ON ST. RESTITUTUS, BISHOP OF SAINT-PAUL-TROIS-CHÂTEAUX,
AT AN UNCERTAIN TIME
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY
Restitutus, bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. (S.)
BY H. D.
[1] The ancient cult of St. Restitutus Of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, which is a city of the province of Dauphiné [Of the city and its bishops it has already been spoken in Acta Sanctorum, February vol. I, pp. 92 – 93; Analecta Bollandiana, vol. XI, p. 375. Read also L. Duchesne, Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule, 2nd ed., vol. I (Paris, 1907), pp. 263 – 65], those asserted St. Restitutus to be the first bishop, agreeing with their own notions, who held that this saint was that very man blind from birth whose eyes, as we have received from the Gospel, Christ opened John IX, 1 – 38, and who judged his deeds, such as are narrated by the hagiographers, to be proved by the credit of history. Since in our age these things are banished among fables by all critics of sounder judgment, and in the catalogues of bishops put together from old papers by the labour of learned men, who either did not know or despised these fictions, Restitutus is affirmed to have sat in the fifth place, namely after St. Paul Sainte-Marthe, Gallia christiana, vol. III (1656), pp. 845 – 846, we must first inquire, setting aside the tradition they call apostolic, whether he ruled the church of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux at all, investigating the time afterwards, if need be.
[2] in the village of the same name. Villa Sancti Restituti, the place of Saint Restitutus, was once the name of a village not far removed from the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, now Saint-Restitut Canton of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, department of Drôme, which obtained its name, as is plain, from its holy patron [J. Brun-Durand, Dictionnaire topographique du département de la Drôme (Paris, 1891), p. 359]. Next to the church of this place, which was built in the twelfth century, there lies a chapel built in the ninth century and divided into two parts, namely a crypt, where the sepulchre of St. Restitutus was, and another, which is at ground level, in which his altar has been erected [U. Chevalier, Gallia christiana novissima, vol. IV (1908), p. 300. To the distinguished author, who most kindly sent us the sheets of this work when it was not yet published, we give the greatest thanks]. It has been ascertained that these are undoubted signs of ancient veneration and cult.
[3] Various written monuments; Further, we have these written monuments of St. Restitutus. The most ancient mention of him exists on a parchment which bishop Guillaume Adhémar testifies he found in the reliquary in the year 1516, expressed in these words: Memorandum that in the year 1249, in the month of July, master Giraud de Clermont built the sepulchre of blessed Restitutus by the authority of the Lord Laurence, bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, and Giraud Maunier, chaplain of Saint-Restitut, next drew out, with many others, from the sepulchre where the whole body of blessed Restitutus rests, the right arm, and put it in this place and attached his seal Below, in the instrument of the recognition of the relics of the year 1516. In the more ancient martyrologies the name of our St. Restitutus does not occur; in some more recent ones, as in that of Aix, which was written in the fourteenth century, he is praised with this formula: On the seventh before the Ides of November … On the same day, of St. Restitutus, bishop of the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux [Chevalier, in the volume cited, p. 30. Cf. Catalogue général des manuscrits des bibliothèques publiques de France, vol. XVI, p. 17], or with this, which is that of the martyrology of Saint-Savin of Lavedan, of uncertain age: The deposition of St. Restitutus, bishop of the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Sainte-Marthe, Gallia christiana, vol. III, p. 846. To these testimonies add the instrument of the translation of the relics of St. Restitutus under Étienne Genevés, bishop and count of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, in the year 1465 [L. A. Boyer, Histoire de l'église cathédrale de Saint-Paul Trois-Châteaux (Avignon, 1710), pp. 358 – 66; Chevalier, in the volume cited, pp. 19 – 25], and another, which, after a new recognition had been carried out, bishop Guillaume Adhémar issued in the year 1516 and which we publish again in print [Boyer, in the volume cited, pp. 391 – 95; Chevalier, in the volume cited, pp. 26 – 29], and also a seal, whose age is left in doubt, on which is seen impressed a pair of eyes with this inscription: S. ECC(LESI)E SANCTI RESTITVTI — S. S. RESTITVTI SACERDOTIS Seal of the church of Saint Restitutus — Seal of St. Restitutus, priest Chevalier, in the volume cited, p. 30; nor does anything seem to remain by which the memory of St. Restitutus may be illustrated, besides the history, of which now.
[4] The Life of St. Restitutus is read in two codices of the fifteenth century, using which we shall bring it forward. They are:
Life A = Codex of the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris, lat. 916, formerly Fouquet's. Fol. 43 – 58: Here begins the Office of blessed Restitutus, confessor, with the Life (fol. 44v – 54v) distributed into nine lessons for matins Catalogus codicum hagiographicorum Latinorum Parisiensium, vol. I, p. 40. From this very codex it was first published by our predecessors [Catalogus codicum hagiographicorum Latinorum Parisiensium, in the volume cited, pp. 44 – 50], and printed again, with the whole office, by the distinguished U. Chevalier [Bulletin d'histoire ecclésiastique des diocèses de Valence, Gap, Grenoble et Viviers, vol. XVI (1896), supplement, pp. 20 – 32], who very recently printed it a third time, the other parts of the office being removed Gallia christiana novissima, in the volume cited, pp. 11 – 18. A copy of the Fouquet codex is preserved in codex 8965 – 66 of the Royal Library of Brussels, which once belonged to the Bollandist museum. Neglecting the copy, we have collated the Paris book itself again with the edition.
