ON ST. LEOPARDUS, BISHOP OF OSIMO IN PICENUM,
FOURTH CENTURY?
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY
Leopardus, bishop of Osimo. (S.)
BY C. D. S.
§ I. On the ancient cult of St. Leopardus.
[1] The more ancient cult of St. Leopardus The ancient cult of St. Leopardus is shown by not a few monuments, and individually by these, which are older than the fourteenth century:
a) A list of the possessions of the church of Ravenna, copied in a codex of the library of Portus Monoeci Monaco, which Gaetano Marini, a man expert in antiquity, judged was written at the end of the tenth century. In which list there is read recorded, in one notice, a casale of the deaconry of Saint Leopardus, and in another notice, the coloni of Saint Leopardus [Pomp. Compagnoni, Memorie istorico-critiche della chiesa e de' vescovi di Osimo, Opera postuma, continuata da Filippo Vecchietti (1782 – 1783), vol. I, p. 3, note 8; vol. V (Appendice de' documenti), pp. 12, 14. In this document, certainly, as also in the others which concern the cult of St. Leopardus outside the diocese of Osimo (cf. below, nos. 42 – 46), it is not clearly indicated that St. Leopardus bishop of Osimo is signified; but hardly any other can be thought of].
[2] in the fourteenth century b) A charter of donation made in the year 1061, by which a certain estate is granted, to be possessed in perpetuity, to Peter, priest, canon of the bishopric of Saint Leopardus, and to his successors who are to be ordained in their time in the canonry of Saint Leopardus Compagnoni-Vecchietti, vol. V, p. 18.
[3] show c) Instruments of sworn fealty or of concord or of concession, in which the party binding itself to the other promises either to send and give always every year, on the feast of St. Leopardus, to the church of Saint Leopardus one candle of ten pounds: so, through its consuls, the commune of Castrum Fidardi Castelfidardo in the year 1196 [L. Martorelli, Memorie historiche dell' antichissima città d'Osimo (1705), p. 71; Dom. Pannelli, Memorie di San Leopardo vescovo d'Osimo (1755), p. 3; F. A. Zaccaria, Auximatium episcoporum series (1764), p. 23; Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. V, p. 24]; or to give and bring every year on the feast of St. Leopardus to the church of Saint Leopardus one pallium of silk worth …: so, in the year 1199, Albert son of Atto, count of Carvoncellum [Zaccaria, work cited, p. 63 (less accurately); F. Ughelli, Italia sacra, ed. N. Coleti, vol. I (1717), p. 498], and the commune of the castle of Montis Urbani Zaccaria, work cited, p. 24, in the year 1203 the commune of the castle of Arcioni Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. V, p. 28, and in the year 1205 the commune of the castle of Montis Sanctae Mariae Martorelli, work cited, p. 143.
[4] documents d) The instrument of the concord entered into between the people of Recanati and of Osimo on the 17th day of November in the year 1199, through the agency of John of St. Paul, cardinal, who orders the injuries inflicted on both sides to be mutually pardoned and repaired, saving the reasons which … the church of Saint Leopardus could bring forward for demanding a greater reparation Martorelli, p. 75. And another instrument of the concord entered into between the people of Osimo and of Cingoli on the 20th day of February in the year 1204, in which mention is made no fewer than seven times of the church of Saint Leopardus [Martorelli, work cited, pp. 86 – 89; Ughelli, in the volume cited, p. 499; Zaccaria, work cited, pp. 64 – 67. Add the instrument by which Sinibaldus I, bishop of Osimo, in the year 1237 granted many estates and the church of Saint Paternian in emphyteusis to the monks of Santa Croce of Fonte Avellana of Recanati, in which also the church of Saint Leopardus is named six times (Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. V, pp. 57 – 61)].
[5] public e) Indulgences granted in the year 1291 by Monaldus, bishop of Osimo, in the name of almighty God, of Blessed Mary … and also of the glorious Leopardus and Vitalianus, our patrons … Compagnoni-Vecchietti, vol. V, p. 109.
[6] and liturgical f) An antiphonary written for the church of Osimo in the twelfth/thirteenth century, in which are read fragments of the office of St. Leopardus, namely the antiphon at the Magnificat at first vespers, conceived in these words: Pour in, we pray, O Lord, through the intercession of blessed Leopardus your confessor …; then the Invitatory: Let us praise the Lord in this sacred solemnity of our most blessed father Leopardus; etc. And in the same codex, at the end of Lauds for Monday, this annotation: The commemorations of the apostles, of St. Leopardus and for peace are said as was noted above at Matins of Sunday Pannelli, work cited, p. 67.
[7] not a few, g) To which must be added the catalogue of the sacred furnishings with which in the year 1267 the sacristy of the principal church of Osimo was equipped; which contained among other things one great metal candlestick, which sits upon the altar of St. Leopardus [Zaccaria, Excursus litterarii per Italiam (1754), p. 255; Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. V, p. 82]; and the silver plate which is said to have been found beside the body of the saint in the year 1296 [Cf. below, no. 25 and following. This plate, if we follow the opinion of certain more recent learned men, who think it was made in the eighth or even the sixth century (cf. ibid.), offers a notable testimony of a cult much more ancient than the twelfth century].
[8] no old martyrology, however. Yet none of the old martyrologists announced St. Leopardus, but the first was Filippo Ferrari in his Catalogue of the saints of Italy (1613), on the 7th day of November. He was followed by Claude Chastelain in his Universal Martyrology and by Flaminio Corner in the Italian Hagiologium.
§ II. On the legend of St. Leopardus.
[9] The legend of St. Leopardus Of St. Leopardus of Osimo almost the same must be said as we said above P. 239, no. 14 of St. Severus of Barcelona: as certain and ancient as his cult is, so uncertain and obscure is his history. We have indeed fairly lengthy Acts of his, which, divided into nine lessons, were recited on his feast day within the divine office in the cathedral church. These Martorelli Work cited, p. 32 says were written in ancient character in a parchment codex which was kept in the archive of the chapter of the same church. But when Martorelli had published them in the year 1705, Domenico Pannelli, writing fifty years later, sought that copy in that archive in vain, and found only many more recent copies of the Life among the more noble men Pannelli, work cited, pp. 46 – 47; cf. p. III. According to these Pannelli prepared his edition of that document Ibid., pp. 47 – 66, in such a way, however, that he did not take care, as learned men now usually do, to record the variant readings of the different copies collated among themselves, but himself selected among them those which seemed to him preferable Ibid., p. 47 middle, or even from time to time, as one may indeed conjecture, emended them.
[10] to be published from more recent copies, We have a copy of the same Life written in a hand of the seventeenth century, from we know not where, and sent to our predecessors, which is preserved in the codex of the Royal Library of Brussels marked 8935. That copy, conspicuous for a more barbarous manner of writing, seems to represent an exemplar less adulterated by recent emendation than the text published by Pannelli, but it is so disfigured by errors of this kind as to betray a wholly unskilled copyist who transcribed it. Using therefore this double help, we present the Life of St. Leopardus to the readers of our work as accurately as could be done.
[11] and itself, as it seems, not older than the fifteenth century, That that Life is worthy of no credit now seems, I believe, doubtful to none of the learned [So pronounced Pannelli, work cited, pp. III, 10, 42, 100; Zaccaria, Auxim. epp. series, pp. 32, 45, 46; Pomp. Compagnoni, work cited, vol. I, pp. 2, 35, 55, etc.; vol. V, p. 237 (So Compagnoni at this place: "The learned will easily agree with me that those Acts are of a credit suspect to almost all, nay that they teem with the marks of foolish fables, so that it is no wonder they have been held as apocryphal in my Church, no proper lessons of St. Leopardus, namely, having been used or obtained from them at least in this time")]. That it was not written before the middle of the fifteenth century is sufficiently gathered from the description of the old city of Osimo which the writer presented at the beginning of his little work Life, ch. 2. For he could not have put this together except after the ruins of the ancient city had been explored: and this was not done before the age of Cyriac of Ancona, who in the year 1437 visited Osimo and carefully recorded the traces of antiquity he could find there Cf. Th. Mommsen, CIL, vol. IX, pp. XXXVI, 559. Add that the same writer Life, ch. 5 middle cited Platina as a witness; and he composed the Lives of the Roman pontiffs after the middle of the fifteenth century and died in the year 1481. The name of Platina indeed does not occur in Pannelli's edition; but this edition, as we have said Above, no. 9 end, is rightly suspect as regards the integrity of the original text. And in particular, in the very passage just indicated, whereas in our Bollandist copy the sentence flows easily and coheres excellently, in Pannelli, on the contrary, the words apud Platinam in Vita domni Innocentii pontificis being omitted, it hangs gaping and broken off at the word habetur: whence it seems most probable that the words suppressed by Pannelli are to be kept in the text. Nor was the Life published long after the fifteenth century, as is plain from the fact that Gaspare Zacchi, bishop of Osimo from the year 1460 to the year 1470, already inserted its compendium into his little book on the series of bishops who held the see of Osimo before him [That compendium Pannelli published from a manuscript codex, work cited, Preliminary dissertation, p. I].
[12] nor having followed an older Life, Yet that another, older Life lit the way for the author of this Life Pannelli tried to persuade Work cited, p. 67 and following from this, that, whereas in the antiphonary of the twelfth/thirteenth century Cf. above, no. 6 some fragments, very few indeed, of some office of St. Leopardus are read, in another codex of the sixteenth century a complete office was found, in which all those things are read which were read in the older codex; whence Pannelli thinks he can gather that that office was already in use in the church of Osimo before the fourteenth century. Now in the hymns of the same office Which are recited in Pannelli, pp. 72, 73, 77 the whole history of St. Leopardus is narrated, such as is read in the Legend to be published below. But this argument supposes that no additions came to that older office; which is certainly not demonstrated. Besides, since no part of the Life, if you except the narrative of those things which long after the death
of St. Leopardus, namely at the end of the thirteenth century and afterwards, followed Life, chs. 16, 17, is confirmed by testimonies older than itself, it matters little to its authority whether it is believed to have been written in the fourteenth century, or even in the thirteenth or twelfth, or rather in the fifteenth century.
[13] from the anachronisms Further, to show how little the anonymous author of the Life is to be trusted, it will be enough to bring forward here one indication, wholly inescapable. Namely, he not only affirms that St. Leopardus was a contemporary of that blessed Martin, bishop of Tours Life, ch. 4, but also narrates that he met him when he was already discharging the episcopal office Ibid., ch. 9 and was present at his funeral Ibid., ch. 10. But on the other side he reports that the same Leopardus was created bishop of Osimo by the supreme pontiff Innocent I, and before that had been among the priests at Rome under the same Ibid., ch. 5. Now Innocent I was elected pontiff in the year 401, in which year Martin had certainly already departed from the living Cf. A. Lecoy de la Marche, S. Martin (2nd ed., 1890), pp. 620 – 22.
[14] and by the confusion of persons admitted in it And so, the levity of our writer being now demonstrated, learned men Among whom the more recent ones we cited above, p. 365, note 16 have with full right judged very suspect or even wholly fictitious what he likewise reports of the Roman journey of St. Leopardus and of the favour he had with Innocent. And by what reason he was led to invent it is an easy conjecture. Namely, he will have read in the Liber pontificalis that, when Innocent I was supreme pontiff, there was among the Roman priests a certain Leopardus, who was held in special esteem with the pontiff Liber pontificalis, ed. Duchesne, vol. I, p. 222, and at once and gratuitously he judged him to be the same as the one whom the people of Osimo reported to have been their bishop. Nor did he notice that Leopardus already flourished among the principal Roman priests in the time of Siricius, the second predecessor of Innocent, who sat in the years 384 – 399 Cf. ibid., note 5.
[15] is judged wholly unworthy To the Life of St. Leopardus are added Life, ch. 13 and following certain things about the veneration paid to him after death. of credit. Whether these are to be attributed to the same anonymous man who wrote the Life, the principal reason for doubting is the clause attached at the end of chapter 12. Yet Pannelli Work cited, p. 43 thinks that both documents had one author, both because of the likeness of style, and by reason of the particle itaque inserted at the beginning of chapter 13, and because those last chapters are part of the nine lessons into which the legend is distributed. To refute these arguments appears as superfluous as it is easy, since certainly this later part of the whole little book was added after the earlier part was finished, and so cannot be judged older than the author of the latter; which alone it concerns us to know.
§ III. On the history of St. Leopardus.
[16] At what time Leopardus flourished From what was said in the preceding paragraph it follows that whatever pertains to the deeds of St. Leopardus is wholly unknown to us. Nor can we even establish for certain at what time he lived. For no testimony on this matter older than our legend is brought forward; and this defined the age of the saint from that assimilation of Leopardus of Osimo with the Roman priest of the same name which the deceitful writer of the Life devised Cf. above, no. 14.
[17] and whether he was the first bishop of Osimo It is commonly reported, nor is there any reason why we should deny it, that the church of Osimo was founded by St. Leopardus, whom it also had as its first bishop. For in the most ancient documents the principal church of Osimo is indicated as distinguished by the title of St. Leopardus Cf. above, nos. 1 – 5. Now what Ughelli says [Treating of Cyriacus, believed to be the first bishop of the church of Ancona, in Italia sacra (ed. Coleti), vol. I, p. 327] seems quite probable, that in the first times "the nobler church of any city was customarily consecrated to its chief shepherd"; which can certainly be confirmed by not a few examples [Some subtle contradictor could indeed object that it is not wholly established from this that Leopardus was the first bishop of Osimo. "For," says Alessio Mazzocchi (Commentarii in vetus marmoreum Neapolitanae ecclesiae kalendarium, vol. II, p. 519), "it is found to have happened in many places that they count as first bishop not the one who, after the episcopal see had been established there, really sat first, but the one who first disseminated the gospel there, especially if the same, a great multitude being converted to Christ, watered that region with his blood. So, more or less, Bolland judged at the 17th of January on St. Genulphus, §2, and Tillemont on St. Dionysius of Paris." Against this opinion, if it is brought forward concerning St. Leopardus with no positive argument at all, I see that no other wholly effective answer can be opposed than the testimony of the silver plate which was found beside the body of St. Leopardus in the year 1296, if it is truly judged as ancient as some have judged it].
[18] is uncertain. Some certain indication about the age in which St. Leopardus flourished would be at hand for us, if one might judge true what Giovanni Baldi [Le Vite de gli incliti martiri Vittore e Corona, di S. Leopardo vescovo e de gli altri santi che son sepulti nella chiesa Osimana (Ancona, 1620), p. 104] says was affirmed by some and himself seems to think probable, namely that Leopardus, with Paulinus [Who at the very time of Innocent I, the supreme pontiff, had been joined to the college of Roman priests (Liber pontificalis, at the place cited above, note 12) and afterwards was bishop of Nola], was present by order of Innocent I at the synod of Bordeaux in which the error of the Priscillianists was condemned; where, Leopardus having won for himself great praise for doctrine and constancy, he was at once created bishop by Innocent. But this is sufficiently refuted from the anachronism admitted in that assertion. For the synod of Bordeaux against the Priscillianists, which Platina indeed said was convened in the time of Innocent I, was celebrated in the year 385 Mansi, Concilia, vol. III, p. 677, more than fifteen years before Innocent was raised to the pontifical chair [This severe judgment on Baldi is pronounced by the learned man Compagnoni, bishop of Osimo (cited above, p. 363, note 2): "Poco, a dir vero, siamo tenuti a questo canonico, il quale, tranne qualche buon gusto di stile, per altro più oratorio che istorico, lavorò la sua operetta col sol fondamento o di conghietture, non sempre misurate e verisimili, o di apocrife memorie, di volgari tradizioni, soggette bene spesso ad errore…" ["Little, to tell the truth, are we indebted to this canon, who, apart from some good taste in style, more oratorical than historical however, worked out his little work on the sole foundation either of conjectures, not always measured and likely, or of apocryphal records, of popular traditions, very often subject to error…"] (work cited, vol. I, preface, p. II)]. Nor have I found any other argument brought forward anywhere from which anything certain or in some measure truly probable can be established about the age of St. Leopardus.
