl 
that  I  must  turn  my  face  to  the  heavenly,  instead  of  ttw 
earthly,  Jerusalem."  The  bishop  made  answer,  "Restheiee 
dearest  brother,  while  I  go  to  procure  a  lodging  for  youii 
reception."  The  bishop  leaving  him  for  this  purposes 
Theodoric  approached  the  altar,  and  was  for  some  timt 
engaged  in  prayer  to  Gtod,  whom  he  had  faithfully  serve© 
from   his    youth  upward.      He  then    prostrated    himseli 

^  This  port  appears  to  correspond  with  a  place  called  by  the  AjiM 
Soueyda,  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  gulf,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Onmta^ 
It  took  its  aucient  name  from  St  Simeon  Stylites,  who  died  in  a  monaatflr* 
near  it  about  the  year  592. 

'  There  is  a  place,  marked  St.  Nicholas  on  the  maps,  near  Cape  SB 
Andrew,  on  the  notl^ietn.  i^oViv\.  ol  \)cv«i  \^«.\A  ^^  C^i^tus,  but  we  find  st 
account  of  the  monasteiy  ixieii\.\oTvedL\>^  o\x£  ^aNi^QT% 


■11-1058,3         DEiTH  OF  ABBOT   TH80D0KIC. 


the  altar,  with  his  face  to  the  east,  and  c 


3  robe  roimd  him,  lay  on  hja  right  side, 
"  composing  himself  for  sleep,  when  laying  his  I 
^  marljle  step,  and  crossing  his  hands  on  nia  br 
'■B  giive  Up  his  devout  soul  to  God  who  created  it, 
'nds  [the  Ist]  of  August. 
o/^.^  (^4,VSh  *fcaiiwhile,  the  bishop  having  prepared  a  lodging 
*^  ,  **  ^»V  .  ,  fc^  sen  iittt  of  the  man  of  God,  and  sent  hira  to  the 
;,  *^^  ^^'^ht  ^"^^'^^'^  lii^  master  to  it.  But  when  he  found  t 
"^  "^^  "^Wfc^"  ^yiug  dead  in  the  church,  he  returned  to  the  bi 
^  ^  .  ^^^kjC^^  alarm,  and  trembling,  told  him  of  the  une 
"""  y  >      ritr^^^^'  bishop,  however,  not  believing  that  t 

iJ^'   '  ■<>/*?  *^<^<i  hid  80  Buddenly  departed,  said  to  him:  "Tl 
-jO*f^  '^3  a.t:\  is  much  eihauated  by  his  sufferings  at  sea, ; 
^  '        ^^  <t>**'^*^    heat;  and  therefore  he  is  enjoying  refreshii 

/^" 


>^ 


-^■oolnesB  of  the  church  oa  the  cold  marble. 
v_'i_^^?*i    aee   him."      He  then   proceeded  to  the 
^^j^^  "^^i  J  by  bis  clergy.     But  when  he  had  carefully 
t^^   ^~*^^"hi9  comrade,  and  found  that  it  was  retdly  ol 
"^         ^  The  was  oTerpowered  with  grief.     Immediat 

all  the   pilgrims   who,  dispersed  in  their 
a,  were  procuring  refreshments,  he  commandi 
Bible  in  the  church,  while  he  fully  made  kr 
^^*-.  abitants  of  the  place  the  character  of  the  cot 
~^    i  pilgrimage  who  there  lay  dead.     The  inh, 
lied  with  joy  for  his  holy  lite,  and  freely  offer 
^  to  the  other  pilgrims.     The  bishop,  then,  i 
paid  the  last  offices  to  the  remains  of  the  i 
^g  the  rest  of  the  pilgrims  to  prepare  a  place 
-  ^nt  before  the  church-door.     Having,  therefc 
3  with  their  staves  where  the  bishop  directs 
^d  to  the  pavement  where  the  corpse  lay,  v 
standing  by,  to  carry  it  forth  for  burial. 
j^vr~^-y~"  ^^^^!~r*  ordered  by  Qod  that  the  body  was  so  hea 

.  ^^  "^-^/"^^^^ere  utterly  unable  to  raise  it  from  the  spo 
^^t<:>-;^;;^^^:r^lj.  man  fgU  asleep.  The  bishop  and  all  tb 
"^^^"^^  ^^^^^  were  much  astonished  at  this,  and  consulted  ( 
"*3l.aV:v^-^~^'>ne  moments  what  was  to  be  done.  At  len 
■anck ck.-x::^  ^^^,  divinely  inspired,  said:  "This  was  a  mo 
;^>"l^^*  ^  and  his  life,  as  it  is  now  cleariy  ii\w\\?Mfc,  ^^ 
">  ■j.^^1-^  i^S"  '"  God.  I  am,  therefore,  ot  owm^^ 
t;  fn  ha  ;„i-^-^A  :..   .J  spot  more  viortii^-  cS 


^^  to  be  interred  i 


422  0EDEEICU8  TITALIS.  [b.IU.  CH.T. 

that  his  remains  ought  to  he  treated,  with  all  the  reve- 
rential ceremony  which  it  is  in  our  power  to  bestow.  I 
propose,  therefore,  with  the  assistance  of  my  clergy,  to 
offer  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  mass  for  the  TOod  of  his  soul, 
and  you  shall  prepare  a  more  fitting  grave  for  him  near  the 
altar/'  The  pilgrims  giving  a  willing  consent,  and  the 
mass  being  performed  with  all  reverence,  and  the  grave 
carefully  made,  they  raised  the  corpse  withont  difficulty  asd 
decently  interred  it  before  the  altar ;  and  there  afberwaids 
many  persons  suffering  from  fevers  and  other  disorders  were 
miraculously  cured. 

The  monks  of  St.  Evroult  were  filled  with  grief  whea 
they  received  intelligence  of  the  death  of  their  reverend 
fiither  on  the  return  of  his  fellow  pilgrims  to  Normandy. 
They  did  not  fail  of  performing  faithfully  the  due  offices  of 
religion  for  the  repose  of  his  soul,  and  his  memory  is  yearly 
kept  to  the  present  day  with  a  solemn  service  on  tw 
calends  [Ist]  of  August.  They  abo  studious]^  adhered  to 
the  religious  rules  which  he  had  learned  from  the  venerable 
abbots  Sichard  of  Verdun,  William  of  Dijon,  and  Theodoric 
of  Jumieges,^  and  had  faithfully  transferred  to  the  new 
establishment  committed  to  his  charge,  which  rules  are  still 
diligently  taught  to  the  novices  preparing  themselves  for 
the  monastic  life. 

Ch.  V.  jRobert  de  Orant-memil,  second  ahbot  of  8t,  Morwdt 
— Offends  Duke  William,  and  being  expelled^  becomes  (Mot 
of  St.  Uuphemia  in  Calabria — AffoiTS  of  Normandy ^  and  (f 
the  Normans  in  Apulia,  Sfc, 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1059,  the  twelfth  indiction,  the 
monks  of  St.  Evroult  elected  for  their  abbot,  ^Robert  de 
Grant-mesnil,  considering  with  reason  the  many  advan- 
tages of  such  a  choice,  arising  both  from  his  illustrious 
descent,  his  zeal  for  the  interests  of  the  community,  and  his 
aptitude  and  perseverance  in  business.  His  election  being 
ratified  by  the  unanimous  assent  of  the  entire  chapter,  he 
was  conducted  to  Evreux  by  a  delegate  of  the  brethren  who 
presented  him  to  Duke  William,  and,  announcing  the  elec- 
tion, petitioned  the  duke  to  confirm  it.    The  duke  consent- 

»  Richard  de  Verdun  died  3\xVj  \4  A^^N^^^^^c^^^^^'^^^^-QasriV 
J  OS  J .    Theoderic,  aV^HA  o£  3«nA^^  Vsv  \^«1:\  «  W», 


A.D.  1059.]  EOBEBT  DE  GBANT-MESITIL  SECOim  ABBOT.       423 

ing,  invested  the  abbot  elect  with  the  exterior  jurisdiction 
of  the  convent  by  the  crosier  of  Ives,  bishop  of  Seez,  and 
William,  bishop  of  Evreux,  committed  to  him  the  interior 
cure  of  souls  in  matters  spiritual,  by  episcopal  consecration 
on  the  eleventh  of  the  calends  of  July  [June  21st]. 
lEtobert,  thus  made  abbot,  entered  diligently  on  the  admi- 
nistration of  the  conventual  concerns,  making  abundant 
provision  from  the  wealth  of  his  family  of  all  things  neces- 
sary for  the  service  of  Q-od.  Far  from  diminishing  the 
proper  observances  which  his  pious  predecessor  had  insti- 
tuted, he  augmented  them,  having  regard  to  what  was 
timely  and  reasonable,  and  taking  for  his  guide  the 
authority  of  the  ancients  and  the  practices  of  neighbouring 
communities.  While  yet  a  novice  he  had,  by  the  permis- 
sion of  the  venerable  Theodoric,  visited  the  abbey  of  Cluni, 
at  the  time  that  Abbot  Hugh,  the  glory  of  the  monastic 
order  in  our  days,  presided  over  that  community.  iRetum- 
ing  some  time  afterwards  from  Cluni  he  brought  with  him, 
by  the  indulgence  of  the  generous  Hugh,  an  illustrious 
monk  named  Bemefrid,  who  was  afterwards  made  a  bishop, 
and  obtained  his  assistance  while  he  assimilated  the  prac- 
tices of  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult  to  the  Clunian  model. 
During  the  abbacy  of  Eobert,  Mainer,  son  of  Gunscelin 
d'Echoufour,  came  to  St.  Evroult  for  his  probation:  he 
afterwards  rose  to  the  government  of  the  convent,  which  he 
ruled  well  twenty-one  years  and  ten  months. 

At  that  time  Balph,  surnamed  Mala-Corona,  came  to  St. 
Evroult,  where  he  abode  a  long  time  with  Abbot  Eobert, 
•who  was  his  nephew.  As  I  have  before  remarked,  he  was 
studious  from  his  childhood,  and  learnt  the  secrets  of 
science  with  signal  success,  in  the  schools  of  France  and 
Italy,  being  deeply  skilled  in  astronomy  as  well  as  in  gram- 
mar and  dialectics,  and  also  in  music.  He  was  so  complete 
a  master  of  the  art  of  medicine,  that  at  Palermo,  where  the 
most  ancient  school  of  medicine  had  long  flourished,  he 
Tvas  imrivalled  except  by  one  most  skilful  matron.  But 
although  his  learning  was  so  extensive  and  profound,  he  did 
not  abandon  himself  to  a  peaceful  life,  but  served  in  the 
wars,  and  often  distinguished  himself  among  his  comrades, 
both  in  council  and  in  the  field.  The  natives  of  Montreuil 
still  relate  many  things  which  appear  to  us  wonderful  con- 


424  0BDER1CU8  TITALI8.  [b.  UI,  CH.T. 

ceming  his  experiments  in    eases    of    disease   and   otha 
aceident^,  such  as  thev  were  witnesses  of  themselves,  or 
heard  from  their  fathers,  to  whom  he  was  well  known  by 
his  long  residence  among  them.     At  last,  apprehending  the 
destruction  of  a  tottering  world,  and  taking  the  precaution 
of  a  prudent  retirement,  he  despised  its  luxury,  and  betook 
himself  to  Marmoutier,  a  cell  dependent  on  the  abbej  ol 
St.  Martin  at  Tours,  where  for  seven  years  he  lived  in  sub- 
mission to  the  monastic  rule  under  Albert   its  venerable 
abbot.     After  he  had  been  confirmed  in  that  order,  he  came 
to  St.  Evroult,  bv  permission  of  his  abbot,  to  assist  his 
nephew,  who  had  lately  undertaken  the  government  of  the 
new  monastery.    This  noble  soldier  having  obtained  from  the 
Lord  by  earnest  prayers  the  disease  of  leprosy  to  expiate 
the  mmtitude  of  sins  which  burdened  his  conscience,  his 
nephew  gave  him  a  chapel  which  he  had  built  in  honour  of 
St.  Evroult,  where  he  lived  for  a  considerable  time,  having 
the  monk  Goscelin  for  his  own  comfort  and  the  service  of 
God,  and  did  much  good  by  his  counsels  to  numbers  who 
flocked  to  him  on  account  of  his  deep  wisdom  and  high  rank. 

At  his  earnest  request.  Abbot  Robert  invited  Hugh, 
bishop  of  Lisieux,  a  true  father  and  director  of  the  moiis, 
who  came  and  consecrated  the  chapel^  in  honour  of  the 
holy  confessors  St.  Evroult,  St.  Benedict,  and  Leudfrid,  on 
the  second  of  the  nones  [6th]  of  May.  Eeport  says  that 
this  church  was  founded  as  early  as  the  time  of  St.  Evroult, 
and  that  it  was  his  custom  to  retire  to  it,  to  the  exclusion 
of  all  worldly  cares,  in  order  that  he  might  devote  himself 
more  earnestly  to  heavenly  contemplations.  The  site  is 
pleasant  and  well  suited  to  a  hermit's  life.  The  little  river 
Carenton  flows  through  a  wild  valley,  dividing  the  bishopric 
of  Lisieux  from  that  of  Evreux.  The  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain is  clothed  with  a  forest,  the  thick  foliage  of  which 
forms  a  screen  from  the  blasts  of  the  wind;  the  chapel 
stands  on  the  declivity,  between  the  wood  and  the  rivulet, 
surrounded  by  an  orchard.  A  fountain  bursts  out  before 
the  door,  which  forms  the  source  of  the  Ouche,  from  which 
the  whole  district  round  derives  its  name. 

It  need  be  no  matter  of  wonder  that  the  bishop  of  Lisieux 
should  consecrate  a  chapel  in.  the  diocese  of  Evreux.    At 

^  This  chapel  stood  between  t\ve  ^\i>Qe^  a-wilxV^  v^«.^^ai  cjJl  ^OftaNSL;^^^., 


A.l>.  1061.]   WAE  BETWEEN  FEENOH  AND  NOEMANS.   425 

that  time,  three  prelates  of  distinguished  liberality  and 
great  courtesy  presided  over  adjoining  dioceses.  Hugh,  son 
of  "William  count  d'Eu,  was  bishop  of  Lisieux ;  William, 
son  of  Gerard  Fleitel,  was  spiritual  ruler  of  the  people  of 
Bvreux ;  and  Ives,  son  of  William  de  Belesme,  had  the  cure 
of  souls  at  Seez.  These  three  bishops  were  then  distin- 
guished in  Normandy  for  their  zeal  ana  unanimity,  so  that 
eacli  of  them,  as  time  and  circumstances  required,  adminis- 
tered all  divine  offices  on  the  confines  of  a  neighbouring 
diocese  the  same  as  if  it  were  his  own,  without  any  conten- 
tion or  jealousy. 

At  the  instigation  of  the  devil,  who  never  ceases  from 
mischief  to  mankind,  violent  hostilities  broke  out  between. 
the  [French  and  the  Normans.  Henry,  king  of  France,  and 
Geoffrey  Martel,  the  valiant  count  of  Anjou,  crossed  the 
frontiers  of  Normandy  with  numerous  forces  and  committed 
great  ravages.  On  the  other  hand,  William,  the  brave  duke 
of  Normandy,  was  not  slow  in  taking  ample  revenge  for  the 
injury  done,  taking  many  of  the  French  and  Angevins 
prisoners,  putting  some  to  death,  and  throwing  numbers 
into  prison,  where  they  long  suffered.  The  reader  who  de- 
sires to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  particulars  of  the 
iattacks  and  devastations,  which  ensued  on  one  side  or  the 
other,  will  find  them  described  in  the  works  of  William,  a 
monk  of  Jumieges,  surnamed  Calculus,  and  William  of 
Poitiers,  archdeacon  of  Lisieux,  who  have  written  the  his- 
tory of  Normandy  with  great  care,  and  dedicated  their 
works  to  William,  then  king  of  England,  whose  favour  they 
wished  to  secure.' 

At  that  time  Eobert,  son  of  Giroie,  revolted  against 
Duke  William,  and,  uniting  with  the  Angevins,  strongly 
garrisoned  his  castles  of  St.  Ceneri  and  La  Roche  d*Ige, 
holding  them  for  some  time  against  the  attacks  of  the  duke 
with  Norman  troops.  But  all  mortal  strength  is  transitory 
and  fades  like  the  flower  of  grass,  for  this  great  soldier,  after 
his  gallant  actions,  while  he  was  making  merry  as  he  sat 
by  the  hearth  in  winter,  seeing  his  wife  Adelaide  (who  was 
the  duke's  cousin)  with  four  apples  in  her  hand,  snatched 

*  For  an  account  of  this  war,  which  took  place  in  1054,  see  William  de 
Poitiers,  in  DuchesnCy  Hist.  Norman,  p.  181,  and  William  de  Jumieges, 
f^  p.  276. 


426  0BDEBICU8  TITALI8.  [B-IH.  CH.T. 

two  of  Ihcm  in  8port,  unconscious  of  their  being  poisoned, 
and  ate  tliem  in  spite  of  all  her  efforts   to  preyent  him. 
The  poison  made  rapid  progress,  and  to  the  great  grief  of  his 
friends,  he  expired  five  days  afterwards,  on  the  8th  of  the  ides 
r6th]  of  February.    On  his  death  Arnold,  son  of  William  i 
Giroie,  succeeded  to  the  command,  in  his  uncle's  place, 
encouraging  the  townsmen  by  his  entreaties  and  admoni- 
tions to  defend  to  the  last  the  inheritance  of  his  father. 
But  the  prudent  duke  disarmed  his  hostility  with  smooth 
words,  and  engaged  him  by  his  promises  to  consent  to 
peace.      Arnold,  by  the  advice  of  his  friends,  agreed  to  the 
duke's  proposals,  and  paying  his  homage,  was  inyested  with 
the  fiefs  of  Montreuil,  fechoufour,  St.  Ceneri,  and  all  the 
domains  he  inherited  from  his  ancestors.       On  the  peace 
being  settled,  abbot  Eobert  requested  permission  from  the 
duke  to  transfer  the  body  of  his  uncle,  which  had  lain  buried 
at  St.  Ceneri  for  three  weeks,  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult. 
The  duke  at  first  refused,  actuated  by  his  recent  animosity; 
but  being  ashamed  to  keep  alive  his  resentment  against  the 
dead,  he  presently  gave  his  consent.   The  abbot  lost  no  time 
in  translating  the  corpse  of  Eobert  de  Qiroie  to  St.  Evroult 
in  a  coflin  of  wood,  and  honourably  buried  it   in  the  monb' 
cloister.     All  who  were  present  wondered  that,  though  the 
body  had  lain  dead  three  weeks,  no  offensive  smell  was 
observed.     Some  persons  pretend  that  the  virulence  of  the 
poison  which  killed  him  had  dried  up  all  the  humours  in  the 
Dody  of  the  deceased,  so  that  there  was  nothing  to  oSeoA 
the  nostrils  of  the  by-standers. 

The  monks  of  St.  Evroult  were  well  pleased  that  Arnold 
was  restored  to  his  lawful  jurisdiction,  and  with  his  support 
resisted  the  oppressions  of  some  troublesome  persons  who 
had  taken  advantage  of  their  defenceless  state.  In  the 
time  of  Abbot  Theodoric  and  Eobert  his  successor,  Baldric 
and  Viger  de  Bauquencey  and  their  people,  had  not  only 
carried  themselves  insolently  towards  the  monks,  and  were 
insubordinate  to  them  as  their  lords,  but  often  harassed 
them  and  their  servants.  Eobert,  on  his  becoming  abbot, 
thought  it  disgraceful  to  submit  any  longer  to  such 
conduct.  He  therefore,  having  consulted  the  brethren,  gave 
up  the  rebels  to  his  couam,  that  he  might  chastise  with  a 
/soldier's  strong  \iand  t\ift  a^xx^AiorDsva^'^  Q?lTas?a.'SR\\si^^TatQO 


A.D.  1059 — 1061.]    AITAIBS   OP   ST.  EVBOITLT.  427 

proud  to  submit  to  the  gentle  rule  of  tlie  monks.  Arnold 
laid  upon  them  the  burden  of  many  hard  services,  compel- 
ling them  and  their  people  to  guard  his  fortified  castles 
of  Echaufour  and  St.  Ceneri.  Upon  this  they  earnestly 
entreated  abbot  Bobert  and  the  monks  that  they  would  be 
pleased  to  take  them  again  under  their  own  rule,  promising 
in  future  entire  submission  and  better  conduct.  The  abbot 
and  monks,  listening  to  their  prayers,  besought  Arnold  to 
restore  them  to  their  service  under  the  church,  which  to 
those  who  are  humble  and  well  disposed  is  truly  liberal. 

At  this  time  Eoger,  the  eldest  son  of  Engenulf  de  Aquila, 
was  slain.  Engenulf  and  his  wife  Eichveride  came  to  St. 
Evroult  in  deep  grief,  entreating  the  prayers  and  good 
offices  of  the  monks  for  the  good  of  the  souls  of  themselves 
and  their  son  Eoger,  which  were  granted ;  and  they  there- 
upon offered  his  best  horse  to  Q-od  and  the  monks.  The 
horse  being  very  valuable,  Arnold  begged  to  have  it,  yielding 
up  Baldric  and  his  people  with  the  fief  of  Bauquencey  to  be 
subject  to  the  monks  as  before.  This  was  done :  Arnold 
receiving  the  horse  from  his  cousin  Eobert  and  restoring 
Baldric  with  the  land  of  Bauquencey  to  his  former  tenure 
under  the  abbey.  Baldric,  overjoyed  at  having  thus  escaped 
from  the  burdensome  service  of  Arnold,  granted  to  the 
monks  a  domain  which  he  possessed  in  the  vill  of  St.  Evroult, 
as  also  his  land  upon  the  rivulet  of  Douet  Villars,  and  that 
of  the  Norman  Mica  and  Benignus.  Then  Baldric  swore 
fealty  to  abbot  Eobert  with  joined  hands,  promising  suit 
and  service,  and  demanding  that  his  fief  should  not  again 
be  severed  firom  the  estates  of  the  monks.  They  granted 
and  ratified  this,  and  both  Baldric  and  Eobert  his  son,  from 
that  time  to  the  present  day,  have  done  service  to  none  but 
fche  monks  for  the  lands  of  Bauquencey.' 

The  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  stands  in  the  fief  of  Bauquencey, 
and  this  Baldric  was  a  man  of  high  birth.  Eor  Q-islebert, 
Count  de  Brionne,  nephew  of  Eichard  duke  of  Normandy, 
gave  his  niece  in  marriage  to  Baldric  the  German,  w;ho 
came  into  Normandy,  with  Viger  his  brother,  to  take  service 

*  Such  surrenders  of  lay  fiefs  to  the  monasteries,  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  under  them,  were  very  common  in  England,  the  object  being  to 
escape  from  the  rapacities  of  the  feudal  loTd&^aivd.  cnLC^As&^^^isl^^^sir^ 
wrvice  for  a  milder  tenure  under  the  chuxch. 


428  OEDEBICUB  TITAIJ8.  [b.UI.CH.T. 

under  the  duke.  From  this  marriage  sprung  six  sons, 
besides  several  dau£»hter8,  viz. :  Nicholas  de  Basqueville; 
Fulk  d*Aunoun ;  Eobert  de  Courcy ;  Richard  de  Neuville, 
Baldric  de  Bauqucncey;  and  Viger  of  Apulia.  They  all  dis- 
tinguished themselves  by  great  valour  under  Duke  William, 
from  whom  they  received  great  riches  and  honours,  and  left 
to  their  heirs  vast  possessions  in  Normandy. 

Baldric  who,  with  his  brother  Viger,  held  the  fief  of 
Bauquencey,  gave  his  sister  Elizabeth  in  marriage  to  Fulk  de 
Bonneval,  a  brave  knight,  and  for  her  dowry  the  church  of 
St.  Nicholas,  built  by  his  father,  with  the  lands  adjoining. 
Fulk,  not  forgetful  of  the  life  to  come,  presented  to  God, 
for  the  good  of  his  soul  and  tho'se  of  his  kindred,  his  son 
Theodoric,  to  whom  abbot  Theodoric  was  baptismal'  sponsor, 
offering  to  St.  Evroult  the  youth  and  the  abbey  of  St. 
Nicholas  of  which  we  have  just  spoken.  Baldric,  Viger, 
and  William  de  Bonneval,  readily  confirmed  these  offerings; 
they,  ana  many  others  who  were  present,  assisting  as  le^ 
witnesses  of  the  gift,  for  the  greater  security  of  the  church. 
Among  them  was  Eoger,  son  of  Tancred  de  Hauteville,  who 
afterwards  went  into  Italy,  and,  by  Qod*s  help,  became 
master  of  a  great  part  of  Sicily,  having  attacked,  defeated, 
and  subdued  the  Africans,  Sicilians,  and  other  nations, 
unbelievers  in  Christ,  who  ravaged  that  island.  The  boy 
Theodoric,  thus  separated  from  the  world  and  devoted  to 
God,  lived  fifty-seven  years  under  the  monastic  rule,  and, 
rising  to  the  priesthood  by  regular  degrees,  waged  his 
spiritual  warfare  with  great  fidelity. 

At  that  time  Guy,  sumamed  JBollein,  great  nephew  or' 
the  elder  Giroie,  lived  in  high  honour  with  his  wife 
Hodierna  in  the  Corbonnois,  and,  having  gained  much  wealth 
by  his  military  service,  managed  his  affairs  with  entire  credit 
He  had  several  sons,  of  whom  Norman  and  Walter  served 
in  the  wars,  while  Godfrey  and  "William,  sumamed  Gregory, 
being  devoted  to  learning,  obtained  the  office  of  priests. 

The  aforesaid  Guy,  by  the  inspiration  of  God,  and  his 
natural  feeling  for  abbot  Eobert,  who  was  his  cousin,  showed 
great  regard  for  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult,  and  shut  out 
from  the  world  and  from  himself  his  son  William,  a  boy 
about  nine  years  o\d,  \^\iom\\e^W.^^  mthe  convent  of  St. 
JBvroult,  to  serve  Cjo^  uiL^e^^^^<^^^^^aTVii^.^^Ti.'«^^ls8s&< 


A.D.  1059 — 1061.]    THE   GOOD   MOXK  WILLIAM.  429 

■ 

of  All  Saints.  Then  William  le  Prevost,  a  noble  knight, 
the  lad's  uncle,  gave  to  St.  Evroult  the  church  with  the 
whole  vill  of  Augeron,  vowing  himself  and  the  whole  ot 
bis  substance  to  the  same  patron  at  the  end  of  his  life. 
By  the  grace  of  God  the  boy  William  grew  up  in  a  virtuous 
course  and  was  diligent  in  his  studies,  so  that  his  superiors 
gave  him  the  surname  of  Gregory.  Carefully  nurtured  in 
the  bosom  of  our  holy  mother  the  church,  and  entirely  shut 
out  from  the  tumults  of  the  world  and  carnal  indulgences, 
be  made  great  advances  in  those  pursuits  which  are  so 
especially  fitting  the  sons  of  the  church,  being  an  excellent 
reader  and  chanter,  and  exceedingly  skilled  in  copying  and 
illuminating  books.  The  works  executed  by  his  own  hands 
are  still  very  useful  to  us  in  reading  and  chanting,  and  serve 
for  examples  to  deter  us  from  idleness  by  the  exercise  of 
similar  diligence.  Assiduous  from  his  very  childhood  at 
the  offices  of  devotion  and  vigils,  and  submitting  with 
moderation  even  in  his  old  age  to  fastings  and  other  mace- 
rations of  the  flesh,  he  was  a  strict  observer  of  monastic 
discipline  himself,  and  a  zealous  monitor  of  those  who  in- 
fringed the  holy  rule.  He  had  committed  to  his  tenacious 
memory  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon, 
and  other  portions  of  sacred  scripture,  which  he  quoted  in 
his  daily  conversations  for  the  benefit  of  those  with  whom 
he  conferred.  Devoted  to  these  pursuits,  he  has  already 
spent  fifty-four  years  in  the  order  of  monks,  and  still  con- 
tinues the  practice  of  good  works,  in  his  usual  manner, 
under  abbot  Roger,  that  by  ending  well  he  may  attain  to 
the  assurance  of  eternal  rest. 

While  the  community  at  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  was 
nobly  augmented  by  the  accession  of  forty  monks,  and  the 
monastic  rule  was  there  regularly  observed  according  to  the 
order  of  the  divine  Lord,  its  fame  spread  far  and  wide, 
disposing  numbers  of  persons  to  become  attached  to  it. 
Meanwhile,  some  being  infected  with  a  rancorous  hatred 
were  punished  by  the  sharp  edge  of  their  own  malice. 
Abbot  Robert,  endowed  with  genuine  liberality,  received 
willingly  all  who  came  from  every  quarter  to  enter  on  their 
probation,  and  steadily  supplied  the  brethren  with  all  things 
necessary  for  their  subsistance  and  clothing.  The  revenues 
indeed  of  the  abbey,  which  was  situated  in  a  barren  district. 


430  0BDEBICU8  VITALIS.  [B.in.  CH.T. 

were  inadequate  to  supply  the  abbot's  liberalitj ;  but,  m 
it  has  been  already  remarked,  he  often  went  among  his  noWe 
relations  and  obtained  from  them  the  means  which  he  ap- 
plied for  the  benefit  of  the  monks  with  the  willing  consek 
of  the  donors. 

