ON ST. AGNES THE ABBESS AND ST. DISCIOLA THE NUN,
VIRGINS AT POITIERS IN AQUITAINE.
VI CENTURY
CommentaryAgnes the Abbess, Virgin at Poitiers in Aquitaine (St.)
Disciola the Nun, Virgin at Poitiers in Aquitaine (St.)
BY G. H.
CHAPTER I.
Cult of each Virgin. Acts of St. Agnes.
[1] The sacred veneration of the Holy Agnes and
Disciola the Virgins, to be celebrated on this
XIII May, is prescribed in the proper Offices
of the Poitiers Church, Sacred cult. in which under semi-double rite
they are venerated, and this Oration is recited:
The supplication of your handmaids,
God almighty and merciful, hear: that we who
solemnly the festivity of your Blessed Virgins Agnes
and Disciola humbly carry out, to you, whom as true
God we worship, with them for us interceding, to come
may we merit. Then for the second Nocturn are recited
proper Lessons, of which the first about St. Agnes is of this kind.
Of how great merit before God Blessed Agnes, Proper Lesson on St. Agnes. the first
mother in spirit of the monastery of St. Radegundis, was;
even from this it is allowed to gather, that her the most holy Queen,
after so many austerities of fastings, ardors of prayers,
outpourings of alms, and dowries of other virtues,
after frequent conversations with holy men, after
divine apparitions and illustrations, in such great prudence
and so great desire of her own salvation and that of others,
over the whole community set: at last that with many virtues
illustrious her soul to God she rendered. She was buried
in the church of B. Mary, which is now of B. Radegundis
called.
[2] St. Radegundis is venerated XIII August, in whose testament
or institution of last will, in John
de la Haye after the Origines of Poitiers, and Charles le
Cointe at year 587 num. 5 published, this illustrious testimony
about St. Agnes the Abbess is held. Of fitting provision
then strongly to effect tends the beginning,
when of general Fathers with moderate from Pastors of the sheepfold
committed to him cause is given to ears; under the Rule of St. Caesaria and to their senses
is commended, by whose participation about charity
counsel, about power suffrage, about prayer
intervention may be administered. And since … to the Congregation
through me with Christ providing collected the Rule,
under which St. Caesaria lived, which the solicitude of B.
Caesarius Bishop of Arles from the institution of holy
Fathers fittingly collected, I have instituted; with consenting
the most blessed both of this city and the rest
Pontiffs, with the election also of our Congregation,
Lady and my sister Agnes, whom from the beginning
age in the place of a daughter I have cherished and educated, Abbess
I have instituted, and myself after the Lord to her ordination regularly
about to obey I have committed: first Abbess. and observing the Apostolic form,
both I and the Sisters from the earthly substance,
which we seemed to possess, with charters made
we handed over, with fear of Ananias and Sapphira in the monastery
placed nothing of our own keeping … This also asking,
that when God shall order the said Lady and our Sister Agnes from this world to migrate,
she always Abbess from that very Congregation should
be ordained, who to God and to the Congregation itself shall please,
keeping the Rule and nothing of the proposal of sanctity
let her diminish, and never, what each one's proper
will, this let her command. These and other things St. Radegundis,
who to the Institution made by her with her own hand subscribed.
But St. Caesaria is venerated XII January, where with her Life
we have published the Rule written by her brother St. Caesarius Bishop
of Arles, to whom XVII day of August is sacred.
[3] Henry Louis Castanaeus de la Rocheposay, in
his Notes on the Pictonic Litanies composed by him, She is invoked in the Pictonic Litanies. which and
separately published exist, and after his Exercitationes on various
books of the Bible, and by Philip Labbe in volume 2 of the New Library
among the Miscellanea of Aquitanian matters they were reprinted,
these things he writes: XIII May, Agnes Abbess of holy
Cross of Poitiers, to whom many verses Fortunatus
Bishop of Poitiers inscribed in book XI of his
Poems. she is commended to Bishops Auctor, Fortunatus had been received into the family of SS. Radegundis
and Agnes already then Presbyter ordained,
and accordingly them everywhere commends. Thus book 3 carmen 28 to
Avitus Bishop of Clermont;
Commended likewise to your love of piety
Agnes, with humble voice, with Radegundis equal.
Then book 5, carmen 2 to Martin Bishop of Galicia,
With humble Radegundis pious Agnes asks as suppliant, and to Martin.
That commended may be to you, Holy Father.
That with growing chorus through holy songs of the Sisters
They may please the Lord, with you as gentle leader, theirs.
And taken up to herself, may be preserved, from the city Genesis,
The nourishing Rule of pious Bishop Caesarius.