B = Codex of the library of Sainte-Geneviève at Paris, 1648, filled with various theological treatises written by more than one hand in the fifteenth century [Ch. Kohler, Catalogue des manuscrits de la bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, vol. II (Paris, 1896), pp. 111 – 13], to which have been added the Lives of St. Thomas of Canterbury, St. Veranus, and (fol. 81v – 89) St. Restitutus, which, one leaf being missing, is not complete. We have not omitted to collate the surviving part too with the edition; but it did not seem good to burden our pages with the very many variant readings which touch only the manner of writing, such as chaballos, camellos, bacculum and so on.
[5] wholly fabulous That this Life is most closely bound up with those famous Marseilles fables is so plain that it needs no proof, nor indeed does the matter itself need any refutation [On these, L. Duchesne, Fastes épiscopaux, in the volume cited, pp. 321 – 59. Cf. Analecta Bollandiana, vol. XII, pp. 296 – 97; vol. XV, pp. 84 – 85; vol. XVI, pp. 516 – 18; vol. XVII, pp. 360 – 62; vol. XVIII, pp. 66 – 67; vol. XXIV, pp. 499 – 501. Of no importance whatever is what Nadal brings forward, Réponse à la question suivante: A quel siècle doit-on rapporter les premières prédications évangeliques dans la province du Dauphine, et en particulier dans les villes de Valence, Die et St.-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, Congrès archéologique de France, Mende etc., 1857 (Paris, 1858), pp. 277-81]. When the story of the man born blind advanced to the see of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux began to be peddled is not clear. L. A. Boyer thought that the first to assert these things was bishop Étienne Genevés, who is said to have translated the saint's relics in the year 1465 Work cited, p. 7; cf. Gallia christiana, vol. I (1715), p. 705. Whatever you judge should be thought of the history of this translation, which we shall presently weigh in passing, the matter seems to need to be traced from further back, since already by Bernard Gui, who flourished at the beginning of the fourteenth century, Restitutus is called the blind man enlightened by the Lord [In J. H. Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima, vol. I (Montbéliard, 1899), p. 24, note 4], unless he is imagined to have meant a Restitutus other than the one of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. Notice, however, that Restitutus is not called blind from birth by Bernard, who in another place treats of blessed Cedonius, who was born blind and enlightened by Christ Albanès, ibid.. That Cedonius, whom some call Chelidonius, others Sidonius, some think was bishop of Aix, and with a changed name was transferred to the see of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Acta Sanctorum, August vol. IV, pp. 591 – 93. But it is wearisome, nay shameful, to linger longer on such absurdities.
[6] Why he was called the man born blind. Now someone may ask why they gave our Restitutus the surname of the man born blind and painted on a history in keeping with it. That it arose from the meaning of his name, as of one to whom Christ restored sight, I should hardly believe; for plainly other reasons, and those for the most part even more futile, the fable-makers were accustomed to change the holy bishops of the Gauls into disciples of the Lord. I have nothing certain or proved by firm reason to offer. This, however, is notable, that St. Restitutus was commonly invoked by the pious faithful to drive away diseases of the eyes [Which is established even from the prayer of the proper office of St. Restitutus: Almighty everlasting God, who through the merits of blessed Restitutus, your confessor and pontiff, heal the pain of the eyes of many and make their sight clear, grant
we beseech you, that through his intercessions you may drive away from our eyes and minds all disease and corruption. Through the same. In Chevalier, in Bulletin d'histoire ecclésiastique des diocèses de Valence etc., vol. XVI, supplement, p. 21]. Surely, you will reply, because he was held to be blind from birth. But on the contrary, if anyone should contend that the patronage of the eyes, whose emblems the statue of St. Restitutus no doubt bore, offered the handle for composing the fable, I shall by no means assert that this is an empty conjecture.
[7] Whether he was bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. I should not dare to affirm that the tradition of the people of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux who claim Restitutus as bishop is more ancient and rests on stronger arguments. Certainly those who recognized the relics of St. Restitutus in the year 1249, in the document than which no more ancient testimony about the saint committed to writing exists, by no means call him a bishop Above, n. 3. What those monuments of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux are by which St. Restitutus is asserted to have been raised to the episcopate after Paul, what those old papers of the cathedral archive and the Peiresc parchments are which supplied bishop Jacques Adhémar de Monteil with the series of his predecessors Sainte-Marthe, Gallia christiana, in the volume cited, pp. 845, 846, is entirely unknown. All the other things which are brought forward for the episcopate of St. Restitutus have been derived in some way from the invented Life and are therefore not worth hearing. But since it has not rarely happened that ancient saints, whether martyrs or confessors, crept into the catalogues of bishops, whether St. Restitutus is rightly or wrongly numbered among the bishops of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux must be left undecided.
[8] Recognitions of the relics. Although there need be no doubt about the ancient, or, as they say, immemorial celebrity of the cult of St. Restitutus, very few things have been committed to writing about his church, sepulchre and relics. That by the authority of bishop Laurence in the year 1249 the sepulchre of blessed Restitutus was built and a part of the relics drawn out we have already heard Above, n. 3. That in the year of the Lord 1516 the sacred relics were again recognized and translated by bishop Guillaume Adhémar is established from an authentic instrument, which, long ago published by A. Boyer Boyer, in the volume cited, pp. 391 – 95. Cf. above, p. 343, n. 3, we have thought should be published here again. From this time they seem to have rested in the church of Saint-Restitut until the year 1561, when they were impiously burned by the Calvinists [Boyer, in the volume cited, pp. 226, 209; Gallia christiana, vol. I, pp. 705, 730].
