Vincent

ON SAINT VINCENT, MARTYR OF AGEN IN AQUITAINE.

UNDER DIOCLET.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

On the ancient Acts & cult, & various controversies concerning his person & relics.

Vincent, Martyr of Agen in Aquitaine (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR G. H.

Aginnum or Agennum, was once held the chief among the cities of Aquitaine, now among the famous cities of that region it is still reckoned, situated near the right bank of the Garonne river, Neither a disciple of S. Caprasius, where it receives the Ægircium stream, & is above Bordeaux, from which about twenty Gallic leagues it is distant, commonly called Agen. The first Bishop of this city is generally held to be S. Caprasius, & his disciple S. Vincent Levite & Martyr, of whom this in Sammarthani from his Proper: B. Vincent in the same order was ordained by B. Caprasius himself, as B. Stephen by the Prince of the Apostles B. Peter. Nay also B. Vincent by Saussay, & perhaps by other more recent writers, is even held S. Caprasius's successor in the Episcopate. nor does he seem to have been Bishop; But with Gregory of Tours & the ancient Lessons of the Church of Agen to be brought forward below, we acknowledge B. Vincent only as Levite, ordained by some Bishop, who is unknown. For S. Caprasius, son of the most noble Faustus, & a most adorned youth, & Martyr of Christ, the ancient Mss. name. The Acts also & in Surius XX October, & in Labbé in the Appendix to Volume 2 of the New Library, & in Bellovacensis book 12 ch. 135 are extant, with no mention of Episcopal dignity or of any other sacred Order assumed. & the former suffered. The Martyrologies agree with them on all sides, both written by hand and printed, even under the names of Usuard, Ado and others, with the Roman Martyrology on the day XX October, which then must be more widely discussed. Antonius Dadinus de Alteserra; book 4 of Aquitanian Affairs ch. 17 asserts, that under Diocletian in the year of Christ CCLXXXII (perhaps CCLXXXXII should be read) Vincent the Deacon of Agen was beheaded: but S. Caprasius, a noble youth of Agen, in the year CCCIII was beheaded attained the laurel of martyrdom. Setting aside therefore S. Caprasius, we bring forth the Acts of S. Vincent.

[2] In the very ancient Martyrology of Florus, which together with the genuine Martyrology of Bede we published before Volume 2 of April, these things are read on this IX of June: He is inscribed in the ancient Fasti. At Agen, the passion of S. Vincent Martyr, who shining with the whiteness of the Levitic stole, for the love of Christ attained martyrdom, with great virtues most often shines: & these things are taken from the book of Miracles of Gregory of Tours. Usuard has only these things: In Gaul in the city of Agen, the passion of B. Vincent, Levite & Martyr. Ado & Notker and others add, at the place Pompejacum; whither namely the body was brought, as is said below in the Acts. There agree generally other Martyrologies with the Roman.

[3] That the history of the passion is retained by the inhabitants, asserts the already cited Gregory of Tours, The Acts of the passion are given from Mss. which written about the year CCCCXL, after the revelation and translation of the body, but until now desired, we have obtained, from a famous Ms. parchment Passional of the monastery of Bödeken of Canons Regular of S. Augustine in Westphalia, there described by John Gamansius; & we have collated with another Life, & proper lessons: which we had described before, from the Ms. Codex of Utrecht of the Church of S. Salvator, but contracted. If anyone yet wishes the primary Acts to have been much fuller, whence some other things accepted in the ancient Lessons are found, we do not wish to controvert them; & therefore those very Lessons sent from France we subjoin to those Acts which we give: for the same also Saussay had, & in the Supplement to the Gallican Martyrology after his manner amplified them, tacitly thus rejecting, what before on this IX of June he had published. There it is indicated that the body was translated to the monastery of Conques, the construction of a basilica from Fortunatus: of which in the earlier Acts no mention is made; as neither of the Church erected to his honor at Pompejacum. Leontius Archbishop of Bordeaux founded, & adorned some basilicas of S. Vincent, testifies Fortunatus, an author contemporary with him book 1 of Poems Poem 8 & 9: which both we give below. Some Church of S. Vincent in the year DLXXXV was illustrated by a heavenly vision, when soldiers had violated it in the civil war, which Gunthramnus had undertaken to persecute Gundebadus, who pretended to be the son of Chlothar, & a poem against its violators. & from Bordeaux had fled to Convenas. The matter Gregory then Bishop of Tours describes, book 1 on the Glory of Martyrs ch. 105, & book 8 of the History of the Franks ch. 35. Which places too we determine to add, that the reader all things under one view as it were may have.

