ON S. MEROLILANUS THE PRESBYTER
MARTYR, A SCOT, AT REIMS IN GAUL.
IX CENTURY.
HISTORICAL COMMENTARY.
The cult. The Acts from Flodoard. The Translation.
Merolilanus, Martyr at Reims in Gaul (St.)
G. H.
[1] There is venerated on this day in the city & diocese of Reims, under a simple rite or of three Lessons, S. Merolilanus the Martyr, & the third Lesson is recited about his martyrdom: The cult. the rest are taken from one Martyr not a Pontiff: on which day also his memory is inscribed in the Gallican Martyrology of Saussay, the Scottish one of Camerarius, & the general Catalog of Ferrarius, & others. Flodoard book 4 of the History of the Church of Reims chapter 48, treats of two churches of S. Hilary at Reims, of which the more ancient situated before the gate of Mars, S. Rigobert to the Clerics for their burial gave: & afterwards about S. Merolilanus these things delivers:
[2] Of the sepulcher, which the laymen had not been able to open, In the cemetery of this church a certain Scotigena, servant of God, was formerly buried. But when already by our people both the name & the memory of his burial seemed abolished, opened he began to manifest himself to sight. For while a certain one of the citizens not of the lower, but poor in goods, formerly in our days had died; his friends, to Hildegarius the Presbyter of this Church coming, asked of him, that a place of burial to them he would impart, where a sarcophagus they might find in which the body of him they could lay, because of his goods whence they might buy they had not. Who when to them the petitioned things had granted, the burial of the servant of God they opened: but the very sarcophagus of him to open they could not. Which heard
the Presbyter approached, & the cover of the sarcophagus to lift trying, & which the Presbyter unsealing it had fragrantly breathed sweetly: somewhat opened the sepulcher: from which soon a fragrance of so great sweetness emanated, that never that he had drawn a more delightful odor he testified. And looking in he sees a body whole, with Sacerdotal fillets bound, & recomposing the pall of the sepulcher, he dared not any more to violate this burial: he permitted however, that the same body, certain boards being laid down, be placed upon. That very night seemed to him his uncle the Presbyter in dreams, the corpse laid upon being another, he orders to be taken away, himself opening, who already long since had departed, asserting that he had greatly offended God on the past day, especially if the sepulcher of the Saint to violate he had presumed. The same blessed man also to a certain one in those very days appeared, &, because he was greatly burdened by the weight & indignity of the corpse cast upon him, intimated; & that he should indicate to the Presbyter he ordered, because unless quickly that fetid body from his burial he should drive away, by divine vengeance as soon as possible he was to be smitten. By these admonitions the Presbyter being frightened, the corpse, which on the burial of the Saint had been placed, he caused to be cast out with haste, & a burial elsewhere being opened laid it away.
[3] The same Saint of the Lord was seen afterwards by a certain rustic, commanding him, that he should go to Bishop Artold, & should indicate to him from his words, that his body, which outside lay, & his incorrupt body to be carried into the church; within the church he should transfer. Which the same rustic to intimate fearing, neglected the mandate. Nor long after again appearing to him awakening, harshly rebuked him, why the precept he neglected; & seizing, with a blow struck his jaw. Who soon the hearing lost of that ear, in which he was struck on that part, & with pain of the head for nearly half a year was vexed. Then to a certain Presbyter, in the same church under the aforesaid Priest serving, appearing in a vision on a certain Lord's night, admonished him, that to the Bishop he should indicate, that the body of him into the aforesaid church he should transfer: the place also, where it ought to be put, to show he did not omit, intimating to him his death & the cause of his death or coming: signifying that he had been a Scotigena. And to Rome for prayer's sake with companions to seek being occupied on the journey, by robbers over the river Aisne having been slain, & thence his body by his companions hither brought & there buried: revealing also his name, that he was called Merolilanus: ordering that that name, his race & name & martyrdom he indicates. lest perhaps the memory should slip away, to inscribe he should take care: & inclining himself, & a part of chalk, which by chance lay, taking he gave him, commanding that it forthwith he should note down on the chest; which to his bed adhered. Which he the chalk seemed to have received & the name to have described: in which while for the L letter, R he wrote, to correct this he admonished him: & so on the morrow this name inscribed was found: so that the same Presbyter testified; that waking through the day so well to write he had not been able. By which revelations admonished the Bishop, the church indeed caused to be restored, but the holy body he did not transfer. Nor long after thus to him it happened, that in the same church before Hugh the Prince he abdicated the dignity of the Bishopric. The river Aisne, over which the Saint had been slain, rises in the confines of the Duchy of Bar, & washes the cities of Sainte-Menehould, Rethel & Soissons, & above Compiègne discharges itself into the Oise. The very church of S. Hilary even now is seen at Reims before the gate of Mars.
[4] But the body of S. Merolilanus from the said cemetery was translated into the church of the holy Apostles & of S. Symphorian the Martyr, His translation into the church of S. Symphorian. & thus with a worthy cult, with which him the divine Majesty wished to adorn, honored, where also today the celebration of his Birthday is held: as in the Breviary of Reims & the Martyrology of Saussay is read. About Artald the Archbishop, to whom the Translation had been commanded, at length had treated Flodoard in the very last book of his history, whence the above we received; & he had prefixed chapter 35 his Epistle, prolix, to the Synod of Bishops at Ingelheim gathered, in which he narrates how he was created & consecrated Bishop in the year DCCCCXXXI; but the city being occupied by Heribert Count of Vermandois compelled to abdicate in the year DCCCCXL, & ordained for him was the same Count's son Hugh, who already from the year DCCCCXXV the title of Elect had begun to bear still five years old. But again in the year DCCCCXLVII by a Synodal sentence the ordination of Hugh made void, & himself restored to the See of Reims he teaches. And here the history stops Flodoard, ending with the baptism of Louis V by Artald celebrated: who since until the year DCCCCLXI he survived, & the Continuator of Flodoard says him in much indeed adversity for thirty years thus to have presided, that yet sometimes in tranquility his diocese he governed, namely in the last years of life; it is credible, that either he himself or his successor Odalric took care of the Translation commanded by the Saint.