ON ST. ROMULUS, PRESBYTER AND MONK, IN THE DIOCESE OF BOURGES,
AFTER THE MIDDLE OF THE 5TH CENTURY.
CommentaryRomulus, monk in the diocese of Bourges. (S.)
BY C. D. S.
In the Hieronymian Martyrology recently published by us from the Bern codex, there is announced on this day: At Bourges, at the fortress of Gorton, of Rumolus, presbyter Acta SS., vol. XIII of October, p. XXVI.. Mention of St. Romulus in the martyrologies. Similarly in the Hagiology of Franco-Gaul which Philippe Labbe excerpted from an ancient martyrology of the abbey of St. Lawrence of Bourges: Likewise at Bourges, at the fortress of Gorton, the Natal Day of St. Romulus, presbyter New Library of Manuscripts, vol. II, p. 705.. Among the more recent martyrologists Belin, Greven, Molanus, Wael, Castellano and Ferrari the same St. Romulus * is put off to the day 25 December. But in du Saussay, which may surprise you, he nowhere occurs.
[2] The ancient lessons of the breviary of Saint-Satur. The most ancient documents concerning the history of St. Romulus are contained in the lessons of the ancient breviary of the abbey of Saint-Satur and in an ancient prose dug out from the ecclesiastical books of St. Stephen of Surry near the town of Sancerre , which Bouquet published, as communicated to him by the most learned Jean Le Beuf Collection of the Historians, vol. I, pp. 821, 822.. Those lessons read thus: Romulus began, not far from the city of Bourges, near the Fortress, to which ancient curiosity is known to have given the name Gordonas, to give himself to the commands of the Almighty… Romulus began to love beyond measure the enclosure of the monastery which he himself, for the fear of God, had founded in honor of St. Peter in the place called Subliniacum . Then Egregius by name, king of that time, came from the city of Orléans with a great multitude of his army to ravage the Fortress Gordonas. When therefore that place had been so broken into by hostile attack and the greatest violence that even the sacrosanct altars were stripped, so great was the mourning of the weeping people that arose with feminine wailing that the cry of mixed sex and age, beating the high stars, stretched to heaven. When these things had been announced by some of the people to Blessed Romulus, not distrusting the grace of Christ, through the midst of the battle lines and the multitudes of the army of armed men, like a good shepherd, despising the enemy's weapons, he came to help his flock. And when the man of God had stood before the fierce eyes of the king, and with tears mixed with his voice had begged for the release of the captive people, then the inexorable king, inflamed by his accustomed fury, said: Not only will I not let go the innumerable multitude of the captive people, but I will not even suffer you to reside in this region: for you can still be at least a keeper of sheep in our region.
[3] From an ancient prose of the church of Surry it is gathered Thus, as it seems, the lessons on the history of St. Romulus were broken off in the codex which Le Beuf saw. Nor did they go further in the breviary of Saint-Satur printed at Bourges in the year 1523, on the testimony of the old writer of the history of the province of Bourges, G. Thaumas de la Thaumassière History of Berry, 2nd edition, vol. III, p. 236.. This writer was much vexed by the name of King Egregius, which he could nowhere find, until he came upon that prose of the church of Surry, which both he himself and afterward, as we have indicated above, Bouquet published, framed in these words:
Here Romulus asks King Egidius to be merciful to the people of Gordonas. He calls the Saint a keeper of sheep; he yields to him alone.
Here Romulus entreats with prayers.
The king with hoarse voice asks of the Saint;
returning the prey, he enriches the inhabitants;
he goes back in health.
[4] that King Egregius was the same as Count Aegidius. From this therefore Thaumas de la Thaumassière gathered that the king who in the breviary of Saint-Satur was called Egregius was that Aegidius, count or patrician of the Romans, whom the Franks, Childeric being expelled, are said to have set up as king over themselves Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, book II, chapter 12.. He in fact, on the testimony of Marius of Avenches in his Chronicle, in the year 463, when Basilius and Bibianus were consuls, defeated the Goths between the Loire and the Loiret, near Orléans P. L., vol. LXXII, p. 795.. Hence it is now established that St. Romulus flourished at that time.
