Clarus

ON ST. CLARUS, PRESBYTER, AT PRIMULIACUM IN GAUL,

AT THE END OF THE FOURTH CENTURY

Clarus, presbyter, at Primuliacum in Gaul (S.)

BY H. D.

[1] Clarus, disciple of St. Martin, As the testimonies we have about Clarus, disciple of St. Martin, are few, so are they illustrious [Whatever has been handed down about St. Clarus was diligently weighed by Tillemont, Mémoires, vol. X, p. 352; Girolamo da Prato, Sulpicii Severi opera, vol. I (Verona, 1741), pp 155 – 46, 346 – 47; E. Le Blant, Inscriptions chrétiennes de la Gaule, vol. II, pp. 388 – 411]. For he had as praisers of his virtues and merits Sulpicius Severus and Paulinus of Nola. And the former indeed venerated Clarus so religiously as to bury him in the domestic church which he had built at Primuliacum [On that place read what is collected in Devic and Vaissette, Histoire générale de Languedoc, vol. II (Toulouse, 1876), pp. 85, 86; Le Blant, at the volume cited, p. 388. Cf. what is noted below, no. 5], while the latter wrote verses to be carved on a stone placed in his memory. Let us hear Severus first, who mentions him in two places, that is, in the Life of St. Martin, c. 23, and in the letter to Aurelius.

[2] he is praised by Sulpicius Severus He writes this in the Life of St. Martin Halm, Sulpicii Severi libri qui supersunt, pp. 132 – 33: A certain Clarus, a most noble young man, soon a presbyter, now blessed by a happy departure, when he had left all things and betaken himself to Martin, in a short time shone forth to the highest summit of faith and of all virtues. And so, when he had set up a dwelling for himself not far from the bishop's monastery, and many brothers were staying with him, a certain young man named Anatolius came to him, under the profession of a monk, feigning all humility and innocence, and lived for some time in common with the rest; then, as time went on, he said that angels were accustomed to speak with him. When no one gave credence, he forced a good many to believe by certain signs. At last he went so far as to proclaim that messengers ran to and fro between himself and God, and now he wished to be held one of the prophets. Clarus, however, could by no means be forced to believe. The other threatened him with the wrath of the Lord and present plagues because he did not believe a saint, and at last he is said to have burst out in this utterance: "Behold, this night the Lord will give me a white garment from heaven, clothed in which I shall go about in your midst; and this will be a sign to you that the power of God is in me, who have been presented with the garment of God." Then indeed there was a great expectation of all at this profession. And so, about the middle of the night, the whole monastery seemed to be shaken in its place by the noise of those stamping on the ground; and the little cell in which the same youth was kept you might have seen flashing with frequent lights, in the Life of St. Martin and the noise of those running about in it and a certain murmur of many voices was heard. Then, silence having fallen, he went out and called one of the brothers Here Clm. 6324 adds: by name Sabatius to him, and showed him the tunic in which he was clothed. He, astounded, called the others together; Clarus himself too ran up, and, a light having been brought, all inspected the garment carefully; and it was of the utmost softness, of exceptional whiteness, of flashing purple, yet of what kind or fleece it was could not be recognized; yet, handled by curious eyes or fingers, it seemed nothing other than a garment. Meanwhile Clarus admonished the brothers to persist in prayer, so that the Lord might show them more manifestly what it was. And so the rest of the night was spent in hymns and psalms. When day dawned, he wished to take him by the right hand and drag him to Martin, well aware that Martin could not be deceived by the art of the devil. Then indeed the wretch began to resist and protest, and said that he had been forbidden to show himself to Martin. And when they compelled him to go against his will, the garment vanished between the hands of those dragging him. Whence who would doubt that this too was the power of Martin, that the devil, when his phantasm was to be brought before Martin's eyes, could no longer dissemble or cover it.

[3] and in the letter to Aurelius; In the second letter, to Aurelius, this alone is referred to Clarus: And not long after, I see holy Clarus the presbyter, his disciple, who had lately departed, ascending by the same way as his master Halm, p. 143. These things are plain. On the first passage Girolamo da Prato observes that these words now blessed by a happy departure were added afterwards by Severus, for that now does not regard the time at which the book on the life of Martin was written, but that at which it was published; for otherwise one would have to say, so he argues, that Clarus died some years before Martin; besides, these words seem to have been written after the letter to Aurelius and therefore after Martin's passing to the blessed life At the volume cited, p. 156. Certainly Clarus flew to the heavenly ones a little before Martin, and this alone, unless I am mistaken, was Baronius's reason for inscribing the memory of Clarus in the Roman martyrology on the third day before Martin. That our saint died in the same year as Martin it is natural to gather from the testimony of Severus. Yet to determine this year, which is disputed among the learned, is not the business of this place, and the question will more fittingly be referred to the commentary on St. Martin.

[4] likewise by Paulinus of Nola, Paulinus of Nola celebrates Clarus three times in his letters to Severus. In letter XXIII, 3, speaking of Victor, another disciple of Martin, he has this: Truly we recognized in him the pattern of the holy and blessed Martin and Clarus, whom we came to know, through you, as the follower of his illustrious master at the nearest interval Hartel, S. Pontii Meropii Paulini Nolani opera, vol. I (Vienna, 1894), p. 160. And in letter XXVI, 3, where he praises Severus himself: It is unspeakable to me with how great a pleasure they flooded me when they related both your acts and your words and your heart perfected by the knowledge of divine charity; by which, humble and lofty, poor and rich, servant and free, fellow-servant to servants, servant to brothers, rich toward the poor in the bowels of mercy, poor toward the rich in the spirit of meekness, humble in the virtue of piety, lofty in the sublimity of virtue, and servant to God, free from Mammon, they proclaimed that the whole of Martin breathed in you, that Clarus flourished, that the gospel was ripening Hartel, at the volume cited, pp. 239 – 10.

