ON ST. VALES OR VALENS PRESBYTER OF AUXERRE IN GAUL.
Historical sylloge on his cult.
Vales or Valens, Presbyter of Auxerre in Gaul (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. H.
[1] The Memory of S. Valis the Confessor is noted in the ancient Breviaries of the Church of Auxerre, given to us by Pierre le Venier the Penitentiary of the same Church, and the Office of the Common of one Confessor is appointed. [a] Memory in Breviaries and Martyrologies. Likewise the memory of Valis the Presbyter and Confessor is prescribed in the Senonensian Breviary. The same is preserved in the ancient copies of the Hieronymian Martyrology, the Blumian and Corbeian, with these words: In the city of Auxerre the deposition of B. Valis, Presbyter and Confessor. The same things are had in Rabanus, Notker, Ado in the Appendix of Mosander and Rosweide, Greven and Molanus in the Additions to Usuard: likewise in the ancient Mss. Barberinian, Centulensian of S. Richarius, Liège of S. Lambert and S. Lawrence, Lobiensian, and the threefold of the Queen of Sweden, likewise in the Martyrology of Cologne and Lübeck of the year 1490 printed, and others; in some of which the name of Confessor is omitted. Without the place added, the name of Valis is in the Ms. Aix-la-Chapelle, and of Valis the Confessor in the Mss. Augustan of S. Udalric and Paris of Labbé. In the Ms. Roman of Duke Altempsius these things are read: At Auxerre the deposition of S. Vitalis the Bishop the Confessor, where with others must be read of Valis the Presbyter. In the most ancient copy of the Hieronymian Martyrology Epternacensian is written: In the city of Auxerre the deposition of Valens the Presbyter, where either also Valis or everywhere Valens must be placed. In the same way it is referred in the Lucensian copy, in the city of the Auxerroises the deposition of B. Valerius the Presbyter
and Confessor; where again B. Valis or Valens must be written. For those who are wrongly inserted there, Paul, Anteon and Quadratus, do not pertain here, having suffered in Africa on May XXVI. Finally the name of Valerianus the Presbyter is found in the Auctarium of Greven, in place of the other previously related. It pleased to deduce these things more curiously; that the reader may judge, whether this Presbyter can be distinguished from Valens the Martyr, who is also referred on this day.
[2] We have read no Acts of S. Vales or Valens; some elogium in general words was added to him by Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology, in this manner: At Auxerre the deposition of S. Valis, Presbyter and excellent Confessor, [b] elogium of Saussay. who so lived in the flesh that he seemed to exceed the human measure; and inflamed with the desire of the heavenly life, having trampled all earthly things underfoot, falling asleep in the perfect service of God, attained the everlasting beatitude.
[3] [c] mention May 22. The author of the Martyrology, published under the name of Bede, on April XXII reports these things: In the city of Auxerre the natal day of B. Walis the Presbyter and Confessor. Followed by Molanus in the first edition of Usuard with the addition, Canisius and Ferrarius. But Saussay in the supplement of the Gallican Martyrology, as another from S. Vales or Valens, calls him Vitalis.