Sindulphus

ON ST. SINDULPHUS, HERMIT AND CONFESSOR, AT AUSSONCE IN THE TERRITORY OF REIMS,

ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF THE 7TH CENTURY.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

Sindulphus, presbyter and confessor, in the district of Reims (S.)

J. V. H.

Sole §. The memory of St. Sindulphus in the sacred calendars; synopsis of the Life; the Acts and time of the translation to Hautvillers.

The memory of the Saint in the Martyrologies: The Roman Martyrology under this day celebrates the memory of St. Sindulphus in the following words: In the district of Reims, of St. Sindulphus, confessor. With this announcement certain Auctaria of Usuard agree, as may be seen in the edition of Usuard of our Sollerius at this day, in which Molanus too wove this elogium of our Saint: The deposition of Sindulphus, confessor; how acceptable his life was to God, his miracles testify. The festivity of the Saint was celebrated with simple rite in the diocese of Reims; for its Breviary, published in the year 1779 by order of Armand de Rohan, archbishop, has this under the 20th day of October: Commemoration of St. Sindulphus, presbyter, with the following Lesson: Sindulphus, born in Aquitaine, kindled with zeal for evangelical perfection, leaving country, parents, means and friends, came to Reims, and in the district called Alsontia fixed his foot. There, having built himself a little cell, unknown to men, known to God alone, he gave himself wholly to prayer, fasts and continual exercises of virtues and of penance, accustomed to eat only a little bread and water towards evening, leading the austere life of the anchorites. Variously tempted by the demon, supported by the divine help, which he humbly implored, he trampled on the snares of the enemy of the human race and of every good.

[2] a compendium of the Life from the Breviary of Reims: He cultivated every kind of virtue with such even diligence that it was not so easy to judge in which he chiefly excelled. When new ones in each of the days

he was making progress from day to day, so great a sanctity of the man could not lie hidden long. To him flowed a multitude of neighbours, to whom he gave counsels of salvation, kindling them to piety more by example than by word. Endowed with a singular gift in understanding the scriptures, he wonderfully adapted them both to the rule of his own actions and to the instruction of others. Distinguished with the honour of the priesthood, he so bore himself among the inhabitants of Alsontia, cherishing the needy, consoling the wretched, relieving the sick, that it has been handed down by several that he was the pastor of that place, if not in title, at least in work and merit. At length, after innumerable labours endured, the ardour of piety ever growing and not feeling the detriments of age, he passed to the Lord, and was entombed in the church of Alsontia. When his sanctity grew renowned by miracles, then, after two centuries, Hincmar drew him out of the tomb and endowed the monastery of Hautvillers with his sacred pledges, the parish church of which place was consecrated to God under the invocation of St. Sindulphus.

[3] the Acts by Almannus, What we have so far cited from the Breviary of Reims is for the most part taken from the Acts of St. Sindulphus, which we shall give below. Jean Mabillon, from whom we shall publish them, collated with the codex of St. Nicasius of Reims, from which we also give the History of the translation, says their author is Almannus, a monk of Hautvillers, who flourished in the ninth century, and published the Life on the occasion of the translation of St. Sindulphus into his monastery. Adrien Baillet, in the critical Table of authors and Acts prefixed to the month of October, has this concerning the biographer of St. Sindulphus: His life was written by a monk of Hautvillers, whom some think to have been Almannus, of whom Sigebert treats in chapter XCIX of the illustrious men. And indeed that they thought rightly is established from the testimony of the same Sigebert, who in the book on ecclesiastical writers, chapter XCVIII, speaks thus Miraeus, Bibliotheca ecclesiastica, p. 145.: Almannus, monk of Hautvillers, wrote the Life of St. Nivard, archbishop of Reims, the Life of Sindulphus, the Life of queen Helena, and her translation from Rome to the monastery of Hautvillers; and because in his time France was being laid waste by the Normans, after the example of the Prophet Jeremiah, he lamented the desolation of France and of his monastery in a fourfold Alphabet. But if anyone, not following the Sigebertian source, has sipped only Baillet's stream, he will easily persuade himself that the opinion of those who think Almannus the biographer of St. Sindulphus rests on an altogether slippery foundation: yet Sigebert, all doubt being removed, openly professes that Almannus was the writer of the Life of St. Sindulphus. Which I think should be observed here because Baillet is commonly numbered among those who have sought the glory of a more severe and accurate criticism.

