ON S. PELADIUS OR PALLADIUS, BISHOP OF EMBRUN IN GAUL,
TRANSLATED INTO CATALONIA.
ABOUT DXVI.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
On the acts, and time of Translation and of the Episcopate.
Peladius or Palladius, Bishop of Embrun, in Gaul (S.)
BY D. P.
The Embrun Metropolitan of the Province of the Maritime Alps (as he is called by S. Hilary the Pope in his Epistle IV) from the old notice of the Provinces, The Holy Metropolitan of Embrun, long since had under him six suffragan Bishops. About that Metropolis see Henschen treating more amply, on XX April, when he gave the Life of the first Bishop there, S. Marcellinus. The Catalogue of the successors, but very imperfect, in his Gallia Christiana gave Claudius Robertus; nor to any of them, except this first, did he prefix the title of Saint. Far more ample propose the Sammarthani brothers, in the more augmented work of the same nomenclature of four tomes.
[2] In that which is on the Archbishops, are so counted the first Bishops of Embrun five up to the beginning of the XI century and the expulsion of the Saracens; is restored to the Gauls by the Spaniards, that of them ten, by Robert partly omitted, partly unhonored, are called Saints most however with no day of cultus assigned; which is added only to two, namely the aforenamed Peladius or Palladius; and Liberalis, who driven by the Saracens in the X century, in his fatherland Brivate died, and is venerated XI Kal. of December: which I therefore here wished to note, because neither will you find in the Gallican Martyrology of Saussay; and about S. Liberalis a more distinct notice than the Sammarthani gave, we still require; and also about the other eight, if anything more can be had.
[3] Lest for S. Palladius we be able to complain the same, the diligence of Antonio Vincent Domenecci, of the Order of Preachers, conserving his Acts effected; who in the General History of Brevarii of the Saints of Catalonia, published at Barcelona in year 1602, gave in Spanish a certain Life of him, from the Breviaries of Gerona and Barcelona (of which however the contexts themselves we would wish to see) and also from a certain Legend (Latin, as I judge, and therefore equally by us desired) of the Camprodon Monastery, in which his body is preserved. That Life the Sammarthani saw, from it had and rendered for their Gaul the notice of the Saint, hidden for some centuries. The same rendered in Latin exhibits John Tamayo de Salazar on this day; but little accurately nor entirely, and therefore I judged it necessary to give a new version from the Spanish, until those originary instruments are brought, whence Domenecci received the relation.
[4] But although Tamayo's version of whatever quality be admitted, it cannot however be admitted in this place, what with the body translated to Camprodon the memory of the same Saint to his Martyrology so he inscribes: At Gerona in Tarraconensian Spain, with the cenobium of S. Peter of Camprodon, The Deposition of Sacred pledges of S. Palladius, of Embrun in Gaul Bishop, which there with magnificent ornament are preserved, and with pious honor are venerated. Who would not believe some urban monastery of the very city of Gerona is here noted; and yet in the Notes he says, Camprodon a town of further Spain, at the ridges of the Pyrenees mountain; where the summits of the County of Roussillon are seen, is of the diocese of Gerona. Into the same stone had stumbled before Tamayo Ferrari, in the General Catalogue of Saints which are lacking in the Roman Martyrology, with the History of Domenecci cited and the tables of Gerona: At Camprodon, he says in Spain near Gerona of S. Palladius Bishop of Embrun, when however more than XIII leagues of an hour this town is distant from Gerona. But to an Italian writer such an error is more easily, than to a Spanish one, pardoned. The more recent Topographical tables write Camprodun, Camprodon Domenecci; Tamayo, sometimes with the fourth, sometimes with the fifth vowel expresses the name: but I would prefer the fifth, who more closely renders the etymon which the Sammarthani rightly express Field-round.