The  old  chapel,  built  by  St.  Evroult,  being  a  small  and 
rude  edifice,  he  laid  the  foundations,  in  the  first  year  of  his 
rule,  of  a  new  church  in  a  noble  style  of  architecture  whicli 
he  resolved  to  dedicate  to  St.  Mary,  mother  of  God,  and  to 
enrich  with  many  altars  of  the  saints.  On  account  also  of 
the  holy  relics  which  were  deposited  in  the  old  church  ii 
the  time  of  St.  Evroult  (but  on  account  of  the  lapse  of  time 
men  now  living  are  ignorant  of  their  names,  acts,  and  places 
of  deposit),  he  determined  to  make  the  new  building  of 
Buch  dimensions  that  it  should  include  within  its  waUs  the 
whole  of  the  ancient  chapel,  and  thus  for  ever  honourably 
contain  the  bones  and  tombs  of  the  saints  which  lay  hidto 
within.  But  he  was  compelled  to  desist  from  his  undertak- 
ing by  the  stormy  times  which  began  to  threaten,  and  no 
one  among  his  successors  ventured  to  carry  out  the  work  in 
the  proportions  and  on  the  plan  and  site  which  he  had 
intended. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1059,  the  thirteenth  indiction, 
Henry,  king  of  France,  after  a  glorious  and  prosperouB 
reign,  demanded  of  John,  a  physician  of  Chartres,  who  firom 
some  accident  was  called  the  Deaf,  a  potion  which  should 
restore  his  health  and  prolong  his  life;  but,  being  very 
thirsty,  under  the  influence  of  his  inclination  more  than  of 
his  physician's  advice,  he  made  his  chamberlain  bring  him 
water  privately,  while  the  medicine,  passing  through  his 
intestines,  gave  him  great  pain,  and  before  they  were  cleared 
by  it.  Thus,  drinking  without  the  knowledge  of  his  leech, 
he  died,  alas !  on  the  morrow,  to  the  great  grief  of  his  peo- 
ple.' He  left  the  sceptre  of  France  to  his  son  Philip,  who 
was  still  of  tender  years,  appointing  Baldwin,  duke  of 
Flanders,  his  guardian  and  regent  of  the  kingdom.  The 
duke  was  a  fitting  person  to  undertake  his  trust,  having 
married  Adela,  daughter  of  Eobert,  king  of  France,  by 
whom  he  had  Bobert,  the  Frisian,  the  queen  of  England, 

^  Henry  IV.,  king  of  France,  died,  not  in  1059,  but  on  the  29th  of 
August,  1060. 


I.D.  1058 — 1063.]  DISCUSSIONS  in  noemandt.  431 

Eoxd  Eudes,  archbishop  of  Treves,  with  other  children  of  high 

The  same  year  died  Frederick,  son  of  Duke  GotheloUj 
who  was  also  called  Pope  Stephen,  he  was  succeeded  by 
G^erard,  called  also-  Nicholas.*  This  was  the  third  year  of 
Henry  IV.,  son  of  Henry  Conrad  the  emperor,  and  Agnes, 
Bmpress,  who  reigned  fifty  years,  being  the  eighty-seventh 
emperor  from  Augustus. 

Pope  Nicholas  died  a.d.  1063,  and  was  suceeded  by  Alex- 
ander, bishop  of  Lucca,  at  which  time  Sigefred,  bishop  of 
Mayence,  and  Q-unter,  of  Bamberg,  and  many  other  bishops 
and  nobles,  made  the  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem  with  numerous 
attendants.^ 

At  that  period,  grave  dissensions  arose  between  William, 
duke  of  Normandy,  and  his  barons.  Eor  one  ambitioua 
man  eagerly  endeavoured  to  supplant  another,  so  that  bitter 
quarrels  sprung  up  from  various  causes  to  the  great  injury 
of  the  wretched  people.  At  this  men  of  a  cruel  turn  of 
mind  found  reason  to  rejoice,  while  all  who  loved  piety  and 
tranquillity  were  deeply  grieved.  Among  those  who  regarded 
these  disputes  with  satisfaction  were  Eoger  de  Montgomery 
and  Mabel  his  wife,  who  took  the  opportunity  of  gaining  the 
duke's  favour  by  fair  professions,  while  they  exasperated  him 
against  their  neighbours  by  their  crafty  manoeuvres.  The 
duke,  naturally  passionate,  gave  the  reins  to  his  wrath, 
more  than  justice  required,  disinheriting  the  distinguished 
knights,  Eodolph  de  Toni,  Hugh  de  G-rant-mesnil,  and 
Arnold  d'Echaufour,  with  their  barons,  and  compelling  them 
to  undergo  a  long  exile  without  any  real  cause  of  offence.  At 
tbe  same  time,  Eobert,  abbot  of  St.  Evroult,  was  cited  before 
the  duke*s  court,  and  a  day  appointed  him  to  answer  the 

>  Baldwin  V.,  earl  of  Flanders  (1034—1067),  married  Adelaide  of 
France,  king  Henry's  sister,  by  whom  he  had  six  children :  Baldwin  VI. 
and  Robert,  his  successors ;  Eudes,  archbishop  of  Treves;  Henry,  Matilda, 
wife  of  William  the  Conqueror;  and  Judith,  who  was  married  successiTely 
to  ToBti,  brother  of  Harold,  and  Welph,  duke  of  Bavaria. 

3  Stephen  IX.,  elected  pope  August  2,  1057,  and  died  March  29,  1058. 
Nicholas  II.  was  elected  December  28,  1058. 

3  Nicholas  II.  died  the  21st  or  22nd  of  July,  1061 ;  and  was  succeeded 
by  Alexander  II.,  who  was  before  bishop  of  Lucca. 

'  The  two  preceding  paragraphs  appear  to  have  been.  Intex^la^tAl  vol 
the  margin  of  tbe  MJS,  of  St,  Evroult  some  tkae  aSles  \\.  '««a»mi\\.\K&.« 


482  ORDEBICUS  TITALIS.  [B.in.  CH.T. 

charges  which  were  falsely  alleged  against  him.  For  Eainer, 
a  monk  of  Chatillon,  whom  he  had  raised  to  be  prior  of  St 
BvTOult,  and  had  admitted  without  reserve  to  his  most  priry 
councils,  as  a  confidential  friend,  had  accused  him  of  cerfcaiB 
words,  spoken  in  jest  and  thoughtlessly,  of  the  duke*s  pw- 
sonal  character.  Ahhot  Eobert,  finding  his  sovereign  to 
be  violently  enraged  against  himself  and  his  whole  kindred, 
and  bent  on  their  ruin,  and  having  friendly  intimation  which 
satisfied  him  that  the  marquis's^  anger  menaced  him  witii 
bodily  injury,  he  determined,  by  the  advice  of  Hugh,  bishop 
of  Lisieux,  to  escape  from  the  wrath  which  threatened  him, 
before  it  inflicted  any  irreparable  calamity.  Accordingly,  on 
the  sixth  of  the  calends  of  Pebruary  [«f anuary  27],  in  the 
third  year  of  his  rule  as  abbot  [a.d.  1061],  after  chanting  at 
vespers  the  antiphon,  Feccata  mea^  Do/nine^  he  took  his 
departure,  and,  mounting  on  horseback  with  two  monks,  Fulk 
and  Urse,  travelled  through  France,  and  thence  proceeded 
to  present  himself  to  Pope  Nicholas,  and  lay  his  case  before 
him. 

Meanwhile,  the  duke  of  Normandy,  by  the  advice  of  the 
venerable  Ansfrid,  abbot  of  Pr6aux,  JLanfianc,  prior  of 
Bee,  and  other  ecclesiastics,  required  Rainer,  abbot  of  the 
convent  of  the  Holy  Trinitv  at  Eouen,  to  send  to  him 
Osbem,  prior  of  Cormeille,  who,  little  suspecting  the  duke's 
intentions,  was  by  him  invested  with  the  dignity  of  abbot  of 
St.  Evroult  in  a  synod  at  Eouen,  the  duke  using  the  crozier 
of  St.  Maurilius,  the  archbishop,  for  the  investiture. 
Thereupon,  Bishop  Hugh,  by  the  duke's  order,  conductwl 
Osbem  to  Pr^aux,  and  there  consecrated  him  abbot ;  and 
then  taking  him  to  St.  Evroult,  at  the  command  of  the 
imperious  auke,  set  him  over  the  sorrowing  monks.  This 
proceeding  caused  them  the  greatest  trouble  and  perplexity; 
for,  while  their  abbot  was  stUl  alive,  a  prelate  who  had  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  new  church,  had  admitted  many  of 
them  into  the  order,  and  whose  expulsion  had  been  efiected, 
not  by  the  judgment  of  a  synod  on  just  accusations,  but  by  the 
tyrannical  will  of  the  imperious  marquis,  they  were  reluctant 
to  receive  another  ruler ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  they  did 
not  dare  openly  to  refuse,  fearing  the  duke's  anger.    At 

^  Our  author  is  speaking  of  William  I.,  duke  of  Normandy.     See  the 
note  at  p.  397  as  to  the  various  titles  given  to  the  dukes. 


A.I>.  1061 — 1063.]    OSBEEN  INTEUSIVE  ABBOT.  433 

length,  by  the  bishop's  advice,  they  preferred  to  submit  to 
the  violent  intrusion,  and  to  tender  their  obedience  to  the 
master  provided  for  them,  rather  than  continue  without  any 
gOTemment,  being  in  opposition  to  the  power  of  Gtod,  and 
nmning  the  risk  of  ruining  the  new  abbey,  by  drawing  on 
themselves  the  still  more  violent  displeasure  of  the  duke  by 
resisting  his  will. 

.  Meanwhile,  Arnold  d'Echaufour  took  signal  vengeance  for 
the  act  which  disinherited  him,  by  desolating  the  district  of 
Xiisieux,  plundering  and  burning,  and  either  putting  to  the 
sword  or  making  prisoners  the  inhabitants  for  three  years 
together.*  Coming  one  night  to  Echaufour,  with  only  four 
men-at-arms,  he  secretly  gained  admission  into  the  castle 
with  his  followers,  and,  raising  great  shouts,  they  so  terrified 
the  garrison  which  the  duke  had  placed  there,  consisting  of 
sixty  men,  that  they  deserted  the  fortifications  which  it  was 
their  duty  to  defend,  and  fled.  Arnold  forthwith  set  it  on 
fire,  causing  great  loss  to  the  enemy.  At  another  time,  he 
committed  the  town  of  St.  Evroult  to  the  flames ;  and  his 
retainers,  with  drawn  swords  in  their  hands,  made  a  diligent 
search  in  every  comer  of  the  monastery  for  Osbem,  the 
new  abbot,  threatening  him  with  instant  death.  But  Provi- 
dence had  so  ordered  it,  that  he  was  then  absent.  Some 
days  afterwards,  Herman  the  cellarer  went  privately  to 
Arnold,  and  gently  rebuked  him  for  having  threatened  the 
ruin  of  an  abbey  which  his  father  had  founded  for  the  repose 
of  his  sold.  Arnold  listened  with  reverence  to  the  remon- 
strances of  the  servant  of  God,  and,  touched  with  the 
remembrance  of  his  father's  piety,  bewailed  his  own  ill-con- 
duct towards  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  promising  in  his 
penitence  a  becoming  amends.  Accordingly,  he  soon  after- 
wards came  to  St.  Evroult,  and,  offering  on  the  altar  a  token 
of  his  repentance  for  his  evil  deeds,  sought  absolution, 
putting  Abbot  Osbem  in  security  for  the  future ;  for  the 
cellerer  had  adroitly  insinuated  the  truth  that  it  was  no 
ambition  of  the  new  abbot  which  had  led  to  his  elevation, 
but  that  he  was  compelled  by  the  power  of  the  duke,  and 
instigated  by  his  own  superiors,  to  undertake  the  govern- 

^  Our  author  has  omitted  to  tell  us  in  this  place,  from  whence  he  made 
these  hostile  irruptions^  but  it  appears  aflerwaxdA  VYaX  \k&  T£Ai^<^\£&\kK3bs^ 
guartera  at  Churville,  near  Chartres. 

VOL.  I.  -jp  s 


434  0KDEB1CU8   TITALIS.  [B-IU.  CILT. 

ment    of   the    widowed    abbey,    much    against    his   own 
wishes. 

Meanwhile  Abbot  Eobert  had  made  his  way  to  Eome, 
where  he  laid  before  Pope  Nicholas  precise  details  of  the 
circumstances  which  had  induced  him  to  undertake  the 
journey.  The  pope,  who  was  a  native  of  France,  receifed 
his  coimtryman  with  great  kindness,  heard  his  complwnti 
with  interest,  and  promised  to  support  him  in  his  diffiealt 
position.  Robert  also  paid  a  visit  to  his  relations  in  Apdia^ 
where  they  had  obtained  possession  of  many  cities  and 
towns  by  force  of  arms.  After  having  a  conference  wiA 
them,  he  returned  to  Normandy,  furnished  with  apostcieal 
letters,  and  accompanied  by  two  cardinal's  clerks,  and  boldlj 
presented  himself  at  the  court  of  Duke  William,  which  he 
then  held  at  Lillebonne.^  Hearing  that  Abbot  Bobert  iritii 
the  papal  legates  were  arrived  for  the  purpose  of  clahning 
the  aboey  of  St.  Evroult,  and  to  take  proceedings  against 
Osbem,  who  was  made  abbot  in  his  place  by  the  duke*! 
command,  as  an  intruder  on  the  rights  of  another,  he  w» 
violently  enraged,  saying  that  "  he  would  willingly  reeeire 
the  envoys  which  the  pope,  as  the  common  father  of  Chria- 
tians,  sent  to  him,  touching  the  faith  and  the  Christwn 
religion,  but  that  if  any  monk  in  his  territories  brought 
charges  against  him,  he  would  hang  him  with  contempt  on 
the  highest  tree  in  the  neighbouring  forest."  Bishop  Hugh, 
hearing  this,  communicated  it  to  Eobert,  recommending  him 
to  avoid  the  presence  of  the  angry  prince.  He,  theref(^ 
departed  in  haste,  retiring  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Denys,  tibe 
apostle  of  the  Gauls,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris,  where 
he  was  received  by  his  cousin  Hugh,  the  venerable  abbot, 
and  was  for  some  time  honourably  entertained  by  him,  and 
others,  his  friends  and  relations,  who  were  among  the  moet 
powerful  of  the  French  nobility.  From  thence  he  sent  ft 
message,  to  Abbot  Osbem  that  both  should  appear  at 
Chartres,  before  the  Eoman  cardinals,  when,  the  controv^sr 
being  carefully  inquired  into,  they  should  both  submit  th^ 
selves  unhesitatingly  to  the  final  judgment  of  ecclesiastical 
authorities,  according  to  the  decrees  of  the  sacred  canons. 

^  The  dukes  of  Normandy  had  here  one  of  their  &vouiite  and  most 
frequented  seats;  Julia-Bona,  aedes  regia  a  dominis  Nomumnorum 
muUum  amata  et  frequentataf  says  Robert  du  Mont's  Chronicle. 


A.D.  1061 — ^1063.]  A2B0T  BOBEBT  DEPOSED.  485 

On  receiving  the  summons,  Osbem  declared  that  he  would 
willingly  go  to  the  court  of  Eome ;  but,  by  the  advice  of 
others,  he  did  not  appear  at  the  appointed  time  and  place. 
Whereupon  Eobert,  by  means  of  a  servant  of  the  abbey 
taken  by  Arnold,  sent  letters,  by  the  pope's  authority, 
excommunicating  Osbem  as  an  intruder,  and  positively 
requiring  all  the  monks  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  to  sub- 
mit to  him. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  troubles  with  which  the 
cburch  of  St.  Evroult  was  now  harassed,  both  within  and 
without.  Here  was  Eobert,  one  of  their  founders,  and 
their  chief  ruler,  unjustly  expelled  from  his  seat,  and 
compelled  to  become  a  fugitive  from  house  to  house 
in  K>reign  lands;  while  a  stranger  was  thrust  into  this 
place  by  the  secular  arm,  who,  though  a  man  of  ability, 
and  both  religious  and  zealous  for  the  interests  of  their' 
order,  was  naturally  enough  suspicious  and  apprehen- 
sive and  little  disposed  to  put  confidence  in  the  native 
brethren.  When,  therefore,  they  heard  of  the  excommuni- 
cation launched  against  the  intruding  abbot,  and  received 
the  monition  of  father  Eobert  commanding  his  sons  to  join 
him,  with  the  pope's  concurrence,  some  of  them,  turning 
their  backs  on  Normandy,  accompanied  their  abbot  to  the 
apostolic  see.  Almost  all,  indeed,  were  desirous  to  depart, 
but  the  yoimg  and  the  infirm,  being  more  closely  confined, 
were  obliged  to  remain  against  their  will.  Those  who  were 
strong  enough,  and  who  assumed  greater  liberty,  went 
into  voluntary  exile  with  their  venerable  father;  whose 
names  are  as  follows :  Herbert  and  Hubert  de  Montreuil, 
and  Berenger,  son  of  Arnold,  a  skilful  penman.  These  three 
monks,  carefully  educated  from  their  childhood  in  the  Lord's 
house,  and  their  minds  stored  with  sound  learning,  were  all 
their  lives  valuable  members  of  a  community  devoted  to 
God's  service.  There  were  also  Eeginald  the  Q-reat,  a 
skilful  grammarian ;  Thomas  of  Angers,  of  noble  birth ; 
Sobert  Q-amaliel,  an  excellent  chanter;  Turstin,  Eeynold 
Chevreuil,  and  Walter  the  Little.  All  these  abandoning 
Neustria,  their  native  soil,  after  suffering  various  accidents 
reached  Sicily,  from  whence  some  of  them  afterwards  returned, 
while  others,  devoting  their  services  to  their  shepherd,  even 
to  the  end,  closed  their  days  in  Calabria. 

p  r  2 


486  OBDIBIOTTS  TITALI8.  [b.III.  CH.T. 

The  lord  Mainer,  who  had  been  appointed  prior  by  abbok 
Eobert  before  he  quitted  the  abbey,  first  betook  himself  to  Bee 
a  few  days  after  his  departure,  and  was  the  first  to  consult 
with  Lanfranc  prior  of  Bee,  about  substituting  another 
abbot.  He  therefore  implacably  ofiended  the  father  who 
had  received  his  first  profession.  Alarmed  at  his  dennn- 
ciations,  and  exposed  with  shame  to  the  taunts  of  his  parti- 
sans, Mainer  obtained  leave  from  abbot  Osmond  to  migrate 
to  Cluni,  where  he  submitted  for  a  year  to  undergo  with 
zeal  the  rigour  of  that  rule  under  the  venerable  abbot 
Hugh. 

Amongst  all  these  changes,  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult 
suffered  great  devastations,  being  robbed  of  many  of  the 
domains  it  before  possessed.  The  neighbouring  lords,  who 
were  kinsmen  or  tenants  of  the  Q-iroies,  seeing  the  right 
heirs  expelled,  inflicted  grievous  troubles  and  losses  on  the 
monks  of  St.  Evroult.  For  each  seized  a  farm,  or  a  church, 
or  tithes ;  and  the  new  abbot,  being  a  stranger,  was  imac- 
quainted  with  all  the  grants  of  possessions  to  the  monb, 
and  he  hesitated  to  inquire  of  those  in  whom  he  placed  no 
confidence  respecting  the  domains  which  Robert  son  of  Heu- 
gon,  and  Giroie  son  of  Fulk  de  MontreuO,  Soger  Gulafre,^ 
and  other  evil-disposed  neighbours,  had  usurped.  So  thai 
at  this  period  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  lost  many  estates 
which  to  this  hour  it  has  never  recovered. 

On  the  death  of  Pope  Nicholas,  he  was  succeeded  by 
Alexander,  to  whom  abbot  Eobert  presented  himself  with 
eleven  monks  of  St.  Evroult,  and  laid  before  him  at  length 
the  wrongs  of  himself  and  his  companions  in  exile.  The 
pope  comforted  them  with  paternal  kindness,  and  assigned 
them  the  church  of  St.  Paul  at  Some,  where  they  might 
dwell    and   observe  their   rule,    until  they    were  able  to 

^  A  person  of  the  family  of  Goulafre,  Gulielmua  GulafrOy  figures  in  tbe 
Domesday  Book  among  the  inferior  landholders  in  Suffolk.  The  Roger 
here  mentioned  by  our  author,  appears  to  be  the  same  person  who  at  the 
instance  of  William  Giroie  II.,  gave  the  church  of  Mesnil-Bemard,  after- 
wards called  La  Gronlafri^re,  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  It  need  not  be 
wondered  that  the  feudal  lords  of  this  period,  alternately  prodigal  and 
rapacious,  exhibited  so  much  caprice  in  their  dealings  with  tbe  chatch. 
In  this  same  paragraph  we  find  Robert,  the  son  of  Heugon,  after  giviiv 
the  patronage  of  his  parish  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  b^iome  one  of  iti 
greediest  plunderers. 


A.D.  1061 — 1063.]  ABBOT  EOBEET  IS   APFLIA.         437 

find  a  fitting  abode  for  themselves.  Eobert  then  called 
William  de  Montreuil  to  his  assistance,  a  call  which  he 
found  him  ready  to  attend  to.  This  knight  was  standard- 
bearer  to  the  pope,  and  had  reduced  Campania  by  force  of  arms 
and  brought  back  the  natives  who  were  cut  off  by  various 
schisms  from  catholic  unity  to  submission  to  St.  Peter 
the  apostle.  He  gave  to  his  exiled  cousin  and  his  monks 
the  half  of  an  ancient  city  called  Aquina.*  Eobert  after- 
'wards  went  to  Eichard  prince  of  Capua,  son  of  Ansquetel 
de  Quarel,*  from  whom  he  received  much  civility,  but  he  did 
not  carry  into  effect  the  promises  he  made  with  so  much 
courtesy.  Eobert,  finding  himself  deluded  by  empty  hopes, 
reproached  him  in  much  anger  for  his  degeneracy  from  his 
^Either,  whom  he  knew  well,  and  taking  leave  of  him,  betook 
himself  to  Eobert  Guiscard,  duke  of  Calabria.'  The  duke 
paid  him  great  honours  as  his  natural  lord,  and  begged  him 
to  take  up  his  abode  permanently  with  his  monks  in  his 
territory.  Eobert  Guiscard's  father,  Tancred  de  Hauteville, 
vrho  was  bom  in  the  Cotentin,  had  twelve  sons  and  several 
daughters  by  his  two  lawful  wives.  He  gave  up  his  patri- 
monial estate  to  one  of  the  sons  whose  name  was  Geoffrey, 
apprising  the  rest  that  they  must  gain  their  livelihood  by 
ijheir  courage  and  by  their  talents  beyond  the  bounds  of 
their  native  land.  All  these  young  men  migrated  to  Apulia, 
not  together  but  at  different  times,  in  the  guise  of  pilgrims 
'with  scrip  and  staff,  that  they  might  not  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  Eomans.  In  the  course  of  events  they  all  became 
dukes  and  counts  in  Apulia,  Calabria,  and  Sicily.  Geoffrey 
'the  monk,  sumamed  Malaterra,  at  the  instance  of  Eobert 
count  of  Sicily,  has  lately  published  an  excellent  work  on 
their  noble  acts,  and  bold  enterprizes.*    Of  these  brothers, 

^  Aquinium,  a  city  of  the  Terra  del  LavorOf  the  ancient  Samnium, 
famous  as  the  birth-place  of  Juvenal,  Pescennius  Niger,  and  St.  Thomas 
I>'AquinaB. 

■  See  before,  p.  427. 

'  Robert  Guiscard  had  his  title  of  count  of  Apulia,  which  he  received 
from,  his  companions  in  arms  the  preceding  year,  confirmed  by  Pope 
Nicholas  II.  in  1060. 

*  He  was  a  native  of  Normandy  and  a  monk  of  the  convent  of  St 
]E!uphemia,  and  wrote  a  history  of  the  conquest  of  Calabria,  Apulia,  and 
Sicily  by  the  Normans,  concluding  with  the  beginning  of  July^  1098. 
The  best  edition  is  to  be  found  in  Muratori^i  CoUect\on  oj  the  YlU\.QiT\o>'n& 
^iiaiy,  torn,  v. 


438  OBDEBICUB  YITALI8.  [B.in.  CH.T. 


Eobert  Guiscard  obtained  the  highest  rank,  and  was 
moat  powerful,  having,  after  the  death  of  his  brothers  Diogo 
and  Humfrey  ^  long  possessed  the  principality  of  ApuKa,  and 
conquered  the  dukedom  of  Calabna  from  the  liombards  and 
Greeks,  who  struggled  hard  to  defend  their  ancient  rights 
and  independence,  trusting  in  their  great  cities  and  towns, 
but  were  at  last  reduced  to  submission  by  the  event  of  arms. 
Crossing  the  Ionian  sea  with  a  small  but  braye  band  of 
Normans  joined  by  Cisalpine  troops,  fiobert  Guiscard  in- 
yaded  Macedonia,  twice  gave  battle  to  Alexius,  emperor  of 
Constantinople,  and  put  to  flight  his  immense, army,  defest- 
inghim  both  by  sea  and  land  J 

This  lord,  as  I  have  mentioned  before,  received  with 
honour  abbot  Eobert  and  his  monks,  assigning  to  him  the 
church  of  St.  Euphemia,  which  stands  on  the  shore  of  the 
Adriatic  Sea,  where  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  city  called 
Brescia,'  and  commanding  him  to  build  a  monastery  theie 
in  honour  of  St.  Mary,  mother  of  Gt)d.  The  duke,  as  well  is 
other  Normans,  made  large  grants  to  this  abbey,  commend- 
ing themselves  to  the  prayers  of  the  faithful  who  weie 
already  collected  or  should  be  thereafter  s^thered  there  &r 
the  service  of  Christ.  In  this  abbey  was  buried  Fredesend, 
wife  of  Tancred  de  Hauteville ;  on  whose  behalf  her  son 
Guiscard  endowed  the  church  of  St.  Euphemia  with  a  large 
farm.    The   same  prince  committed  to  father   Sobert  the 

^  Our  author  omits  to  mention  William  Bra»4e-fer,  the  eldest  brother, 
who  was  the  first  count  of  Apulia  (1043 — 1046). 

*  The  expedition  of  Robert  Guiscard  into  Macedonia  was  undertaken  in 
the  years  1081— 1082. 

'  St.  Euphemia  does  not  stand  on  the  coast  of  the  Adriatic,  bat  on  the 
Mediterranean,  to  the  west  of  Nicastro,  near  the  confines  of  the  two  Csli- 
brias.  The  town  which  gives  name  to  the  neighbouring  gtHf  waa  not  boilt 
on  the  site  of  a  place  called  Brixia,  but  on  that  of  Lampetia.  Our  author 
must  have  confounded  it  with  a  village  of  the  same  name  sititate  in  the 
environs  of  Brescia,  and  consequently  at  the  other  extremity  of  Italy. 
The  abbey  of  St.  Euphemia,  which  was  founded  long  befbre  the  arrival  of 
the  Normans,  had  been  plundered  and  reduced  to  ruins,  with  all  the 
neighbouring  country,  by  the  Arabs  of  Sicily,  who  so  often  carried  fire  lod 
sword  through  this  part  of  the  coast  of  Calabria  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
ninth  and  the  b^inning  of  the  tenth  centuries.  Restored  by  the  Nonnan 
princes,  it  flourished  for  n  long  period.  Richard,  one  of  the  abbots,  wss 
witness  to  a  charter  of  Bonhomme,  archbbhop  of  Cosenza,  in  1 199;  and  a 
monk  named  Peter  was  transferred  from  it  to  the  bishopric  of  StroDfEoli  in 
1254. 


A.B.  1061 — 1063.]   NORMAir  KOITKS  Ui  ITiXT.  439 

kbbey  of  tlie  Holy  Trinity  in  the  city  of  Venosa.*  Bobert 
selected  Berenger,  a  monk  of  St.  Evroult,  son  of  Arnold, 
who  was  son  of  Heugon,  whom  he  presented  to  Pope  Alex- 
ander to  be  admitted  to  the  government  of  the  abbey  of 
.  Venosa.  Eeceiving  the  papal  benediction,  he  administered 
it  with  distinction  during  the  period  that  Alexander, 
Gregory,  and  Desiderius,  filled  the  apostolical  see,  but  in 
the  time  of  Pope  Urban  he  was  advanced  to  the  bishopric  of 
that  city,  having  been  elected  by  the  people.  Bom  of  a 
noble  family,  Berenger  obeyed  the  monastic  rule  from  his 
ebildhood  under  abbot  Theodoric  at  St,  Evroult,  and  dis- 
played superior  talent  in  reading  and  chanting,  as  well  as  in 
the  art  of  copying  books.  Having  in  the  end,  as  already 
related,  followed  his  abbot  into  banishment,  and  been  chosen 
by  him  to  undertake  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  abbey 
-  mt  Venosa,  he  found  there  only  a  small  company  of 
twenty  monks,  very  much  occupied  with  worldly  vanities, 
•  and  very  slothM  in  God's  service ;  but  by  God's  grace  he 
raised  the  number  of  the  community  to  one  hundred,  and 
uispired  them  with  so  much  zeal  for  religion,  that  several  of 
them  were  made  bishops  and  abbots,  and  filled  these  high 
dignities  of  our  holy  mother  church  to  the  honour  of  the 
true  King  and  the  salvation  of  souls.  Moreover,  this  great 
duke  committed  also  a  third  monastery,  built  in  the  city  of 
Melito*  in  honour  of  St.  Michael  the  archangel,  to  abbot 
Bobert,  which  he  presented  to  William  of  Ingran,  who  was 
l)om  and  became  a  clerk  at  St.  Evroult,  but  whose  profession 
of  a  monk  was  made  at  St.  Euphemia.  These  three  Italian 
monasteries  therefore  follow  the  usage  of  the  chant  at  St. 
Evroult,  and  observe  the  same  monastic  rule,  so  far  as  the 
habits  of  that  country  and  the  inclinations  of  the  inmates 
allow. 

