ON THE HOLY MARTYRS OF TODI
FELICISSIMUS, HERACLIUS, PAULINUS, MENEDINA, SATURUS, VICTORIUS, SATURNINUS, MARINUS, LIKEWISE SATURUS, FORTUNATUS, AND THEOMEDON.
The cultus from the Martyrologies, the time of the Passion.
Felicissimus, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Heraclius, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Paulinus, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Menedina, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Saturus, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Victorius, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Saturninus, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Maronus, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Saturus the second, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Fortunatus, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
Theomedon, Martyr at Todi in Italy (St.)
G. H.
[1] Tuder & to later writers Tudertum, an ancient city, by some numbered to Umbria, by others to Etruria or Tuscia, commonly called Todi, brings forth several Martyrs in the whole year; & among them at this day an illustrious troop, The memory of all in the ancient calendars, which four ancient apographs of the Hieronymian Martyrology indicate. The most ancient Echternach one uses these words: At Tuder of Tuscia, of Felicissima, Eraclius, Paulinus, Meridia, Saturus, Victurus, Saturninus, Marinus, likewise Saturninus, Furtunatus & Theomas. There is some variety of writing in the others: & the codices of Corbie & Lucca in place of Felicissima have Felicissimus, & both in these & also in the Blume Ms. in place of Meridia is Menedina: so also in place of Victurus, Marinus, Saturninus, Secundus, Furtunatus & Theomas, in most is read Victor, Maurinus, Saturus, Fortunatus & Thomedus. The Mss. of Rheinau & Reichenau have these things: At Tuder, or Tudertum, of Felicissimus & Mindinia. The Mss. of Augsburg of S. Udalric & of Paris of Labbe, the arena omitted, refer the names of Felicissima, Paul, Victurus, Saturus. Grevenus also mentions Victor in his Appendix to Usuard.
[2] The memory of the three first Martyrs remained most celebrated, whom Usuard thus inscribed in his Martyrology: At Tuder of Tuscia the birthday of the Saints Felicissimus, Eraclius, Paulinus. The same have Ado, Notker, of the three first in Usuard, Ado & others. & other later writers with today's Roman Martyrology: where the Second is mostly called Heraclius, & the city more often Tudertum. Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, from the Offices of the Church of Todi, approved at Rome, published this Eulogy of them: Felicissimus, Heraclius, & Paulinus, citizens of Todi, under Diocletian & Maximian were crowned with martyrdom. For when, the persecution being fervent, these did not desist to preach Christ, they were apprehended, & after divers kinds of torments at length attained the palm of martyrdom. The time of the martyrdom. Whose bodies outside the city in the church of S. Stephen the Protomartyr are believed by ancient tradition to be buried. These things there, which nearly the same have John Baptist on the Saints of Todi, & Ludovicus Iacobillus on the Saints of Umbria; who adds, that their Feast is celebrated, under a double rite, & with a great concourse of the people of Todi. Of these three Martyrs Baronius makes mention in the Annals at the year CCCIII, number CXXI. Masinus in Bononia perlustrata at this day relates that some relics of S. Felicissimus are kept in the church of the Servites: but whether of this one of Todi he does not assert. The memory of the Holy Martyrs Felicissimus & Heraclius is also celebrated in the ancient Ms. of Monte Cassino, but at the day XXVIII May, which we judge is to be referred hither.
ON S. MEMORIUS THE CONFESSOR
AT PÉRIGUEUX IN AQUITAINE.
CRITICAL COMMENTARY.
Of his age, crown, cultus: was he himself one of the Innocents?
Memorius the Confessor, at Périgueux in Aquitaine (St.)