[4] Sammarthani in the Bishops of Agen, where concerning S. Caprasius p. 86 & 87, among many things about S. Vincent also say the following. Of great religion is, that the people of Agen, memorial 6 Nov. with anniversary pomp, on the sixth day of November, the neighboring mountain; & the church there erected ascend with their Magistrate; whom with offenses by the rite of confession expiated, with heavenly bread there to be refreshed, the pestilence removed: is instituted; so that to this saving Saint they give thanks, that by his benefit the pestilence departed in the year MDCXXIX. Various throughout this diocese are found edifices, consecrated to the memory of this Martyr; but distinguished is one in Mans of Agen (commonly le Mas de l'Agenois) which town now belongs to the diocese of Condom, various churches of his. where also a College of Canons. Thus Sammarthani, the rest more conveniently below to the Acts are noted.

[5] Saussay, as we indicated above, has long elogia of S. Vincent, both in the Gallican Martyrology itself, and in the Supplement to this IX June, & moreover on the second day of June he writes these things: At Agen, the natal of the holy Martyrs Vincent, SS. Primus & Felicianus are not to be joined to him. Primus &

Felicianus, whose distinguished piety & faith, by torments & blood shed magnificently declared, has made their death both precious with God, & before men glorious the memory of the same. Thus there, with a phrase common to all Martyrs, joining most disparate things together, & them from this IX June to the second day wrongly transferring. In the apograph of the Hieronymian Martyrology Blume on this day, these things are read: In Gaul at Pompeja the Martyr, & in the apograph of Lucca: In Gaul at Popeja, of Primus & Felicianus. For which too intricate things, somewhat more distinctly in the Corbie apograph printed at Paris it has thus: In Gaul at Pompejacum the passion of S. Vincent Martyr. At the city of Nomentum the passion of SS. Primus & Felicianus Martyrs. They are therefore distinct in place, Primus & Felicianus Roman Martyrs, buried on the Nomentan Way (as more widely in their Acts on this very day is said) & S. Vincent, suffering at Agen, & translated to Pompejacum. And perhaps from a similar error SS. Primus & Felicianus Brothers, seeing the torments inflicted on S. Caprasius, of whom above is treated, are said to have joined themselves to him at Agen, & crowned with martyrdom in the Acts of SS. Caprasius & Faith, related by Surius on the day XX October & in Labbé in the New Library Volume 2 p. 530. But more is approved what in the Appendix of said Volume 2 is held as another Passion of S. Caprasius, without mention of S. Faith, or of SS. Primus & Felicianus Martyrs. We also have Mss. Acts of the Martyrdom of SS. Caprasius & Faith, without any notice of SS. Primus & Felicianus, as also other Mss. of S. Faith without mention of S. Caprasius & of SS. Primus & Felicianus. Finally the older Martyrologies refer only S. Caprasius to the day XX October, when this controversy can be defined.

[6] Whether the Relics were translated to Conques. Another question here arises, about the translated body of S. Vincent to the monastery of Conques, as in these bare words below in the second Acts is said. Which under this amplification is related by Saussay in the Supplement: Divinely it was done, that his sacred remains, from the Pompejacensis church to the monastery of holy Saviour, called Conchense, now a college of secular Canons in the diocese of Rodez, were transferred together with S. Faith the famous Martyr (who Vincent himself & his consecrator Caprasius in the battle of faith brave girl had preceded) precious pledges: where even now in great reverence they are preserved. Thus Saussay, heaping many things together, which from things already said sufficiently collapse: for no fellowship is found to have been of S. Vincent with S. Caprasius & S. Faith: nay each one separately seems to be placed, & perhaps at diverse times crowned with martyrdom; of which the first long before the others is placed by Alteserra S. Vincent. But what especially looks here, his Relics are not, translated to the monastery of Conques together with the precious pledges of S. Faith: for these were by a certain stealthy industry by Aronisdus Monk of Conques removed from their own church, & to Conques about the year DCCCXC carried, when in place of Charles the Simple, over the kingdom of France ruled Odo of Aquitaine: as accurately the Acts of the Translation indicate, which we have both in loose & strict speech composed; whence also the monastery of S. Faith of Conques is named, teach the Sammarthani. There meanwhile is no mention of the Relics of S. Vincent, there preserved, or translated thither; wherefore about these we would wish to be more diligently inquired into, & informed.