[5] [A more complete history of St. Romulus from the Breviary of Bourges published in the year 1734,] A more complete history of St. Romulus is handed down by a lesson taken from the old charters of the monastery of Saint-Satur in the diocese of Bourges, which in the Breviary of Bourges, printed at Bourges in the year 1734, is indicated to be read on the feast of St. Romulus, presbyter and monk, on 5 November, to which it had indeed been transferred from the day of the Kalends because of the concurrence with the feast of All Saints: and he was venerated with simple rite. That lesson reads thus: Romulus, born of renowned parents in Britain, came to the parts of Bourges, and withdrawing to the place called Subliniacum, near the Fortress of Gordon, which now takes its name from St. Satur, founded a monastery in honor of St. Peter. There, in the time of Lent, separating himself from the society of the monks, and shut in a little cell within the enclosure of the monastery, by fasting,
vigils and prayer he gave himself to God. When Count Aegidius, after the Visigoths had been overcome in battle, was permitting the Fortress of Gordon, occupied by the army, to be laid waste, the altars too being stripped, Romulus goes to the victor and with tears mixed with his voice begs for the liberation of the captive people. Aegidius adding insult to his refusal, Romulus, groaning, and returning to his little cell, exhorts the people to be of good heart and to run back in supplication with confidence to almighty God. At length Aegidius is swayed by Romulus, and gives back the prey and captives. The holy man, having set out for Rome, there raised from the dead a young man placed on a bier. Vainly urged to stay at Rome, he returned to his monastery, and on the journey extinguished fires by the sign of the cross. At last, restored to his little cell and his brothers, full of days and good works, he fell asleep in the Lord. From what sources the monks of Saint-Satur drew their traditions is wholly uncertain to us.
[6] and from a more recent Proper of Bourges: Finally, a more recent Proper of Bourges, approved by Pope Pius IX and printed at Tournai in the year 1879, assigns the feast of St. Romulus to be celebrated on 5 November with double rite, and in the second nocturn presents these three proper lessons, made up from all those traditions which we have just mentioned, with some things also added pertaining to the history of the veneration paid to the saint:
Lesson IV. Romulus, born of renowned stock in Britain at the beginning of the fifth century, serving God with pious service from his tender years, advancing in wisdom, age and grace before God and men, merited to be initiated into the priesthood. Soon, kindled with zeal for a more perfect life, leaving his homeland, he came to the territory of Bourges, and near the Fortress of Gordon, which now takes its name from St. Satur, he erected a monastery in honor of St. Peter in the place called Subliniacum. There each year throughout the whole time of Lent, withdrawing from the society of the brothers, shut within a little cell, prolonging fasts, vigils and prayers, he gave himself to God alone.
[7] where, besides the ancient traditions, Lesson V. In the year four hundred and sixty-three, when Count Aegidius, appointed by the Romans over Celtica, having defeated the Visigoths near Orléans, had occupied the Fortress of Gordon, and had permitted houses to be plundered and altars stripped by the army, blessed Romulus, hearing this, not distrusting the grace of Christ, came through the midst of the battle lines to help his flock. And when the man of God had stood before fierce Aegidius, and with tears mixed with his voice was begging for the release of the captive people, the inexorable count said: Not only will I not give back the captives to you, but I will not even suffer you to reside here: you can still be at least a keeper of sheep in our region. Hearing this, the servant of God groaned, drawing a sigh from the depth of his breast. And returning to his little cell, he exhorts the people, saying: Do not fear, brothers, but prepare yourselves manfully by prayer. And in fact a little later Aegidius, returning to a better mind, gave back the captives.