§ IV. On the veneration of the relics of St. Leopardus before the end of the thirteenth century.
[19] Uncertain also If it is right to put faith in the author of the later part of our anonymous legend, immediately after the saint's death a ciborium was built over his venerable body, and a concourse of peoples invoking his help began to take place at his sepulchre Life, ch. 13, both of which seem, for those times, a certain indication of canonization, as we now say. But no other old testimony of this exists.
[20] at what time Giovanni Baldi asserts that by papal decree St. Leopardus was inscribed in the roll of holy confessors by pope Hilary (461 – 467) [Indeed there was one who thought (Onofri, Vetustissimae Auximatis urbis breves notitiae, p. 92) that Leopardus had already been canonized by Innocent I, and hence not later than the year 415, in which Innocent died], and that on this occasion his bones were laid up in his church in a new and excellently adorned sepulchre, very spacious and surrounded by walls, so that it could be walked round from outside. The same writer adds that afterwards, at the time of the war waged under the leadership of Belisarius in the sixth century against the Goths, who then ruled Italy, they were held in great honour by these, although Arians, who were guarding the town of Osimo in great numbers Cf. Procopius, Gothic War, bk. II, chs. 11, 13, 16, and that, when they feared that the city would be stormed by the forces of Belisarius, they were enclosed in a marble chest and buried in the ground beneath the same church; and finally, that, the Goths having been expelled and the former inhabitants of Osimo having returned to their homeland, the sacred body was found by a certain canon with a silver plate on which were inscribed these words: SANCTUS LEOPARDUS EPISCOPUS AUXIMANUS St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo; and that this finding took place on the 7th day of November about the year 700, Sergius I being Roman pontiff Baldi, work cited, pp. 133 – 35.
[21] his relics began to be honoured Baldi says he read all these things in a writing worthy of credit In scrittura d'autorità [In a writing of authority]. But that writing or any trace of it no one ever saw except Baldi alone. His testimony, of itself of very slight moment Cf. above, note 1, is made more suspect in the present matter besides by the fact that his narrative of the finding made in the year 700 agrees wholly with the history of the finding which we shall presently report as certainly having taken place in the year 1296 Cf. the following §. Rightly therefore that narrative is rejected by learned men.
[22] before the end of the thirteenth century. In the later part of the Life of St. Leopardus too Ch. 16, beginning it is read that Vitalianus, bishop of Osimo, who sat in the eighth century Cf. Zaccaria, Auxim. epp. series, pp. 46 – 49, note 1 on Vitalianus, built a basilica in the name and honour of St. Leopardus. Pannelli Work cited, vol. I, p. 11, note 20 denies that any moment is to be attributed to this testimony, for credit is not to be given to a writer of the fourteenth century narrating things that happened in the eighth century. But against this merely negative argument Zaccaria Auxim. epp., pp. 33 – 34 and Compagnoni Work cited, vol. I, pp. 438 – 39 protest. For that author, as they say, could have had before his eyes a monument of this matter which has now perished. They also draw some argument from the fact that the finding of the body of Leopardus in the year 1296, recorded in a public instrument, is called in it a re-finding Cf. below, no. 24. For although, as Zaccaria readily confesses, it can be shown from many things which Pannelli Cf. below, note 21 argues most learnedly, that in a later age findings were often called re-findings, yet that name is of itself more apt for designating a new finding
than for signifying a first one. "But what," so Zaccaria too, "if Vitalianus, when about to build the church, had found the body of St. Leopardus?… Much toward confirming this conjecture of mine is done by the little silver plate which we know was found with the sacred body in the year 1296. Its antiquity, if we listen to Pannelli, is equal at least to the eighth century: I myself should believe it older by a century or two. However that may be, that little plate could have been placed in the chest in the middle of the eighth century by Vitalianus when he buried again the body of St. Leopardus which he had found. That is much more probable than what Pannelli conjectured, that in the times of the Ottos, when sacred bodies were hidden in the most secret places so as not to be exposed to plunder, the people of Osimo too hid the body of St. Leopardus" Cf. below, no. 29. So Zaccaria, to whose opinion Compagnoni added his vote. It must be confessed, however, that it rests on one solid foundation, namely the testimony of the writer of the anonymous Life; and this, as regards these remote times, is certainly not of very great weight.
§ V. On the finding of the body of St. Leopardus in the year 1296 and on the silver plate found beside it.
[23] The first certain finding of the body of St. Leopardus More celebrated is the finding made at the end of the thirteenth century [It is reported indeed that a whole century before, namely in the year 1196, Gentilis, bishop of Osimo, raised higher, increased in size and adorned more magnificently the church which Vitalianus had already restored in the eighth century; but in the notices concerning this no mention is read of a finding or translation of the body of St. Leopardus (cf. Compagnoni, in the volume cited, p. 439), except the testimony of Giovanni Baldi (work cited, p. 138), of which no account is to be taken (cf. above, note 1)]. Our anonymous man narrated it fairly fully Life, ch. 16, and his narrative is confirmed by an instrument inserted in a codex of the old statutes of the city of Osimo, which was first published by Martorelli Work cited, p. 136 and then more accurately from the original copy in Pannelli Work cited, pp. 6 – 10. We present it here to our readers according to the later edition. It runs thus, then.
[24] took place On the re-finding [That from this word, which recurs both in the title and twice in the body of the copy, it does not follow, as some would have it, that a certain earlier finding was made before the year 1296, Pannelli contends at length. For, he says (work cited, pp. 8 – 9, note 12): a) The reduplicative particle re, prefixed to a word, especially among writers of the lowest age, often adds nothing to the meaning of the simple word: let the verb recommendare serve as an example, which certainly more often is not equivalent to the verb commendare iterum, but to the simple verb commendare; b) in the body of the document it is said that the body of St. Leopardus was reinventum et repertum: where the word repertum is manifestly used as a synonym of the word reinventum; c) from that word reinvenire was derived the Italian word reinvenire, which certainly, as regards the sense, means exactly the same as invenire] of the body of the most holy LEOPARDUS, CONFESSOR, IN THE GREATER CHURCH. — In the year of the Lord one thousand two hundred ninety-six, in the time of the lord Pope Boniface in the year 1296. VIII, in the ninth indiction, on Saturday, the fourth day from the end of the month of July [That is, the 28th day of July. For, as a certain Rolandino, a notary of Bologna, who lived in the year 1265, wrote in the treatise of Notulae or on the Art of the Notary, The day is set in instruments … according to the custom of Bologna, in this example: the first day entering May, and so of each up to the 16th (namely in the months which have 31 days); and when the 16 have passed they are set by Exeunte in this way, the 15th going out of May (the 17th day of the month), the 14th going out of May (the 16th day of the month), and so of each up to the penultimate… In Du Cange, under Mensis intrans, stans, exiens (ed. Henschel, vol. IV, p. 361, col. 3)], in the time of the venerable father the lord John, by the grace of God and of the Apostolic See bishop of Osimo, and of the noble knight the lord Nicholas Rape of Lucca, honourable podestà of the city of Osimo, there was re-found and found the body of the most holy Leopardus in the greater church of the aforesaid city, under the high altar of the aforesaid church, in a certain stone chest, having upon his most holy breast a plate of silver on which was carved an episcopal image and a pastoral rod, and on the same were these gilded letters: SANCTVS LEOPARDVS St. Leopardus. Which most holy body had lain hidden for so long a time that no memory of it existed. At the re-finding of which body there were present, called on behalf of the said lord bishop of Osimo, the venerable father friar Girardinus, bishop of Umana [Girardinus O. M., bishop of Umana in the years 1289 – 1322 (Ughelli, Italia sacra, vol. I, p. 745)], and the said lord podestà, and the lord Stephen, prior of the canonry of Osimo, and the whole chapter of Osimo, and very many nobles of the land, and many other honest and good persons not called. The clause of the instrument, or the subscriptions, the copyist who transferred it into the codex of the statutes did not append.
[25] And what together with the body This seems the place to discourse briefly on that silver plate, which the documents just cited report was found with the body of St. Leopardus and which the people of Osimo rejoice that they can still show. It is preserved even today in the crypt of the cathedral church of Osimo in an elegantly adorned reliquary. The plate itself measures 32 centimetres in height, 19 in breadth [A fuller description of the plate and of the reliquary in which it is enclosed is given by Giosuè Cecconi in the dissertation entitled Intorno all' antica lamina di S. Leopardo primo vescovo di Osimo (Osimo, 1872), pp. 5 – 6, 24 – 26]. Its appearance is represented by an image, quite accurately engraved [Which is established for us from another image of the plate, recently made by the photographic art, which a certain venerable priest of Osimo sent to us], which Pannelli, Compagnoni-Vecchietti [Work cited, vol. I, p. 39; Pannelli and Cecconi at the head of each one's writings on St. Leopardus] and Cecconi present.
[26] is reported found The common opinion, I believe, is that this plate was torn from a liturgical book which it once adorned, or from a little chest or box in which such books or other things pertaining to the liturgy were kept in the treasuries of churches. This seems to be demonstrated by the holes which are seen in each of the four corners of the little plate, certainly for receiving the pegs by which it was fixed to a wooden cover, and it is confirmed also by the trace, in one upper corner, of a fastening by which, as it is easy to conjecture, one of the clasps was bound with which the book or little chest was closed.
[27] The ancient use of covering liturgical books with precious ornaments of this kind is proved by not a few testimonies. a little silver plate, So it is narrated of king Childebert I in Gregory of Tours that, after Amalaric, king of the Visigoths, had been conquered and slain, he brought from Spain sixty chalices, fifteen patens, twenty cases of the gospels, all adorned with pure gold and precious gems Historia Francorum, bk. III, ch. 10 end. And in the Liber pontificalis it is reported that to Vitalian, the supreme pontiff (657 – 672), the emperor of Constantinople sent to Rome, for blessed Peter the apostle, golden gospels adorned round about with white gems of wonderful size Liber pontificalis, ed. Duchesne, vol. I, p. 343. Leo III too, the supreme pontiff (795 – 816), offered to blessed Peter the apostle, his patron, golden gospels with green and hyacinth and white gems of wonderful size Ibid., vol. II, p. 15, and Paschal I (817 – 824) in the church of blessed Peter his patron, gospels with blatthin of silver Ibid., p. 59. Certain κειμήλια of this kind Antonio Francesco Gori described at length in his work which is entitled Thesaurus veterum diptychorum consularium et ecclesiasticorum Volume III (1759).
[28] how certainly Above all it comes to be inquired here how certain it is that that little plate was truly found in the year 1296 in the sepulchre of St. Leopardus, and at what time it can be judged to have been put there. As regards the first question, that by ancient custom indeed it was usual to place beside the bodies of the saints, in the chests in which these were enclosed, little schedules or plates of silver or lead, so that those who afterwards should open those chests might be made more certain what relics were kept in them, is proved by not a few testimonies Cecconi recites some, work cited, p. 18. But it is no less established that it not rarely happened that in the account of the finding of a body which they thought to be of some saint, but one wholly unknown, mention occurred of a schedule of this kind, which the learned now rightly think very suspect or manifestly invented For an example of this see above, pp. 239 – 40, nos. 17 – 20. Nor in the present matter are there sufficiently certain testimonies or indications at hand for us to dare to assert confidently that there is here no place for any suspicion of that kind.
[29] and on what occasion of old But at what time, if the plate is believed to have truly been found in the sepulchre with the body, it was put in it, is very uncertain. First of all, indeed, it appears very strange that the cover of a liturgical book was used for this in the burial of St. Leopardus. Whence some writers have not improbably suspected that this was done not at some public and solemn translation or recognition, but that, some danger of the stealing of the sacred relics being imminent, the body of Leopardus was hastily hidden, and that, because time pressed, in order that they might testify at once more worthily and more certainly whose it was, that silver plate was taken from the book which it covered. And they think that this opinion is not a little confirmed by the fact that, when the sacred body was found in the year 1296, it had lain hidden for so long a time that the memory of it no longer existed Cf. above, no. 24. Which is certainly easily understood to have been possible if it had been secretly hidden long before, but not so if, after it had been publicly elevated or translated, it had rested unmoved in the place of burial.
[30] it was put in the sepulchre Further, they were thence led to investigate at what time that hidden translation was made. And since they found no written testimony or any trace of this, some thought that the sacred body was so hidden in the sixth century, either by the Goths besieged in Osimo by the forces of Belisarius Cf. above, no. 20 or by the people of Osimo besieged by Totila Procopius, Gothic War, bk. III, ch. 11; others conjectured it was done in the tenth century under the emperors Otto I and II, at which time they report that an enormous booty was collected from Italy by their forces, both of money and of things precious in material or workmanship,
and also of sacred relics Cf. Pannelli, p. 17, the notable plunderer especially in that kind being Theodoric of Metz Muratori, Antiquitates Italicae, vol. V, p. 8. But in the opinion of F.-A. Zaccaria "that little plate could have been placed in the chest in the middle of the eighth century by Vitalianus when he buried again the body of St. Leopardus which he had found Cf. above, no. 22, after the middle." But so he gives no reason why it was taken from the cover of a church book, and how it happened that afterwards the place where the body had been laid was wholly unknown Cf. above, no. 28. And wholly lacking any foundation, apart from the wholly contemptible authority of Giovanni Baldi Cf. above, nos. 20, 21, is the opinion of Cecconi, who judged it somewhat probable that the plate was made when Leopardus was ascribed to the catalogue of saints either by Innocent I or by Hilary, the supreme pontiff ["Siamo perfino indotti a credere, con una conghiettura forse non del tutto improbabile, che non andrebbe molto lungi dal vero colui che pensasse questa lamina avere incominciato ad adornare un evangeliario della chiesa Osimana, nella circostanza della canonizzazione del santo vescovo, avvenuta per opera o di Papa S. Innozenzo I … o per quella di Papa Ilario" ["We are even led to believe, with a conjecture perhaps not wholly improbable, that he would not go far from the truth who thought that this plate began to adorn a gospel book of the church of Osimo on the occasion of the canonization of the holy bishop, which took place through the agency either of Pope St. Innocent I … or of Pope Hilary"] (Cecconi, work cited, p. 25). Cecconi indeed adds at once: "Per avvalorare questa nostra opinione, noi, a voler esser sinceri, confessiamo di non avere con noi nè sode ragioni nè storici documenti" ["To give weight to this opinion of ours, we, to be sincere, confess that we have with us neither solid reasons nor historical documents"]. Which must be said also of all the other opinions brought forward here].
