Valentine and Hilary

ON SS. VALENTINE AND HILARY, PRESBYTER AND DEACON, MARTYRS AT VITERBO,

IN THE YEAR 303.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

Valentine, presbyter, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Hilary, deacon, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

BY G. V. H.

§ I. The memory of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary from the additions to Usuard onward and in more recent writers. A twofold kind of Acts.

In those places where Viterbo now stands, and in the fields adjacent to Viterbo, there flourished a renowned pair of holy men, Saints Valentine and Hilary are listed in the Usuardian martyrologies, the glorious martyrs Valentine and Hilary, the latter distinguished by the ministry of the levites, the former by the honour of the presbyteral order. The elucidation of the Acts of their martyrdom falls to the present day. In the ancient martyrologies no mention is made of our martyrs, but in the additions to Usuard their memory is frequent. In the Danish codex: At Castrum Viterbiense, of Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hylary, deacon, who, long mangled under Maximian, plunged into the Tiber, but rescued by an angel, completed their martyrdom by the cutting off of their heads. In the Brussels codex: At the Castrum of the Viterbians, the feast of Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hylary, deacon, who were long mangled under Maximian. In the Anchin codex: On the same day at the Castrum of the Viterbians, the passion of Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hylary, deacon, who, long mangled under Maximian and the consul Demerius (Demetrius), by praying made ashes of the distinguished temple of Hercules, and plunged into the Tiber, but rescued by an angel, completed their martyrdom by the cutting off of their heads. In the Saint-Victor codex: At Castrum Interbentium the passion of Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hylary, deacon, who, long mangled under Maximian and the consul Demetius (Demetrius), by praying made ashes of the distinguished temple of Hercules, and, plunged into the Tiber but rescued by an angel, completed their martyrdom by the cutting off of their heads. The same in the codex of the Queen of Sweden, n. 130, but according to Sollerius it seems to read: at Castrum Viterlencium or Viterbencium. In the codex of Greven: Of Valentine, presbyter, and Hylary, deacon, martyrs.

[2] and in Galesinius and Maurolycus; and in the Roman Martyrology. With these Galesinius agrees, writing in his Martyrology: At Viterbo, of the blessed martyrs Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, who, thrown headlong into the Tiber, rescued thence by divine power, at last with necks cut through attain the crown of martyrdom. Maurolycus in his Martyrology writes the following: At the Castrum of the Viterbians, the passion of Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hylary, deacon, who, long mangled under the emperor Maximian and the consul Demetrius, the temple of Hercules having been overthrown by their prayers, were thrown into the Tiber and beheaded. Finally the Roman Martyrology celebrates the illustrious martyrs with the following elogium: At Viterbo, of the holy martyrs Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, who in the persecution of Maximian, on account of the faith of Christ, were thrown headlong into the Tiber with a weight of stone, and rescued thence by divine power through an angel, at last with necks cut off received the crown of martyrdom.

[3] Of whom Andreucci has treated Of the holy martyrs Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, many have written; among whom stands out Andrea Girolamo Andreucci, a priest of our Society of Jesus, who in an Italian pamphlet to which he prefixed the modest title [Notizie istoriche de' gloriosi santi, Valentino prete ed Ilario diacono, martiri Viterbesi e primi apostoli di quella città, raccolte da Andrea Girolamo Andreucci della Compagnia di Gesù. In Rome 1740.] of Historical Notices on the glorious saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, sets out learnedly and wisely many things about both martyrs and about their Acts. There you will find noted with much diligence what others have written about these holy martyrs. Not a few of the things that the distinguished author has inserted in his pamphlet must of necessity be inserted in this work of ours; yet we cannot always cite that author, for this reason, that by our rule we ought, as far as may be done, to draw from the sources and not from the rivulets, and we shall often use the same sources that he used.

[4] mention of whom occurs in the letters of the Supreme Pontiffs Besides the martyrologists cited above many others have made mention of our holy martyrs. The first that occurs is found in a letter of Pope Innocent III Baluze, volume II, letter 142., from a certain constitution of St. Leo, Pope IV, where one reads thus: In the village of Palenzano with its churches of Saints Hilary and Valentine. Leo IV lived in the ninth century. The village of Palenzano or castle of Palenzano the emperor Frederick I gave as a gift to the Viterbians in the year 1169 Istoria della città di Viterbo, by Feliciano Bussi. At Rome 1742, p. 49., and it was given in fief to the Orsini family in the year 1241 Ibid., p. 57.. Pope Innocent II in the year 1139 granted the church of St. Valentine, built in the place where the heads of the holy martyrs were cut off, to Azo, archpriest of the cathedral church of St. Lawrence at Viterbo. These are his words: Since you love blessed Peter and his Vicars with filial love and reverence, and have laboured faithfully, in view of pious intention and charity, in the rebuilding of the church of St. Valentine, which, as sins required, was once destroyed, for all which things we clemently embrace your person with more ample grace and benevolence, and we grant and confirm by apostolic kindness the aforesaid church of St. Valentine to you and your successors and through you to the church of blessed Lawrence, etc. Bussi says that the original copy of the said bull, whose words we have cited, was preserved in his time in the archive of the cathedral of Viterbo Ibid., p. 92., and that it was given at the Lateran by the hand of Almeric, Deacon Cardinal and Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church, on the 14th before the kalends of December, indiction III, in the year of the Lord's incarnation 1139, and in the 10th year of the pontificate of the lord Pope Innocent II.

[5] and in many others. From then on the memory of the blessed martyrs is celebrated in many martyrologies and calendars, the chief of which have been cited above by us. It is certainly to be wondered at that neither Surius nor Lipomano, neither Mombritius nor Jacobus de Voragine, nor Peter de Natalibus himself touched on the Acts of our martyrs. Massini, archpriest of Viterbo, first in the year 1612 composed according to the Acts (as it is right to believe) a history of the martyrdom, namely a succinct narrative written for the edification of readers. The distinguished Father Ferrari displayed their martyrdom in a brief summary in the year 1613. To these must be added the legend, as they call it, of the same martyrs, divided into three lessons for use in the divine office, which, offered by the clergy of Viterbo, the sacred Congregation of Rites approved on the 19th day of August of the year 1662. A few years later Sarnelli in an Italian work entitled Mirror of the secular clergy wrote a very brief notice of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary. Of the same martyrs John Marangoni treated in the work entitled Treasury of Parish Priests, in which Book II, chapter 17 (compare Andreucci, work cited, p. 16). a brief survey

of the martyrdom of Saints Valentine and Hilary he set forth. Finally in the year 1699 a certain Anonymous of Viterbo narrated the Acts of our martyrs in the Italian tongue. The distinguished Bussi too, in the History of Viterbo written in Italian, inserted in the appendix of his work the Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary, printed by Niccolò Nardini in the year 1684 Bussi, work cited, p. 444.. What we think of these lucubrations of learned men we shall say later. Now we proceed to examine the Acts.

[6] The Farfa and Cassino copies of the Acts. The Acts of the holy martyrs Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, we transcribed from a parchment codex of the tenth century at Rome in the year 1880 in the library of the Roman College (after the spoliation carried out by the Piedmontese Government called the “Victor Emmanuel” library), to which that codex had been transferred from the most celebrated abbey of St. Benedict at Farfa in the Sabine country. Two copies of these Acts are found in the library of Monte Cassino, namely in codices 139 and 149, quite similar to one another, but somewhat different from the Farfa ones.

[7] Quite similar to the Farfa copy is the apograph of Gallonio Quite similar to the Farfa copy are the mutilated Acts which Andreucci published from an apograph of the distinguished Antonio Gallonio, contained in a paper codex of the Vallicellian library in the city of Rome, marked B. 74, and which Nardini published in a polished form. — Of these copies none offers the genuine Acts of the martyrs; nor the authentic or proconsular ones, as is clear to anyone who examines them. They have this difficulty in common with very many Acts of the holy martyrs. They seem to have been composed in the tenth or ninth century.

[8] Older than which seems a brief Passion. Much more ancient may seem a certain brief Passion of the martyrs Valentine and Hylary, which Andreucci published from a parchment codex of the Vallicellian library n. 16 (p. 73), and which we publish from a codex of the same library. It is a very succinct narrative of the martyrdom, divided into three lessons, and very far differing from the customary narrative of the other Acts; since it passes over in silence the greatest part of the martyrdom, and the most splendid. This omission persuades us to judge that this Passion was not contracted from another, longer one, but rather that it furnished, as it were, a foundation for composing the longer Passion and, as they say, drew the outlines. — That this Passion is ancient I seem to conclude by a probable argument from the name of the Biterbenses. It nowhere calls the city Viterbo, nor the people Viterbians; but it knows only a castle of the Biterbenses. The Anonymous of Ravenna, who flourished in the seventh century, knows Beterbon, and as yet no Viterbo. The name Viterbo was given to the modern city by Desiderius, king of the Lombards. For the city of Viterbo is recent, but the community is very ancient; whose origins lie hidden, covered by the mists of the first times. It seems certain, however, that it was one community consisting of four villages, in a word a τετράπολιν. On the origins of Viterbo see Bussi Work cited, part I, book I. and Andreucci Work cited, chapter 3. and the authors cited there, who have dealt with this question in very ample disputations; for this is not the place to treat that question professedly. Worthy of note, however, is the name Biterbon or Beterbon: which to the first immigrant settlers (namely the Phoenicians) would have sounded betharbah, that is, a house or community divided into four parts. This Pietro Benedetti, most skilled in the oriental languages, had not unfittingly pointed out to Andreucci.

[9] The Acts contain many things not read in the brief Passion, But let us return to the Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary. Since they contain very many things of which no mention is made in that very brief Passion, which we have most accurately transcribed from the codex itself, they cannot be called a fuller form of the same Passion, but a new edifice, with many things gathered from elsewhere, built up on the earlier foundation and enlarged in many parts. That this may be conveniently grasped by readers, we set forth briefly the argument of each Passion. According to the shorter one, which we think the more ancient, in the time of Maximian Valentine the presbyter and Hilary the deacon were lying hidden in the house of Eudoxia. Held by the proconsul Demetrius, they were led to the Castle of the Biterbenses. Asked their fatherland, they say they are Christians and that they have come from the East. Ordered to sacrifice, they refuse. As they refuse Demetrius orders them to be led outside the castle and beheaded on the paved road. He ordered their bodies to be guarded for three days; these Eudoxia carries off by night and lays in a tomb in that place. The proconsul orders Eudoxia to be held and to be beaten with cudgels until death. — The argument of the longer Acts is as follows. While Maximian was persecuting the Christians and the Christians were seeking hidden lurking-places, Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, lay concealed with Eudoxia, a pious woman. By the proconsul Demetrius, who was in the castle of the Viterbians, seeking Christians, Valentine and Hilary were held. Led into the castle of the Viterbians and presented to Demetrius, and asked their fatherland, they confess themselves Christians. Asked their family, they affirm that they have come from the East and were born of illustrious family. Ordered to sacrifice to idols, they refuse. Again they are ordered to sacrifice to the god Hercules; when they refuse Demetrius threatens tortures. The saints rebuke the proconsul in harsh words. Raised on the rack and tortured, they pray to God that he would overthrow the temple of Hercules through an angel. An earthquake takes place, the temple is overthrown. In that temple the king was wont to sacrifice once a year; and it was most beautiful, and was worth more than four hundred centenaria (?) of gold. Demetrius attributes the event to magic arts, and orders the saints to be thrown headlong into the Tiber. Led to the river, with a millstone tied to their necks, they are thrown headlong; but they are freed by an angel. The attendants, as they return, are attacked by a bear, which kills several; the rest are converted to the faith and go to Eutycius the presbyter, who baptizes them after three days with their families. Then the martyrs, rescued from the river, return to the proconsul; they declare they have been freed by an angel. They preach Christ to the proconsul; who orders them to be beaten with cudgels, and invites them to sacrifice to Hercules. When they refused this, condemned to capital punishment, with their feet tied to a column, they are beheaded on the “paved road.” The proconsul orders the bodies to be guarded for three days. These Eudoxia carried off by night and gave to burial in the place of the beheading, which is called “Camillarius”. Demetrius then beats Eudoxia with cudgels until she breathes out her spirit. These things were done on the third of the nones of November. After much time Demetrius, stricken with a pain of the bowel, comes to the tombs of the martyrs and prays the martyrs to come to his aid. They, appearing to him, send him to Eutycius for the sake of obtaining health. The proconsul summons Eutycius; baptized and healed by him, he himself preaches Christ. Hearing this, Maximinian sends Dionysius, who beheads Demetrius. Finally there is added the translation of Saints Valentine and Hilary in the time of Gregory IV, to the monastery of Farfa, through Abbot Sichard.

[10] but perhaps they are derived from the Acts of St. Secundus: From so great a diversity of martyrdom a huge difficulty arises, which harasses the longer Acts of the martyrs not a little. For you would not easily find a reason why the writer of that brief Passion should have passed over in his narrative the overthrow of the temple of Hercules by the prayers of the saints, the plunging of the saints into the waves of the Tiber and their prodigious rescue (which could have been reported in a very few words), if these things had been known to him. And if they were not known to him, whence did they become known to the writer of the Acts? From the tradition, one might say, of the Viterbians and the local inhabitants. But why did that tradition not reach the ears of the earlier writer, to whom the rest was excellently known? The difficulty grows for one who considers also the Acts of St. Secundus, which our predecessor Godfrey Henschen treated At the 1st day of June (Acta Sanctorum, volume I of June, p. 51 ff.).. For in the Acts of St. Secundus are read all those things which the longer Acts of the martyrs Saints Valentine and Hilary insert into the narrative of the brief Passion, and not only the same things, but expressed almost in the same words and in the same form of expression: so that it must be that the Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary were put together from the Acts of St. Secundus or these from those; which sets no small prejudice against the authority of the Acts. For since the form of the brief Passion lacks almost all those circumstances and facts of the martyrdom which the longer Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary have in common with the Acts of St. Secundus, not without cause and reason are we of the opinion that all those things were brought here from a foreign place, and therefore do not deserve credit. Let this then be our judgment on the Acts of Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon: they are the product of a later age, composed from a narrative of the things contained in the brief Passion and perhaps from the Acts of St. Secundus, martyr, and may be assigned to the ninth century.

[11] about which a wholly certain judgment cannot be made. I am not unaware that it may come about that by this critical judgment of ours we may give offence among many, and that hateful charge be heaped up: “So do you call false what for so many centuries the church of Viterbo has held true?” First, indeed, the time must be observed, and it must not be forgotten that the origin of the city of Viterbo, and thus the beginnings of the Church of Viterbo, are not ancient, but rather recent. A Church that is not ancient cannot claim for itself ancient ecclesiastical traditions peculiar to itself. Further, we do not dare to call false what the Viterbians believe of their martyrs according to the aforesaid Acts (whose sincerity we have called suspect); but we deny that it can be believed on the credit and authority of the Acts. For it may be that Saints Valentine and Hilary did indeed overthrow the temple of Hercules by their prayers; it may be that, plunged in the waters of the river, they were rescued by divine power; it may also be that Secundus overthrew a temple of Hercules and, thrown headlong into the Tiber, consummated his martyrdom, just as the other circumstances may truly have had a place either in the martyrdom of Secundus or in the martyrdom of Saints Valentine and Hilary. As the uncertain report and rumour of these things flew through men's mouths and reached posterity with the running of the centuries, it will not be an unsuitable opinion that the inhabitants of various towns ascribed to their own martyrs everything that had happened partly to their own and partly to others. But we, who are separated from the manifest light of the facts by so many centuries and such great mists of the first times, have almost no help by which to decide what belongs to each.

§ II. On the fatherland, family and dignity of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary; and on their martyrdom.

[Saints Valentine and Hilary, Orientals, of perhaps illustrious family; in dignity the former a presbyter, the latter a deacon.] After the question of the Acts as a whole, we come to the examination of the several facts. And first of all we must treat of the fatherland of the martyrs. In the shorter Passion (which the longer Acts follow) the proconsul questions the saints about their fatherland: From what fatherland, he says, are you? The martyrs, in the way customary with martyrs, first confess themselves Christians; and they affirm that they have come from the parts of the East. This reply has nothing that cannot easily be believed. For when a most atrocious persecution was raging through the East under Diocletian, while the western parts were still at peace, they had perhaps come to the West to flee the heat of the persecution. They could also have come to Rome for another cause, for example to visit the tombs of the Apostles, as happened also to other martyrs, and afterwards have stayed in Italy, in

occupied in preaching the faith. Of the family of Saints Valentine and Hilary we read nothing in the shorter Passion; but in the Acts they confess themselves born of illustrious family. To the illustrious family of the martyrs may relate the fact that Demetrius, exhorting them to sacrifice, holds out the friendship of Caesar as something to be gained: which indicates men born of illustrious family rather than plebeians. The dignity of both martyrs is stated both in the brief Passion and in the Acts. For Valentine is called a presbyter, and Hilary a deacon. Let this suffice on the fatherland, family and dignity of the holy martyrs, since apart from the Acts neither document nor indication survives.

