Florina

ON SAINT FLORINA,

VIRGIN MARTYR IN AUVERGNE.

Florina Virgin, Martyr in Auvergne (S.)

D. P.

[1] Armandus Gerard, Canon of Sarlat, a man exceedingly erudite and most studious of sacred history, Memorials collected by James Branche, and even from the time when he saw us in the year 1662 at Paris, intensely devoted to helping the work which we attempt; among other aids, from time to time sent, took care also that we should have the Lives of the Saints of Auvergne and Velay, collected in French and divided into three books by D. James Branche, Great Prior of the Convent of Our Lady of Pébrac of the Order of St. Augustine, and printed at Le Puy in the year 1652. Here with great diligence set forth we find whatever of St. Florina can now be known or hoped for, and it is enough to prove her ancient and present cult, although we have been able to find her name inscribed in no Martyrology or Calendar hitherto. For St. Florina, of whom Saussay makes mention in the Gallican on October XXII, as translated by Louis Bishop of Langres together with St. Valeria, toward the end of the XIV century or the beginning of the following, was of the college of the Ursulines. But of the Auvergne Saint Branche thus writes, from the French faithfully rendered into Latin.

[2] Nothing concerning this Saint do I find written, except the Collect of the Office in the Breviary of the church of St. Julian of Brioude, concerning her office which venerates her as Virgin and Martyr. But I saw her bones in the church of Mauzun under the diocese of Clermont, by the space of one league beyond Ardes, within a chest of oak very ancient and firmly closed, two feet long, one high, and variously painted with animals and woods. To prove her sanctity the inhabitants show a farm in the appendages of the estate of Mauzun, and concerning her body, which has the name Ursati, between the North and the East, not unlike the deserts of Arabia, where among other things is seen a rock, high forty or fifty rods, at whose foot the rivulet Cousa flows. In the outermost valley are beheld the ruins of an old church, which, as also the little valley itself entire, holds the name of St. Florina: in which various sepulchral monuments also are numbered, accustomed to be carried in an annual procession wrought with old work. But it is believed that that church was parochial to the neighboring villages: and to the same every year, on the first day of May, the relics of the Saint herself are carried with processional pomp; thither

because they themselves were wont to return of their own accord to their former place; when the parish being translated to Mauzun, they too had been translated thither: and this is said to have lasted, until by better counsel that annual pomp was decreed, by which the Saint should be set in the place dear to her. But by experience it has been ascertained, to the place where she once had a church: that if at the going out of the proceeding faithful the sky perchance be cloudy or rainy, or pregnant with hail, the North wind suddenly blowing all is made serene, so that it appears that the homage which is shown to His handmaid is acceptable to God.

[3] The aforesaid inhabitants believe by an ancient tradition, whose beginning is unknown, likewise concerning the footprints impressed on a twin rock. that this Saint was sprung from that very place: and not only for the cause of faith, but also of chastity, suffered persecution from the infidels, haters of chastity equally as of the Christian religion: from whose hands having escaped she was wont to flee from the village of Estourgoux (probably her country) to this little valley, today called by her name, through brambles and rocks almost impassable. But it is said to have happened once, that when she was now almost held by the hands of her pursuers, from the precipice of one rock, raised to forty or fifty rods, making a leap through the air, she there left impressed the print of her left foot; and stationed herself across the Cousa, upon another rock placed in a wood, and impressed on it the print of her right foot; as in both places even now is discerned, and is marked with a twin cross fixed.

[4] Of the manner and time of the martyrdom the memory of the living has nothing: The time of her life uncertain. I should believe that after the persecution of Diocletian, when the Alemanni and Hungarians laid waste the Gauls, and especially the Province of Auvergne, the Saint flourished. But whatever I have here noted I received, being in the place itself, from the Lord Vicar of Ardes, who caused me to see the Relics and image of St. Florina, with the aforesaid valley and rocks pertaining to the same; and likewise from the Lord Parson of Ardes, who was present when the Most Reverend of Clermont visited the Relics of the Saint; and also from the Presbyter his nephew, who put each thing as it was there found into a writing for my memory.

[5] Thus far Branche, who if he had taken care to exhibit to us described the very Collect also, found in the Breviary of St. Julian, equally as the kind and cause of the martyrdom. I do not see what could be added beyond to the diligence applied by him. As to the time, it seems vain to divine: since even in the fifth century many pagans survived in the Gauls; and, if for the cause of chastity perhaps the Saint met death, the crown of martyrdom could have befallen her even later. The name Florina is Roman, a diminutive from Flora, so that before the Gauls were occupied by the Barbarians she could have lived there, born of parents living and using the Roman law and tongue; she could also afterward have flourished, in the peace of the churches, even after the change of the Empire: for not immediately did a change of tongue and manners follow this, especially in the provinces more remote from our Belgium, whence the Franks made their passage into the Gauls.