[7] The same S. Vincent Martyr is venerated also in the Archiepiscopal Church of Poland of Gnesno with the Office of three Lessons, Cult in Poland 6 June. & in the Episcopal Church of Krakow is made a Commemoration of the same, but on the sixth day of June, as we learn from an accurate Catalogue sent to us from Poland: but what was the occasion of this cult, we do not divine; we fear however, lest some body under that name was brought thither from Rome, & this from Gaul wrongly assumed.

ACTS OF THE MARTYRDOM

From the Bödeken and Utrecht Mss.

Vincent, Martyr of Agen in Aquitaine (S.)

BHL Number: 8621

FROM MSS.

[1] In the territory of the once city of Agen, in the region a of the Metensians, which is one of the more noble cities of Gaul, a sacrilegious crowd of Pagans in customary manner had gathered, The illusions of the demon in a fiery wheel, rolled down & up, to exercise ceremonies not of true religion, but of false seduction in a temple, to their gods consecrated. By which namely the dwelling demons, by their deceit, of the people gathering there were deceiving the minds and acuteness of eyes; so that that miserable people thought it was beholding some work divine in the simulations of the playing devil. For through the doors of the same temple, as if at the nod of some divinity constituted there, or to speak truth, of an indwelling demon b, a wheel surrounded by flames, was wont to break forth; & from the top of the hill into the gulf of the flowing-by river, headlong downward quickly rolled, to run; & again from the river to the building of the temple by indirect rolling, vomiting vain conflagrations, to return. But all these things that most deceitful & envious of all goods devil therefore was doing, that he might persuade the wretched by this kind of phantasm, so that they might believe him to be what he was not.

[2] To the mentioned shrine therefore, as already we have begun to relate, S. Vincent by the sign of the Cross overturns it: the Governor of the aforesaid city with much crowd of peoples had gathered, & on the fiery circuit of the advancing wheel the solicitude of an immense people hung. Among which crowds of peoples S. Vincent, ornament of Martyrs soon to be, as is to be believed, by the mercy of God, lest the peoples be longer mocked, was exhibited, & known to none of the inhabitants before, with swift, as much as the issue of the matter teaches, martyrdom to be crowned came; & what this celebration of the people might be, the solicitous worshipper of God knew. Nor could the wiles of the devil lie hidden from him; who was the true servant of God & faithful worshipper of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore against the fraudulent work of diabolical contrivance bursting forth from the temple, the Athlete of Christ with raised right hand opposed the sign of the Cross; & immediately every illusion of diabolical phantasm, with the seal of the true Deity made, vanished, & never there did the fraud of the most wicked deceiver attempt to seduce the minds of men thereafter.

[3] seized, The Governor is astonished at the power of the Divinity of him, by whose virtue he perceives the fires of his god emptied; & at the seal of true divinity his extinguished religion suddenly bewails and mocked. Agitated therefore by furies, he ordered the holy servant of God to be entangled in the chains of bonds, & the bound man of God he orders to be led even to the entrance of his god's temple; hoping by punishments to overcome the Martyr of Christ, or for the destruction of his divinity to render worthy vengeance. Then the insanity of the perfidious enemy began by raging to be furious; for the devil, ejected from his shrine, chose for himself a dwelling in the Governor; & by the just judgment of God it was done, that S. Vincent, crowned with glorious martyrdom, more quickly should migrate to heaven; & the Governor, & subjected to question, professes the faith of Christ: with the devil driving him, about to receive eternal punishment, headlong should descend into hell. By lictors therefore to the questioning of the Governor the blessed man, innocent to be handed over to punishments, is dragged: by whom the furious Governor, with iniquitous attendants surrounded, immediately his name, country, & family inquires. To whom the illustrious man answering nothing, except only that he is a servant of Christ, & Vincent c by name, professes.