[13] Under Maximian Of the martyrdom, first it is asked at what time it took place. The Acts with the brief Passion reply, in the time of Maximian Augustus. We do not find the year written out; yet we do not hesitate to assign the year 303, although the year 304 perhaps may suit. For in the year 304, on the third of the nones of November, Maximian was still Augustus. Yet the brief Passion and the Acts seem to indicate the beginning of the raging persecution; and therefore we prefer the year 303 with Baronius, who says Ecclesiastical Annals, at the year 303, n. 221.: “Tuscia too was made illustrious by a good number of holy martyrs: among others Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, went through a distinguished contest for Christ.”

[14] they consummated their martyrdom As regards the kind of martyrdom and the torments of the martyrs, we see the brief Passion and the longer Acts concur in the same opinion in designating the kind of death of the blessed men: for in both places we read that the heads of the holy martyrs were cut off. But torments inflicted on the martyrs before the fatal blow we read of none in the brief Passion, and of many in the Acts. Prodigies likewise the brief Passion lists none, but many and most splendid are narrated in the Acts. But all these things, as we have said above, could have been derived from the Passion of St. Secundus into these Acts of our martyrs, and therefore cannot find credit with a man of sense on the authority of the Acts. It can, however, be believed with much reason that before the capital sentence the patience of the Saints was tested by the customary torments of the rack. The rest, as they can be true, so cannot be proved true.

[15] on the Via Cassia, where the bridge of St. Valentine now is; The place where the holy martyrs were beheaded is indicated in the brief Passion and in the Acts, namely on the paved road, which is the Via Cassia, at the second milestone from the city of Viterbo, and in the same place they are said to have been buried; which is called Cavillarius according to the brief Passion and the Cassino copies of the Acts, Camillarius according to the Farfa copy of the Acts. That place is said Bussi, work cited, part I, book I, p. 43; Andreucci, work cited, n. 141, p. 88. to be the Camillarian bridge, distant from the city of Viterbo at the second milestone, which is afterwards called the bridge of St. Valentine. Nardini suspects, as Andreucci says Ibid., that the name of Camillarius is derived from a certain builder Camillus, and Leandro Alberti in the same writer says that the ancient Aruntes who lived near the site of Viterbo were surnamed Camillarii, whence that name attached to the bridge. As they do not prove this, we leave it to the credit of the authors, all the more because it must be noticed more shrewdly that in the brief Passion one reads not Camillarius but Cavillarius, which the writer of the Cassino copies has likewise preserved.

[16] buried there by Eudoxia, In this place, then, whether Camillarius or Cavillarius, the holy martyrs were buried by a certain most pious woman, Eudoxia by name, whose fame is celebrated in the Acts of the martyrs near Viterbo. With Eudoxia the martyrs Valentine and Hilary had lain hidden, with Eudoxia the holy martyr Secundus had lain hidden. This most holy woman certainly seems most worthy of perennial memory among the good. That she lived near the arena of the martyrdom of Saints Valentine and Hilary may be concluded from the brief Passion itself. Bianchi in Bussi Work cited, part I, book I, p. 43. says that this Eudoxia was mistress of a great tract of the region around Viterbo, which extends from the Faul gate both above and below as far as the little river Caldanus; and that to the same Eudoxia belonged the lordship of the place called Surrena: let the credit for this rest with the author. That she was of Viterbo Nardini affirmed; against whom the distinguished Andreucci sets the very true utterance of Baronius Work cited, n. 119, p. 76.: What is brought forward by a more recent author about matters so ancient, without the authority of someone older, is despised. In the copy of the Acts which Andreucci published from Gallonio's apograph Work cited, n. 77, p. 44. the holy martyrs were hidden in the neighbourhood of the city of Tussena (Turrena, as Andreucci corrects) … under the house of a certain religious and most Christian woman named Eudoxia. But in the Acts of St. Secundus Acta Sanctorum, volume I of June, p. 53. this holy martyr is read to have been hidden under the house of a certain religious and most Christian woman named Eudoxia… in the city of Julia, which is called Eugubia. Whence it is clear that there is no reason by which it can be proved that Eudoxia was a citizen of this or that city. One thing only results, that Eudoxia may be believed to have lived in that tract of the region around Viterbo. Perhaps one may believe that she was a very wealthy woman and mistress of great estates, who had houses and farms in more than one place, and thus could receive holy men in hospitality in more than one town and more than one territory.

[17] a woman of outstanding piety, who is read to have been slain by Demetrius. Of her origin or family I find nothing handed down. She may have been a consecrated virgin, or a widow, who after the example of many Christian women was accustomed to receive saints in hospitality, hide Christians, help the poor, bury martyrs. Nothing of these things, certainly, does not fit most aptly with the times and with the manners of those Christians. One thing I wonder at, that this most pious woman, whose martyrdom is read in the brief Passion itself, enjoys no cult. For although in a certain popular narrative of the martyrdom, which seems translated into Italian from the Latin account of Nardini, certain things are read which suppose that the author believes that Eudoxia reigns in heaven, that does not go beyond the private opinion of the writer. And certainly anyone can, without doubt, think to himself that the most religious Eudoxia has obtained the honours of the blessed martyrs in heaven, both on account of her piety and service towards the saints, and most of all on account of the death inflicted on her, for piety's sake, by the hatred and anger of a violent tyrant. It might even come about that, at the request of the Viterbians, the Roman Church should grant public honours to this most holy woman, whose renowned memory, with the holy martyrs her guests, has persisted from most remote centuries with the testimony of martyrdom.

[18] Of Demetrius the Acts treat at length, the brief Passion in very few words. The holy martyrs are read to have suffered under the proconsul Demetrius. Of him I know of no mention made by any author besides our Acts. In the longer Acts many things are narrated of him, and especially his subsequent martyrdom; of which things the shorter Passion by no means makes mention, although it carefully notes the martyrdom of Eudoxia. And indeed, after the longer Acts themselves had already been composed, the punishment, healing, conversion and martyrdom of Demetrius were afterwards stitched on, as will be plain to the eye of the reader. For with the Acts finished and terminated by the customary formula, a new narrative begins: After much time, etc. Whence these things were drawn, whether from lost monuments or from the rumour of men's opinions, neither I nor perhaps anyone else will be able to trace out. It is worthy of note, however, that the name of the judge who is reported to have condemned Demetrius to death by the authority of Maximian could have been taken from the Acts of St. Secundus, whence the remaining interpolations of the Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary seem to have been derived. For St. Secundus is read to have suffered under the proconsul Dionysius, and Demetrius is said to have been subjected to martyrdom by Dionysius the vicar; which, to confess the truth, weakens rather than confirms the authority of the whole narrative.

[19] Of the martyrdom of Demetrius and Eudoxia the approved Office is silent. We wish readers to be warned that the legend of Saints Valentine and Hilary which the Sacred Congregation of Rites approved in the year 1662, on the 19th day of August, is silent about both martyrdoms, of Eudoxia and of Demetrius. Yet in the same legend are contained those things which we have judged above to have been intruded from the Acts of St. Secundus into the Acts of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, to which Acts we have not dared to give credit. Here there appears manifestly the prudence and keen judgment of those men who preside in the Roman Church over the regulation of the sacred rites. They would not admit into the legend of the Office of the saints the names of two martyrs on whose martyrdom they had passed no judgment, and who, if they were proclaimed martyrs in the very narrative of the ecclesiastical Office, might at once have seemed to be translated into the ranks of the Blessed. They left, and permitted to be recited, certain facts which true history cannot prove, but does not demonstrate false either. For we have said above that, although we give no credit to the Acts themselves in narrating these things, we do not therefore judge the facts narrated to be false. For they could have been received from the living tradition of men and have been fitted by various churches to their own martyrs, while yet they belonged not to these but to those. The Sacred Congregation therefore did not wish to settle a pending dispute, and did not wish to brand with the mark of falsity (by an elimination not needed) what is perhaps true.

[20] The Farfa Acts err in designating the persecutor. It remains for us to inquire briefly about those very facts which we think inserted from elsewhere into the Acts of our saints. For we too suppose that some rest on an appearance of truth. It will help, then, to run through the longer Acts, that the reader may have the means of judging about each thing. Right from the beginning of the Acts, the Farfa copy designates a different persecutor from the one we have been able with probable reason to suppose. But the author entangles himself in such great and such gross errors that his opinion may be spurned with impunity. For he writes thus: In those times when Maximian Augustus reigned after the death of his father Diocletian, at that very time he slew his sister Arthemia, daughter of Diocletian, on account of the religion of the Christians, and sent an edict, etc. The author, then, had in mind a certain Maximian who slew a daughter of Diocletian. But no Maximian slew a daughter of Diocletian, and Diocletian had no daughter Arthemia (for apocryphal history indeed knows her, but true history does not); moreover Diocletian had no son. Diocletian's daughter was Galeria Valeria, who married Galerius Maximian; she with her mother Prisca had followed the rites of Christ; but, under Diocletian's compulsion, she sacrificed to the gods. After the death of Galerius, Maximin sought marriage with Valeria; and when she refused he punished her together with her mother by exile. After the death of Maximin Licinius, having caught Valeria with her mother Prisca at Thessalonica, beheaded them, and threw the bodies into the sea. If, then, he who slew Diocletian's daughter lies hidden here under the name of Maximian, it must be recognized as Licinius: which no one, I think, would admit. The writer of the Cassino copy saw the error and struck it out, or perhaps he copied an exemplar free from this error, so that all this farrago should be attributed to the confused memory of the Farfa writer. The opinion of this ignorant man seems not to be of such worth that we should linger over it, and on its account our saints' martyrdom to

be brought down to later times.

[21] [Our martyrs are read to have been ordered to sacrifice to Hercules, and in his Acts St. Secundus also:] The Acts say that after Saints Valentine and Hilary had refused to sacrifice to the gods, they were admonished again by Demetrius to sacrifice to the great God Hercules, whom the princes adore. To the same Hercules St. Secundus is forced to sacrifice in the Acts often cited. This at any rate suits the time, the place and the person well enough. But whether he who composed the Acts received this from some document or from the rumour of men, we do not know. After the sacrifice to the other gods had been refused, the reason why there ought at least to be sacrifice to Hercules is obvious, Maximian being Herculius Augustus. For Hercules was the guardian and patron of Maximian. Further, the most celebrated tetrapolis which afterwards grew together into one as Viterbo was famous for the cult of Hercules; the people of that city represented Hercules even on their coins. This Desiderius, king of the Lombards, forbade in the famous decree which is read cut in Lombard letters in white marble: We permit Faul to be stamped on coins, but Hercules to be removed and St. Lawrence to be set, etc. The insignia of Viterbo too display a lion (sacred to Hercules). Of which Cardinal Giles Antonini in his manuscript History of the twenty centuries Page 34 (in Bussi, work cited, part I, book I, p. 40).: Hercules was called Arinus, that is, Leoninus. To his Tyrrhenians he left both the insignia and the name of the lion; for the ancient metropolis of Etruria under Ciminus still preserves the insignia of a crowned lion bearing four sacred letters. The sacred letters are F. A. V. L., signifying the towns or villages from which present-day Viterbo was constituted. The Viterbians declare this in the following distich Bussi, work cited, page 2.:

Hanc Fanum, Arbanum, Vetulonia, Longula — quondam

Oppida — dant urbem, prima elementa FAVL. [This city is given by Fanum, Arbanum, Vetulonia, Longula, once towns, their first letters FAVL.]

Of all these things concerning the origin of present-day Viterbo we do not wish to dispute; but we refer the reader to the authors cited above (number 8).

[22] which can easily be believed. The site of that great temple of Hercules, which the Acts narrate was torn up by the prayers of the holy martyrs, is, according to the opinion of the Viterbians (according to Nardini in his notes on the Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary), where the cathedral church dedicated to St. Lawrence now stands Ibid., p. 44.. One can therefore easily believe what the Acts say: that the proconsul Demetrius exhorted the saints at least to honour the god Hercules, the patron of Maximian Augustus. Here, then, the Acts either narrate true things by accident, or at least invent fitting ones. What the Acts of our martyrs together with the Acts of St. Secundus report of the beauty of that temple and of its value, when they relate that the temple was overthrown by an earthquake obtained by the prayer of the saints, namely that it was worth more than forty centenaria of gold, and that the king sacrificed in it once a year, savours signally of the popular breeze. Nor is it surprising that such things were gladly transferred from the Acts of St. Secundus into the Acts of our saints, whose origin such things sufficiently indicate of themselves.

[23] [The holy martyrs are thrown headlong into the Tiber according to the Acts; which is called in doubt,] The temple of Hercules having been overthrown, the saints are condemned; and the author of the Acts, forgetting that the holy martyrs are with Demetrius in the castle of the Viterbians, orders them to be led into the same castle, and there millstones to be tied to their necks and they to be plunged thus in the waves of the Tiber: for the river itself also is distant from the mountain called Aureum twenty mi[les]. For at once the torturers carried out the order of the proconsul Demetrius, and led them to the river; and they tied to their necks a great millstone, which twenty men could scarcely carry. This is the Farfa text; the Cassino text, a little more elegant, has: And by a sentence given he ordered the ministers to lead them outside the castle to the river and there, tying millstones to their necks, thus to plunge them in the waves of the Tiber. At once the torturers carried out the order of the proconsul, and led them to the river; and they tied to their necks a great millstone, which twenty men could scarcely carry. In the Acts of St. Secundus one reads thus: And on the next day he ordered sentence to be given that blessed Secundus be led to the city of Ameria, instructing the torturers that, with a great stone tied on his neck, he should be plunged into the Tiber. And when blessed Secundus had reached the bank of the river, the soldiers tied a millstone to his neck. I leave aside the inept man who stuffed the Farfa Acts with this farrago; but whence has the Cassino writer his stone, which twenty men could scarcely carry? Why did he not leave this also to the Farfa writer? Did he perhaps follow a more correct exemplar? Or do these various copies represent so many forms of the popular tradition, received from the mouth of the silly crowd and consigned to writing? From this place one may easily judge that the whole story of the submersion relates to blessed Secundus, since it is sufficiently likely; but such as it is, as accommodated by the writers of the Acts to Saints Valentine and Hilary, I do not know whether it will find credit with a single man of sense.

[24] but yet it does not lack some appearance of truth. And nevertheless it must not be concealed that there is something that perhaps confirms the narrative of the Acts, not indeed that most inept one of the Farfa Acts, nor the stone of the Cassino ones, but the plunging itself. In Andreucci I read Work cited, numbers 138 and 139, p. 87. that something bearing on this is brought forward in Nardini, and that Andreucci himself, after a diligent examination had been made, asserts that it is as Nardini narrates. Bussi declares the same Work cited, part I, book I, p. 45.. Nardini, then, had written that near Castrum Munianum *, distant eleven or twelve miles from the city of Viterbo, there is found a modest hill, adorned up to that day (1684) with the name of St. Valentine, below which the river Tiber formerly flowed past; that report has it that from a rock projecting from the hill Saints Valentine and Hilary were once thrown into the Tiber, and that afterwards, for the perennial memory of the event, a church was built on the same hill in honour of the holy martyrs. This is the narrative of Nardini; and when Andreucci wished to put it into his pamphlet on the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, before confirming it by the weight of his authority, he inquired with anxious care into the truth of the matter, and learned from the Most Reverend Lord Matthew de' Duci of Giove (which is the fief of that family in the same tract of the region) that traces and ruins of that church still existed (in the year 1740); that is, that on the hill of the region distinguished by the name of St. Valentine three side walls still stood, in one of which, facing the Tiber, an opening marked the place of a door, and that many tiles of the roof were scattered about on the ground all around. So he. Bussi adds that the course of the Tiber has retreated somewhat from the hill. From which it is concluded that there truly exists a tradition of the submersion of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary reported in the Acts. Therefore, someone may say, the Acts tell the truth. I am prevented from saying so for this reason, that I do not know whether the Acts are the source of the tradition or the tradition the source of the Acts.

[25] The saints having been plunged, the attendants are attacked by a bear; A fierce bear attacked the returning attendants, and killed eight men (as the writers of the Acts perhaps read in the Acts of St. Secundus); the rest fled mangled. I wonder why the Cassino writers wrote nearly eight, and the Farfa writer more than eight. Perhaps lest they should seem to be copying another's story. In the same Passion of St. Secundus lies hidden the mystery of the twenty men who could scarcely lift the stone. For according to these Acts the attendants were twenty in all, namely eight killed and twelve mangled. I wonder that the zealous stuffers of the Acts did not raise up for the killing of the attendants the lion of Hercules, that famous Nemean one, whose part in this cause it would have been to avenge himself and the martyrs. But the bear retained his rights of avenging saints, as this office had once fallen to him in the time of Elisha IV Kings, II, 24.; and perhaps they knew there are no lions in Italy.