ON SS. JUSTINUS, OR JUSTUS, MAGNUS, ISICIUS, PHOCAS,

IN NOVEMPOPULANIA.

Justinus or Justus, In Novempopulania (S.)

Magnus, In Novempopulania (S.)

Isicius, In Novempopulania (S.)

Phocas, In Novempopulania (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR D. P.

[1] The region of Bigorre (whose people the Bigerri, Bigernones and Bigerniones were called by the ancients) lies near the Pyrenean mountains, in Novempopulania, Bigorra an Episcopal city, on the river Adour, honored with the title of County. In it was also Bigorra the city, once an Episcopal city under the metropolis of Auch: of which mention is made in the ancient Councils, whence also a notice of some more ancient Bishops is had. Of these Aper Bishop of the city of Bigorra is mentioned in the Council of Agde, for whom subscribed sent by him Ingenuus the Presbyter in the year 506. But at the Council of Orléans IV was present Julianus Bishop of the city of Bigorra, about the year 540. Then under King Guntram at the Council of Mâcon II subscribed Amelius, Bishop of the Church of Bigorra. But before these Bishops one Antomarius is named by the Sammarthani among the Bishops of Tarbes: for the city of Tarbes is now held the head of the Bigerri and the Episcopal See. Arnaldus Oihenartus, in the Notice of both Vasconias book 3 chapter 2, after the mentioned Antomarius interposes Faustus and Licerius the disciple of Faustus.

[2] But also Justinus, by some Justus, the ancient transcripts of the Hieronymian Martyrology suggest: of these the Corbie one printed at Paris indicates him with three Companions thus: In the city of Bigorra the deposition of St. Justinus the Bishop, of Magnus, Isicius, Phocas. The Epternac one has only these things: In the city of Becora of St. Justinus. But the Blumian MS., In the city of Begorra the deposition of St. Justus the Bishop. The same things are in the Lucca codex, but the city is written Becora. In another very ancient Corbie one not yet printed it is thus had: In the city of Begorra the deposition of St. Justus the Bishop, of Magnus. In the Appendix of Ado, in Mosander and Rosweide, this memory is proposed: the memory of these Saints among the ancients Likewise the deposition of St. Justinus in the city of Begorra. The same, Ado being cited, is indicated also by Ferrarius. In the very diocese of Tarbes, toward the North, is seen in the geographical maps a parish of St. Justinus, more probably named from this Saint, of whom seems to have spoken St. Gregory of Tours in the book on the Glory of the Confessors chapter 49 in these words: Within the boundary of the city of Béorre, in the village of Sexciacum, St. Justinus the Presbyter rests: but the Martyrologies make him a Bishop. And these things concerning St. Justinus and his Companions thus far we have found preserved in the ancient monuments.

[3] Antonius Dadinus Altaserra in the Aquitanian Affairs book 4 chapter 11, treating of St. Clarus, Bishop and Martyr in the same Novempopulania at Lectoure, whether a companion of St. Clarus? from some Life of him in MS. (which for June I we wish to obtain) says that he was ordained Bishop by Pope Anacletus, sent to the preaching of the Gospel with the companions Justinus, Severus, Geruntius, Polycarpus, Jona, Babilia: but he doubts whether this is the Justinus, of whom we treated above. The doubt could be increased by the parochial church of St. Eulalia of Bordeaux, where is read an old inscription, related by Hieronymus Lopez in the description of his Metropolitan of Bordeaux, in these words: Charlemagne founded this chapel, and behind the altar placed seven holy bodies, who for the faith of Christ were crowned with martyrdom, whose names are, Clarus, Justinus, Gerontius, Severus, Polycarpus, Joannes and Babilius: but the same Hieronymus adds, that all these same every year, on the first Sunday after the feast of St. Clarus, are carried around in a solemn procession. But I think the people of Bordeaux will easily assent to me, that here bodies are said for some notable part of each; nor that they will move a controversy over the truth of them against so many other churches, asserting and proving them to be preserved with themselves; which again will have to be said on the VI of this month, where will be treated of St. Gerontius. But as far as pertains to St. Justinus and the companions numbered with him, whether they all came together with St. Clarus into Gaul, and at what time, I confess to be uncertain to me; yet Justinus himself I would not gladly distract into two persons, no certain cause appearing. Nay neither would I believe him diverse from this one to whom is found affixed a most fabulous Life, and printed from the Sanctoral of Bernard Guido in Philip Labbe volume 2 of the New library page 579, under this title, The Life of St. Justinus the Confessor, whose body is in the parts of Vasconia, in the village which is called Partiniacus. For although it be added, whose transit is celebrated the day before the Nones of May; whether he whose Life is published for May 4? yet I altogether think that for the day of the Translation or Finding Bernard substituted the day of transit, since neither did such a Life determine; but only at the end is it bidden it to be shown and read the day before the Nones of May, to the comfort of all the faithful.

