ON SAINT BENILDIS,
MARTYR AT CORDOVA IN SPAIN.
From the Memorial of S. Eulogius.
YEAR DCCCLIII.
CommentaryBenildis, Martyr at Cordova in Spain (S.)
G. H.
The Tables of the Roman Martyrology celebrate on this XV day of June the memory of Holy Benildis, Martyr at Cordova in Spain, Memory in the Martyrologies, The same with the title of Matron added, are read in the Martyrology of Galesinius. Baronius adds in the Notes, that the noble contest of her S. Eulogius wrote, in the Memorial of the Saints book 3 ch. 9; & hands down that she suffered in the era DCCCXCI, in the year of Christ the Lord DCCCLIII. Eulogius, when in ch. 8 he had given the martyrdom of SS. Anastasius, Felix & Digna, of whom on the preceding day was treated, writes these things in the said ch. 9: Finally following these Benildis a woman, Memorial of Eulogius, now of advanced age, &, as is reported, not moderately fearing [God], under the profession of the others fell on XVII Kalends of July, in the Era as above. Whose cadavers after some days burned with great fire, finally were dispersed by being cast into the river. These last things were said of the bodies of the four already said Saints. The same from S. Eulogius edited in Spanish Ambrose Morales book 14 ch. 20; Juan Marietta, book 4 on the Saints of Spain ch. 28; Martin de Roa, on the Cordoban Saints: & these add, & other writers. that they were by birth Cordoban, & their bodies burnt cast into the river Guadalquivir, lest by the Christians they should be snatched & held in veneration. Juan Tamayo Salazar in the Hispanic Martyrology, brings forth a long elogium, from Eulogius, he says, & from Cyprian Cordoban Archpresbyter, whom, from the Adversaria of Julian Peter, he asserts to have lived to the year MLX. But since he is unknown to the previously cited authors, we fear, The writings of Cyprian are of doubtful faith. lest in the same grade with Pseudo-Dexter & Julian himself he should be held; therefore we send the reader back to the Martyrology of Tamayo, until we have obtained more certain notice about this Cyprian. We have apprehended him, he says, among the Carmina of various, recensed in my Ms. Codex. But although those Carmina are distinguished by the names of various, yet anyone reading more, which scattered in his work Tamayo transcribes, will not with difficulty understand, that they all are of the same author & of no great age; & that no faith is to be had in that codex.