ON THE HOLY PRINCES OF THE RUTHENIANS
PETER AND FEBRONIA, IN THE MONASTERY NAMED DAVID AND EUPHROSYNA.
Notice from the Ruthenian Synaxaria.
Peter, in the monastery called David, Prince of the Ruthenians (S.)
Febronia, in the monastery called Euphrosyna, Princess of the Ruthenians (S.)
F. V.
Volodimiria, among the chief Provinces of the Russian empire, Memory from various ones, rendered into Latin in the year 1688, lying toward the North of Moscow, where it looks toward the East, is closed by the river Oka. On its western bank is situated a town not ignoble, called Murom by the inhabitants: which gave to the light these holy Princes and Spouses Peter and Febronia. Their memory the Slavo-Russian Menology contains, word for word turned from the Slavonic tongue into Latin by the most noble and generous Lord Joannes Gabriel, from an edition of the year 1679 Baron de Sparwenfeld, in the year 1688, collated with various codices both manuscript and published at various times; but especially with the codex printed at Moscow under the Grand Duke Theodore Alexeievitch, and under the Patriarch Joachim still living, in the year of the world, according to the Russian computation, 7187, of Christ 1679, in the 2nd Indiction, in the month of August.
[2] The names of the same Saints are also inscribed in the Synaxarion peculiar to the Ruthenians of the Diocese of Kiev, and the Synaxarion of Kiev, which, besides the Saints received from the Greeks, contains also the Pieczarienses (namely the Basilian Monks) and the Proper ones of the Ruthenians. This Synaxarion, which is in use among the Muscovites also, we received sent and translated into the Latin tongue by R. P. Georgius David, a Missionary of our Society residing at Moscow in the year 1688. But now, since Papebroch, in his preface to the Greco-Moscovite Ephemerides, has evidently demonstrated that the Muscovites fell into schism late enough, nor inscribed any in their Calendars of Saints except those who, having died in orthodoxy, afterward shone with very many miracles; we esteem it safe to concede to them the title of Saints, and to give them a place in this work.
[3] Inquiry was therefore made through R. P. Casimirus Bielski, Rector of our College of Polotsk in Lithuania; whether any Life of the holy Princes existed. But after he had applied all his effort, in letters given on the 27th of July in the year 1694, accusing the negligence of the Greco-Ruthenians concerning the monuments of Saints of this kind, he signified that he had found nothing except some common Elogium, without any mark of times; nor could he learn from the Schismatic Monks (from whose Menologies he had received this) the year of their birth, of their death, nay the century in which they lived; but that he had translated this Elogium from the old Slavonic or Ruthenian into the Latin tongue, an interpreter from among ours being employed, who knew this idiom most excellently; and where the sense allowed, had rendered words for words, but sometimes had to express the matter by a brief periphrasis, when otherwise, expounding to the letter, he would have brought forth something not intelligible. Since, therefore, nothing else is at hand, it is well to set this elogium in the very words, as it was translated by him, before the eyes of readers, with the title itself.
In the month of June, the 25th. The memory of the holy Orthodox ones, the holy Prince Peter, and the holy Princess Febronia, called in the religious state David and Euphrosyna, the new Thaumaturges of Murom.
[4] This Blessed Prince Peter was born of faithful progenitors, and educated in right discipline and continence, in the city of Murom, and uprightly bore his office. After some time holy Peter entered into marriage with his Blessed Princess Febronia, and she too was born of faithful ancestors, and was well instructed in the faith: and thus both were holy and faithful, and lovers of continence and chastity, and were merciful, and just, and humble, and liberal, and with their own hand ministering to the needy, and loving the religious and priestly state, and imparting alms to them: likewise loving the poor vehemently, and tenacious of fasting and abstinence. And again after much time, walking in all things before Christ by their good works, they desired according to God to imitate the humble on the earth, and to put on the peace of the just. And after these things the Blessed Prince Peter, in extreme old age, fell into a bodily sickness, and received the monastic tonsure, and in the religious state his name was called David. And at last, the sickness being somewhat prolonged, he was translated to God, with a good confession, to the heavenly kingdom.
[5] Likewise the holy Princess Febronia with great desire received the monastic veil, and in the religious state was called Euphrosyna. And in the same way, she too with a good confession and a pure conscience died, and delivered into the hands of God her soul. And both imitated the humble on the earth, as also from their tender years they did the same. Their death the nobility and the Magnates wept, bewailing the blessed ones as parents lost; the inhabitants of the city, as defenders and protectors; but the poor and widows and the famished, as bestowers of drink and food. And thus the whole city led the Saints honorably to burial, and placed their venerable Relics in the same city of Murom, in a Church, in the same sepulchre. And they work various miraculous benefits through their holy Relics, to those coming to them with faith, even to this day, to the glory of God.