In book 8 also exists a long poem 4 on Virginity,
which the same Fortunatus near the end to St. Agnes offers in this manner:
These to you, dear to God, by merits venerable Agnes,
I offer, that they may please, by your doing cherish.
That by the Judge's order a gift be granted to both, the poem on Virginity is offered.
When a crown to you, then to me at least pardon.
[4] But others omitted, twenty-eight poems are to St. Radegundis
and especially to St. Agnes inscribed, of which we excerpt one,
since with the author the rest can be read.
And it is the second to St. Radegundis, on the Birthday of the Abbess,
of this kind.
Mother bountiful, becoming with happy vow rejoice,
Be glad, the natalis your sweet daughter has. Spiritual daughter of St. Radegundis.
This not by your womb daughter, but grace made:
Not flesh, but Christ this in love gave.
That she may be in eternity with you: to you the author has conferred,
Perpetual offspring, the Father gives without end.
Happy posterity, which fails in no age
Which with mother together not about to die remains …
Hence may long-distance safety hold you bound in body,
Again in eternal light may love join.
Moreover everywhere shine in the adjoined poems indications
of chaste and strong love, with which Fortunatus these illustrious in Sanctity
matrons attended: it appears also that he not far
from their monastery lived, when he composed these verses,
their domestic affairs describing, and small gifts of milk and
flowers, which to and fro were carried. Fortunatus himself is
inscribed in the Pictonic Litanies, and on XIV December
in the Notes of Castanaeus reported: on which day under double rite to be venerated in
the Poitiers Church is indicated in the proper Offices.
CHAPTER II.
Acts of St. Disciola
[5] Henry Louis Castanaeus de la Rochepozay,
in the above-indicated Pictonic Litanies, invokes
St. Disciola, of whom in the Notes thus he indicates: XIII May
Disciola, From St. Gregory of Tours she is known, niece of B. Salvius Bishop of Albi, to the nuns
of holy Cross of Poitiers once was numbered:
of whose happy death treats Gregory of Tours,
book 6 of the history chapter 29, from which account two following
lessons are assigned in the proper Offices of the Poitiers Church,
to be recited for the second Nocturn on this day XIII May.
In the monastery of B. Radegundis a certain girl, named
Disciola, who was niece of B. Salvius Bishop of Albi, died in this manner. When she had begun to be sick, and
to her assiduously the other Sisters were serving; came that day,
on which she would migrate from the body: and about the ninth hour she says
to the Sisters: in what manner by him appearing thrice holy summoned; Behold now lighter myself I feel: behold I have
no pain. Now however depart from me, that more easily for sleep
I may be relaxed. These things hearing her Sisters, withdrew
a little from the cell: and after a little came back.
Indeed standing they before her, were waiting
what from her of speech they might hear. She however with hands
extended, asking blessing from I know not whom,
said: Bless, said she, me Holy one, and servant of the most high God:
for behold now thrice you are wearied today on my account.
And why, Holy one, for an infirm little woman frequent
injuries do you sustain? But asking they, to whom
these words she was uttering, she did not at all express. Then with made
a small interval, she sent forth a great voice with
laughter, and so she sent forth her spirit. And behold a certain possessed,
who then to the glory of blessed Cross to be cleansed
had come, with his hair seized in hands, dashed himself against
the ground, saying: Alas! alas! alas for us! who such
loss have suffered. At least it had been permitted earlier the causes
to investigate, and so from our power had been taken away
this soul. Asking those who were present, what
was this word which he was speaking, he responded: Behold
the soul of the girl Michael the Angel has received, by St. Michael to heaven she is led. and he
her to the heavens carries up. But our Prince, whom you
call devil, in her takes no part. After
these things the body washed in waters with so snowy whiteness shone forth,
that no linen could the Abbess find
at hand, which than the body whiter would be seen.
Clothed however in clean linens to burial she was committed.
Thus far Gregory of Tours. This Virgin inscribed
to the Sacred Gynaeceum Arthur du Monstier on day
X March in these words: At Poitiers St. Disciola the Virgin of B.
Radegundis the disciple, by merits of virtues notable.
But the said Arthur is often caught at his pleasure defining
the Natalises of many, when he was ignorant of the proper ones. memory 10 March. Mentions
her Charles le Cointe in the Ecclesiastical Annals of the Franks
at year DLXXXIII num. LI. But because Tours
soon in the following chapter XXX writes, in the same year Tiberius
the Emperor migrated from the world, rather
we refer the death of each to year DLXXXII. But
St. Salvius Bishop of Albi, of whom this Virgin niece
was, died X September in year DLXXXV.