D. P.
The Notice of the Passion of S. Sicharius, at the II day of this month, the first & more certain, The name & title of Confessor from the Martyrologies. although most brief, we received from the Martyrologies of Usuard, augmented for the use of the Aquitanian Churches: & now from a similarly interpolated copy of Usuard, truly ancient, which we found in the library of the Duke of Altemps at Rome, augmented first in Gaul then in Britain, we learn the title, under which this Saint of whom we have undertaken to treat was anciently venerated. For at the VII Kalends of June, it is thus read there: At Périgueux of S. Memorius the Confessor. The Martyrology of Ado agrees, not indeed as it was written by him, but as it is had amplified for the Church of Toulon among the Mss. of the Queen of Sweden; the additions which I said being added by a more recent hand to the older writing of the membrane codex, which once was of the Church of Brescia. In this indeed it is thus said: On the same day, namely XXVI May, of B. Memorius the Confessor, whom B. Frontonius, when he was in Egypt, found by the Lord's revelation.
[2] the body does not seem brought from Egypt: S. Fronto, the first Bishop of Périgueux, is venerated
on the day XXV October; to which day we shall examine, whether rightly this man is believed to be the same with that holy Abbot of the Nitrian Desert, of whom we treated on the day XIV April. Meanwhile I judge that, on the supposition of this identity, whether true or false, certainly not confirmed by the assent of many ages, it rests, that the Saint is said to have found the body of B. Memorius in Egypt; as also in the old Breviary of Périgueux (whence probably the later & more recent addition was taken) testifies John du Puy, in the book which he wrote on the State of the Church of Périgueux page 195. But this man, although he maintains the aforesaid identity, his frequent cultus in the church of S. Fronto: yet wonders at the simplicity of the elders, who could believe the body of S. Memorius brought from Egypt. It is believed to rest in the church of S. Fronto, formerly Abbatial, but long since converted into a Collegiate & lately into a Cathedral, the Canons being brought thither from the church of S. Stephen. But his feast is there venerated with so great an influx of people running together from everywhere, that D. Armand Girard Canon of Sarlat, who gave us the aforesaid book with his own proper additions, could testify with his hand & more recently confirm by Epistle, that each year there come to the procession then to be instituted more than four thousand strangers.
[3] But although this Memorius was not otherwise known to the ancients, but confused with the cultus of one of the Innocents, having probably ended his life in Gaul itself & the diocese of Périgueux, than with the title of Confessor; yet for some ages he began to be venerated as a Martyr, & indeed as one of the Innocents slain by Herod. Hence I am compelled to believe, that the place of burial is utterly unknown, & the confusion of person & name born thence, that in the same church there was long since kept the little body of one of the Innocents. For such a little body alone appearing there, where S. Memorius was anciently celebrated; it began to be believed, that it was his; & indeed the more readily, that it was already esteemed, that at Brantôme another of the same number of the Innocents was had. Of this Innocent there is circulated among the people of Périgueux something more absurd, namely that he himself is the little son of Herod, whom the father ordered to be slain with the rest, lest perchance even this one be the Messiah expected by the Jews, designated by the star, sought by the Magi.
[4] But as all the learned deservedly explode this little fable of the son of Herod; so he who shall know S. Memorius, whose name Memorius was made by chance. the famous Martyr & Levite at Troyes in Gaul, whose Passion & that of his companions is recollected on the VII day of September, & accordingly will understand that it is a name customary to Gaul; will wonder at the conjecture of the aforesaid John, by which he suspects the name of Memorius born by chance, & given to the anonymous boy, from the inscription of a tomb, altar or reliquary, which was marked Of the Memory of the Innocent Martyr. For although the people of Périgueux now venerate him as such, & for the Lessons of the Office have assumed the homily of S. John Chrysostom on the Innocents, doing the rest from the common of one Martyr; yet I would not doubt to postpone the more recent usage to the more ancient cultus, & to persuade, that the casket, which is said to be of S. Memorius, be searched more curiously; perhaps about to find something worthy of knowledge; & at least, if only an infantile body appear, evidently about to recognize, that this is not of him whom their elders held for a Confessor.