[26] [the survivors are converted and baptized by Eutychius: about whom it is asked who he was.] The mangled attendants are converted and are baptized by Eutychius the presbyter. The presbyter Eutychius is very well known in the histories of martyrs. He is spoken of in these Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary, and in the Acts of St. Secundus. In the proper Acts of his own martyrdom one reads that he won the blessed martyr Gratilian for Christ, and converted his parents to the faith, and at length was crowned under Claudius with the laurel of martyrdom. It is certain that, if blessed Eutychius the presbyter underwent martyrdom under Claudius, he cannot have been present at events in the time of Maximian, and therefore, if credit is given to the Acts of St. Secundus and to the Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary, either two Eutychiuses must be posited, or the martyrdom of Eutychius must be assigned not to Claudius or to Valerian, but to Maximian or to later persecutors. Therefore Tullio Cima (as Godfrey Henschen narrates) in the Acts of St. Eutychius substituted for Claudius the emperors Maximian and Diocletian. Which indeed, says Henschen Acta Sanctorum, volume III of May, p. 459, number 3., is far more fitting than to substitute two Eutychiuses for one, of whom one is commemorated in the Acts of Saints Gratilian and Felicissima, the other in the Passion of Saints Valentine and Hilary. To this judgment of the most learned man I would gladly subscribe, if the authority of the Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary or even of St. Secundus were so great. But the part of each Passion in which mention is made of Eutychius is to me of slight credit, as I have often said already. Therefore I shall not let myself be moved by this argument.

[27] There were two Eutychiuses; one a martyr, the other a confessor. But perhaps that two Eutychiuses really existed about those times is indicated from elsewhere. Of whom one was a martyr, the other a confessor. The martyr may truly have been crowned under Claudius, not indeed the successor of Caligula, but Claudius II Gothicus; and another Eutychius may have converted the attendants who had plunged blessed Secundus or the blessed Valentine and Hilary into the Tiber. The title of this Eutychius is confessor, not martyr; but neither is he called presbyter. His sepulchral inscription from a Christian hypogeum of Tarquinia the distinguished J.-B. de Rossi displays in the “Bullettino” of Christian Archaeology Bullettino di archeologia cristiana, second series, fifth year (1874), p. 101.: Eutychius, confessor, laid down on the 8th before the kalends of September in peace. Most worthy of reading are the things which the most learned man discusses through that whole issue, and especially § IV on the title of Confessor, on the occasion of this Eutychius. We think, with probable reason, that Eutychius the confessor can be held the same as the one spoken of in the Acts of St. Secundus and of Saints Valentine and Hilary, different from that Eutychius who obtained the laurel of martyrdom near Ferentino. As regards our cause, the finding of a Eutychius to whom the said narrative may apply does indeed make it possible to believe in the plunging of some martyr into the Tiber and in the baptism of the lictors, but it cannot bring it about that

Saints Valentine and Hilary were thrown headlong into the Tiber and rescued thence should be believed without hesitation, for the reasons indicated above. I for my part judge that the whole matter pertains to St. Secundus.

[28] The conversion of Demetrius is left in doubt. The conversion of the proconsul Demetrius with all its circumstances as reported in the Acts, while it ought not to be called false and invented, yet needs other testimonies in order to be believed true. To us indeed it seems suspect on account of the silence of the brief Passion, which faithfully reports the martyrdom of Eudoxia, but passes over the conversion and martyrdom of Demetrius with the same silence as the plunging of the saints into the river and their miraculous deliverance from the waters, the conversions of the lictors and the ministry of Eutychius himself. All of which strongly impel us to suspect that those things were as yet unknown when the brief Passion was being written. And so let this be enough about the Acts of Saints Valentine and Hilary.

* Mognano or Mugnano.

§ III. On the tomb and translations of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary. On their cult.

The bodies of Saints Valentine and Hilary from the place of their first burial We approach the thorny question of the translations of Saints Valentine and Hilary in the spirit in which, following the rule of our predecessors, we treat the Acts of the saints, led, that is, by no other zeal than that of honouring God in the saints and of holily vindicating the truth. — The sacred bodies of the martyrs, in the place where by the cutting off of their heads they had obtained the glorious triumph of martyrdom, the pious woman Eudoxia gave over to most worthy burial. Demetrius had ordered the bodies to be guarded for three days; but Eudoxia, carrying off the bodies by night, buried them, and obtaining the reward of a most pious service, followed the martyrs through martyrdom. The place of martyrdom and consequently the place of the tomb is clearly indicated as “on the Via Cassia,” near the bridge called Camillarian or Cavillarian, at the second milestone from Viterbo, and the bridge drew its name from the buried martyrs, being called “the bridge of St. Valentine.” These things are certain from the Acts and from history. In that place the blessed remains of the martyrs rested for many centuries, until, translated elsewhere, they at length returned to Viterbo, where they rest in the cathedral church. Here a huge difficulty arises of knowing where the sacred relics of the martyrs were first carried, whether to Viterbo or to the monastery of Farfa. On this question depends the year of the first translation. But let us examine the documents that survive.

[30] were translated to Farfa, before the middle of the ninth century, In the brief Passion nothing is said of the bodies of the martyrs being translated elsewhere; but to the Acts there is subjoined an account of a translation, which is confirmed by other monuments too. I transcribe the Farfa copy: The bodies of the aforesaid martyrs, namely Valentine and Hilary, from the same place in which they had rested until the times of Gregory IV, prelate of the apostolic see, were raised with due honour by Sichard, abbot of the venerable monastery of the holy Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary situated among the Sabines, and he placed them in an oratory which he himself built and joined to the hall of the same Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, together with the body of St. Alexander, son of St. Felicity, which body of St. Alexander he had at last brought from Rome with the permission of the aforesaid lord Pope Gregory, the dedication of which oratory is celebrated there on the 3rd before the kalends of January, to the praise and glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Almost the same to the letter is subjoined to the Cassino copies. Three copies of the Acts, then, clearly affirm that the bodies of Saints Valentine and Hilary rested in their first tomb until the times of Gregory IV, supreme Pontiff. Gregory IV sat from the year 828 to the year 844. The Chronicle of Farfa, which Muratori published in volume II, part II of the Writers of Italian Affairs P. 381., confirms the mention of the translation subjoined to the aforesaid Acts, saying: Thirteenth in the holy governance of this monastery presided Abbot Sichard, showing far and wide to all in all things the example of the good contest. For this oratory that we see, in honour of the Lord Saviour, joined to this church of St. Mary, he himself built, where he honourably buried the bodies of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, translated from the parts of Tuscia, with the body of St. Alexander, son of St. Felicity, which he had brought from Rome, with the permission of Gregory IV, prelate of the Apostolic See. — The Great Chronicle of Cassino reports like things of this translation Mabillon, Annals of the Order of St. Benedict, at the year 829.: Ingoald was followed by Sichard, thirteenth abbot of the place, held to be a saint, who is said to have offered far and wide the example of the good contest in all things. He built an oratory of the Saviour joined to the basilica of blessed Mary, with an underground Crypt, where he laid up the bodies of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, which had been translated into the church of St. Mary from the parts of Tuscia, together with the body of St. Alexander, son of blessed Felicity, which he himself had received from Pope Gregory IV.

[31] where they rested in the crypt of the monastery of St. Mary, From these documents there shines forth in the full light of truth the certainty of the translation of the bodies of Saints Valentine and Hilary from the place of first burial to the monastery of St. Mary among the Sabines (which is Farfa) in the time of Pope Gregory IV, under Abbot Sichard, at the beginning of the ninth century. To this certainty is opposed the falsity of the assertion of those who claim that the bodies of the holy martyrs did not leave the place of first burial before the year 1303. And here we strike the chief difficulty of this cause. For it is asked how long the bodies of the blessed martyrs rested in the sanctuary of the crypt of the Farfa monastery, and whither they were carried from there, to Viterbo into the cathedral church, or to the earlier place from which they had been translated to Farfa. For determining the period of time through which the remains of our saints stayed in the monastery of Farfa, no document is at hand. The age of the Vatican codex in which Andreucci read: Among the Sabines, of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, we do not know. In the bull of Innocent II given in the year 1139, by which he handed over the care of the church of the Borgo of St. Valentine to Azo, archpriest of the church of St. Lawrence in the city of Viterbo, of which we transcribed a part above (number 4), no mention is made of the bodies of the martyrs: from which it cannot be concluded by certain consequence that the bodies of the martyrs were not then in that church, but a most solid reason for doubting arises. It is likely that, if the pontiff had known the bodies were there, he would have made mention of them. Moreover those who claim that the bodies of the martyrs were raised from the sacred tomb for the first time in the year 1303 will with difficulty explain the forgetfulness of the Viterbians, who were entirely ignorant in what place the bodies lay. For if they had lain perpetually in their tomb, ignorance of so great a treasure will not easily be proved. I leave aside that the authors of this translation, or rather finding, stand at a distance of three centuries from the events: how much this affects credit, no one prudent in such matters is unaware. Those authors are Massini, whom we cited above, whose book came out in the year 1612, and then Nardini [See Massini here after the Acts; Nardini in Bussi, work cited, Appendix, pp. 445, 446.], and others. What shall we do with these? If we reckon their authority as nothing, no injury will be done them, as Baronius truly says from the discipline of the critical art: What is brought forward by a more recent author about ancient matters, without the authority of someone older, is despised. About the end of the eleventh century or the beginning of the twelfth the bodies of the holy martyrs were still in the crypt of Farfa; for at that time the Chronicle of Farfa was written, from which we have brought an unconquerable document. Most certainly, then, Massini and others err in contending that the sacred bodies were not removed from the original tomb before the year 1303.

[32] until They seem to err when they write that at that time, namely at the beginning of the fourteenth century, the sacred relics were found near Viterbo among the rubble of a ruined church and were translated thence to Viterbo. For they have written on the authority of no contemporary or near-contemporary author; which proves that what they narrate was received from the mouth of the people. And nevertheless the circumstances are such that you would say the whole account is established from ancient documents, so minutely do they set out the places and persons and the several events, and hand down the names. Unless, then, Massini, Nardini and the others we have mentioned were really men of iron brow and lying scoundrels, something true must underlie their words. Since they were most honourable men, perhaps a little more credulous than the gravity of history permits, but in no way suspect of deliberate lying, I think the matter must be explained in the way I shall now try to do.

[33] they were translated to Viterbo. That the bodies of the holy martyrs were translated to Viterbo is proved by the very bones of the saints existing whole in the cathedral church of Viterbo, as will shortly appear clearer than light from the documents to be brought forward. When were they translated? No ancient documents designate a certain year; but the tradition of the Viterbians assigns the year 1303, which popular tradition you will find in the books of Massini, Nardini and those who have followed them. This year is especially suitable. For at that time the affairs of the Viterbians stood royally; they flourished in men, wealth, glory Andreucci, work cited, n. 150, p. 94.. The province of the Patrimony of St. Peter was ruled by the most celebrated cardinal Theodoric Ranieri of Orvieto, very dear to the supreme Pontiff Boniface VIII. He favoured the Viterbians exceedingly. And he was bishop of the papal city (Palestrina *), cardinal of the title of the Holy Cross, rector and captain general of the Patrimony of blessed Peter in Tuscia Ibid.. On the 16th day of September of the year 1300 he gave to the community of Viterbo, on behalf of the Roman Church, the Forest of Oria with all that depended on it, because of the great and immense services which the said commune of Viterbo had rendered and continually renders to the Holy Roman Church, and especially because of the services which the said commune had rendered to the said Roman Church in the armies raised by order of the said lord Theodoric, Captain General in the Patrimony, against the people of Montefiascone and Bagnoregio, who were then contumacious and rebellious against the commands of the said Roman Church and of the said bishop and captain above mentioned. This Bussi had copied from volume II of the Monuments of Viterbo, p. 120 Bussi, work cited, part I, book III, p. 181.. At the same time there flourished men illustrious for holiness and learning, born at Viterbo, dear to pontiffs and kings: for example blessed James, made archbishop of Naples in the year 1303 by Boniface VIII, dear to Charles II, king of Sicily, of whom in the History of the archbishops of Naples Cioccarelli hands down the following: Master Fr. James of Viterbo, which is a distinguished city in Tuscia, of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine, most celebrated professor of the sacred page, and distinguished for integrity of life, presided over the church of Naples in the year 1303. He was called the Speculative Doctor from his keen and polished intellect. At the same time a certain great citizen of Viterbo flourished with the praise of learning and holiness, blessed Anthony of the Order of Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom the annals of the Order celebrate with the following encomium: He so advanced in the studies of good arts, he so ordered his life in holy morals, that it was not easy to say which of these, knowledge or morals, carried off the palm. For he in the year 1305 was chosen among the first theologians and masters of the university of Bologna as a distinguished doctor, and preacher

had emerged eloquent. About the same time another outstanding citizen of Viterbo presided as archbishop over the church of Taranto, of the Order of Preachers, James by name, of whom Cioccarelli testifies in the place cited above: There was also another Brother James of Viterbo, most celebrated in this same age, of the Order of Preachers, who wrote a book on selling, which he addressed to St. Thomas Aquinas, and he was archbishop of Taranto; of whom Alfonso Fernandez in his Dominican Debate and Fr. Michele Pio in the Chronicle of the Order of Preachers, book I, chapter 58. To Viterbo, shining with such a light of so many citizens, there came also this happiness, that she rejoiced to have received within her walls the reigning pontiff Boniface VIII, a few years earlier still Cardinal Benedict Caetani, delegated by the supreme pontiff Nicholas IV to force the people of Toscanella and Corneto to obey Peter Capocci, bishop of Viterbo, who himself also was a Viterbian patrician. Certainly many Viterbian patricians and most noble men had from then on known Boniface very well, and they knew and professed themselves bound to him by benefits Andreucci, place cited.. It must be admitted that at such a time, from such a pontiff, with so great men perhaps entreating, it could easily have been obtained that the bodies of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary be brought back from the monastery of Farfa to Viterbo. And when this had been done, the constant memory of such a year among the people of Viterbo is also easily understood. Therefore I should suppose that the year 1303 as distinguished by the translation of the holy martyrs may be admitted without rashness, even though no documents of contemporary authors survive. The names of the illustrious men who took part in the solemnity could perhaps have come to the knowledge of the writers from some list preserved in the cabinets of the Viterbo secretariat, but unknown to us. Much more easily still could there have been preserved the names of those who, citizens of Viterbo and priests of the same church, solicitous for the glory of their fatherland, are said to have searched out the original tomb of the martyrs and to have found it by certain indications.

[34] [Tradition seems to confuse the finding of the tomb and the finding of the bodies;] As for what pertains to the head of the question, namely whence, from what place the bodies of the holy men were translated to Viterbo, I explain it thus. Two facts, I am of the opinion, through three centuries of report and of tradition living in the mouth of the people, at length grew together into one. The translation of the martyrs had been obtained from the Pontiff; and since all had in their mouths and conversation that Valentine and Hilary would shortly arrive, there could not but arise a desire to find the proper place where they had once rested. With some pointing to this and others to that, seeking through the rubble they at length came to the place of the tomb. Nor is it inconsistent that the place of the tomb was discovered by a rose blooming in the winter, whether by God's doing for the honour of the martyrs, or by a so-called monthly rose blooming naturally in the breeze of a mild winter. Nor is it at all surprising, but indeed very convenient, that the stone tomb, the first receptacle of the holy relics, was left in the place. When the relics had been translated to Farfa, it is quite in keeping with Sichard's prudence that in the empty tomb a stone was placed on which he had had the names of the holy martyrs carved, lest ignorance of the place should deceive those searching in later times. When these things were found, then, a great jubilation of the Viterbians could not but arise. If things were done so, the relics of the bodies, about to be transferred in solemn procession to the cathedral church of St. Lawrence, may conveniently have been laid for a little while in that place, so that the festive procession of the translation should be led from there and should thus enter Viterbo. For I do not believe that the procession was brought down from distant Farfa. Thus the thing could have been done. But if anyone takes it a little differently, so that first the tomb was found empty of the bodies, but marked by the small tablet placed upon it with the names, then one may suppose that the empty tomb aroused among the Viterbians an ardent desire of possessing the blessed bodies, and that thus, through the agency of the bishop and other chief men, the translation was obtained from the supreme Pontiff. In either way, with the finding of the tomb coinciding with the arrival of the bodies, the confusion of the tradition is not hard to explain, which, since it knew for certain that the bodies had been carried from that place where they had first been buried into the cathedral church, at length began to proclaim that they had also been found in the tomb and had then been drawn out of it for the first time. Our explanation is mere conjecture; but, unless I am wholly mistaken, it is so apt and fitting to the nature of the event and of what has been handed down that I strongly suspect I have touched the truth.

[35] and thus it is partly false, partly true. The narrative of the translation of which we are treating remains false, then, where it asserts that from the blessed death of the saints the bodies of the martyrs rested in that place and tomb up to the year 1303. It seems to err where it asserts that at that time the tomb was found with the names of the martyrs, and that the bodies themselves were brought from that place to Viterbo: it seems to err, I say; for, if the thing was done as I have set out, it does not really err in this part. The very narrative of this translation we shall give below after the Acts of the martyrs. And let this be said of the first and second translation.