[5] The time of the Translation is silent: with likely conjecture however I say it was not made before the XI century nor before with travelers going to and fro the journeys were free, in the 11th century. with the Saracens expelled (as I said above). I know not however what I should suspect from this, that the same Tamayo in the Bishops of Gerona, at III September, of Gothomarus I says, that he granted the church of Camprodon of the territory of Bisoldune, where the cenobium of S. Benedict was constructed: where Leufridus the first Abbot was elected, at year DCCCCL; and soon several times is named the Monastery of S. Peter of Bisoldune of the Order of S. Benedict. Shall I say that Bisoldune and Camprodon monastery is the same? Let the Gerondese skilled in places define it. If it is the same, our opinion about the time of the Translation is confirmed.
[6] With more certain foundation we can discuss about the time of the Episcopate for Ingenuus, the Bishop, in whose favor S. Hilary the Pope wrote the aforecited Epistle in year CCCCLXIV, He seems to have sat after Ingenuus, is said up to about the LXXV year of that century, and of the See approached XXXV, to have survived; and his Episcopate, under the patronage of Gundobald King of the Burgundians, Arians had invaded. Thus the Sammarthani; and this is more credible, than what the same subjoin, about his successor Catulinus; this man by Sigismund, the orthodox son of Gundebald, given as Bishop to the Embrun church, not however after Catulinus, while in his city he set out to execute the decrees of the Epaonensian Synod, by the heretics more powerful at Embrun ejected, and at Vienne for some years sojourned, there died.
[7] I would say rather, that Sigismund, not yet King, but long since Catholic, with the mediating Gallicanus, with his father, about the divinity of Christ convinced, and from the Arian heresy drawn away, although not yet professing orthodoxy obtained, that with the pseudo-Bishop dead, to the Catholics be given an orthodox Bishop; and this was Gallicanus, the first of this name (for two are counted in the Diptychs of Embrun the Sammarthani say) to whom more quickly deceased succeeded about year DX Palladius: but died before year DXVII, in which year the successor Catulinus XVI Kal. of October subscribes to the Epaonensian Council; and to have died about year 516. who if was constituted by S. Sigismund now King it must have been in the preceding year: for then with the testimony of Marius the contemporary Bishop, King Gundobald died, and is raised his son Sigismund as King, with Peter as Consul. Catulinus further followed by Gallicanus, not I, but II, was present at the Council of Orleans IV at year DXLI, and eight years later through the Deacon Probus subscribed also the Aurelianensi V. So that it is wonderful the Sammarthani, after all these place Peladius; and to the eighth place to be thrust, who could have been placed sixth.
ACTS
From the Spanish of Antonio Vincent Domenecci.
Peladius or Palladius, Bishop of Embrun, in Gaul (S.)
BY D. P.
Saint Palladius, at Embrun in a Arvernia a province of the French kingdom born, With his Bishop at Vienne in exile dwelling Palladius of noble and catholic parents, from tender age showed in advance, what kind he would be as more grown. For making little of all worldly things, he applied himself entirely to divine service, just as the Archbishop b of the same city had taught him. This man it happened by c heretics was expelled from his See, and to Vienne d to withdraw; with a companion of exile taken in this desiring Palladius. There them benignly received S. Avitus e, Bishop of the place; with whom for many years they remained, to him after Gallicanus is subrogated, exercising themselves in all virtue and divine cultus. Died then, as we read, the Embrun f Archbishop; in whose place was elected S. Gallicanus: and he too soon extinguished, by concordant vote of both Clergy and people Palladius was demanded.
[2] It is believed an election of this kind not by men alone, but with the Holy Spirit assisting, familiar with Angels, and Angels cooperating was made: these indeed from his company never departed. For as he was wont to relate to his disciples, whatever he himself had to do or to teach, through those blessed spirits was revealed to him. This servant of God burned for prayer, generous toward the poor, and was so happy in it, that whatever he asked he also obtained. With great charity he helped the poor; and from the revenues of his Episcopate sustained orphans and widows: but pilgrims and other needy he so succored, that he allowed no one asking to depart from him empty. Most devoted also to the passion of Christ, endowed with the spirit of prophecy, by the sign of the Cross alone he often overcame the demon. Given the spirit of prophecy, the day of his death long before he predicted; and also g of S. Sigismund King of Burgundy, with the extermination of his kingdom: which Sigismund without doubt familiarly used Palladius, as one dwelling with S. Avitus at Vienne, for five years laudably presides of the same Sigismund in spirit master.