[31] cannot be defined with sufficient probability. The supporters of these various opinions have each tried to defend his own by discoursing on the form of the chasuble or pallium, on the tonsure, on the mitre, on the halo, to show that these, as they are seen in the image, agree excellently with the age which they attributed to it [Pannelli, work cited, pp. 14 – 17; Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. I, pp. 46 – 53; Cecconi, work cited, pp. 27 – 33]. From these disputes, as wholly superfluous, they would certainly have abstained, if it had been possible for them to read what Fr. Joseph Braun S. J. has recently written learnedly on liturgical vestments [Die liturgische Gewandung im Occident und Orient (Freiburg im Breisgau, 1907), passim], and especially if they had looked both at the image of St. Cornelius painted, in the judgment of the distinguished Joseph Wilpert, in the sixth century in the cemetery of Callistus Le Pitture delle Catacombe Romane (Rome, 1903), plate 256 (cf. ibid., p. 461), and at certain other old monuments, whether made in mosaic work Braun, work cited, p. 626 (seventh century), p. 645 (ninth century), or carved from ivory [Revue de l'art chrétien, new series, vol. III (1885), p. 24 (tenth century. See G. Schlumberger, Mélanges d'archéologie byzantine, 1st series [1895], p. 85)], or expressed in miniature paintings [Braun, work cited, p. 670 (ninth century. Cf. Catalogus codicum hagiographicorum Graecorum Parisiensium, p. 10), p. 646 (eleventh century), p. 97 (century ?)]. For they would have perceived at first sight that the effigy of Leopardus, as it is represented on the plate of Osimo, agrees wholly with a certain archetype which Christian artists everywhere, from the sixth century already up to the eleventh century and perhaps later, set before themselves for representing any bishop.
§ VI. On the findings or recognitions of the body of St. Leopardus made in the year 1479, in the year 1513 and in the year 1753.
[32] After the end of the thirteenth century After the finding of the year 1296, that more illustrious manifestations of the piety of the people of Osimo toward their principal patron were displayed in the course of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries is shown by public monuments, which after the middle of the eighteenth century were kept in autograph in the archives of Osimo.
a) First of all, namely, in the compilation of the statutes of the city of Osimo, which was rewritten rather often from the year 1308 on, there is read this [Introduced into the collection by the statute of the year 1371; but already in the statutes of the year 1297 and of the year 1308 and thereafter in the subsequent ones SS. Leopardus, Vitalianus and Benvenutus were customarily invoked (Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. I, p. 60, note 2)] Rubric VII. On the celebration and cult of our most holy defenders Leopardus, Victor, Vitalianus and Benvenutus, and in that statute it is prescribed that the podestà, the gonfalonier, the priors, the chancellor and the chamberlain, together with the men of the general council, upon requisition, with trumpets and instruments going before, are bound to go in person to the episcopal church, where these feasts are celebrated, and there by the hand of the podestà [In the edition of the codex of statutes printed in the year 1571, in place of these words (offerre unum-extiterit ordinatum) there is read: by the own hands of all and each of the aforesaid, to offer one candle of white wax of a quality according to the provision of the lords gonfalonier and priors, to be carried from the palace of our residence to the said cathedral church into the hands of the priest humbly and devoutly, at the expense, however, of the commune of our city (Pannelli, p. 19, note 30)] to offer one pallium of silk of the value of one hundred solidi of denarii for each of these feasts, and nonetheless by these governments and the council there are to be carried and offered there as many wax candles as shall be fitting according to the provision of the lords podestà, gonfalonier and priors and as shall have been ordained by the lords podestà, gonfalonier and priors. And the said feasts are to be proclaimed on the preceding day by mandate and on behalf of the podestà, under a penalty of one hundred solidi from his salary, to be applied to the commune Pannelli, work cited, p. 19; Compagnoni, vol. I, p. 61.
[33] more celebrated among the people of Osimo b) To the formula of the oath which was prescribed to Galterius Branus, who was to discharge the office of podestà in the year 1360, such an opening was prefixed: In the name of the Lord. On the 7th day of the month of January 1360… To the reverence of almighty God, and of his mother ever Virgin, the Lady Holy Mary, and of the blessed apostles the lord St. Peter and the lord St. Paul, and of the glorious confessors the lord St. Leopardus and the lord St. Vitalianus, who are the rulers and defenders of this city… Martorelli, work cited, p. 91; Pannelli, work cited, p. 18. And a similar opening has the instrument of the concord established in the year 1416 between Malatesta, who ruled the city, and the people who had raised a sedition against him Martorelli, p. 231; Pannelli, p. 18.
[34] the cult of St. Leopardus, c) In the year 1432, on the occasion of the finding of the bodies of SS. Victor, Corona and Philip, the cathedral church of Osimo obtained from Eugene IV, the supreme pontiff, a bull by which indulgences are granted to all who on the 〈feasts〉 of the aforesaid SS. Victor, Corona and Philip, and on that of St. Leopardus the confessor, whose body, as we have also learned, is honourably preserved in the aforesaid church, shall devoutly visit the said church every year… Pannelli, pp. 21 – 22; Compagnoni-Vecchietti, vol. V, p. 165.
[35] confirmed also by the fame of miracles. d) Certain miracles ascribed to the invocation of St. Leopardus were recorded officially in the year 1476 by Stephen, priest and notary public. These, published by Pannelli from the autograph instrument Work cited, pp. 26 – 35, we shall insert a little below Below, pp. 377 – 79 according to this edition among the documents on our saint.
[36] Translations in the year 1479, And thence the bishop of Osimo Luca Carducci was led to elevate again the body of St. Leopardus, which, found in the year 1296, had been so carefully hidden away that the place of burial no longer appeared, and to place it in a more honoured and more conspicuous place, which was done on the 30th day of October of the year 1479. This finding the same Stephen the notary carefully described, and attached his narrative to the narrative of the miracles just mentioned. This document too Pannelli published from the autograph writing Work cited, pp. 35 – 41. On the codex and author cf. ibid., pp. 22 – 25. That edition Compagnoni followed [Work cited, vol. I, pp. 67 – 69. But omitted here is the brief compendium of the Life of St. Leopardus which was prefixed in place of a preface to the description of the finding], and we shall follow it See below, pp. 379 – 80.
[37] in the year 1513, The third solemn translation, made in the year 1513, is briefly narrated in a certain codex which at the time when Pannelli wrote was kept in the noble house of the lords de Aqua. Although it is asserted by no public instrument, yet since the narrative is shown worthy of credit by more than one indication Compagnoni, work cited, vol. I, pp. 143 – 45, there is no reason why we should call it into doubt. And in these few words, conceived in Italian, the account of the translation is read in the said codex: Sotto il di 13. Giugno 1513. nel tempo ch'era vescovo monsig. Antonio Sinibaldi fu fatta la ricognizione del corpo di santo Vitaliano nostro vescovo nel nostro vescovado, e fattane processionalmente la traslazione alli Corpi Santi [Pannelli testified that in his time the underground crypt of the cathedral church of Osimo was still so called] con buone spese del vescovo, coll' assistenza di tutti i cleri e preti diocesani. Ed in detto anno detto monsig. fece la traslazione de' corpi di S. Leopardo e de' Ss. martiri Fiorenzo e compagni nelli detti Corpi Santi [Under the 13th day of June 1513, in the time when Monsignor Antonio Sinibaldi was bishop, the recognition was made of the body of St. Vitalianus, our bishop, in our cathedral, and its translation was made in procession to the Holy Bodies, at the bishop's good expense, with the assistance of all the clergy and priests of the diocese. And in the said year the said Monsignor made the translation of the bodies of St. Leopardus and of the holy martyrs Florentius and companions into the said Holy Bodies] Pannelli, work cited, p. 91; Compagnoni, in the volume cited, p. 144.
[38] and lastly in the year 1753. Finally, the fourth finding or recognition of the body of St. Leopardus was instituted in the year 1753, under the authority and presidency of bishop Pompeo Compagnoni. Its authentic instrument, published by Pannelli Work cited, pp. 83 – 90 and afterwards in the appendix to the huge work of that bishop praised rather often above Work cited, vol. V, pp. 248 – 254, we too have judged should be published here again Below, pp. 380 – 83.
§ VII. On the present-day cult of St. Leopardus among the people of Osimo.
[39] The body of St. Leopardus still preserved in the cathedral church of Osimo Since the year 1753 no other translation or recognition of the relics of St. Leopardus has been made. And so his body still rests in the altar in which it was laid at that time. There is also preserved in the cathedral church, enclosed in an elegant reliquary, that silver plate which was found beside the sacred body in the year 1296 Cf. above, no. 25. But the popular piety toward the holy patron of the city of Osimo has much cooled and been as it were extinguished [These things and what follows about the present-day observance toward St. Leopardus we were taught by the venerable man Antonio Dennesi, canon, secretary to the chapter of the cathedral church of Osimo, by letter dated the 28th day of January 1897]. Of which thing perhaps
some principal cause can be believed to have been the decree by which bishop Pompeo Compagnoni declared the legend of St. Leopardus apocryphal and forbade it to be recited within the divine office. Hence it certainly came about that priests ceased to preach to the people from the pulpit the things which were related in this legend. But popular piety toward any saint, if it is to remain in its fervour, must be fostered by the narration of wonderful things which are reported to have been accomplished or obtained by him, and also by the showing of the places where these happened; and when these memories have been blotted out, it usually soon vanishes. Which we think happened at Osimo too.
[40] and his office celebrated there. In the cathedral church indeed the festival of St. Leopardus is celebrated every year on the 7th day of November under the rite of a double of the second class with an octave, and on this solemnity the principal dignitary of the chapter officiates at the sacred rites, at which the bishop of the city is present in pontifical apparel. But the proper office of St. Leopardus, which was anciently in use Cf. above, no. 12, having been suppressed, the whole office is made from the common of a confessor bishop, without any proper lessons [Compagnoni professed this too in the memorial which he offered to Benedict XIV to obtain that St. Leopardus should again be joined to St. Thecla in the title of tutelary patron of the cathedral church of Osimo, dissembling, however, that the ancient lessons had begun to be neglected by his order (cf. above, p. 365, note 16. Cf. also below, the annotation on the Life, ch. 12)].
§ VIII. On the cult of St. Leopardus outside the diocese of Osimo.
[41] Outside the diocese of Osimo Pannelli complained that he had been able to learn very little about these things Work cited, pp. 78 – 82. Vecchietti collected some more Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. I, pp. 8 – 10, note. In them no fewer than eight places situated outside the diocese of Osimo are indicated where St. Leopardus was honoured with some singular cult. Namely:
[42] a church consecrated with the title of St. Leopardus in the territory of Rieti, The writer of the Life to be published below Life, ch. 8 reports that in the territory of Rieti a church was built in that place where the Roman pontiff had received St. Leopardus coming to him with a flock of geese, and that in it were painted the birds flying away after receiving the saint's blessing, and besides, a little church in the place where they first appeared. Giovanni Baldi testifies that these churches and the painting were still to be seen in his time (though he had not seen them himself) Work cited, p. 120. These assertions, if they were not confirmed from elsewhere, would certainly seem of little weight. But it is wholly certain from many testimonies of the Chronicle of Farfa, of which three belong to the tenth century, three to the eleventh century, and the last to the year 1118 [Il Chronicon Farfense di Gregorio di Catino, ed. Hugo Balzani (Rome, 1903, among the Fonti per la storia d'Italia pubblicate dall'Istituto italiano), vol. I, p. 315, l. 24 – 26; p. 319, l. 36; p. 339, l. 9; vol. II, p. 123, l. 6; p. 169, l. 13 – 16; p. 176, l. 8; p. 281, l. 13], that in the territory of Rieti, already before the middle of the tenth century and thereafter, there existed a church of Saint Leopardus among the possessions of the monastery of Farfa Cf. above, page 364, note 2.
[43] in the castle of Phalleronum, A church of Saint Leopardus in Castrum Phalleroni is listed by Alexander III in the bull by which in the year 1180 he confirmed the possessions of the monastery of San Pietro Vecchio Compagnoni-Vecchietti, vol. I, p. 9 in the diocese of Fermo.
[44] in the castle of Pira In Castrum Pirae Apiro, which is a town in the diocese of Camerino, a church of Saint Leopardus is reported to have been celebrated, from which a part of the town took its name, as is plain from a certain chapter of the statute renewed in the year 1380, in which there is read in book VI, Rubric 42: That of the castle of Pira four quarters be made. We establish and ordain that the quarter of St. Urban and of St. Leopardus from now on, by the authority of this statute, are and must be and are held for one quarter only, and it is to be called and named the quarter of St. Leopardus Pannelli, work cited, p. 81.
[45] and in the territory of Cerreto. In the same diocese of Camerino another church was said to have been anciently consecrated in the territory of Cerreto under the title of Saint Leopardus [Of which, in a certain manuscript codex which in the eighteenth century was kept in the house of the noble man Filippo de Aqua: A di 22 settembre 1681 io, Flaminio Guarnieri (he was a canon of the chapter of the cathedral of Osimo), mandai diverse notizie al signor don Bernardo Lorvega, curato di S. Maria della Porta di Cerreto di Fabriano, del nostro glorioso S. Leopardo, primo vescovo nella nostra città di Osimo, perchè in quella cura vi è una chiesa eretta anticamente del 1300 in circa ad onore del nostro S. Leopardo, nel cui quadro di pittura vi si legge: S. Leopardus episcopus Auximanus [On the 22nd of September 1681 I, Flaminio Guarnieri, sent various notices to the lord don Bernardo Lorvega, curate of Santa Maria della Porta of Cerreto di Fabriano, about our glorious St. Leopardus, first bishop in our city of Osimo, because in that cure there is a church erected anciently, about 1300, in honour of our St. Leopardus, in whose painting there is read: St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo] (Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. I, pp. 8 – 9)], to which in the year 1681 cardinal Bichi, bishop of Osimo, granted a small particle of the relics of St. Leopardus, which is enclosed in a reliquary fashioned in the form of an arm and ending in a gilded wooden hand, to be exposed on certain days in that church to the veneration of the people; which was testified on the 29th day of October of the aforesaid year by Giuseppe Ilari, at that time chancellor of the bishop of Osimo Compagnoni-Vecchietti, ibid., p. 8.
[46] [His memory marked in the calendars of San Severino, Gubbio, Fermo, Fonte Avellana and Molfetta.] Besides these, four other towns and a monastery are known in which in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries St. Leopardus was venerated with singular honour. For five calendars have been published, of which two belong to the city of San Severino or Septempeda, one made about the year 1400, the other between the years 1447 and 1457; the third, put together at the end of the fourteenth century for the use of the church of Gubbio; the fourth, which is read at the head of an ancient missal in the archive of the cathedral church of Fermo, which the reverend John de Firmonibus of Fermo … bishop and prince of Fermo (in the years 1412 – 1421) had written for his use; the fifth finally, of the monastery of Santa Croce of Fonte Avellana, is also ascribed to about the year 1400. Now in all these documents the festival of St. Leopardus is marked at the seventh before the Ides, or the 7th day of November, with the title added, in the four former indeed, of bishop and confessor, but in the fifth of confessor Ibid., pp. 9 – 10. To which must be added the calendar which is prefixed to a certain breviary of Molfetta written after the middle of the fifteenth century, in which at the seventh before the Ides of November there is read marked the memory of St. Leopardus, bishop and martyr [In I.-M. Giovene, Kalendaria vetera mss. ecclesiarum Apuliae et Iapygiae (Naples, 1828), p. XLII; cf. ibid., pp. XII – XIII].
So far on the life and cult of Leopardus. Now we come to publishing the ancient documents.
I. LIFE OF ST. LEOPARDUS
From the Brussels codex 8935 (1) and the edition of Domenico Pannelli (2). Cf. the preliminary commentary, nos. 9, 10.
Leopardus, bishop of Osimo. (S.)