[9] The instrument of the year 1485 It is read here and there that bishop Étienne Genevés in the year 1465 opened the sepulchre of St. Restitutus and gathered some little bones from it [Boyer, in the volume cited, pp. 182 – 84; Gallia christiana, in the volume cited, p. 726; Nadal, Histoire hagiologique du diocèse de Valence (Valence, 1855), pp. 50 – 52]. Of the whole undertaking we have a lengthy narrative in a letter which Étienne himself is said to have issued, and which Boyer brought forward, from where I do not know. That it is invented was rightly judged by the distinguished U. Chevalier Gallia christiana novissima, in the volume cited, p. 25, who thought that it came out of the workshop of the forgers who fabricated the charters of Montélimar [Chevalier, Cartulaire municipal de la ville de Montélimar (Montélimar, 1871), pp. 1 – 28]. Hence it creates no difficulty that the bishop testifies that he and others standing by saw in the sepulchre the bones of blessed Restitutus … with pieces of his pastoral staff and the whole chain of his bones and arms and the ribs standing in their order and the bones of the head, as any bishop is buried Boyer, in the volume cited, p. 361; which openly contradict the document of the year 1249 that tells of the removal of the right arm and other parts. What cause drove the inventor of the forgeries to add lies to lies is entirely hidden, unless you conjecture that he wished to win new authority for the fables of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and Marseilles, or perhaps to repel doubts that had arisen about the relics of St. Restitutus.
[10] is spurious. From what follows, if you understand anything (for we copy the phrasing unchanged), take the causes of the recognition, as if from the mouth of the bishop: After various and frequent adversities, disturbances, hindrances, inconveniences, rivalries, vexations, and ways at the Holy Apostolic See and the royal delphinal court from the year of the Lord 1450 hither, lawsuits and the losses and expenses of lawsuits, with which we have been afflicted for saving the rights of our church, and also temptations, infirmities and disturbances against the powers of darkness, of the flesh and of the world, to which human infirmity is subject, according to that saying of the Apostle: And as then they persecuted, so also now, but freed by the grace of Christ. And several vigils, prayers, and other good things which God put into the heart of several of our brethren, we being with them of one heart and one soul in the word of God: I will give you a heart of flesh that you may worship me and do my will; and I will make a revelation to you from persons worthy of credit, asserting that the sacred body of blessed Restitutus, blind from birth and bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, approved by the evangelical law and the catholic Church, made known more evidently in the Gospel, earlier named Sidonius or Celidonius, a disciple of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and enlightened by him, according to some at Orleans in a certain crypt, according to others at Saint-Maximin in Provence, and according to several others had been buried and lay in his own church of Saint-Restitut, of our diocese of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, as his legend testifies. Then, after he had said that he beheld the bones of the glorious bishop, he goes on: and the said doubts that he is buried elsewhere have been wholly removed. These things had to be brought forward for this reason at least, that we have certain other fictions, besides those which are read in the Life of St. Restitutus, expressly stated in this place. On St. Restitutus resting at Orleans. One of which is worth noting, that it was asserted by some that the saint's body lay at Orleans. To be compared are the things Molanus announces on this day: Likewise the deposition of St. Restitutus, bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, whose body is venerated with special honour at Orleans in the monastery of St. Evurtius Sollerius, Martyrologium Usuardi, p. 659. Hence also Ferrari: At Orleans in Gaul, of St. Restitutus, first bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Catalogus generalis sanctorum (Venice, 1625), p. 435. Suspecting that a saint of the same name was once venerated by the people of Orleans and in the course of time was taken for our Restitutus, I turned over the annals both of St. Evurtius and of the city and asked all the most learned men of the place whether there was at Orleans the memory of some saint Restitutus; they answered unanimously that none at all survives [To the distinguished men A. Merlin and Edm. Séjourné, of Orleans, who inspected the books and archives, I give the greatest thanks]. What, then, underlies the matter I confess I do not know, and I leave the knot to be untied by the more learned. The forger, as far as I know, is the first to narrate that king Louis XI visited the church of Saint-Restitut for the sake of prayer: and also by the most Christian king of the Franks, Louis XI, a most worthy pilgrim of the most powerful blessed Restitutus, with worthy gifts [Boyer, in the volume cited, p. 358. Nor do these words of the office of St. Restitutus, lesson V, seem to have been taken from elsewhere: Wherefore this sepulchre became glorious by the pilgrimage of the faithful flowing together from every side and of Louis the Eleventh himself. In Nadal, in the volume cited, p. 49, note 2]. These things he drew from the tradition of the place or from his own store.
[11] The celebration of the feast of St. Restitutus was interrupted when in the year 1801 the episcopal see of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux was united with that of Valence. The remaining monuments of the cult. The cult of the holy patron was restored by Pierre Chatrousse, bishop of Valence, who inserted into the proper offices of his diocese, published in the year 1853, the office of St. Restitutus taken from the ancient breviaries of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Nadal, in the volume cited, pp. 47 – 48. Although the Life of St. Restitutus which we publish seemed suspect to learned men [Boyer, in the volume cited, p. 6: “Nous ne voulons pas nous rendre garants de cette tradition ni obliger le lecteur à la croire.” [“We do not wish to make ourselves guarantors of this tradition nor oblige the reader to believe it.”] Gallia christiana, vol. I, p. 705: “Certainly so recent an opinion can in no way be peddled as a tradition.”] and to some bishops of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux [Read what Boyer narrates about bishop Antoine Du Cros († 1630), in the volume cited, pp. 7, 248 – 49], it may nevertheless be read, abridged, not corrected, in the breviaries, not only in that ancient one written on parchment in Gothic letters, of which Boyer speaks In the volume cited, pp. 6 – 7, but also in the more recent ones of the years 1627, 1692, 1758, which are of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, and in the books of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and Valence of the years 1853 and 1884. Indeed bishop F. X. de Lambert, who published the proper offices in the year 1758, undertook to defend the so-called traditions of his church [Mandate for the proper offices of the saints of the church of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, 1758]. Anciently too, in the diocese of Valence, the memory of St. Restitutus was held in renown, as the manuscript missals of the fifteenth century and the printed one of the year 1504 testify, and the saint's name was recited in the litanies after St. Giles, before St. George Chevalier, Gallia christiana novissima, in the volume cited, p. 30. Boyer also points out that in the breviaries of the churches of Apt and Viviers St. Restitutus had a proper office, and that the lessons were taken partly from the Acts of the twofold recognition Boyer, in the volume cited, p. 8. In the diocese of Aix too St. Restitutus was venerated, and we have it from the instrument of the consecration of the church of Saint-Sauveur of the year 1534 that an altar of St. Restitutus was erected in it Albanès, Gallia christiana novissima, vol. I, instruments, p. 97.