[3] He lived in the Episcopate for five years: in which time he had built in the Metropolitan church altars h five, to God's glory and honor. Most holily he ruled his diocese: because he was admonished by Angels of all the excesses of his diocesans, and met them even if light sometimes, with the greatest solicitude. Finally, with life holily completed, when God wished to remunerate his labors, and holily died he gave him the end of this wretched and temporal life; rendering for it the eternal in year of the Lord 518, i with reigning in France Childebert, Clothar and Childeric, sons k of Chlodovaeus the King; and with the apex of the highest Pontificate holding Felix l III. About this holy Confessor the Office is done at Camprodon, naming him in the Collect at Mass and indeed with the Octave, through which likewise the Office is done, unless a greater festivity then occurring impedes it.
[4] At Camprodon he is venerated 21 June. The feast is celebrated XXI June: which is the day of the body translated from France, where first he had been buried: But the holy body thence brought a certain Benedictine Monk of Portella, of the diocese of m Vich; at Camprodon compelled by a miracle to stop: for further to proceed it was not possible to him: and thus it was deposited in the same Order's Monastery of S. Peter of Camprodon. where his body was translated. His sacred Relics are conserved within a silver ark, which according to custom annually on the feast day is shown to the people devoutly flocking. Many through that Saint, both in life and after death, God has worked miracles. The ancient Breviaries of the Gerondese and Barcelona dioceses narrate, that when he was going to the Castle n of Alagon six miles that is two leagues from Embrun distant, He had averted a stone about to fall on him by the Cross, suddenly is loosed from a certain rock a great stone, about to crush the Saint: but he with hands raised to heaven, formed the sign of the Cross: and immediately obedient to the human nod the irrational creature bent itself to o another side: and this was the first miracle, which about him in his city was divulged.
[5] There lay a certain man at Embrun in his last extremity, so depleted of strength, that he could take nothing by mouth. They went for him p to the Saint, who blessing a piece of bread, and had done many miracles while alive. ordered it to be offered to the sick man: who having tasted it soon appeared healthy. To a certain girl had been infected with poison the arm from the bite of a scorpion. When she was in peril of life, for the cause of aid r she ran to the Saint: who to prayer prostrated himself: and with it finished, the girl felt herself healthy. These and other things he worked in his life: but innumerable he did after death, and especially at Perpignan and Camprodon.
[6] Hither when his sacred body had been brought,
[7] In year MCCCCLXX in the month of October the Holy body the French took away, In year 1470 taken away by the French the body, as is narrated in a certain epistle, written by the Reverend Abbot of that monastery to the Illustrious Peter Leopardus Canon of the holy Cathedral of Barcelona; taken from certain old codices of the same town; where the Abbot t narrates, how the French having captured the town, after they had cast down the walls and despoiled the citizens, also gold and silver of the churches, without harm slips into a precipice. and whatever in them was precious took away, together with the sacred Relics there found. The ark however, in which the body of S. Palladius was hidden, they placed upon a beast: which having proceeded up to a certain rock, between Pruta-Melli u and Arbes, fell into a precipice. Those who were present immediately raised a cry, invoking S. Palladius: and behold, a great miracle! From such a fall neither the ark, At Perpignan distills a salutary liquor, guardian of the holy body; nor the beast, its bearer, suffered any harm. x Perpignan however coming, they found from the holy head to drip a liquor, salutary for healing the infirmities of the head, of the eyes and of the neck, and also of the smallpox, and many others.
[8] A certain man of Roussillon for a long time so paralytic, and heals a paralytic. that without other aid he could not move from his bed; when he had heard that to Perpignan had come the body of a certain S. Palladius, illustrated by many miracles, bound himself by a vow of a certain offering, if God would restore health to him, and of observing through all his life the feast of that Saint. So this man in the evening: but in the morning he found himself healthy, and rising eagerly from his bed, was going about the house, calling out to all that they should rise, and see him healthy. Who when admiring asked, how this had happened to him, he responded, that by the glorious S. Palladius he had been cured: and immediately he set out to pay thanks before the holy Relics for the benefit received, and to present the promised offering. Divulged however through all that region soon was so illustrious a miracle.