[4] For Partiniacum is not a village, but a little region, distinguished with the title of a County, when the body seems after several centuries to have been found, commonly Pardiac (far diverse from Partiniacum commonly Parthenay in the County of Poitiers) once the western part of the County of Astarac, from which by Arnaldus the Count in favor of his younger son Bernard cut off, seems to have obtained its name from the partition. But this little region, at the extreme angle toward Bigorra and Tarbes, contains the village of St. Justinus, called Sexciacum by the man of Tours; where I should believe that in some Middle century, on the occasion of the body found and elevated, the cult of that Saint was restored with new fervor. And since as known anciently was his name, so unknown were held the Acts of his life, there was one who, whether from ill-stitched little narrations, or from his own wit, compiled a Legend for the day before the Nones of May, to be recited on the anniversary day of the restored cult, of which we made mention above and here it is enough that a synopsis be exhibited, that without laborious discussion it may be understood to be fabulous.

[5] In this therefore Justinus is said, in the city of Nicomedia in the East, and a fabulous Life written, of which here it is enough to see a synopsis born in a sumptuous and opulent fortune, of gentile parents, to have acknowledged Christ at seven years; and when he was eight years old, in the times of the Emperor Trajan, called by prescription to the worship of Diana, not only to have refused it, but recalling also others from it, to have begun to macerate himself with fasts; and his own parents, when he was twelve years old, together with a great crowd converted by his preachings, to have led to be baptized to St. Athanasius the Bishop: but in the fifteenth year of his age bidding farewell to his own, on the fourth day fasting to have come to the Tribune Claudius; by whom shut out he turned aside to his servant Frontonius; whom together with his wife, the small quantities of flour and wine being miraculously multiplied, instructing in the faith, then by other miracles he led also Claudius to the same: whence departing when he had come into the western parts of Gaul, there a staff being taken by striking he stayed the course of a certain river, until he himself and those who followed crossed; and by this and several other miracles he induced the Philosopher Tribune and very many others to embrace the Christian faith: coming finally to the place of his tomb there he planted his staff, which on the twentieth day growing green will so remain even unto the day of the resurrection of all the just, yet invisible and intractable to false prophets and false apostles perchance about to come there, as the Rod of Moses which remains on Mount Sinai: but that it was promised to the place, in which the body of St. Justinus rests, that no evil air there, no hail, no persecution, no onset of an enemy or of famine or of thirst should make disquiet.

[6] Saussay in the Supplement of the Gallican Martyrology when on this May 1 he had thus written; In the camp of Bigorra, which is also Tarbes, on the river Adour in Novempopulania, the deposition of St. Justus the Confessor, glorious for the multiplication of the talents of grace; again on the day IV, as of another, mentions the Birthday of St. Justinus, at the Village Partiniacum in the borders of Vasconia; who by the first preachers of the Gospel regenerated to Christ through the seed of grace, having conceived a great ardor of disseminating the faith, for the glory of the Lord Saviour did and suffered many things; and finally under Trajan nobly consummated his confession.

All which rest on the notice received from the aforesaid Sanctoral, and will better hereafter be passed over in silence equally as the Legend itself; for it is better to attend St. Justinus with the common cult of any Confessors whatever, than to follow uncertain and fabulous fictions. Meanwhile we shall await that from the place itself, through the Fathers of our College of Auch to whom we sent letters, an answer be given concerning the present state of the holy body and its cult, and the miracles of more recent memory and faith, if any are had consigned in writing: but he will add to the accumulation of the benefit, if anyone concerning the cult of SS. Magnus, Isicius, and Phocas, whom the Corbie MS. assigns as companions to St. Justinus, in the same region shall try to investigate whether anywhere any survives.