[4] stretched out, he is cruelly beaten: And when the most invincible witness of Christ being often interrogated, nothing else, except that he is a servant of Christ & Vincent by name, had answered; the Governor moved by exceeding fury, thinking himself contemned by him, raised from his throne, furious cries out; & after these things with stakes fixed sufficiently deep into the ground in three parts d, the Saint of God he orders to be extended. Beatings applied therefore on this side and that, when the cruel tearer was cutting the tender skin of his body, & could move the man of God to no sadness; even he the author of the crime & bringer of punishments shuddered, & the holy man he ordered to be led to a place not far removed from the temple. The members released therefore from the gibbet, lacerated indeed, but with alert spirit strong; when to the assigned place those leading him he with swifter step went before, & the more sluggishly following he joyfully rebuked, on account of the hope of victory & the crown of martyrdom for himself now nearby prepared; the Governor, about to inflict on his members rest rather than death, triumph rather than destruction, joyful he expects. The Governor after a little while, the more cruel as he seemed happier, to the appointed place with the devil accompanying him follows. There is at hand the agent of death, about to strike the man of God. & he is beheaded, The undaunted Martyr raises his neck, & to the sword falling downward, conveying the beatitude of a more glorious life, without delay he extends his neck. The precious cutting-off of the blessed head is done: the spirit of God's servant after the triumph, ascends to the reward of heaven.

[5] The body according to custom obtains a hollow e of the earth, for a time indeed for the confession of the name of Christ deposited, the body laid in the ground. but in the joy of eternal life with glory to be resumed. Which all probably done, & the now destroyed temples of the demon, & the buildings of the Martyr erected to better, testify: finally from that time never did either the sacrilegious cults of the Pagans, or the phantasms of demons appear in that place: so great benefit, through the shedding of the sacred blood & the intervention of the blessed Martyr, Christ the Lord conferred in those parts. But the members of the holy Martyr lay hidden through thirty or more lustra f: at the lapse of so great a time-space, to a certain Christian of good work the blessed Martyr Vincent in dreams appeared: after about 150 years found unharmed, & revealing the place of his burial by manifest indication, that his body to another place by name g Pompejacum, constituted about five thousand paces from h Nemetum; be transferred, he declared. The holy therefore & religious men, Presbyters of the Pompejacensis place, by the report of this revelation taught, to the indicated place with great faith and reverence came together: & sagaciously inquiring, what had been revealed, after so great intervals of time, they find; the body of the holy Martyr unharmed, after so many sufferings, & so great a time's intervals, fouled by no putrefaction, by no compactions dissolved, by no worms a place, according to the admonition of the aforesaid revelation, dug up by the faithful the members of B. Vincent Athlete of Christ are carried; & at Pompejacum, in soil pleasing to him, venerably as was worthy, are entombed. And it was made, by divine clemency consenting, that in neither place the benefits of the blessed Martyr might be lacking; one, endowed with the presence of the precious body; the other, Translated to Pompejacum: adorned with the exhibition of miracles & virtues. For we believe the provident providence of God for human necessities, therefore wished the members of this blessed Martyr to be placed in the lap of Pompejacensis soil, that some great benefit to the inhabitants the presence of so great a tomb might bestow. Let us therefore pray our Lord God, that He who deigns to bestow on His Martyrs so great things for the confession of His name, may not allow us sinners to be without share of His mercy: with our Lord Jesus Christ granting, to whom is honor & glory for ages of ages. Amen.

NOTES G. H.

OTHER ACTS OF THE MARTYRDOM.

From the ancient Lessons of the Church of Agen.

Vincent, Martyr of Agen in Aquitaine (S.)

BHL Number: 8624

FROM MSS.

[1] The most blessed Vincent, Levite of Agen; as is handed down by the Fathers & the outcome of the matter declares; on a certain day, while according to his custom he was intent on heaven, immediately he merited an Angelic admonition, that to the palm of martyrdom he should intrepidly hasten. by an Angelic admonition And so not unmindful of so great an admonition, fortified everywhere by the banner of the holy Cross, as another Elias whither the Spirit calls him, to approach he resolves as quickly as possible. At length so solicitous of his vocation, as he was wholly placed in God, after no long interval of time, a certain town of the Agennenses he visited in haste, which a Velaunum antiquity called the country fields of the Reonemensis territory. Christ preaching And when there in the holy duty of preaching he stood, & was withdrawing the worshippers of idols from various superstitions; seized by the apparitors, as if author of crime, with the chains of bonds he is atrociously entangled: & to the audience of the Governor innocent to be handed over to punishments he is led, presented to the Governor: at his tribunal with attendants on every side surrounded he is placed. Whom seeing the Governor, immediately addresses with bitter words. Are you, he says, that most wicked one, who abominates the worship of our gods, & their power by I know not what enchantments you strive to reduce to nothing? Either with whatsoever sacrifices contend to sweeten the bitterness of the offended Majesty; or believe yourself, without doubt, to be handled with unheard kinds of punishments.