LIFE OF ST. RESTITUTUS
From the Paris codices Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 916 (= A), Library of Sainte-Geneviève 1648 (= B). Cf. the preliminary commentary, no. 4.
Restitutus, bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. (S.)
BHL Number: 7198
Here begins the office of blessed Restitutus, confessor.
Restitutus in Galilee The first lesson. — Above all, the deeds divinely celebrated are to be narrated and praised among the rest, since our instructions proceed from the lives of the holy fathers, through whose merits our life may glow and shine in the Lord. It must be told, therefore, of a certain young man, who, born blind in the territory of the principality of Galilee Gallilee B, native of a noble stock in the town hopido A of Tiberias Thabarie B, said to his father: "My father, you have heard the voices of those crying out about Jesus of Nazareth, what great miracles he works corrected, earlier fecit A among all the peoples. He makes the lame walk, he gives light to the blind, the deaf hear, he raises the dead of three days. I will go to him, and since I was born to you without eyes, I will cry out that he may have mercy on his servant, that he may open my eyes by his power." The father answered: the man born blind, "O my son, it is impossible that you should ever see; since you have no eyes, nor does any trace of eyes appear in you, how shall this be?" The son answered: "Is it a greater thing to raise the dead than to open the eyes of a living man?" The father, moved by tenderness, said: "My son, your faith will save you. Take from the treasury horses, camels, beasts of burden and
all things whatever que omits A that I have."
by Christ Lesson II. — The son answered: "My father, I have heard of his humble life. He does not ride, he is not proud, but merciful and kind, full of sweetness and humility. I will go to him begging." And saying this, he departed dicessit A from him in the dress of poverty with a very small company. And it happened after many days that he found Jesus; and as great crowds turbe multe B were following him, he asked where he would pass by. They said to him: "He will pass by here, he will not delay." And when he had come to a crossroads cadrivio A with a great multitude saying: "This is truly the prophet who will save us," the blind young man cried out with a loud voice, saying: "Jesus, son of David, son of God, have pity on me and have mercy on me. Jesus, son of David, son of God, have pity, have pity on me and have mercy on me." Jesus, turning, said to the blind man: "What do you wish me to do for you?" — "Lord, that I may see." At once the Lord Jesus made clay with earth and de A spittle, and anointed the place of his eyes, and said to him: "Go to the pool of Siloam and wash your eyes." And the young man did as Jesus had commanded him. He came to the fountain of Siloam and et omits A washed; he first saw Jesus, was filled with the Holy Spirit, was confirmed in the faith of Christ. His name was called Restitutus. Glorifying and praising God, he followed the Lord. After these things he grew up and et omits A became a cleric full of all goodness, modesty, justice and truth, and fervent with divine fervour, looking at no one but Jesus alone.
He begins to announce Christ, Lesson III. — Those who had seen him blind asked him, saying: "Who qui A made eyes for you?" He answered them: "Jesus of Nazareth, who has power and is Lord of all, King of kings and et omits A Lord of lords, whom I saw before he opened my eyes for me." Many questioned him eum omits B; to whom he cared little minime corrected in the margin B to answer. But inflamed with divine love, always looking upon God, having no care curam habens B for earthly things; but on bended knees he prayed adorabat A continually to Jesus, saying within himself that this is truly the prophet who will save us, remaining so for many days, neither eating nor drinking. But the grace of the Most High cherished him with such favour that his face shone like gold; his eyes were of such erant omits A brightness that all wondered, saying: "This man has been made factus omits B safe in the faith of Christ." Persevering in divine study, Restitutus began to open the Scriptures; imbued with the Holy Spirit, he preached to all the peoples that Jesus was the son of God. Applied to so divine a work opere A, and made one of the number of the Lord's disciples, he obtained such grace with God that the peoples bowed at the feet of his blessedness. So remaining, forsaking deserans B all earthly things, not slow in acquiring heavenly things, not avaricious in bestowing on the poor.
and with others makes for Gaul. And after the Lord's ascension acensionem A the aforesaid blessed Restitutus, together with blessed Trophimus, blessed Eutropius, blessed Maximus [They write now Maximus, now Maximinus, which last reading is to be approved; cf. BHL 5443], blessed Martha, blessed Magdalene, and the company of certain other saints, went up into a little ship on the sea without human steering, crossing over by divine means under hope in God, without oars and sail. Turning aside to the harbour a leaf having been taken away, A breaks off here they proceeded to Arles. And coming near the city of Arles, to a place called Quoquo regio, there a division was made among them for doing penance before God. Blessed Martha with Trophimus and Eutropius remained here. But blessed Restitutus with blessed Magdalene and blessed Maximus visited the province of Aix Aquenssem A, in a very rough desert. There blessed Restitutus, strengthened by the grace of the Almighty, for many years in the dwelling Saxinatim, fasting and praying, doing penance. Often a choir of angels was seen. The birds of the air ministered to him what was necessary.
