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

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.

It made a wondrous thing to the ignorant and rude people, that the wheel rolled with sparkling and

flaming circles, & with fragments leaping in every direction,

dissolved with a crash burst forth, & into the river

Garonne all the fragments were seen at one point of time to fall.

But then much greater applauses were stirred, when from the waves emerging as if

by which way & in which manner it had come, into the same inner shrines of the temple, from

which it had first burst out, it was returning to be hidden. Which things we judge by an elegant orator's pen so adorned and amplified.

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

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.

which into a temple both the art of the pious refined, & religion

consecrated. … so that the place which had hidden the living, might illustrate the dead,

& bright with prodigies exhibit him, not only to the plebeian multitude, but

even to chiefs and princes, that certainly is in memory,

that the Queen of the Gauls climbed the mountain's ridge, so holy

Relics are established to have been guarded; until at length they were translated to Conques.

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.