Two  uterine  sisters  of  Abbot  Robert,  Judith  and  Anna^ 
-remained  at  Ouche  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Evroult,  and  having 
*  taken  the  veil  apparently  renounced  the  world,  and  were 
devoted  to  God  only,  in  purity  of  body  and  soul.  These 
nuns,  hearing  that  their  brother  Bobert  flourished  under  the 
protection  of  the  temporal  power  in  Italy,  and  finding 
themselves    of   small    account    and    without    support    in 

^  Venosa  is  an  episcopal  city  of  the  Basilicata. 
^  An  episcopal  city  in  the  Lowei  Cai^B^Qina^ 


440  OBDEEICUS  TITALIS.  [b.IH.  CH.TI. 

Normandy,  tbey  went  into  Italy  and  relinquishing  the  yeil 
gave  themselves  up  with  ardour  to  a  worldly  life,  and  both  of 
them  married  husbands  who  were  unconscious  of  their 
having  taken  the  vows.  Eoger,  count  of  Sicily,  married 
Judith,  and  another  count,  whose  name  I  cannot  recollect, 
married  Emma.  Thus,  from  love  of  the  world,  both  quitted 
the  veil  the  emblem  of  a  religious  life,  and  thus  rendering 
void  their  first  faith,  neither  were  blessed  with  children,  and 
for  a  short  interval  of  temporal  felicity  they  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  their  heavenly  Spouse. 

After  the  departure  of  Abbot  Eobert,  his  uncle  Bobert 
Mala-Corona,  perceiving  the  bitter  persecution  which  was 
raging  against  his  relations,  and  that  strangers  were  ad- 
vanced to  power  in  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  which  he  and  his 
brothers  had  founded  for  the  service  of  Q-od,  vdthdrew  from 
the  chapel  of  St.  Evroult,  where,  as  already  mentioned,  he 
had  taken  up  his  abode,  and  retired  to  Marmoutier  in  which 
convent  he  had  first  made  his  monastic  profession,  and  where 
he  soon  afterwards  made  a  glorious  end  on  the  fourteenth 
of  the  calends  of  February  [19th  January],  having  lived 
seven  years  under  the  conventual  rule. 

Ch.  VI.  William  /.,  duke  of  Normandy,  augments  his  power 
— His  marriage  with  Matilda — Their  children — Se  recalk 
the  exiled  barons. 

At  this  time,  Geofirey  Martel,  count  of  Anjou,  after  a 
succession  of  brilliant  exploits  and  much  worldly  prosperity, 
departed  this  life,^  leaving  his  honours  to  his  nephew 
Geoffrey,  son  of  Aubrey  count  of  Gaston,  as  he  had  no 
children  of  his  own.  Geoff*rey  however  was  after  some  time 
treacherously  made  prisoner  by  his  brother  Eulk,  surnamed 
"Richin,  who  usurped  his  earldom  and  kept  him  captive  in  the 
castle  of  Chinon  for  thirty  years.' 
In  these  times  William,  duke  of  Normandy,  vastly  aug- 

^  He  died  at  the  abbey  of  St.  Nicholas,  in  Angers,  the  14th  of  November, 
1060. 

'  Geoffrey  and  Fulk  were  not  the  sons  of  Aubrey,  count  of  Gaston,  but 
of  Geoffrey,  coimt  of  Chiitoulandon.  Geoffrey  Martel  divided  his  terri- 
tories between  them,  instead  of  leaving  the  whole  to  the  elder,  as  our 
author  states.  It  was  on  l\\e  40tv  oi  K.^t^>,  VQQT^lYvat  Geoffrey  was  made 
prisoner  by  his  brother,  and  coxAtved  aX.  CtiMvoa  ^«i  S^da^^s^  ^^'^XsSa. 


A.D.  1060 — 1063.]  THE  NOEMAK  EXILES  EECiXLED.    441 

[merited  his  influence  and  power,  surpassing  all  the  neigh*- 
bonring  sovereigns  in  liberality  and  magnificence.  He 
nukiried  the  illustrious  princess  Matilda,  daughter  of 
'Baldwin  [Y.]  earl  of  Flanders,  and  niece  of  Heniy,  king  of 
Ranee,  by  his  sister.^  From  this  marriage,  by  Q-oa  s  favour, 
he  had  the  following  sons  and  daughters;  Robert  and 
Bichard,  "WiUiam  and  Henry,  Adeliza  and  Constance, 
Cicelj  and  Adele.*  There  is  no  lack  of  materials  from  which 
well-informed  historians  might  compose  copious  narratives, 
if  they  would  apply  themselves  diligently  to  hand  down  to  pos- 
terity the  eventful  lives  of  these  illustrious  personages.  For 
ourselves,  living  in  monastic  seclusion,  intent  on  the  rules  of 
our  order,  and  not  being  versed  in  the  affairs  of  courts,  we 
will  return  to  the  thread  of  our  history,  shortly  noticing 
w^hat  falls  within  our  own  province. 

When  war  broke  out  between  the  Normans  and  their 
neighbours  in  Brittany  and  Maine,  Duke  William,  by  the 
advice  of  his  counsellors,  determined  on  restoring  concord 
axnong  his  own  barons,  and  recalling  the  exiles.*  Moved 
therefore  by  the  entreaties  of  Simon  de  Montfort,  and 
Waleran  de  Breteml  in  the  Beauvais,  and  other  powerful 
firiends  and  neighbours,  he  recalled  Eodolph  de  Toni  and 
Hugh  de  G-rant-mesnil,  great  nobles  who  had  been  disinhe- 
rited and  forced  into  exile  with  their  followers  as  before 
related,  and  who  were  now  restored  to  their  hereditary 
estates.  Arnold  also,  after  levying  war  for  three  years, 
accepted  a  truce  from  the  duke,  and  paid  a  visit  to  his  friends 
and  relations  who  had  great  possessions  in  Apulia,  from 
whence  he  soon  afterwards  returned  with  a  large  sum 
of  money  and  a  rich  mantle  for  the  duke. 

Ch.  VII.  Osherriy  the  intrusive  allot  of  St,  Uvroult,  appeals 
to  Pope  Alexander  II.— His  letter — He  is  cotifirmed 
— Management  of  his  convent — Musical  services. 

The  storm  of  troubles  vrith  which  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult 
was  beset  being  somewhat  abated,    Osbem,  the  intrusive 

*  Adelaide  of  France,  the  daughter  of  King  Robert. 

■  Our  author  omits  to  iriention  Agatha,  the  eldest  daughter,  whose 
history  is  so  affecting,  and  who  was  successively  affianced  to  Harold  and  to 
Al  ph  onao,  king  of  Leon. 

*  The  exiles  were  recalled  in  1063. 


44i2  OBDEEICTJS  TITALT8.  I[b.III.  CH.Tn. 

abbot  who  was  tortured  by  great  perplexities,  and  consience- 
gmitten  by  the  apostolic  excommunication  launched  against 
him,  took  the  course,  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the 
brethren,  of  recalling  from  Cluni  the  lord  Mainer  who  was 
appointed  prior  of  St.  Evroult  by  Abbot  Robert,  and  restor- 
ing him  to  that  office,  from  which  Fulcher  was  now  deposed. 
This  Osbem,  son  of  Herfast,  a  native  of  the  district  of  Caux, 
was  well  instructed  in  literature  from  his  very  youth ;  he 
was  eloquent  in  speech,  and  had  a  lively  genius  for  the 
arts,  such  as  sculpture,  architecture,  copying  manuscripts, 
and  many  things  of  that  sort.  He  was  of  middle  stature,  in 
the  prime  of  years,  his  head  covered  with  a  profusion  of 
black  and  grey  hair.  Severe  towards  the  silly  and  the  super- 
cilious, he  was  benevolent  to  the  infirm  and  the  indigent, 
and  tolerably  liberal  to  humble  individuals  and  foreigners, 
being  at  the  same  time  zealous  for  his  order,  and  a  diUgent 
purveyor  of  all  the  brethren  needed,  both  in  their  spiritual 
and  temporal  capacity.  To  the  novices  he  was  a  strict 
disciplinarian,  urging  them,  both  with  chidings  and  stripes, 
to  progress  in  reading,  singing,  and  writing.  He  made  with 
his  own  hands  writing  implements  for  the  youths  and  the 
uninstructed,  preparing  for  them  tablets  overspread  with 
wax,  and  required  daily  from  each  the  portion  of  work 
assigned  to  them.  An  enemy  to  idleness,  he  had  the  art  of 
impressing  on  the  youthful  mind  profitable  pursuits,  and 
thus  prepared  for  implanting  the  riches  of  science  in  future 
years.  Osbem  was  at  first  a  canon  of  Lisieux,  at  the  time 
the  lord  Herbert  was  bishop  ;^  but  being  afterwards  desirous 
of  submitting  himself  to  a  stricter  rule,  he  threw  off  the 
secular  habit ;  and,  to  amend  his  life  according  to  Q-od*s 
will,  secluded  himself  in  the  new  monastery  which  Goscelin 
d'Arques  had  founded  on  the  mount  of  the  Holy  Trinity  at 
Bouen,  where  Abbot  Isembert,  a  man  of  singular  piety  in 
our  age,  then  flourished.  Abbot  Bainier,  Isembert' s  succes- 
sor, sent  Osbem,  after  passing  his  probation  in  the  order,  to 
establish  the  monastic  rule  at  Cormeilles,  where  William 
Fitz-Osbem,  steward  of  Normandv,  was  founding  an  abbey 
in  honour  of  St.  Mary,  mother  of  Q-od.  When,  however, 
Abbot  Eobert  was  deprived  of  his  office,  in  the  manner 
already  described,  OabeTn  -^aa  \mwittingly  and  unwillingly 
1  Hei\)eTt,\j\d:iopol\iav&\KL>\^^'l--\^^a,  , 


iuD.  1063.]      MrSICAL   SEBYICES  AT   THE  ABBEY.  443 

preferred  to  the  government  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Evrenx, 
which  he  administered  with  diligence  and  success,  so  far  as 
tibie  troubles  of  those  unhappy  times  permitted,  for  five  years 
sod  three  months. 

By  leave  of  his  abbot  Rainier,  he  had  brought  with  him 

to  St.  Evroult  a  very  learned  and  religious  monk  whose 

name  was  Witmund,  and  made  use  of  his  counsels  and 

suggestions  as    long  as  he   lived.      This    monk  was    an 

accomplished  musician  as  well  as  grammarian,  of  which  he 

has  left  us  evidence  in  the  antiphons  and  responses  which 

he  composed,  consisting  of  some  charming  melodies  in  the 

ontiphonary  and  collection  of  versicles.    He  completed  the 

history  of  the  life  of  St.  Evroult  by  adding  nine  antiphons 

aaid  three  responses.     He  composed  four  antiphons  to  the 

psalms  at  vespers,  and  added  tlie  three  last  for  the  second 

noctum,  with  the  fourth,  eighth,  and  twelfth  response,  and 

an  antiphon  at  the  canticles,  and  produced  a  most  beautiful 

antiphon  for  the  canticle  at  the  gospel  in  the  second  vespers. 

The  history  of  the  life  of  St.  Evroult  had  been  already  written 

by  Amulph,  precentor  of  Chartres,*  a  pupil  of  Eulbert,  bishop 

ox  that  see,  at  the  request  of  Abbot  Kobert,  for  the  use  of 

his  monks ;  and  it  was  first  recited  by  two  young  monks, 

SLubert  and  Bodolph,  sent  for  that  purpose  by  the  abbot  oi 

Chartres.    Afterwards,  Reginald  the   Bald  composed  the 

response,  "  To  the  glory  of  God,"  sung  at  vespers,  with  seven 

antiphons  which  still  appear  in  the  service  books  of  the 

BU>nks  of  St.  Evroult.     Roger  de  Sap,  also,  and  other 

studious  brethren  produced,  with  pious  devotion,  several 

hymns  having  the  same  holy  father  for  their  subject,  and 

vrhich  they  placed  in  the  library  of  the  abbey  for  the  use  of 

their  successors. 

Abbot  Osbem,  stiU  tortured  with  anxiety  in  consequence 
of  the  apostolical  anathema  under  which  he  was  compelled  to 
live,  determined,  on  prudent  advice,  to  send  an  envoy  to  Rome, 
by  whom  he  would  hmnbly  implore  the  papal  benediction. 

1  This  life  of  St.  Evroult,  the  founder  of  the  abbey  of  Ouche  which 
afterwards  bore  his  name,  was  written  about  the  end  of  the  seventh  century, 
although  Yossius  thought  it  to  be  of  the  sixth,  and  Baillet  of  the  eighth. 
Ordericus  Vitalis  has  inserted  it  in  the  sixth  book  of  his  history,  and 
Mabillon  has  published  it  entire,  with  notes  and  8^d\\iQTA)Ssi\iLS&Re«u«CL^ 
torn,  I  pp.  3S4—36L  ' 


414  OBDIBICirS  TITALni.  [B.in.  CH.TIL 

He  therefore  instructed  Witmond,  a  monk  of  great  sagadi}; 
to  indite  a  suppliant  epistle,  which  a  joung  monk  whm 
name  was  Bernard,  with  the  addition  of  Mather,  an  exod* 
lent  penman,  was  carefully  to  commit  to  writing,  lie 
following  ia  the  text  of  this  epistle : 

"  To  our  apostolical  lord,  Alexander,^  vicar  of  St.  Peter, 
the  common  and  most  excellent  father  of  mankind— hii 
humhlc  servant  at  a  far  distance,  Osbern,  abbot  of  St 
Bvroult  in  Normandy,  sends  health,  devoted  submiBsion, 
and  his  most  earnest  supplication. 

"  Since,  holy  father,  it  belongs  to  your  office,  in  prefab 
enco  to  and  above  all  other  bishops  of  the  church,  to  extend 
your  care  over  the  whole  of  Christendom,  to  seek  zealously 
to  gain  souls,  and  by  your  authority  to  restore  concorl 
where  dissensions  have  arisen,  an  obscure  abbot  as  I  am, 
but  still  clinging  to  the  shelter  of  your  bosom,  I  lift  my 
voice  to  you  with  intense  earnestness  of  mind,  imploring 
your  indulgence,  and  beseeching  you  to  deign  to  interpose 
your  righteous  authority  to  deliver  me  from  what  I  suffa 
from  certain  distractions  in  the  order  to  whicb  I  belong. 
The  case  is  this.     The  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  which  I  now 
possess,  was  formerly  held  by  a  cousin  of  your  faithful 
servant,  AVilliam  of  Normandy,  the  lord  abbot  Bobert,  who 
for  some  cause  of  offence,  vacated  his  office  and  departed. 
Upon  this  the  sovereign  prince  of  that  country  and  the 
bishops  of  the  church  made  me  abbot  in  his  place,  and,  as 
they  then  alleged  and  still  allege,  to  remove  my  own  doub\B 
and  fears,  they  duly  and  according  to  Q-od's  will  conse- 
crated me  to  the  vacant  dignity.    I  know  not  whether  they 
are  right ;  but  this  I  assuredly  know,  from  my  own  con- 
science, that  I  obtained  the  style  and  office  of  abbot  neither 
by  importunity,  nor  by  bribery,  nor  by  favour,  nor  by 
obsequiousness,  or  any  other  crafty  device,  but  that  as 
far  as  I  am  concerned  I  took  it  upon  me  solely  in  obedience 
to  the  commands  of  my  superiors,  and  that  in  so  doing  no 
charge  was  brought  against  me.     Abbot  Bobert  has  become 
the  superior  of  a  convent  in  Calabria,  at  a  great  distance 
from  our  country,  and  there  his  wrath  and  hatred  are  still 
inflamed  against  me;   and  he   continues   to   slander  and 
threaten  me,  aaaextm^  \i\v«fc  \  Wn^  \s&\«^ed  liis  office  con* 

^  Pope  MexaTvdeTll.,^^'<^^^^^^>^^^^~^^'^'^"^'»^^'W 


JL.J}.  1063.]   OSBEBN'S  LETTES  to  ALEXiJBn)EB  II.  445 

trary  to  the  laws  of  Q-od.  This  schism  is  hoth  full  of 
danger  to  the  souls  of  those  who  are  placed  under  my 
charge,  and  places  me  in  great  perplexity  between  the  two 
parties.  Por,  on  the  one  hand,  I  do  not  presume  to  dis- 
obey the  bishops  of  my  own  province,  who  assert  that  I  am 
regularly  appointed,  and  enjoin  me  to  hold  my  place ;  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  I  dread  the  wrath  and  hatred  of  my 
accusing  brother,  especially  as  we  are  both  priests  and 
monks.  As  indeed  the  voice  of  an  apostle  thunders  in  our 
ears :  *  He  that  hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer;**  who  can 
sufficiently  express  the  greatness  of  the  crime  of  a  priest 
and  a  monk  who  hates  his  brother?  And  who  does  not 
know  that  if  in  this  state  of  mind  he  presumes  to  offer  the 
sacrifice  of  the  altar,  he  perils  his  soul  ? 

"  Therefore,  most  apostolical  lord,  the  venerable  father  of 
all  Christendom,  prostrate  on  the  earth  at  the  feet  of  your 
merciful  benignity,  I  earnestly  supplicate  with  tears  and 
groans  that  you  who  occupy  the  place  of  St.  Peter  in  vigi- 
lantly feeding  the  Lord's  flock,  and  guarding  them  from  the 
crafty  devices  of  wolves,  would  be  pleased  in  your  zeal  for 
GK)d  to  abate  by  a  righteous  judgment  this  fierce  contro- 
versy between  me  and  the  brother  of  whom  I  speak,  and 
altogether  remove  the  present  perplexity  from  my  mind. 
Accordingly,  my  prayer  is,  that  by  virtue  of  your  authority 
you  cause  to  appear  both  myself  and  those  who  took  part  in 
my  consecration,  together  with  Abbot  Eobert,  my  accuser, 
before  fit  and  lawful  judges,  who  shaU  impartially  try  the 
cause ;  so  that,  if  it  be  found  that  I  was  rightly  instituted  to 
the  office  of  abbot,  I  may  continue  to  hold  it ;  if  improperly, 
I  may  surrender  it.  Graciously  yielding  to  this  my  prayer, 
you  will  fulfil  your  office  in  a  praiseworthy  manner,  and 
will  conduct  brothers  into  the  way  of  peace.  Por  whether 
it  happens  that  I  have  to  remain  or  to  depart,  my  brother's 
anger  will  be  set  at  rest  by  the  decision  of  the  judge,  and  1 
shall  be  freed  from  perplexity,  and  shall  serve  u-od  in  peace 
and  security.  O  bishop  of  the  bishops  of  the  church,  and 
father  of  fathers,  the  appointed  refuge  for  all  who  are  in 
tribulation,  I  beseech  you  by  the  holy  power  of  binding  and 
loosing  which  is  vested  in  you  over  all  mankind,  listen  to 
these  my  words  of  sincerity,  and  aa  fax  «ia  1  «&k  ^1^  ^ 

*  1  John  iii.  16. 


446  OBDEBICUS  TITALI8.  [b.IH.  CH.TH. 

right,  grant  what  I  ask.  And  that  you  may  believe  I  speak 
the  truth,  I  call  the  omniscient  Q-od  aa  witness,  who  knows 
that  in  my  conscience,  the  language  of  my  mouth  is  that  d 
my  heart.  In  conclusion,  most  pious  lord,  I  especially 
request  in  all  humility  that  you  will  be  pleased,  of  your 
paternal  kindness,  to  reply  by  letter  under  your  seal  hy  the 
envoy  I  send,  so  that  1  may  learn  the  success  •  of  my  peti- 
tion, and  what  course  you  will  take  in  the  matter,  and  when 
and  where ;  and  having  obtained  some  certainty,  my  pe^ 
plexities  may  be  at  an  end,  and  I  may  rejoice  that  I  haTe 
raised  my  voice  to  a  most  merciful  comforter.  !PareweIl! 
Glorious  father,  most  excellent  ruler,  and  supreme  head  of 
the  church  on  earth  ;  farewell !  watch  over  the  ^Lord's  fold; 
which  may  you  so  do  that  you  may  meet  the  last  judgment 
in  security.     Amen." 

This  letter  was  carried  to  Bome  by  William,  priest  of  St. 
Andrew,  at  Echaufour,  and  presented  to  Pope  Alexander. 
The  venerable  pontiff  read  it  m  the  presence  of  the  Eoman 
conclave,^  and  having  carefully  examined  the   matter  ab- 
solved  Osbem  at  the  request  of  abbot  Robert  who  was 
there  present,  sending  back  the  bearer  of  the  letter  re- 
joicing to  his  own  country  with  the  papal  benediction.    As 
for  Robert,  he  now  despaired  of  ever  returning  to  Nor- 
mandy on  account  of  the  wrath  of  duke  William,  and  being 
honourably  detained  in  Calabria,  as  already  mentioned  by 
Guiscard  and  the  other  Normans  who  had  usiirped  foreign 
domains,  his  former  indignation  against  Osbem  was  allayed, 
and  he  now  kindly  interceded  with  the  pope  for  the  man 
he  had  before  cruelly  attacked  by  his  subtle  accusations. 
William  the  priest,  having  accomplished  his  mission,  re- 
turned in  safety  to  those  who  had  sent  him,  and  rejoiced 
the  hearts  of  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult  by  relating  what  he 
had  seen  and  heard  at  Rome. 

Osbem,  now  secure  in  his  office,  laudably  occupied  him- 
self both  in  the  interior  and  exterior  duties  which  devolved 
upon  him.  He  only  admitted  four  novices  to  profession, 
on  account  of  the  persecution  to  which  he  had  been  subject, 
but  he  diligently  and  profitably  instructed  in  the  sacred 
arts  those  whom  he  found  admitted  by  his  predecessors. 
He  instituted  a  yeaxly  am^Nejt«a?r^  oiv  tke  sixth   of  the 

*  Ordericus  calls  the  aaaemfeVs  oi  V?ft»  ^wx^MaJa^'ROTva'wy*  M.-aoiVu:^^ 


A  J).  1063.]    ABBOT  OSBEBN'B  ADMINISTBATIOIT.  447 

calends  of  July  [26th]  June,  for  the  fathers  and  mothers, 
and  brothers  and  sisters,  of  all  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult. 
The  names  of  all  the  brethren  are  registered  on  a  long  roll 
when,  called  by  God,  they  first  make  their  profession.  To 
these  were  added,  underneath,  those  of  their  fathers  and 
mothers,  and  brothers  and  sisters.  This  roll  was  kept  near 
the  altar  throughout  the  year,  and  an  especial  commemora- 
tion  is  made  before  God  of  the  persons  inscribed,  when  the 
priest  says  in  celebrating  the  mass:  Jnimas  famulorum, 
famularum  tuarum,  &c.,  "  Vouchsafe  to  join  to  the  society 
of  thine  elect  the  souls  of  thy  servants,  both  men  and  women, 
whose  names  are  written  in  the  roll  presented  before  thy 
holy  altar."  The  anniversary  on  the  sixth  of  the  calends  of 
July,  of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  is  thus  conducted.  All 
the  bells  are  rung  for  some  time,  both  night  and  morning, 
for  the  office  of  the  dead.  The  roll  of  the  deceased  is  spread 
open  on  the  altar,  and  prayers  are  faithfully  offered  to  Grod, 
first  for  the  dead,  and  afterwards  for  living  relations  and 
benefactors,  and  all  the  faithful  in  Christ.  The  morning 
mass  is  solemnly  sung  by  the  abbot  himself,  assisted  by  all 
the  clergy  in  their  sacred  vestments.  The  almoner  as- 
sembles in  the  convent  on  that  day  as  many  indigent 
persons  as  there  are  monks,  and  the  cellarer  provides  each 
with  a  sufficiency  of  meat  and  drink  in  the  strangers'  apart- 
ment,  and  after  the  chapter  the  whole  community  devotes 
itself  to  the  service  of  the  poor  as  in  the  Lord's  supper. 
This  institution  of  Abbot  Osbern  is  still  carefuUy  main- 
tained in  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  and  it  is  likewise 
zealously  observed  by  the  monks  of  Noyon^  and  Bocher- 
ville,*  and  others  which  follow  its  rules. 

The  man  of  God  so  often  named  had  a  particular  regard, 
as  I  have  said  before,  for  the  sick  and  the  poor,  supplying 
their  wants  liberally  with  all  things  necessary.  He  there- 
fore ordered  that  seven  lepers  should,  for  the  love  of  God, 
have  a  yearly  maintenance  from  the  abbey,  and  that  the 
portions  of  seven  monks  should  be  daily  distributed  among 
them  by  the  cellarer  in  meat  and  drink.     This  custom  was 

^  Noyon-sur-Audelle,  now  Charleval,  which  was  a  priory  under  the  ml© 
of  St.  Evroult. 

"  St.  George  de  Bocherville,  an  abbey  two\eaga'efctcft\si'^rfi>aKsv^^^^^ 
was  affiliated  to  St,  Evroult. 


448  ORDKEICUS  TITALI8.  [B.m.  CH.Tm. 

obsen'cd  by  abbot  Oabem  and  his  successor  Mainer,  as 
long  as  they  lived;  but  when  Serlo  succeeded,  as  mei'i 
minds  change,  the  in.  'itution  was  altered,  and  in  the  time 
of  abbot  Koger  the  number  of  the  sick,  in  the  name  of  tiie 
Lord,  was  reduced  to  three. 

Cn.  VIII.  Duke  WillianCs  invtmon  of  Maine,  under  cooer 
of  protecting  the  interests  of  the  young  Count  JSerhert— 
Death  of  his  aunt  Bertha  and  her  husband  by  poison^  and 
of  his  sister  Margaret ,  the  young  heiress. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1064,  on  the  death  of  Herbert  the 
younger,  count  of  Maine,  duke  William  crossed  the  Sarthe 
with  a  strong  army,  and  received  with  clemency  many  of  the 

Eeople  of  Maine,  who  submitted  to  him,  remaining  under 
is  dominion  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  that  is,  for  twenty-four 
years.  The  young  count,  after  the  death  of  his  feth^ 
Herbert  the  elder  ^  (who  was  commonly  called  Herbert 
Watch-dog,  on  account  of  the  destructive  inroads  which  hia 
neighbours  of  Anion  continually  made  on  his  territories), 
by  his  mother  Bertha's  advice,  placed  himself  and  his 
estates  under  the  protection  of  the  powerful  duke  of  Nor- 
mandy,' affiancing  his  sister  Margaret  to  the  duke's  son 
Bobert,  with  the  reversion  of  his  earldom  of  Maine,  if  he 
himself  should  die  without  children.  But  "Walter,  count  of 
Pontoise,  son  of  Count  Drogo,  who  had  undertaken  the 
journey  to  Jerusalem  in  company  with  Eobert  the  elder, 
duke  of  Normandy,  and  died  during  his  pilgrimage,  had  mar- 
ried Biota,  daughter  [sister]  of  Hugh,  Count  de  Maine,  who 
was  the  aunt  of  the  young  Count  Herbert.  In  right  of  her 
he  laid  claim  to  the  whole  earldom,  and  had  possession  of. 
part  of  it ;  for  Geofirey  de-Mayenne  and  Hubert  de  Sainte- 
Susanne,  and  other  powerful  adherents  of  Walter,  held  the 
city,  which  is  the  capital  of  the  province,  fearing  to  submit 
to  the  yoke  of  the  Normans,  which  is  always  grievous  to 
those  who  are  subjected  to  it.  AVTiile  therefore  the  brave 
duke  attacked  the  rebels  with  vigour,  inflicting  and  suffer- 
ing losses,  according  to  the  lot  of  war,  Count  Walter  and 
Biota  his  wife  perished  together,  as  the  report  is,  by  poison, 

^  Herbert  I.  was  count  du  Maine  from  1051  to  1062. 
'  Herbert  IL  waa  boh  oi  "ftxi:^  wv^  ^gwiDkiijws^  oC  Herbert  I.,  counts  of 
Miune,     Duke  WilWam'a  *m\a»\0Ti  VooV.  ^Xaa^^ \va\.\3DL\^^\:,\s^\a. \55k^«?». 


^J>.  J063.]  liTTASION  OF  MAHSTE.  449 

traaclierously  administered  by  the  contrivance  of  their  ene- 
piies.^  On  their  death,  the  duke,  now  assured  of  success, 
KM^Iu^ked  the  rebels  in  great  force,  and  recovered  the  city  of 
"HfjaiOB  in  triumph  by  the  voluntary  surrender  of  the  in- 
b^kbitants,  the  lord  Arnold,  the  bishop,  going  out  to  meet 
him  in  great  pomp,  with  a  procession  of  clergy  and  monks 
C^nying  banners  and  crosses. 