Bishop of the church of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux The fourth lesson. — And it happened in about the eightieth year of his age, when the church of the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux now lacked a shepherd, and the assembly of the aforesaid city had gathered to elect a shepherd, since they were few, a heavenly vision came to them in their sleep: "Restitutus will be called the one who has been given to us as shepherd." Rising from their cells, the divine office of matins being completed, one told another the vision which qua A had appeared to them, glorifying and praising the Lord, who had deigned to bestow such grace on them, to make for them the choice and provision of a shepherd. And prostrate in prayer, they asked our Lord Jesus Christ for a long time to give them knowledge of where Restitutus might be found as bishop. When the prayer was finished, one of them, Saluber by name, began to sing in a loud voice the Te Deum. wonderfully designated, And the others wondered that he had begun so suddenly. And agreeing with one mind at his voice, when the psalm was finished with the proper prayers, they asked him, reproving him, what had happened to him that he sang so suddenly. He answered them: "My lords, dearest brothers, do not wonder, because I know the place where our holy bishop will be found. Let us set out profiscamur A and go out of the town secretly, since there are many among us against our faith. Lest perhaps they hold us in contempt, mocking, let us go with a few Christians, and at our joyful coming we shall bring back to our friends consolation and joy, the Most High inspiring us."
he is found The fifth lesson. — Having taken with them a fitting company of Christians, going out of the town, hastening on their way, they asked that holy man who had begun the Te Deum: "Where are we going?" And he answered: "I will tell you what I saw. While I was in prayer, although I am unworthy of God, a voice said to me at my ear: 'Begin to sing the Te Deum, since God provides you with a shepherd. For in the province of Aix Aquenti A you will find Restitutus in a very rough desert.' And while that voice was speaking, I was holding blessed Restitutus by the hand. I saw him most beautiful here we have B again, of great height in person. His hair was white; his face appeared angelic, his eyes flashing. What shall I say of him? He appeared to me wholly divine." The others, rejoicing, said: "Then let us set out profiscamur A for those parts. The Lord will light our steps and direct us to him who will teach us in the eternal way." Completing their journey, after some days, entering the city of Aix Aquenssem A, where blessed Maximus presided, they told him what had been seen, done and heard, making known among other things and asking him to teach them what they should do facturi corrected above the line B to find that holy man Restitutus. He answered and said to them: "I have heard from many that in a certain desert toward the east there is a certain hermit having his cell in a cleft of the rock, whom the wild beasts of the desert obey, and the birds of the air minister to him: whose name I do not know at all penitus nomen B." They say to him: "We ask you, servant of God, to give us a guide who knows the truth of the road. Coming with him, let us pass through by your help." Blessed Maximus Maximus B answered: "There is here a certain old man who knows everything in the desert, who will lead you nos B to him." Asking the old man, they went there, and after some days came to the cell in which blessed Restitutus was. in the desert And looking they saw him in prayer on bended knee. And falling down they greeted him, saying: "Hail, servant of God." He answered and said dixit omits A to them: "May he who opened my eyes meos oculos aperuit B give you eternal life." And there was there a servant who had come with him from Galilee, and et omits A when they asked him by what name this iste omits B friend of God Dei B adds was called, he answered them: "Restitutus is his name." And they, rejoicing, glorifying God, with the greatest devotion and reverence fluttered about him with a timid embrace, saying: "Servant of God Restitutus, we have not chosen elegimus corrected, earlier agimus B you, but God has chosen you, providing you for us as shepherd, and you have been given es corrected, earlier est B to us as bishop of the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Tricastrine B." And he, astonished, answered with a blush: "O friends of God, how can these things be? Insufficiency insuficientia A remains to me, knowledge fails, no nulla corrected, earlier in illa A dignity dignitas corrected, earlier dignitatis B lies hidden in me, that I should be worthy of the honour of the pontificate." But they cried out more loudly alcius A, saying: "Good father, Restitutus, servant serve omits B of God, the power of the Most High has bestowed the dignity on you." Then with tears answering with cum omits A, above the line B devotion, sighing toward heaven, he said: "Be it done to me according to the will of our Lord's highness." And looking at him full of devotion and joy, they began to sing with one mind the Te Deum, and an odour of sweetness filled the tabernacle. The wild beasts of the desert, hearing the voices of those singing psalms corrected, earlier sallentium B, coming to meet them, seeing the servant of God Restitutus, bowed to him, so that it seemed to all that they were paying honour with reverence to the servant of God. When blessed Restitutus had seen it, he said to them: "Do not harm anyone," and et omits A at once they withdrew from them.
and is led to his see. The sixth lesson. — Taking up their journey, they asked him cum B to mount a beast. The servant of God answered: "No. Our Lord and master went without horse and beast when he made eyes for me. Do not, my lords, make me out to be better." And seeing his humility, they began to obey him. Making their passage through the city urbem B of Aix Aquenci A, they went to blessed Maximinus Maximum B. He, receiving Restitutus with great joy, enlightened him with morals and teaching. Making a short stay, they departed discesserunt corrected, earlier discesserunt B from blessed Maximinus Maximo B. Hastening on their way, he taught them by preaching the faith of Christ. After many days, coming near the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Tricastrinam B, a multitude of the people came to meet oviam A them. Seeing the holy bishop, each desired to touch him and to have something of his garments. Clothing him in sacred vestments vestibus corrected, earlier vestimentis B, he bore the mitre, ring and pastoral staff; at his joyful coming many were confirmed in the faith of Christ. And entering the city, throngs of the sick followed, so that they could scarcely make their passage through the street. And autem omits A a woman approaching, prostrate before the blessed bishop, asked him eum written twice B, saying: "Most pious servant of God, my only son has remained senseless incensatus A in madness for ten years. Touch him with your staff, and
he will be healed." And he answered and said: "O woman, it is not mine; but may he who opened my eyes qui aperuit oculos meos B enlighten him with the Holy Spirit and with power." He touched him with his pastoral staff, and at once he was healed, praising and et omits B glorifying glorificans omits B God; and many believed in the faith of Christ. Seeing it, those who had seen the madman wondered greatly, saying within themselves that this saint is a friend of God most high.
