ON S. GEORGE THE PRIEST, MONK OF VABRES IN AQUITAINE.
PERHAPS CENT. IX.
Notice from the proper Offices of the place.
George the Priest, Monk of Vabres in Aquitaine (S.)
G. H.
Vabres, to Gregory of Tours book 9 History of the Franks ch. 9, Castrum Vabrense, a small city of Gaul in the Rodez province of Aquitaine, which its increment; In the Vabrensian monastery under year 863 built, especially owes to the celebrated there monastery Benedictine, which Raymond the first Count of Toulouse in year of Charles the Bald XXIII, of Christ DCCCLXII founded, & in the following year Charles the Bald approved: whose instruments brings forth & expounds William Catellus, book 1 History of the Counts of Toulouse ch. 10. Became famous this monastery with so much of religious discipline fervor, that S. Gerald, Count of Orleans, noble boys to it directed, that with the Fraternity that under the regular rule the same boys would be imbued: as wrote. S. Odo the Abbot of Cluny, book 2. Life of the said Gerald the Count. John Pope XXII this monastery into an Episcopate erected, & Gregory XIII the Monks their customary habit into Canonical to change permitted.
[2] In this monastery lived once S. George the Monk; whose memory to us from Aquitaine was sent. S. George lived as a monk, Together with proper Lessons about S. Vincent of Agen the Martyr, & ascribed day IX June, on which is venerated the said S. Vincent, commonly in all Fasti inserted. His various Acts already above we have illustrated: about S. George the Monk, elsewhere nothing we have read, not even in the Fasti Benedictine. Yet lest of whatever kind his memory altogether escape our work, three small Lessons, about him to us sent, here we apply, until greater notice may be brought: are however of this kind:
[3] The most blessed George, of noble lineage sprung, of the diocese of Rodez of Aquitaine province existed sprung, holily educated, who in the time of childhood & adolescence his to liberal arts' studies docile mind continually bound: by which most fully informed, afterwards incessantly was free for divine readings, so much that than his even masters more learned was held. from the Conques monastery to Vabres translated. He was however in voluntary of his flesh affliction & assiduous maceration rigid & severe, in charity fervid, sober & chaste, wise & eloquent, humble & mild, with religious morals & letters well instructed & adorned. In the College of Conques of the diocese mentioned first by preceptors instructed, & there to God serving, having attained the Priesthood's dignity, monastic took up habit; religious, watchful & devout, of heavenly with height of counsel providing, in the Vabrensian monastery of the diocese before-said a Monk, simple & provident, laudably he dwelt. In which with fasts frequent, vigils long, prayers opportune, frequent groans, long sighs insisting, manfully & constantly for his & people's faults indulgence he prayed. Among the Brethren regularly living, sweet, affable, & joyful, to those present & future of living form imitable he left, usefully beginning, more usefully profiting, most usefully persevering in the proposed of sanctity.
[4] What is alleged the Conques college, is most ancient monastery; perhaps in the 9th century. but in the eighth century by the army of Saracens utterly destroyed, & afterwards with Charlemagne the Emperor commanding through Louis his son from foundations honorably restored; where with arduous of religious manner Monks lived, of good virtues with increments studiously heaped, testifies the author of the History of the Translation of the body of S. Faith the Martyr, to be given on day VI October. Hence if to any conjecture is given a place, we opine S. George, Monk & Priest, from the Conques monastery with others delegated, for founding the Vabrensian monastery by Raymond constructed: & so him still in century IX, near the end inclining, to Christ migrated.