[4] written by a monk of Hautvillers: Trithemius in the Chronicle of Hirsau Trithemius, Chronicon Hirsaugiense, p. 35, St. Gall edition 1690. says that Almannus was renowned about the year of Christ 883, and, like Sigebert, makes him the writer of the Life of St. Sindulphus. But since he was distant by at least 150 years from the Saint whose life he was writing, he narrates the deeds altogether sparingly and without any well-defined chronological mark. This conjecture the writers of the Literary History of France bring forward Hist. lit. de la Fr., vol. V, p. 620., and we approve it, although it seems to us that this too must be added, that the anchoretic manner of living of St. Sindulphus also contributed not a little to his history being unknown; to which is finally added that the Saint's body lay hidden for a long time at Alsontia, an ignoble village of the district of Reims, where the memory of the Saint persevered by tradition, which for the most part neglects chronology, more than by written documents. Hence it also came about that the writer Almannus, as the writers of the Literary History rightly observe Ibid., seeks to adorn his narrative with many circumlocutions: for that otherwise he diligently investigated in order to write the history is witnessed by the epitaph, rather barbarous and meagre, which he transferred into his commentaries. That, however, contrary to the custom of those times, he did not end the life with the customary doxology, the praised writers attribute to the translation of the Relics, whose narrative, as it seems, was subjoined to the Life; and this is confirmed by the fact that Almannus begins the history of the translation from the words: Moreover, whoever wishes to know, etc.: but this too must not be omitted, that at the end of this narrative also the doxology is lacking in our manuscript, whether because it was never appended or was obliterated by the yawning of the copyist.

[5] born in Aquitaine in the 6th century, he came to Reims, That the country of St. Sindulphus was Aquitaine both the Life and the Epitaph testify, without however designating more nearly that part of Aquitaine, a most extensive region, from which the Saint came forth. Nor is any reason alleged why, leaving his native soil, he chose the territory of Reims as the arena of his ascesis. But some reason or other of this predilection we may perhaps draw from Flodoard, who, History of the Church of Reims book II, chapter III Bibliotheca Maxima Patrum, vol. XVII, p. 532., treating of St. Basolus, the countryman and contemporary of our Sindulphus, says that he came from the parts of Aquitaine to the city of Reims, longingly seeking the patronage of St. Remigius. It may be suspected that a like reason moved our Saint, especially since we have from the Chronicle of Sigebert of Gembloux that both Saints were renowned at the same time, as Guillaume Marlot rightly observes in his History of Reims, book II, chapter XXVIII Marlot, Metropolis Remensis, vol. I, p. 236.. For Sigebert says under the year of Christ 567 Pistorius, Rerum Germanicarum Scriptores, vol. I, p. 739.: St. Basolus the abbot and Syndulphus, presbyter and recluse, are renowned in France. And by these words indeed I judge that the beginnings of both are indicated, from the fact that St. Basolus is commonly reported to have died about the year of Christ 620 Butler, Vies des Saints, 26 November.. Our conjecture is confirmed also by what the Acts to be published have, namely that St. Sindulfus flourished in the time of Brunhild, who reigned in the Gauls from the year 566 to 613 with various title and various fortune. Since, further, we know from the praised Acts that the Saint died an old man, with the biographers who have written of the Saint we place his death at the beginning of the seventh century. If these things are so, it follows that St. Sindulfus lived in the district of Reims under archbishop Aegidius, who occupied the See from the year 565 to 590; whose kindness in receiving strangers is praised by the poet Fortunatus in Flodoard, book II, chapter II Bibliotheca Patrum, vol. XVII, p. 531., in these words:

Whoever comes here an exile, sad, worn out, needy, Here receives back his country, you cherishing him; What he has grieved over you take away, turning groans into joys, Removing exile, you restore by love his household gods.