The blind and many sick The seventh lesson. — While he was celebrating the divine offices, a certain nobleman, not seeing for fifteen years, was led before his face and et omits A said: "O excellent bishop, ask our Lord Iesum added earlier, but deleted A Jesus Christum B adds, whom we believe in, adoring him. Have mercy on me, good shepherd, that by your prayer I may recover my sight." At once his eyes were healed. For exceeding joy, with his whole household, he began to say: "Truly this is est corrected above the line B the one who has power from the true God." Then no small part of the city was confirmed in the faith of Christ. Many with fever, asking him, were healed, having such faith habentes fidem B in the blessed confessor that they could scarcely withdraw from him. Continuing every day to preach to the people, teaching the way of truth, as gracious in speech as he was comely in person, he savoured the height of God. When one day, a great confusion of people being gathered, he was preaching the word of the Lord to the people, a certain very rich man came on a horse, and falling down before the holy bishop, on bended knee g. f. omits B, said: "Good shepherd, who have been chosen by God, have mercy on me, for my son, desiring to come to ad corrected above the line, earlier a B you, falling cadens corrected, earlier quadens B from his horse, had both his shins broken fracte corrected, earlier facte B. in the city Behold, I have sent him before you. Speak your blessing over him, and at once he will walk in the name of Christ, whom I adore." The servant of God Restitutus, moved by tenderness, looking toward heaven, asked the Lord Jesus, saying: "Good Jesus, Saviour of the world, who created all things from nothing and deigned to open my eyes, grant to this boy huic puero B the grace of your kindness, so that those standing round may know cognoscant corrected above the line, earlier conoscant B the glory of your height, who remain in Trinity cum patre B adds and Unity et unitate omits B in in omits B the Holy Spirit through all the ages of ages." And et omits A the whole choir answered: "Amen."
and heals in Longavilla, The eighth lesson. — Soon the boy rose up wholly healed, praising and giving thanks to God. The whole people crying out clamans above the line, corrected B that this is truly a holy friend of God, the defender deffensor A and peace of this homeland. After some days the aforesaid blessed Restitutus heard that on a certain mountain, in a place called Longavilla, there were many men who did not at all believe in the faith of Christ. Thither the bishop of God at once went habiit A; and it was near the city. When the aforesaid blessed Restitutus had come, some few who believed in the faith of Christ came to meet him, looking on him with great joy, devotion and et above the line A honour. And leading him to where the faithless dwelt, a throng being gathered, preaching he taught them eos omits B that Jesus was the son of God. But they argued against him, saying that their law was better. And while he was contending and showing them the way of truth, a foreigner came: struck by a sword, he was carrying his eye, torn out, in his hand. And falling at the feet of the most blessed confessor of Christ, he cried out, saying: "My father, servant of God serve Dei omits A Restitutus, have mercy on me." Humbled in prayer, the servant of God said to him: "Do you believe in God?" And et omits A he said dixit omits A: "I believe, father." Taking the eye which he carried in his hand, he said to him: "Have faith in him who enlightened me, and he will enlighten you with power." And turning the eye with his holy hand into its place, from which it had been torn out exutus B, he was soon wholly healed. Giving praises and thanks to God, he said that this is truly a friend of God most high. Seeing this, those standing round were confirmed in the faith of Christ. and he exercises the sacred ministry. And so, confessing and hearing confessions, preaching the faith of God, teaching all the people there ibi omits B, the holy confessor of God remained for many years, teaching all the people the way of truth, building there a church of God in honour of the Virgin Mary, and near the church two fountains, one of which is in the likeness of the fountain of the pool of Siloam, where Jesus opened his eyes; into which the entrance of women is forbidden. Many miracles were done for those who washed their eyes aculis A, B in the name of Christ and of the most blessed confessor, recovering their sight, and que A, B throngs of the sick were healed. And he, remaining for a long time fasting and praying, ministered justice to each one. Choice foods being prepared daily in his town opido A, he himself never tasted them, but was sustained by the grace of God with barley bread only tantus A. After that people had been converted and confirmed in the faith of Christ, he ordered another church to be built there, joined and placed side by side with the church of blessed Mary which he had built at first, he himself marking out its bounds and signing it with his holy hand.