BHL Number: 4884
Life of St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo and confessor, from a manuscript codex of the same church, and it is divided by lessons, as it is customarily read on his festival In festivitate sancti Leopardi episcopi et confessoris 2.
[1] Prologue. Lectio prima 2. I indeed qui 1, because of the lack of knowledge and the force of the reigning vices, since no virtue (c. n. v.) nec v. aliqua 1 flourishes viget 1 in me, am not worthy to set my name to so great a work. But to him who (i. q.) ille (so corrected, earlier illi?) qui 1; quia ille 2 said: Open your mouth, and I will fill it Ps. 80:11, to him, with trembling, because I am not worthy to obtain grace from him, I commit myself wholly, that by his most pious mercy he may grant to me, a most unworthy sinner, that about so great a bishop, our father Leopardus, of the things which I have heard from the ancients and read through in most ancient books [That these things were not falsely said by our writer may be believed, provided it is added that what he read in most ancient books was adapted by him to St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo, since they had by no means been written about him, or, like the description of the city of Osimo (chs. 2, 3), did not properly concern St. Leopardus], I may say those which are true and to be said (et d.) dicendo 2, and those which would not, or would in some respect obscure offuscaret 1 the truth, I may in no way be able to say with the tongue of flesh or write with the hand.
[2] Description and praise of the city of Osimo. There was a certain most noble city in the middle That is, in the very centre or navel of the region of the March, which seemed to hold the monarchy of the whole region, namely Osimo [The city of Osimo is read already celebrated as a great city in Plutarch (in the Life of Pompey, ch. 6), and as the chief of the cities of Picenum, which the Romans are accustomed to call the metropolis of the nation, in Procopius (On the Gothic War, bk. II, chs. 11, 23)], in which, because of its fertility and beauty, the emperor Hadrian [I find one inscription of Osimo in which the name of the emperor Hadrian is read (CIL, vol. IX, n. 5883), but besides that no indication from which it could be judged that this emperor stayed at Osimo] and many others resided residerunt 2, and many noble Romans were citizens of Osimo as well as of Rome [Osimo, namely, was a colony of Roman citizens (Velleius Paterculus, History, bk. I, ch. 15; Th. Mommsen, CIL, vol. IX, p. 589)]. It Ea 2 is placed on a lofty mountain [Cf. Procopius, On the Gothic War, bk. II, ch. 23: Situated on a lofty hill, it (the city of Osimo) has no access on the level; whence it comes about that it is wholly inaccessible to enemies], and is not surrounded by mountains. It is girded on every side by great banks That is, by rocks or stony hills? Cf. Du Cange, under ripa 1 and by walls of great stones round about [The ancient ornaments of the city of Osimo which are described here our writer could have gathered from the sight of the ruins which had been uncovered a little before. Cf. the preliminary commentary, no. 11]; and et omits 2 upon its walls are most beautiful halls, which are supported by marble columns; and above the halls there are men carved out of ex omits 1 stones, in so great a multitude that always urbs ipsa adds 2 defended by soldiers (m. m.) munita hominum 1 against
outside in foris 2 [That is, outside? The city, namely, because of the multitude of statues which had been placed on the walls, appeared defended by many soldiers to those who beheld it from afar] it might be proved. And within there are towers, palaces and walls without number. Two very spacious baths bordered it That is, were bordering, adjoining. Cf. Du Cange, under this word, which were filled with waters through leaden conduits That is, channels, pipes. Cf. Du Cange, under conductus 4 and most artful artificiosissime 1 caverns [That is, fishponds, receptacles of waters, in French châteaux d'eau? or perhaps antlia is to be read?]. It had besides a certain most beautiful gate on the south, which they called golden, because craftsmen diligently made coinage monetas 2 of gold before it [Whence a tradition of this kind arose I do not grasp. Perhaps in exploring the ruins of the city (cf. the preliminary commentary, no. 11) certain gold medals or coins were found in this place], as is read in Lucan No verses of this kind are read in Lucan:
Osimo, depraved city, now you are depraved by the enemy, And, laid low, you are silent iaces 1 corrected, iacis 2 about your deceitful words. Tell me now, I pray, where is the so great boasting With which you presumed to do such great depravities? Before your doors you struck the coinage of gold; Look back on whose struck image subdues you.
And the square which remained beside the capitol [By the name of capitol in municipalities are designated the buildings in which the aediles of the city gathered, public documents were kept, justice was administered, etc.] was covered with a copper sky [That is, of copper or bronze (in Italian di rame). The writer will have seen, namely, a trace of a portico or apse whose vault had been covered with metal of this kind]. Of the temples and idols I am silent, which were carved out of gold and et omits 2 silver and out of polished stones. The city Civitas omits 1 was supported fulciebantur 1 by so great excellence that of it it was written: Fairer of the Pentapolitans Pentapolianorum 1, Pentapolianarum 2 of the Italians Italianorum omits 2. Pentapolis is so called from pente, which is five, and polis, which is city, because it was mistress of five cities [Besides the Cyrenaic or Libyan Pentapolis and certain others in the East, from the seventh century on there is known an Italian Pentapolis in Picenum, whose name occurs frequently in the Liber pontificalis (ed. L. Duchesne; see the index, vol. II, p. 626). But since the bounds of this Pentapolis are nowhere defined in the old documents, nor are the five notable cities indicated whence that name of the region arose, various more recent writers have indicated various ones, each according to his own inclination. So Girolamo Rossi (Historiarum Ravennatum bk. IV end; in Graevius-Burmann, Thesaurus antiquitatum et historiarum Italiae, vol. VII, part I, p. 212 end): "The region which they call by the Greek word Pentapolis contained Ravenna, Cesena, Classe, Forlì and Forlimpopoli, and the territories of those cities. And this Pentapolis was the one part of the Exarchate; the other they call Emilia." Others say the five cities from which the region of Pentapolis drew its name were Rimini, Pesaro, Fano, Osimo and Ancona (Acta Sanctorum, July vol. III, p. 296 D; October vol. VI, p. 470 B); others Ancona, Senigallia, Rimini, Pesaro and Fano (A. Amati, Dizionario corografico dell' Italia, vol. V, p. 1073); others Ancona, Senigallia, Urbino, Osimo and Umana (ibid.; cf. Vecchietti, work cited, vol. I, p. 173). But wrongly have the people of Osimo brought forward for their city, as an invincible argument, the subscription which is read appended to the acts of the Roman synod convened in the year 680, conceived in these words: John, bishop of the holy church of Osimo of the province of Pentapolis, to this suggestion… (Mansi, Concilia, vol. XI, p. 311); for from this subscription it is only gathered that the town of Osimo was situated in the Pentapolitan region, not that it was one of the five cities from which that region obtained its name]. How fertile it is the people of Osimo well perceive, who make their lands bear fruit in four solaria [That is, in the four seasons of the year? For the passage does not seem to admit another meaning; which, however, I find indicated neither in Du Cange nor in any other lexicon]. For in the first they gather colligunt omits 1 oil; in the second, wine in neutro genere adds 1; in the third, the best figs; in the fourth and last, boundless grain.
[3] In it St. Sisinnius and his companions, martyrs, are reported to have suffered. And certain Romans, hearing the exceeding nimiam omits 2 fame of this city (h. u.) omits 1, came into it to preach the word of the Lord (v. D. p.) ad v. D. praedicandum 2, dwelling on the estate of a certain most noble Roman [These things are manifestly taken from the Acts of St. Antimus at the 11th day of May (Acta Sanctorum, May vol. II, p. 616), n. 5], who had freed them at Rome from (R. ex) de Roma 1 chains. In which (In quo) Eo in 2 place, in a time of peace (p. t.) paucissimo temporis spatio 2, a church was built in (in eorum-eccl.) exst. eccl. in eorum n. 2 their name, because namely (q. v.) qui verum 1 the saints Diocletianus so 1, 2, read Diocletius, Sisinnius Siscignus 1, Florentius and Maximus, fleeing eo fugerunt 2 when they heard the tumult of the raging people a quo tandem adds 2, were with one accord slaughtered. Of these indeed it is written: God is wonderful in his saints Ps. 67:36. God had shown wonders innumera adds 2 there on their account. Moreover the fame of the miracles which the Lord showed for them (q. p. e. D. o.) quibus eorum precibus D. urbem Auximanam condecoravit 2 reached even to the summit of the supreme pontiff. Because vero adds 2 it is read: Marry an equal ut adds 1, therefore it is believed that for so noble a city, as for a bride, so most noble a bridegroom and patron, namely the excellent Leopardus, had been wholly penitus fuisse omits 2 reserved by God.
[4] St. Leopardus, German by birth, Lectio secunda 2. Leopardus was of Teutonic [Why the writer imagined Leopardus to be of German origin, the reason may have been that his name seemed to him to sound somewhat barbarous] origin origine 2, a contemporary of blessed Martin Cf. above, the preliminary commentary, no. 13. And as blessed Nicholas was chosen from the cradle, so that, namely, on the fourth and sixth day of the week he drank at the breasts once a day, so to this one too in isto 2 the grace of God came, as is sung of him in the night antiphon: Before St. Leopardus could know you possem 1 by the age of his body, you went before him, O God (e. D.) cum Dei 1, with the blessings of sweetness, so that, his priesthood being eagerly consummated through you, you might gladden him with joy with your countenance. And as king David was anointed in boyhood, so this one too was ordained bishop by God at a boyish age. He from the earliest of his age applied himself to fasts and et omits 2 prayers and pious works, likewise frequented churches in manifold ways, was beyond measure free from every vice; whom we can rightly name blessed, as it is written: Blessed is the man who has borne the yoke from his youth Lam. 3:27; who appeared not as a boy but as an old man in his morals, and went about not as the son of a most noble and illustrious man, but as a presbyter [That this word sometimes signifies a man of humble condition and that it is used in such a sense in this place Pannelli says. But certainly this sense is neither indicated in Du Cange nor is it drawn from the words of Geoffrey of Vigeois about John the presbyter cited in Du Cange. I should rather believe that Leopardus is praised here because in his outward dress he displayed not the pomp and pride of a youth born in a most noble station, but the modesty which befits a cleric or monk]. Not a deaf hearer of the Gospel, indeed, leaving parents parentis 1, all goods and homeland, he always demanded in himself the palm of martyrdom.
[5] [added by Innocent I, the Roman pontiff, to the Roman priests, and then declared bishop of Osimo,] After he came to the years of discretion, he was great in stature, but greatest in holiness. At length he went to Rome to visit the thresholds of the apostles Peter and Paul Cf. above, the preliminary commentary, no. 14. He was received honourably by the pope and the whole curia on account of his fame. Of whose name let us endeavour to say something briefly in allegory. His Cuius omits 2 name is compounded from (est ex) et 1 the names of the lion and the pard; and he imitated the nature of both. For the nature of the pard is always to catch its prey in three leaps saltis 1. He wholly imitated the same nature, in that (eo quod) eoque 1 St. Innocent of Albano, who then governed the chair of Peter, first committed to him the church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius in the City to be established construendam 2 from the resources of a certain most noble lady Vescina, as had proceeded from the will of that lady dominae 2 herself. Secondly he committed to him tibi 1 the church of St. Agnes near the City to be governed, as on the fifth before the Kalends of August, on the feast of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, Victor and Innocent, is read and is found in (apud-pontificis) omits 2 Platina in the Life of the lord Innocent, pontiff [In the lessons on the saints who are venerated on the 28th day of July mention is certainly made of St. Innocent the pope, but by no means of St. Leopardus; and in Platina it is indeed read that the administration of the church of St. Agnes was committed to Leopardus and Paulinus, priests, but in no way that that Leopardus afterwards ruled the church of Osimo]. Thirdly, the said St. Innocent, as having proved his prudence, his legality That is, uprightness, goodness. See Du Cange, under legalitas 2 and fullest holiness, just as sic 1 blessed Peter (b. P.) P. b. 1 sent Mark to Aquileia and Apollinaris to Ravenna, and other supreme pontiffs had sent very many throughout the whole world, so this Innocent, truly innocent, sent his innocent disciple to the people of Osimo, given over to the worship of idols [The writers of Osimo vehemently oppose this assertion (Dom. Pannelli, work cited, Preliminary dissertation, pp. vij-xvj; Compagnoni-Vecchietti, vol. I, p. L and following. Add Zaccaria, Auxim. epp., pp. 11 – 15). But whatever they pile up to demonstrate that the Christian faith already flourished at Osimo in the first centuries of our era is reduced to
that general argument which Tommaso Mamachi expressed (Originum et antiquitatum christianarum, bk. II, p. 245, note at the end) in these words: "It was the care of Peter and his successors that assemblies of Christians should be established everywhere in Italy. And so Innocent I, the supreme pontiff, in Letter 25 to Decentius of Gubbio: 'It is manifest,' he says, 'that throughout all Italy no one has instituted churches except those whom the venerable apostle Peter or his successors established as priests…' But that they put off to the third or fourth century giving their effort to propagating religion most widely in Italy, when in the most remote regions it had been so propagated in the second century that there was not even a village in which Christ was not worshipped, I shall never believe." And as regards the region of Osimo in particular, they bring forward the Acts of St. Antimus, in which it is narrated that Christians lived there at the time of the persecutions. But even if these Acts are thought wholly genuine, from the fact that at a certain time Christians underwent martyrdom in a certain region it does not follow that that region received the faith of Christ at the same time], he sent the illustrious Leopardus, that he might draw so faithless et adds 2 and unbelieving a people from eternal death, if he could, and to the grace of Jesus Christ by his work and example (t. s. o. et ex.) s. o. et ex. t. 2. He, desiring to have the perfection of his master and lord, imitated that innocent man in deed and in name. As Christ says in the Gospel: For everyone (Omnis-Christus) omits 1 is perfect if he is as his master; and Christ himself also says: A good tree cannot bear evil fruits fructus omits 1 Luke 6:40, Matt. 7:18. Therefore this St. Leopardus, as one taught by a good master, in this hoc 2 third leap so manfully drew the prey to himself that none of the people of Osimo remained remanserit 2 the prey of the enemy of the human race.
[6] He converts the people of Osimo to the true faith. Lectio tertia 2. Now such is the nature of the lion, that its cubs are always ut sibi 2 born oriantur 2 tamquam adds 2 dead; and it goes to them and roars over them so long until it sends into them the breath of life. Which (Q. d.) ipsum leonem 2 the learned St. Leopardus imitated in all things. For quia 2 having undertaken the pastoral office, as has been said, he hastens without delay to the said people, dead in (in a.) ut ad animam 2 soul [the two clauses which follow are read in inverted order in 2: credens p. m. invenire, non timens … ferrum], not fearing death, nor the threats of the raging people, nor chains nor the sword, believing he would find the palm of martyrdom (in a.) ut ad animam 2; he roared over tamdiu super 2 his spiritual sons, namely with preachings, miracles and examples, so that ut omits 2 no one should remain dead in soul. For this is the notable and magnificent watchman of the people of Osimo, who by the nod of divine providence prudentiae 2 was made the aforesaid praefatus omits 2 bishop for the protection of the same city, as above. And the aforesaid city, as was said above, was almost wholly still given over to the errors of heathenism and defiled by the filth of idols. To it the same excellent confessor of the Lord taught the religion of the Christian faith fidei omits 1 and poured over it the wave of sacred baptism. For so great a vigour of his eius omits 1 preaching prevailed that no worshipper of idols at all remained in the same city [Baldi says that ten or eleven churches were built at Osimo by Leopardus (work cited, pp. 111 – 13), but bringing forward no old witness of this matter]. For by the grace of Christ he gave light to the blind, drove demons out of possessed bodies, gave hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, and displayed also other special marks signa 2 of very many powers very frequently crebius 1 and in manifold ways.