Meanwhile,  Qeogrey  de  Mayenne,  envying  the  duke's 
success,  sought  all  the  means  in  his  power  to  injure  him,  by 
encouraging  his  enemies,  and  contriving  various  ways  of 
iijflicting  evil.  The  duke  bore  his  insolence  for  a  while,  that 
be  might  have  an  opportunity  of  punishing  him  without 
oyiiry  to  others.  But,  as  he  persisted  in  his  obstinacy,  the 
duke  put  in  motion  a  large  force,  and  took  his  town  of 
4-nibrieres,  burning  also  Mayenne  after  a  long  siege.  By 
reducing  these  two  fortresses,  he  humbled  the  pride  of 
Gteoffi*ey,  and  thus  compelled  the  most  formidable  of  the 
nobles  of  Maine  to  do  him  homage,  although  he  had 
persuaded  other  malcontents  to  join  him  in  his  resistance. 
On  his  submission,  almost  all  his  accomplices  and  the  sun- 
porters  of  his  rebellion  were  struck  with  consternation,  ana 
compelled  to  fear  and  obey  TVilliam,  a  prince  who  was  evi- 
dently protected  by  divine  Providence.  The  duke  entrusted 
fcbe  beautiful  Margaret  to  the  care  of  Stigand,  the  powerful 
l>9ron  of  Mesidon,  to  be  brought  up  in  his  family,  but  before 
she  became  marriageable,  she  was  snatched  away  from  the 
nuQJties  of  the  world,  and,  dying  happily,  rests  in  peace, 
being  buried  at  Tecamp,  in  the  noble  and  flourishing  monas- 
tery founded  in  honour  of  the  holy  and  undivided  Trinity. 

At  that  time  Bobert  de  Gace,  son  of  Eodolph,  son  of 
Robert  the  archbishop,  died  childless,  whereupon  l)uke  WU- 
Liam,  his  cousin,  united  his  whole  inheritance  to  his  own 
domains.  He  also  gave  the  lands  of  Bobert  de  Vitot,  who 
waa  banished  for  assassinating  Count  Gislebert  [de  Brionne], 
to  Greoffrey  Mancel,  brother  of  the  viscount  Hubert ;  from 

I  This  tragedy  was  performed  at  Falaise,  where  Duke  William  had 
ftanied  Walter  and  his  wife  prisoners,  a  circumstance  which,  notwithstand- 
ing the  reserve  of  Ordericus,  sufficiently  indicates  by  whose  command  the 
poison  was  administered.  The  duke's  contemporaries,  especially  those  who 
were  opposed  to  him,  spoke  more  plainly,  and  often  told  him  the  horror  so 
foul  a  crime  inspired,  aa  we  shall  find  in  thd  BecvyxeY  oi\}ti\&\i>sXxsr)« 

VOL.  I.  Qt    Qt 


450  OBDEBICUS  TITALIS.  [B.ni.  CH.IL 

whom  tho  lord  Osbern,  abbot  of  St.  Evreui,  bought  the 
vill  called  Douet-Artus,  with  Tronquet  and  Mesnil-JosceUn. 
Duke  William  granted  and  confirmed  it  hy  a  charter  in  pre- 
sence of  the  barons  of  Nonnandy,  William  Fitz-Osben, 
Bichard  d' Avranches,  son  of  Turstin,  Eoger  de  Montgomery, 
and  many  others  mentioned  in  the  charter. 

However,  Eobert  de  Vitot,  after  some  time  reconciled 
himself  with  the  duke,  and,  being  restored  to  his  lordsbip, 
laid  claim  to  the  land  just  mentioned  against  the  abbey  of 
St.  Evroult,  but  not  long  afterwards  the  war  with  England, 
in  which  he  was  wounded  in  the  cheek,  being  ended,  he  fdl 
sick  of  a  mortal  disease.  Finding  his  end  approaching,  he 
freely  gave  all  the  land  which  he  claimed  to  the  faithM 
servants  of  God  for  the  repose  of  his  soul.  This  gift  to 
St.  Evroult  was  made  at  Dover,  before  Odo,  bishop  rf 
Baieux,  Hugh  de  Grant-mesnil,  Hugh  de  Montfort,  aod 
Hugh,  son  of  Fulcold,  and  many  other  persons  of  high  aud 
low  condition. 

This  knight  had  forty  nephews,  all  proud  of  their  rank  of 
knighthood,  and  engaged  in  such  fierce  contests  with  each 
bther,  that  his  inheritance  has  scarcely  ever  been  suffered  to 
rest  undisturbed  to  the  present  day:  for  Matthiel  and 
Eichard,  his  brother,  Nigel,  and  Eualod  the  Breton,  Nigel's 
son-in-law,  succeeded  at  different  times,  and  by  their  erf 
devices  wrought  much  mischief.  Every  one  of  these  claimed 
the  lands  before  named  from  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  but 
the  judgment  of  God  who  is  everywhere  the  mighty  pro- 
tector of  his  church,  compelled  them  to  desist  jfrom  tW 
unjust  attacks.  It  was  Matthiel  who,  with  great  menaceS) 
made  the  attempt  to  rob  the  church  of  her  possessions 
during  the  reign  of  the  great  duke  William ;  and  Bichard 
and  other  claimants  during  those  of  his  brothers  William 
Bufus  and  Henry;  but  the  King  of  kings,  helping  hii 
servants,  they  were  unable  to  accomplish  their  wicked 
designs. 

Ch.  IX.  Arnold  cTUchoufour  poisoned — Fortunes  of  ik 
great  family  of  Qiroie  in  Normandy  and  Ajpulia  after  hi 
death, 

Aenold  d'Echotjtotib.,  ^ou  of  William  Giroie,  returning 
flucceissrul  from  A.pu\\a,  i;^T^^^ii\.^^  \i\xs\s^<^  ^  '<^^c^fc  <»i\ss^  <1 


m 


.icBOTJT  1063.]   AENOLD  d'eCHOFFOTJE  POISONED.  451 

3)uke  William,  and,  offering  him  a  magnificent  mantle, 
liumbly  entreated  that  his  inheritance  might  be  restored. 
The  duke,  taking  into  consideration  the  high  birth  and  dis- 
^ingaished  valour  of  this  nobleman,  and  his  own  great  want 
of  brave  soldiers  for  his  wars  with  the  people  of  Maine,  the 
IBretons,  and  his  other  enemies,  took  a  more  lenient  view  of 
Ins  offences,  and,  making  a  truce  with  him,  promised  to 
SPestore  his  patrimony ;  meanwhile  giving  him  free  liberty  of 
jjMifising  and  repassing  through  his  temtories  for  a  limited 
"tiine.  The  duke's  empty  promises  caused  Arnold  great 
satisfaction,  but  without  just  reason,  as  we  shall  presently 
see.  For  Mabel,  the  daughter  of  Talvac,  poisoned  the 
a^fireshments  which  she  ordered  to  be  set  before  him  as  he 
-was  returning  from  the  court  of  the  duke  to  France ;  but  a 
£riend  of  Arnold's  gave  him  notice  of  the  treachery 
intended.  While,  therefore,  he  was  conferring  with  some  of 
liis  friends  at  Echoufour,  and  was  earnestly  invited  by 
UMabel's  attendants  to  partake  of  the  entertainment,  he  would 
on  no  account  consent,  remembering  the  friendly  warning, 
and  utterly  refusing  all  meat  and  dnnk  which  he  suspected 
to  be  poisoned.  But  Gislebert,  the  brother  of  Eoger  de 
Montgomery,  who  had  conducted  him  there,  and  was  quite 
tmconscious  of  the  treacherous  design,  took  a  cup,  without 
dismounting  from  his  horse,  and,  drinking  the  poisoned 
wine,  died  in  consequence  on  the  third  day  afterwards  at 
Semalord:  so  that  this  perfidious  woman,  attempting  to 
destroy  her  husband's  rival,  caused  the  death  of  his  only 
brother,  who  was  in  the  flower  of  his  youth,  and  much  dis- 
tinguished for  his  chivalrous  gallantry.  Not  long  afterwards, 
lamenting  the  failure  of  her  first  attempt,  she  made  another 
not  less  deadly  effort  to  accomplish  the  object  of  her  desires. 
By  means  of  prayers  and  promises  she  worked  on  Gulafre,^ 
Arnold's  chamberlain,  till  she  had  bent  the  false  retainer  to 
bar  nefarious  wishes.  She  then  prepared  the  poisoned  drink, 
which  the  chamberlain  presented  to  his  master,  and  to  Q-i- 
roie  de  Courville,'  and  William,  surnamed  Gouet  de  Mont- 
mirail.  Thus  the  three  nobles  imbibed  the  venom  of  the 
poison  at  Courville,  at  one  and  the  same  time ;  but  Giroie 
and  William,  who  were  carried  to  their  own  homes,  where 

1  This  worthy  has  been  mentioued  beCoi^)^.  4^^« 
^  ChurvUle,  near  Chartrea. 

Q   Q  2 


452  011DSVICI78  TITAIJ8.  [B.m.  CR.11> 

tbe^  could  command  all  necessarj  care,  by  the  mercjof  CM 
aiding  tho  skill  of  the  physician,  reoorered,  while  Arnold, 
who,  as  a  banished  man,  had  no  means  of  securiBg  proper 
attentions  in  the  house  of  a  stranger,  langaished  for  some 
days,  and  at  length,  the  disorder  increasing,  breathed  hn 
last  on  the  calends  [1st]  of  January.  The  day  before  h 
died,  being  alone  in  his  chamber  in  bed,  he  saw  clearly,  ari 
not  in  a  dream,  an  old  man  of  a  noble  presence,  whom  h 
took  for  St.  Nicholas,  who  addressed  bitn  to  this  effect: 
"  Brother,  trouble  yourself  not  about  your  bodily  health,  for 
it  is  certain  that  you  will  die  to-morrow,  btit  direct  jam 
utmost  efforts  towards  saving  your  soul,  at  the  scFutinjrf 
the  just  and  eternal  Judge.*'  With  these  w(H*ds  the  M 
man  suddenly  vanished,  whereupon  the  soffeFer  sent  imne' 
diately  to  St.  Evroult  to  request  that  some  at  the  bretbres 
of  the  abbey  would  visit  him.  Without  delay  they  seil 
Fulk  de  Ghiemauville  to  Courvifie.  It  was  then^  tliai  the 
knight  of  whom  we  are  speaking  spent  thi«ee  years  duriag 
his  exile,  with  Giroie,  the  lord  of  that  town,  whe  was  \m 
kinsman  and  friend,  and  from  thence,  with  the  aid  of  ^ 
people  of  Corbon,  I>reux,  and  Mortagne,  and  atl  others  be 
could  summon  to  his  assistance,  he  carried  cm  a  despenie 
warfare  to  revenge  his  banishment.  The  siek  ma&  rc^oieed 
greatly  at  Eulk's  speedy  arrival,  and,  making  known  to  Im 
the  vision  which  he  had  seen  the  day  before,  he  ienouB<!ed 
the  world,  and  professed  himself  a  monk  with  a  tfflider 
devotion  of  soul.  Then,  lamenting  his  sins,  he  died  the 
tome  day,  and  his  body  was  carried  to  St.  Ihnroult,  and  there 
honourably  interred  by  the  lord  abbot  Osbem  and  the  whdt 
community  in  the  monks'  cloister. 

On  the  death  of  Arnold,  the  noble  femily  of  Giroie  fell 
entirely  to  decay,  and,  to  this  day,  no  one  of  their  posteritr 
has  been  able  to  recover  the  rank  of  his  anGestors.  AiboW 
had  married  Emma,  daughter  of  Turstin,  surnamed  Halduc, 
by  whom  he  had  William  and  Eeginald,  Petronilla  and  Ge^ 
and  other  sons  and  daughters.  Thus,  losing  their  father  Ib 
their  tender  years,  when  he  was  in  the  flower  of  his  youth, 
and  being  settled  in  the  houses  of  strangers^  as  we  have 
already  noticed,  they  were  exposed  from  infancy  to  poverty, 
and  all  sorts  of.  Taor^^ca.\ko^^.  Tc^evc  \sns^<sq  found  a  refuge 
with  her  brotYieT  Odo,  ft\.e^«c^  ^l  ^'fe  ^vx^^  ^'^^st^saas^N 


Mr^fift  1063.]  TiXLiLY  OT  4tlioifi.  ^  458v 

WAkp  dw6lt  in.  tlie  Cotentin,  and  wad  dietinguifilied  for  hig 
Ws^^th  and  po\rer  kinohg  the  Norman  nobles.  She  lived 
%ith  hi^  and  het  othei*  friendfi  almost  thirty  years  in 
honotured  widowhood,  being  greatly  respected  for  her 
diadtity,  gentleness,  and  other  good  qualities ;  and  towards 
the  close  of  her  li^,  renoni^ed  the  worlds  atid  took  the  veil 
^iritli  ninch  devt)tion  at  the  handB  of  the  lord  Bobert,  abbot 
^t  the  Holy  Trinity,  at  Leseai.^ 

'Wiliiain  d'Echaufour,  the  eldest  of  Arnold's  sons,  had 
aearcely  arrived  at  the  age  of  puberty  when  he  repaired  to 
the  court  of  PhiHp,  king  of  France,  who  appointed  him  his 
Mture,  and  afterwards  knighted  him  for  his  good  service^ 
"Ab  afterwards  went  into  Ap^Ha^  where  he  had  kinsmen  of 
higli  rank,  and,  being  kindly  entertained,  advanced  himself 
g^atiy  by  his  gallant  actions.  He  took  to  wife  a  noble  lady 
it£  a  Lombard  family,  and  obtained  possession  of  thirtjr 
testles  imder  Bobeft,  count  of  Loritello,  Gniscard's  nephew.' 
The  marriage  was  fruitM,  Cmd  he  had  many  children  of  both 
I»xe8,  and,  forgetting  Ndrmandy,  lived  ^Jmost  forty  yeara 
luCnong  the  Lombards  in  gre^  honour. 

Beginald,  the  youngest  ton  of  Arnold,  had  been  ^itrusted 
hy  his  &ther,  three  months  before  Ins  death,  to  Abbot 
Osbei^n,  and  was  careMlly  educated  at  St.  Evroult  under  the 
)r6giidar  discipline  of  the  abbey,  receiving  from  the  abbot  the 
iiftimame  of  Benedict,  «on  account  of  his  sweetness  of 
disposition^  His  fath^.  Oil  offering  him  to  God  as  a  monk, 
liad  granted  a  plough-land  at  St.  Qiermain*s,  in  the  parish  of 
]Eichaafour,  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  which  it  long  since 
lost,  in  the  troubles  to  which  Arnold  and  his  heirs  were 
exposed,  as  already  related.  The  youth  was  only  five  yeara 
old  when  he  submitted  to  the  monastic  yoke,  which  1^  has 
steadfastly  borne  for  ilfty-two  years,'  under  four  successive 
abbots,  both  in  pr6s^erit?f  and  iidversity.  He  fully  learned 
the  arts  of  reading  aiid  singing,  which  he  taught  to  others 
vrithout  any  mistakes,  when  he  arrived  himself  at  mature 
years.    His  vigoroUB  tiustaory  enabled  him  to  relate  witk 

^  Roger,  from  whose  hasda  Elnma  reeeived  the  veil,  was  a  monk  of  Bee, 
and  first  abbot  of  Luaai  in  the  diocese  of  Coutances,  1056 — 1094. 

^  Robert  de  Loritello,  son  of  Geoffirey,  Robert  Gaiaeard*8  brother,  and 
count  of  the  Capitanata.  Loritello,  now  called  Rotello,  is  ft  rojral  domaitiy 
aearLu^enu  *  Thia  wsa^mnLXtbamWVbotWV^. 


454  OBDEBicrs  tttalis.  [b.  in.cn 

great  fulness  whaterer  he  bad  seen  or  beard,  and 
companions  were  frequently  charmed  with  bis  recitals  i 
the  sacred  scriptures,  and  the  statements  of  the  learned, 
was  his  study  to  gain  the  affections  of  the  gentle,  and  mo( 
and  teachable  among  the  neophytes,  by  bis  affability 
condescension;  but  he  stoutly' contradicted  the  conce 
and  pretenders,  and  inventors  of  novelties.  Twice 
undertook  journeys,  by  permission  of  Abbot  Eoger,  an( 
the  behests  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  as  far  as  Apulia, 
in  that  foreign  land  found  his  brother  William,  and  n 
other  relations  possessed  of  great  wealth.  He  rema 
nearly  three  years  in  Calabria,  with  William,  abbot  oi 
Euphemia,'  son  of  Humfrey  de  Tilleul,  and  on  his  re 
brought  back  a  cope  of  purple  and  white,  the  gift  of  A 
Humfrey,  who  was  his  cousin,  to  the  church  of  St.  Evp 
Prom  his  infancy,  Eeginald  observed  the  monastic  rules 
praiseworthy  regularity,  and  zealously  assisted  at  the  oj 
of  divine  worship,  both  in  the  day  and  the  night.  I 
often  remarked  him  performing  the  chant  with 
indefatigable  zeal  that  scarcely  a  single  versicle  was  sun 
the  choir  by  others,  in  which  he  did  not  take  a  part.  Bi 
it  is  written :  "  Many  are  the  sorrows  of  the  righteous,' 
suffered  much  tribulation,  both  from  within  and  witl 
For,  being  firm  and  severe  to  the  froward,  and  disdainin 
flatter  the  hypocritical,  he  was  frequently  subject  to  1 
attacks  of  vanous  kinds.  The  eye  of  God  seeth  all  th: 
and  condemns  with  discriminating  judgment  even  t 
which  to  men  appear  laudable,  and  he  has  afflicted 
brother  Eeginald  with  infirmity  of  body  from  his  infa 
and  that  the  just  may  be  further  justified,  continue 
■this  time,  to  increase  the  weakness  of  his  limbs.  Whil« 
was  yet  a  boy,  as  he  never  spared  himself,  and  sec 
stronger  for  every  kind  of  labour  than  the  rest  of 
brotherhood,  he  ruptured  himself  while  carrying  earth, 
not  allowing  himself  any  rest,  the  hernia  became  incurs 
In  short,  he  has  now  for  seven  years  suffered  such  exti 
torture,  that  he  is  neither  able  to  raise  his  hand  to 
mouth,  nor  to  do  any  office  for  himself  without  assists 
.  Almighty  God,  who  healest  those  who  are  broken  in  h( 
.have  mercy  upon  him  I  Purge  him  from  all  stain  of 
^  See  before,  \>.  m.  c,  5 .  "^  ^%5^\a.  xv., ^^ , 


A.3>.  1061 — 1066.]   HUGH   GEANT-MESNIL.  455 

deKver  him  from  the  irksome  prison  of  the  flesh,  and  admit 
him  into  the  company  of  thy  servants  in  rest  eternal ! 

The  two  daughters  of  Arnold,  on  the  death  of  their  father, 
and  their  consequent  destitution,  chose  rather  to  render 
themselves  acceptahle  to  God  by  their  modest  conversation, 
than  to  attain  worldly  prosperity  by  the  perishing  charma 
of  their  personal  beauty.  Both,  therefore,  dedicated  their 
virginity  to  the  Lord,  and  gave  up  the  world  to  become  nuns. 
Petronilla  took  the  veil  in  the  convent  of  St.  Mary,  at 
Angers,  for  a  long  time  diligently  observing  the  rules 
submitted  to  by  consecrated  virgins ;  and  afterwards  for  ten 
years  within  the  enclosure,  she  became  remarkable  far  and 
wide  by  her  character  for  her  sanctity  and  her  exemplary 
virtues.  Her  sister  Geva,  taking  the  veil  under  the  abbess 
Beatrice,  in  the  convent  of  the  Holy  Trinity  at  Caen, 
founded  by  Queen  Matilda,  long  practised  and  taught  the 
holy  rule,  to  her  own  profit  and  that  of  others.^ 

Ch.  X.  The  castle  of  Neuf-MarcJie  in  the  Beauvais  com- 
mitted to  the  custody  of  Hugh  de  Ghant-mesnil — Events 
there — Death  of  Osbem,  abbot  of  St,  Mvroult, 

William,  the  illustrious  marquis  of  Normandy,  finding  that 
the  people  of  Beauvais  were  making  efibrts  to  ravage  the 
borders  of  his  territory,  expelled  Geoffrey,  the  lawful  heir, 
from  the  castle  of  Neuf-Marche,*  for  some  trivial  offence, 
and  entrusted  the  defence  of  it  to  several  of  his  barons ;  but, 
by  reason  of  the  continual  inroads  of  the  people  of  Milli,  and 
Gerberoi,'  and  other  neighbours,  hardly  any  one  of  them 
was  able  to  hold  it  for  a  single  year.  At  length  the  great 
duke  committed  the  castle  to  Hugh  de  Grant-mesnil,  who 
•was  eminent  for  skill  and  courage,  joining  with  him  Gerold, 
Ids  high  steward,  and  granting  to  Hugh  one  moiety  of  the 
fief.  He  did  this  by  the  advice  of  Eoger  de  Montgomery, 
who  was  jealous  of  a  bravery  too  nearly  resembling  his  own, 
and  sought  to  bring  him  into  disgrace  by  some  dcNdce  or 

*  Beatrix  de  Hugueville,  the  fifth  abbeas  of  the  Holy  Trinity  at  Caen, 
governed  the  convent  at  the  time  our  author  wrote. 

«  Marqub  of  Normandy,  see  note,  p.  397.  Le  Neuf-March6-en-Lionp. 
The  ruins  of  this  castle  are  remarkable  for  the  vast  size  of  the  stones  of 
which  the  foundations  were  built. 

»  MiJJi,  a  town  two  /eagues  N.  W.  of  Beauvais.    Tlttfe  <^«!3ai^\.^  <»ifiii^^  ^ 
Gerberoi  stands  a  league  and  a  half  N.E.  of  Gouxioi. 


i50  OROEBICUB  TITALIl.  [b^III.  CILL 

occurrence.  Iluf^h,  howeTcr,  thankfully  accepted  the 
custody  of  tlic  fortreu,  and,  by  GKmI's  help,  in  the 
course  of  a  year,  took  two  of  the  oaief  leaders  of  the  men  of 
Beauvaid  prufoners,  and,  striking  terror  into  the  rest  o{  the 
enemy,  restored  tranquillity  through  all  the  country  in  that 
quarter. 

Four  canons  were  in  possession  of  the  church  of  St.  Peto 
the  apostle  at  Neuf-Marche,  but  they  were  negligent  in  the 
performance  of  divine  worship,  and  led  a  very  worldly  life* 
The  noble  llugli,  therefore,  gave  the  moiety  of  the  church 
which  belonged  to  him  to  the  abbey  of  St.  £!vroult,  upon  the 
terms  that,  upon  the  death  of  the  canons,  or  their  ayoidaofid 
from  any  other  cause,  they  should  be  succeeded  by  monks : 
which  was  carried  into  effect.  Por  two  of  the  canons  who 
had  been  instituted  to  the  portion  held  by  Hugh,  taking 
their  departure,  monks  were  appointed  in  their  place,  sad 
have  continued  in  possession  of  a  moiety  of  the  prefermeait 
to  the  present  day ;  Hobert  the  Bald,  Balph  de  la  JEtoussi^, 
and  John  de  Bcaunai,  and  other  excellent  men,  resided 
there. 

On  a  certain  occasion  there  was  a  yiolent  quarrel  between 
Count  Hugh,  so  often  named,  and  Balph,  count  of  Mantes 
father-in-law  of  Philip,  king  of  France,^  and  Hugh,  boldlj 
encountering  the  count  of  Mantes  with  inf(mor  forces,  was 
compelled  to  retreat.  In  the  flight  Bichard  de  Heudicourt, 
of  the  Yexin,  was  wounded ;  for,  urging  his  horse  to  foil 
speed  at  the  ford  of  the  river  £pte,  he  received  in  his  back  a 
sharp  thrust,  by  the  lance  of  a  knight  who  pursued  him. 
Being  carried  by  his  comrades  to  Neuf-Marche,  and  fearing 
he  should  die,  by  the  advice  of  Count  Hugh,  to  whose  £uxulj 
he  was  attached  by  militaiy  services,  he  vowed  that  in 
future  he  would  serve  imder  the  monastic  rule  in  the 
exercises  of  virtue.  He  therefore  sent  for  the  monks  of  St 
Evroult,  and  put  himself  under  the  government  of  Abbot 
Osbem.  Afterwards,  by  the  mercy  of  God,  who,  in 
different  ways  snatches  sinners  from  the  pit  of  de- 
struction, he  somewhat  recovered  his  health,  though  it  was 
never  entirely  restored,  living  for  seven  years  a  zealous 
member  of  the  order,  and  benefiting  the  church  in  Tarioof 

'  Kalph,  count  de  Ciesii  and.  \«\oys  xsasm^^kL  IQ62«  A^ei^  wife  of 
Henry  I.,  king  of  FraAoe,  oM  ^e^\xi  \WV, 


A.J},   1066.]      DEATH  or  ABBOT  OftBEBN.  457 

ways.  Haying  neither  wife  nor  child,  he,  after  his  being 
Wounded,  voluntarily  ceded  his  patrimony  in  the  Yexin  to 
the  church^  of  St.  Evroult,  and  procured  from  his  uncle 
Fulk,  and  Herbert  the  butler  (who  was  lord  of  the  fief),  afi 
well  as  from  his  other  relations,  the  entire  surrender  of  their 
interest  in  the  property.  His  wound  was  never  entirely 
closed,  and  there  issued  from  it  daily,  so  those  who  were 
witnesses  report,  as  much  matter  as  would  fill  the  egg  of  a 
goose;  he  zealously  observed  the  conventual  rules,  and 
cheerfully  performea  the  duties  of  his  order.  He  went 
either  on  foot  or  on  horseback  wherev^  he  was  ordered,  oti 
the  business  of  the  convent,  which  he  forwarded  botii  by 
word  and  deed  to  the  utmost  of  his  ability.  In  consequence. 
Abbot  Osbem  esteemed  him  more  than  the  other  monk*, 
imd  placed  entire  confidence  in  hiui,  ko  that  when  he  planned 
the  new  church,  which  he  commenced  building,  he  made  him 
the  overseer  of  the  works,  with  the  charge  of  the  expenditure, 
iand  the  superintendence  of  the  stone-cutters. 

At  the  instance  of  this  Bichard,  and  by  his  advice,  Abbot 
Osbem  undertook  a  journey  to  France,  and  made  the 
acquaintance,  through  his  agreeable  conversation,  of  the 
eloquent  Bobert,  and  of  Herbert  de  Serranz,  and  Fulk  da 
Chaudri,  with  other  knights  and  persons  of  ixiferior  rank  in 
the  Yexin,  and  took  possession  of  the  domain  of  Heudicourt 
for  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  with  the  consent  and 
approbation  of  the  aforesaid  nobles  and  their  neighbours. 
On  his  return  he  took  to  his  bed,  and,  his  sicknesi 
increasing,  he  caused  himself  to  be  carried  into  the  chapter, 
and  ordered  the  letter,  which,  as  before  mentioned  he 
addressed  to  Pope  Alexander,  to  be  distinctly  read.  This 
be  did  that  all  might  clearly  understand  that  he  had  not 
usurped  the  rights  of  Abbot  Kobert,  but  had  undertaken  the 
government  of  the  abbey  against  his  own  wishes,  but  in 
compulsory  obedience  to  the  will  of  others.  He  then 
strengthened  the  brethren  by  his  exhortations,  entreating 
bhem  to  regard  his  errors  with  indulgence,  and  to  cherish  his 
memory.  And  so,  having  made  his  confession  and  partaken 
of  the  holy  communion  of  the  body  of  our  Lord,  he  expired^ 
surrounded  by  the  monks  devoutly  chanting  litanies  for  him, 
m  the  sixth  of  the  calends  of  June  S^ik^  '^Lx^  \ssx>s^ 

1  May  27, 10««. 


458  OBDERicrs  titalis.  [B.in.cn.xL 

governed  the  abbey  of  St.  Evroult  five  years  and  tliiee 
months.  On  the  morrow,  Vitalis,  abbot  of  Bernai,  came  to 
bury  his  friend,  and  interred  him  in  the  cloister  of  the 
monastery,  near  the  church  of  St.  Peter,  prince  of  the 
apostles,  from  whence,  seventeen  years  atlerwards,  his 
successor  Mainer  transferred  his  remains,  with  the  bones  of 
Witmund,  his  companion,  into  the  new  chapter^hoose. 

Ch.  XI.     Death  of  JEdward  the  confessor — Duke  WilJMs 
preparations  for  the  invasion  of  England,' 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1066  [the  fourth  indiction],  in  the 
month  of  April,  there  appeared  in  the  zodiac,  for  fifbeen  days 
together,  a  star  called  a  cornet,^  which,  as  clever  astrologers, 
who  have  keenly  investigated  the  secrets  of  nature,  assert, 
portended  a  revolution.  For  Edward,  king  of  England,  the 
son  of  King  Ethelred  by  Emma,  daughter  of  Sichard  the 
elder,  king  of  Normandy,  had  died  just  before,'  and  Harold, 
Earl  Godwin's  son,  had  usurped  the  English  throne.  Ghiilty 
as  he  was  of  perjury,  cruelty,  and  other  iniquities,  he  had 
now  held  it  three  months,  to  the  great  injury  of  many 
persons,  inasmuch  as  his  unjust  usurpation  had  occasioned 
violent  animosities  between  difierent  families,  from  which 
mothers  had  to  bewail  the  loss  of  their  sons,  and  wives  of 
their  husbands.  There  is  no  doubt  that  Edward  had 
bequeathed  the  realm  of  England  to  his  kinsman  William, 
duke  of  Normandy,  announcing  it,  first  by  Bobert,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,'  and  afterwards  by  Harold  himself,  and,  with 
the  consent  of  the  English,  making  the  duke  heir  to  all  his 
rights.^    Moreover  Harold  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance 

>  This  celebrated  comet  was  visible  not  on\j  throughout  the  whole  of 
Europe,  but  even  in  China,  where  it  was  observed  for  sixty-seven  dayi 
It  appears  that  it  was  first  seen  in  the  west  of  Europe,  on  the  evening 
of  the  24th  of  April.     It  is  rudely  figured  on  the  Bayeux  tapestry. 

