Maxima

ON ST. MAXIMA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR IN THE TERRITORY OF CHARTRES IN GAUL,

At an uncertain time.

A collection concerning the Acts, the translation, and the worship.

Maxima, V. and M. in the territory of Chartres in Gaul (St.)

BY THE AUTHOR J. P.

Three things chiefly I propose to be considered about this holy woman: and first indeed about her history or Acts: The Acts are censured second about her translation: third about the public worship with which she is honored. As regards the first, at the day VII of May among our Passed-over it was long since intimated that this birthday is indicated in Ms. Acts, but plainly fabulous: to which it was said that the day of the translation is celebrated among the people of Chartres, on which, if anything surer should be ascertained by us, we indicated that she could be treated of on this day XXV of August. Our copy, which Daniel Papebroch transcribed with his own hand, is entitled thus: The history of the life and origin and sacred passion of the most blessed martyr Maxima: which, as is presently subjoined, was taken from the lessons of her Office, which, found with hymns, Mass, prose, and the other proper parts, among the papers of Fr. Jean de Saint-Martin, a Bernardine of Feuillant, was by him judged fabulous, and deservedly. But the aforesaid history thus begins: It is worth the labor to insert into a reading the wondrous and renowned deeds, and also the origin, of the most blessed Maxima, virgin and martyr &c. But whether that fabulous author, of uncertain name and time, wished to exercise his style, such as it was, upon this argument; or whether, having nothing at hand which he might say about this Saint truly and historically, yet, that he might say something, he wished to lead the reader with trifles feigned by himself, or found elsewhere, and to suggest some knowledge of this Saint utterly unknown to him; however the matter stands, how ill-cohering are the things he blurts out will be made plain from certain fragments which for a specimen's sake it has seemed good to cull from that fabulist's history.

[2] from various There was once a certain king, a dweller of this place, by name Dordanus, noble by birth, rich in wealth and resources, yet a pagan: who, according to the pomp of the world, begot twins, of whom one is named Maximinus; who, after many persecutions of the Christians and dire crosses, being moved by the divine nod, and led by penance, and also reborn at the sacred font, although in a dire besetting of the worshippers of Christ he beheaded his only sister, namely B. Maxima; yet, persisting in good works, afterwards in the see of Orléans is exalted to the episcopal seat, God being both his patron and his helper, and at length, after his labors, rested in peace with Christ. The other was B. Maxima, the venerable virgin and martyr, who is said to have worshipped idols in her father's house until the fourteenth year of her age, and Dordanus to have wasted a certain Christian for the confession of Christ's name, whom B. Maxima used to visit secretly from her father and his household, and, being instructed by him, she admitted the faith of Christ.

[3] Besides this, the devil in dreams stirs up the Virgin's father against her. of feeble credit, Then Dordanus, his chief men being summoned, consulted very many … about this dream … Who, counsel being at once taken, answered Dordanus: Let there be brought hither orators and philosophers of divers regions, most skilled in all human wisdom, who may know how to interpret the manner of such an unheard-of vision, and to set it out in certain words. Then Dordanus … a messenger being sent into the parts of divers regions, two mockers of men, of Satan, being summoned and found, came, who, lurking under human form &c. That I may not detain the reader with more; I pass over the blandishments by which the father tried to change his daughter's mind, saying that he would give her in marriage to a great and renowned magnate, the son of the king of Castile: nor do I mention the torments which he ordered to be inflicted on her. Lastly, that I may pass over the rest, then Maximinus, the girl's brother, seizing and unsheathing a sword, without any delay hastened to take vengeance upon her … Then she, gathering her hair with her own hands, fell by her brother's sword. Let it suffice to have extracted these few things from that fabulous history by way of specimen, to which I subjoin my own thoughts about it.