[36] The third translation, under a new altar. We must come to the third, which was done by Cardinal Giovanni Francesco Gambara, bishop of Viterbo and Toscanella, in the year 1567. The cathedral church having been restored with the greatest magnificence, and the amplitude of divine worship having been very greatly increased, he erected a chapel on the epistle side and in it, under the altar, placed a marble chest in which were the bones of Saints Valentine and Hilary, and besides (as afterwards appeared) the bones of St. Geminus. At the Cardinal's request this altar was increased with privileges by Gregory XIII, namely by granting that any priest of that church, by celebrating mass on it, should free a soul from purgatory, and by Gregory XV, by extending the preceding indult to all priests Andreucci, work cited, n. 165, p. 102.. The aforesaid Cardinal also obtained from Gregory XIII in the year 1580 that this altar should be numbered among the altars of the seven stations, as they call them; which Clement VIII, when he had celebrated the sacred rites in the same church, is said to have confirmed [Massini in the book on the martyrdom of the holy martyrs Valentine, Hilary and Tranquillinus. Viterbo 1612.]. Of this translation made by Cardinal Gambara Andreucci found no other document than a manuscript of the celebrated Canon Magri, in which only this is read: In the year 1567 Giovanni Francesco Gambara, having restored the cathedral church to a more magnificent form, erected an altar in honour of Saints Valentine and Hilary, under which he honourably placed their bodies in a marble chest.

[37] From what place it was made is unknown. It is worthy of note that it is not said from where Cardinal Gambara translated the marble chest to under the altar. This omission also troubled Andreucci; who observes that Massini too and Nardini narrate this translation so much in passing that they do not indicate in their work the place from which, the day on which, or with what magnificence of honour the sacred relics were carried: although Nardini Bussi, work cited, Appendix, p. 446. acknowledges that the documents of these things are preserved in the archives of the cathedral church. It would have been worth the trouble to search out carefully in what place after the second translation (from the Farfa monastery into the cathedral church of St. Lawrence at Viterbo) and under what altar the sacred bodies were placed. I do not know whether Andreucci had free access to the archives of the cathedral. To me indeed, when I went to Viterbo in the year 1880 for the study of these martyrs, although I was received with the greatest kindness by the bishop and the priests of his church, no documents were communicated; yet they seemed to be such as would gladly have given them if they had had any, inasmuch as they handed over to me, through Canon Anselmi, notable particles from the sacred skulls of both martyrs Valentine and Hilary, to be carried into Belgium, for the spreading of the cult of the holy martyrs.

[38] The fourth translation The fourth translation of the relics of the holy martyrs took place after a diligent recognition in the year 1724. An accurate and luminous account of this most splendid solemnity, and of the most diligent recognition that preceded it, has been given by Andreucci; who, if he was not an eye-witness, yet certainly, being a contemporary author and a citizen of Viterbo, writing from the source in nearby Rome, deserves all credit. We shall therefore faithfully follow him as guide in this business Work cited, chapter VII, §§3 and 4..

[39] in the year 1724, The city of Viterbo had seen to the construction in the cathedral church of St. Lawrence of a new and more ample chapel, situated in a more convenient place, in honour of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, when in the year 1723, the building being finished, the Most Reverend Lord Adriano Sermattei, bishop of Viterbo, resolved to make a recognition of the place and chest of the martyrs existing in the earlier chapel. This he did on the 15th day of February of that year 1723; and he found in the marble chest not only the bodies of Saints Valentine and Hilary, but also, placed with them, the body of St. Geminus; and he determined to carry out the solemn translation to the new chapel in the following year, namely 1724. The Most Reverend bishop, recognizing the marble urn containing the sacred treasures, saw incised in large letters on the front of the lid of the urn the following inscription: HILARY AND VALENTINE. On the rim of the marble casket was inscribed: HERE RESTS THE BODY OF THE MOST BLESSED GEMINUS, CONFESSOR. When the lid was lifted he saw a casket full of bones well arranged, and over the bones a lead plate on which was written: HERE ARE THE BODIES OF THE SAINTS VALENTINE, PRESBYTER, AND HILARY, DEACON, MARTYRS. The wooden casket which had been inserted into the marble urn with the bodies of Saints Valentine and Hilary lay almost wholly dissolved into dust; and with the bones lay the iron fittings of the consumed casket. Physicians and surgeons, called in, diligently counted and measured the bones found. There were found the bones of three bodies and one head; namely the bodies of Saints Valentine and Hilary without heads (for these, separated, had been kept from a long time past enclosed in silver reliquaries) and besides the body with the head of St. Geminus, whose relics, as of a holy confessor, the Viterbians had once translated from the city of Ferentino to Viterbo and shut up in one urn with the holy martyrs. This joining had brought it about that the body of St. Geminus had been consigned to oblivion, the people always honouring only two martyrs in that urn. Those skilled in the anatomical art, having observed the size of the bones, declared that Saints Valentine, Hilary and Geminus were men of great stature, far exceeding the common height.

[40] after a diligent recognition made in the year 1723, The instruments of the recognition were drawn up in due manner, both by the bishop and by the physicians and surgeons (which are to be read below after the Acts). The authentic recognition of the relics was made on the 17th day of February by skilled physicians and surgeons in the presence of the Most Illustrious Lord Adriano Sermattei, bishop of Viterbo, and of the Most Reverend Lords Odoardo Lomellini, archdeacon, Giuseppe Tozzi and Francesco Bonelli, canons of the cathedral church, noble citizens of Viterbo, together with the most illustrious lords Faustino Menicozzi and Domenico Sannelli, conservators, and Domenico Meoni, noble citizen of Viterbo and secretary of the city, and others. The experts in the art were the lords Vincenzo Teloni and Domenico Antisari, noble Viterbians, doctors of medicine, together with the lords Giuseppe Mariani, doctor of medicine, and lord Giovanni Battista Popoli of the great hospital

surgeon. These experts in medicine and surgery, then, declared under the faith of an oath that there were three skeletons, the bones of three bodies, the heads of two bodies, that is, being excepted.

[41] it was carried out with great pomp All these things having been duly accomplished, in the following year, on the 1st day of October, the Most Reverend Lord Bishop proclaimed a diocesan synod for the 9th day of the coming month of November, and at the same time announced the solemn translation of Saints Valentine, Hilary and Geminus to be made at that time; and he ordered all the secular and regular clergy and all the confraternities of the whole city to be present in the cathedral church on the 11th day of November, to take part in the solemn procession, and at the same time he commanded that triumphal arches be erected, and that the squares, the fronts of the churches and the houses of the citizens be adorned with most beautiful tapestries, through the whole circuit of the appointed procession. At length the second day of November came, and the whole city of Viterbo exulted with singular gladness when, after the mournful sound of the bells recalling the faithful departed to the memory of the living, they were at once roused from funeral grief to the highest dance of joy by a festive sounding. For the feast day of the holy martyrs was at hand. On the 8th day of November the bishop came into the cathedral church and placed the relics of Saints Valentine, Hilary and Geminus, drawn out as we have said from the earlier urn, in a wooden casket covered with gold and furnished with great crystal, and thus exposed them on a table before the principal altar, to be venerated by all the people and all the clergy. And there for three days, in the presence of the sacred remains, he celebrated the diocesan synod, namely on the 9th, 10th and 11th day of November.

[42] composed of all orders of clergy and people, On the last day, the acts of the synod being finished, such a solemnity was begun as Viterbo had not yet beheld. About the 21st hour of the day (9 in the evening) there were present in the cathedral church all the confraternities, the regular orders, the colleges of canons of the city and diocese, with the rest of the clergy of the city and diocese; who, the signal having been given by the masters of ceremonies, began a most splendid procession in this order. The column was led by the confraternities of laymen with their banners and insignia; there followed the regular orders; behind whom came the numerous clergy of the city and diocese of Viterbo, all the parish priests, the canons of the collegiate churches, the whole chapter of the cathedral church, all clad in sacred vestments, in chasubles of red colour. The venerable chapter of the cathedral was accompanied on either side by two ranks of nobles of Viterbo, bearing lighted candles in their hands. At last came the chest of the glorious saints, lifted on the shoulders of the Most Illustrious Lord Adriano Sermattei, bishop of Viterbo, Lord Odoardo Lomellini, archdeacon, and two canons. The column was closed by the most illustrious and most excellent conservators of the city, with a very great number of nobles and people. When the chest of the sacred bodies had reached the bridge of the Seminary, four canons of the cathedral took it up on their shoulders. The remaining canons took their turns in order in carrying it, until, brought back to the aforesaid bridge, it was again taken up on the shoulders of the Bishop and the three lords mentioned above, who brought it into the cathedral church, and placed it on a table before the principal altar. Then before the sacred relics the Bishop began the sacred vigils, which all the canons of the venerable chapter of the cathedral church celebrated through the whole night, succeeding one another in turn. The following day dawned, the first of the festive triduum in honour of Saints Valentine, Hilary and Geminus. The solemnities of the Masses were carried out with men most skilled in the art of music singing; most celebrated orators proclaimed the praises of the saints from the pulpit, with such a concourse of people that the breadth of the most vast church could scarcely hold the tightly packed assembly. For the whole three days the entire city exulted with unspeakable gladness. The air danced with the festive sound of bells, from various quarters trumpets blared, the engines of war thundered, the choirs of musicians resounded, all things rang with hymns, canticles and psalms, while far into the night festive lights and fireworks shone. On the last day of the triduum the sacred relics were again carried round in solemn procession through the square before the cathedral church, placed on the shoulders of the Most Illustrious Bishop, the archdeacon and two canons, with the venerable chapter going before with lighted candles and an innumerable multitude of citizens and foreigners following. When the festive procession had returned to the church, the bishop intoned the sacred hymn of thanksgiving Te Deum, which the choirs of musicians carried on; and at length, the prayer of thanksgiving having been sung, an end was put to the most august solemnity.

[43] and the sacred bodies were placed under the new altar. On the following day, the 15th of the month of November, the Illustrious Bishop came into the cathedral church, and there, in the presence of the most reverend chapter and of many noble citizens of Viterbo, and of the chancellor and notary, he reverently drew out the three sacred bodies from the chest and placed them in a marble urn; which, carefully closed, he sealed with his own seals. Then after the customary incensing the workmen placed the chest under the new altar, and fastened it to it with interlocking joints. So great was the display of piety and love of the Viterbians towards their beloved patrons (and may it endure in the hearts of those citizens for ever) that with Andreucci, whose narrative we have faithfully followed, they may perpetually make use of those words of St. Basil: It is no wonder if the affection of our mind is directed especially to Valentine and Hilary, since they serve as a true and domestic ornament for us.

[44] Very few relics of Saints Valentine and Hilary outside Viterbo. Of the relics of the holy martyrs, besides what has been said, little remains to be said. For they are almost entire in the cathedral church of Viterbo. There are preserved with great honour the sacred heads of Valentine and Hilary, there the bodies rest entire; whence it is no wonder that very few particles are found outside Viterbo. There are some, according to Andreucci, in the place called Munianum, of which we have treated above, where the martyrs are believed to have been thrown headlong into the Tiber. These particles must have been taken from the heads, because the physicians in the recognition of the year 1723 found the bones of the bodies entire. Of the sacred skulls two notable particles are at Brussels in Belgium in the sacred treasury of the church of St. Michael of the Society of Jesus, which is the church of the college of St. Michael, to which the Bollandian museum is annexed. These aforesaid particles, one from the skull of St. Valentine, the other from the skull of St. Hilary, I carried from Viterbo to Brussels in the year 1880. Beyond these nothing has become known to me.

[45] The cult of the holy martyrs. The cult of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary has been celebrated from the most remote time. Although there is no room for doubt that immediately after their glorious triumph they began to be called on in prayers and honoured by the public cult of the faithful, yet written documents of such antiquity do not survive. In the most ancient martyrologies they are not listed. The martyrologies which make mention of Saints Valentine and Hilary have been cited above by us, the elogia being faithfully transcribed. Therefore it does not seem necessary to us to repeat them in this place. To them we add the following, prefixed to the Farfa copy of the Acts: On the third of the nones of November, The feast of the holy martyrs Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon. The Cassino codices 127 and 128 have both martyrs assigned in their calendars not to the third of the nones, but to the fourth of the nones. In the first centuries their cult perhaps did not go beyond the Viterbo district. At the beginning of the ninth century, it passed with the sacred bodies to Farfa; where, after the bodies had been translated from there to Viterbo, it at length ceased altogether. In the year 1740, on the 27th day of January, the Most Reverend Lord Augustine Randini, abbot of Farfa, wrote to Andreucci Work cited, n. 147, p. 92. that in that church there remains no memory of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, and that neither office nor commemoration of them is held by the monks. Nor does Bucelinus in the Benedictine Martyrology record any sacred relics of theirs preserved at Farfa.

[46] Churches erected in their honour. Nor did Andreucci in his time know of even one church entire erected to Saints Valentine and Hilary. Formerly, however, there were several. And in the first place comes the church erected in their honour at the place of martyrdom near the bridge of which we have treated above, which still keeps the name of St. Valentine. Of that church traces still existed in the year 1740 Andreucci, work cited, n. 185, p. 115.. In that place a small chapel was built in the year 1696, with the following inscription:

1696. THE HOLY MARTYRS VALENTINE AND HILARY.

Stop, traveller, whoever you may be; revere the figures

Of the saints whose names you see written.

The bodies, which, after they suffered under a dread tyrant,

Lay hidden here a long time, the cathedral now holds.

Another church in honour of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary was erected near Munianum on the bank of the Tiber (of which we have treated in number 24); whose rubble was still to be seen in the year 1740. In the castle of Palenzano there was a church of Saints Valentine and Hilary in the ninth century, as is clear from a certain Constitution of Pope Leo IV, inserted in a letter of Pope Innocent III In Baluze, volume II, letter 142., which we cited in number 4 above. Andreucci says See the place in Andreucci, work cited, n. 89, p. 55. that it is read in the greater chronicle of Cassino that William of Viterbo, a bishop, dedicated at Bithuntum in Apulia a cathedral church in honour of St. Valentine, perhaps our own. According to Pennazzi in the Life of St. Eutychius, there were churches of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary at Surrena and Carbonianum *; whose rubble Andreucci testifies still survived in his time Work cited, n. 185, p. 116.. To these add two chapels and two altars in the cathedral church of Viterbo, of which we have treated above, numbers 36 and 39.

[47] The Office and Mass of Saints Valentine and Hilary approved. The Sacred Congregation of Rites approved the Office and Mass of our holy martyrs to be celebrated twice a year, under the rite of greater double on the 27th day of January, the anniversary of the translation of the sacred bodies into the cathedral church, and on the 3rd day of November under the rite of lesser double, namely on the feast of their martyrdom. See the Office below, after the Acts. — So great at Viterbo was the devotion bearing the faithful people to honour the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary that the altar of the chapel of these martyrs did not suffice for the celebration of masses through the whole course of the year, so that Bishop Alessandro Abbati was forced to ask for an indult of the same privilege with which, as we said above, the altar of the saints had been adorned, for another altar of the same church, that the piety of the faithful might be satisfied Andreucci, work cited, n. 188, p. 118.. And what was asked was obtained. Moreover the Sacred Congregation of Rites decreed that, if at any time the Commemoration of the faithful departed should fall on the 3rd day of November, then the office and mass of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary should be transferred to the first unimpeded day, that the holy patrons might be celebrated every year with their cult entire; which strengthened in no small degree the veneration of the clergy and people of Viterbo towards the holy martyrs Ibid..

[48] The Viterbians celebrate two feasts of Saints Valentine and Hilary. Viterbo keeps two feasts each year of Saints Valentine and Hilary: one, as we have said, on the 3rd day of November, which is the day consecrated to their martyrdom; the other on the 27th day of January, the anniversary of the translation. This feast had for many centuries been kept almost as of precept with a great concourse of people. Hence it is that in the synod of the Illustrious Lord Montili, bishop of Viterbo, celebrated in the year 1584, under the title On

feast days one reads that the feast of these saints is celebrated by custom in the month of January; and in the synod held by the Most Eminent Lord Cardinal Muti in the year 1614, under the title On the observance of feasts, one reads: At Viterbo, by devotion and custom, of Saints Valentine and Hilary on the 27th of January. With such grace and such splendour was that feast day kept, that on that day the so-called pontifical Chapel was held, as is clear from the synod of the Most Illustrious Montili cited above. And in fact, says Andreucci Work cited, n. 189, p. 119., down to our own times the last two bishops of Viterbo, the Most Eminent Cardinal Santacroce and the Most Eminent Cardinal Conti, afterwards Innocent XIII, celebrated the pontifical Chapel on that day every year, even at First Vespers. This devotion of the Viterbians continually grew, so that, by the testimony of Andreucci Ibid., in the year 1739 the piety of the people was so great that morning and evening a huge multitude flowed together to venerate the bones of the holy patrons and a very great crowd of men approached holy communion. What is to be noted for a special reason, it was at that time carnival day and the sky was perfectly clear: and nevertheless the sacred solemnity of the day so suppressed the profane festivity of the day that no masked person whatever went through the squares. Hence it is to be wondered at that the 3rd day of November, distinguished by the glorious triumph of the martyrs, should be made so much less of by the Viterbians. God grant that the citizens of Viterbo may now also and in time to come hold both days in great honour! For the holy patrons of cities are not neglected with impunity. It has often been observed that together with a lessening of the splendour of feasts and of piety towards the heavenly patrons there are also diminished heavenly benefits and the protection of the saints, and that faith and religion among the people, and indeed temporal happiness, the good state of the citizens, are disturbed, ebb and at length perish.