[2] to the questions he says he is the servant of Christ & a Levite: Which B. Vincent hearing, no response on these things wished to give him; but Christ with silent heart he was beseeching, that He deign to help him in all things. And while so he did, & made no word to anyone about those things, on which he was being interrogated; thereupon the Governor the knowledge of his name, & country & family asked, the worship of the Christian religion being left aside; that with these known, he might afterwards know his secret with sweet words. Despising his words the Athlete of Christ, family and country, which seemed to him superfluous, putting after; himself Vincent by name, although unworthy yet a servant & Levite of Christ to be, in the sight of all by no fear terrified does not cease to cry out. But the Governor exceedingly moved, not doubting he was despised by him, stretched out he receives atrocious blows on his side: rose from the tribunal, & with the greatest indignation said to those standing by: Why have you brought hither this sacrilegious one? I understand indeed the man not to be of sane head, since he was unwilling to give a response to those interrogating. And because the kind of slaves is amended by punishments, let him be driven with torments, that so he may rest from the insanity of mind. Therefore with stakes fixed in the ground in three parts, on this side and that with blows he is pounded, scourged, his skin is broken, his blood is poured forth, his flesh is torn in pieces by the claws; but in wondrous manner all the more & more he is made joyful, & that it might be done more cruelly, alert he exhorts.

[3] And when the fierce executioner failed in lacerating, & with no sadness affected the man of God, who nothing else except Christ in heart and voice had; to be tortured longer the Governor orders him; that even thus Christ, although not by denying, he might silence. Therefore when he saw B. Vincent already now finishing the stadium, & of slipping life almost terminating the course; he commanded him from the stakes to be loosed, & to the shrine to be led, that either incense burning on the altars by sacrificing, the injury of the gods & the Governor's wrath he might placate, or end his life by the sword. The temple & idols he casts down by prayer: But when neither by prayer nor reward he gave assent, nor by the sight of torments bent his mind, he is loosed from the gibbet, with members long since though torn, in spirit yet alert & robust. Nor only by divine spirit comforted he despised to sacrifice, but also the temple with the idols headlong by praying he gave. Accordingly, sentence given, B. Vincent is led to the victim; but prayer made with the sign of Christ fortified, so much more joyful, as through the crown of victory, which was imminent, to Christ he was hastening intrepid. To the destined place the Governor with his attendants flies, that even by his death sated, both the injury of the gods he might avenge, & put an end to his madness. There is at hand the lictor who was to strike him, with limbs so grim and threatening, that by the single blow b of the imminent sword, the course of life he might terminate. The future Martyr exhorts the lictor, to strike, he is beheaded. whose hope & spirit had long since obtained the crown: & thus by the glorious cutting-off of B. Vincent's head, the illustrious Levite and distinguished Martyr it rendered to heaven.

[4] The Body after 150 years is revealed: Of B. Vincent of Agen the Martyr, after many punishments of torments, finally with head cut off; very few Christians, who at that time were there, gathering his body, for fear of the Gentiles, they preferred c more deeply in earthen pits to bury, than to all irreligiously evidently to show. Which indeed for thirty lustra or more even the Faithful lay hidden, so that no one whether of what merit, or where he was, became a solicitous investigator, nor cared to inquire. But when so many years' spaces had elapsed, God did not allow his Martyr thus to lie hidden longer, that the lantern, to many so great a light to be giving, in the house of God might be set forth. A certain man therefore of good reputation, not so far placed at a distance, He admonished; & the place of blessed burial & the Martyr's name He taught.

