ON ST. EUSEBIUS,
BISHOP OF COMO IN ITALY.
SIXTH CENTURY.
HISTORICAL SYLLOGE
On the acts of his life, and the vain zeal of those asserting him and others like him to their families.
Eusebius, Bishop of Como in Italy (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR D. P.
[1] The ancient and noble city of Como, situated in the mountains and confines of Insubria, at the extremity of the Larian lake, had very many Bishops to the Catalogue of the Saints ascribed; of these we have celebrated at the day VIII of March S. Provinus, at II and VIII of April SS. Abundius and Amantius, after whom and others the seventh of the same See Bishop was S. Eusebius, this XXII of May his mortal life ended. Francis Bellarinus of Como, Doctor of Law, Protonotary Apostolic and Archpriest of Locarno, book 2 of the Chronicle of Como page 98 these few things of S. Eusebius collected.
[2] When now the citizens of Como in the holy faith excellently were instructed and confirmed by Bishops of external nations, there were not lacking from the natives quite fit for this their Church to rule: Elogium from Bellarinus, among whom was Eusebius, of the family Cassella and of a place Sotramentum called, in the territory of Vicus situated born. He by his predecessor S. Exuperantius was made Bishop, congratulating themselves and rejoicing together the citizens of Como, who infinite to God rendered thanks, that a man of so great merit, among them fruitfully begotten, they had received as Pastor. He many wrought miracles, and with all solicitude procured by his preachings and exemplary life the flock to him committed to preserve in the Catholic faith, and to protect, lest of the good the consciences by the false impious and excommunicated dogma of Arius, in those perilous times, be defiled. But when the Church of God for thirteen years with the highest fatigue he had ruled, with the universal of all grief, his soul to his Creator he rendered, on the day XXII of May in the year DXXV, in the time of John the first Pontiff Maximus, and Justin likewise the first Emperor, deposited in a stone urn, and buried in a lateral chapel of the church of the Holy Apostles, and to the Catalogue of the celestial Hierarchy inscribed. These things there. To which similar, but more contracted, have Ughelli tome 5 of Sacred Italy in the Bishops of Como, and Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy and the other general Catalogue. He asserts Vicus, in which he was born, now the Burgh of Vicus still to be called, joined to the city. But Ughelli the family or stock not Cassella, but Casserta calls. We wonder that learned men about trifles of this kind are occupied, and to a ridiculous ambition
of noble families, which in an antiquity of six or seven centuries to be proved more prudently should rather set their cares, to a most empty flattery serve.
[3] Wiser than these the Author of the New-Como Martyrology in the year 1675 published, the foremost Aloysius de Tattis, another more correct from the Como Martyrology avoided the ancient Saints to distribute among families, nor presumed to define the years of the See, no more ancient authority shining before; but this only elogium he wove: On the XI Kalends of June at New Como, in the church of D. Abundius, of S. Eusebius of New Como Bishop and Confessor, who in the disciplines and of the Christian religion virtues educated, so in them profited, that S. Exuperantius having died in the See of Como he merited to be subrogated. But when this Church for some years most holily he had governed, with glorious merits laden, he flew away to heaven. In the Notes he says: Born he was in the suburb of Vicus, at that place which of Sub-mons was named, having died about the year of the Lord DXXV, and buried in the basilica of D. Abundius near the bones of the same. But an altar afterward erected to him in the same temple, under that one the place of the sepulcher he found with the body of S. Eupilius, who was also of the Como Holy Bishops one, and is venerated XI October, just as Exuperantius XXII June. This of S. Eusebius altar Urban II the Pontiff Maximus with solemn rite consecrated, added to it Indulgences for expiating of the faithful visiting the crimes in the year MLXXXXV. This very altar, in the temple's restoration shaken, with sacred again ceremonies to its former veneration restored Felician Ninguarda, from the year MDLXXXVIII to MDLXXXXV of Como Bishop.
[4] How vain it is to those ancient Bishops Similar nearly the same Author had written in the first part of the Annals of the city of Como, published in the year 1663; ingenuously acknowledging, no firm to be had of establishing the chronology in most Bishops foundations: but those who to their own family S. Eusebius insert, he exhorts, that by imitating his virtues, at least into the same heavenly family with him to be ascribed they may merit: but of their opinion thus he speaks. Here begin today's writers some to each Bishop a family surname to add, by designating the family from which they were born: the same more recent others did about the Bishops of Milan, Novara, Vercelli, and the rest within and outside Insubria: in which thing how no foundation lies beneath, sees whoever without passion and prejudice knows to weigh novelties. Histories are not written, as fables: these on chimerical are founded conceptions of the intellect, those on solid reason: which since to the aforesaid Chronologists is lacking, it leaves to their compositions with a wise appraiser of invention a little less than poetic mark; and makes very often to seem incredible the very truth also, while it is led forth in the pomp of so many figments, its natural form disfiguring rather than adorning. Neither I, nor any other will deny that Rome flourishing, to affix the surnames of certain families? even long before Christ, the Italic peoples had commonly used family surnames: but these together with the Roman empire's fall so obscured and obliterated were, the Barbarians succeeding and Italy to themselves vindicating, that of those which under them were families not even the least indeed survives memory, either in books, or in contracts, or in public inscriptions; since in that antiquity nothing appears besides the bare and simple name of him of whom is made mention. Since therefore among those having even a slight of past centuries notice before the year thousandth, or to take it most largely the nine-hundredth, that is held more than certain; we do not see by what reasoning those good writers (unless they were from heaven illuminated as a reward of their excessive goodness) could so certainly affirm, what they affirm, of our Bishops. The highest of the Roman Church Pontiffs, in every nearly century having obtained excellent of their affairs heralds, the loss of family surnames have suffered; but our Prelates, whose memory to revive scarcely from one century and a few moreover lustra of care to anyone was, have obtained that felicity, that, by oblivion abolished their deeds, they have recovered the names of the families from which they descended? Away from veracious history fictions such, with evident prejudice of truth devised. Thus far he, whose words entire it pleased into Latin to render, that to the Italians, ever and again us soliciting, that now this now that Saint from this or that family to have sprung we assert, may answer for us a man Italian.