[4] And first indeed, when the author says, A certain dweller of this place, by specimens. I do not understand any other place to be indicated by him than the region or city of Chartres, conformably to the title prefixed above to this narration. Secondly, Dordanus, Maximinus, and Maxima are pagans; and what is narrated about them seems to be referred to the first three or four centuries of Christ. Thirdly, who is that king Dordanus? I have indeed not been able to find him, and therefore I bring my mind to think that he is a feigned person, until it may be permitted me to learn where, when, and with whom he lived. Fourthly, that Maximinus, Maxima's brother and her executioner in death, and afterwards bishop of Orléans, is also a masked figure for me: for among the prelates of that see I find none of this name in the Sainte-Marthes, Gallia Christiana, tom. 2, page 235 and following. Fifthly, that convocation of orators and philosophers — what is it but a stage episode? Sixthly, of the same bran are those two mockers of Satan, who are said to have lurked under human form. Seventhly, add to these by way of a make-weight the son of the king of Castile. Thus far I have set forth my thoughts about that apocryphal history. Now it remains to be considered whether anything better may be hoped for concerning the translation of St. Maxima.

[5] This our Papebroch also transcribed with his own hand under this title: Of the same bran At the translation of the relics of the B. martyr Maxima, all things as on the day of the passion, except the lessons. But after the end of the history of that same translation he sets upon it this censure: The proses and hymns (in which for Maxima she is always named Mama) contain in altogether the same tenor that very narration which the lessons for the feast contain, and, stuffed with the same figments, seem also to have the same author. But among the other great trifles which he brings forward with great effort, he indicates that he does not even know whence and by whom the relics of St. Maxima were transported; nay, he does not even affirm that they were transported, but only promised: When now, he says, the aforesaid noble widow was so diligently turning these things over in the judgment of her mind; behold, she beholds afar off, by the divine nod, a certain man coming from a far clime of the earth, who promised that he would give her the relics which she had long desired.

[6] and a narration Behold now for thee, reader, other things which I cull from the instrument of the translation, such as it is: At that time, namely of the Lord's Incarnation MDXXXIX, at which it pleased the divine Majesty to bring hither the sacred relics of our Patroness, namely the most holy Maxima the martyr, let the series and order of the things to be said run before … For at the aforesaid time there was a certain noble widow, Anno , illustrious in birth and wealth, but more illustrious in manners and repute, who … frequenting exceedingly the thresholds of the churches, among her prayers … chiefly besought this, that before she died, she might worthily deserve to behold, and to touch with her mouth alone, and with devout mind to venerate the relics of St. Maxima, to be brought back into this temple. When now she was so diligently turning these things over &c. — the things which in the preceding number we have already said; after these things, being admonished by a saving prompting, what she should do about all these matters, she wished to admit the reasonings, counsels, and oracle of wise men, lest in anything … the outcome of so great an undertaking should be endangered. Meanwhile, embassies being sent to Rome, she duly consulted the supreme Pontiff upon these events, and … awaited the grant … of the supreme Pontiff.*

[7] of the translation; All the aforesaid things being known and … approved by the Supreme Prelate, ten Cardinals of the holy Roman Church, to all of either sex who [in] honor of the most blessed martyr Maxima shall devoutly visit this her temple, and shall bestow anything of temporal goods for its repair on the following feasts, namely on the sacred solemnity of today's translation, which feast among us is celebrated and honored as movable and solemn on the second Sunday after the Assumption of the most blessed Virgin Mary; on the Nativity and Annunciation of that same Virgin Mary; on the sacred beheading of St. Maxima, which feast our mother the church honors by a yearly revelation on the Nones of May; and on the feast of the most blessed Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary — each one of those Cardinals by Apostolic authority fully and salubriously relaxed a hundred days of indulgences. Besides, Louis …, bishop of Chartres, seemly approved the aforesaid indulgences … with forty days … of indulgence … on the VII Kalends of June, at the aforesaid time and year.

[8] as it is put together from fragments of the same, Moreover the venerable Bartholomew, abbot of St. Chéron of the diocese of Chartres, and at that time suffragan of that same bishopric, in the absence of the prelate of Chartres, solemnly dedicated these holy solemnities of the relics with great reverence, peoples of either sex from divers parts being present, and humbly laid them in the place where they are now adored, on the VIII Kalends of Sept., in the year and time noted above, to the praise and glory of God and of his holy Maxima the martyr. Wherefore we therefore, most beloved Brethren, … let us celebrate with divine Offices the translation of the most holy martyr Maxima &c. And these indeed are the things which from the instrument of the translation, such as it is, I have thought should be extracted, in which not a few things occur that furnish matter for further observations.