[5] it is found uncorrupted, And so that he might be more certain of the vision, nor as is usual, might doubt anything thence; the order of the whole martyrdom, unheard for those ages, he took care to weave for himself by manifest investigation. Therefore made master of so great a vision, lest he might do anything rashly, first within himself he deliberates, what afterwards he might do. A camp which by the inhabitants is called Pompejacum, about five miles from Reonemensis separated, he sought; & to the Clerics, there serving God, what had been revealed to him he set forth. The Pompejacenses, & Priests of God masters of so great a revelation made, with inestimable joy made glad, to hasten what they had learned from things heard. And so when to the indicated place they came, from the Lord to be sought they indicate aid, that He who was the inciter, deign to become also the shower. First to vigils, fasts, & prayers they apply themselves, & afterwards with faith & devotion the place of burial they seek out. The earth dug up, which over buried bodies is drawn over, by divine indication at length, by which all things are open, the body of the Martyr they find; so uncorrupted after so many sufferings, after so many intervals of time, that by no fouling foul, by no worms' bites attacked, by no compactions dissolved did it seem, as if on the same day to burial it had been brought.

[6] The body of the Martyr therefore found, from the sepulcher is raised: & with many crowds of peoples accompanying, which the feast day had called together there, to the destined place, namely Pompejacum, as the man of God had admonished, is carried; it is translated to Pompejacum, thence to Conques. & with worthy honor, with immense praises, is entombed. But after many years' courses from the same place raised, & by divine nod transferred to the college d of Conques, with the greatest reverence there is venerated. Although also the same place, with the presence of his most precious body enriched, & sanctified by his merits, with innumerable virtues is glorified: yet the little place of the former burial we do not believe to have been deprived of its blessing: which with miracles, even before the presence of the tomb, we see shining.

NOTES G. H.

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

From Venantius Fortunatus book 1 of Poems.

Vincent, Martyr of Agen in Aquitaine (S.)

POEM VIII.

[1] In time life is brief, by holy merits it becomes longer, And narrow days faith extends with honor. After the end without end remains the mind owed to Christ, Leaving the crowd of men it stands joined to God. By this aid sustained Vincent stands for an age, Whose glory of martyrdom rich flourishes: With head cut off, who snatched from death the triumph, And new offspring from the lands flies to the stars. Kind of martyrdom Whence the enemy believed slaughter, he gave honor to the Saint, And the striker rather by death eternal lies. He had conquered, the miserable one, this one if he had not been able to kill: For whence he took the head, thence he conferred heaven. By his new love pious vows Leontius fulfilling, Where the sacred members lie, gave roofs of tin. the church adorned. And although the venerable temple shines forth in merits, Yet ornament this one provided of its own. Let rewards follow, for the worker of long salvation, That by his services the holy heights may help.

The Church of Bordeaux had two Leontii in succession, renowned for virtue & deeds: of whom one to the other succeeded about the year DXLI, & this is the one of whom is treated, deceased not long after DLXIII. Charles le Cointe says each is venerated as a Saint. The first, XXI August; the second, XV November; but Hieronymus Lopez, Canon Theologal of that Church, denies any vestige of such cult is extant in the old or new fasti.

POEM IX.

On the basilica of S. Vincent of Vernemet.

[2] Of the worshipper of the Lord the sound has gone forth into all the world, Nor is there a place where his exalted glory may be denied. But of him whose merit we know to run through the world, Of this man everywhere temples teach to rise. Behold the blessed heights of Vincent shine, of highest, By the gift of martyrdom, who dwells on the stars of heaven. Prompt with pious love, what Pope Leontius once Founded, consolidated in distinguished place, The Church founded By the name of Vernemet antiquity wished to call, Which as if a great shrine in the Gallic tongue conveys. Sent forth the faith of the auspice was before future, That now the lofty house might stand in honor of God. Here also the Saint, supported by love of the Lord, Gave tremendous signs of highest virtue. For when the Prelate dedicated the temple of God in his customary manner, & dedicated, At the coming of the Martyr the wrath of the demon fled: A certain one is restored unharmed from the malignant pestilence; To whom to have seen the Pious One's temples, was the remedy. Shines forth the mighty hall, full of divine serenity, Miracles. That deservedly pleased to dwell here is the Lord. Now with the appearance of the place persuading & the honor of virtue, It calls hither peoples, hence honor, thence salvation, Who the people kindled, the founder of the venerable ark, With such services will reap just rewards.