[7] He betrays and puts to flight a demon hiding under the appearance of a monk. And among the manifold marks of his prodigies and powers, he is reported to have displayed these, namely, as special praecipua omits 2. Because he had read in the Gospel that there is a kind of demons which is not cast out except by in adds 2 prayer and fasting, he wholly macerated his body with fasts and prayers, so that he might expel even that kind from possessed bodies Mark 9:28. And it happened [Little narratives of this kind about a demon hiding under human or angelic appearance the writer could have read in not a few Lives of saints. It will be enough to recall the Lives of St. Gilduin (Acta Sanctorum, January vol. II, p. 792, nos. 8 – 11), St. Godric (Acta Sanctorum, May vol. V, p. 73, nos. 14, 15), St. Paternian (Acta Sanctorum, July vol. III, p. 298, nos. 6, 9) and St. Blevigneti, to be published a little below on this very 7th day of November] that into the monastery monasterium 2 of Casa Nova there entered intraverit 2 a malignant spirit in the dress of a monk monachali 2; who was so serving and obedient (s. et o.) o. et s. 2 to all that he was loved by all. But the most blessed Leopardus, who, like a prophet, foreknew the future, perceived the danger which threatened the said monastery. Not caring about his own labour, he hastens to the place without delay; and he was entertained by the abbot and monks with the greatest honour and devotion of heart on account of his holiness. And the saint said to the abbot: "Order all the monks to assemble conveniri 1 in chapter." And when the brothers had been gathered, he said to them: "You are not all here." They answered: "Truly, father, all but one (n. u.) solus u. abest 2, who is preparing in in omits 1 the refectory and is very necessary in the kitchen." And the saint said to them, yes (etiam ad eos) ad eos: Etiam 2: "Bring him without delay." And when he is adds 2 was led and saw the most blessed Leopardus, he began to groan most fiercely and to stagger. And the saint said ad eum adds 2: "In the power veritate 1 of Jesus Christ I command you, demon, to tell these men who you are, and what you have done to them, and what you intended to do." And the demon (D. v.) At d. 2 said: "I am," he says inquit omits 2, "the enemy of the human race. Lands, vineyards, trees, I have prevented from bearing fruit with cum omits 2 hail or with (a. c.) et 2 blight and with locusts and caterpillars rucis 1 from the time when I came among them, believing I would so adeo 2 weaken them in their victuals victualiter omits 2 that they would all go wandering round about, and that (et ne) eni (?) 1 their prayers would not burn me me omits 1 and my brothers in this place." And the saint to him: "I command you to harm no one, and hasten festines 2 to go to desert places." And he went out with a shriek and a stench, as had been commanded him by the most blessed Leopardus.
[8] [He goes to the Roman pontiff, a flock of wild geese wonderfully accompanying him.] Lectio quarta 2. And on a certain occasion, he is adds 2 wishing to visit Papia, as he was bound by right, when he came into the plain of the city of Arieti [Namely Reate, in Italian Rieti. The Roman pontiff resided for some time in that city in the course of the thirteenth century (cf. Potthast, Regesta Romanorum Pontificum, pp. 1852 – 61)], where the curia resided, he saw alios adds 2 bishops with an abundant multitude of soldiers, bringing with them no small presents ensenia (and a little below enseniola) 1, 2. Then he began to have in himself something of shame verecundiae 2, because he was not going with a retinue nor bringing any little presents ensenia (and a little below enseniola) 1, 2 to the supreme pontiff. Then, coming back to himself, as ut 2 Abraham said: The Lord Deus 2 will provide Gen. 22:8. And suddenly a line of wild geese stood before him, and if the saint walked (a. s.) s. a. 2, the geese walked et adds 2, and if the saint sanctus omits 2 stood, the geese stood likewise. Then the man of God understood how a retinue and present ensenia (and a little below enseniola) 1, 2 had been provided provisum 2 for him erat 2 by the Lord. He pursued his journey and (p. e. et) persequens 2, having entered ingreditur 2 the city, he is gazed at by the citizens, and omnes adds 2 they wonder how quare 2 wild geese, against nature and custom, followed a man into the city. They too began to follow him, to see with what end that miracle would be closed. The saint enters the pope's palace, the geese likewise entered; citizens and strangers followed him together, so that none of the bishops entered to the pope with so great a retinue. On account of his holiness the pope came to meet him and said: "What is this, bishop of Osimo?" — "That you may be refreshed recreamini earlier 1, 2 by them, holy father." The pope saw that whatever he had heard of him was fulfilled in deed opera 2. He said to him: "Bless, holy bishop, these birds, that they may return to their places." And when he blessed them, as he had received in command from the supreme pontiff, they were raised so high that they were no longer seen by human eyes. Then in the said city a church was built to his name, and there the birds were painted for the memory of those to come [This little fable our writer could have taken from the Life of St. Cerbonius, bishop of Populonia, of whom something similar is narrated (Ughelli, Italia sacra, vol. III, p. 707; Acta Sanctorum, October vol. V, p. 99, n. 16). That a church of St. Leopardus existed at Rieti from the middle of the tenth century at least is established from certain testimonies (cf. above, the preliminary commentary, no. 42), and that in it there was painted the miracle of the geese led by St. Leopardus to the supreme pontiff Baldi asserted (ibid.). But Antonio Geminiani, of the Order of Preachers, questioned on this matter by Domenico Leone, of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, answered by letter dated the 23rd day of July 1757 that that painting had been covered with lime about fifty years before by order of the parish priest who presided over the church. Of the same church and painting the same Domenico Leoni wrote on the 31st day of January 1759: "Il P.
abate di Farfa mi spedisce la stessa relazione che mi mandò il P. Geminiani Domenicano. Dice però il P. abate, che la chiesa di S. Leopardo vescovo Osimano è di piccola mole. Nella struttura è simile all' altre più antiche della citta di Rieti. Essendo stata imbiancata, non più si vede il fatto dell' oche, il quale stava dipinto vicino all' altar maggiore, di che ci è un testimonio vivente" ["Father Abbot of Farfa sends me the same report which Father Geminiani, the Dominican, sent me. The Father Abbot says, however, that the church of St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo, is of small size. In structure it is like the other more ancient ones of the city of Rieti. Having been whitewashed, the incident of the geese, which was painted near the high altar, is no longer seen, of which there is a living witness"] (in Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. I, pp. 128 – 29, note 11)]. And where the geese appeared to him ei omits 2, a little church of his name was also built.
[9] A spiteful mocker of the saint punished by God. St. Martin, bishop of the people of Tours Turunciorum 1, went to Osimo Cf. above, the preliminary commentary, no. 13 to see the most blessed Leopardus. Receiving him gladly (Q. l. s.) a quo laeto admodum susceptus est 2, he is adds 2 ordered abundance of the best dishes (de o. de) optimas dapes 2 to be prepared. When they had been refreshed, the household, according to custom, distributed erogare 1 the leftovers to the poor; to a certain poor man, envious and wicked, they assigned of the leftover meats beyond the usual measure. He, with the meats in his hands, went to certain other envious men, and said to them: "This hypocrite bishop preaches abstinence to us, and he himself procures nobis adds 1 so much meat that his household throw it away and cannot eat it in any way." What he said docebat 1 with his mouth he wished to prove by works, and said to them: "See how much carnes adds 2 they have given me, and to many others in a greater and very long (et l.) omits 2 quantity." The envious men saw videntes corrected 1 the meats; they were so (c. ita e. c.) ita esse carnes (cum omits) 2 joined unitas 2 to the hands of the poor man that ut 2 they appeared not two, but wholly one flesh. Astounded at this miracle, weeping plorantes omits 2 they cried out for mercy for de omits 1 what they had committed. Meanwhile St. Martin had gone on his way, and blessed Leopardus had gone with one accord simul 2 to honour him proficiscentem hospitem adds 2. And when they found them pauperes adds 2 weeping, crying out acclamabant 1 with raised et elatis 2 voices so much that ut 2 all the citizens came together convenerint 2 to them, the saints, fearing a sedition, proceeded no further, but stopped in the district of Montefiorentino. The citizens coming to them (V. ad e. c.) omits 2, the envious man too, weeping, chose to confess his guilt. And the saints, prostrate in prayer, freed him from that monstrous reproach. In the place where the poor man was restored to his former state (ad p. s.) omits 1, after the departure of St. Martin, the citizens of Osimo built a church in his name.
[10] Placed in ecstasy at Osimo, he is present at Tours at the funeral of St. Martin. Lectio quinta 2. Finally, while cum 2 on a Sunday before the people of Osimo sanctus Leopardus adds 2 he was celebrating the solemnities of the masses (m. s.) missam sollemnem 2 in the church of Blessed Eustochia, which was fuit 2 transferred to the name of Saint Lucy, as soon as it came fuit 2 to the Lord's Prayer according to the rite of the mass, suddenly, in a wonderful manner, lulled for a little paulum 2 as if by a heavy sleep in ecstasy so 1, 2, he fell silent and rested for the space of one hour. Then, coming back to himself, resuming the words of the Lord's Prayer, he completed it according to custom and received the sacraments of the most holy body and blood of Jesus Christ. And when he had decided to give to the priests and people, as is the custom, the mysteries of the sacred sacra 2 communion, all omnes adds 2 with one accord began to declare with obstinate animosity that they would never receive recepturos 2 the same sacraments from his hands unless [(ni eis-indicaret) nisi indicaret quae fuerit causa propter quam aliquanto tempore ante altare obticuerit 2] he told them why he had fallen silent for a little before the altar [(ni eis-indicaret) nisi indicaret quae fuerit causa propter quam aliquanto tempore ante altare obticuerit 2]. Then the kindly bishop of Christ, with placid countenance, at once made known to them what he had seen in his vision. For he declared that he had seen the soul of blessed Martin borne crosswise de causatim 1 That is, fittingly, reverently. See Du Cange, under decusatim, decussatim with the pomp of immense joy to the heavenly kingdoms. This being learned (H. c.) Hac comperta 1, almost all the clergy and people most diligently noted the day and hour, and quickly sent faithful messengers as far as the city of Tours. And the envoys who had been sent from here, on their return, found truly that blessed Martin had departed from this world to the Lord just as had been shown ostendit 1 to the Lord's bishop, who foreknew it; recognizing the maniple of the most blessed Leopardus, which quem 2 he let go there ubi 1 by divine disposition That is, let go, left, from the Italian lasciare. See Du Cange, under laxare 2, they carried it in their hands [A prodigy of this kind we read in the Life of St. Severus of Barcelona, excerpted from the Life of St. Severus of Ravenna (above, p. 243, nos. 5, 6). The same is narrated of St. Ambrose in Gregory of Tours, De miraculis S. Martini, bk. I, ch. 4].
[11] Praise of his virtues. From this time, then, his celebrated name became more and more known, and the illustrious bishop was held in veneration among patricians and foreigners. Peoples, then, began coeperunt 2 to come to him not only from the neighbouring cities, but also to flow together in throngs from those placed far off, and to receive from him the admonitions of holy instruction with all eagerness and devotion of heart, and suppliantly to commend themselves to his holy prayers. For he was catholic in faith, full of charity, pre-eminent in uprightness, supported by virtues, benevolent in hospitality, munificent in liberality That is, liberality. See Du Cange, under dapsilis, an excellent distributor also of spiritual foods, a learned preacher, a merciful sustainer of orphans and widows (p. et v.) v. et p. 2, a guardian of the sheep omnium 1, a pious visitor of the sick and a consoler of mourners. For his way of life and religiousness was to be imitated by and devoted toward both the clergy and the whole omni omits 2 people. By the pious eloquence of his preaching he wonderfully subdued suddebat 1 the hearts of his hearers to sound doctrine and drew pertrahebat 2 them to the mercy of Christ, offering himself as an excellent example; for what he taught with his mouth he displayed in his deeds. No one, indeed, could rightly despise the words of his preaching, since he saw that he ille 1 lived justly and piously vivere omits 1 with the display of miracles too. Of which miracles we have touched on a few de multis cursim adds 2; for neither can speech, however eloquent, relate all his virtues and praiseworthy acts eleoncis? 1, nor can scant time suffice, nor a small little wit avail potest supplied by the corrector 1, earlier omitted. Wherefore, these being omitted, let us come to his most holy departure.
[12] He dies piously and is buried in the church built by himself. Lectio sexta 2. So, now worn out with old age, he perceived through his spirit that his death would be at hand [In this chapter too not a few things are quite similar to those which are read of St. Severus of Barcelona (cf. above, pp. 243 – 45, chs. 9, 10, 17)]. Summoning the clergy and people, he firmly asserts that God now wishes him to rest from his labours and to place him in everlasting joy. Fortifying himself with the reception of the body and blood of Christ, he consoled the weeping brothers by exhorting them, instructing them how (e. q.) verum quod 1 they ought to fight expugnare 1 manfully against the most ancient enemy, showing them all the ways, manners and acts which he has for capturing wretched souls; then all the virtues on account of which the soul is raised on high in heaven, preaching most of all about charity, asserting that without it no soul can arrive at the happy joys regna 2. But because at Rome he had ruled the church of St. Agnes, as was touched on above, near the capitol capitulum 1 of the city of Osimo, in her name and that of Saints Victor and Thecla Tledae 1, a church [On this passage F.-A. Zaccaria comments thus (Auximatium episcoporum series, pp. 32 – 33): "And yet it is certain that Leopardus never ruled the church of St. Agnes at Rome, since he was other than the priest Leopardus whom the pontifical book mentions. St. Victor besides became known to the people of Osimo much later. Yet a church dedicated by Leopardus to Thecla is perhaps not wholly remote from the truth. For although I should hardly believe that the sacred buildings which were built in the first centuries of the Church were dedicated to the honours of saints, yet in the fourth century of the Christian era, in which Leopardus flourished, we find several churches inscribed to the name of saints. Epiphanius, heresy 69, records a church called that of Dionysius; Ambrose, bk. 8, letter 60, indicates the basilica which (St. Bassianus of Lodi) founded in the name of the Apostles; a basilica of the Apostles Constantine raised, as Eusebius witnesses, bk. IV. And how great the celebrity of the holy virgin was in the West all the learned know, and cardinal Baronius and Domenico Giorgi have proved it, the former in his notes to the Roman, the latter to Ado's martyrology, and most recently the Bollandists in her Acts at the 22nd day of September… But if we do not know the causes why this honour was paid by Leopardus to the most holy protomartyr, it does not follow from this that there were none. Nor do I say this as wishing obstinately to defend a church of Osimo dedicated by Leopardus to St. Thecla, but to show that there is no reason why we should deny that it was done." To this conclusion of Zaccaria we readily assent. It is established indeed that in the monuments of the Middle Ages, from the eleventh century at least, the cathedral church of Osimo was always designated under the title of Saint Leopardus (cf. above, the preliminary commentary, nos. 1 – 6), and bishop Pompeo Compagnoni contended, in the petition which he offered to Benedict XIV in the middle of the eighteenth century, that the title of Saint Thecla was first substituted for that title in the year 1593 by cardinal Gallo, then bishop of Osimo, for no other reason than the authority of the Life, which all the learned now confess teems with fables (Compagnoni-Vecchietti, work cited, vol. V, p. 237). But certainly in asserting this he erred, since Pannelli brought forward a document a little more ancient, namely the synodal statutes of Bernardino de' Cuppis printed in the year 1567, among which is read: Particular feasts of this city of Osimo… The feast of St. Thecla, virgin. It is the title of the cathedral church. On the 23rd day of September (Pannelli,
work cited, p. 60, note). But this assertion too can be judged to have arisen from the Life. Some means of reconciling those testimonies is suggested by the account of the finding of the year 1479, when it narrates (Cf. below, p. 379, n. 1) that the title of Saint Leopardus was substituted for the older title of Saint Thecla by St. Vitalianus, who succeeded St. Leopardus in the see of Osimo (but not immediately after him, as the author of the account seems to think, but in the eighth century, some coming in between, which Zaccaria sufficiently demonstrated, work cited, pp. 46 – 49, note 1 on Vitalianus). But we should wish that too to be confirmed by an older testimony] he had ordained, in which quem 1 he ordered himself to be buried. And that place is called the old Castle of the Colony, in which the emperors and secular powers seemed to hold the monarchy; but, as it is read, the man sanctifies the place; the profane place was sanctified by his body. There, then, in a stone chest, as he himself had commanded, toward the southern side he was (s. e.) e. s. 2 solemnly buried. And the illustrious confessor of Christ, bishop Leopardus, presided over the citizens of the aforesaid city for about 40 years [There follows in 1: There still exists at Osimo the most ancient Leoparda family, sprung from Gotobaldus, brother of the most holy bishop, a most noble and illustrious man. He presided as bishop: which are not read in 2], in the times of the emperors Valentinian and Theodosius the Younger minoris omits 2 [These chronological notes were certainly devised by our anonymous man according to the prejudice by which he thought that Leopardus, bishop of Osimo, was the same as the Roman priest of the same name who flourished under Innocent I, the supreme pontiff (cf. above, the preliminary commentary, no. 6). And so, this prejudice being removed, they now lack all foundation whatever], our Lord Jesus Christ reigning for ever, to whom is honour and glory with God Deo omits 2 the Father and the Holy Spirit for ages of ages. Amen omits 1.