[49] Not many miracles handed down by written monuments. About to treat of the miracles of the holy martyrs, I greatly regret that the Viterbians did not comply with the advice given them by a most pious devotee of the martyrs Valentine and Hilary, whose testimony we have often used. For Andreucci suggested to his Viterbians that a list be drawn up of the graces obtained through the intercession of the holy martyrs. For so much the greater, he said, will the extrinsic glory of the saints be, and so much the fuller will the treatment of their Acts be which is to be made by the Bollandian hagiographers Ibid., chapter 9, n. 198.. I have treated the Acts; and when I came to the miracles, I have no author besides Andreucci, and the Viterbians have communicated nothing to me. Following Andreucci as witness, then, we share with the reader what we have received from him. The votive tablets hung around their altar, he says, and at the iron railings surrounding the stone on which report has it that the heads were cut off the martyrs, testify to graces obtained through the intercession of Saints Valentine and Hilary. And I, he says, can testify that certain things happened in my time, from which it appears that by their favour it came about that we who deserved wrath were kept for pardon Work cited, chapter 9, numbers 195, 196, 197.. In the year 1695, on the eleventh day of June, when an earthquake was shaking the cities and castles neighbouring Viterbo, the Viterbians at once had recourse to the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary; carrying round their sacred heads in solemn supplication, they prayed that they would free the citizens from the imminent scourge. And behold, he says, we heard the threats of the earthquake, we experienced no effect. Mindful of so great a benefit, the city decreed that for some following years on the 11th day of June the sacred heads of the martyrs should be carried through the city in triumphal procession, to give thanks to the holy protectors.

[50] [The Viterbians, freed from the scourge of earthquake, vow a fast and a supplication every year for seven years,] Having received a similar benefit on the 2nd day of February of the year 1703, the Viterbians, having held a general council, made a vow to fast on the vigil of the feast of the Translation (which falls on the 27th day of January), to celebrate this feast, and to make a supplication on the 11th day of June, carrying round the sacred heads; all of which were to be observed for the seven following years. The vow was approved and confirmed by the Most Eminent Cardinal Santacroce, bishop of Viterbo. The Viterbians did what they had vowed for seven years. When these were completed, the city bound itself by a like vow for another seven years.

[51] and at length in perpetuity. When that seven years was completed, they stopped. The not very dutiful omission displeased the saints and the God of the saints. In the year 1717, the vow having lapsed and the supplication having been abolished, behold, the heavenly wrath. On the 28th day of August of that year, early in the morning, the whole city of Viterbo in its full extent was shaken by a horrendous earthquake: and that it might be clear that the thing was done not by chance but by divine counsel, the city of Viterbo alone was shaken, outside of which the earth remained quiet. The Viterbians understood; and the supplication having been renewed on the following Sunday, it was decreed that every year in perpetuity those solemn thanks should be given to the holy martyrs.

[52] By the intercession of the saints, a bishop is freed from disease. Moreover in the year 1699, when the Most Eminent Lord Urbano Sacchetti, bishop of Viterbo, was suffering from a disease with danger of death, the whole people hastened to the glorious martyrs, that of their kindness they would preserve the life and health of their excellent prelate and restore him unharmed. The canons exposed the sacred heads to public veneration; the whole people prayed, and behold the desired grace followed immediately on the prayers, the most worthy bishop being restored to perfect health. These things, says Andreucci, I remember, and without doubt I should know many more if I had not been absent from Viterbo for many years.

[53] How it came about that these martyrs are invoked against earthquakes. If anyone asks how it came about that the protection of Saints Valentine and Hilary was invoked against earthquakes, let him examine the Acts, and he will see that on the occasion of their martyrdom the temple of Hercules fell and was overthrown by an earthquake. Hence it came about that the holy martyrs were believed by their will, most powerful with God, to shake and to calm the earth irrigated with their blood. This pious belief, as we have seen, events have more than once confirmed in both directions. The Viterbians invoked the holy martyrs with the following prayer; whether the Sacred Congregation of Rites has approved it, Andreucci did not know Ibid., chapter 8, n. 192..

℣. Pray for us, holy martyrs, Valentine and Hilary.

℞. That we may be freed from imminent dangers and made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY.

Lord God, founder of heaven and earth, at whose command all created things are moved and stand still, mercifully grant that, as at the death of your most beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ the whole earth trembled, so, because he now reigns alive in heaven, all shaking of the earth may cease; and by the intercession of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, at whose death the temple of the idols utterly collapsed in a sudden earthquake, may we be freed from imminent dangers. Through the same Christ, etc.

[54] that Saints Valentine and Hilary were the first apostles of Viterbo, One question concerning the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary remains to be posed. Are Saints Valentine and Hilary the first apostles of the city of Viterbo? Andreucci affirmed so in the very title of his book, where he designates Saints Valentine and Hilary as “Viterbian martyrs and first Apostles of that city;” and on the first page he declares that both holy martyrs are acknowledged by the whole people of Viterbo not only as protectors, but also as their apostles, who first by preaching and blood established the faith and the profession of Christ in their city. I have often and greatly wondered with myself that a man of such keen intellect should assert without a suitable authority what ought not to have been believed unless resting on a most solid foundation. For neither the brief Passion nor the longer Acts either say or hint anything on that matter; which, even if they stated it in clear words, I do not know whether it ought to find credit. For who is there who could believe that places of a very well known and very distinguished region, near Rome, near and almost contiguous to other places where the faith was preached long before the time of Valentine and Hilary, lacked a herald of Christ for so long!

[55] is proved by no documents: The most ancient documents, namely that brief Passion and the Farfa and Cassino Acts, are so far from calling Valentine and Hilary the first apostles of that district that they do not record their preaching by a word. They clearly state that there were many Christians through that district at that time, but that these faithful received Christ at the preaching of Valentine and Hilary, they indicate neither by word nor by sign. — If the Acts of St. Landus, patron of the city of Orte on the bank of the Tiber, were as sincere as they are apocryphal, and if Saints Valentine and Hilary had lived under the emperor Domitian, as these Acts say, then indeed I would believe that they could be reckoned among the first apostles of that region. These are the apocryphal words: Landus, brother of the holy martyrs Valentine, Rutilius, Florentinus, Hilary and Felicissima, as a youth practised the Christian religion under the emperor Domitian. But these things are most false. — Even if the statement intruded into the Acts of St. Eutychius, who was crowned with martyrdom under Claudius II, which Henschen rejected with the fullest right, were true, not even then ought Valentine and Hilary to be called the first apostles of the Viterbians. For it is written thus there: The passion of the saints who were crowned together: Eutitius, presbyter, Valentine, presbyter, Hilary, deacon, Gratilian and St. Felicissima and others whom it would be long to tell Acta Sanctorum, volume III of May, p. 461, number 8.. Wherever then I turn, I find nothing in the ancient documents from which Saints Valentine and Hilary could be proved the first apostles of the Viterbians.

[56] the documents report that they announced the faith. This report, then, or tradition or opinion, is of no moment; whose origin I explain with probable reason thus. In the brief Passion and in the Acts Saints Valentine and Hilary are called, the latter a deacon, the former a presbyter: preaching suits the office of both. When more recent writers read this, they wrote that the martyrs did what they knew to be consonant with the nature of the priesthood and of the diaconate, namely that they preached the faith of Christ to the peoples. So Massini: Finding this people almost wholly given to the sacrilegious cult of idols, they tried to bring them over to the true religion of Christ. Following him, as it seems, Ferrari: At Viterbo, he says, under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian they were spreading the faith of Christ the Lord. The sacred lessons which the Sacred Congregation of Rites approved for the canonical office: Kindled, they say, with the desire of everywhere propagating the Christian religion, they set out from the East to Italy, and having enlightened various provinces with the preaching of the divine word, at length arrived at Viterbo under the emperor Maximian Augustus and were received in hospitality by Eudoxia, a noble and religious matron. And when they had found almost the whole city given to the sacrilegious cult of idols, they tried to bring it over to the true faith of Christ. Nardini Bussi, work cited, Appendix, p. 444. says it was reported to Demetrius that two Christians, cursers and insulters of the gods, were daily drawing the people away and dragging many into their errors. Sarnelli in the Treasury of Parish Priests writes thus: St. Valentine, presbyter, having set out from the East to Tuscia together with Hilary, deacon, was spreading the faith of Christ at Viterbo under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian. The Anonymous who in 1699 published a little writing on the blessed martyrs renders the Latin words of Nardini nearly in Italian. These then do not say

that Valentine and Hilary were the first apostles of that district, but only noble heralds of Christ. Although they did not find this in the ancient documents, yet it so suits the nature of the matter that it could be written without rashness. And because they did not know the explicit names of other apostles, the beginning of Christianity through those places began thereafter to be ascribed to Valentine and Hilary as preachers. This ought not to have been done, since none of the ancients has handed it down, and it would not be likely, and perhaps is less consonant with the tradition and the Acts, in which rather a multitude of Christians is indicated at the time when Valentine and Hilary were living in those places; nor do they suggest by any word that these Christians among whom our martyrs were staying received the faith of Christ from them. Indeed the Acts rather hint at Eutychius the presbyter, as one known to have been set over the Christian rites; although he too is too recent to be believed the first apostle of those places.

[57] and thus they are truly apostles and protectors of the Viterbians. So then we judge, that Saints Valentine and Hilary can and ought to be venerated by the Viterbians as propagators, vindicators and martyrs of the Christian faith in those places, but that the first-fruits of the faith are not owed to their preaching. And now we set before the reader's eyes the Acts of the holy martyrs with the remaining documents relating to them. The credit of these Acts we have set out above. The credit of the other writers who have treated of these martyrs, whom we have mentioned above, must be reckoned as great as is their fidelity in following the Acts; the credit for all the things they have added from their own store must rest with the authors.

* so.

* so.

* Palestrina.

* Bitonto.

* Soriano.

* Carbognano.

BRIEF PASSION OF THE HOLY MARTYRS VALENTINE, PRESBYTER, AND HILARY, DEACON.

From a codex of the Vallicellian library at Rome marked Lives of the Saints, volume XVI, p. 73 [Compare the Preliminary Commentary above, number 8, on the first editor Andreucci, who inserted this brief Passion in his work Notizie istoriche, etc., number 82, p. 48.].

OF THE MARTYRS VALENTINE AND HILARY.

Valentine, presbyter, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Hilary, deacon, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

BHL Number: 8473

FROM MANUSCRIPTS.

Lesson I. — At the time when Maximian Augustus reigned, he sent an edict through all provinces and cities, that, wherever Christians should be found, they should be punished without a hearing. At that same time the ministers of Christ Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, were hidden in the house of a certain religious woman Eudoxia, who daily ministered nourishment to them; and there in vigils and hymns they continually gave glory to God. And it came about that the proconsul Demetrius, who was in the castle of the Biterbenses, by imperial order sought out Christians with curiosity, to destroy them by various punishments, in order by this to please Maximian Augustus. And so neighbours began to betray neighbours, kinsmen kinsmen, friends friends, parents sons or mothers their daughters.

Lesson II. — Meanwhile the blessed martyrs Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, were held by the proconsul Demetrius, and were led into the castle of the Biterbenses. The proconsul said to them: From what fatherland are you? The martyrs answered and said: First indeed, we confess that we are Christians and disciples of Christ; but we have come from the parts of the East. The proconsul said to them: Sacrifice to the almighty gods, and be friends of Caesar. The holy martyrs answered him with one voice and said: We offer ourselves to our God as a sacrifice for an odour of sweetness. For all the gods of the nations are demons; but God, Christ, made the heavens.

Lesson III. — Angered at this, the proconsul Demetrius ordered the ministers to lead them outside the castle not far, to the place called “Via Strata,” and there to cut off their heads. He ordered their bodies to be guarded for three days, lest they be taken away by the Christians. There was a certain religious woman in the same city, named Eudoxia. She, coming by night, carried off the bodies of the holy martyrs, and in the same place where they had been beheaded gave them over to most worthy burial. The proconsul Demetrius, hearing that Eudoxia had carried off the bodies of the saints, ordered her to be held and to be beaten with cudgels until she breathed out her spirit. The martyrs of Christ Valentine and Hilary suffered on the fourth ^a of the nones of November, and were buried in the place called “Cavillarius.”

ANNOTATION.

PASSION OF THE HOLY MARTYRS VALENTINE, PRESBYTER, AND HILARY, DEACON

Valentine, presbyter, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Hilary, deacon, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

BHL Number: 8470

FROM MANUSCRIPTS.

From the Farfa parchment codex, large folio, of the tenth century, which was transferred from the library of the Farfa monastery to Rome to the library called Victor Emmanuel.

In the time of Maximian Augustus In those times when Maximian Augustus reigned after the death of his father Diocletian Augustus, at that very time he slew his sister ^a Arthemia, daughter of Diocletian, on account of the religion of the Christians, and sent an edict through provinces and cities and castles, that, wherever Christians should be found, they should be punished without a hearing. Here in the neighbourhood of the cities ^b many Christians were hidden, and although for us it is good to hide Christ … ^c in the inner man, the ministers of Christ Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, were hidden under the house of a certain religious woman, the most Christian Eudoxia, who daily ministered nourishment to them; whence it came about that in vigils and hymns they continually gave glory to God. And it came about that the proconsul Demetrius, who was in the castle of the Viterbians, when the order had been enjoined on him by Maximian Augustus, began to seek out Christians with curiosity, to please Maximian Augustus. Neighbours began to betray neighbours, kinsmen those nearest them, friends friends, parents sons or mothers their daughters.

[2] [Saints Valentine and Hilary are held by the proconsul Demetrius, and refuse to sacrifice to the gods,] Meanwhile the blessed martyrs Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, were held by the proconsul Demetrius; and they were led by certain persons into the castle of the Viterbians before the proconsul. The proconsul said to them: From what fatherland are you? The holy martyrs answered and said: First indeed, we confess that we are Christians and disciples of Christ. The proconsul answered and said: Of what family are you? The holy martyrs answered and said: As to family, we have come from the parts of the East and we were born of illustrious family. Then the proconsul said to them: Sacrifice to the almighty gods, and be friends of Caesar. Blessed Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, answered him: Therefore we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness; for all the gods of the nations are demons, but God, Christ, made the heavens. And behold, we are here, and our bodies are ready for punishments: as the apostle says: “Every man will be proved in confession.” We confess Christ with our lips, and we do not cease to call on him with the heart; and he will render to us his promise, as he promised to those who love him.

[3] nor to Hercules himself; whose temple is overthrown through their prayers. Then the proconsul said to them: Sacrifice to the great god Hercules, whom the princes adore. The saints said to him: Why do you compel us to sacrifice to idols and demons? The proconsul answered them: Choose for yourselves one of two things: either to sacrifice to the almighty gods, or on this day tortures will be expended on you. And the saints of God answered him: May it never be well with you, lost dog, son of iniquity. And the proconsul, angered, ordered them to be raised on the rack and to be tortured for a long time. And when they had been raised on the rack, they were tortured. And they looked up to heaven and prayed with tears, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, who founded heaven and earth and all their ornament, and made man in your image; who said: “I am God, and there is no other beside me,” hear us your unworthy servants in this hour, and send your holy angel to overthrow this temple of idols, for you are God blessed for ever and ever. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, and the temple of Hercules was overthrown, in which the king sacrificed once a year: for it was an exceedingly beautiful temple and worth more than forty centenaria of gold.

[4] [Demetrius orders them to be sent into the Tiber; whence they are freed by an angel.] And when it had been reported to the proconsul Demetrius, he tore his garments, saying: O how quickly the magic arts prevail, whereby he has reduced our god Hercul^es to dust. And he ordered sentence to be given against them that they should be led to the same castle ^d of Viterbo; and there, with millstones tied to their throat, he commanded them to be plunged thus in the waves of the Tiber: for the river itself also is distant from the mountain called Aureum twenty mi[les]. For at once the torturers carried out the order of the proconsul Demetrius, and led them to the river; and they tied to their necks a great millstone, which twenty men could scarcely carry. And with knees fixed on the bank of the river, they prayed, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God, have mercy on us sinners, [and] send your holy angel to receive our souls; and command us to be led to your holy sight: for you are blessed for ever and ever. And the prayer being completed, they tied a great millstone to their necks and threw them into the river. But an angel of the Lord came down and broke their bonds, and led them out of the river safe and unharmed.

[5] Some of the torturers are converted to Christ. And as the torturers were returning, suddenly by the will of God a most ferocious bear attacked them and killed of them more than eight men; and others fled mangled. And as they fled, they said: These servants of God were true worshippers of Christ. But let us also believe in him, in whom also the blessed martyrs themselves believed, Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon. And coming, they found the blessed presbyter Euthycius [e], searching for him where he was hidden, and they threw themselves at his feet, saying: Good father of the souls who believe in Christ, free u(s) through your holy teaching, and (de)monstrate to us the faith of the most bless(ed) martyrs Valentine and Hilary, whom we unjustly slew in the river by command of the most wicked proconsul Demetrius. And he appointed for them a three-day fast, and on the holy Lord's day baptized them with all their households.