[6] where he leads a solitary rather than an active life The Legend of the Breviary, cited at n. 2, seems to insinuate that the Saint was adorned with the honour of the presbyterate after he had already begun to dwell in the territory of Reims; for this dignity is first attributed to him only after it has been related that a multitude of neighbours flowed to him, to whom he gave counsels of salvation, and that, endowed with a singular gift in understanding the scriptures, he adapted them to his own and others' instruction. But if we interpret the cited Legend in such a manner, we seem to depart from the Acts of Almannus, which relate the obtaining of the presbyterate before they begin to treat of the pilgrimage to Reims. He grew, they say at number 2, in the ecclesiastical grades until he became a priest of the eternal God… And since he daily strove to become a perfect man, following the example of blessed Abraham the patriarch, leaving his native soil, … from the parts of Aquitaine … he betook himself into the region of this city of Reims. By which words Almannus clearly indicates that St. Sindulfus was first made a presbyter, afterwards a pilgrim. As regards, however, the Saint having sustained the office of parish priest or pastor in the village of Alsontia, as the praised Legend has it Marlot, vol. I, p. 236., there is nothing in it that departs from the norm of that time, since in the fourth council of Orléans, in the year 541, canon XXXIII Labbe, vol. V, Councils, col. 387., the conditions are already indicated under which anyone may have a diocese or parish on his estate, namely that he assign to it sufficient lands and clerics who may fulfil their offices there. Since, however, St. Sindulphus had set out into distant lands for love of solitude, and his Acts indicate nothing of a manner of living greatly changed, I should rather believe that this parochial care, if there was any besides the counsels of salvation given to those who flocked to him, was temporary. Besides, that he persevered in the desert is witnessed by the second verse of the Epitaph at number 10: Here, shut in his cell as in a desert, he lived well.

[7] his body is probably translated to Hautvillers in the year 866. That the body of the Saint was translated into the monastery of Hautvillers is witnessed by Almannus, biographer of St. Sindulphus, in a particular narrative which we shall publish after the Saint's Life: from which Flodoard took the chief points, book II, chapter IX Bibliotheca Patrum, vol. XVII, p. 537.. But neither defines in any measure the time at which it happened. Guillaume Marlot Metropolis Remensis, vol. I, p. 237. says it happened after the Relics of the empress Helena had lately been brought from Rome to Hautvillers. But Jean Mabillon, who in his Annals, book XXXIII, § LXXXVII Mabillon, Annales, vol. II, p. 643., ties the translation of St. Helena to the year of Christ 849, has it that the Relics of our Blessed man were translated to the monastery of Hautvillers some years after. And this latter opinion we judge the truer. For Almannus wrote his history of the translation after it had lately happened; since at n. 11 he relates the miracles which, a long time after his deposition, were LATELY worked at his translation to this HIS monastery of Hautvillers. But, as the Authors of the Literary History of France think Hist. lit. de la Fr., vol. V, p. 619., Almannus girded himself to writing the Lives of the Saints not long before the year 868. For when in that year Theudoin, provost of Châlons, was inviting Almannus to commit to his letters the Life of St. Memmius, first bishop of Châlons, he says indeed that he, brought up from early age in a religious place, had given his effort above all to this, that he might be in no way without letters, and might even advance so far as to be by no means unskilled in writing Mabillon, Vetera Analecta, p. 424.. But if Almannus had long since cultivated hagiographical writing, and so his works had become more widely known, it seems quite probable that Theudoin would have alleged this too in order to entice him to the writing. From what has been said thus far it follows that if, as our predecessors prove in the Preliminary Commentary to the Acts of St. Helena at the 16th day of August Acta SS., vol. III of August, p. 600, no. 6., her translation was celebrated in the year 640 or the following, the translation of St. Sindulphus is distant from Helena's by a whole twenty years; so that I agree well enough with Mabillon Acta SS. Ordinis S. Benedicti, 4th century, part II, p. 153. and the authors of the Literary History of France Hist. lit. de la Fr., vol. V, p. 620., who consign the coming of our Saint to Hautvillers under the year 866; so that Guil.

