ON THE SEVENTEEN HOLY AFRICAN MARTYRS.
CommentaryXVII Martyrs in Africa (Sts.)
G. H.
In the third place, these Martyrs are proposed in the very ancient apograph of Echternach of the Hieronymian Martyrology with these words: "In Africa, of XVII Martyrs." In the Lucensian apograph and Corbeian is added: "whose names God, or the Lord, knows." Notker uses the same phrase, but has only sixteen Martyrs: who in the Manuscript of Prague are reckoned eighteen: in the Manuscripts of Utrecht of the collegiate church of St. Mary, and of Trier of St. Martin, as also in Grevenus in his Addition, are read seventeen. In the Manuscript of the Queen of Sweden, held in great esteem by Holstenius, they are called XL Martyrs, whose names God knows. Nor can these be referred to Terentius, Pompeius, and the others, of whom we treated above: because the names of many of them are distinctly expressed.