[9] For besides those things which have been indicated before against that document, which are here examined. Yet some translation seems it displeases, first, that that translation is fixed to the year 1539: because thence it is gathered that its author is too recent to deserve credit that this holy Maxima, virgin and martyr, is the same who is honored at Dourdan in Gaul, and whose age is unknown, as will be said below, when her worship shall be treated of. It displeases, secondly, and what he writes about the manner of that translation seems by no means probable: for he neither expresses the name of the church to which he will have the relics of St. Maxima brought, nor indicates of what sort they were, nor whence they came, nor sets down the name of the supreme Pontiff, nor of the Cardinals whom he brings upon the stage; nay, he does not even declare that the very handing over of that sacred pledge was made. Of these things therefore what art thou to believe, what not to believe? What of the envoys sent to Rome? What of the indulgences granted by ten Cardinals? Meanwhile, unless the writer of the translation splendidly imposes upon us, it seems probable that one was at some time made, if not of St. Maxima, virgin and martyr, of the day VII of May, at least of some woman of like name, whose relics were either drawn out of the Roman crypts under this name, or brought under the same from elsewhere into the Gauls, and then to the church of St. Maxima who is announced on the day VII of May, which the writer of the translation may have confounded into one. But to this conjecture I am led by the two bishops whom he names, and whom he affirms to have enriched with indulgences the translation of St. Maxima: of whom one is Louis, bishop of Chartres; the other Bartholomew, abbot of St. Chéron …, and at that time suffragan of that same bishopric.

[10] In the Sainte-Marthes, tom. 2 of Gallia Christiana, among the bishops of Chartres, fol. 493 verso, it is indicated to have been made. that Louis Guillard was promoted to the bishopric of Chartres in the year 1527: about which prelate there is treatment also in the same place among the bishops of Chalon, fol. 453 verso. But in the same Work, tom. 4, page 216, among the abbots of St. Chéron (the abbey is beside the suburbs of the city of Chartres) there occurs Bartholomew Simon, bishop of Sebaste, suffragan of Chartres; and as abbot he presided in the year MDXXV for XVI years. Hence it appears likely that some translation of St. Maxima, whatever it was, was made at that time, namely on this day XXV of August, to which she was deferred, that we might obtain some surer things about that St. Maxima, noted among the Passed-over at the day VII of May, as I said above at num. 1. These we now have at hand — few indeed, but yet sufficient, as it seems to us, that, the famous decree of Pope Urban VIII being unimpaired, we may give this Saint a place on this day in our Work.

[11] The Saint's worship is proved. Castellan, canon of the church of the Virgin Mother of God among the Parisians, at the said day VII of May writes this in his Universal Martyrology: Near Dordincum (commonly Dourdan) in the diocese of Chartres, St. Maxima (Ste Meme), honored as virgin and martyr in the place which bears her name, distant one day's journey from Paris. This announcement of Castellan was afterwards confirmed by the new Paris Martyrology, published in the year 1727 under the Most Eminent Noailles, archbishop of that city, which at the said day indeed has nothing about this Saint; but among the addenda and corrigenda, page VIII, at the Nones of May, sufficiently indicates that she was then wrongly omitted, supplying that defect there in these words: In the territory of Chartres, of holy Maxima, virgin and martyr, whose memory even today a village with a church near Dourdan, dedicated to God under her name, keeps. But the collectors of this Martyrology sufficiently hint that they had ascertained nothing about her age, when in a marginal note they set to her unc. time. From these things therefore it is certainly established that to St. Maxima, whom we give today, public veneration is exhibited in that place; in which matter regard may be had to the circumstance of that same place in which she is honored, and to the city of Paris, in which the authors cited bear witness about the worship, having learned it either by sight or by sure report, since they were not distant from Dourdan by more than one day's journey.

perhaps Anna*