[13] Osimo laid waste by the barbarians, Lectio septima 2. The most blessed Leopardus being buried, then, a ciborium was built over his venerable body. To which some coepere 2 of the sick began to run together eagerly and to ask the help of the Lord through the merits of the magnificent confessor; and very many, in a wonderful manner, obtained the gift of health sanctitatis 1. Moreover innumerable wonders were done ferebant 1 through the merits suffragia 2 of the eminent bishop Leopardus. The suffrages Iis 2 at length being duly performed, after a long space of time, the deserts of the citizens requiring it, the same city was besieged and manfully stormed by the nations of the Carpefori [The opinion of Pannelli seems not improbable (work cited, p. 62, note 134), who judges that by this name the Carpi are designated here, who had the seat of their nation in Pannonia and, called in Greek Καρποὶ or Καρποδάκαι, were often confused among the ancients with the Getae or Goths and other peoples. Cf. Vinc. De-Vit, Totius latinitatis Onomasticon, vol. II, p. 138] and the Vandals Vuandalorum 2 [That the territories of Picenum were invaded and laid waste by the Vandals is nowhere recorded. And so again it seems likely that they were named by our writer in place of the Goths; for these really, before the middle of the sixth century, occupied the city of Osimo under king Vitiges (cf. Procopius, On the Gothic War, bk. II, chs. 10, 11, etc.)]. For their vigour prevailed so much that the men, compelled by necessity, going out secretly by night through caves atras 1, caverns and aqueducts, left the said city empty of men. And some of the army were seeking dequirebant 1, requirebat 2 a certain stray heap (q. s.) avem 2. When they came veniret 2 to the gates of the said city, they found invenit 2 no one but so 1, 2 statues carved of stone. But when they heard (s. c. n. a.) et vocem nullam audivit neque 2 neither groan nor song, they led conduxit itaque 2 the army round about; and so the said city was wretchedly taken and laid waste. For when the buildings of the churches, the halls, the houses, the towers (d. t.) t. domus 2 and walls of the same city had been almost all torn down diruta 2 from the foundations and overturned, the proseucha That is, an oratory. Cf. Du Cange, under this word which quare 1 was over the tomb of the sacred body, God protecting it from heaven, remained unharmed illaesus 1 [According to some, the Goths themselves carefully took care that the sepulchre of Leopardus should not be violated. Cf. above, the preliminary commentary, no. 20]. To it the priests and people who had survived went confidently as to an asylum, and gave themselves daily to assiduous prayers and divine sacrifices.
[14] the little building in which Leopardus had been buried remaining unharmed. The aforesaid city remained prostrata adds 2 deserted for 40 ac adds 2 years. After this a certain patrician of Ravenna, named Syrasus earlier Syraiusus 1, Syracus 2, who presided at Ravenna [This Syrasus is wholly unknown from elsewhere. Nor is that migration of the people of Ravenna to Osimo which our anonymous writer narrates found recorded in any old document], coming with his attendants and tenants, repaired the torn-down dirutam 2 city. But the marble columns which supported the halls are not in their first manner, but lie like et 1 men (i. ut h.) ut h. i. 2 in sepulchres; images of stone, bases and capitals torn down diruta 2 and disordered are found invenientur 1 beside the wall of the said dictae omits 2 city, where it is dug fodetur 1, so indeed that the disarrangement of the stones proves approbant 1 the things said above. And after the people had been abundantly gathered there ubi 1, and the buildings and walls of the city repaired more narrowly, the said city was set on fire by a certain carelessness. And while the fire of the houses and churches was blazing excessively, the devouring fire came as far as the little building of the sacred body. But as soon as the balls of fire had touched the wooden railings which were before the sacred body, the flame, wonderful to say, was divinely driven back and at once extinguished. Which true videlicet 2 sign, shown by God, became known alike and at the crossroads to all, so that not only those nearby but also those far off were pleased gladly to venerate the holy body with all diligence (o. i.) omits 2.
[15] The day for recalling the memory of Leopardus revealed by a prodigy. Lectio octava 2. But because of the long-lasting elicitur (?); nam 1 lack of habitation the annual solemnity celebritas 2 remained unknown to all mortals. This God decided mercifully to show, not without the display of a miracle. Finally, it was the custom in the city of Osimo that in spring verno 2 time the boys living in the schools placed on their masters crowns woven of barley stalks, for keeping off the heat (c. a.) a. c, 2 in summer time. Now when the same crown had hung so long dry before the most holy sacrum 2 body, wonderful to see, on the seventh before the Ides of November it was made so green that it not only showed greenness, but also shone back retineret 1 with the grace of flowers. From which wonder divinely shown the citizens, made certain certiores facti 2, concluded (c. e.) collegerunt 2 without doubt that the festival of the most holy confessor Leopardus should be gloriously inclite omits 2 celebrated every year with joy on that eadem 2 day. And the glorious confessor of Christ was pontiff in the four hundred and tenth year (q. et d. a.) quatricentisimmo X ann. 1.
[16] [The translation of the body instituted in the time of Boniface VIII, the Roman pontiff.] And in the times of pope Boniface VIII a certain John, illustrious bishop of the people of Osimo, full of holiness, and solicitous and ac 2 devoted in restoring churches, endeavoured to enlarge, because of its smallness, the basilica which St. Vitalianus Vitalinus 1 had built in the name and honour of St. Leopardus. For he did not know where in the said church the body of the famous Leopardus remained. While the masters were labouring, a certain canon began to dig together with them. With a few blows he found a certain beautiful stone chest; but what it was he did not know at all. When with an iron pick they did sinebat 2 not allow him to strike the extremity of the corner of that chest, so much (in t.) intactum 1 that, compelled by fatigue, he sit omits 2 called advocaret 2 a companion. He striking, they wondered mirabatur 2 how that stone remained whole and immovable. But seeing the same stone immovable, they began coeperunt 2 to dig round it again, until a chest appeared which quare 1 was wholly believed to be that of St. Leopardus, who so, by divine disposition, kept his chest unharmed from those blows that it not only solam 1 was 〈not〉 omits 1, 2 broken fracta 2, but showed not any mark. And the bishop, rejoicing, calling together the fellow bishops of the neighbouring cities, the clergy and the people (et p.) cum populo 2, with the greatest (c. m.) m. c. 2 care and devotion of heart opened the tomb. In which he found one great and whole body, upon which he found a writing distinguished with gold and silver, on which was carved a bishop with large letters of that silver, saying: SANCTUS LEOPARDUS EPISCOPUS AUXIMANUS St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo. Lectio nona 2 And he translated his most holy relics under his altar made of marble; before which he set a plate of gold and silver made in a noble design Cf. above, the preliminary commentary, no. 23 and following.
[17] The prodigious healing of a certain monk, At whose translation many bodies were sunt omits 2 freed sunt adds 2 from various sicknesses. Among (I. q,) intereaque 1 which a certain friar of the Hermits from the county of Fermo had his shins wasted away, so much that, because of the quantity of the pus, he stank greatly not only to the other friars but to himself ipsi omits 2. He, having heard of the finding of the holy body of Leopardus, prostrated himself ipsi adds 2 to him in prayer with tears eumque deprecabatur adds 2, that he should free him by his prayers, because (eo quod) eoque 1 he saw the friars not entering where he remained because of the stench, and if at any time he stood with them, he saw them (eos p.) p. eos 2 likewise troubled. He had himself carried to Osimo. And while in their place That is, in a monastery of his order? he was not fully resting nor fully awake, there appeared to him a certain bishop great in stature, who said to him: "Stretch out your shin." And in his hands he held a silver thread, and began to draw it from the knee and drew it out as far as the foot; and so he did on the other shin, and went away, and said to him: "You are cured." And the friar, waking, touched his shins, which
had been restored to their former health. Weeping for joy, having glad tears, he announced to the other friars what had happened to him. They, rising, seeing so great a miracle, all stood (in o. s.) s. in o. 2 the whole night in prayer. And when morning came, they all come to the said body in procession and devoutly.
[18] and other miracles obtained by the invocation of Leopardus. After many miracles and a few days they closed again so corrected, earlier recludere 1, recluderunt 2 that chest with pious hymns and canticles, the clergy and people rejoicing in common et adds 2, praising Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ages of ages. Amen.
II. MIRACLES COMMITTED TO WRITING IN THE YEAR 1476
From the edition of Pannelli. Cf. the preliminary commentary, no. 15.
Leopardus, bishop of Osimo. (S.)
BHL Number: 4886
In the name of God. Amen. In the year of the Lord 1476, in the ninth indiction, in the time of the most holy Father in Christ and our Lord Sixtus the Fourth, by divine providence pope, and the most reverend Lord [So] Father Luca Carducci of Florence presiding in the cathedral church of the city of Osimo, the present book was made to the praise and glory of almighty God, and of his glorious mother the Virgin Mary, and also of the most glorious confessor St. Leopardus, our father. In which book indeed are contained the miracles done by God on account of the merits of the aforesaid most glorious St. Leopardus, and written well and faithfully by me, the notary written below, on the days and years and months, and in the presence of those written below, as follows.
(I.) On the 14th day of the month of December 1476. The venerable man dom Niccolò Bartoli of Osimo, canon and archpriest of Osimo, having appeared in person before the lord Clement, canon of Osimo and vicar of the most reverend lord bishop of Osimo, etc., and also in the presence of me the notary and of the witnesses written below, having first taken the oath to tell the truth, said these things, namely: how, when the said dom Niccolò was riding for the purpose of going to the baths of Ascoli [Near the city of Ascoli there are celebrated springs of sulphurous waters. Cf. A. Amati, Dizionario corografico dell' Italia, vol. I, p. 455] because of the infirmity of sciatica from which he suffered, it happened that, as he was passing over a certain river called Lazuli [Asola or Azula (Italian L'Asola), a small river in the Marches. Cf. ibid., p. 464] in the territory of Mons Ulmi Montolmo. Cf. ibid., vol. V, p. 411, he had to pass over a certain broken bridge, and 〈in〉 that then there were [Pannelli notes that this word is crossed out in the codex, work cited, p. 28, note 46] there two timbers which were about half a foot apart from one another, and he, standing on horseback in that danger, unable to go back, poured out a prayer to God that on account of the merits of the most glorious St. Leopardus he would deign to give him help. The prayer being made, the horse on which he sat passed over the two timbers already mentioned without any harm, and he was freed; and so he testified in the presence of me the notary and of the witnesses written below. Done at Osimo in the houses of the church of San Pietro Suppi [Which was a parish church, commonly called Saint Peter of the Sons of Suppa (Pannelli, work cited, p. 29, note 48)]… Present…
And I, dom Stefano di Giovanni, from the parts of France, rector of the parish church of San Pietro outside the gate of Osimo, notary public by imperial authority and ordinary judge, was present, and being asked to write these things I wrote and published them and set my accustomed sign.
(II.) On the 14th day of the month of December 1476. The aforesaid venerable man dom Niccolò Bartoli, in the presence of the aforesaid lord Clement, canon and vicar, and also of me the notary and of the witnesses written below, by means of his oath, said and confessed this miracle, namely that, when the said dom Niccolò was coming from the castle of Mons Fani Montefano. Cf. Amati, work cited, vol. V, p. 332 toward the city of Osimo, he had to pass by the bridge of Panciette [This bridge is mentioned more than once in the ancient statutes of Osimo. One of these is read conceived in these words: On making a bridge in the district of Flumicellus beside the road, fitting it and walling it. We ordain that, for the utility of the commune and of the castle of Montefano, the bridge of Flumicellus of Pancepta, which is on the new road, be fitted again and walled… (Pannelli, work cited, p. 29, note 49)], and it happened that the horse on which he sat had to put its foot between two timbers, so much that it could not draw out its foot; whence, standing there long, he poured out a prayer, and the prayer being made he was freed on account of the merits of St. Leopardus. Done at Osimo as above, those present as above. And I, Stefano, etc.
(III.) On Sunday the fifteenth day of the month of December 1476. Lady Piera di Tommaso, and at present the wife of Antonio of Monticulum Monticole. Cf. Amati, vol. V, p. 407, having appeared in person before the lord Clement, canon of Osimo and vicar, and very many other canons, me the notary and of the witnesses written below [So], by means of her oath narrated this [So] miracle, saying that at the time when the lord Astorgio, archbishop of Benevento and governor The word locum tenens is to be supplied? Cf. the following note of the March of Ancona, held his residence with the whole general curia in the city of Osimo [Astorgio was created governor of Osimo in the year 1430, as is established from a certain notice inserted in the public memorial book of the city, conceived thus: In the said year [1430] the Most Reverend Father in Christ (wrongly in Martorelli Procurante) and Lord, Lord Astorgio, bishop of Ancona and Numana, lieutenant general of the March for the Holy Roman Church and governor of Osimo for the said Holy Roman Church, came to Osimo with his whole household with the intention of dwelling and keeping the general curia in the said city… (Martorelli, work cited, p. 245; Pannelli, work cited, p. 30, note 52). And the same man was declared archbishop of Benevento in the year 1436 (Ughelli, Italia sacra, vol. VIII, p. 162). The miracle narrated here therefore happened between the years 1430 and 1436], it happened that one of the household of the said lord governor was leading a horse to the fountain, and while he was passing at the head of the square of the said city, namely before the little gate, he met the full brother of the said lady Piera, a little boy three years old, whose name was Matteo, and the horse on which the said servant sat, kicking, struck the said boy on the head, namely on the temples, in such a manner that it threw him against the wall, and there the boy remained as if dead. This done, Egidio the trumpeter ran up there, who carried the said boy into his father's house. Whence lady Caterina, mother of the said boy, seeing her son dead, [made a vow to God that if on account of the merits of the most glorious confessor St. Leopardus he should resume life and health, she wished that all the days of his life he should be in the service [The words enclosed in brackets are crossed out in the manuscript codex (Pannelli, work cited, p. 31, note 55)]], and very many men and women standing by to see her said son, among whom there was present a physician, who was then in the said city of Osimo, and he made tests according to the art of medicine to see whether the said boy was dead or not, putting a lighted candle in his mouth to see whether the candle would be extinguished by the breath, and seeing that the candle was not extinguished nor was the light of the said candle moved in any way, he judged the said boy to be dead. And there was present the rector of the parish church of Sant'Arcangelo of Osimo, who was called friar Cesare D., and he said to lady Caterina, his co-godmother: "Co-godmother, do not weep, have devotion toward St. Leopardus." Whence the said lady Caterina, on bended knees, made a vow to God and to blessed Leopardus that by the prayers of the aforesaid St. Leopardus almighty God would deign to restore life and health to her said son, and she promised that her said son would be a priest and in the service of the aforesaid St. Leopardus all the days of his life. This done, the said boy began to draw breath and was restored to his former health, to the praise of God, etc.