[9] While so at Perpignan remained the sacred body, a certain innkeeper who kept it in his house, A bone taken thence is given to that church, from the soldiers who held it commended to themselves, obtained one bone. To him a certain Notary persuaded that he should donate it to the church of the castle, which is plainly notable in that place: which also he did: and so the Canons with the whole Clergy coming in procession to the house of the innkeeper and from him receiving the precious Relic brought it to the sacred edifice. But when they had come to the foot of the major altar a public instrument was composed about the whole matter: which as soon as the Notary had signed, slipped from the second step and broke one of his tibias, which by death the author of such counsel paid for. nor did he cease for an entire year to be sick, until he died; with all saying that he had sinned against S. Palladius who did not wish his bones to be scattered. Afterwards the soldiers brought the holy body to the place of the castle, where he who held the place of Prefect from this kept it commended to himself, but with little reverence and great peril of his soul; for he died, nor is it known how.
[10] After many days this sacred treasure was translated to Carcassonne y in Gaul where the Episcopate was held by the brother of the Captain called Benaqui who from Camprodon had taken away the holy body, The Bishop of Carcassonne wishing to retain the body, and had caused it to be brought to Carcassonne at the impulse z of the Bishop, hoping that he could vindicate it for his Church. So the ark remained there for three or four years, meanwhile while letters are written to Rome to the supreme Pontiff, and from him the license is awaited of attributing those holy bones to some church or monastery of the aforesaid diocese. For the Bishop alleged, is punished by a swift death: that Camprodon was a desolate place and a nest of robbers, who as soon as the body returned there would have plundered it, with no one resisting. But the supreme judge of all God did not allow, that the highest α Pontiff should yield to the requests; but he should be confirmed in the sentence of ordering restitution. Finally died the Bishop of Carcassonne in the flower of youth from a light, as it seemed, infirmity: and persuaded that death was hastened on him, because he had persuaded his brother that the Saint not be sent back to Camprodon, mandated to his at his last while sick, that they should say to his brother in his name that he must be restored entirely because he judged himself to be on that account divinely castigated.
[11] With him dead the Captain ordered the sacred deposit to be brought to a certain castle of his right Belcayre β called near Montpellier which in the name of the King of France he held, as also the Locumtenens of Belcayre, keeping it irreverently: and commended it to his Locumtenens there to be guarded: this one however a little after died so rabid that he bit his own hands: therefore I believe, because with little reverence so venerable a pledge he had held. Finally the Captain caused it to be transported to his home which in the citadel of Castellone γ he had. Afterwards into France came a certain Legate δ of the Pontiff, whom invited to his castle the Captain asked the power to give the holy body to whichever church he wished, Brought to Castellone, which he easily obtained even signed with a bull.
[12] Before however the Legate came; he had been in Burgundy, on the very day of S. Palladius XXI June conquered in battle the Captain, and had said: O Saint Palladius, unwilling to restore entirely he who had taken away, is this perhaps your vengeance? and from that time he carried in his soul fixed the proposal to satisfy him for the offense: wherefore he had had announced to the Abbot, that if he wished to send to him faithful men, he would restore to them either the head or the ark: for and this was very showy, and that was enclosed in a head, up to the middle of the shoulders also silver: the holy Cross however and certain other things he wished to keep for himself. The Camprodonensians indeed with counsel taken responded; that they would receive whatever he might please to give, as a pledge of entire restitution, not otherwise. With which response received the Captain wrote back, since they were unwilling in anything to descend to his petition, he would do nothing of those things which he had offered, as one to whom ample power had been granted by the Pontifical Legate of doing what he wished with the holy body.