Marlot, almost joining the two translations, seems to have spoken not accurately enough.

LIFE OF ST. SINDULFUS, CONFESSOR.

By Almannus, monk of Hautvillers, who flourished in the 9th century,

From Mabillon's Acta of the Order of St. Benedict, 1st century, p. 368, collated with a transcript of the monastery of St. Nicasius of Reims, from which the history of the translation is drawn.

Sindulphus, presbyter and confessor, in the district of Reims (S.)

BHL Number: 7792, 7793

BY ALMANNUS THE MONK.

Prologue. After the Son of the living God, made man for our salvation, deigned to illumine the earth with His bodily presence, and man, who was the stipendiary of death, was redeemed by His passion and made firm by His resurrection, so great a choir of Saints arose that, as the heaven is adorned with stars, so this world was adorned with Saints, and the power of the Lord was declared everywhere. When, therefore, the Christian religion was flourishing through the climes of the world, and many were leading an honourable life, the grace of God favouring, there was then a renowned man, very venerable in his life, just, good, pleasing to God, born of Christian parents, Sindulfus by name. Him the giver of all good things, who freely loves the just and by His kindness bestows virtue on every good soul, so advanced in good that, bearing the author of the orthodox faith in his sacred breast and leading a celibate life, he bore so great religion in his mind, displayed so great * sanctity in his manners, that he was thought equal in all things to the most religious men of whom great virtues are related. For like a beautiful rose or a most lovely lily or a most bright star, or a column of light, so he shone in merits among the men of virtue in his time.

[2] Adorned with virtues he came to Reims, For the most blessed priest of God Sindulfus was cheerful in mind, bright in countenance, gentle in manners, rich in the wealth of good things . Charity, which is the first of the virtues, girded him ; humility, flourishing with the next light, exalted him into glory; and chastity, the bond of all perfection, most modest, adorned him ^a. He strove to fulfil every work worthy of praise, to cultivate justice, to love God above all things, to think of heavenly things with a holy mind. He was the consoler of the wretched, the refresher of the poor, the preserver of piety. He grew in the ecclesiastical grades until he became a most beloved priest of the eternal God ^b. He, for love of the heavenly kingdom, put the light yoke of Christ on his neck. And since he daily strove to become a perfect man, following the example of blessed Abraham the patriarch, leaving his native soil and all the things in which the lovers of the world delight, aspiring to the poverty of Christ above riches and seeking pilgrimage for love of Him, bearing the likeness of an Angel , in the time of Brunhild, queen of the Franks, from the parts of Aquitaine whence he was sprung, by the disposition of God, as is plain, he betook himself with placid steps into the region of this city of Reims. Whom Christ followed with so great grace, and so he came anointed with spiritual ointments, and breathing with the redolent fragrance of virtues, that he could say with the Apostle: We are the good odour of Christ to God in every place. And because he loved Christ supremely with all his heart, he called upon His holy name, and He in His mercy directed all his ways to justice, and His holy Angels guarded His kindly priest everywhere.