[6] The martyrs go again to the proconsul Demetrius, And behold suddenly the holy martyrs themselves came, and said to the proconsul: Behold what great goods the Lord furnishes to his servants, to those who love him with their whole heart. And they said to him: You ordered us to be plunged in the depth of the water; but our God swiftly sent his angel, who released us from the waves of the waters. And behold, we have come again to preach to you, that you may repent and believe Christ the Son of God, who was fixed on the cross by the Jews. Then the proconsul, angered, ordered them to be beaten with cudgels. But they cried out:

We give you thanks, Lord Jesus Christ, good shepherd, who have deigned to [c]all us among your servants. Then he ordered (them) to be raised from the ground and the (pro)consul said to them: Sacrifice to the god Hercules. The holy martyrs said: Wretched man, to whom do you order us to sacrifice? to a deaf and dumb stone, which has eyes and does not see, has ears and does not hear, has feet and does not walk. Behold, may you be such as your god is.

[7] [beheaded by him, they are buried by Eudoxia; who herself also undergoes martyrdom.] Then the proconsul Demetrius, angered, gave sentence against them, saying: I cannot bear the insults to my gods. And he ordered the ministers to lead them outside the castle not far, to the place called “Via strata,” and there he ordered their heads to be cut off. But since it is long to unfold their martyrdoms, let us unfold in words how Demetrius himself ordered them finally to be killed. He commanded that with feet bound they be tightly fastened to a certain stone of the columns, and thus beheaded. He ordered their bodies to be guarded for three days, lest they be taken away by the Christians. There was a certain religious woman in the same city, named Eudoxia. She came by night, carried off the bodies of Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, and in the same place where they were beheaded, which place is called “Camillarius” ^f, gave them over to most worthy burial. The proconsul Demetrius, hearing this, that Eudoxia had carried off the bodies of the saints, ordered her to be held and to be beaten with cudgels until she breathed out her spirit. The holy martyrs suffered on the third ^g of the nones of November, and were buried in the place called “Camillarius.”

[8] [Demetrius himself, healed by the saints, is baptized by Eutychius and also undergoes martyrdom.] But after much time the proconsul Demetrius was stricken with a pain of the bowel. Burning and panting, he ran swiftly, and coming to where the bodies of the holy martyrs were resting, and throwing himself down on the pavement, he began to cry out and say: Help me, a sinner, servants of God most high, and do not torture me any more. Then the saints gave him the drowsiness of sleep and said to him in a vision: Have the presbyter Eutychius come to you, and he will restore you to health. Only listen to his admonitions, and be no longer unbelieving. He, waking, at once sent his soldiers to the mountain called Aureum; and coming, they found the blessed presbyter Eutychius praying. They said to him: The proconsul Demetrius asks you to come swiftly to him. He at once rose from the pavement [and] commending himself to the Lord went with them. And when he had entered where the proconsul lay half alive, he said: The true Light, which is Christ, himself heal you. But the man was tortured the more. Then St. Eutychius said to him: Hear me, proconsul, and believe in Christ your creator, and you will be saved. The proconsul said to him: I believe Christ, the Son of God. Then, blessing water, he baptized him, saying: Do you believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? And he answered, saying: I believe that almighty God is my saviour. At once he was made whole, so that he never felt the pain of the bowel again. Then he began to preach and say: Believe, all peoples, and adore the living and true God who is in heaven, who raises the dead, cleanses lepers, and cures all various infirmities; who has deigned also to free me from the pain of the bowel through the intercession of his saints. The emperor Maximian, hearing this, that the proconsul Demetrius had become a Christian, sent Dionysius and ordered that, wherever he could find him, he should be beheaded without a hearing. Thus he was made a martyr of Christ, in our Lord Jesus Christ, who furnishes such great benefits to his servants for ever and ever. Amen.

[9] [The bodies of Saints Valentine and Hilary translated from the place of first burial to Farfa in the time of Gregory IV.] The bodies of the aforesaid martyrs, namely Valentine and Hilary, from the same place in which they had rested until the times of Gregory IV, prelate of the apostolic see, were raised with due honour by Sichard, abbot of the venerable monastery of the holy Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, situated among the Sabines, and he placed them in an oratory which he himself built and joined to the hall of the same Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, together with the body of St. Alexander, son of St. Felicity, which body of St. Alexander he had at last brought from Rome with the permission of the aforesaid lord Pope Gregory, the dedication of which oratory is celebrated there on the 3rd before the kalends of January, to the praise and glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

ANNOTATIONS.

From the Cassino codex 149, parchment, folio, of the eleventh century (whose text has not been published in the Florilegium Casinense), collated with the Passion of the Cassino codex 139, of the eleventh century, printed in the Bibliotheca Casinensis, volume III, Florilegium, p. 158 [We ourselves collated both codices at Monte Cassino. We have marked codex 149 with number 1, and codex 139 with number 2.].

At the time when Maximian Augustus reigned, he sent an edict through all provinces and cities, that, wherever Christians should be found, they should be punished without a hearing. At that same time the ministers of Christ Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, were hidden in the house of a certain religious woman Eudoxia, who daily ministered nourishment to them; and there in vigils and hymns they continually gave glory to God. And it came about that the proconsul Demetrius, who was in the castle of the Biterbienses, by imperial order sought out with curiosity Christians, to destroy them by various punishments, in order by this to please Maximian Augustus. And so neighbours began to betray neighbours, kinsmen those nearest them , friends friends, parents sons or mothers their daughters *.

[2] Meanwhile the blessed martyrs Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, were held by the proconsul Demetrius, and were led into the castle of the Biterbienses. The proconsul said to them: From what fatherland are you? The holy martyrs answered and said: First indeed, we confess that we are Christians and disciples of Christ; but we have come here from the parts of the East. The proconsul said: Of what family are you? The holy martyrs answered and said: As to the birth of the flesh, we were born of illustrious family. The proconsul said to them: Sacrifice to the almighty gods, and be friends of Caesar. The holy martyrs answered him with one voice and said: We offer ourselves to our God as a sacrifice for an odour of sweetness. For all the gods of the nations are demons; but God, Christ , made the heavens. Behold, our bodies are ready for punishments; do what you will. For we confess Christ with our lips, and we do not cease to call on him with the heart; and he will render to us his promise, as he promised to those who love him.

[3] The proconsul said to them: Sacrifice to the great god Hercules, whom the princes adore. The saints said to him: Why do you compel us to sacrifice to idols and demons? The proconsul said: Choose for yourselves one of two things: either sacrifice to the almighty gods, or on this day various tortures will be expended on you. The saints answered him: May it never be well with you, son of iniquity, who urge us to sacrifice to idols made by hand. The proconsul, angered, ordered them to be raised on the rack and to be tortured. And when they had been raised on the rack and were being most sharply tortured, they looked up to heaven and prayed with tears, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, who founded heaven and earth and all * their ornament, and made man in your image; who said: “I am God, and there is no other beside me,” hear us your unworthy servants in this hour, and send your holy angel to overthrow this temple of idols, for you are God blessed for ever and ever. And when they had said Amen, suddenly there was a great earthquake, and the temple of Hercules was overthrown.

[4] And when this had been reported to the proconsul Demetrius, he tore his garments, saying: O how quickly the magic arts prevail. And by a sentence given he ordered the ministers to lead them outside the castle to the river and there, tying millstones to their necks, thus * to plunge them in the waves of the Tiber. At once the torturers carried out the order of the proconsul, and led them to the river; and they tied to their necks a great millstone, which twenty men could scarcely carry. But the saints with knees fixed on the bank of the river prayed, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God, have mercy on us sinners, and send your holy angel to receive our souls; and command us to be led to your holy sight, for you are our God blessed for ever and ever. And the prayer being completed, they threw them into the river. But an angel of the Lord came down and broke their bonds, and led them out of the river safe and unharmed.

[5] But as the torturers were returning, suddenly by the will of God a most ferocious bear attacked them and killed of them nearly eight men; others fled mangled. And as they fled, they said: The holy men

were true worshippers of God. But come, let us also believe in him, in whom also the blessed martyrs themselves believed. And coming, they found the blessed presbyter Euticius, searching for him where he was hidden, and they threw themselves at his feet, saying: Good father, liberator of the souls who believe in Christ *, free us through your holy teaching, and show us the faith of the most blessed martyrs Valentine and Hilary, whom we unjustly slew in the river by command of the most wicked proconsul Demetrius. And he appointed for them a three-day fast, and on the holy Lord's day baptized them with all their households.

[6] And behold suddenly the holy martyrs themselves came, and said to the proconsul: Behold what great goods the Lord furnishes to his servants, to those who love him with their whole heart. And again they said to him: You ordered us to be plunged in the depth of the water; but our God swiftly sent his angel, who released us from the waves of the waters. And behold, we have come again to meet you and to admonish you, that you may repent, and believe that Christ, the Son of God, is true God. Then the proconsul, angered, ordered them to be violently beaten with cudgels. But they cried out with a loud voice: We give you thanks, Lord Jesus Christ, good shepherd, who have deigned to number us among your servants. Then the proconsul ordered them to be raised from the ground, and said to them: Sacrifice to the god Hercules. The holy martyrs said: Wretched man, to whom do you order us to sacrifice? to a deaf and dumb stone, which has eyes and does not see, has ears and does not hear, has feet and does not walk. Behold, may you be such as your god is.

[7] Angered at this, the proconsul Demetrius gave sentence against them, saying: I cannot bear the insults to my gods. And he ordered the ministers to lead them outside the castle not far, to the place called “Via Strata,” and there to cut off their heads. He ordered their bodies to be guarded for three days, lest they be taken away by the Christians. There was a certain religious woman in the same city, named Eudoxia. She, coming by night, carried off the bodies of the holy martyrs, and in the same place where they had been beheaded gave them over to most worthy burial. The proconsul Demetrius, hearing that Eudoxia had carried off the bodies of the saints, ordered her to be held and to be beaten with cudgels until she breathed out her spirit. The martyrs of Christ Valentine and Hilary suffered on the fourth of the nones of November, and were buried in the place called “Cavillarius.”

[8] But after no long time the proconsul Demetrius was stricken with a pain of the bowel. Burning and panting, he ran swiftly, and coming to where the bodies of the holy martyrs were resting, and throwing himself down on the pavement, he began to cry out and say: Help me, a sinner, servants of God most high, and do not torture me any more. Then the saints of God gave him the drowsiness of sleep, and said to him in a vision: Have the presbyter Euticius come to you, and he will restore you to health. Only listen to his admonitions, and be no longer unbelieving. He, waking, at once sent his soldiers to the mountain called Aureus; and coming, they found the blessed presbyter Euticius praying. They said to him: The proconsul Demetrius asks you to come * swiftly to him. He at once rose from the pavement, and commending himself to the Lord went with them. And when he had entered where the proconsul lay half alive, he said: The true Light, which is Christ, himself heal you. But the man was tortured the more. Then St. Euticius said to him: Hear me, proconsul, and believe in Jesus Christ, your creator, and you will be saved. The proconsul said to him: I believe, father, I believe in Christ the Son of God. Then, blessing water, he baptized him, saying: Do you believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? And he answered, saying: I believe that almighty God is my saviour. And at once, as soon as he was baptized, he was so made whole that he never again felt the pain of the bowel. Then he began to preach and say: Believe, all peoples, and adore the living God who is in heaven, who raises the dead, cleanses lepers, and cures all infirmities; who has deigned also to free me from the pain of the bowel through the intercession of his saints. The emperor Maximian, hearing that the proconsul Demetrius had become a Christian, sent Dionysius the vicar and ordered that, wherever he could find him, he should behead him without a hearing. He, being found, was made a martyr in Jesus Christ our Lord, who furnishes such great benefits to his servants for ever and ever. Amen.

[9] The bodies of the aforesaid martyrs Valentine and Hilary rested in the same place in which they were buried until the times of Gregory IV, prelate of the apostolic see. Whence, raising them with due honour, Sichard, abbot of the venerable monastery of the holy Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary situated * among the Sabines, placed them in an oratory which he himself built and joined to the hall of the same Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with the body of St. Alexander, son of St. Felicity. Which body of St. Alexander he had brought from Rome with the permission of the aforesaid lord Pope Gregory. To the praise and glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom is honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Annotations

* curiosæ 2.

* propinquos 2.

* (sive m. f. s.) is missing in 2.

* hac 2.

* omits 2.

* omne 2.

* omits 2.

* Christi 2.

* codex venies.

* so.

ACTS OF THE HOLY MARTYRS VALENTINE AND HILARY COLLECTED BY GIOVANNI LORENZO MASSINI, ARCHPRIEST OF THE CHURCH OF VITERBO

from the pamphlet published by him at Viterbo by Discipulus, in the year 1612, with the permission of Superiors [The title is: “The Martyrdom of Saints Valentine, Hilary and Tranquillinus, whose bodies rest in the cathedral church of Viterbo. Collected by Giovanni Lorenzo Massini, archpriest of the same church.” We publish this writing from the Bollandian Collectanea of the Royal Library of Brussels, n. 8067–74, where it is contained in printed form. In the same codex of the Collectanea is found an apograph of the same booklet in whose margin is read this note, written by Papebroch's hand: With a view to the proper office. — Brought to us at Rome by Cardinal Brancaccio, bishop of Viterbo.]. Compare above, n. 5.

Valentine, presbyter, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Hilary, deacon, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

BHL Number: 8472

FROM MANUSCRIPTS.

Valentine, a priest, and Hilary, a deacon, both Orientals by nation, born of most illustrious parents, practised the Christian religion. Inflamed with the desire of propagating it everywhere, they came together to Italy. Soon, some provinces having been traversed in the preaching of the divine word, they set out also for Tuscia. They at length arrived at Viterbo, while Maximian was emperor and Demetrius proconsul of that city and of the neighbouring places. Finding this people almost wholly given to the sacrilegious cult of idols, they tried to bring them over to the true religion of Christ.

When the matter became known, Demetrius ordered both to be summoned to him; and having received them insultingly and assailed their doctrine with no few mockeries, he commanded them, under the penalty of a most cruel death, to offer sacrifice to Hercules, their chief god. The unconquered champions of Christ, opposing this impiety, boldly asserted that sacrifice must be made to the true God alone, and in no way to a deaf and dumb idol.

Most gravely roused by these words, the proconsul commanded them to be plunged into the Tiber. Led there, they began to ask God in this way: Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us sinners, and send your angel from the heavens, to receive our souls; and make us come as victors to your holy kingdom. When these prayers had been completed, the executioners tied a huge stone around their necks, and the martyrs were thrown by them into the river.

But behold, an angel is sent from heaven by God, who, having loosed all the martyrs' bonds, carried them unharmed over to the other bank of the river.

Meanwhile the lictors and the other ministers of the court, supposing the martyrs to have departed this life, returned to Viterbo; and as they went their way glad they met a most ferocious bear, by which more than eight were slain and very many others badly mauled. As they fled and experienced God's fitting vengeance for what they had done, they began thus to speak tumultuously among themselves: Were not those whom we thought evildoers worshippers of the true God? Come, brothers, let us also embrace the same faith. Then, their fear somewhat calmed, recalling that a man Christian in religion and a priest, Eutitius by name, was living at Viterbo, they determined with one accord to go to him by whom they might be taught the rudiments of the holy faith. Finding him a little later they addressed him thus: Excellent father and minister of the true God, we all (as many as you see) have called you here, that we may be directed by you on the saving way by which the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, whom just now (unhappy and wretched men) we threw into the waters at the order of the impious Demetrius, have walked. Do not, we beseech you, despise those fleeing to the true God; bring help quickly, and initiate us in the mysteries of the Christian religion.

Eutitius, seeing the true repentance for the crime committed and also their ardour for receiving the holy faith, received them kindly; and having appointed a three-day fast, on the next following Sunday he poured over them with their whole households the water of baptism *.

Meanwhile Valentine and Hilary, rescued from the waters by divine aid, burning thereupon with greater love for Christ, from whom they had received such benefits, in the impulse of that same love went to the proconsul again, and showing his cruelty against them and the mercy of the most high God, they addressed him in this way: See now, Demetrius, in what manner our pious and merciful God acts towards his followers. We both, with a huge stone tied to our necks, were thrown into the river by your impious order; but the angel of our most kind God was present, who led us unharmed to the other bank of the river. Look now at last, and be no longer blind in so clear a light. Believe in him who for the salvation of the human race was put to death on the cross by the Jews, Christ Jesus.

When these things had been said, Demetrius, driven as if by certain furies, commanded them to be thrust again into prison and sharply beaten with cudgels. In which torments the holy martyrs, filled with great gladness, gave thanks to God that they merited to suffer such insults and tortures for his name.

When the proconsul saw them so eager, boiling over with very great anger, he ordered them to be raised on high with ropes; and looking at them with scowling eyes, he said to them with threats: Sacrifice to the god Hercules; sacrifice to him, or else!

To which the holy martyrs, not at all terrified, but strengthened with greater constancy than ever, replied thus: Wretched man, to whom do you order us to offer sacrifice? to a deaf and dumb stone? which has ears and does not hear, eyes and does not see, feet and does not walk? You deserve to become such as this God of yours is.

Wherefore Demetrius, seeing that he was wasting his effort, and fearing lest, if he should test the fortitude of the martyrs any longer, by

them Hercules and the other gods should be held in greater mockery, again pronounced capital sentence against the saints. Thereupon, led to the Camilarian bridge, near Viterbo on the Via Cassia, they were beheaded there together, on the third of the nones of November, in the year of the Lord 306 *. This place, having then borrowed its name from the holy martyrs, is called to these times “the Bridge of Saints Valentine and Hilary.”