[13] He asked therefore God, that he deign to reveal, to which church he wished it to be given; but always, Finally is wounded mortally on the day of the Saint himself; as they say, his soul recurred to Camprodon: he deferred however still for an entire year to obey that impulse. Meanwhile it happened to him in a certain expedition for the King of France, to besiege the castle ε of Carlat against the Lord of Avernonium: but on the very day of S. Palladius so to be wounded in the leg, that the leg had to be amputated, to stop gangrene, the surgeons judged. Seeing therefore himself placed in such great peril of life, and healed by vow, but not paying the vow, he implored the aid of S. Palladius; and vowed his body to restore to Camprodon if he survived. And he indeed soon recovered within a few days, but the vow he deferred to fulfill. Again therefore in the following year by a similar occasion a wound he received from a small ball, again the year around, is punished and dies: not exceeding the size of a hazelnut, and that on the same feast of the Saint, and falling he cried out that he was dying. To the fall was present the King himself and many Nobles, and to the collapsed they were adding courage: he however said, My Lord, I die on account of the sin, committed in retaining the body of that Saint, whose today the feast is held: I beseech therefore your Majesty, that with his good grace I may make it restored to its home. The King assented to the supplicant, and he immediately made a testament, by which he mandated the restitution to be accelerated, because he did not wish together with the body also to lose his soul.
[14] With him dead the Vicecountess of ς Valere, his widow, sent a messenger to Camprodon, the wife executes the vow asking that faithful men be sent, into whose hands she might hand over whatever of that monastery was. Three Ecclesiastics were therefore sent, with one of the Jurats: and the Vicecountess into their hands consigned the holy true Cross, with the Thorn of the Lord's Crown, the body of the Saint, and other treasures brought from Camprodon. All these were placed in a wagon, which two armed men accompanied: but a wonderful thing happened, that with dense rain around falling neither the wagon, nor the ark, and so not without miracles to Camprodon the Saint is restored. nor its company a single drop touched, or extinguished the two wax candles burning before the ark. Wonder to all through whom they were passing this matter was, nor however did other thing occur to them to think, than that of some magnate dead in battle the body was being brought home. With them entering the fields of Catalonia, the bells of all the villages through which the transit was began to ring of themselves: and so was restored to his own the Saint, and in the monastery of S. Peter with all veneration received.
ANNOTATED D. P.
closed the line of Kings of the Burgundians, and so the kingdom passed to the Franks.
p The same, To the feet of the holy Bishop, that from him he might receive a cure, he had himself brought, &c.
r The same, His affliction to the holy man some opened.
s The rest of this number, the same omitted.
t Also this allegation of the Author by whom the matter was written, of such moment for making faith, by Tamayo is omitted: so even in history is true, what is commonly said; Compendia, dispendia: for further omitted are many things, in another order narrated in a history brief enough by itself.
u Commonly Prats de Mello: distant however from Camprodon 4, from Arbes 8 leagues both on the river, commonly called Tech; which discharges itself to Elena into the sea; wherefore do not here think of Arelate, far in Provence set city, also commonly called Arles.
x Perpignan a very fortified city of the County of Roussillon, and as it were the door of Catalonia, is distant from Camprodon 15 leagues.
y Carcassona, a city of Narbonensian Gaul on the river Atax, above Narbonne by about eight leagues.
z To the Sammarthani called John de Castro, from year 1455 to 1475. Nor can we suspect another, because the same John in year 1472 is found to have conferred to someone the Rectorship of the church of Podioclericum, and his successor Guiscardus, lived beyond year 1485, and so can be here understood. Therefore either the Captain Benaqui was not the brother german of the Bishop, or carried the surname from some toparcy of his, suppose from Benac a place of the Bigerrones, in Aquitaine.
α Sixtus IV, from year 1471 to 1484.
β Whether it still survives I would gladly know: the name certainly is neither in the tables of Occitania, nor in the French Alphabet found.
γ The same Alphabet counts more than ten places of this name, named from the rivers on which they lie; besides perhaps several others there passed over, so that it is difficult to conjecture.
δ Suppose Julianus Card. Roboreus, nephew of Sixtus, year 1476 dispatched to Gaul, to bring the King and Nobles into the holy militia against the Turks.
ε Carlatum, a castle of upper Arvernia, not far from Aurelium. Hence I suspect, the Lord of Avernonium (of whose name no notice I find) here to be called Count of Arvernia, who at that time was Bertrand II, still surviving year 1487.
ς Perhaps should be read of Valery, which is said to be a noble family in Vastinium, commonly le Gastinois.