George

ON ST. GEORGE, BISHOP OF LODÈVE,

c. 870

George, bishop of Lodève. (S.)

BY H. D.

[1] George On the fifth day before the Ides of November there is announced by Saussay Martyrologii gallicani pars posterior, p. 852., by Chastelain Martyrologe Universel, 9 Nov., and in the Martyrology of Paris of the year 1727, St. George, bishop of Luteva or Lodève, who certainly at the beginning of the seventeenth century was venerated on this day in his own church Proprium sanctorum insignis ecclesiae Lodovensis (Paris, 1630), p. 42., but whose feast, it seems, began in the eighteenth century to be kept on the day after [Breviarium Lodovense, autumn part, Paris, 1775; Missale Lodovense, Paris, 1776; Breve Lodovense (Montpellier, 1832), p. 53.]. For what reason he exchanged his day with SS. Tiberius, Modestus and Florentia, who are commemorated in other places on the fourth day before the Ides of November, I confess I do not know. In the diocese of Rodez the 19th day of February is sacred to him. In the series of the bishops of Lodève he stands midway between Tatila, who is said to have held the see in the year 844, and Macarius, who is said to have held it in the year 885 [Devic-Vaissette, Histoire générale de Languedoc, vol. IV (Toulouse, 1872), p. 287; Duchesne, Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule, vol. I2, p. 314.]; and to him was granted by Charles the Bald († 877) the toll with the pasture-dues, vineyards, estates and farms of the place of Sallesles, as is shown from the documents of Lodève [Plantevit de la Pause, Chronologia praesulum Lodovensium (Aramontii, 1634), p. 39; Gallia Christiana, vol. VI, p. 531.]. And these are about all the things concerning the holy bishop that seem certain and proven.

[2] He was bishop of Lodève. What Bernard Gui, himself bishop of this see, had written on the deeds of the prelates of Lodève seems to have perished [Delisle, in Notices et extraits des manuscrits de la bibliothèque Nationale, vol. XXVII, 2, p. 273. Compare L. Guiraud in E. Martin, Histoire de la ville de Lodève, vol. II (Montpellier, 1900), p. 398 – 425.], and no Life of St. George survives besides that shorter one which consists of three lessons of the second nocturn, and which we bring forward from the Proper of the Saints of Lodève of the year 1630. The little book was put together by the authority and personal labour of Jean de Plantevit de la Pause, a man certainly not unlearned, who diligently collected the historical monuments of the see of Lodève. And at the beginning of the three lessons he noted that they were taken from an old cartulary of the monastery of Conques and of the church of Lodève.

[3] His deeds Lesson IV. George, of a noble lineage of the diocese of Rodez, came from the province of Aquitaine; who during the whole time of his boyhood and youth continually bound his teachable mind to the studies of the liberal arts, in which, being most fully formed, he afterwards applied himself so unceasingly to divine letters that he was held more learned even than his masters. He was moreover rigid and severe in the voluntary affliction and assiduous mortification of his body, fervent in charity, sober and chaste, wise and eloquent, humble and gentle, thoroughly imbued and adorned with religion, morals and letters.

Lesson V. In the college of Conques of the aforesaid diocese, first instructed by teachers, and there serving as a soldier of God, he obtained the dignity of the priesthood and took the monastic habit in the same place according to the rule of St. Benedict. Consequently, the divine will so providing, he lived for many years as a simple but devout and ever-watchful monk in the monastery of Vabres of the same order and diocese, which some time afterwards was torn away from it and erected into an episcopal see.

Lesson VI. In which, persevering in frequent fasts, long vigils, timely prayers, frequent groans and continual sighs, he manfully and constantly besought pardon for his own sins and those of the people. Living among the brethren according to the rule, he was always humble, gentle and cheerful; so that he left to present and future monks a wonderful norm of living, so that they might begin usefully, progress more usefully, and persevere most usefully in the purpose of acquiring holiness and perfection. Whence at last he was raised to the episcopal dignity, and was made the worthy bishop of this church of Lodève.

[4] which are related in the breviaries In the following editions of the breviary of Lodève the same epitome is read, to which these things were afterwards subjoined at the end: about the year eight hundred and eighty. He governed the people entrusted to him most holily for about three years, and having fulfilled in all things the office of a good shepherd, he fell asleep in the Lord. His relics were preserved and honoured at Lodève in the greater basilica of St. Genesius, until they were scattered by the Calvinists in the grievous sack of the city Breviarium Lodovense (Paris, 1775), autumn part, p. 501.. Nor do the lessons of the breviary of Rodez differ much, which insert some things on the history of the monastery of Vabres, to which George is said to have been enrolled about the year eight hundred and sixty-two; he is said to have ascended the see of Lodève in the year eight hundred and seventy-seven [Proprium Sanctorum insignis ecclesiae cathedralis B. Mariae et dioecesis Ruthenensis (Rodez, 1824), p. 265.].

[5] with the deeds of another George What Bishop Plantevit had ordered to be related in the lessons of the Proper of the Saints, he repeated in his Chronology Same volume and column, p. 32 – 39., nor does he indicate that he drew from any other source

except the legendary of Lodève and the cartulary of Conques, which we regret have perished [In the fragments of the book which they now call the cartulary of Conques (compare Stein, Bibliographie générale des cartulaires francais, nn. 1043, 1044) no mention occurs.], so that no means is supplied of passing judgement on the truth of the matters. And as for his assertion that George was made bishop in the year 880, it is an unhappy conjecture, since he was raised to the see of Lodève while Charles the Bald, who died in the year 877, was still living Above, no. 1.. The other things which we have brought from the breviaries about the years spent in the monastery and in the episcopate receive no weight from the monuments. Now, that we too may put forward our conjecture about the whole history of St. George, it is worth noting that to our predecessors, when they were preparing the second volume of June for the press, there were by chance sent three lessons on St. George, monk of Vabres, which agree word for word with the Proper of Lodève, They seem to have been mixed together. yet in such a way that there is no mention of his having undertaken the episcopate Act. SS., June vol. II, p. 244 – 45.. That the same man who had been educated in the monastery of Conques and enrolled at Vabres is asserted to have obtained the see of Lodève is owed, unless I am mistaken, to the hagiographers alone, who thought George the monk one with George the bishop. And indeed the commemoration of the former was kept on the 19th day of February in his diocese of Rodez, that of the latter on the 9th of November among the people of Lodève. After they were seen to have grown together into one, each nevertheless kept in his own diocese his former anniversary day. And we do not contend that these things are indubitable; yet nothing more certain occurs.