[8] some traces of veneration are recorded. Lesson VI. The man of God, having set out for Rome, there, while celebrating Mass, raised from the dead a young man already placed on a bier. Vainly urged to stay at Rome, returning to his monastery, he extinguished a fire at Chavignol by the sign of the cross. At length, full of days, he fell asleep in the Lord, and he seems to have been buried in a chapel dedicated under his name *, whose ruins still stand near Sancerre. At Subliniacum a certain field and spring have retained the name of St. Romulus, and the path by which the man of God went to the Fortress of Gordon is known to all. No relics of the holy confessor remain, but he is the secondary patron of the church of Subliniacum.
[9] The restoration of the monastery founded by St. Romulus. Of the monastery of St. Peter founded by St. Romulus I have found no memory in ancient records before the year 1034, in which year the monastery of Saint-Satur was founded or restored by the authority of Aimo, archbishop of Bourges, and the liberality of Matilda, lady of the place Gallia Christiana, vol. II, p. 41.. Here for you is the beginning of the charter of foundation Ibid., Instruments, p. 51.: In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity. Aimo, by the grace and will of God archbishop of Bourges, since, etc. We wish it to be known to all the faithful, especially to our fellow bishops and to the whole company of canons of the see of St. Stephen the protomartyr of the church of Bourges, of whatever orders and honors they have been promoted, that a certain young woman named Matilda, daughter of a certain knight of our church named Gimo, to whom belonged the fortress called Saint-Satur, and also Odo, count of the palace, whom the same young woman, being without brothers, chose among her kinsmen and friends as a man of merit whom she would put in her stead, living and dead, in her * inheritance, sharing in the necessities of the saints, desiring to restore a certain place in honor of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, and of St. Satur and very many companions of his, martyrs whose names are written in the heavens, The site of the Fortress of Gordon is uncertain. enriched in ancient times with much honor, but now distributed in benefice to many and reduced almost to nothing, have come to our serenity and asked that there be made, by our consent and stipulation, whatever of restoration and honor they may wish to confer on the same place for the remedy of their souls and those of their parents…
[10] Further, since Matilda is here called the daughter of Gimo, and a certain Gimo of Gordon subscribed the charter of the restoration of the abbey of Saint-Ambroise in the year 1015 Ibid., p. 50., from this Thaumas de la Thaumassière History of Berry, volume cited, p. 237. supposed that Matilda was also lady of the Fortress of Gordon, and indeed that the Fortress of Gordon was the very place of Saint-Satur. Too rash, as it seems, a conclusion. For even if it be granted that Gimo of Gordon was the father of Matilda and lord of the Fortress of Gordon, it does not yet follow both that Matilda possessed that fortress and that, if she was lady of the Fortress of Gordon, it was not different from Saint-Satur. Nor does what the writer of Bourges cites from the continuation of the Chronicle of Fredegar much help that opinion, where it is reported of King Pepin No. 132 (Collection of the Historians of France, vol. V, p. 7).: Again in the next year that is, the year 767, the whole army of the Franks being moved through the district of Troyes, thence coming to the city of Auxerre, to the fortress called Gordonis, with his queen Bertrada, the Loire now confidently crossed, he came to Bourges and ordered a palace to be built for himself. For that the town of Saint-Satur is not far distant from the Loire, it has in common with many other places of the same tract. And since, besides the legend of St. Romulus and the continuation of the Chronicle of Fredegar, to which perhaps may be added the Life of St. Phaletrius, presbyter, in which a certain blind man of the fortress of Gorro is read to have been healed by the saint's merits In Labbe, New Library of Manuscripts, vol. II, p. 438., I have nowhere come across any mention of the Fortress of Gordon in old documents, I am compelled to leave uncertain a more distinct definition of that place. Unless someone thinks its name has remained in the word of the hamlet Les Godons, a little more than two kilometers distant to the south of Subliniacum.
AnnotationsS. Romble Saint-Satur Surienvaux Sancerre Subligny Saint-Romble * correct to jus