'  On  the  5th  of  January,  1066. 

'  Robert  Cham  part,  abbot  of  Jumieges  in  1037,  was  successively  bishop 
of  London  in  1044,  and  archbishop  of  Canterbury  in  1050.  Bang  expelled 
from  his  see  by  Earl  Godwin  in  1052,  he  undertook  a  journey  to  Rome  to 
appeal  to  the  pope,  who  decided  in  his  favour;  but  he  died  at  Jumieges  on 
his  return,  and  was  buried  there  on  the  gospel^  or  north,  side  of  the  dioir. 

*  **  Harold's  visit  to  Normandy,  which  we  are  inclined  tp  fix  in  the 
year  1063,  had  no  such  objed  «*  wttAw^^  asv  understanding  with  William 
far  Securing  him  the  ctown  oi  'E»tv^«sA  «.^t  "^\o%^^^w«a^^  ^^»iScw^«&,  <s!iir 
Anther  represente,  its  dea^u  )ae\xvfe  to  o\>\«fli  S^wi  v2«sfl»  ^\fi«.\«sSiawt  ya^ 


A.I).  1066.]  HASOLD,  KING  OF  EKGLAITD.  450 

to  duke  "William  at  Eouen,  in  the  presence  of  the  nobles  of 
iNormandy,  and  doing  him  homage  had  sworn  on  the  holy 
relics  to  all  that  was  required  of  him.^  After  that,  the  duke 
took  Harold  with  him  in  an  expedition  against  Conan,  count 
of  Brittany,*  presenting  him  and  his  retinue  with  noble  war 

nephew,  who  had  been  detained  as  hostages  at  the  duke's  court  from  the 
time  of  his  fother.  Earl  Godwin's,  revolt.  The  assertion  that  Edward's 
intentions  were  made  known  to  his  subjects,  and  received  their  concurrence, 
is  equally  unfounded ;  but,  notwithstanding,  we  have  no  sort  of  doubt  of 
the  reality  of  Edward's  intentions,  fomented,  probably,  by  Archbishop 
Kobert,  who  became  his  confidant.  It  appears  quite  natural  that 
Bdward,  brought  up  in  Normandy,  a  Norman  in  heart  and  manners,  and 
oontinually  surrounded  by  Norman  ecclesiastics,  should  prefer  bequeathing 
his  crown  to  his  cousin,  with  whom  he  had  so  many  common  sympathies, 
than  to  an  offset  of  a  family  with  which  he  waa  ever  at  variance,  and  his 
aversion  to  which  he  had  never  disguised.  Our  author  has  seriously  erred 
in  blindly  following  the  Norman  traditions  regarding  the  circumstances  which 
paved  the  way  for  the  conquest  of  England.  But  those  are  not  much 
nearer  the  truth  who  adopt  without  discrimination  all  the  counter  state- 
ments of  the  Anglo-Saxon  writers,  as  is  now  the  fashion." 

The  note  of  the  French  editors  so  well  represents  the  state  of  the  case, 
that  there  is  little  to  add  from  what  they  seem  to  suppose  an  opposite  point 
of  view.  There  is  little  doubt  of  Edward's  prepossessions  in  favour  of  the 
Korman  succession,  but  the  assertion  of  his  having  given  them  effect  by  any 
overt  act,  might  have  been  more  distinctly  disclaimed.  Edward's  consti- 
tutional prudence  and  timidity  would  prevent  its  being  wrung  from  him  by 
the  Norman  archbishop  even  in  his  last  moments,  nor  whatever  may  have 
been  the  value  of  either,  does  the  supposed  declaration  in  &vour  of  Harold 
rest  on  a  better  foundation. 

On  the  whole,  the  English  writers  nearest  the  times,  offer  little  iu 
opposition  to  the  account  given  by  the  Norman  historians.  The  Anglo- 
Saxon  Chronicle,  Henry  of  Huntingdon,  and  Roger  of  Wendover,  observe 
a  prudent  silence,  but  Florence  of  Worcester  and  Roger  of  Hovenden  say 
that  Edward  before  his  death  chose  Harold  for  his  successor.  Of  the  three 
competitors  for  the  crown,  probably  Edgar  Atheling  was  the  popular 
&vourite,  and  Malmsbury  states  that  Edward  had  actually  **  recommended 
him  to  the  nobility  as  the  nearest  to  the  sovereignty  in  point  of  birth." 

^  The  fact  of  William  having  wrung  an  oath  of  fealty  from  Harold  on 
the  holy  relics,  is  so  well  attested  that  it  is  impossible  to  dispute  it.  Harold 
himself  admitted  it  in  a  message  to  William,  reported  by  Malmesbury,  but 
took  the  ground  that  an  obligation  contracted  under  duress  was  not  binding^ 
Writers  agree  far  less  on  the  place  where  the  ceremony  was  performed. 
Wace  makes  it  Baieux;  our  author  Rouen;  but  William  de  Poitiers,  a 
contemporary  historian,  is  probably  right ;  he  fixes  it  at  Bonneville-sur- 
Tonque,  a  palace  where  the  duke  often  reuded,  and  near  the  cathedral  of 
which  William  de  Poitiers  was  archdeacon. 

*  Conan  11,  duke  of,  Brittany,  1040— l^i^S.    TVm^  Tetaaassi.  \3n^»^x| 
repreaenta  aeveml  curious  details  of  this  expe^lioiv. 


460  oxDXRicva  titalis.  [b.ih.  cfi.xi. 

hones,  splendid  armour,  and  other  gifts  of  Talue,  in  the 
presence  of  the  army.  This  Englishman  was  distinguished 
DY  his  great  size  and  strength  of  body,  his  polished  manners, 
his  firmness  of  mind  and  command  of  words,  hj  a  ready  wit 
and  a  variety  of  excellent  qualities.  But  what  availed  so 
many  valuable  gifla,  when  good  faith,  the  foundation  of  all 
virtues,  ^'as  wanting  ?  Betuming  to  his  country,  his  am- 
bition tempted  him  to  aspire  to  the  Crown,  and  to  forfeit 
the  fealty  he  had  sworn  to  his  lord.  He  imposed  upon  TCing 
Edward,  who  was  in  the  last  stage  of  decay,  approaching  Mb 
end,  by  the  account  he  gave  of  his  crossing  the  sea,  his 
journey  to  Normandy,  and  the  result  of  his  mission,  falsdy 
adding  that  Duke  "V^illiam  would  give  him  his  daughter  in 
marriage,^  and  concede  to  him,  as  his  son-in-law,  all  his  right 
to  the  throne  of  England.  The  feeble  prince  was  much 
surprised  at  this  statement;  howev^,  he  believed  it,  and 
granted  all  the  crafty  t3rrant  asked. 

Some  time  aHerwards,  King  Edward,  of  pious  menCioff, 
died  at  London  on  the  nones  [fifth]  of  January;  in  the 
twenty-fourth  year  of  his  reign,  and  was  interred  in  the  new 
monastery  which  he  had  just  built  on  the  weste]hQ  side  Of 
the  city,  and  at  the  consecration  of  which  he  had  been  pre- 
sent the  week  before.  His  body  was  laid  near  the  futar 
which  St.  Peter  the  apostle  had  blessed  with  the  working  of 
miracles  in  the  time  of  Mellitus,  bishop  of  London.  On  th6 
very  day  of  the  funeral,  when  the  people  were  bathed  in 
tears  for  the  loss  of  their  beloved  kmg,  Harold  caused 
himself  to  be  crowned  by  Airchbishop  Stigand  alone,' 
though  the  pope  had  suspended  him  frotai  his  functions  for 
certain  crimes,  without  the  concurrence- of  aiiy  other  bishops 
and  the  earls  and  barons  of  the  reahn.  When  th^  English 
were  apprized  of  the  bold  usurpation  effected  by  Harold^ 
they  were  very  indignant  and  some  of  the  most  power^ 
lords,  resolved  on  an  obstinate  resistance,  refused  to  offet 

1  This  i>art  of  Harold's  statement  which  alleges  his  being  aifiBanced  to 
Agatha,  William*8  eldest  daughter,  was  correct^  as  our  author,  coutradict- 
ing  himsolf,  admits  in  the  fifth  book  of  his  history. 

*  This  is  a  common  error  of  the  Norman  historians;  Harold  was  crowned 
by  Aldred,  archbishop  of  York.  Stigand  was  appointed  to  the  arch* 
bishopric  of  Cunteibuiy  iti  \Q5'6>  Wx  ^j^  \tf:^  QiVkVa&a  the  pall  from  Rome 
m  1058. 


A.D.  1066]         TOSTI&'S  BJTOLT  AKD  ^JJLE,  461 

liim  any  token  of  submission.  Others,  not  knowing  how  to 
free  themselves  from  the  yoke  imposed  upon  them,  which 
soon  became  firmly  fixed,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  consider- 
ing that  they  could  neither  depose  him,  nor  while  he  held 
the  reigns  of  government  set  up  another  king  to  tho 
advantage  of  the  realm,  submitted  to  the  usurpation,  coiiso- 
lidating  the  power  which  he  had  already  established.  In  i^. 
ehort  time  the  throne  which  had  been  iniquitously  seized 
was  stained  by  horrible  crimes. 

The  earls  Edwin  and  Morcarj  sons  of  Algar  the  first  of 
the  English  earls,  were  attached  by  the  strictest  ties  to 
Harold,  and  employed  all  their  efforts  to  support  his  cau^e, 
he  having  married  their  sister  Edith,  who  had  been  th^ 
queen  of  Grij£th  a  powerful  king  of  Wales,  to  whom  she 
bore  Blethyn,  his  successor,  and  a  daughter  named  Kesta/ 
Tostig,  however.  Earl  Godwin's  son,  finc&ng  that  his  brother's 
enterprise  proved  successful,  and  that  the  kingdom  of 
England  was  subject  to  great  oppression,  wa^  much  dis- 
tressed, and  determined  to  oppose  him  and  even  to  levy  war 
against  him.  Wherefore  H^arold  violently  deprived  ham  of 
his  father's  earldom,  which  as  eldest  son  he  had  held  for 
sometime  during  the  reign  of  Edward,'  and  drove  him  into 
exile.  Tostig,  thus  banished,  took  refuge  in  Elanderq, 
where  he  committed  his  wife  Judith  to  the  care  of  his 
father-in-law  Baldwin,  earl  of  Flanders,  and  then  hastening  to 
Normandy  strongly  remonstrated  with  Duke  William  for 

^  Edith  vas  not  married  to  Qriffith-ap-Llewellyn,  king  of  North  Walai^ 
but  he  had  a  daughter  named  Nesta,  who  after  running  oft'  with  Fleance, 
son  of  Banquo,  one  of  the  characters  in  Macbeth,  hy  whom  she  had  Walter 
$t6wart,  married  Tiahern-ap-Caradoc,  who  succeeded  Griffith  after  t^e 
death  of  that  king's  brothers,  Blethyn  and  Rhy  wallon.  Our  author  appears 
to  have  mistaken  Blethyn  for  a  son  of  Griffith,  because  he  was  his  imm^ 
diaie  successor.  Edith  seems  to  have  been  remarkable  for  her  great 
beauty.  She  is  called  in  the  Domesday  Book  Edeva  puichra,  Edeva 
fairay  while  the  name  of  Edded  regina  is  reserved  for  the  widow  of  Edward 
the  Confessor.  Nesta  had  a  daughter  of  her  own  name,  who  married  Ber- 
nard du  Neuf-March^. 

'  Tostig  never  obtained  his  father's  earldom,  consisting  of  Wessex, 
Sussex,  and  Kent,  which  was  granted  to  Harold  immediately  after  God  wm's 
death.  Tostig  succeeded  Siward  in  the  earldom  of  Northumbria,  Arom 
which  he  was  expelled  in  1065  by  the  indignation  of  the  inhabitants  at  his 
murders  and  exactions.  It  was  at  Bruges  that  hts  placed  blamG^MAidfis  %ax 
&ther*8  protection. 


402  OBBEBICrS  TITXLI8.  [B.xn.  CH-iO. 

Bnfferiiiff  his  perjured  Tassal  to  usurp  the  crown  of  "BnglMHi, 
which  he  pledged  himself  the  duse  would  secure  if  1^ 
crossed  the  clumnel  with  a  Norman  army.  These  princes 
had  heen  long  attached  to  each  other,  having  married  two 
sisters,  through  whom  their  regard  was  frequentlj  reTived. 
William  therefore  received  his  companion  with  open  anns, 
and  thanking  him  for  his  friendly  suggestions,  and  roused  by 
his  exhortations,  assemhled  the  harons  of  Normandy  to 
consult  with  them  puhlicly  on  what  was  to  be  done  with 
regard  to  an  enterpnse  of  such  vast  importance. 

At  that  time  Normandy  was  favoured  by  possessing  many 
accomplished  prelates  and  illustrious  nobles.  Maurilius, 
who  from  a  monk  became  a  metropolitan,  was  archbishop  of 
Eouen;  Odo,  the  duke's  uterin6  brother,  was  bishop  of 
Baieux;  Hugh,  brother  ojf  Jlobert  Count  d'Eu,wa8  bishop  of 
Xisieux  ;  "William  of  Evreux ;  Geoffi^y  of  Coutances  ;  John, 
son  of  Ealph,  count  of  Bayeux,  was  bishop  of  Avranches ; 
and  Ivo,  son  of  "William  de  Belesme,  of  Seez.*  All  these 
prelates  were  distinguished  by  the  splendour  of  their  noble 
extraction,  their  zeal  for  religion,  and  their  many  excellencies. 

Foremost  in  the  ranks  of  the  laity  stood  Richard,  count 
of  Evreux,  son  of  Archbishop  Bobert ;  Count  Bobert,  son 
of  "William  viscount  d'Eu ;  Bobert,  earl  of  Morton,  uterine 
brother  of  Duke  "William;  Bodolph  de  Conches,  son  of 
Roger  Toni,  standard-bearer  of  Normandy;  "William  Fitz- 
Osbem,  the  duke's  cousin  and  high  steward ;  "William  de 
"Warrene,  and  Hugh  Boteler ;  Hugh  de  Qrant-mesnil  and 
Roger  de  Moubray;  Roger  de  Beaumont,  and  Roger  de 
Montgomery ;  Baldwin  and  Richard,  sons  of  Count  Gislebert,' 

'  Maurilius,  archbishop  of  Rouen,  Sept.  1055— -August  9,  1067;  Odo, 
biflhop  of  Biueux,  1049 — February,  1099;  Hugh,  bishop  of  Lisieuz,  1049 
—July  17,  1077;  William  Fleitel,  bishop  of  Evreux,  1046— February  11, 
1066;  Geoffrey  de  Moubray,  bishop  of  Coutances,  April,  1048 — Febiuary, 
1093;  John,  son  of  Ralph,  count  of  Ivri,  bishop  of  Avranches,  Septembtf, 
1060—1067;  Ivo  de  Belesme,  bishop  of  S^ez,  1035—1070. 

^  Almost  all  the  persons  enumerated  were  relations  of  the  duke  of  Nor- 
mandy, besides  those  expressly  so  described  by  Ordericus.  Thus  the 
counts  of  Evreux  and  Eu  were  his  uncles  by  the  custom  of  Brittany ;  the 
standard  bearer  was  son-in-law  of  the  count  of  Evreux ;  William  War- 
renne  was  also  the  duke's  uncle,  according  to  the  custom  of  Brittany; 
Roger  de  Beaumont  and  "R.o^.ei  de  Motv\.%wHv«t'^'%  ^ther  were  cousins^ 
genntm  of  Duke  Robert ,  imd  BaXdmxi  de  1&a^\»  «sA'^«So»:^  ^<^^>s»!&£&& 
eouaotf-german  of  Duke  V^iiWam. 


A.D.  1066.]   PEELATES  AJSD  NOBLES   OF  NOBMANDT.  463 

•with  many  others  whose  valour  had  gamed  thepi  military 
distinction,  and  whose  native  sagacity  and  decision  in  coun- 
cQ  were  not  inferior  to  the  matured  virtues  of  the  Boman 
senate,  but  aspired  to  imitate  them  both  in  their  inde- 
fatigable constancy,  and  the  talent  and  courage  they  em- 
ployed in  conquering  their  enemies. 

All  these  were  summoned  bv  the  duke's  command  to  a 
general  consultation ;  and  upon  an  affair  of  so  much  import- 
ance  being  submitted  to  their  consideration,  opinions  were 
divided  according  to  the  differences  in  men's  minds.  The 
more  daring  spirits,  willing  to  flatter  the  duke's  ambition, 
encouraged  their  comrades  to  plunge  into  the  contest,  and 
were  for  engaging  in  so  great  an  enterprise  without  hesi- 
tation. Others  were  opposed  to  an  undertaking  of  so 
much  difficulty,  pointing  Out  to  those  wLo  were  too  venture- 
some, and  were  running  heaxllong  to  destruction,  its  great 
inconveniences  and  perils;  they  magnified  the  obstacles 
presented  by  the  want  of  a  fleet  and  the  dangers  of  the 
voyage,  and  alleged  that  a  handful  of  Normans  were  une- 
qual to  the  conquest  of  the  numerous  hosts  of  the  English.* 
At  length  the  duke  sent  Gislebert,*  archdeacon  of  Lisieux, 
to  Eome,  to  ask  for  advice  from  Pope  Alexander  on  the- 
state  of  affairs.  On  hearing  all  the  circumstances,  the  pope 
favoured  the  legitimate  rights  of  the  duke,  enjoined  him  to 
take  up  arms  against  the  perjurer,  and  sent  him  the  stand- 
ard of  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  by  whose  merits  he  would  be 
defended  against  all  dangers. 

Meanwhile,  Tostig  received  the  duke's  permission  to 
return  to  England,  having  firmly  engaged  to  assist  him, 
both  in  his  own  person  and  with  all  his  friends.  But  as  it 
is  written:  "Man  proposes,  but   God  disposes,"'  things 

^  Henry  of  Huntingdon  relates  a  curious  story,  the  gossip  perhaps  of 
the  day,  of  the  manner  in  which  the  malcontents  were  entrapped  by  Fiti- 
Ottbem,  the  duke's  fevourite,  into  giving  their  consent  to  join  in  the  expe- 
dition.— History,  b.  vl  p.  208. 

'  Probably  Gislebert  Maminot,  son  of  Robert  de  Courbepine,  and  who 
was  bishop  of  Lisieux,  in  1077;  as  he  was  much  trusted  by  the  duke, 
serving  him  in  the  joint  offices  of  chaplain  and  physician.  It  was  perhaps 
from  him  that  the  bishops  of  Lisieux  inherited  the  dignity  of  almoner  of 
the  dukes  of  Normandy,  with  the  important  exemption  attached  to  it. 

*  This  proverb  is  not  U)  be  found  in  the  bMe,  qa  out  ^^\}ci^\  «^\b&  Va 
intimato. 


'464  OBDSBICVB  TITALIB.  [b.HI.  CH.XI. 

turned  out  vcrj  differentlj  from  what  he  expected.  Por 
embarking  from  the  Cotentin,^  he  was  unable  to  reach 
BngUnd.  Harold  held  possession  of  the  channel  with  ft 
■laive  fleet  and  the  coasts  with  strong  bodies  of  troops,  in 
order  to  oreTent  the  enemy  from  landmg  in  the  kingdom  he 
had  treacherously  usurped  without  a  severe  conflict.  Tosti^; 
was  therefore  in  great  perplexity,  it  being  out  of  his  power 
to  make  a  hostile  descent  on  England  with  his  small  force  in 
the  face  of  innumerable  enemies,  nor  could  he  direct  his 
course  back  to  Normandy,  the  winds  being  contraiy. 
Driven  to  and  fro  alternately  by  winds  from  the  west,  the 
south,  and  other  quarters,  he  was  exposed  to  great  distress 
and  encountered  many  perils  while  wapderine^  over  the  seft, 
until  at  last,  after  severe  suflerings,  he  landed  in  the  domi- 
nions of  Harold,  king  of  Norway,  sumamed  Harfager.' 
Being  well  received  by  this  prince,  and  perceiving  that  he 
could  not  fulfil  the  promises  he  had  made  to  Duke  William, 
he  altered  his  plans,  and  thus  addressed  hioc^ :  ^  Great  king, 
I  come  a  suppliant  to  your  highness,  offering  myself  uul 
my  faithful  services  to  your  majesty,  in  the  hopes  that,  hy 
your  aid,  I  mav  be  restored  to  my  hereditary  rights.  My 
brother  Harold,  who  in  truth  ought  to  submit  to  me  as  his 
elder  brother,  has  treacherously  magnified  himself  against 
me,  and  even  presumed,  at  the  price  of  perjury,  to  usurp 
the  English  crown.  Bjiowing  therefore,  your  pre-emineDce 
in  power,  and  in  forces,  and  every  excellence,  I  earnestly 
entreat  you,  as  one  prepared  to  do  you  homage,  to  render 
me  your  powerful  assistance.  Humble  the  pride  of  my 
perfidious  brother  by  a  hostile  invasion  of  England;  and 
reserving  one  half  of  it  for  yourself,  confer  the  other  on  me, 
who  will  thenceforth  preserve  my  fealty  to  you  unbroken  as 
long  as  I  live."  The  ambitious  king  was  highly  pleased 
at  this  proposal.  He  immediately  ordered  an  army  to  be 
assembled,  warlike  engines  to  be  prepared,  and  the  royal 
'fleet  was,  during  the  six  months  following,  completely 
equipped.  The  exiled  wanderer  encouraged  the  Norwegian 
kmg  to  this  great  enterprise,  and  by  this  skilful  change  in 

^  Probably  from  Barileur,  about  the  time  of  the  spring  equinox. 

'-*  Harold  Harfager,  or  Hare- foot,  was  contemporary  with  RoUo,  and 
lived  a  century  befoie  lY\e«^«  \.vnve%,  \\.  -ww^  Harold  Hardraade^  or  The 
Hardy,  the  third  of  t\\e  ivamc,  viVvo  N^aa  Vvxi^  ^\  '^otwvj  ^^\s^\^v^_l066. 


A.D.  1066.]   PEEPAEATIONS  TOB  EBTTADIKG  ENOLAIH).  465 

liis  plans,  while  it  flattered  the  king  and  saved  himself  from 
being  treated  as  a  spy,  afforded  him  the  opportunity  of 
obtaining  revenge  for  ms  banishment  by  his  faithless  bro- 
tber. 

Meanwhile,  the  marquis  of  Normandy  was  making  pre- 
parations for  his  own  enterprise,  uninformed  of  the  disasters 
which  had  befallen  his  precursor,  and  had  driven  him  north- 
ward so  far  out  of  his  intended  course.  A  fleet  of  ships 
was  carefully  fitted  out  in  Normandy,  supplied  with  all 
necessaries,  in  building  which  both  the  clergy  and  laity 
rivalled  each  other  in  contributing  both  funds  atid  labour.^ 
Large  bodies  of  troops  were  raised  by  a  general  levy 
throughout  Normandy.  Eeports  of  the  expedition  drew 
many  valiant  men  from  the  neighbouring  countries,  who 
prepared  their  arms  for  battle.  Thus  the  French  and  Bre- 
tons, the  Poitevins  and  Burgundians,  and  other  people  on 
this  side  the  Alps,  flocked  together  for  the  war  over  the 
sea,  and  scenting  the  booty  which  the  conquest  of  Britain 
offered,  were  prepared  to  undergo  the  various  perils  and 
chances,  both  Tby  sea  and  land,  attending  the  enterprise. 

^  William  de  Poitiers  tells  us  that  the  duke's  fleet,  assembling  at  Dive, 
sailed  from  thence  to  St.  Valeri-sur-Somme;  and  it  is  therefore  probable 
that  bis  ships  were  built  and  fitted  out  at  Dive  and  the  neighbouring  ports. 
Taylor  has  published  a  curious  MS.  containing  an  account  of  the  number 
furnished  by  the  duke's  principal  vassals,  lay  and  ecclesiastic.  In  this 
muster-roll,  William  Fitz-Osbem,  and  Hugh  d^Avranches,  and  Roger  de 
Montgomery,  each  figure  for  sixty  ships;  Hugh  de  Montfort  for  fifty  ships 
and  sixty  knights;  and  the  other  barons  for  lesser  numbers^  varying  pro- 
bably according  to  their  means  and  zeal.  Among  the  quota  supplied  by 
ecclesiastics,  we  find  Remi,  afterwards  made  bishop  of  Lincoln,  on  the  list, 
with  the  modest  contribution  of  one  ship  and  twenty  knights,  while 
Nicholas,  abbot  of  St.  Ouen,  a  consin-german  of  the  duke's,  contributed 
twenty  ships  and  one  hundred  knights,,  and  Odo,  bishop  of  Baieux,  the 
duke's  uterine  brother,  no  less  than  one  hundred  ships,  the  largett  number 
rumiflhed  by  any  individual  except  Robert,  earl  of  Mortagne,  also  the 
duke's  brother,  whose  quota  was  one  hundred  and  twenty.  The  whole 
number  enumerated  mounts  up  to  782.  William  of  Jumieges  says  that 
William's  fleet  consisted  of  3000  vessels^  which  must  be  a  great  exaggera- 
tion, small  as  most  of  them  probably  were.  Guy  of  Amiens  reckons  400 
ships  with  large  sails,  and  1000  transports.  The  duchess  Matilda  furnished 
the  vessel  in  which  the  duke  himself  embarked.  It  was  called  the  Mora, 
and  had  lor  its  figure-head  the  image  of  a  child,  gilt,  pointing  with  its 
right  hand  towards  England,  and  having  in  its  mouth  a  trumpet  of  ivory^ 

rOL.  J.  H  H 


466  OBDEsicua  titalis.  [b.ih.  CK.xn. 

Cn.  XIT.  Mainier  appointed  dbhot  of  St.  JEvroult^  and 
Lanfranc  of  St.  Ouen — A  new  church  and  other  buildinyi 
erected  at  St.  Evroult—The  monks  farm  a/uf  reclaim  a 
barren  estate  in  the  Vexin. 

"While  these  transactions  were  taking  place,  Osbem,  alAofc 
of  St.  EvToult,  departed  this  life,  as  already  related,  and  the 
chapter  of  the  monks  consulted  the  duke,  before  he  crossed 
the  sea,  about  appointing  a  successor.  He  was  then  hold- 
ing a  council  of  nis  nobles  at  Bonneville.^  In  consequence, 
bj  the  advice  of  Bishop  Hugh  and  other  prudent  counsellors, 
he  chose  the  prior  Mainier,  and  invested  him  with  the 
temporalities  of  the  abbey  by  the  delivery  of  the  pastoral 
staff,  commanding  him  to  nave  the  forms  which  shoiild  com- 
mit to  him  the  cure  of  souls  duly  complied  with ;  all  which 
he  willingly  performed. 

On  the  same  day,^  the  duke  commanded  the  lord  Lan- 
franc, prior  of  Bee,  to  appear  before  him,  and  gave  him  the 
abbey  which  he  himself  had  just  nobly  founded  at  Caen  in 
honour  of  St.  Stephen  the  proto-maurtyr.  Lanfranc  was 
therefore  the  first  abbot  of  Caen,  but  shortly  afterwards  he 
was  promoted  to  the  archbishopric  of  Canterbury.  He 
was  a  native  of  Lombardy,  deeply  versed  in  the  knowledge 
of  the  liberal  arts,  gifted  with  benevolence,  generosiiy,  and 
all  the  sacred  virtues,  and  ceaselessly  intent  on  almsgiving 
and  other  good  works.  Indeed,  from  the  day  already  men- 
tioned, when  at  Bonneville  he  was  first  raised  to  rule  in 
the  church,  for  twenty-two  years  and  nine  months  he  was 
nobly  distinguished  for  the  good  to  multitudes  of  the  &ith- 
ful  in  the  house  of  God. 

By  the  duke's  command,  the  venerable  Bishop  Hugk 
conducted  Mainier,  the  Lord's  servant,  to  St.  Evroult,  and 
there  consecrated  him  according  to  the  statutes  of  the 
canons  before  the  altar  of  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  on  the 
seventeenth  of  the  calends  of  August  [July  16th].  Mainier, 
having  thus  taken  on  him  the  name  ana  office  of  abbots 

'  This  place  is  mentioned  in  a  note  to  ch.  xi.  as  a  &vourite  residence  of 
the  duke.  It  was  the  Tnost  centrically  situated  of  all  his  palaces,  and  was 
very  convenient  at  this  time  for  snperintending  and  hastening  the  equipMat 
oi  his  fleet. 