[5] who his threefold epitaph Above the very brief testimonies brought forward stand the elogia

three, or if you prefer, epitaphs, which he inserted in letter XXXII, 6, written on the arrangement of the basilicas. When I had given these to the works made by the hands of your unanimity, I could not keep silent about that grace of God, not made by hands, in your domestic church [That that church was built at Primuliacum is plain from the fact that at the beginning of this letter (no. 1) Paulinus speaks expressly of two basilicas in the same place, with a baptistery between them, but here of a single church in the place where he is staying; and afterwards he adds (no. 7): we have learned that you have prepared another basilica at our Primuliacum, larger than the former. We have, therefore, on the one hand two basilicas with a baptistery, on the other one basilica to which another will soon be added, namely at Primuliacum. Cf. Letter XXXI, 1. Hartel, at the volume cited, p. 267], by which he has granted you Clarus as a perpetual guest in it. And so I have dared to compose verses to his holy memory, not because I could say anything worthy of his divine merits, but in order to express the zeal of very great charity toward his soul, and to send them to your unanimity. Reciting them before the Lord to his holy soul, which ever dwells as a fellow guest with you in the Lord, you will excuse my boldness and commend my homage.

As by the title of his name, so by the light of his mind Clarus, The presbyter, is covered here; but the perishable limbs are in the tomb, The mind, free from the prison of the body, rejoices among the stars, Pure, allotted the seat of the approved and pious. The holy bones rest beneath the eternal altars, So that, while the chaste gifts of the pious Christ are offered, The fragrances of the soul may be joined to the divine rites.

Likewise on the same, so that you may choose whichever you prefer; but I know that in this you ought rather to hesitate, not in order to choose some for the inscription, but lest you should do injury to the saint of God by any.

he composed in verse. Here lies a presbyter, Clarus in merits and in name, Martin's companion in his pursuits, and now the sharer of his merit. The altars are a house worthy of the pious man, beneath which his limbs Are laid, lifeless; for his spirit rejoices in the ether And joins the disciple to his equal master above the stars.

Clarus in faith, illustrious in deed, most bright in fruit, You who match the title of your name with your merits, Chaste altars worthily veil your body, So that the altar of God may cover the temple of Christ. But since you are not held in this seat in which your body is, You, a spirit, who fly among the heavenly ones by your merits, Whether you recline in the bosoms of the fathers, or are laid beneath the altar of the Lord, Or are fed in the sacred grove, In whatever region of the sky or of paradise you are placed, Clarus, you live blessed under eternal peace. Receive, good one, these vows of sinners who pray, That you may be mindful of Paulinus and Therasia. Love those commended to you through the intercession of Severus, Whom you did not know in the body as so deserving. May a common love be the kindling for both, of one mind, Of a perpetual covenant in the highest Lord. You cannot tear apart those who are entwined; if you draw one, The one, where he is snatched, will snatch those clinging to him. Embrace, therefore, equally the indivisible brothers, And, as we are, so love us, sharing in us. So God summoned us, so Martin loved us; So you too, Clarus, guard equally the pair. Not in merits but in love a pair, you, holy one, will be able To pray that the pair may become equal in merits also, If with Martin you labour in companionable piety, So that your prayers may overcome our crimes, And together we may be led into the lot of your Severus, And your wing may always protect us in its bosom Hartel, at the volume cited, pp. 280 – 82.

[6] The basilica of Primuliacum. Paulinus had heard that another basilica, larger than the former, was being prepared at Primuliacum. Concerning the relics of the martyrs and the blessing of the holy cross to be deposited in it, he sends a poem with the same letter to Severus, for whom in the last little verses he prays for all good things, the memory of St. Clarus not being omitted:

And by the way by which he saw your Martin ascend with his companion Clarus, May he himself too go, borne up by your gift Hartel, at the volume cited, p. 283.

[7] The cult of St. Clarus Neither at Tours nor in other places is there any memory of St. Clarus in the ancient calendars, and in the index of feasts under Perpetuus, bishop of Tours, his name is lacking Gregory of Tours, Historia Francorum, book X, 31, 6. Baronius, unless I am mistaken, first inscribed Clarus in the catalogue of the saints in these words: At Tours, of St. Clarus the presbyter, whose epitaph St. Paulinus wrote; whereas instead of Tours he ought to have written Primuliacum, where it is probable that the anniversary commemoration of Clarus was kept at least by Severus. scarcely any monuments survive. Yet I do not wish to pass over what Ruinart writes, speaking of the church dedicated to St. Radegund near Marmoutier of Tours: Near this is another chapel named after St. Clarus, whose martyrdom is seen painted in the glass of a window for more than 400 years S. Gregorii episcopi Turonensis opera (Paris, 1699), p. 1404. That our St. Clarus was not a martyr is plain enough, and I would believe that Ruinart's pen slipped in this. I do not doubt that a chapel was once erected to St. Clarus, as to the others who lived under the discipline of St. Martin; but that this is the only monument of his cult outside Primuliacum, after I have questioned the learned men of Tours in vain, I must be persuaded.