At Alba in Italy The ninth lesson. — Many days following, filled with devotion, hastening to visit Rome, taking up his journey, he went into the parts of Italy, to a city named Alba, where an innumerable people stood adverse to the faith of Christ. Hearing of this, the holy confessor of God, like a good warrior pastor B, having gathered a great multitude of the aforesaid people, began to teach them. But they tried to confound him, saying: "Desiring to keep our law, in which we were born sumus corrected above the line B, he teaches the people; we shall put you in the pit and the arena of lions." And while they were contending contenderet A, a woman whose son was sick, his hostess at the coming of the most blessed Restitutus, approached, saying with most bitter weeping: "Good guest, servant of God de B, excellent bishop, if you had been in my house, my son would not have died." The blessed disciple of Christ Restitutus said to her: "O woman, my beloved hostess, do not weep for the death pro morte B of your son's body, but for the death pro morte (above the line, corrected) B of his soul. But if you believe in him who enlightened me, perhaps your son will live." And she said: "I believe, most kind father, with my whole heart, and in in above the line A the inmost parts of my soul I glorify him." Baptized and que A confirmed in the faith of Christ, the blessed bishop, disciple of God, ordered the dead son to be carried in on his pallet. Seeing it, the blessed 〈servant of God Dei omits A, B〉, moved by devotion, falling down in prayer, praying for a long time, touched the dead man corrected, added p. (per ?) but deleted B with his pastoral staff, and et omits A at once he rose up praising and glorifying God, and baptized 〈and et omits A, B〉 confirmed, with a great throng he followed the servant of God Restitutus, and became one of his household. Seeing this, the others, he raises a dead man; inflamed with a diabolical flame flama A, said with one mind: "This man truly enjoys the magic art, and strives against our law to destroy it destruandum corrected B. Everyone who acts against the law is worthy of death. Let us therefore put him eum above the line, corrected B in the arena of lions." The governor answered: "I order that no food be given to the lions for two days, so that, starving famexentur A, they may suddenly devour him." The disciple of God was put in prison. And when the two days were completed, the holy bishop dei A adds was led into the pit of lions, in the customary manner solito corrected above the line, earlier subito B for a murderer. he is exposed to the beasts, Great crowds followed him eum corrected above the line, earlier autem B, to see viderent corrected, earlier viderant B his end. And when blessed Restitutus, man of God, had entered the cave of the lions, the infinite people all going round circuens A, B. And he prayed to Jesus, saying: "Lord Jesus, if I am worthy of this death, receive my spirit." Soon all the lions, leopards and other beasts, coming to him, with reverence licked, kissing them, his hands, feet and garments. by which he is in no way harmed; The innumerable bystanders wondered, saying: "Truly they receive him with great reverence reverentia corrected, earlier reverancia B." The governor, seeing it, recalling his crime, said: "We are sons of iniquity. Truly this is a holy and just man." He ordered him to be drawn out quickly, and falling procidans B at the feet of the most blessed confessor beatissimi conf. pedes B, he asked him, saying: "Pious servant 〈of God Dei omits A, B〉, most holy bishop, have pity on me and have mercy on me." The blessed confessor of God answered, saying: "It is not mine to forgive you, but may he who can do all things forgive you." And standing in prayer, he asked Jesus, saying: "Lord, forgive them, because they have been blinded; they do not know what they do." And the governor, enlightened by divine light, was baptized with the whole crowd of the aforesaid city in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. After many days blessed Restitutus, desiring apetens A to visit Rome, held back by infirmity of his most holy body sui corporis B, putting an end to his contests, the devil being vanquished, arranged burial for his body, ordering his servants to send his body to Gaul, to Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Tricastrinensem B, near the city toward the east, in the place where he had ordered a church marked out by him to be built. he dies. And all things being completed, he falls asleep, opening the heavens obdormit' A, B, and breathed his last in the Lord on the 7th VI° B before the Ides of November in the city which is called Alba, where a choir of angels shone through the air, sounding forth sweet songs resonantes cantus B: "Glory, praise to God in the highest." There many miracles were done for those who touched the place where the holy body had been laid. His servants set out provecti A, B to Gaul, to Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Tricastrinam B, with the holy body, as blessed Restitutus had commanded them, and he was divinely buried sepultus omits B there within the walls of the church marked out by him sepultus B adds; which he could not complete alive, he completed dead, miracles shining forth, conferred by God for his merits. Amen.
INSTRUMENT OF THE RECOGNITION OF THE RELICS OF ST. RESTITUTUS IN THE YEAR OF THE LORD 1516
From the edition of L. A. Boyer de Sainte Marthe, Histoire de l'église cathédrale de Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (Avignon, 1710), pp. 391 – 95.
Restitutus, bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. (S.)
In the name of him who redeemed us with his own blood. Amen. In the year from the most glorious Nativity of the same Lord 1516, in the 4th indiction, reckoned together with the same year according to the custom of the Roman curia, and on the eleventh day of the month of March, in the fourth year of the pontificate of the most holy father and lord in Christ, the lord Leo X, by divine providence pope, our most Christian prince Francis, by the grace of God king of the Franks, dauphin of Vienne and count of Valentinois and Diois, our lord, reigning, and also the reverend father and our lord in Christ Guillaume Adhémar, by divine compassion and by the grace of the holy apostolic see bishop and count of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, presiding, being common lords of the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and of its common land and jurisdiction. The sagacious discernment of human nature, weighing the frailty of man, decreed of old that the series of things done should be set down in public records, lest, by the lapse of a longer time, devouring oblivion consume the past, but rather that the proof of truth, supported by the testimony of writings, might remain immortal. Accordingly, let the present generation know and let the posterity of those to come not be ignorant that, whereas the reverend father and lord in Christ, the lord Guillaume, bishop and count of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, and also perpetual commendatory abbot of the abbey of Blessed Peter of Beaulieu, of the diocese of Limoges, in the parish church of the kindly Restitutus, bishop and confessor, his predecessor, and disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, native of the homeland of Galilee and the town of Tiberias and begotten of a noble stock, born blind and enlightened by God, who after the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the