^  Probably  at  the  end  oi  June,  oi  >;5aft\i«^Tassn%^i^^'^^\.Q66, 


UP.  1066.]     MAHOBI  ABBOT  OT  BT.  XTBOTTIT.  4C7 

bred  worthilj,  administeriiig  the  goyemm^it  twenty-two 
'ears  and  seven  months  with  great  usefulness,  for,  by  Gt)d'8 
lelp,  he  made  great  improvements  in  the  monast^  com^ 
aitted  to  him,  both  within  and  without.  He  skilfdlly 
ucceeded,  by  his  kindness  of  manner  and  reasonable  argu- 
aents,'  in  satisfying  the  brethren  who  were  somewhat  dis- 
uibed  at  his  election.  They  had  selected  for  their 
governors  two  monks,  eminent  for  their  piety  and  their 
orudition  of  both  sorts,  Seginald  de  la  Eoche  and  Fulk  de 
3-uemauville,  and  were,  therefore,  at  no  little  variance  with 
he  abbot  who  was  set  over  them,  without  their  concuiw 
mice,  by  the  bishop  and  their  neighbours.  Often,  on  occa- 
icms  of  this  sort,  disturbances  are  made  by  the  worst  of 
>er8ons ;  for  while  the  perverse  strive  earnestly  to  give  the 
>reference  to  their  own  opinions,  regular  order  and  sounder 
»iinsels  are  hindered.  But  Almighty  Grod  extends  his 
K>werful  protection  to  his  church  in  all  difficulties,  cor- 
■ecting  those  who  are  in  error,  and  mercifully  lending  the 
dd  which  is  needed,  in  the  manner  and  by  the  persons  he 
leeth  £t.  His  good  providence  it  was,  as  will  hereafter 
ilftinly  appear,  which  rabed  Mainier  to  the  government  of 
2he  abbey  of  St.  Evroult,  standing  as  it  did  in  a  barren 
territory  and  surrounded  hv  most  worthless  neighbours. 
MJdnier  was  bom  in  the  adjoining  town  of  Echaudfour,  he 
wtLB  an  accomplished  scholar  in  grammar,  dialectics,  and 
rhetoric;  skilful  and  severe  in  eradicating  vices,  he  was 
sealous  in  inculcating  virtue  among  the  brethren.  A  dili- 
arent  observer  of  the  monastic  rule,  he  pointed  out  the  way 
)£  life  both  by  word  and  deed  to  those  who  were  committed 
bo  his  charge,  and  encouraged  many  to  work  in  the  liord'a 
mieyard,  both  by  being  their  leader  and  their  anxious  com- 
panion. 

Mainier  began  building  the  new  church  dedicated  to  8t. 
ICaiy,  mother  of  G-od,  St.  Peter  the  apostle,  and  St.  Evroult 
the  confessor,  in  which  are  seven  altars  consecrated  to  the 
divine  majesty  in  honour  of  his  saints.  For  the  old  church 
wliich  St.  Evroult  had  founded  in  honour  of  the  prince  of 
the  apostles,  when  Chilperic  and  his  nephew  Hildebert  were 
Idngs  of  the  Franks,^  was  much  dilapidated  by  the  great 

'  ^  It  has  been  remarked  before,  that  St.  Evroult  icAxmi  Vk  ^^  ^w*. 
iolitudes  ottkeiotmt  of  Qiicbe  about  the  you  56Ov^^A0^^Om«»^^*^^'^ 

H  H  2 


468  OBDEMCUS  TITiXIS.  [b.UI.  CH.IH 

age,  and  was  too  small  for  the  number  of  the  monks,  wbici 
was  continually  increasing.     A  building  of  stone  at  Oacb 
is  a  very  laborious  imdertaking,   because  the   quany  o 
Merlerault  from  whence  the  hewn  stones  are  brought,  ia  si: 
miles  distant.'     The  overseer  of  the  work  had  therefore  tb 
greatest  difficulty  to  procure  horses,  oxen,  and  carts,  for  tin 
transport  of  the  masses  of  stone  and  other  materials  re 
quired  for  so  large  a  work.    This  abbot  had  not  a  moment'^ 
repose  during  the  whole  time  of  his  rule  ;  but  by  his  grea 
anxiety  for  numerous  objects,  rendered  important  serrices 
both  to  the  community  then  governed  by  him  and  thei 
successors.      By   Good's  help  and  the  contributions  anc 
munificence  of  the  brethren  and  his  friends  he  complefcd 
the  building  of  a  spacious  and  beautiftd  church,  convenientlj 
adapted  for  celebrating  divine  service,  a  dormitory  and  re- 
fectory, kitchen,  and  cellar,  with  other  necessary  offices  fw 
the  use  of  the  monks.     Among  others,  Lanfranc,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  when  he  assisted  at  the  consecration  of  the 
church  of  Caen,  in  the  twelfth  year  after  the  war  witli 
England,'  remitted  to  abbot  Maimer  twenty-four  pounds  oj 
English  money  and  two  marks  of  gold,  and  he  afterwards  sent 
over  from  Canterbury  forty  pounds  sterling  by  the  hands 
of  the  lord  Roger  de  Sap,  who  was  known  and  esteemed  by 
him  for  his  learning.     With  these  donations   the  abbe; 
tower  was  carried  up,  and  the  dormitory  for  the  monkfi 
built.     Queen  Matilda  gave  a  rich  mitre  and  cope  for  divine 
service,  and  one  hundred  pounds  of  Bouen  currency  to 
build  the  refectory.     William  de  Bos,  clerk  of  Baieux,  who 
held  three  dignities  in  that  church,  being  precentor,  dean, 
and  archdeacon,'  gave  forty  pounds  sterling  to  the  monks 
of  St.  Evroult.      Not  long  afterwards  he  voluntarily  relin- 

of  December,  596.  If  he  built  his  church  during  the  reigns  of  Childeric 
and  his  nephew  Childebert,  it  must  have  been  some  time  between  the  year 
575,  when  Childeric  succeeded  his  &ther,  and  the  autumn  of  584^  in  which 
Childebert  was  assassinated. 

*  The  quarries  of  Meflerault  here  mentioned  are  about  9000  toises  from 
St.  Evroult.  The  miles,  therefore,  must  be  about  1500  toises  (of  two 
English  yards  each)  long,  or  three  quarters  of  a  post  league.  The  roads 
must  have  indeed  been  almost  impracticable  at  that  time  in  a  countijr  so 
intersected  with  forests  and  swamps. 

*  This  consecration  -was  '^itorctted  otv  live  1 3th  of  September,  1077. 
•  *  Afterward*  the  ttiVida>)\kA.ot^^cKnv^,fe«oiVJf\^\a\\^R, 


.  1066 — 1089.]   ACTS   OF  ABBOT   MAGTIEB.  4G9 

^hed  the  grandeur  of  the  world,  and  became  a  monk  at 
m,  from  whence  he  was  preferred  to  the  government 
:he  abbey  of  Pecamp  before  he  had  completed  the  first 
r  of  his  monastic  profession.     His  name  is  inscribed  in 

register  of  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult,  for  the  many 
efits  he  conferred  on  the  abbey,  and  masses,  prayers, 

alms  were  appointed  for  him  as  if  he  had*been  a  orother 
:e  professed.  It  was  by  the  help  of  these  and  other 
tributors  that  the  fabric  of  the  new  church  was  raised, 

the  work  begun  both  in  that  and  the  abbey  buildings 

nobly  finished. 

)uring  the  government  of  abbot  Maimer,  ninety  monks 
arious  ranks  and  conditions,  whose  names  are  mscribed 
:he  general  register,  put  off  the  secular  habit  in  the 
)ol  of  St.  Evroult,  and  inspired  by  the  counsels  and 
uple  of  excellent  men,  undertook  to  walk  in  the  difficult 
1  which  leads  to  salvation.  Some  of  these  obtained  the 
le  of  their  holy  conversation  during  the  lifetime  of  their 
Brable  father ;  others  remained  longer  in  their  religious 
rse  steadfastly  maintaining  a  protracted  contest,  and 
ving  to  render  themselves  acceptable  to  Qod  by  their 
^ers,  and  usefiil  to  men  by  their  good  works.  Some  who 
e  of  noble  families  contributed  largely  t-o  the  support  of 
monastery,  and  procured  from  their  relations,  acquaint- 
e,  and  friends,  donations  of  tithes  and  churches  and 
esiastical  ornaments  for  the  use  of  the  brethren.  It  is 
;e  out  of  my  power  to  describe  particularly  the  gifts 
le  by  each  individual  to  their  cherished  abbey,  but  I  wish 
1  God's  help,  to  record  some  of  them  faithfully,  as  fer 
ny  opportimities  of  reference  permit,  for  the  general 
i  and  the  information  of  posterify. 
!oger  de  Hautrive,  the  senior  monk,  by  order  of  abbot 
aier,  went  into  the  Vexin  to  take  possession  of  Heudi- 
rt,  the  domain  which  the  woimded  knight  gave  to  St. 
oul^,  as  I  have  before  related,  but  he  foimd  the  land 
ultivated,  and  almost  a  desert.  In  the  first  place  he 
ited  an  oratory  with  boughs  of  trees  in  honour  of  St. 
holas,  bishop  of  Myrrha,  from  whence  the  village  which 
'  stands  on  the  spot  is  called  by  the  inhabitants  to  this 

the  chapel  of  St.  Jficholas.    tt  oiteiL  \iSL\j^'«i^^  \s^  '^^ 
t  that  while  Soger  de  Hautrive,  aa  \ie  >DMXia^\iSfc^  ^»^ 


470  OBDXBICUS  TITALI8.  [B.m.  CE.III. 

lelftte,  was  singing  matins  in  his  chapel  of  bou^ha  a  woff 
took  his  station  without,  and  as  it  were,  responded  to  the 
chant  bj  his  howlinnj.     This  venerable  man,  divinely  si^ 

S)rted,  attached  to  himself  hj  ties  of  regard  Herbert  the 
utler,  who  after  the  death  of  his  cousin  Herbert,  who  was 
brother  of  Bichard  the  wounded  knight,  gave  one  moiety 
of  his  fief  to*  St.  Evroult.  There  £oger  de  Hautrire 
laboured,  with  the  assistance  of  his  generous  friend,  until 
]ie  had  brought  under  cultivation  the  land  which  for  a  kng 
season  had  been  deserted  on  account  of  the  war  and  o^ha 
calamities ;  and  there  Boger  de  Sap,  after  some  ye»s  soe* 
ceeding  the  former  senior  monk,  began  the  building  of  a 
church  of  stone.  The  before  mentioned  knight  (Herbert 
the  Butler)  had  great  power  in  the  Yexin,  and  being  pos- 
sessed of  great  wealth  and  surrounded  by  sons  and  vauant 
relations  and  kinsman  was  exalted  above  almoet  all  bis 
neighbours.  His  wife's  name  was  Bolaode,  daughter  of 
Odo  de  Chaumont,  who  bore  him  Godfrey  and  Peter,  John 
and  Walo,  with  several  daughters,  by  whom  be  had  » 
numerous  posterity.  The  father  and  brothers  of  whom  we 
are  speaking  were  all  knights  of  distinguished  courage,  and, 
as  far  as  outward  appearances,  of  approved  conduct  both 
towards  Gtod  and  man.  The  mother  has  been  all  her  life  of 
exemplary  virtue,  being  still  living,  though  her  husband  and 
children  are  numbered  with  the  dead.  By  the  kindness 
and  assistance  of  this  family,  the  chapel  of  St.  Nicholas,  the 
bishop,  was  erected,  with  a  convenient  house  for  the  monks, 
who  live  regularly  and  cultivate  peace  ^  and  so  it  remains  to 
the  present  day. 

At  the  same  time  Fulk,  son  of  Balph  de  Chaudrei,  bad 
the  greatest  regard  for  the  venerable  JRoger  '[de  Hautrive] 
on  account  of  his  many  virtues,  so  that  he  begged  him 
kindly  to  be  sponsor  for  his  son  at  the  holy  font  of  baptism, 
which  he  willingly  imdertook.  Their  acquaintance  and 
regard  gradually  increasing,  he  granted  to  his  gossip  the 
church  of  St.  Martin  de  Fames,  the  parish  churchy  at  which 
a  congregation  was  assembled  from  seven  neighbouring  vil- 
lages on  appointed  days  to  offer  prayers  to  Gk^d,  and  to  hear 
his  praises  and  -precepts  in  a  becoming  manner.  The 
worthy  father  commg  ^  "Pajciaft^^^xiiiB.^  ^^\i.  the  consent  of 
TVaacelin  bia  brotYker^  ^^e  \,o  ^^.^Sn^kj^  ^^  ^^kjqs.^^^^ 


A.l>.  1066 — 1089.]  PAEITES  aEAJSTED  TO  ST.  ETBOULT.        471 

aH  the  dues  belonging  to  it,  and  one  plough-land  in  the 
same  vill,  and  the  tithes  of  his  plough,  with  two  houses  and 
one  mill  called  Barre-chemin,  He  also  gave  to  the  monks 
the  archdeaconry  which  he  held  in  fee  of  the  archbishop  of 
]Bouen  by  inheritance  from  his  ancestors,  and  he  also 
granted  to  the  monks  the  lordship  of  all  the  householders  in 
Pames,  on  condition  that  if  they  made  any  defeasance  to  the 
lords,  they  should  not  forfeit  their  houses,  but  be  mulct  in 
some  other  way.  The  inhabitants  of  Fames  ^  were  delighted 
at  haying  the  monks  for  their  lords,  hoping  that  imder  their 
protection  they  should  be  safe  from  the  inroads  of  the  Nor- 
mans in  the  neighbourhood,  from  which  they  frequently 
suffered.  In  the  course  of  time,  when  Goisbert  the  phy- 
sician was  prior,  Pulk  gave  the  ground  for  the  cemetery  to 
promote  the  building  of  a  new  church.  The  foundations 
were  then  laid,  but  the  work  proceeded  slowly  through  many 
hindrances  for  twenty-four  years,  and  is  not  yet  completed.' 
Pjolk,  the  knight  I  am  now  speaking  of^  was  brave  and 
Mgh-spirited,  ardent  in  all  his  enterprises,  irascible  and  fierce 
when  roused  to  arms.  He  was  very  ready  to  lay  violent  hands 
on  the  property  of  others,  and  imprudently  scatter  his  own 
in  order  to  gain  the  empty  honour  of  being  accounted 
liberal.  He  took  to  wife  Ita,  daughter  of  Heremar  de  Pon- 
toifie,  by  whom  he  had  Walter  and  Maimer,  Hugh  and 
G^rvase,  Hermar  and  Fulk,  with  a  daughter  named  Luxovie. 
Maimer  and  Fulk  were  devoted  from  their  infEmcy  to  a  mo- 
nastic life,  but  the  other  four  sons  followed  the  career  of 
arms. 

!Fulk's  character  being,  as  I  have  observed,  so  unstable, 
he  sometimes  honoured  the  monks,  and  stoutly  defended 
them  against  all  adversaries,  while  at  other  times  he  griev- 
ously oppressed  them.  There  lived  at  Fames,  serving  Qod 
under  the  monastic  rule,  the  old  Boger  and  Groisbert  the 
physician,  Eobert  the  Bald,  John  and  Isemberd,  with  several 
others,  of  whom  Bernard,  sumamed  Michael,  and  Seginald, 

^  Fames,  near  St  Qair-flur-Epte.    See  note  on  the  ramah  of  the 
church,  b.  iU.  c  5. 

*  The  date  to  be  asa^ed  to  the  erection  of  this  remarkable  dmrch  if  a 
qnestion  of  some  importance  in  the  history  of  art,  as  the  apae,  l&e  thai  of 
St,  CIaii^8Dr-£pte,  is  poljgonal,  and  not  BemimcaW,  ^w^  ««Mt»K^>». 
tbe  cburcbm  of  Normandy, 


472  0BDERICU8  TXTALI8.  [b.IH.  CH.Xm. 

Theodoric,  and  Walter  the  Bald,  with  William  of  Caen,  snr- 
namcd  Alexander,  after  spending  their  lives  devoted  to  pious 
offices,  ended  them  there,  and  were  there  interred  with  great 
veneration.  The  grant  of  all  that  Fulk  gave  to  the  monks 
was  coutlruied  by  Itubcrt  the  Eloquent,  of  Chaumont,  who 
had  the  lordship  in  chief.  Not  long  afterwards,  while  this 
Bobert  was  carrying  off  the  booty  which  he  had  collected 
with  violence  on  the  lands  of  St.  Ouen,  he  fell  from  his 
horse  in  full  armour,  and,  his  helmet  fixing  in  the  ground, 
broke  his  neck  and  he  perished  miserably.  His  body  was  in- 
terred by  abbot  ^lainier  near  L*  Aillerie  in  the  chapter-house 
of  the  monks  of  Flavigni,  residing  there.  His  sons  Osmond 
do  Chaumont,  Guazon  dc  Poix,  and  Bobert  de  Beauvais, 
confirmed  to  St.  Evroult  all  that  their  ancestors  had  given 
and  granted  to  the  abbey,  as  before  related. 

In  this  manner  the  monks  of  St.  Evroult  obtained  tb9 
church  of  Parnes,  which  was  a  very  ancient  structure  dedi- 
cated to  St.  Martin,  metropolitan  [archbishop]  of  Tours,  and 
in  which  the  remains  of  St.  Judoc,  confessor  of  Chris^  are 
reverently  preserved  to  the  present  day.  Who  he  was,  and 
whence  he  came,  I  shall  briefly  write  in  a  short  passage  of 
this  history,  faithfully  making  extracts  from  a  book  contain- 
ing an  account  of  his  holy  life. 

Ch.  XIII.     Legend  of  fit,  JudoCy  or  Joste^  a  Breton  seintj 

son  of  King  Hovoeh 

[About  a.  n.  650.]  The  blessed  Judoc,^  son  of  Juthail 
[Howel],  king  of  the  Bretons  and  brother  of  Eling  Judicail,' 
being  sought  for  to  be  elevated  to  the  throne,  relinquished 
the  pursuit  of  learning  to  which  he  had  devoted  himself  at 
Llanmelmon,  and  went  in  pilgrimage  to  Borne  with  four 
others.  However  Haymon,  diie  of  Ponthieu,  recognising 
his  noble  origin,  detaiued  him  on  the  road,  and  having  had 
him  ordained  priest,  made  him  his  chaplain.     Afber  seven 

^  St.  Judoc,  or  Jossc,  priest  and  confessor.  His  death  is  fixed  on  the 
13th  of  December,  about  the  year  668.  There  is  an  older  and  more 
complete  account  of  his  life  in  the  Acta  <SS.  Ord,  S.  BenuticH^  sac,  il, 
which  seems  to  haye  furnished  our  author  with  the  materials  for. his 
abridged  history  of  tlie  saint. 

^  Juthail,  or  Hoel  111.,  ^\vo  di\e^  \tv  ^^^,    JudicaiU  his  son,  abdicated 
Ib  638,  and  died  in  the  odout  ol  aaxvc\iVj  ^^  'l^  ^l\i«»saE&*»,^^, 


BEPOBE  668.]  LEGEITD   OF   ST.  JUDOC.  473 

-  years  Judoc  became  a  hermit  at  La  Broie  on  the  river  Autio, 
where  he  served  Gtod  eight  years,  and  fed  with  the  hand 
several  sorts  of  birds  and  small  fishes,  like  domestic  animals; 
At  one  time  when  he  had  only  one  loaf,  and  divided  it 
among  four  poor  persons,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of 
his  servant  Vulmar,  God  sent  him  four  small  boats  laden 
with  provisions  on  the  river  Autio.  He  aftenvards  built  an 
oratory  in  honour  of  St.  Martin  at  Euniac  on  the  river 
Canche,^  where  he  lived  fourteen  years.  One  day  an  eagle 
carried  off  eleven  hens,  and  the  cock  last ;  the  man  of  Gfod 
made  the  sign  of  the  cross  accompanied  by  a  prayer,  when 
the  eagle,  shortly  returning,  brought  back  the  cock  and 
presently  expired.  Once  when  Judoc,  in  company  with  Duke 
Haimon,  was  searching  for  a  suitable  habitation  in  a  thick 
wood,  the  duke  was  very  thirsty,  and  weary  with  hunting  he 
fell  asleep,  during  which  the  man  of  G^od  planted  his 
walking  staff  in  the  ground  and  offering  a  prayer,  a  spring 
burst  forth  on  the  spot.  Sick  folk  resort  there  and  vene- 
rating the  saint,  drink  the  water,  and  are  quickly  cured.  The 
servant  of  God  constructed  in  the  wood  with  his  own  hands 
two  oratories  of  timber ;  one  he  dedicated  to  St.  Peter  the 

^  bearer  of  the  keys  of  heaven,  the  other  to  the  eloquent 
St.  Paul.  He  afterwards  went  to  Eome,  from  whence  he 
brought  back  many  relics  of  saints.  Juliula,  a  young  girl 
who  was  blind  from  her  infancy,  was  admonished  by  a  vision 
to  bathe  her  eyes  in  the  water  wherewith  Judoc  had 
washed  his  hands,  and  upon  her  so  doing  recovered  her 
sight.  This  happened  whUe  the  man  of  God  was  returning 
from  Eome,  and  a  cross  of  wood  being  raised  on  the  spot  the 
place  was  called  La  Croix. 

Meanwhile,  in  the  absence  of  Judoc  at  Eome,  Duke 
Haimon  caused  a  church  of  stone  to  be  erected  in  the  wil- 
derness where  the  hermit  had  dwelt,  and  on  his  return 
caused  it  to  be  dedicated  to  the  honour  of  St.  Martin,  and 
gave  for  its  endowment  a  certain  vill  in  his  domains,  with  all 
its  appiirtenances.  Judoc,  the  faithful  champion  for  Gt)d, 
there  maintained  a  long  warfare,  and  after  happily  ending 
the  course  of  his  holy  life  departed  to  Christ  on  the  ides 
[13th]  of  December. 

*  Near  Montreuil,  at  a  place  now  caWed  Si.  3Q«n^  ^otdl  «dl  ^^^^ws^ 
dedicated  to  that  saint  which  was  built  there  in  ooanA  ol  \^«« 


47i  oBDBBicin  TiTAUUk        [mxou  OSLXm 

His  two  nephews,  Winock  and  Amoch,  succeeded  him^ 
and  were  accustomed  frequently  to  wash  the  body  and  dip 
the  hair  of  the  holj  man  whose  remains  long  continued  to 
•how  no  tokens  of  decay.  Drochtric,  Duke  Haimon*8 
successor,  had  often  heard  this,  but  he  did  not  bdieve  it. 
Kashly  determined,  therefore,  to  investigate  the  matter,  he 
mused  the  sacred  tomb  to  be  burst  open,  and,  looking  in, 
started  back  in  terror,  exehiiming,  "Ah I  holj  Judoc!" 
He  became  instantly  deaf  and  dumb,  and  his  whole  bodr 
was  paralysed  to  the  day  of  his  death.  His  wile,  struck 
with  alarm  at  her  husband's  calamity,  poured  forth  lamenta- 
tions to  God,  and  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul  gave  the  two 
villages  of  Crespiniac  and  Netreville  to  St.  Judoc  These 
events  took  place  in  the  time  of  Dagobert,  son  of  Lothaiie 
the  Great,  king  of  the  Franks. 

Isembard  of  Fleuri,^  at  the  command  of  Abbot  Herbald, 
wrote  to  Adelelm  the  monk,  that  the  body  of  St.  Judoc 
was  discovered  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  977,  during  the 
reign  of  Lothaire,  son  of  Lewis^  king  of  France,  in  the 
following  manner.  A  certain  peasant,  named  Stephen,  who 
gained  his  livelihood  by  being  a  miller,  being  admonished  in 
a  dream  by  one  clothed  in  bright  robes  left  his  wife  and 
children,  and  went  to  the  place  where  St.  Judoc  was  interred, 
and  there  became  a  clerk.  No  man  living  then  knew  the 
spot  where  the  body  of  the  saint  lay,  but  Stephen,  inspired 
by  the  vision,  began  to  search  within  the  church,  and  at 
the  suggestion  of  Pridian  Sigeman,  he  found  the  coffin  on 
the  right  side  of  the  altar  of  St.  Martin.  Thereupon, 
amidst  general  rejoicings,  and  while  hymns  of  thanksgiving 
were  sung  to  God,  the  coffin  containing  the  body  of  the 
saint  was  disinterred,  and  lifted  from  the  grave.  The  news 
of  the  discovery  was  quickly  spread,  and  multitudes  of 
people  hastened  to  witness  the  disinterment  of  the  holy 
remains,  and  to  make  their  prayers  and  offerings  to  the 
saint.  Many  miracles  were  wrought  on  the  spot,  and 
diseases  of  various  descriptions  were  there  cured.  At  last, 
on  the  eighth  of  the  calends  of  August  [July  25th,]  the 

^  Isembard,  a  monk  of  Fleuri,  flouriebed  ia  the  latter  pert  of  the  tenth 
and  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century.    On  the  dncoTery  and  trani' 
lation  of  the  body  of  St.  iowe  vii^l*\,^OtAiusPDk%  «(  hia  abb<^  lequetted 
thiB  writer  to  compoM  a  ^«  ol  VJmm  i^a^xm.  iwa*- 


A:.l>*  917^       BBLICS  OB  ST.  JTTDOC  TEAITSLATED.  4ff5 

body  of  St.  Judoc,  -wss  deposited  with  great  reverence  orer 
the  altar  of  St.  Martin. 

The  very  sam^  year,  the  foundations  of  a  monastery  were 
laid  on  that  spot,  means  were  taken  for  settling  the  order 
of  monks,  and  the  venerable  Sigebrandwas  appointed  abbot. 
One  night,  while  the  body  of  St.  Judoc  was  deposited  in  the 
church  of  St.  Peter,  there  were  seven  tapers  before  the 
remains,  one  of  which  only  was  lighted  by  the  sacristan,  but 
while  the  guardians  of  the  holy  relics  were  asleep,  the  other 
six  candles  were  lighted  by  fire  from  heaven.  So,  on 
another  occasion,  when  the  body  of  St.  Judoc  was  in  his 
own  church,  a  lamp  which  had  been  extinguished  by  the 
violence  of  the  wind  and  showers  of  rain,  had  its  light  mira- 
<3iilously  restored  in  the  presence  of  Sigeman. 

One  Sunday,  while  Pridian  was  celebrating  a  Bolenm 
mass,  a  certain  vassal  of  Count  Hilduin,  whose  name  was 
Gurembert,  was  full  of  evil  designs,  wanting  to  plunder  the 
church  at  his  will,  and  to  substitute  for  Sigeman  an  abbot 
more  conformable  to  his  purposes.  When,  however,  it  was 
read  in  the  gospel  for  the  day :  "  Why  think  ye  evil  in  your 
hearts  ?"^  the  wretched  man  was  smote  by  an  invisible  hand, 
and  began  to  vociferate  loudly,  and  being  struck  the  third 
time  by  the  power  of  God,  he  fell  to  the  earth,  vomiting 
clotted  blood  from  his  mouth.  Afler  mass  he  was  carried 
ont  by  order  of  Sigeman  the  sacristan,*  and  on  the  morrow, 
by  the  merits  of  St.  Judoc,  recovered  his  reason.  This 
happened  in  the  time  of  Hugh  the  Gh*eat. 

The  same  day,  a  woman  named  Ostrehilde  was  intending 
to  leave  the  church  after  mass,  but  her  feet  were  so  firmly 
fixed  at  the  threshold,  that  no  one  could  release  them ;  she, 
however,  felt  no  inconvenience  except  extreme  cold  from 
her  knees  to  the  soles  of  her  feet.  The  next  day  she  vowed 
to  become  the  handmaid  of  God  and  St.  Judoc  ;■  and  being 
immediately  relieved,  she  piously  kept  her  vow. 

It  is  related  by  the  monks  Adelelm  and  Bicher,  faithful 
reporters,  that  while  Stephen  translated  the  relics  of  St. 
Judoc  to  the  monastery  of  St.  Itiquier  during  the  erection 
of  the  church,  the  illustrious  Be^sende,  the  marriageable 
daughter  of  Alsinde,  suffered  great  pains  from  her  hips  to 

I  Matt.  ix.  4. 

'  It  Beema  thai  Sigebrand  and  Sigeman  wete  t^o  ^ckSL«E«Q&u  '^^^msq^ 


476  osDXBicns  titalis.        [B.m.  CH.xm. 

hor  feet  fov  two  yean,  bo  that  abe  could  not  walk  nor  eyen 
move  without  the  aid  of  a  atafT.  Havine^  prayed  with  faith, 
aa  woll  aa  her  mother,  before  the  relics  of  the  holy  confessor, 
she  was  cured  of  her  infirmity,  and  her  mother  was  so 
rejoiced  at  her  (laughter*8  recoTery  that  she  made  an  offer- 
ing of  a  neh  mantle  to  the  physician  who  so  quickly 
answered  her  prayers. 

While  a  man  named  Eobert  was  travelling  alone  at  mid- 
day, he  saw  the  spirit  of  error  in  the  shape  of  a  man,  and 
was  immediately  struck  blind.  A  long  time  afterwards,  he 
sought  the  tomb  of  St.  Judoc,  and  professed  himself  his 
sen-ant  before  Abbot  Guy.  The  same  day  blood  flowed 
freely  from  his  eyes,  and  he  recovered  his  sight,  and  at 
vespers  publicly  declared  that  he  could  see  the  monks  sitting 
on  their  benches. 

Gunzo,  a  pViest  of  Lorraine,  suffered  for  seven  yeais 
extreme  weakness  in  his  hands  and  feet.  Some  one  who  saw 
him  recommended  him  to  go  and  find  the  physician  Judoc 
in  Ponthicu.  He  hastened  to  follow  this  advice.  On  a 
Sunday,  about  the  third  hour,  he  entered  the  church,  and 
prayed  prostrate  on  the  pavement,  which  he  bedewed  with 
his  tears.  Having  finished  his  prayers,  he  rose  up  sound. 
Then  he  joined  in  the  mass  with  great  joy,  and  gave  a 
faithful  account  of  his  recovery  to  the  people,  with  thanks- 
giving to  God. 