Nor do I think it should be passed over in silence, that while * such crimes were being done there, the great temple of Hercules utterly collapsed, and many other prodigies took place, which most openly testified to the truth of the faith and the innocence of the saints' life.

And when the bodies of the martyrs had remained there unburied, Eudoxia, a religious woman, who had most kindly received them in her house when they first entered Viterbo, as secretly as she could (night coming on), with great piety and an abundance of tears committed the bodies of the saints to burial near the place of martyrdom. When this had been reported to Demetrius, he commanded her to be brought to him. And when he understood that she was attached to the Christian religion and an intimate of the saints too, he ordered her to be cruelly slain.

But no long time passed before the proconsul, seized by a most grievous pain of the sides, dreading the avenging indignation of the just God upon himself, led by repentance, with the prayers and merits of the holy martyrs assisting (as it must piously be believed), received complete health of body and soul. For, filled with the divine light, he received the faith of Christ and for it most willingly a little later bore martyrdom, to the great admiration of all the Viterbians and the joy and gladness of the heavenly Spirits. To which may the most beloved son of the eternal Father and of the blessed Virgin Mary, Christ Jesus, bring us by the intercessions of these and of all the saints.

* edition perfusit.

* Compare Commentary, number 13.

* codex illi.

From Filippo Ferrari, in the Catalogue of the saints of Italy.

On the 3rd day of November.

On Saints Valentine, Presbyter, and Hilary, Deacon, Martyrs at Viterbo.

Valentine, presbyter, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Hilary, deacon, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, having set out from the East to Tuscia, were spreading the faith of Christ the Lord at Viterbo under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian. The proconsul Demetrius, hearing this, summoned them and exhorted them to make an end of preaching and to sacrifice to Hercules. When they refused to do this, and said that there was no other God besides Jesus Christ, the Son of God, with a huge stone tied to their necks, bound together, they were thrown headlong into the river. But when they had been rescued, their bonds being loosed by an angel, the ministers, while they were returning to the city, were attacked by a bear, and were partly slain, partly mangled: the rest, escaping by flight, were converted to Christ, and after instruction in the faith and a three-day fast were baptized with their households by the blessed presbyter Eutytius, who was lying hidden because of the persecution. Meanwhile Valentine and Hilary, going of their own accord to the proconsul, and asserting that they had been rescued from submersion by divine power, exhorted him that, laying aside the error of empty gods, he should acknowledge Jesus Christ, true God almighty. But he, the more obstinate in his impiety, commanded them to be held and beaten with cudgels, threatening heavier punishments unless they paid divine honours to great Hercules. And when they said that they would never pay honour to a dumb and deaf stone, sentence being pronounced against them as despisers of the gods, he ordered them to be beheaded, on the 3rd of the Nones of November, at which time the temple of Hercules near the Camillarian bridge (which is now called the Bridge of Saints Valentine and Hilary), not far from that place where they had been plunged in the river, suddenly trembled with an earthquake and collapsed.

From an ancient manuscript of the Church of Viterbo. Their heads are kept at Viterbo in the Cathedral Church.

ANNOTATION.

Since Viterbo is a recent city, so named under Desiderius, the last king of the Lombards, someone will wonder how these Holy Martyrs are reported to have suffered there. But it is easily met: the name of Viterbo is recent, not the place; since this city grew together from Vetulonia, Longola and Turhena, ancient cities.

The Hagiologium Italicum contracts Ferrari's elogium in this sense.

Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, having set out from the East to Tuscia, when they were preaching the Christian religion, were seized by order of the proconsul Demetrius and ordered to sacrifice to Hercules. When they constantly refused to do this, with a stone tied to their necks, they were thrown headlong into the river. But when they had been loosed by an angel, the ministers partly underwent divine vengeance, partly were converted to Christ. Meanwhile the saints, set at liberty, went of their own accord to the proconsul; and showing themselves unharmed by divine aid, led by zeal they tried to bring him to Christ. Driven to rage by this constancy of the martyrs, Demetrius ordered them to be dreadfully beaten with cudgels, and soon, as they cursed the cult of idols, condemned them by capital sentence. The heads of these Holy Martyrs are kept at Viterbo. From Ferrari, who received his notices from an ancient manuscript of the Church of Viterbo.

Lessons of the Office of Saints Valentine and Hilary.

Lesson IV. — Valentine, a priest, and Hilary, a deacon, born of illustrious parents, but more illustrious in faith, kindled with the desire of everywhere propagating the Christian religion, set out from the East to Italy, and having enlightened various provinces with the preaching of the divine word, at length arrived at Viterbo, under the rule of Maximian Augustus, and were received in hospitality by Eudoxia, a noble and religious matron. And when they had found almost the whole city given to the sacrilegious cult of idols, they tried to bring it over to the true faith of Christ. When this matter became known, the proconsul Demetrius commanded both to be seized and summoned to him, and after many mockeries and insults ordered them to offer sacrifice to great Hercules, whom the Viterbians venerated with especial cult. But the unconquered champions of Christ, utterly detesting this impiety, constantly asserted that sacrifice must be made to the true God and not to an idol.

Lesson V. — The impious judge, taking the words of the saints ill and most gravely roused, ordered them to be plunged headlong into the Tiber. This sentence having been passed, the executioners, with a huge stone tied to the neck of the martyrs, threw them bound into the river. But an angel sent by God, their bonds being loosed, carried them unharmed over to the other bank of the river. Further, while the attendants returned to Viterbo mocking the martyrs, whom they now thought dead, they met a most ferocious bear, by whose claws and bites some of them were mangled and slain; but others, badly mauled and led to repentance for the crime committed, embraced the faith of Christ, and were instructed and baptized by Euthymius the presbyter, who was living at Viterbo. Meanwhile the glorious athletes, rescued from the waters by divine aid, going again to the proconsul and reproving his cruelty, exhorted him in a weighty address that, casting off the error of paganism, he should acknowledge the true God and profess the faith of Christ, by whose power they had been freed from submersion. But on hearing these things the proconsul, as if driven by certain furies, commanded them to be thrust again into prison and sharply beaten with cudgels.

Lesson VI. — In these torments, filled with great gladness, the martyrs gave thanks to God that they had been held worthy to suffer torments and insults for his name. For this reason the unjust judge, angered, ordered them to be raised on high with ropes, threatening heavier punishments unless they sacrificed to Hercules. At which they, not at all terrified, asserting that they would never offer sacrifice to a deaf and dumb stone, were condemned by capital sentence as despisers of the gods. Led therefore to the bridge which was then called Camilarian, near Viterbo, on the Via Cassia, with their heads cut off they received the palm of martyrdom on the third of the Nones of November, in the year of the Lord three hundred and six, at which time the magnificent shrine of Hercules, shaken by a sudden earthquake, utterly collapsed. When their bodies remained there unburied, Eudoxia carried them off by night and committed them to burial near the place of martyrdom. Thence in solemn procession on the sixth before the Kalends of February, in the year 1303, they were translated into the cathedral church of Viterbo; and there, honourably laid under the altar dedicated to their name, they are revered.

In the third Nocturn, a Homily on the Gospel Descendens Jesus de monte, etc.

Mass Sapientiam sanctorum. Secret Oblatis, from the mass of several martyrs. The Credo is said.

The aforesaid lessons of the holy martyrs Valentine and Hilary, diligently revised on the report of the Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Cardinal Franciotti, the Sacred Congregation of Rites, at the prayers of the Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Cardinal Brancaccio, bishop of Viterbo, approved, and granted that on the feast day of the same Saints, the 3rd of November, and also on the 27th day of January, on which the translation of the bodies of the same Saints is celebrated, they may be recited by the whole clergy of the city and diocese of Viterbo, with the rest to be taken from the common of several martyrs, and may be printed for the use of the same clergy. On the 19th day of August 1662.

I. Bishop of Sabina, Cardinal Sacchetti.

In place † of the Seal.

Francesco Maria Febei, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

On the Finding and Translation of Saints Valentine and Hilary.

From the pamphlet printed at Viterbo by Discipulus, in the year 1612 [See the full title of the pamphlet above, at the Passion of Saints Valentine and Hilary. Compare the Preliminary Commentary above, numbers 31, 36.]

Valentine, presbyter, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Hilary, deacon, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

BHL Number: 8474

FROM THE EDITION.

After the conversion of the proconsul Demetrius to Christ and the death most constantly undergone for that same faith, it came about that very many Viterbians began to admire the deeds of Saints Valentine and Hilary, to emulate their morals, and to embrace the Christian religion. Since each was persuaded that all these things proceeded from the merits and prayers of the martyrs, they resolved to lay their bodies in a more honourable place. Soon, an urn of stone having been procured with a lid with letters indicating the whole matter, they placed them again * there with great veneration. After some years, the sacrilegious cult of idols having been exterminated brought no little tranquillity to the Church, long harassed. At that time they saw to the furnishing of a church, and within it an altar and an urn, which should hold the holy relics more honourably. When, by God's favour, all this turned out according to wish, on account of the great concourse of the Viterbians and of the neighbouring peoples, very many houses being built near the tomb of the martyrs, in a short course of time a suburb arose. But on account of hostile incursions, nefarious slaughters and frequent robberies committed there, the suburban dwellers and ministers of the church were forced to move from the place and to abandon the divine worship there. When this had been brought to the ears of the supreme pontiff Innocent, second of that name, lest the church should be utterly desolated and its goods perish, he most willingly assigned them all to the cathedral church of Viterbo, on the 14th before the kalends of December 1139, in the 10th year of his pontificate, as is clear in the chirograph kept in the archive of the aforesaid church. But with worse times following thereafter, the church together with the suburb utterly fell. From which time the devotion to the Holy Martyrs began so to grow cool there that no one even on their feast days visited that place (for the sake of religion). But since the solemnity was held in other neighbouring churches, built under their names, the whole people flowed together there. And when this usage had prevailed for many spaces of time, the memory of the true tomb of the martyrs (since the human condition is unstable) was almost wholly cut off. Meanwhile there broke out a false rumour of some clerics, namely that the bodies of the Saints were kept in their churches, alleging as cause that their feast day, which is called the third of the nones of November, was observed among them with a greater concourse of the people than anywhere else. This rumour, fostered by the applause of the crowd, would either, lying, have grown

from day to day, had not God, who is the Truth itself and the sharpest champion of truth, by arousing knowledge of the true tomb of the martyrs, where their bodies had rested for nine hundred and ninety-seven years, dispersed it and shown that the relics of the Saints were kept at Viterbo.

And the manner of this demonstration was as follows. There were living at Viterbo at that season some faithful men, and also greatly religious priests of our church, named: the presbyter Francesco Pietro Thebaldi, chaplain; Leonardo de' Bricconi, and Giovanni surnamed Cristiano, who, having received from their elders knowledge of the bitter passion and burial of these martyrs, frequently held pious conversation among themselves about them. And hearing the false rumours of this sort raised on the matter, they so opposed * them and were so vexed that they were rendered from day to day more and more solicitous about finding the bodies of the holy martyrs. At length, breathed on by the divine will, they resolved with one accord to carry the whole thing through. So they went straightway to the few traces of the ruined church of the martyrs; and having explored the ground with mattocks in various places, they at length found a stone urn near a plant of roses then (at the time of winter) blooming as in spring. This, in no way damaged by the frequent blows of the mattocks, they dug out entire; and having taken off and examined the lid, they venerably adored the holy relics there.

When this matter was first reported to the bishop and the people, it aroused such gladness among all that all flowed together with the greatest piety to see the urn brought out of the darkness. And by the persuasion of the report of the same event, a huge concourse of laymen, religious and prelates themselves, coming even from neighbouring places, was seen in the city of Viterbo. And when they had all assembled in our cathedral church by order of the bishop, the due supplications being made (according to custom), with no common pomp on the 6th before the kalends of February about the year one thousand three hundred and three their relics were translated into the same church and there honourably placed.

From the same place likewise a certain marble stone, on which the glorious martyrs were slain, was translated; and, for religion's sake, it is fixed to the wall near the altar of the saints, protected by an iron grating, and is revered to our own times.

A few years ago, in 1567, at the time when Giovanni Francesco Gambara, most eminent cardinal, bishop of Viterbo and Toscanella, rendered this our church more magnificent by new buildings, in order to show in any way his piety towards the holy martyrs, he erected a new and sufficiently seemly altar, inscribed with their names, under which he placed the sacred relics in a marble chest. This altar the same most illustrious Cardinal further endowed with the title of a privilege obtained from Gregory XIII, Supreme Pontiff, for the suffrage of the dead: and he commanded it to be numbered among the altars of the seven stations, as they call them. In the visiting of which, that the faithful of both sexes might obtain that pardon of sins which is usually obtained in similar stations of any Roman church, he himself happily obtained by oral pronouncement from the same pontiff about the year 1580. Sure monuments of all which things are preserved in the Archive of our church.

This same privilege Clement VIII of happy memory, when he was celebrating the sacred rites according to custom in the same church, in the year of human salvation 1597, on the eighth before the ides of April, with pontifical charity, being asked by the whole chapter of the same church, likewise orally confirmed for long years.

It remains now that, as it has been granted us by God to obtain the patronage of such Saints and the privileges of spiritual gifts, so we may know how to use all these in this present life, that, absolved from the weights of sins, after its very brief course we may enjoy the eternal fellowship of all the saints.

AT THE TRANSLATION OF SAINTS VALENTINE, PRESBYTER, AND HILARY, DEACON, MARTYRS, WHICH IS CELEBRATED ON THE SIXTH BEFORE THE KALENDS OF FEBRUARY.

From the manuscript Collectanea of Giovanni Magri, canon of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria at Rome (we publish it according to the apograph contained in the Bollandian Collectanea of the Royal Library of Brussels, where under the title Lives of the Saints, n. 8067–74).

The glorious God rejoices in his saints for their glorification, while the pious devotion of the faithful venerates on earth those who, by the merit of life and the reproaches of a shameful passion, while set in corruptible flesh, following his footsteps, reign with him in the heavenly kingdoms. And thus he who disposes all things by admirable providence often reveals and shows to the faithful peoples some bodies of the saints (hidden, but not without cause, from mortals), that, while the affection of the devout mind is bent on faithfully venerating them, while great proclamations are directed with earnest endeavours and the worship of due honour is paid, they may be preserved * from harms by their patronage, may not be deprived of temporal aids and may merit to obtain the honeyed joys of eternal blessedness.

[2] Now there appeared the grace of God himself and of our saviour Jesus Christ in these latest days, in the finding of the bodies of the blessed Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, martyrs, who, noble by birth and illustrious in faith, at the time when Maximian Augustus held the monarchy of the empire, coming to Tuscia from the parts of the East, after many and admirable contests which they endured for the defence of the Christian faith, a sentence having been sacrilegiously given against them by Demetrius the proconsul, at that time governor in the castle of the Viterbians and in other places of the surrounding region, in the place which was then called Camillarius, and now is called the Bridge of St. Valentine from the passion of those martyrs, obtained by the cutting off of their heads the crown of martyrdom.

[3] But although at that time the worshippers of Christ * did not dare to go forth in public on account of the rage of the persecution, yet by Eudoxia, a religious and noble woman, who had received the said saints into her own dwelling in the same castle, and as far as was permitted had devoutly served them and ministered nourishment to them, and by other hidden Christians, with divine grace protecting them, the bodies of the said martyrs on the “Old Road”, under threat of final destruction, lest anyone should touch them left there, that their memory might be held celebrated in time to come, in a place almost contiguous to their passion, with due devotion and honour, as the Holy Spirit taught them, were entombed.

[4] And as the Christian religion grew, with the darkness of unbelief now put to flight * and the fervour of faith filling the hearts of the faithful, there was built in that place to the honour and reverence of the aforesaid martyrs a church, sufficiently seemly and devout, and an altar most devoutly placed over their bodies: whose feast day, on which the said renowned victors gave up their kindly spirits to the Lord, is kept with celebrity on the third of the nones of November, in the cities, castles, farms and churches of the same region. But because, on account of hostile incursions of past time, the inhabitants withdrew from the dwelling of the borgo placed on the same road next to the said church, Pope Innocent II of happy memory granted the same church, distinguished by the name of those martyrs, to the Church of Viterbo, with all the goods and rights that it had.

[5] Then after many courses of time, as the slippery memory of men ebbed away, the clerics of certain churches busied themselves to bring in the idea that the relics of the aforesaid martyrs were laid up in those * churches under celebrated veneration, especially from this indication, that among them their festivity was kept more greatly. But the Lord just in all his ways, who does not admit the pretences and inventions of men, wishing to bring out into the light of truth the bodies of the glorious martyrs, which for nine hundred and ninety-seven years lay in the aforesaid place contiguous to their passion, as the antiquarian books plainly suggest and as what follows more evidently indicates: and wishing, as a fitting time supervened, to reveal and show to the people of Viterbo their renowned patrons, who, as they fought bravely as vigorous champions of the Christian faith for the salvation of souls and the defence of that faith at Viterbo against sacrilegious tyranny, so, now possessors of heavenly blessedness, merited to obtain the city and its inhabitants under their special patronage, is believed of his merciful condescension to have inspired some of the clerics of this Church of Viterbo, namely the presbyter Francesco Giovanni, called Cristiano, the lord Leonardo de' Bricconi, the presbyter Pietro Thebaldi, chaplain, who had frequently held devout conference among themselves on the place of the passion and burial of the martyrs, to rise up with devout mind to search for the bodies of such great fathers and to hasten with faithful endeavours.