cunning of the faithless enemies of the Christian faith prevailing in those parts according to their custom, in the company of the kindly Maximinus and Eutropius and of Saints Martha and Magdalene, sisters of Blessed Lazarus, whom God raised from the dead, crossed the sea without oar and sail, and put in at the port of Arles, and thence by divine inspiration was raised to be bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and shepherd of the church founded by himself; whose body rests in this kindly church, in which many, flocking devoutly, receive the clearness of light by the pious intercession of the same blessed Restitutus. As within eight days past there arrived Pierre Gros of Balons, of the diocese of Grenoble, who with pious affection, tearfully, before the people gathered there in the parish church of the same place, testified of himself that when he arrived there he was almost destitute and deprived of sight, and that he saw nothing except a little when the sun was shining, but now, the novena being completed, giving thanks to God and to the blessed Restitutus himself, he feels his sight most excellently brightened. In this very church the said lord bishop, moved by pious and sincere devotion, desiring at length that the office in honour of God, of the Virgin Mary and of blessed Restitutus should grow and be increased, proposed to found a college of six lord priests, and for these ends has sent a supplication and documents to the City and the holy apostolic see, for the canonical hours of day and night to be said and celebrated there, as they are already being said; and the same lord bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux wishing that the tomb of the blessed Restitutus himself had at other times been visited and opened by his predecessors or one of them, the lord bishop himself also ordered the tomb raised out of the ground on high upon four pillars, and above the underground tomb in which, as he asserted, the body of the said Blessed Restitutus lies, to be let down, and at length he visited it and had it opened in the presence of many persons worthy of credit. When it had been opened, within the tomb itself he found one bone of the right arm of the same blessed Restitutus within a certain wooden box, honourably wrapped in linen and silk cloths, with a certain small silver-gilt cross, and fortified on the back part with wood, and with a certain writing written out on parchment, which he ordered to be inserted within the present act, of the following tenor: "Memorandum that in the year 1249, in the month of July, master Giraud de Clermont built the sepulchre of blessed Restitutus, by the authority of the lord Laurence, bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux; and Giraud Maunier, chaplain of Saint-Restitut, next drew out, with many others, from the sepulchre where the whole body of blessed Restitutus rests, the right arm and put it in this place, and attached his seal." Which writing indeed was read in the sight and presence of the lord bishop himself and of many notable persons written below, and the bone was most devoutly kissed by many persons. And on that same day, by the same lord bishop most devoutly, one mass being celebrated at the high altar in a low voice, and after that mass another solemn mass was said by the venerable man the lord Didier Charles, priest of the said college, in a loud voice, the choir responding, of the translation of Blessed Restitutus, bishop and confessor, with the introit Let us all rejoice in the Lord, etc. And at last the said lord bishop, in the company of the noble and venerable men the lords Alexandre Adhémar, canon and archdeacon, Étienne Audigier, Pierre Audigier, Crespin Marin, Jean Reolay, canons, lords of the chapter of the cathedral church of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, convoked there capitularly for the ends written below, Georges Bérenger, Antoine de Rua, Étienne du Puy, hebdomadaries, Pierre Giraud, cantor, Denis Giraud, Claude Chavanel, Jean de Lausun, Antoine Allegron, Claude Coffin, Claude Godon and Durand de Mura, choristers and habitués of the cathedral church of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, and of the venerable men the friars Jean Bresson, of the order of Minors of the Observance, of the diocese of Poitiers, François Bodon, of the same order, of the diocese of Béziers, conventuals of the Observance of Bourg-Saint-Andéol, of the diocese of Viviers, staying in the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux during Lent, ordered the tomb in which lies the body of the said Blessed Restitutus, now exhumed and standing before the high altar of the said church, to be opened, and the stone set back at the door of the monument to be rolled away; which being rolled away and the monument opened, there were seen with their eyes by those assisting and standing round the bones of the Blessed Restitutus himself from the head to the feet, and a part of his pastoral * staff. These being seen and at length honourably covered with linen cloths, there was sung loudly and devoutly the canticle We praise thee, O God, etc., with the following versicles, and other pious prayers and orations. These having been sung, the monument itself with the said body was honourably translated to the said place toward the wind, partly within the wall and the anchorhold, and the place already destined and prepared, and set back with the stone with which it had been covered before. The same lord bishop, with the assistance, consent and counsel of the aforesaid lords of the chapter, laying down and ordaining that from then on, on a like day, the office of the Translation of Blessed Restitutus, bishop and confessor, be held and celebrated at the church; proposing there to erect and set up an altar above the said tomb, and to build there a little chapel duly closed for the faithful custody of the said body, as he has already set workmen to it with the greatest diligence, and that acts or a public instrument be made of the aforesaid. Of which also the lord Jacques Granier, priest, procurator general and of pious causes of the said lord bishop, for the use of himself and of the others whom it will concern, asked that a public instrument and public instruments be made for him by us the notaries written below. All these aforesaid things were done in the aforesaid church. There were present the noble Louis de Gast, of the place of Le Thor, of the diocese of Cavaillon, steward of the said lord bishop of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, the noble Étienne Pons the elder, of Bollène, the lords Didier Charles, Antoine Flandin, Matthieu Fayet, Marc Brioude, priests, the discreet and provident men Antoine de Cornu, bailiff, Antoine Payan, Jean Bovis, syndics, Jean Gautier, Restitut Bovis, Georges Donadieu, Claude Ruffi, Vincent Lamis, Antoine Solier, Raymond Genton, Nicolas Bovis, François de Cornu, of Saint-Restitut, master Drivon Boneyron, notary, vice-bailiff of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, the noble Louis Cheyluc, Étienne Amblard, Antoine du Pont, apothecary, Henri Marcel, master Denis Giraud, notary, Jean Rémi, cleric, Jean de l'Euze, mason, of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, the lords Andéol Bonier, of Pierrelatte, Gérenton Granet, priests of Montségur, and many other witnesses called to these things; and I, Jean Rémi, notary public, citizen of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, have signed below.
Annotation* The edition has pastoris.