Waldemar  of  Lorraine,  having  lost  his  right  eye  through 
sickness,  determined,  by  the  advice  of  his  friends,  on  a 
pilgrimage  to  St.  Judoc.  But,  missing  his  way,  he  happened 
to  light  in  company  with  his  friend  on  the  fountain  which 
Judoc  in  his  lifetime  had  caused  by  his  merits  to  burst  forth. 
Waldemar,  seeing  a  fountain  of  very  clear  water,  called  to 
his  companion  to  stop,  and  sat  down  to  rest ;  presently,  he 
washed  *hi8  hands  and  his  face  in  the  fountain,  and 
suddenly  recovered  sight  in  the  eye  which  was  blind. 
Thus  cured,  he  came  joyfully  to  the  monastery,  and  gave 
thanks  to  God,  surrounded  by  rejoicing  Mends. 

Two  demoniacs,  named  Maginard,  were  set  free  at  the 
tomb  of  St.  Judoc,  and  lived  long  afterwards  in  the  world 
with  sound  minds. 

Sieburg,  wife  o?  liex^iTaxi^,  «i.  Tt\«».  ^"^  ^v^xasiGiaTs.^  Wving 
been  subject  for  ten  mo\it\\^  to  ^  ^o^  Ql^^Ck^^^tt^-^V^ 


A.3>.  977 — 1031.]  MIBACLES  OF  ST.  JUDOC.  477 

nostrils,  was  conducted  by  her  friends  to  the  shrine  of  St. 
Judoc  to  obtain  a  cure.  She  offered  her  prayers,  but  no 
relief  immediately  followed,  and  she  left  the  church  sorfow- 
ful  and  full  of  complaints.  But  when  in  bitterness  of  spirit 
she  had  set  forth  to  return  home,  as  she  passed  a  cross  set 
up  by  the  way-side,  the  blood  ceased  to  flow  from  her 
nostrils.  Immediately  turning  back,  sHe  retraced  her  steps 
to  the  monastery  of  the  holy  man ;  and  her  thanksgivings 
liaving  been  offered,  she  was  entirely  healed. 

Bobert  de  Terouenne,  going  alone  at  mid-day  to  oversee 
Ids  work  in  the  field,  was  suddenly  seized  by  the  devil,  and 
tormented  to  such  a  degree  that  he  was  tempted  by  the 
adversary  almost  without  intermission  to  destroy  everything, 
and  even  to  devour  men.  His  three  brothers  therefore, 
having  kept  the  fast  of  the  four  seasons  in  June,  brought 
him  bound  to  the  tomb  of  St.  Judoc,  where  they  remained 
from  the  fourth  day  of  the  week  to  Saturday.  From  that 
time  the  afflicted  man  began  to  be  more  tranquil,  and  being 
restored  to  a  sound  mind,  devoted  himself  from  thenceforth 
to  the  service  of  St.  Judoc.  At  his  request  abbot  Guy 
ascended  the  pulpit  on  the  feast  of  St.  John  the  Baptist, 
and  related  the  circumstances  to  the  people,  pointing  out  to 
them  Eobert,  who  was  present,  and  publicly  testified  his  own 
deliverance. 

A  certain  man  of  ripe  years,  was  for  seven  years  so  deaf 
that  he  could  hear  nothing.  His  wife  brought  him  to  the 
tomb  of  the  blessed  saint,  where  he  prayed  for  a  while. 
Then  his  wife,  by  Pridian' s  order,  led  him  to  the  fountain  of 
St.  Judoc,  and  three  times  sprinkled  his  head  with  the 
-waters  of  the  fountain.  Presently,  returning  to  the  church 
he  heard  mass,  which,  for  seven  years  previously  he  had  been 
unable  to  hear. 

Isembard  de  Pleuri  at  the  request  of  Adelelm,  wrote  these 
accounts  of  what  happened  in  the  time  of  Hugh  the  Great^ 
or  King  Eobert ;  but  since  that  time  the  blessed  Judoc  has 
not  ceased  to  work  miracles  in  favour  of  those  who  offered 
him  their  prayers,  though  from  negligence  they  are  not 
recorded.  The  rulers  of  the  kingdom  being  changed,  and 
the  nobles  engaged  in  mutual  quarrels,  the  body  of  St. 
Judoc  was  again  covered  with  earth  from  fear  of  the  enemy, 
and  lay  so  long  in  conceahnent  that  all  those  who  were 


478  0KDIKXCU8  TITALIS.  [jl.m.  OH.ZHL 

oonoemed  in  it  for^t  where  it  was  deposited.  In  tbe  time 
of  Henry,  king  of  France,  when  the  monks  often  complained 
of  their  not  knowing  where  their  patron  saint,  the  blessed 
Judoc,  rested,  the  holy  remains  were  divinely  reyealed  to  a 
simple  layman,  who,  pointing  out  the  spot,  they  were 
solemnly  raised  under  the  superintendence  o[  the  ahoot  and 
brethren.  The  monks  then  admitted  the  disooverer  of  tbe 
sacred  relics  into  their  order,  and  made  him  guardian  of  the 
holy  body,  committing  to  his  charge  the  offerings  of  the 
faithful.  On  the  death  of  the  abbot,  his  successor  did  not 
esteem  the  sacristan  as  he  ought,  nor  treat  him  as 
ooiuteously  as  his  predecessor  had  done.  Whereupon  the 
sacristan,  being  much  aggrieved,  got  possession  of  the  holy 
relics  by  night  and  carried  them  with  him  into  fVanoe. 
Geoffrey,  lord  of  Gomerfontaine,  honourably  received  him 
with  the  treasure  he  bore,  and  appointed  him  master  of  the 
castle  church,  in  which  there  were  four  canons,  for  the  twm 
of  his  life.  Some  time  afterwards,  wars  breaking  out,  Hemy, 
king  of  France,  besieged  Gomerfontaine  with  the  strength  of 
the  French  army,  driving  out  Geoffrey,  and  setting  the  place 
on  fire.  But  while  the  devouring  flames  were  consuming  the- 
church  and  buildings  of  the  castle,  and  horrible  cries  w»e 
raised  by  the  assailants  and  the  besieged,  as  happens  at  snch 
times,  one  of  the  canons  took  the  bones  of  St.  Judoc  from  ik» 
tomb,  and  fled  in  all  haste  from  the  burning  edifices.  One 
of  the  king's  soldiers  met  him  on  the  bridge,  and  demanded 
of  him  what  was  the  burden  he  carried.  Upon  his  answering 
that  it  contained  sacred  vestments,  and  his  own  books,  the 
soldier  violently  stripped  him  of  all  he  carried,  and  took  his 
prize  with  him  to  the  territory  of  Pames.  The  man's  name 
was  Bobert,  sumamed  Meslebren,  that  is.  Mix-bran ;  he  was 
one  of  the  retainers  of  Ealph  de  Chaudri,  who  "was  at  that 
time  one  of  the  best  knights  in  the  French  army.  The 
soldier,  greatly  delighted  with  the  prize  he  had  made,  caused 
it  to  be  carefully  deposited  in  the  church  of  St.  Martin,  by 
the  priest  and  parishiomers,  where,  for  more  than  seveni^ 
years,  it  was  reverently  preserved.  Innumerable  miracles 
were  there  wrought  on  the  sick,  and  to  this  day  are 
frequently  repeated,  when  the  faith  of  the  supplicants  merit 
relief,  as  the  whole  ne^\i\>o\«\iWi^\ieaa»  witness. 

'William  de  Metlexa^^  a  ^«wsw5^«6  \s»Ki5.«B.\  "^^ss^^^ask 


AJ>.  1031 — 1108.]  BEUcs  x>r  st.  jtjdoo  at  fabkes.      ^9 

composed  an  excellent  work  on  the  translation  of  the  holy 
body,  of  which  we  have  only  here  given  a  brief  account, 
and  of  tlie  many  cures  of  the  sick  performed  at  Pames.  In 
this  book  he  truly  and  clearly  relates  all  the  wonderful 
occurrences  connected  with  the  sacred  relics.  Philip,  king 
of  Prance,  was  afflicted  with  fever  two  years,  nor  could  all 
the  skill  of  his  physicians  afford  him  any  relief.  At  the  end 
of  the  two  years  he  came  to  Pames,  and,  drinking  water 
made  holy  by  touching  the  relics  of  St.  Judoc,  he  spent  two 
nights  in  prayer  before  the  holy  body,  and  his  pains  ceased, 
and  he  recovered  his  health  on  the  spot.  In  consequence, 
the  king  made  an  offering  to  St.  Judoc  of  fifty  sous  of 
Pontoise,  and  granted  a  fair,  to  be  held  annually  at  Pames 
in  honour  of  St.  Judoc,  on  the  third  day  of  the  feast  of 
Whitsuntide,  confirming  the  grant  by  a  royal  charter.^ 

Besides  these,  many  other  miracles  have  been  wrought, 
and  continue  to  be  daily  performed  at  Pames  through  the 
merits  of  St.  Judoc,  of  which  some  are  recorded,  but  the 
greater  part  are  buried  in  oblivion,  from  the  negligence  of 
those  who  were  privy  to  them,  or  from  the  ignorance  of  those 
who  saw  or  experienced  them.  For  my  part,  though  I  must 
hasten  to  other  matters  which  claim  our  attention,  I  have 
most  willingly  collected  some  few  details  relating  to  you,  O 
holy  Judoc,  inserting  in  this  imperfect  work  notices  of  the 
heavenly  gifts  conferred  on  you,  and  devoutly  extolling  them 
so  far  as  my  limited  powers  permit.  I  beseech  you  there- 
fore, O  glorious  son  of  the  king  of  the  Bretons,  and  fellow 
of  the  angels,  that  you  commend  me  to  God  by  the  efficacy 
of  your  merits,  and  obtain  for  me  admission  into  the  society 
of  the  saints,  with  whom,  contemplating  in  his  glory  the 
Creator  of  all  things,  I  may  of£er  triumphant  praises  through 
all  ages.    Amen. 

^  There  are  no  traces  in  the  Froich  historians  of  this  pilgrimage  of 
Philip  I.  to  Pames,  nor  of  the  grant  which  resulted  from  it.  We  shall, 
indeed,  find  him  in  the  sequel  suffering  from  painful  and  disgusting  disor- 
ders, which  were  considered  as  the  punishmeat  of  his  adulterous  connexion 
•with  Bertrade  de  Montfort,  but  which  cannot  be  identified  with  the  inter- 
mittent fever,  which  is  said  to  have  be^i  the  cause  of  his  visit  to  Fames* 


480  OBDniCTB  TITIUB.  [b.IH.  CH.XIT. 

Cn.  XIY.  Invasion  of  England  hu  William^  duke  af 
Normandy — Battle  of  Stamford  bridge — JSattle  of  Hoit- 
ingi — Jfllliam  marches  to  Dover — Thence  to  JLondon^  where 
he  is  crowned, 

Ik  the  month  of  Au^^t/  Harold,  king  of  Norway,  and 
Tostig,  with  a  powerful  fleet  set  sail  over  the  wide  sea,  and, 
steering  for  England  with  a  favourable  aparctic,  or  north 
wind,  Imidcd  in  Yorkshire,  which  was  the  first  object  of  their 
invasion.  Meanwhile,  ILarold  of  England,  having  intelli- 
gence of  the  descent  of  the  Norwegians,  withdrew  his  ships 
and  troops  from  Hastings  and  Pevensey,  and  the  other  sea> 
ports  on  the  coast  lying  opposite  to  Neustria,  which  he  hni 
carefully  guarded  with  a  powerful  armament  during  the 
whole  of  the  year,  and  threw  himself  unexpectedly,  with  t 
strong  force  by  hasty  marches  on  his  enemies  from  uie  north. 
A  hard-fought  battle  ensued,  in  which  there  was  great 
effusion  of  blood  on  both  sides,  vast  numbers  being  slain 
with  brutal  rage.  At  last  the  furious  attacks  of  the  iEngUsh 
secured  them  the  victory,  and  the  king  of  Norway  as  well  as 
Tostig,  with  their  whole  army,  were  slain.*  The  field  of 
battle  may  be  easily  discoverett  by  travellers,  as  great  heaps 
of  the  bones  of  the  slain  lie  there  to  this  day,  memorials  of 
the  prodigious  numbers  which  feU  on  both  sides. 

While  however  the  attention  of  the  English  was  diverted 
by  the  invasion  of  Yorkshire,  and  by  GFod's  permission  they 
neglected,  as  I  have  already  mentioned,  to  guard  the  coast, 
the  Norman  fleet,  which  for  a  whole  month  had  been  waiting 
for  a  south  wind  in  the  mouth  of  the  river  Dive  and  the 
neighbouring  harbours,  took  advantage  of  a  favourable 
breeze  from  the  west  to  gain  the  roads  of  St.   ValerL* 

^  This  expedition  did  not  sul  till  tbe  month  of  September.  Tostig 
arrived  first  at  the  rendezvous  in  the  mouth  of  the  Humber  with  fifty  ships, 
but  was  driven  off  by  Earl  Edwin,  and  being  afterwards  joined  by  the  kiog 
of  Norway  on  the  coast  of  Scotland,  the  united  fleets  sailed  up  the  Humber 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  York.     Huntingdon*$  Hittory,  p.  209. 

'  The  battle  of  Stamford  Bridge,  in  which  Harold  of  Norway  and  Tost^ 
fell,  was  fought  on  the  eve  of  St.  Matthew,  20th  of  September.  The  earb 
Edwin  and  Morcar  had  engaged  the  enemy  Ave  days  before  at  Fulford 
Gate,  and  were  defeated,  the  invaders  retaining  possession  c»f  the  city  of 
York  and  the  neigWbounii^  couiiVr^. 

•  St.  Valeri-BUi-Somme.    Kccot^Mi%  \ft  ^^^^  ^  Ks£^seQa^*^Qi!^  ^^adL  was 


JlJ).  1066.]   THE  NQBMAN.prVASIQ^  QF  ENGLAND.  481 

"While  it  lay .  there  iimumerahle  vows  and  prayers  were 
offered  for  the  safety  of  themselves  and  their  friends,  and 
floods  of  tears  were  shed.  Por  the  intimate  friends  and 
relations  of  those  who  were  to  remain  at  home,  witnessing 
the  embarkation  of  fifty  thousand  knights  and  men-at-arms, 
-with  a  large  body  of  infantry,  who  had  to  brave  the  dangers 
of  the  sea,  and  to  attack  an  unknown  people  on  their  own 
soil,  were  moved  to  tears  and  sighs,  and  full  of  anxiety  both 
£oT  themselves  and  their  countrymen,  their  m^ds  fluctuating 
between  fear  and  hope.  Duke  "William  and  the  whole  anny 
committed  themselves  to  God's  protection,  with  prayers,  and 
offerings^  and  vows,  and  accompanied  a  procession  from  the 
church,  carrying  the  relics  of  St.  Valeri,  confessor  of  Christ, 
to  obtain  a  favourable  wind.  At  last  when  by  God's  grace 
it  suddenly  came  round  to  the  quarter  which  was  the  object 
of  so  many  prayers,  the  duke,  full  of  ardour,  lost  no  time  in 
embarking  ttie  troops,  and  giving  the  signal  for  hastening 
the  departure  of  the  fleet.  The  Norman  expedition,  there- 
fore, crossed  the  sea  on  the  night  of  the  third  of  the  calends 
of  October  [29th  September],  which  the  Catholic  church 
observes  as  the  feast  of  St.  Michael  the  archangel,  and, 
meeting  with  no  resistance,  and  landing  safely  on  the  coast 
of  En^and,.toofc  possession  of  Pevensey  and  Hastings,  the 
defence  of  which  was  entrusted  to  a  choSen  body  of  soldiers, 
to  cover  a  retreat  and  guard  the  fleet. 

Meanwhile  the  English  usurper,  after  having  put  to  the 
sword  his  brother  Tostig,  and  his  royal  enemy,  and 
slaughtered  thqu-  immense  army,  returned  in  triumph  to 
I«ondon.  As  however  worldly  prosperity  soon  Vanishes  like 
smQke  before  the  wind,  Harold's  rejoicings  fot  his  bloody 
victory  were  soon  darkened  by  the  threatening  clouds  of  a ' 
still  heavier  storm.  Nor  was  he  suffered  long  to  enjov  the 
security  procured  by  his  brother's  death ;  for  a  nasty 
messenger  brought  him  the  intelligence  that  the  Normans 
bad  embarked.^    Learning  soon  afterwards  that  they  had 

detained  five  days  by  contrary  winds,  and  as  it  sailed  on  Michaelmas  Dayi 
2dtk  of  September,  it  probably  assembled  at  St  Valeri  on  the  23rd  of 
tBat  month. 

"^  Henry  of  Huntingdon  informs  us  that  Harold  received  the  news  of 
the  disembarcation  of  the  Norman  expedition  at'  Hastings  on  the  same  dby 
on  which  the  battle  oi  Stamford  Bridge  was  fought,  whUe  he  was  at  dinner 

TOL.  I.  II 


482  OBDSBIOUB  YITALI&  [B.IXCH.Xn. 

actually  landed,  he  made  preparations  for  a  fresh  conflict. 
For  his  intrepidity  was  dauntless,  and  his  conduct  of  afOurs 
admirable,  while  his  personal  strength  was  great,  his 
presence  commanding,  and  he  had  the  arts  of  a  persuasive 
eloquence,  and  of  a  courtesy  which  endeared  him  to  his 
supporters.  Still  his  mother  Qitha,  who  was  much  afflicted 
by  the  death  of  her  son  Tostig,  and  his  other  faithful 
friends,  dissuaded  him  from  engaging  in  battle  with  the 
Normans;  his  brother,  Earl  Qurth,  thus  addressing  him: 
"It  is  best,  dearest  brother  and  lord,  that  your  courage 
should  bo  tempered  by  discretion.  You  are  worn  by  the 
conflict  with  the  Norwegians  from  which  you  are  only  just 
come,  and  you  are  in  eager  haste  to  give  battle  to  the 
Normans.  Allow  yourself,  I  pray  you,  some  time  for  rest 
Beflect  also,  in  your  wisdom,  on  the  oath  you  have  taken  to 
the  duke  of  Normandy.  Beware  of  incurring  the  guilt  d 
perjury,  lest  by  so  great  a  crime  you  draw  rum  on  youraeK 
and  the  forces  of  this  nation,  and  stain  for  ever  the  honour 
of  our  own  race.  For  myself,  I  am  bound  by  no  oaths,  I 
am  under  no  obligations  to  Count  William.  I  am  therefore 
in  a  position  to  fight  with  him  undauntedly  in  defence  of 
our  native  soil.  But  do  you,  my  brother,  rest  awhile  in 
peace,  and  wait  the  issue  of  the  contest,  that  so  the  liberty 
which  is  the  glory  of  England,  may  not  be  ruined  by  your 
fall." 

Harold  was  very  indignant  at  this  speech.  Holding  in 
contempt  the  wholesome  advice  of  his  mends,  he  loaded  his 
brother  with  reproaches  for  his  faithful  counsel,  and  ev«i 
forgot  himself  so  far  as  to  kick  his  mother  when  she  hong 
about  him  in  her  too  great  anxiety  to  detain  him  with  'her.' 
For  six  days  Harold  sent  forth  the  summons  to  call  the 
people  to  arms  &om  all  quarters,  and,  having  assembled  vsst 
numbers  of  the  English,  he  led  them  by  forced  marches 
against  the  enemy.  It  was  his  design  to  take  them  unawares, 
and  crush  them  at  once  by  a  night  attack,  or,  at  least,  by  a 

at  York,  which  was  impossible,  as  the  landing  was  not  effected  until  nioe 
days  afterwards.    Gut  of  Amiens  says  the  news  was  brought  by  an  en- 
witness.     William  of  Jumieges  agrees  with  Ordericus  Vitalis  in  stating  thit 
Harold  received  \l  m  Lnudoiu 
*  This  a[iecdo\ASaco^\e^«3km«\.^\«cJ\i^w^ 

Til.  ch*  35. 


A.D.  1060.]       BATTLE  07  HASTINGS.  483 

eradden  onset,  and,  that  they  might  not  escape  by  sea,  he 
caused  a  fleet  of  seventy  ships,  fuD  of  soldiers,  to  guard  the 
coast.  Duke  William,  having  intelligence  of  Harold's 
approach,  ordered  his  troops  to  take  to  their  arms  on  the 
morning  of  Saturday.^  He  then  heard  mass,  strengthening 
both  body  and  soul  by  partaking  of  the  consecrated  host ; 
he  also  reverently  suspended  from  his  neck  the  holy  relics  on 
which  Harold  had  sworn.  Many  of  the  clergy  had  followed 
tlie  Norman  army,  among  whom  were  two  bishops,  Odo,  of 
Bayeux,  and  Geoffrey,  of  Coutances,  with  attendant  clerks 
ana  monks,  whose  duty  it  was  to  aid  the  war  with  their 

Erayers  and  counsels.  The  battle  commenced  at  the  third 
our  of  the  ides  [14th]  of  October,  and  was  fought  despe- 
rately the  whole  day,  with  the  loss  of  many  thousand  men 
on  both  sides.  The  Nonnan  duke  drew  up  his  light  troops^ 
consisting  of  archers  and  men  armed  with  cross-bows,  in  tne 
first  line ;  the  infantry  in  annour  formed  the  second  rank ; 
and  in  the  third  were  placed  the  cavahy,  in  the  centre  of 
which  the  duke  stationed  himself  with  the  flower  of  his 
troops,  so  as  to  be  .able  to  issue  his  commands,  and  give 
support  to  every  part  of  the  army. 

On  the  other  side,  the  English  troops,  assembled  from  all 
parts  of  the  neighbourhood,  took  post  at  a  place  which  was 
anciently  called  Senlac,*  many  of  them  personally  devoted 
to  the  cause  of  Harold,  and  all  to  that  of  their  country, 
which  they  were  resolved  to  defend  against  the  foreigners. 
Dismounting  from  their  horses,  on  which  it  was  d'et^rmined 
not  to  rely,  they  formed  a  solid  column  of  infantry,  and  thus 
stood  firm  in  the  position  they  had  taken. 

Turstin,  son  of  Eollo,  bore  the  standard  of  Normandy.' 
The  sound  of  the  trumpets  in  both  armies  was  the  terrible 
signal  for  beginning  tne  battle.  The  Normans  made  the 
firat  attack  with  ardour  and  gallantry,  their  infantry  rushing 
forward  to  provoke  the  En£;hsh,  and  spreading  wounds  and 
death  through  their  ranks  by  showers  of  arrows  and  bolts. 
The  English,  on  their  side,  made  a  stout  resistance,  each 

1  Saturday,  14th  of  October,  the  day  of  the  feast  of  St.  Calktiu. 

*  About  nine  miles  from  Hastings. 

'  See  in  the  Roman  de  RoUy  t  ii.  p.  195,  &c.,  the  circumstances  which 
led  to  this  person  having  the  honour  of  bearing  William's  standaid* 
According  to  Wace,  it  was  the  consecrated  standard  seat  by  thA  v^9)^ 

1x2 


4M  OSBIBICUS  TITALIB.  [B.m.  0 

man  straining  his  powers  to  the  utmost.      The  hattle 
for  some  time  with  the  utmost  violence  between  both  p 
At  length  the  indomitable  brareiy  of  the  English  thn 
Bretons,  both  horse  and  foot,  ana  the  other  auxiliary  i 
composing  the  left  wing,  into  confusion^  and,  in  their 
thej  drew  with  them  almost  all  the  rest  of  the  duke's 
who,  in  their  panic,  befieyed  that  he  was  riain.    The 
perceiving  that  large  bodies  firom  the  enemj  had  broken 
ranks  in  pursuit  of  his  flying  troops,  rode  up  to  the  fug 
and  checked  their  retreat,  loudly  threatening  them 
striking  with  his  lance.  Taking  off  his 'helmet,  and  exf 
his  naked  head,  he  shouted :  **  See,  I  am  liere ;  I  am 
living,  and,  by  Qt>d's  help,  shall  yet  have  the  victory." 
denly  the  courage  of  the  fb|;itives  was  restored  by  these 
words  of  the  duke;  and,  mteroepting  some  thousan 
their  pursuers,  they  cut  them  down  in  a  moment.    In 
manner,  the  Normans,  twice  again  pretending  to  i^ 
and  when  they  were  followed  by  the  English,  sudi 
wheeling  their  horses,  cut  their  pursuers  off  £ram  the  i 
body,  surrounded  and  slew  them.   The^ranks  of  the  Eo^ 
were  much  thinned  by  these  dangerous  feints,  through  n 
they  fell  separated  firom  each  oth^ ;  so  that,  when  thons 
were  thus  slaughtered,  the  Normans  attacked  the  surri 
with  still  greater  vigour.    They  were  charged  home  bj 
troops  of  Maine,  France,  Brittany,  and  Ai^uitaine,  and  g 
numbers  of  them  miseraNy  perished. 

Among  others  present  at  uus  battle,  were  Eustace,  Cc 
de  Boulogne,  William,  son  of  Bichard,  Count  d'Evr 
G^eoff^ey,  son  of  Bobert,  Count  de  Mortagne,  William  I 
Osbem,  Bobert,  wm.  of  Bobert  de  Beaumont,  a  novic< 
arms,  Aimer,  Viscount  de  Thouars,  Earl  Hugh,  the  consta 
Walter  Giffiurd,  and  Balph  Tcmi,'  Hugh  de  Qrant-mei 
and  William  de  Warenne,  with  many  other  knights  illustri 
for  their  military  achievements,  and  whose  names  meri 
record  in  the  annals  of  hist(»7'  amongst  the  most  fam 
warriors.  I>uke  William  surpassed  them  all  in  courage  i 
conduct ;  for  he  nobly  performed  the  duties  of  a  gene 

I  Hugb  de  Montfbrt,  the  constable ;  Walter  Giffiird,  count  de  Loq| 
YiUe;  RoUo,  or  Ralph,  lord  of  Toni  and  Conches,  gtandaid  beara 
lionnaiidy. 


,JkJD.  1066.]  KISQ  HABOLD   SLAIIT.  4i85 

Btajing  the  flight  of  his  troops,  re-animating  their  courage^ 
their  comrade  in  the  greatest  dangers,  and  more  frequently 
calling  on  them  to  follow  where  he  led,  than  commanding 
theni  to  advance  hefore  him.  He  had  three  horses  killed 
mnder  him  in  the  battle ;  thrice  he  re-mounted,  and  did  not 
suffer  his  steeds  to  be  long  unavenged.  Shields,  helmets, 
and  coats  of  mail  were  shivered  by  the  furious  and  impatient 
thrusts  of  his  sword ;  some  he  dashed  to  the  earth  with  his 
shield,  and  was  at  all  times  as  ready  to  cover  and  protect  his 
&iends,  as  to  deal  death  among  his  foes. 

Although  the  battle  was  fought  with  the  greatest  fury 
from  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  King  Harold  was  slain  in 
the  first  onset,^  and  his  brother  Earl  Leofwin  fell  some  time 
afterwards,  with  many  thousands  of  the  royal  army.  Towards 
evening,  the  English  finding  that  their  king  and  the  chief 
nobles  of  the  realm,  with  a  great  part  of  their  army,  had 
fallen,  while  the  Normans  still  showed  a  bold  front,  and 
xnade  desperate  attacks  on  all  who  made  any  resistance, 
they  had  recourse  to  flight  as  expeditiously  as  they  could. 
Various  were  the  fortunes  which  attended  their  retreat; 
some  recovering  their  horses,  some  on  foot,  attempted  to 
escape  by  the  highways ;  more  sought  to  save  themselves  by 
striking  across  the  country.  The  Normans,  finding  the 
English  completely  routed,  pursued  them  vigorously  all 
Sunday  night,  but  not  without  suflering  a  great  loss ;  for, 
galloping  onward  in  hot  pursuit,  they  fell  unawares,  horses 
And  armour,  into  an  ancient  trench,  overgrown  and  concealed 
"by  rank  grass,*  and  men  in  their  armour  and  horses  rolling 
over  each  other,  were  crushed  and  smothered.  This  acci- 
dent restored  confidence  to  the  routed  English,  for,  perceiving 
the  advantage  given  them  by  the  mouldering  rampart  and  a 

^  William  de  Jumieges  says  that  Harold  made'a  night  attack  on  the 
enemy,  having  hastened  by  forced  marches  to  take  them  by  surprise.  Our 
author's  statement,  that  Harold  was  slain  at  the  first  onset,  is  a  gross 
xliistake,  it  being  universally  agreed  that  he  fell  pierced  by  an  arrow 
in  the  eye  after  sunset.  On  the  whole,  this  account  of  the  battle  is.  v^ry 
Tinsatisfaccory,  and  &r  inferior  to  the  picture  of  it  drawn  by  William  of 
Poitiers,  as  well  as  deficient  in  the  circumstantial  details  given  by  other 
historians. 

^  According  to  the  History  of  Battle  Abbey,  it  was  a  ravine  or  natural 
hollow,  which  long  preserved  the  name  of  Alaifossed  in  memory  of  this 
event. 