[6] These same clerics indeed the conception of their mind not … tum something else more evident to be found. And so in the presence of the clerics, and of many other suitable men observing and attesting the truth, within the said tomb under the bodies of the same martyrs was found a certain small brick tablet, containing, the sign of the Lord's cross being set first, letters unhesitatingly carved, which indicated with certainty only THE BODIES. OF THE MARTYRS. VALENTINE AND HILARY. REST, expressive of an irrefragable testimony and open proclamation of the said martyrs.

[7] From these things a revived devotion began to grow fervently among the people, and each, praising with exulting spirits the Lord who revealed the glorious fathers to the sons begotten by the gospel and mercifully showed beneficent patrons to those begging help, frequented their resting place with outpoured joys. Some men of letters indeed composed various songs and hymns to exalt the glory of the martyrs; which a multitude of boys and young men made resound through churches, squares and streets by the ministry of sweet-sounding voices. But, since the fervent and devout purpose of the clergy and people was carried towards the bodies of these martyrs, which, as was said before, in a country church, in a less distinguished place, had lain hidden for no little time, being adorned with high honours, and being translated with most lofty insignia to the church of Viterbo adorned with the name of blessed Lawrence, the glorious martyr, to the very place where the sentence is believed to have been given against the same martyrs by the aforenamed Demetrius: the same father bishop, whom sincere devotion pressed vehemently towards these things, wishing to be directed by salutary exhortations regarding their translation and to be strengthened by valid counsels, had religious prelates of diverse Orders and clerics and other men whom * he reckoned suitable for this summoned to his presence; to whom he reviewed with much diligence all and each of the things faithfully written down about the aforesaid martyrs as set forth above. Of all these the unanimous deliberation came forth, and solid counsels proceeded, that the bodies of the aforesaid martyrs, whose feast is kept with celebrity both at Viterbo and in the churches of the neighbouring parts, about whose veneration no doubt arises from what has been set forth for one of the faithful, should be solemnly translated, for the exaltation of the Catholic faith, for which the same martyrs bore the punishment of death.

[8] And while the supreme prince of prelates, the lord Boniface VIII, by divine providence pope, was presiding at the summit of the apostolate, at the exhortation of the aforementioned father bishop, that the celebrity of the saints might be increased by greater gifts, the citizens sent ambassadors, solemn men, certainly worthy of credit, clerics and laymen, to the presence of the lord pope himself, whose eye of consideration perceived all things. He, having heard all that the ambassadors themselves disclosed severally and faithfully for the glory of the said martyrs, devoutly receiving their words, rejoiced very much in what had been said to him: and not being ignorant of the place of the passion and burial of the martyrs, he willed and expressly commanded that through the same bishop, the religious, clergy and people, their bodies should be solemnly carried with great reverence and exultation to the principal church of Viterbo. Several lord cardinals and other prelates accordingly rejoiced, and were kindled with faithful spirits to devotion towards the martyrs.

[9] The father bishop was therefore gladdened and strengthened by what has been set forth. He, aspiring with desire to the honour of the saints, having specially called the clergy, the podestà and the chief men of the people, and having held deliberation with them, appointed a Sunday for honourably carrying out the translation of the blessed martyrs, namely the fifth day, at the end of the month of January, in the year of the Lord's nativity one thousand three hundred and three. Within the nearly fifteen days preceding that day, morning and evening, all the bells of the city together were rung for no small stretch, so that those present might be roused to joy as if by a certain sonorous proclamation, and might prepare themselves by ready actions to honour the martyrs of God. To all who for any cause had no safe access to come to Viterbo, a safe opportunity of coming to the solemnities of the saints lay open. To concelebrate the festive merits of the martyrs there were invited prelates, noble communities and other religious and clerics of the various churches and convents of the region. The diocesan clergy also, subject to the Church of Viterbo, reverently attended, especially those of St. Peter of Centumcellae, St. Mary of Vetralla, St. Peter of Orele, St. Angelus of Tolfa Nova, the archpriests of St. Mary of Bleda, St. Nicholas of Vetralla, the priors and parish priest of Marta, of Viano, Civita Vecchia, Barbarano, Tarquinia, Isola Martana, Petroniano, Bagnaia, of Burlegium, Monte Rosanesio , the preceptors of houses, the monks and lay brothers of San Martino del Monte, and the rectors and clerics of other places, sharing in the joy, as devout sons of the same Church their mother.

[10] So on the morning of the appointed Sunday, in the fields around the aforenamed church of the martyrs situated on the “Old Road”, an infinite and admirable multitude of religious, clerics and people gathered, with crosses, candles and banners; and while trumpets blared, and hymns and praises were sung aloud, the bodies of the glorious martyrs were brought out of that church on a certain vehicle, with silken cloths honourably laid over it, religious and clerics bearing it up. And as the whole multitude acclaimed Κιριε ελεισον, many poured out tears from fervour of devotion. Knights specially chosen for this bore above the said vehicle, for the magnificence of the saints, a certain cloth of gleaming gold, fixed on certain fir-wood lances. In the procession, with religious of the various Orders going before in pairs, and singing in jubilant voice the praises of God, the secular clerics following, clad in silken vestments and cottas, before the bodies of the saints gave out various hymns and songs, to the glory of God and of the martyrs, in joyful cry. The aforesaid father bishop, solemnly vested in the manner of a pontiff, accompanied by the bishop of Bagnoregio and the abbot of Sant'Alessio in the City in pontifical vestments, and also by the magnificent man the lord Peter, prefect of the kindly City, the lord Paul of Rieti, podestà of the city, and many other noble men who had assembled for these sacred solemnities, followed the vehicle of the martyrs. So great indeed along the roads was the multitude of men and women, boys and young men proclaiming the mighty works of God, that not a foot's pace was free that was not trodden by men, where the camps of God seemed to be present. At length through the midst of the city, an abundant crowd of the faithful ever going before and following, with lights multiplied and proclamations of praises, the bodies of the martyrs were brought to the same church of Viterbo before the high altar. Then, honourably placed there for showing them reverence, while the multitude raised true voices to the stars and the sacred mysteries were celebrated by the same bishop of Bagnoregio, the aforesaid bishop of Viterbo showed the precious relics of the saints several times openly; and the whole day having been spent in great gladness, and with hope firmly conceived of the patronage of the martyrs, each at length returned to his own.

[11] Meanwhile many, both from neighbouring and from remote parts, whom various and grave weakness had oppressed, distrusting human medicine, flowed together to the suffrages of the martyrs. To whom almighty God, wonderful in majesty and working prodigies beyond all human estimate, renewing the ancient miracles which he is wont to show on behalf of his servants, through the intervention of the aforesaid martyrs bestowed the grace of health according to the demand of the faith of those asking. To the praise and glory of almighty God who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

* perhaps for interim.

* so.

* codex præservantur.

* codex iterum tunc.

* for profligatis?

* for ipsorum?

* word supplied.

* codex civitates.

* doubtful reading.

INSTRUMENT OF RECOGNITION

OF THE THREE HOLY BODIES IN THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. LAWRENCE AT VITERBO, ON THE 15TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 1723, INDICTION I OF THE PONTIFICATE OF INNOCENT XIII, IN HIS SECOND YEAR.

From Andreucci's Notices (cited above), chapter VII, § IV, numbers 179, 180, 181.

Valentine, presbyter, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Hilary, deacon, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

FROM THE EDITION.

Whereas the most illustrious community of Viterbo and its most illustrious Lords Conservators have caused to be built in the venerable cathedral church of St. Lawrence of the said city a new altar, with a sufficiently seemly Chapel, for more honourably replacing and locating the sacred bodies of Saints Valentine, presbyter, and Hilary, deacon, martyrs, protectors of the same city, which for four centuries and more past have been kept and at present are kept under another altar of the said venerable church, and as soon as possible the aforesaid sacred bodies ought to be transferred to the said new Chapel with solemn rite and great applause of the citizens, the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Sermattei, noble and patrician of Assisi, by the grace of God and of the apostolic See bishop of Viterbo and Toscanella, domestic prelate of Our Most Holy Lord and assistant at the pontifical throne, desiring, for the greater honour and glory of God and of his saints, and for increasing the devotion of the citizens towards the aforesaid Apostles of this city, to have the aforesaid sacred relics carried publicly around the city on the occasion of the said translation, with all the secular and regular clergy taking part: in order that this may be done with the solemn pomp that is fitting, and that all things needful for such an effect may be held in readiness, he wished first to inspect the said sacred relics. Therefore on the aforesaid day the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord bishop, accompanied by the Most Reverend Lords Odoardo Lomellini, archdeacon, Giuseppe Tozzi, canon-dean, and Francesco Bonelli, canon-sacristan, and by the Reverend Lord Lorenzo Alosi, beneficiary and master of ceremonies of the said venerable cathedral church, together with me, etc., departing from the episcopal palace, betook himself into the said venerable church and approached the venerable altar dedicated to the said Saints Valentine and Hilary, which is the first after the high altar on the epistle side of the same. When this had been stripped, it was found to be well compacted on all sides with stones, with an iron grating on the front part; looking through which, both the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord bishop, and the aforesaid Lords archdeacon, canons and beneficiary and the witnesses named below, as also I the notary and chancellor named below, it was recognized that the said altar in its front part was empty, and that in the middle of it was a certain marble urn or casket, with a lid made of peperino in the fashion of a pyramid, on whose summit, a number of bricks being interposed and made firm with mortar, there adhered part of the stone altar-slab of the said altar. Then His Most Illustrious Lordship, that the aforesaid urn might be drawn out, commanded the altar-slab of the said altar to be removed by the masters Domenico Durante and Giuseppe Prada, stone-cutters and sculptors, and Francesco Pellegrini, carpenter of this city, specially called for this. When it had been raised by them, it was recognized that on the front of the said stone lid there was incised in large letters the following inscription:

HILARY AND VALENTINE

and on the rim of the marble casket in ancient characters another epigraph written below:

HERE RESTS THE BODY OF THE MOST BLESSED GEMINUS, CONFESSOR.

[2] Then the lid of the said casket being raised, it was seen by all to be full of bones well arranged, with a certain lead plate placed over the aforesaid bones; which casket, by order of the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend bishop, raised by the aforesaid workmen, was received by the said Most Reverend Lords Archdeacon Lomellini, Canon Bonelli, with the said workmen assisting, others going before with lighted candles, and with due reverence carried to the high altar of the said church. And after due adoration, the said lead plate was first accurately inspected, of a length of ten and a half inches and a width of four inches by the measure commonly “di passetto Romano,” and it was seen to have the following inscription:

HERE ARE THE BODIES OF THE SAINTS VALENTINE, PRESBYTER, AND HILARY, DEACON, MARTYRS.

Copies of which inscriptions were taken and written out as they lie by the aforesaid Lord Domenico Durante on the attached sheets, to which etc.

[3] Then the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord bishop took out from the aforesaid casket the larger bones placed in it and laid them on a cloth spread over the said altar, leaving in the same casket all the fragments of bones, which were found there in no small quantity. And since it was prudently judged, from the quantity and quality of the said holy bones and fragments, that together with the bodies of Saints Valentine and Hilary there had also been placed in the same casket the body of St. Geminus, according to the tenor of the inscription found on the rim of the said casket, therefore, to the effect of having the aforesaid bones and fragments better recognized by those skilled in the anatomical art, in view of the lateness of the hour he laid them in a certain casket made of poplar wood, two and a half palms long, of the width and height of one palm and one fourth part of another palm, having first placed at the bottom of it a cloth commonly “canavaccio”, and a silk veil of white colour; in which all the aforesaid bones and fragments remained wrapped, the same lead plate being placed on top. This casket with its lid was closed with a silk ribbon of red colour tied in the manner of a cross, and marked with eight impressions of a small seal of His Most Illustrious Lordship; and so tied and furnished with seals, after due adoration, the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord bishop, others likewise going before with lighted candles, carried it away and laid it in a cupboard or reliquary, existing on a platform above the said altar of Saints Valentine and Hilary; whose door, having four locks, was shut and fastened with keys, of which the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord bishop carried away the first, the said Lord archdeacon the second, the said Lord Canon Tozzi the third, and the said Lord Canon Bonelli the fourth with them.

[4] Concerning each and all of the aforesaid things it was requested of me, the public notary and chancellor named below, that I should draw up and deliver one or several public instrument or instruments, as etc. — All these things were done at Viterbo in the said venerable Church and in the aforesaid places respectively, there being present there all the aforesaid and the very Reverend Lords Giovanni Maria Floruccio, priest of Viterbo, beneficiary of the said venerable church, and Paolo Antonio Procaccioli, priest of Assisi, secretary of His Most Illustrious Lordship, as witnesses, etc. — So it is: Giovanni Agostino de Romanis, public notary of Viterbo and episcopal chancellor, requested, etc.

LITURGICAL FRAGMENTS ON SAINTS VALENTINE AND HILARY.

From the manuscript Collectanea of Giovanni Magri, canon of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria at Rome. An apograph contained in the Bollandian Collectanea of the Royal Library of Brussels, marked with the name Lives of the Saints, no. 8067–74.

Valentine, presbyter, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

Hilary, deacon, martyr at Viterbo. (S.)

FROM MANUSCRIPTS.

AT VESPERS.

HYMN.

Let us sing praises of joy For the victory of the martyrs Valentine and Hilary, Whose memory this is.

They came into Italy, A pair from the East; Travelling through Tuscany, They enter the fortress of Viterbo.

In it was Demetrius, Preparing punishments for the saints; A most wicked proconsul, He performs wicked offices.

These saints he orders to be bound with ropes With the weight of a stone, And sunk in the waves of the Tiber; Whom the water cannot harm.

Soon they return to Viterbo, Filled with the Holy Spirit; With words they torment Demetrius, Speaking with sacred utterance.

At the Camillarian bridge They are deprived of their heads: In the heavenly palace They are joined to the companies of the saints.

The woman Eudoxia Buries the holy limbs, Knowing the deeds of the saints; For which she suffered death.

After this the consul Demetrius, Shaken with pain of the bowels, Is stricken by God; He took the palm of martyrdom.

Thus the martyrs fought, Thus they won their battles; So let us be mindful of them, That they may win rewards for us.

For so renowned a triumph, For so great a victory, To the Father, the Son, the Paraclete * Be everlasting glory. Amen.

AT LAUDS.

HYMN.

The radiance of the twin star Doubles the festal day; The blood that was shed drives out The night of the lukewarm air. The rising of the sun poured forth Its lights upon the setting regions *, Lights living by firm faith, The steep places of the flesh trodden down. The root of Jesse rises Into shoots, into a glorious sprout, Valentine and Hilary, Whose * throats the sword seeks. The earth, wet with the sacred Gore, enriches Viterbo, So that by their example it renders The hearts of the fearful fervent. Cause, time and martyrdom Make the saints equal, O Judge, Who serve Christ Through unequal ministries. To the Trinity let praise Be given for ever with glory, Who gives the highest joys To Valentine and Hilary. Amen.

AT THE TRANSLATION OF THE SAID SAINTS.

AT LAUDS.

HYMN.

Let the tuneful throng with jubilation Pay its praises diligently: The lamps hidden by a cloud Shine forth under Christ the Ruler. The faithful earth had covered Valentine and Hilary; A written tile had made plain That it was no mockery. The tile is struck again and again By the men digging; By the will of God it is not broken, Being a witness for the martyrs. In the fields of Viterbo There is a planting of roses, A reddened flowering Springing up before our eyes. The most high right hand adorns its sons With a worthy stole, A priest's and a Levite's; They spurn the commands of Demetrius. In the year of Christ one thousand Three hundred and three Praises are given to the Most High, In which the translation of the saints takes place. Amen.

AT SECOND VESPERS.

HYMN.

The orb of the stars shines forth With the full light of the two, Wherein, full of the power of Christ, The crown of martyrs rejoices. For men illustrious in birth, Whom the stars mark out for us, Raised up above the heavens, It befits us to bring forth songs. Steeped in the dew of heavenly Grace, Hilary here, With Valentine going before him, Make their way to the parts of Tuscany. While they preach the faith of Christ, The pagan people is converted, The perverse rite is suppressed; For they judge the truth. The consul of the fortress of Viterbo Exposes them to punishments, That they may believe in idolatries; They spurn the commands of Demetrius. A heavy millstone sinks them To the bottom in the waves of the Tiber: But from the waters, to these free men, Help is at hand from heaven. A bear killed the courtiers; But the governor presses harder, That they may more quickly believe in Hercules. Then, wondrously, the temple collapsed. The sword exacted the throats Of the glorious martyrs. They who climb to the seats of those above Despise the goads of the world. For them Christ showed forth Wonderful joys more widely: Demetrius was converted, By which Eudoxia is a martyr. May God reward us, To whom let us render thanks. Let us give the first-fruits of our prayers: May he imbue us with his gifts. Amen.

* codex Paracleto.

* codex ecciduis.

* for Queis?