ON THE HOLY MARTYRS MAMMAS, EMASIA, NAZARIUS, MAXIMUS, PAULUS, TITIANA, NESIA, SIRIANA, EUTATUS; AND PERHAPS JUSTINUS AND NONNUS.
From the Hieronymian Martyrologies.
CommentaryMammas, Martyr (S.). Emasia, Martyr (S.). Nazarius, Martyr (S.). Maximus, Martyr (S.). Paulus, Martyr (S.). Titiana, Martyr (S.). Nesia, Martyr (S.). Siriana, Martyr (S.). Eutatus, Martyr (S.). Justinus, Martyr (S.). Nonnus, Martyr (S.).
J. B. S.
The most glorious Scillitan Martyrs, of whom we treated just now, we observed with Florentinius could be drawn out from the Hieronymian apographs only, so to speak, with the neck twisted, whom nevertheless we asserted, trusting more to the genuine Acts than to the corrupt codices, from which nonetheless the twelve names can be gathered: but certainly all things are so confused and distorted that what the copyists intended concerning the rest must almost be divined. In a matter so doubtful, nothing seemed to me to remain but that I should compose all the rest, the Martyrs in a manner dispersed, into one class from the older Epternach codex, a little less infected than the others, namely which removes something of the confusion by writing "Emasiæ" (the Blume codex "Inansiæ") for "in Asia"; and for "Persyrianæ" of the Lucca codex, it substitutes with the Blume "Sirianæ" or "Syrianæ." Mammas or Mamas (whether it indicate a man or, corruptly, a woman) is not separated from the others in that codex, which pleases me equally as well as Florentinius. I have added to the rest Justinus and Nonnus, who in the Corbie codex seem wrongly associated with Marcellus of Milan, and indeed Justinus again mingled with others in the same place, of whom nevertheless the other codices, nor of Nonnus, make mention. Menelampus and Zosimus of the same codex we judged should be passed over. Let pardon be given us here in the most depraved readings of all the exemplars.
ON ST. MARCELLUS, MARTYR,
AT MILAN IN INSUBRIA.
From the Hieronymian Martyrologies.
CommentaryMarcellus, Martyr, at Milan in Insubria (S.)
J. B. S.
In the already mentioned disturbed texts of the Hieronymian Martyrologies on this day, no announcement occurs less corrupt than this of almost all the codices: "At Milan, the birthday of St. Marcellus." Less corrupt, I say, for I dare not call it entire; for it is so mingled with other Saints, especially the Scillitan, that it seems as if interposed on purpose. And indeed in the Lucca codex, the Epternach, and some of the lesser ones, Marcellus alone is marked, to whom the Corbie summoned Justinus and Nonnus as companions I know not whence, cut off by us here, because we plainly suspect that they were wrongly added, or at least cannot be said to be of Milan. What? That we do not think it altogether improbable that Marcellina is here indicated, of whom also this day treats, the sister of St. Ambrose, the gender of the person being changed, as happens more than once in this list, and the appellation shortened; although we dare not assert this for certain.