486  OXDBBICirS  TITALI8.  [b.  HI.  CH.ZXT. 

Buooession  of  ditches,  ihej  rallied  in  a  body,  and,  makiiiffa 
Budden  Btand,  caused  the  Normans  severe  loss.  At  mi 
place  Eugenulf,  lord  of  Laigle,  and  many  others  fell,  the 
number  of  the  Normans  who  perished  being,  as  reported  bj 
Bome  who  were  present,  nearly  fifteen  thousand.  Thus  did 
Almighty  Qt)d,  on  the  eve  of  the  ides  [14th]  of  October, 
punish  in  various  ways  the  innumerable  sinners  in  both 
armies.  Por,  on  this  Saturday,  the  Normans  butchered 
with  remorseless  cruelty  thousands  of  the  English,  who  long 
before  had  miurdered  the  innocent  prince  Alfired  and  his 
attendants ;  ^  and,  on  the  Saturday  bemre  the  present  battle/ 
had  massacred  without  pity  King  Harold  and  Earl  Tostig^ 
with  multitudes  of  Norwegians.  The  righteous  Judge 
avenged  the  English  on  Sunday  night,  when  the  furioiu 
Normans  were  precipitated  into  the  concealed  trench ;  for 
they  had  broken  the  divine  law  by  their  boundless  covetous- 
ness ;  and,  as  the  Psalmist  says :  ''  Their  feet  were  swift  to 
shed  blood,'*  whereupon,  '^  sorrow  and  unhappiness  was  in 
their  ways." ' 

Duke  William,  perceiving  the  English  troops  suddenfy 
rally,  did  not  halt ;  and  when  he  found  Count  Eustace  with 
fifty  men-at-arms  retreating,  and  the  count  wished  him  to 
have  the  signal  sounded  for  recalling  the  pursuers,  he  com- 
manded him  with  a  loud  voice  to  stand  hrm.  The  count, 
however,  familiarly  approaching  the  duke,  whispered  in  his  ear 
that  it  would  be  safer  to  retreat,  predicting  his  sudden  death 
if  he  persisted  in  the  pursuit.  While  he  was  saying  this, 
Eustace  received  a  blow  between  the  shoulders,  so  violent 
that  the  noise  of  the  stroke  was  plainly  heard,  and  it  caused 
blood  to  flow  from  his  mouth  and  nostrils,  and  he  was  bome 
off  by  his  conu'ades  in  a  dying  state. 

The  victory  being  secured,  the  duke  returned  to  the  field 
of  battle,  where  he  viewed  the  dreadful  carnage,  which  could 
not  be  seen  without  commiseration.  There  the  flower  of 
the  youth  and  nobility  of  England  covered  the  ground  far 

^  This  fiightful  maBsacre  vas  made  in  1036^  daring  the  reign  of  Harold 
Haiefoot. 

'  Our  author  continues  his  error  about  the  date  of  the  battle  of  Stamford 
Bridge,  which,  as  before  remarked,  occurred  on  the  20th  of  September, 
nearly  a  month  before. 

'  Psalm  xni,  3. 


Jk.T>.  1066.]  HAEOLD'S  body  nflEEEED.  487 

and  near  stained  with  blood.  Harold  could  not  be  dis- 
covered by  his  features,  but  was  recognized  by  other  tokens, 
and  his  corpse,  being  borne  to  the  duke's  camp,  was,  by 
order  of  the  conqueror,  delivered  to  William  Mallet  for 
interment  near  the  sea-shore,  which  had  long  been  guarded 
by  his  arms.' 

Inconstant  fortune  frequently  causes  adverse  and  unex- 
pected changes  in  human  affairs ;  some  persons  being  lifted 
£rom  the  dust  to  the  height  of  great  power,  while  others, 
snddenlyfalling  from  their  high  estate,  groan  in  extreme  dis- 
tress. Thus  Edith,  Earl  Godwin's  relict,  who  once  enjoyed 
iwealth  and  influence,  was  now  overwhelmed  with  grief  and  a 
prey  to  the  deepest  misfortunes.  She  had  borne  seven  sons 
to  her  husband :  Sweyn,  Tostig,  Harold,  Grurth,  Alfgar,  and 
Wulnoth.  They  were  all  earls,  and  distinguished  for  their 
handsome  persons,  as  well  as  what  the  world  calls  excellence; 
but  each  of  them  underwent  a  different  and  disastrous  fate. 
Alfgar  and  Wulnoth,  indeed,  feared  Grod  and  lived  according 
to  his  laws,  and  both  died  in  the  odour  of  sanctity  confessing 
the  true  faith,  the  one  a  pilgrim  and  monk  at  Eheims,  the 
other  at  Salisbury.*  Eor  the  other  five,  following  the  career 
of  arms,  they  met  their  death  in  a  variety  of  ways,  and  on 
different  occasions. 

1  There  are  various  accounts  of  the  circumstances  attending  the  finding 
of  the  body  of  Harold,  and  Uie  treatment  of  his  remains.  Guy  of  Amiens 
says  that  it  was  mutilated,  but  the  fragments  were  collected  after  the  battle 
by  the  duke's  order,  and  conveyed  to  his  camp,  wrapped  in  a  purple 
winding-sheet.  Some  of  these  details  are  evidently  inventions  of  a  later 
period,  but  the  rest  of  his  story  agrees  with  that  of  Ordericus  and  William 
de  Poitiers,  and  the  coincidence  of  two  writers  so  near  the  time  leaves  little 
reason  to  doubt  that  our  author  was  right  in  adoptmg  their  account.  It 
appears  from  Guy's  narrative,  that  William  Mallet  was  **  half  Norman,  half 
English,''  probably  one  of  the  Normans  already  settled  in  England,  and 
thus  better  qualified  for  his  melancholy  office.  A  legend  entitled  7%«  Life 
qf  Harold^  represents  that  king  as  having  been  found  on  the  field  of  battle 
among  the  dead  and  dying  by  a  Saracen  woman,  who  concealed  him  at 
TVinchester  for  two  years.  It  then  sends  him  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusa- 
lem, and  brings  him  back  to  England  to  spend  a  long  life  in  retirement 
and  austere  penitence. 

3  Our  author  has  omitted  to  tell  us  that  Wulnoth  passed  his  whole  life  in 
confinement,  from  the  time  he  was  sent  to  Normandy  as  a  hostage  by 
Edward  the  Confessor,  in  1502,  except  the  short  interval  between  his  release 
by  the  Conqueror,  when  on  his  death-bed,  and  his  being  again  condemned 
to  imprisonment  by  one  of  the  first  acts  of  William  Rufus. 


488  0BDIKICV8  TXTXXTS.  [B.in.CE.XIT. 

Tho  sorrowing  mother  now  oflTered  to  Duke  "William,  fw 
the  body  of  Harold,  its  weight  in  ^Id;  but  the  greafc  con- 
queror refused  such  a  barter,  thinkmg  it  was  not  right  iM 
a  mother  should  pay  the  last  honours  to  one  by  whose 
inaatiable  ambition,  vast  numbers  lay  unburied.  He  vmd 
orders  that  the  bodies  of  his  own  soldiers  should  be  buiied 
with  the  greatest  eare;  and  also  gave  all  the  English  win) 
applied  for  leave  free  liberty  to  bury  those  of  their  fnendfc 
Auer  providing  for  the  decent  interment  of  the  dead  the 
duke  marched  to  Eomney,  and  taking  it  by  assault,  re- 
venged the  slaughter  of  a  party  of  his  troops,  who,  hsriiig 
landed  there  by  mistake,  were  fiercely  attacked  by  the  ia- 
habitants  and  cruelly  butchered,  after  great  loss  on  M 
sides. 

The  duke  then  continued  his  march  to  Dover,  wboe 
there  was  a  large  body  of  people  collected,  because  tiiey 
thought  the  position  impregnable,  the  castle  standing  OQ 
the  summit  of  a  steep  rock,  overhanging  the  sea.  !Ae 
garrison,  however,  struck  with  panic  at  the  duke*s  ap* 
proach,  were  preparing  to  surrender,  when  some  Nanm 
squires,  greedy  for  spoil,  set  the  place  on  fire,  and  the 
devouring  flames  spreading  around,  many  parts  were  rained 
and  burnt.  The  duke,  compassionating  those  who  were 
willing  to  render  him  their  submission,  ordered  them  to  be 
paid  the  cost  of  rebuilding  their  houses,  and  their  other 
losses.  The  castle  being  taken,  eight  days  were  spent  in 
strengthening  the  fortifications.  While  he  lay  there  a  great 
number  of  soldiers,  who  devoured  flesh-meat  half  raw  and 
drank  too  much  water,  died  of  dysentery,,  and  many  more 
felt  the  effects  to  the  end  of  their  days.  The  duke,  lea^ 
a  garrison  in  the  castle,  with  those  who  were  sufifering  finoiB 
dysentery,  marched  onward  to  complete  the  sul^ugation  of 
those  he  had  vanquished.  The  Kentish  men,  or  their  own 
accord,  met  him  not  far  from  Dover  and  swore  fealty  to 
him,  delivering  hostages  for  their  allegiance.^ 

After  that  Harold  was  slain,  Stigand,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury,  and  the  great  earls  Edwin  and  Morcar,  with  tbe 
other  English  nobles,  who  were  not  engaged  in  the  battle  of 

}  According  to  Gvxy  oi  K.mwv%,  "^^-kox  ^tecMSBaad  no  less  than  fifl 
davs  after  the  batWe  mVift  ea.mv  ttX)\w9aft^«sA.\ffl^S.  >««5  v^\^^^^t&|{ 
a  deputation  of  \iie  inYiaVvXasxXss^V^  ^««««.Uffll'Q^^Vte^^\V5e^^§fiittu  \ 


A.D.  1066.]     EDGAB  ETHECIKa  ELECI^Biy  KLNO,  489 

Senlac,  declared  Edgar  Etheling,  son  of  Edward  king  of 
Hungary,^  son  of  Edmund  Ironside,  king,  and  gave  out  that 
thejr  were  resolved  to  fight  bravely  under  that  prince,  for 
their  country  and  their  nation  against  foreign  enemies.' 
Meanwhile  duke  William,  having  intelligence  that  they 
were  assembling  in  increasing  numbers,  marched  with  a 
strong  force,  and  encamping  near  London,  detached  fifty 
knights  and  men-at-arms  in  advance,  who  compelled  the 
troops  which  issued  from  the  city  ta  oppose  them  to  retreat 
-withm  the  walls,  after  losing  many  of  their  number,  to  the 
great  sorrow  of  the  citizens,  who  lamented  their  sons  and 
Sriends.  Eire  also  was  added  to  the  calamities  inflicted  on 
them,  all  the  buildings  on  that  side  of  the  river  being  burnt. 
"Whereupon  the  duke  crossed  the  Thames  and  marched  to 
Wallingford. 

Stigand  the  archbishop,  and  other  English  nobles,  met 
him  there,^  and,  abandoning  the  cause  of  Edgar,  came  to 
terms  with  William,  to  whom  they  did  homage,  and  being 
received  with  favour  were  secured  in  all  their  honours  and 
estates.  The  Londoners,  also,  being  better  advised,  now 
transferred  their  allegiance  to  the  duke,  and  delivered  to 
Hm  such  and  so  many  hostages  as  he  required.  Edgar 
Etheling,  therefore,  who  had  been  declared  king  by  the 
^English,  having  no  means  of  resistance,  humbly  surrendered 

'  The  pretensions  advanced  by  our  author  to  Edward  having  been  king 
of  Hungary,  have  been  already  refuted,  book  i.  p.  148. 

^  Ordericus  Vitalis  omits  to  mention  among  tiie  English  nobles  one  of 
them  who,  according  to  Guy  of  Amiens,  played  a  distinguished  part  on 
this  occasion.  His  name  was  Ansgard,  or  Asgar,  staliarhu,  constable  or 
master  of  the  horse,  who  had  the  command  of  London,  although  he  was 
afflicted  with  an  infirmity  in  the  loins  which  obliged  him  to  use  a  litter. 
He  it  was  who  conducted  the  negotiations,  the  duke  having  sent  him  a 
secret  message,  endeavouring  to  deceive  him  by  empty  promises,  and 
Ansgard  receiving  his  overtures  with  intentions  quite  as  insincere^  How- 
ever, the  treaty  was  concluded,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  English  party  went  in 
procession  to  William,  who  embraced  the  young  Edgar.  Domesday  book, 
and  a  MS.  of  Waltham  Abbey,  show  that  Ansgard  was  a  person  of  great 
importance,  and  that  the  great  number  of  manms  which  he  held  in  right 
of  his  office  were  conferr^  on  Geoffrey  de  Mandeville,  although  WiUiam 
Fitz-Osborn  succeeded  him  as  constable.  These  domains  were  in  Berk- 
shire, Middlesex,  Hertfordshure,  Oxfordshire,  Northamptonshire,  Warwick- 
shire, and  Essex. 

'  It  was  not  at  Wallingftfrd,  but  «t  BetVJl^wsr^ii^fcw^,  SJwal  "SST^^asssi. 
received  the  submisuon  of  the  Londonen  «D^l^ii\£caikiVst^ 


490  0BDSBICU8  TITALI8.  [b.IU.  CU.HT. 

His  person  and  his  kingdom  to  William.  This  young  prince 
was  of  a  mild  and  ingenuous  disposition,  and  being  a  kins- 
man of  kbg  Edward  the  Great,  as  his  nephew's  son/  the 
duke  afTectionatelj  embraced  him,  and  treated  him  all  his 
life  with  the  regard  due  to  a  son.' 

In  the  course  of  three  months,  by  Grod's  providence,  tran- 
quillity was  restored  throughout  England,  and  the  bishops 
and  barons  of  the  realm  haying  made  their  peace  with 
William,  entreated  him  to  be  crowned,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  English  kings.  This  was  the  great  aim  of 
the  Normans,  who  bad  encountered  great  perils  by  land  and 
sea,  to  procure  for  their  prince  the  ensigns  of  royalty ;  and 
this,  by  diyine  influence,  was  the  desire  also  of  the  native 
inhabitants,  who,  up  to  that  time,  had  only  giyen  their 
allegiance  to  crowned  kings. 

At  that  time  Aldred  was  metropolitan  and  archbishop  of 
York.'  He  was  a  great  loyer  of  justice,  of  mature  age, 
wise,  eloquent,  and  good,  and  distinguished  by  many  yi^ 
tues,  and  following  in  the  footsteps  of  the  fathers,  stroTe 
earnestly  to  be  received  with  fayour  by  the  King  of  kiogB. 
But  Stigand,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  was  too  much  en- 
gaged in  secular  affairs,  and  had  been  suspended  by  Pope 
Alexander  for  certain  crimes. 

At  length,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1067,*  the  fifth  indio- 
tion,  on  Christmas  day,  the  English  assembled  at  London 
for  William's  coronation,  and  a  guard  of  Norman  troops 
was  posted  round  the  abbey,  mounted  and  fully  armed,  to 
prevent  any  treasonable  and  seditious  attempt.  Then,  in 
the  presence  of  the  bishops,  abbots,  and  nobles,  of  the 
whole  realm  of  Albion,  Aldred  the  archbishop  consecrated 

^  Edgar  Atheling  was  great  nephev  to  Edward  the  Confessor,  as  grandson 
of  his  brother  Edmond  IronsideSb  It  would  appear  that  he  was  verjr 
young  at  this  time;  Guy  of  Amiens  speaks  of  him  as  **  the  boy  raised  to 
the  rank  of  king." 

'  This  was  hardly  the  case,  as  we  find  Edgar  frequently  in  arms  against 
William,  and  that  he  had  often  reason  to  complsun  of  his  parsimoniouB 
conduct  towards  him. 

'  Aldred  was  appointed  archbishop  of  York  in  1060.  This  prelate  had 
not  always  been  so  irreproachable  as  our  author  represents,  and  it  was  with 
some  difficulty  the  pope  was  prevailed  on  to  send  him  the  pallium. 

*  This  date  should  \>e  \^^^-,  Chdwtfsva\s«&\si^<fe>S;V\'lT^Tfic  the 

year  as  commencing  at  CVmiXxc^a^ 


MSC.  25,  1066.]     COBOKATION  OP  WILLIAM  I.  491 

William,  duke  of  Normandy,  king  of  England,  and  placed 
the  royal  crown ^  on  his  head  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter  the 
apostle,  called  Westminster  Abbey,  where  the  venerable 
king  Edward  lies  interred. 

Meanwhile,  at  the  instigation  of  the  devil,  the  enemy  of 
aU  good,  an  unforeseen  occurrence,  pregnant  with  mischief 
to  both  nations,  and  an  omen  of  future  calamities,  suddenly 
happened.  Eor  when  Aldred  the  archbishop  was  demand- 
ing of  the  English,  and  Geoftey,  bishop  of  Coutances,  of 
the  Normans,  whether  they  consented  to  have  William  for 
their  king,  and  the  whole  assembly  loudly  gave  their  willing 
assent,  with  one  voice  though  not  in  one  language,  the  men- 
at-anns,  who  formed  the  guard  outside  the  abbey,  upon 
hearing  the  shouts  of  joyful  acclamation  raised  by  the 
people  in  the  church  in  a  language  tbey  did  not  under- 
stand, suspected  some  treachery  and  imprudently  set  fire  to 
the  neighbouring  houses.  The  flames  quickly  spreading, 
the  people  in  the  church  were  seized  with  panic  in  the 
midst  of  their  rejoicings,  and  crowds  of  men  and  women,  of 
all  ranks  and  conditions,  eagerly  struggled  to  make  their 
escape  from  the  church,  as  if  they  were  threatened  with 
immediate  danger.  The  bishops  only,  with  some  few  of  the 
clergy  and  monks,  maintained  their  post  before  the  altar, 
and  trembling  with  fear  completed  the  coronation  office 
with  some  difficulty,  the  king  himself  being  much  alarmed. 
Almost  all  the  rest  hastened  to  the  scene  of  conflagration, 
some  to  make  vigorous  eflbrts  to  extinguish  the  flames,  and 
more  in  the  prospect  of  committing  robberies  in  the  con- 
fusion that  prevailed.  The  English  were  greatly  enraged 
when  they  understood  the  origin  of  this  unfortunate  a£^, 
which  leading  them  to  suspect  the  Normans  and  consider 
them  faithless,  they  waited  for  some  future  opportunity  of 
revenge. 

^  Guy  of  Amiens,  who  gires  a  minute  description  of  William's  crown, 
says  that  it  was  the  work  of  a  Byzantine  goldsmith. 


492  ORDXBicrs  titalis.  [s.in:  ch.xv. 

Ch.  XV.  Xotiee$  of  authors  w\o  have  given  aeeaunU  of  th 
life  and  timr*  of  king  JfiUiam  L — William  of  Foitien 
— Ouy,  bishop  of  AmtenM — Florence  of  Wbrceeter^  ike  con- 
iinucr  of  Marian  U9  Scotui — Sigehert  of  G^emblours. 

Kino  "William  governed  firmly  and  prudently,  both  in 
proHperity  atid  adversity,  the  kingdom  ne  gamea,  reignins 
over  it  with  great  honour  twenty  years,  eight  months,  and 
sixteen  days/  William  of  Poitiers,  archdeacon  of  Lisienx, 
lias  given  a  full  account  of  his  merits,  his  excellent  institu- 
tions, his  great  successes  and  brave  and  wonderful  achieve- 
ments, in  a  valuable  work  distinguished  for  the  elegance  of 
its  stylo  and  its  depth  of  thought.  Having  for  a  long  pe- 
riod been  chaplain  to  this  king,  he  made  it  his  business  to 
retrace  at  length,  with  unquestionable  truth  and  ample  details 
all  that  he  had  himself  witnessed  or  been  party  to ;  baft 
unfortunately  he  was  prevented  by  adverse  events  from 
continuing  his  narrative  to  the  king's  death.' 

Guy,  bishop  of  Amiens,'  also  wrote  an  epic  poem,  which, 
in  imitation  of  Virgil  and  Papinius,  describes  the  battle  of 

^  This  calculation  if  right,  reckoning  ai  our  author  doea,  William's  leign 
from  the  day  of  his  coronation,  Christmasy  1066,  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
September  9,  1087. 

'  William  of  Poitiers'  work  is  entitled:  Oetta  Oulielmi  dueu  Nwrmat^ 
norum  et  regit  Anghmm.  It  is  published  in  Dueheaae^a  ReoeuU  det  Hit 
iorieru  NormantU,  but  unfortunately  from  a  very  imperfect  manuscript 

'  Guy,  bishop  of  Amiens,  appears  to  have  been  the  son  or  grandson  of 
Walter  II.,  count  of  Amiens  and  the  Vexin,  and  consequently  brother  or 
nephew  of  Fulk  I.,  his  predecessor,  to  whom  he  succeeded  before  May 
29th,  1059.  He  attended  Queen  Matilda  to  England  as  her  almoner  is 
1068,  and  died  about  the  year  1076.  William  de  Jumi^ges  refers  to  this 
poem,  which  he  says  was  written  in  hexameters,  and  he  calls  it  a  respect- 
able work, ''  opus  non  contemnendum."  Dr.  Ports,  the  learned  editor  of 
the  Monumenta  Germanioa,  discovered  in  the  Royal  Library  at  Brussris, 
formerly  that  of  the  dukes  of  Burgundy,  a  mamiacript  (pi  the  twelfth 
century)  of  an  anonjrmous  poem,  which  from  the  initials  W.  .  .  L.  .  •  in  the 
second  line  (Wuido  or  Guide  to  Lanfranc!)  and  its  general  character,  is 
supposed  to  be  the  work  of  Guy,  bishop  of  Amieos,  referred  to  by 
Ordericus.  The  narrative  embraces  a  period  of  about  four  months, 
and  if  written  by  Guy  was  composed  before  his  journey  to  England  in 
1068.  The  author's  official  position  and  proximity  to  the  events  described, 
and  the  highest  personages  engaged  in  them  stamp  the  details  with  the 
character  of  great  authenticity ;  but  unfortunately  they  are  very  scanty  as 
far  as  regards  the  duke^s  invasion  of  England,  llie  poem  in  the  Brussels* 
MS,  was  published  b7  VL  l^eVnawi  VYv^  Mouumeuta  Kv&vmv^a  Britanniea, 
pp,  856,  &c. 


A.D.  106G — 1087.]   COTEMPOBABT  HISTOEIAB-S.  493 

Senkc,  blaming  and  accusing  Harold,  and  highly  praising 
and  exalting  William. 

John  of  Worcester,*  a  native  of  England  and  a  monk  from 
bis  childhood,  of  venerable  character  and  great  learning,  in 
his  continuation  of  the  chronicles  of  Marianus  Scotus,  gives 
a  faithful  account  of  King  William  and  of?  the  events  which 
took  place  during  his  reign,  and  those  of  his  sons  William 
E^ufus  and  King  Henry  to  the  present  day.  Marianus 
-was  a  monk  of  the  abbey  of  St.  Alban  the  mar^,  near 
Mayence,  where,  following  to  the  best  of  his  means,  Eusebius 
of  Caesarea,  St.  Jerome,  and  other  historians,  he  kindly  em- 
ployed himself  in  the  charitable  office  of  presenting  to  such 
sons  of  the  church  as  were  unable  themselves  to  develop 
such  important  results,  the  happy  &uits  of  his  long  studies 
and  of  the  vast  labours  he  underwent  in  his  foreign  travels. 
After  carefully  consulting  both  ancient  and  modem  writers, 
he  published  his  Ohranography,  in  which,  beginning  with 
the  creation,  when  God  formed  Adam  out  of  the  dust  of 
the  earth,  and  pursuing  his  inquiries  through  the  hooks  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament,  and  the  Greek; and  Soman 
histories,  he  collected  all  that  was  important ;  and  iixing  tihe 
chronology  through  the  series  of-  kings  and  consuls,  which 
he  continued  to  the  day  of  his  death,:  his  historical  annals  are 
deservedly  esteemed.    John  of  Worcester  who  followed,  re- 

^  Florence  of  Worcester,  not  John,  continued  the  chronicle  of  MariaBus 
Scotus,  not  for  almost  a  century,  but  from  1083  to  1117,  as  the  French 
editor  of  Ordericus  justly  observes.  But  our  learned  fellow  labourer  has 
omitted  to  explain  how  Ordericus  Yitalis,  who  tells  us  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  present  paragraph  that  he  inspected  tho  original  MS.  when  he  was  at 
Worcester,  fell  into  this  error.  It. appears^  however,  that  the  continuation 
of  Marianus  was  carried  on  contemporaneously  by  one  or  more  monks  of 
Worcester,  and  that  one  of  these  continuators  was  named  John;  so  that, 
probably,  Ordericus,  finding  this  John  employed  on  the  work,  or  that  his 
portion  of  it  followed  on  Uie  labours  of  Marianus. and  Florence  without 
interruption  in  the-  MS.  he  examined,  hence  supposed  that  the  whole  of 
the  additions  were  made  by  him.  In  corroboration  of  this  supposition  it 
may  be  observed  that  a  person  named  John  appears  in  the  MS.  of  C.C. 
CoU.  Library  at  Oxford,  at  least  as  a  contemporary  interpolator,  if  not  a 
continuator,  and  this  copy  seems  to  have  belonged  to  the  church  of 
Worcester.  The  Chronicle  of  Florence  of  Worcester  was  first  published 
in  London  in  159t^  from  manuscripts  then  in  the  possession  of  Lord>  Wil- 
liam Howard,  and  afterwards  reprinted  at  Frankfort  very  fitultily  in  the 
year  1601.  See  M.  Petrie's  Preface  to  the  Monumtnta  ffi«(<irica  Btita.tyc' 
nica,    MatianuB  Scotus  flourished  between  \^^% — Y^*^^. 


491  OllBEBICrS  TTTALIS.  [B.m.CH.XT. 

corded  the  events  of  nearly  a  century,  and  by  the  order  of  the 
Yonerable  AVultiton,  bishoo  and  monk,  ap{>ended  his  continiia- 
tiou*  to  the  Chronicle  of  Marianus ;  succinctlj  relating  man j 
things  worthy  of  observation  in  the  histories  of  the  Bomans, 
FnuikH,  Germans,  and  other  nations.  Aocordiuglj  these 
chronicles  include  the  whole  series  of  the  Hebrew  judges, 
kings,  and  high  priests,  from  Moses  to  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  in  the  reigns  of  Titus  and  Vespasian,  when  the 
kingdom  of  the  Jews  was  justly  overthrown  on  account 
of  the  death  and  passion  of  our  Lord.  The  Chronicles  also 
give  the  names  of  all  the  Eoman  consuls  and  dictators, 
emperors  and  pontiffs,  as  well  as  of  all  the  kings  of  England, 
who  reigned  from  the  time  that  Hengist  and  Horsa  made 
war  on  Vortigem,  king  of  Britain,  to  the  great  injury  of 
the  Britons.  To  these  the  Chronicle  adds  the  bishops  who 
governed  the  English  church  from  the  time  when  Pope 
Gree;ory  commissioned  Augustine  and  MelUtus  and  other 
monks  to  preach  the  word  of  God  in  England,  by  whom 
Ethelbert,  king  of  Kent,  Edwin,  king  of  the  Northumbrians, 
and  other  princes  of  the  English  nation,  were  converted  to 
the  true  faith.  Sigebert,  a  monk  of  G^mblours,'  has  extract- 
ed many  important  passages  from  these  Chronicles,  omitting 
however  several  relating  to  the  insular  nations,  and  adding 
much  valuable  information  respecting  the  Cloths,  the  Huns, 
the  Persians,  and  other  barbarous  races.  I  have  been  an- 
xious to  direct  attention  to  these  works,  in  order  that 
inquiring  readers  may  consult  them  for  themselves,  offering 
as  they  do  a  rich  harvest  of  instruction,  though  they  are 
difficult  to  meet  with.  For  being  written  by  modem  authors, 
they  are  not  as  yet  got  into  general  circulation.  One  of  these 
Chronicles  I  met  with  at  Worcester  in  England,  the  other 
at  Cambray  in  Lorraine.  It  was  kindly  shown  me  by 
Fulbert,  the  learned  abbot  of  the  monastery  of  St.  Sepulchre, 
built  on  the  north  side  of  Cambray  by  the  exertions  and  at 

^  John  of  Worcester.  See  the  preceding  note.  St  Wulfstan,  bishop 
of  Worcester,  from  September  8,  1062— January  18, 1095. 

'  Sigebert  de  Gemblours,  bom  about  1030,  died  October  5,  1112.  He 
composed,  among  other  works^  Chronicon  ab  anno  381,  quo  EusebiusfinU, 
tuque,  ad  annum  Chruti  1112,  with  the  additions  and  continuation  to  the 
^ear  1206  of  Robert  de  Torigni. 


A.D.  1066 — 1087.]   COTEHPORABT  HIST0BIAK8.  495 

the  expense  of  Liutbert,  bishop  of  that  city,  where  his  re- 
mains were  honourably  interred.^ 

And  now,  exhausted  by  my  long  labours,  I  sigh  for  repose 
and  am  ready  to  close  tins  First  Book*  of  the  Ecclesiastical 
History  which  my  faithful  pen  has  compiled  relative  to  con- 
temporary and  neighbounng  princes  and  doctors  of  the 
church.  In  the  books  which  follow  I  shall  speak  more  fully 
of  King  William,  and  describe  the  untoward  changes  ia 
the  state  of  affairs,  both  in  England  and  Normandy,  looking 
for  honour  or  reward  neither  from  the  conquerors  nor  the 
conquered. 

^  Liutbert,  bishop  of  Cambraj,  who  founded  the  abbey  of  St.  Sepulchre 
in  10C4. 

'  This  was  originally  the  first  book  of  our  author's  history,  books  L  and 
ii.  in  the  present  arrangement  having  been  afterwards  composed. 


BKD  OF  VOL.  I. 


J.    HAOOON  AND  SON,  PklMTEKtl,  CASSIA  VCVCBR,  tV&VB9S«H« 


N 


f 


3  2044  069  750  123