(IV.) On the 15th day of the month of December 1476. In the time … of the Lord Sixtus the Fourth, by divine providence pope, in the ninth indiction, having appeared in person before the venerable man the lord Clement … and me the notary written below, and in the presence of the witnesses written below, lady Dialta, formerly wife of Lorenzo di Bernardo of Osimo, by means of her oath, the scriptures being bodily touched, which were in the hands of the aforesaid lord vicar, revealing the miracles of the most blessed Leopardus …, that when she was infirm and sick in her whole body and hindered in her hands and feet for six months or about, she made a prayer to the most blessed aforesaid Leopardus, that by regard for her and by his prayers he would deign to ask almighty God that by his goodness and mercy he would deign to free her from the said sickness and infirmity prevailing in her body and hands and feet, and she intended and wished to have the figure of the aforesaid St. Leopardus painted in the church of the bishopric of Osimo to the honour and praise of God and of the aforesaid most holy Leopardus; and the said devotion being made, in the night-time the aforesaid St. Leopardus appeared to her in a vision with a very great retinue, which suddenly went behind the aforesaid St. Leopardus. Which St. Leopardus went with the said retinue along the road of Osimo toward the church of San Martino, and when he was there near the said church, he turned back and gave his blessing to all who were there, and in particular to the lady herself, whom he led with him by the hand; and she, being dismissed and having first received the blessing, was freed from the said infirmity, she felt herself and her person in the greatest convalescence, and the aforesaid St. Leopardus vanished from her eyes.
(V.) Likewise a little after, the said lady, having appeared as above, said and revealed that Michele di Lorenzo of Mons Sanctae Mariae in Cassiano Monte Santa Maria in Sabina. Cf. Amati, vol. V, p. 386, an inhabitant of Osimo and son-in-law of the said lady, had led his wife together with Sigismondo their son out of the city because of the plague prevailing in that city. And the lady, having the greatest wish to see the said Sigismondo, her grandson, went out of the said city, and found the said boy black and as if dead, to her seeming, continually weeping and crying out like the voice of a little dog. And the lady at once took the boy into her hands and devoutly commended him to the aforesaid St. Leopardus, promising him, in case she should be heard as to the freeing of the said
boy and his recovery Codex resatione, — which boy remained for two days in the said infirmity taking nothing, neither milk nor other substance, — that she wished to have one mass said at the altar of St. Leopardus and to hold the said boy until the said mass should be completed; and the said prayer and devotion being made, the said boy Sigismondo was freed from the said infirmity, and began to suck milk, and so he was and is healed, to the praise of God … — Done … — Present…
(VI.) On the 21st day of the month of December 1476. In the time of the most holy … Lord Sixtus … Having appeared in person before … the lord Clement Diūti … and me the notary written below and the witnesses written below, the venerable man dom Domenico di Bartolomeo, canon of Osimo, by means of his oath to tell the truth, narrated this miracle done … That when the aforesaid dom Domenico was a boy six years old or about, he suffered from fevers, and, remaining long in the said infirmity, came to such weakness that he could not take anything for the sustenance of his life, and he remained for the space of fifteen days so that he ate nothing nor drank. Whence lady Bionda, mother of the said dom Domenico, seeing this, made a vow to almighty God that, if on account of the merits of the most glorious St. Leopardus the said boy could recover health, she vowed, and so was her intention, that the said boy should be made a priest. The prayer being made, almighty God, on account of the merits of the aforesaid St. Leopardus, restored health to the said boy. This the aforesaid dom Domenico testified now, who at that time was a boy; and of all the aforesaid things he said he remembered, except about the vow which his mother made; but his said mother also recited this miracle to him again and again, saying: "My son, you recovered life on account of the merits of St. Leopardus; for you remained fifteen days so that you could not eat nor drink; and I made a vow for you that you would be a priest, and I was heard on account of the merits of the said St. Leopardus. Therefore I beseech you that you should serve God and be devoted to the aforesaid St. Leopardus." — Done … Present … — And I, Stefano, etc.
III. FINDING OF THE BODY OF ST. LEOPARDUS IN THE YEAR 1479
From the edition of Pannelli. Cf. the preliminary commentary, no. 36.
Leopardus, bishop of Osimo. (S.)
BHL Number: 4887
Jesus. The finding of the body of our most blessed father St. Leopardus.
[1] The most glorious confessor of Christ, St. Leopardus, bishop, as is found and read in his Legend, was in the times of the emperors Valentinian and Theodore, a contemporary of blessed Martin, bishop of Tours, and was sent by blessed Innocent the pope to the people of Osimo given over to the vain worship of the gods; whom he called back to the true worship of Christ; he himself first received the episcopal chair, and thereafter it was called a city. He lived as bishop of Osimo 40 years, and afterwards gave back his spirit to God. He was buried, then, in the church of Saints Victor and Thecla, as he himself had commanded. And St. Vitalianus succeeded, who enlarged the aforesaid church and transferred it to the title of Saint Leopardus. After many years many tribulations came upon the said city on account of its ill deserts, so that it was laid waste from the foundations and ruined, and also uninhabited for 40 years, and the name of this most glorious St. Leopardus hidden because of the said lack of habitation. So holy mother Church sings: The bodies of the saints are buried in peace and their names will live for ever Ecclus. 44:14. Therefore it was provided by God that a certain powerful man, named Patricius, from the city of Ravenna, should come into the said city of Osimo, and began to dwell there, so that with his attendants and tenants he repaired it. And so after some time a certain bishop ruled the church of Osimo, named John, who is called blessed. Reading in ancient books and passionaries that the said body of the most glorious St. Leopardus was buried in the said church, desiring to see so holy a body, with all diligence and devotion together with his canons they began to dig, so much that they came to a certain great stone chest; which chest being opened, they found one great whole body, upon which there was a 〈w〉riting of silver with a bishop carved, with letters round about of gold and silver, saying: SANCTUS LEOPARDUS EPISCOPUS AUXIMANUS St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo. Then, after many miracles and some days, he translated the said chest and hid it under the high altar made of marble. These things are found in the Legend.
[2] In the years, then, of Christian salvation 1479, in the twelfth indiction, in the time of the most holy Father in Christ and our Lord, the Lord Sixtus the Fourth, by divine providence pope, the Most Reverend Father in Christ and Lord, the Lord Luca Carducci of Florence, presiding in the church of Osimo, hearing, then, about St. Leopardus as has been narrated above, had the greatest devotion toward the saint, and inquiring with his canons whether it was possible to see the said body, it was answered by the older canons that many other bishops had desired to see it and yet up to now no one had dared to put his hands to searching; they said that perhaps the hour of the glorification of this most glorious saint had not yet come, because it is read that a leaf does not fall from a tree without the leave of the Father who is in heaven.
[3] Afterwards, on the thirtieth day of the month of October of the aforesaid year, he called together the lord canons after the hour of vespers, namely the lord Mario, canon and vicar, Lord Antonio de' Leopardi, archdeacon of Osimo, Lord Domenico di Bartolomeo, Lord Clement, Lord Giuliano, Lord Carlo, Lord Giacomo and Lord Stefano the Frenchman, all canons of the said cathedral church. And all being gathered together near the high altar of St. Leopardus, the aforesaid Most Reverend Lord Bishop made a sermon, exhorting all to live well and to have devotion toward our most holy father, the confessor of Christ Leopardus, and how he desired to see his body when it should be given from above, and that therefore he had gathered them together for this, that each one might say his wish, because it is said that the voice of the people is the voice of God. What shall I say? All with one accord, with one mouth, with groans and tears demanded this. Hearing these things, the aforesaid Lord Luca, Bishop, gave leave and blessing that the holy body be searched for with all devotion and diligence.
[4] This done, the doors of the church were closed and at once the lord canons written above began to dig behind the high altar of the said church, as the Legend testifies. Digging, they came to a certain wall of baked stone, sand and lime, made so hard that it had to be broken with chisels. And seeing that the high altar made of marble was founded upon this wall, it was resolved to open it only in the manner of a window. This done, there was found the top or summit of a stone chest, and at once it was thought that it was the chest where the holy body lay. Afterwards it was hollowed out more underneath, and a great stone chest was found; which being seen, all rejoiced. Then it was resolved that a little window should be made in the stone which lay upon this chest, so that the holy body might be seen. Which little window being made, there was found, as the Legend declares, [both the 〈w〉riting and all the signs were found What is enclosed in brackets is crossed out in the codex] a great and whole body, as it also now stands and can be seen by all at fitting times.
[5] Now it remains that we say something about the exultation over this holy finding. [It was revealed by certain canons to the magnificent Lord Priors, and this on behalf of the Lord Bishop; which Lords which Lord Priors were then, who were then were called by this name: Pet. The first indeed was called What is enclosed in brackets is crossed out in the codex]. The aforesaid Lord Bishop sent word through certain of his canons to make these things known to the Lord Priors; which Lord Priors, understanding these things, announced them to their fellow citizens, and accompanied by a very great retinue of citizens they came to the place, and seeing so wonderful a thing, which their fathers too had not been able to see, with tears, out of the highest spiritual eagerness, they gave praises to God; and because these things were on the day before the eve of this most glorious saint [That is, on the 5th day of November: for the festival of St. Leopardus, as is indicated a little below, was celebrated on the 7th of this month], devotion and eagerness grew too. It was published to all dwelling throughout the city; the bells invited 〈to〉 the church; the people rejoiced; the sick congratulated themselves and many rose up; the priests offered sacrifices to God for the faults and sins of the people. What more? On the day of the festival, which is the seventh of November, there was so very great a multitude of people of both sexes, so many vows and miracles, that to this very day signs appear upon his sepulchre. It happened also that within the octave of this most glorious saint the Most Reverend Lord Nicholas, bishop of Madrusium [Or rather of Modruš, in Illyricum, who in the year 1462 was sent as legate by Pius II, the supreme pontiff, to Stephen, the last king of Bosnia. Cf. Farlati, Illyricum sacrum, vol. IV, p. 108], sent as legate into Hungary, returning to Rome, had to spend the night in the city of Osimo. Whence, hearing of the finding of so holy a body, he would not depart unless he first visited it. Which being visited, he judged it to be a precious treasure both for the clergy and for the people. So much for the finding; we come to the miracles.
MIRACLES
Lady Maddalena … [In the codex a gap has been left at this place, in which, as Pannelli not improbably conjectures, the husband's name was to be written] and at present a widow, dwelling in the city of Osimo in the parish of Santa Lucia in the houses of the venerable man Lord Matteo di Tommaso of Osimo, which houses are situated in the said parish beside the property of the heirs of Paterniano Adiuti, the property of the heirs of master Giovanni of Stampinella, mason, the road and other sides, having appeared in person on Sunday, which was the seventh of the month of November, which is the solemnity of St. Leopardus, presented her only son Giovanni before the Reverend Father Lord Mario, vicar, standing at the altar during the solemnities of the masses, before me the notary, the witnesses written below, etc., and narrated this miracle, namely that in days past there befell her aforesaid son Giovanni a certain infirmity which is called by some catarrh, by some gucta See Du Cange, under this word 2, and it fell into his throat in such a way that he could not swallow nor take anything, nor even draw breath, and nothing was seen but foam upon his lips. It happened that the venerable man dom Matteo came for the purpose of visiting, and seeing that
the said boy was labouring in extremity, seeing now that they had made two drawings of breath and that he had a tear in his eyes, which are all signs of death, he said to the aforesaid Maddalena: "Go, make a vow to God" [The narrative hangs broken off here in the codex. Whence, as is gathered also from the gap which was left at the beginning of this chapter and from the words crossed out in the account of the finding (no. 5), what is had here is not the authentic instrument itself, but only notes from which it was afterwards to be written out more accurately].
IV. RECOGNITION OF THE RELICS OF ST. LEOPARDUS IN THE YEAR 1753
From the edition of Pannelli and Compagnoni. Cf. the preliminary commentary, no. 39.
Leopardus, bishop of Osimo. (S.)
Two years having now passed since the sacred heads of the blessed martyrs of Christ Florentius, Sisinnius and companions were found, and their bodies, which are kept in the confession of this cathedral of Osimo, were recognized, the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Pompeo Compagnoni, bishop of Osimo and Cingoli, resolved to bestow the same office of pastoral solicitude on the body of St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo and his predecessor. And most grave causes indeed intervened by which he was driven to the execution of so excellent a plan.
For he had learned, first, that that sacred treasure was kept too little safely in its urn. For it was known that through a certain small window one could look into the interior part of that urn. And that same window was so lightly blocked that it was very easy for anyone to uncover it. And indeed very many affirmed, by a tradition received from their elders, that great harm had once been brought on the sacred body from this, namely a fire, by which by some chance it had been seized.
There was added, secondly, no slight suspicion that the same sacred body had been buried too little becomingly by our forefathers, as the rude simplicity of their age bore, of which thing indeed a recent example had occurred in the sacred pledges of the aforesaid martyrs, which namely had been placed at the same time and by the same bishop under another altar of the same confession.
Thirdly, finally, it had been reported to His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship that the Most Illustrious Lords Furio Camillo, canon of this cathedral, and Giovanni Francesco, the brothers Sinibaldi, to whom namely belongs the right of a certain benefice erected at the very altar of St. Leopardus, had resolved to bestow a new and more becoming urn for laying up the sacred body; whose praiseworthy piety indeed it was judged should be seconded.
On the 18th day, then, of the month of April of the year 1753, about the second hour of the night, the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop went to the confession of his cathedral church, before the altar under which the said sacred body of St. Leopardus rests laid up. Then, the doors of the church being closed, when he had prayed briefly before the same altar, together with the Most Reverend Lord Giovanni Battista Taleoni, archdeacon, Lord Roberto Pio dall'Acqua, archpriest, and Lord Furio Camillo Sinibaldi, canon of the same cathedral, and also the very Reverend Lord Domenico Baccarini, episcopal master of ceremonies, and Lord Domenico Pannelli, secretary to His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship, and me the episcopal chancellor, he inspected and considered the altar written above, dedicated to the divine Leopardus; which was found well closed and compacted in all its parts and nowhere damaged. Afterwards, several candles being lit, by order, etc., by masters Pietro Pierucci and Niccolò Mazzieri, masons of this city called for this beforehand, the table of the altar was demolished, and there was uncovered a stone cover of arched form, in the middle of which there appeared a small window fortified with iron bars, through which one looked into the urn, likewise of stone. Hence there was published by me the penalty of excommunication reserved to the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop against any who should dare to steal anything of the said sacred relics, and thereupon, the cover being removed, there was first drawn out a silver plate with the carved effigy of a bishop adorned in pontifical vestments after the ancient manner, and holding a book in the left hand, at whose sides was written thus: ✠ SCS LEOPARDUS ✠ St. Leopardus.