[3] Cardinal Baronius, in his Notes on this IX June, asserts that, about this S. Vincent's basilica, & the miracles made there, Venantius Fortunatus wrote an elegant epigram, extant in book 1 of Poems. Elsewhere not distinguished from S. Vincent of Saragossa; But unmindful of this Saint, among so many diverse studies, when at the year 542 no. 6 he had related the Relics of S. Vincent the Martyr of Saragossa (as on day XXII January we have set forth) brought into Gaul by Chlothar & Childebert Kings, & a basilica erected to him at Paris, he adds, that not only at Paris, but in several cities of Gaul, was celebrated the memory of S. Vincent, & that his sacred Relics honored with cult shone with miracles, which later in the year 560 no. 15 he applies to the same S. Vincent, & the second poem of Fortunatus he relates whole. Hence perhaps occasion was seized among later Spaniards, of asserting S. Vincent of Agen, was sent from Saragossa by S. Valerius Bishop of Saragossa for the cause of preaching into Gaul, & there crowned with Martyrdom, & that his body was brought from Gaul into Spain to the city of Valencia, & afterwards to the Castrum monastery of Gaul translated. Which all things with great confusion of all things to this day Tamayo Salazar relates in the Hispanic Martyrology, on the authority chiefly of the poet Heleca, whose poems are believed to have been recently composed. That the Relics, brought to Castrum, are of S. Vincent of Saragossa widely from Aimoinus, & by verse and prose, we have set forth XXII January; nor does it please to dwell longer in refuting these fabulous little narrations.

[4] & he is feigned to have lived at Saragossa. But let us return to the other churches of S. Vincent which by Pope Leontius either were founded & dedicated, or adorned, Venantius Fortunatus said above, For Leontius II was wholly in building churches of Saints, restoring & adorning them: & this concerning the basilicas of SS. Martin, Nazarius & Dionysius Martyrs, Bivian & Eutropius Bishops of Santonensian, and of the Virgin Mother of God, the same Fortunatus who then flourished, Various churches of this Saint. testifies book 1 of Poems, Poem 6, & 10, and following to the end of the book, where he commonly treats of Leontius. But in what place the basilicas of S. Vincent written above were, cannot easily be defined; because in the Register of the benefices of the diocese of Bordeaux are indicated twelve or even more parishes, under that name dedicated: among which in the Archpresbyterate of the region between two seas or rivers, the Garonne & Dordogne, situated, are four parishes of S. Vincent, surnamed of Floyracus, du Prat, de Carignan, du Moulon, whence easily some other could have been on the Garonne; but another at Vernemet, not far from Bordeaux is said to have been constructed by Cointe at the year 562 no. 20, but for what cause or conjecture he defines this he does not explain, & we about that name not a little another conjecture above formed.

* al. part

* al. of citadels

MIRACLE

Of the punishments inflicted on the violators of the Church. By the Author Gregory of Tours.

Vincent, Martyr of Agen in Aquitaine (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR G. H.

[1] Let us return to the Martyrs of Gaul. Vincent, of the city of Agen & himself Martyr (whose history of passion is retained by the inhabitants) shining with the whiteness of the Levitic stole in the Church of Christ, Book 1 of Miracles ch. 105 is narrated with great virtues most often shines: on invaders of his things mostly stands forth a severe avenger. But at that time, when against Gundobad the moved army, to the city of Convenae was directed; by the multitude of this hostility his basilica is wholly surrounded. For there was in it a people, all the protections of their things having, & confiding in the reverence of the Martyr, that no one with that rash presumption would dare to touch it: & with doors barred from within with their things had shut themselves in. But the enemies surrounding, when they could not find access, through which they might enter; put fire to the doors of the edifice; which long and much burning, the doors did not catch; until by the impulse of axes broken to pieces, how breaking into the church they entered, plundering things, & slaughtering with the edge of the sword the enclosed people. But not long did this matter remain unavenged: for some seized by a demon, some in the river Garonne killed; many also by cold occupied, in different parts with different kinds of diseases were vexed. For I saw of them many in the Turonian territory, who had been mixed in this crime, gravely massacred, variously punished, & even to the loss of present life with the torment of intolerable pains tortured. For many of these confessed, that by judgment of God for the injury of the Martyr they had been destined to the worst death. Behold how much God grants to His Martyrs: behold with what praises Christ the Lord honors them, the inspector of the wars of the faithful: behold how much the dignity of the name of Christian itself, if not after the manner of the Gentiles either we gape at greed, or serve luxury. Thus Gregory of Tours on the Glory of the Martyrs: which same with some circumstances added thus he describes book 7 of the History of the Franks ch. 35.

