ON ST. VALENS BISHOP AND THREE BOYS MARTYRS.
HISTORICAL COMMENTARY,
in which several doubts about Valens are weighed.
Valens Bp. Martyr (S.)
Three Boys Martyrs
G. H.
[1] On this day is celebrated the deposition of S. Valis or Valens, Presbyter and Confessor among the Auxerroises, and the name of Valens is in the most ancient Epternacensian copy of the Hieronymian Martyrology. Likewise in place of the same S. Vales the Presbyter is placed the name of S. Vitalis the Bishop in the Roman Ms. of Duke Altempsius; [a] It is asked whether [he is another from S. Vales.] whence it is doubted whether the same Valis Presbyter and Confessor, deposited at Auxerre, may not have been called by error Valens the Bishop Martyr, resting at Augia. Such certainly does Wandelbert the monk of Prüm celebrate him in his metrical Martyrology, written before the year DCCCL, singing thus: On the twelfth Polius, Eutychius and Timothy, And the Bishop and Martyr Valens venerable to God, Augia, leads thee through joys with happy vows. About the three Martyrs, recounted in the former verse, we treated above. About Valens we here inquire. S. Notker Balbulus, somewhat younger than Wandelbert, who wrote his Martyrology about thirty years after him, has these things at this day: At Auxerre the deposition of B. Valis the Presbyter: from whom I judge that our Augiensians borrowed the name of Valens. See, he said our Augiensians, as one who wrote in the monastery of S. Gall not far distant, and was able to have examined these things more accurately. So also in the Ms. Martyrology of Augia-divitis is read only: Elsewhere the natal day of S. Valens Martyr and Bishop: and in the Ms. Rhinaugiensian, Elsewhere [of] Valens: where it is treated as of an unknown place without mention of S. Vales. Meanwhile with Wandelbert in the Ms. Utrecht of the Church of S. Mary it is said: At Augia the natal day of Valens the Martyr; and in the Ms. Trier of S. Martin Nugia [of] Valens the Bishop Martyr: in another Ms. of S. Cyriacus, In the monastery Augunensian the natal day of S. Valens the Martyr. In the Appendix also of Ado, beyond the elogium of S. Vales, is added, And of Valens the Martyr: which also was added by another hand to the Blumian copy of the Hieronymian Martyrology. In the Calendar of an ancient Ms. Breviary, whose use was in the parts of the Rhine, is inserted the name of S. Valens the Martyr.
[2] The author of the Martyrology published under the name of Bede joined the companions in this manner: And the natal day of S. Valens Martyr and Pontiff with three boys. [b] S. Valens with 3 boys. Molanus, Galesinius, Baronius followed. The elogium adjoined is in the Martyrology printed at Cologne and Lübeck around the year 1490: likewise in the Viola Sanctorum printed at Hagenau in the year 1508, and in the Auctarium of Greven printed in the years 1515 and 1521, where these things are had: On the same day of B. Valens the Bishop and the three boys, with him Martyrs: who first for Christ were bound by the feet, then raised on the rack, and often tortured, finally struck with the sword, attained the crown of martyrdom. Like things are widely explained about three boys slain together with S. Babylas the Bishop of Antioch, on January XXIV. The Ms. Florarium at the day XXII of May has thus: Likewise the passion of S. Valens the Bishop and Martyr with three boys. In the Calendar of the Mainz Breviary printed in the year 1495 and 1505, the memory of S. Valens Martyr is celebrated.
[3] Saussay, I know not what author he uses, in the supplement to this XXI May, At Auxerre, he says, [c] Whether S. Valens is rightly held a Praetor, the natal day of the holy Martyrs Valens the Praetor, and his anonymous companion. Behold, he is called Praetor, who to others is Bishop; and a single companion is joined in place of three boys. The place of contest also, omitted by others, is said to be Auxerre. Of the innumerable multitude that suffered with SS. Priscus and Cottus in the territory of the said city, we treat on May XXVI: but without mention of Valens.
[4] But because S. Valens with three boys, no place being assigned, is indicated in the Roman Martyrology and others, [d] or Bishop of Pamplona? the occasion was seized of transferring them into Spain, and inscribing them in the Pseudo-Dexter Chronicle at the year 300 with these words: At Pamplona the natal day of S. Valerius Bishop of Pamplona of Spain and Martyr: with whom suffered three boy companions of the crown. Tamayo Salazar reproves the editors of this Chronicle, that Valerius is read, when it is Valens: and on the authority of the Roman Martyrology and others he adorns him with this elogium: S. Valens, citizen and Bishop of Pamplona of Spain, for the faith of Christ, when he fought manfully and bravely, was thrown into prison, at length with three boys consummated his martyrdom: and afterwards, because his Acts have perished, he says he attached some to him. Prudencio de Sandoval Bishop of Pamplona, published in his city in the year MDCXIV a catalog of the Bishops of Pamplona, nor did he know this Valerius or Valens: but Pseudo-Dexter had not yet appeared. Therefore we also require more certain monuments.