Then were drawn out the sacred bones of the body of the said St. Leopardus, scattered through the whole urn, which made up the length of the altar; which sacred body indeed was found wholly dissolved, and the bones consumed and reduced to dust. And among the bones and dusts were scattered little pieces of silk woven with Phrygian work, and of burnt wood. Here it must be added that in the demolition of the table of the aforesaid altar there was found on the Gospel side a stone on which the following letters were read cut in: ANT.SIN.
After this the said sacred bones, by order as above, etc., were placed by the aforesaid Most Reverend Lord archpriest dall'Acqua and the Reverend Lord Domenico Baccarini in a little wooden box, a linen cloth of white colour being laid under, and the dusts and the other things were likewise put back in another little box. And then the same two little boxes, the first namely closed with lock and key and with two seals of the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop in Spanish wax fixed upon a skin of red colour, and the second fastened with nails and fortified with four of the aforesaid seals as above, were translated to the upper church, and deposited in a cupboard which is hollowed in the wall near the altar dedicated to the holy apostles Philip and James; and the same cupboard was firmly closed with two keys, and fortified on the upper part with four seals of the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop impressed in red Spanish wax upon a skin of red colour, who also took the keys of the cupboard together with the other of the aforesaid little box, and kept them with himself, His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship and the witnesses described above being present and always assisting at the aforesaid act.
And on the 21st day of the same month of April, at the 21st hour, before and in the presence of the aforesaid Most Reverend … The same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop went to the cathedral church and to the place of the cupboard in which the aforesaid bones of St. Leopardus had been deposited, and the aforesaid four seals impressed on the cupboard being inspected, and these being found intact and damaged in no part, as all the aforesaid saw, etc., he handed to me, the episcopal chancellor written below, the keys of the cupboard; and I, by order etc., tearing off the same seals, opened the said cupboard. Then, two candles being lit, the aforesaid Most Reverend Lords archdeacon and archpriest, and the Lords Baccarini and Pannelli, clad in surplice and stole, drew out the said little boxes, namely the one which contained the sacred bones, and the other, in which the ashes had been put, and continually singing hymns and praises of the saints, they translated the said little boxes from the church through the sacristy to the episcopal palace, carrying them, and placed them upon a table becomingly covered, two candles always burning on either side; and, there being summoned by order etc. the most excellent Lords Giuseppe Moretti, first physician, Giacomo Scipioni, second physician, Claudio Renaut, surgeon of this city of Osimo, and Lord Giovanni Bellisari, surgeon of the land of Montefilottrano, and the penalty of excommunication reserved to the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop being published again by me against any who should dare to steal anything of the said sacred relics, and the same little boxes being opened, there were drawn out of them the said sacred bones, which, exposed under the eyes of the said Lords, skilled respectively in the art of medicine and surgery, the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop ordered them to inspect accurately and diligently; and the recognition having been made by them and diligent attention given to the said sacred bones, they made the report written below, namely etc.
Avendo noi infrascritti con tutta diligenza ed esattezza, secondo che richiede la nostra arte e perizia, osservate molte ossa umane, estratte da una cassetta aperta alla nostra presenza, che ora è stata portata in questa stanza del palazzo episcopale e collocata sopra bacili a cio destinati, quali ossa ci è stato riferito esser del corpo di S. Leopardo vescovo di questa città d'Osimo, che stava nell' altare sotterraneo di questa chiesa cattedrale dedicato al medesimo santo, diciano e riferiamo che le medesime ossa formano una buona parte d'uno scheletro, e che la parte che manca si può credere consunta da qualche incendio, mentre alcune di esse ossa in scorgono fino ad oggi offese dal fuoco; il che infatti può anche confermare la molta polvere nel sepolcro rinvenuta ed ora esistente nell' altra cassetta parimente qui portata ed aperta, in cui perciò le ossa mancati debbono essersi risolute; che è quanto abbiamo potuto osservare. E ad effetto di sapersi la qualità e quantità di dette sacre ossa, ne abbiamo fatta la seguente descrizione, o sia inventario, del tenore etc.
[We the undersigned, having observed with all diligence and exactness, as our art and skill require, many human bones drawn from a little box opened in our presence, which has now been brought into this room of the episcopal palace and placed upon basins destined for this, which bones we have been told are of the body of St. Leopardus, bishop of this city of Osimo, which was in the underground altar of this cathedral church dedicated to the same saint, say and report that the same bones form a good part of a skeleton, and that the part which is missing may be believed consumed by some fire, since some of these bones are seen to this day damaged by fire; which indeed may also be confirmed by the great quantity of dust found in the sepulchre and now existing in the other little box likewise brought here and opened, into which therefore the missing bones must have been dissolved; which is as much as we have been able to observe. And in order that the quality and quantity of the said sacred bones may be known, we have made of them the following description, or inventory, of the tenor etc.]
Pezzi di tibie numero 20. Pieces of tibiae, number 20.
Ossa de'femori numero 3. Bones of the femurs, number 3.
Falangi numero 31. Phalanges, number 31.
Ossa nominate processi numero 50. Bones called processes, number 50.
Ossa dette fucili maggiori numero 6. Bones called the greater fucili, number 6.
Pezzi di clavicole superiori numero 6. Pieces of upper clavicles, number 6.
Pezzi di coste numero 24. Pieces of ribs, number 24.
Osso del coccige. The bone of the coccyx.
Due vertebre intere. Two whole vertebrae.
Pezzi d'altare vertebre numero 3. Pieces of other vertebrae, number 3.
Due pezzetti di cranio. Two little pieces of skull.
Denti numero 21., alcuni de' quali non sono interi. Teeth, number 21, some of which are not whole.
Pezzi d'ossa innominate numero 166. Pieces of unnamed bones, number 166.
Tre pezzi di precessi offesi dal fuoco. Three pieces of processes damaged by fire.
Molti altri frammenti d'ossa e polvere assai, fra la quale sono stati ritrovati pezzi d'abito, et alcuni ricamati d'oro, ed altre diverse robe offese dal fuoco. [Many other fragments of bones and a great deal of dust, among which have been found pieces of garment, and some embroidered with gold, and other various things damaged by fire.]
Io Giuseppe Moretti primo medico confermo quanto sopra mano propria. I, Giuseppe Moretti, first physician, confirm the above with my own hand.
Io Claudio Renaut chirurgo confermo quanto sopra mano propria. I, Claudio Renaut, surgeon, confirm the above with my own hand.
Io Giovanni Bellisari chirurgo condotti della terra in Monte Filottrano confermo quanto sopra mano propria. [I, Giovanni Bellisari, contracted surgeon of the land at Monte Filottrano, confirm the above with my own hand.]
After this the said Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop ordered both the little box in which the sacred bones were contained and the other, in which the ashes had been enclosed, fortified with seals as above, to be carried to the said cupboard near the altar of the holy apostles Philip and James of this cathedral church, and to be placed there; which being completed in the same manner as above, and all the aforesaid named as above being present, the same cupboard being closed and sealed as before with the seals of His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship impressed upon a skin of red colour, all departed, etc.
Meanwhile the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop had resolved to put off the translation of the sacred body until the 7th day of November, which is sacred to the memory of the most holy Leopardus, especially so that the new altar under which it was to be laid up might be completed. But when it had been learned that in the month of May of the following year 1754 a solemn triduum was to be celebrated for the beatification of blessed Joseph of Cupertino, whose body is kept in the church of the Reverend Fathers Minor Conventuals of this city, he decided that the same translation should also be deferred to the aforesaid month of May, so that namely it might be attended by a greater concourse of the people, which was the wish of almost all.
And as the days of the said translation approached, which was to be celebrated on the 30th day of the same month, the same
Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop ordered that for eight days before, to publish the coming solemnity to the people, the bells of the cathedral church should be rung after vespers according to custom; likewise that the bells of the aforesaid and of all the churches of the city should likewise be rung on the three days preceding the translation, about dawn, midday and sunset; all of which things were respectively observed.
Meanwhile His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship, on the 22nd day of the said month of May, went to the said cathedral church, together with the said Most Reverend Lords the archdeacon Giovanni Battista Talleoni and the archpriest Roberto Pio dall'Acqua, and also the Reverend Lords Domenico Baccarini and Domenico Pannelli and me, etc., and after all had come to the often-mentioned cupboard near the altar of the holy apostles Philip and James, the seals with which it had been fortified as above were recognized by the said Lords witnesses, and, these being found intact and damaged in no part, as they asserted, the said cupboard was opened by me, and thereupon the said Lords archdeacon and archpriest and the Most Reverend Lords Gaetano Fiorenzo Martorelli and Carlo Marcello Dittaiuti, canons of the aforesaid cathedral, clad in surplice and stole, drew out the little boxes, in one of which the sacred bones were contained, and in the other the ashes, and, lights being lit, they were translated to the episcopal palace, and deposited in the domestic chapel, whose keys His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship kept with himself, until, the said sacred bones having been placed by the said Lord Domenico Baccarini within the bier or urn closed with crystal on the four sides, in which the said sacred body was to be translated, and the said bier sealed with the seals of the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop of Osimo, the aforesaid Lords witnesses being present according to custom, etc., on the 29th day of the month of May the said sacred bones in the bier as above were carried to the church, the Most Reverend Lords Gaetano Fiorenzo Martorelli, Carlo Marcello Dittaiuti, Simone Francioni and Sebastiano Salvini, canons of this cathedral church, carrying it, and the aforesaid Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop performing the other sacred rites; and thereupon, upon the high altar, enlarged where it faces the church, they were exposed to the public veneration of the faithful; sacred vigils being begun about them, which the Reverend priests continued without break, in turn, until the deposition of the sacred relics.
And the sacred ashes, enclosed in two glass vessels, remained in the cupboard of the said chapel, the keys of which cupboard likewise His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship kept with himself. And in the review of the said ashes thirty-five coins of various cities and princes were found, which were kept with the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop together with the silver plate of which above, etc.
The 30th day of the said month, then, being appointed for making the aforesaid translation, the chapter and clergy of the city being convoked to the cathedral church, the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop went to the said church together with the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lords Francesco Viviani, bishop of Camerino and Fabriano, and Leonardo Cicconi, bishop of Montalto, who had been invited to the solemnity, and then the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop of Montalto, clad in pontifical vestments, solemnly offered the sacrifice of the mass, and also held a homily to the people.
In the afternoon, vespers having been sung, when the sacred procession was to be held, a sudden great force of rain coming on was the cause that it was transferred to the following day, the 31st, on which, the morning offices having been performed early, there was held the solemn procession, by which the sacred bones were translated through the city in the aforesaid urn skilfully adorned, the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lords the bishops of Montalto and of Osimo carrying it now and then, and the Most Reverend Lords canons of the cathedral church succeeding one another, and the secular and regular clergy clad in sacred vestments going before according to their order, and the confraternities of the city; all of whom carried lighted candles in their hands, as did also the Most Illustrious magistracy, which followed after the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop of Camerino, who walked behind the urn, the whole people of the city closing the column. So all, singing psalms and hymns and the praises of holy bishops and confessors, proceeded through the city, the city militia protecting the flanks of those walking, amid the sound of trumpets and bells and the din of warlike engines.
In the same order there was a return to the cathedral church; and after vespers, there being present … and me the episcopal chancellor written below, and Lord Filippo degli Urbinati, notary and prioral secretary of this Most Illustrious community, called to the present act of repositing, by order as above, etc., the penalty of excommunication reserved to His Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lordship being first published by me against any who should dare to steal anything of the said sacred relics, the said bier was opened, a previous recognition of the seals being made by the said Lords witnesses as to its identity, and thence the sacred bones were drawn out and enclosed in seven glass vessels.
Afterwards, all those described above accompanying, they were carried to the confession near the altar newly built and dedicated to the divine Leopardus, which, the table being removed, had already been opened; then the said vessels were placed in a little box of cypress covered on the inside with silk of red colour, together with the aforesaid two vessels filled with dust and fragments of bones, and also a leaden case well closed, in which was enclosed a parchment subscribed by the same Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lords bishops, and published according to custom by me the episcopal chancellor written below and the said Lord Urbinati, which presents in summary all things narrated up to here, a copy of which is read written at the foot of this instrument. Then the little box, fastened with two iron hooks on the lid, and fortified with four seals of the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Bishop of Spanish wax impressed on a skin of red colour by me the chancellor written below, was enclosed in another leaden box prepared in the new marble tomb, which then was smeared with tin at its mouth on every side by master Alessio Pescatori and closed according to the skill of the art, on whose lid, on the outer side, these words are read cut in: The body of St. Leopardus, bishop of Osimo, laid up here on the 31st day of May 1754. Finally three stones were laid on top, of which the table of the altar is made up and the whole sepulchre is covered, which were fastened with two iron bonds on each side and with gypsum all round, and so all the aforesaid things were completed, etc.
The tenor of the parchment of which mention is made above.
For the perpetual memory of the matter.
In the year of the Lord 1754, in the second indiction, in the time of the most holy father and Lord Benedict XIV, pope, in his 14th year, the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Pompeo Compagnoni, bishop of Osimo and Cingoli and assistant at the pontifical throne, in the 14th year of his episcopate, the sacred body of the most holy confessor Leopardus, first, as is believed, bishop of Osimo, which on the 18th day of the month of April of the previous year 1753 he had drawn out from its most ancient tomb and duly recognized, as is declared more fully in the acts of the episcopal audience, on the 29th of May, set in a bier and carried through the church, the Most Reverend Lords Gaetano Fiorenzo Martorelli, Carlo Marcello Dittaiuti, Simone Francioni and Sebastiano Salvini, canons of this cathedral church of Osimo, carrying it, and the aforesaid Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Compagnoni, bishop of Osimo, performing the sacred rites, exposed to the public veneration of the faithful. And on the 31st day of the same month of May, the divine offices having been duly performed, a procession was led with solemn pomp through the city, the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lords Leopardo Cicconi, bishop of Montalto, and the aforesaid Pompeo Compagnoni, the said bishop of Osimo and Cingoli, carrying it, and the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Francesco Viviani, bishop of Camerino and Fabriano, performing the sacred rites. At length, at the 23rd hour, the same sacred body was brought into the new marble tomb, and there, laid up in a new double chest, namely an inner one of cypress and an outer one of lead, it was buried in peace. There being present … and asked, etc. In faith, etc.
Pompeo, bishop of Osimo and Cingoli.
Francesco, bishop of Camerino and Fabriano.
Leopardo, bishop of Montalto.
So it is: Sante Amodei of Osimo, notary public and chancellor for civil matters of the episcopal curia of Osimo, asked, etc.
Place † of the Sign.
So it is: Filippo degli Urbinati of Morrovalle, of the diocese of Fermo, notary public, and at present prioral secretary of the most illustrious city of Osimo, was present at this act of repositing and was asked, etc.
Place † of the Sign.