[2] At that time the Dukes of King Gunthramnus had heard, that Gundobaldus beyond the Garonne on the shore was residing, with an immense multitude of enemies: & that the very treasures, which Regunthis had brought, with him he was retaining. Then an attack made, with horses they crossed the Garonne by swimming, with some of the army in the river submerged. The rest having gone out on the shore, seeking Gundobaldus, found camels with immense weight of gold and silver, or horses, which weary on the roads he had left. Hearing then that they were dwelling within the walls of the city of Convenicae, leaving wagons and various impedimenta with a smaller people, the stronger men him, as already they had crossed the Garonne, determined to pursue. While they were hastening they came to the basilica of S. Vincent, which is near the boundary of the city of Agen, where the Martyr himself for the name of Christ is said to have consummated his combat, & they found it full of various treasures of the inhabitants. For there was hope to the inhabitants, near the boundary of the city of Agen. that the basilica of so great a Martyr was not to be violated by Christians: whose doors with the highest zeal had been barred. Nor delay: the army approaching, when it could not unbar the doors of the temple, kindled fire; & with the doors consumed, all the substance and all the furniture, which they could find in it, with the sacred ministries they took away. But many there divine vengeance terrified. For most had their hands divinely burned, emitting great smoke, as is wont to rise from a conflagration. Some seized by a demon, through energy raging, declaimed the Martyr. Many truly, withdrawn from the sedition, with their own javelins wounded themselves. The rest of the crowd in advance not without great fear progressed. … But some of the army, whom the stronger sting of avarice was boring, wandering further, were killed by the inhabitants. Thus Gregory of Tours, whom boldly, but falsely accuses Joseph Scaliger, an Agennensian by country, in which Scaliger accusing Gregory if Brietius and others are to be believed. He in book 6 on the Emendation of times, by Roverian types in the year 1629 reprinted, p. 618, Of this Vincent of Agen, he says, the basilica was not far from Lyons of Convenae at the Capraria Valley, of which basilica also this author makes mention book 1 of Miracles ch. 101. The Capraria Valley is distant from Agen more than a four-day journey. But Gregory wrongly interprets it to have been near the boundary of the city of Agen. .. Wherefore wondrously our Gregory raves. So Scaliger: but himself to be raving shows; Fronto Ducaeus in an epistle to our Rosweide, which we still preserve. His, illustrating the said place, these are the words: It is familiar of speech, that boundaries, not the pomeria of cities or the spaces around the city, but the very districts, are named. Whence we convict Scaliger of error, himself raving is proved. who the history of S. Vincent of Agen wrongly understood; & because he was foully raving, Gregory he thought was raving. And yet too credulous to Scaliger was Browerus, when he wrote that he was stuck with water, because the basilica Gregory says was near the boundary of the city of Agen, which of the Martyr, not of the basilica was right to be said. For why, I ask, was it right to be said of the Martyr & not of the basilica? Because Scaliger dreamed, that the writer, whom Gregory had read, had written, that soldiers had burst into the basilica of S. Vincent, situated at the city of Convenae, who the Martyr near the boundary of the city of Agen is said to have consummated his martyrdom. Whence that imagined Scaliger? Gregory says, that Gunthramnus's soldiers, when to Convenas they were going, crossed the Garonne, & then the basilica of S. Vincent ran upon them; this they plundered, were soon punished by God; the rest of the crowd, which escaped divine wrath, not without great fear progressed, & then to Convenas they came together. It is therefore not necessary, that thence we understand the basilica of S. Vincent, near Lyons of Convenae: for he could immediately, with the Garonne crossed about the port of Alinzonia, of which Paulinus mentions, that is after seven leagues, encounter the basilica of S. Vincent, which by as many leagues from Agen is distant (now is called in French, le Mas d'Agennoy, Mansus Agennensis, that town in which the Relics of S. Vincent were preserved until the times of the civil wars) & then the soldiers proceeded to Convenas. Read, reread the history: plainly you will confess Scaliger raved. Thus Fronto Ducaeus, to whom we subscribe.