[3] thence he withdraws to Alsontia, Here, then, establishing a cell in the village which is called Alsonsia ^c, girded with the strength of virtue, the athlete of God followed the anchoretic life. For, shut up in it and desiring to be known to God rather than to men, he macerated his body with fasts, and chastised it with such abstinence that with scanty food he scarcely kept his bones alive. His food was at times, even after sunset, dry bread, and his drink water, and so for a very long time, taming his flesh by this arid rule, devoted to God he presented as it were a kind of penance. In prayers , psalms, hymns and spiritual canticles all his time was spent. In such acts and in his God, who is the fount of good things, he rejoiced; and he lived so soberly that he strove to express the imitative examples of the conversation of Christ. Him the enemy of the human race assailed cunningly and astutely with demoniacal phantasms, wiles and many devices: but the power of Christ, regarding His Saint with divine gaze, whose censure always restrains wicked things, dashed down the forces of the hostile power rising up and crushed its tyrannical madness. For as often as the diabolical spirit strove to tempt the priest of God, so often was his malignant art and crafty deceit despised by the holy man. For, relying on the victory of Christ, he saw the devil fearful, having not the strength of a gnat or an ant, but scarcely creeping like a feeble little worm. He crushed too the head of the impious worm, or if at any time it became stronger, he pressed the neck of the most wicked serpent, nor gave assent to its suggestions, but weighed it in even balance, whether it raised itself up or pressed down. At length the Lord, having pity on His champion, who kept the feet of His Saint and exalted him into the greatness of glory, took away the enemy in the spirit of His fury, and broke his weapons in which he trusted. The Lord also consoled His servant and gave him joy and gladness and peace all his days.

[4] where he feeds the people running to him And since, although someone wishes his good deeds to be hidden, they are made manifest by the light in which they are done; so the same man of God Sindulfus, although he had given himself over to such an enclosure and had chosen to serve God in secret in the hiding place of his little cell, yet by Him who saw his works he was made manifest to many as an example of holy conversation ^d. For his life pleased God; He established his memory among men. For the peoples, recognizing the sanctity and great grace of the priest of God, loved the servant of God , and hastened ardently to see his joyful and glorious face, magnifying God and giving thanks to Him. For he had so peaceful a countenance and a face of a certain great glory, and a mouth of such joy, that whoever merited to see the holy man was rendered free of all sadness. For there shone in him justice, holiness, kindness, a heap of virtues, and he was the mirror of all goodness. They beheld in an earthen vessel the treasure of God, and saw a man made an Angel. So great an odour of his sanctity reached all, and so did the opinion of his most holy deeds grow, that the fame of his good action, moved afar, kindled all very much with desire of him; and they came to him and, paying him honour, kissed his hands and his knees, and called him a worshipper of God and a most loving father.

[5] with salutary counsels; The discourse of the holy man to all was of the Prophets and Apostles and the Gospel of Christ. For the gift of understanding had been given him by the Most High, and the Lord of knowledge so instructed him as to place him on the lofty throne of wisdom; and, illumined by divine illumination, he preached what was useful and profitable to all, and by holy admonition led many to the grace of God. So is Your power, Lord, this Your work, which You work in Your Saints. All these things Your most efficacious goodness does, You who alone do great wonders. Through You Your servants work well, through You this our father Sindulfus led a heavenly conversation on earth, and conquered the devil in spiritual combat; through You too, by the seed of the divine word, he directed many to eternal salvation.

[6] he edifies by examples of virtues, What, however, was memorable in the holy man, I by no means think should be passed over in silence. Very many of the Saints are read to have attained diverse grace of God in their life, and as one excelled in faith, another was pre-eminent in hope, another surpassed in charity, one too cultivated humility most , another nourished piety, some shone with continence or chastity, and diverse ones shone with the other virtues, as with a happy dowry of good things, in great comeliness. Out of whom, as out of stones of many kinds, the walls of the heavenly Jerusalem are built, or as out of various the most beautiful crowns above are woven. But this most noble standard-bearer of God and renowned prince, the most blessed Sindulfus, was so perfect in every virtue that he claimed for himself a great possession of good things, and a careful censor would scarcely not know what in him could be more praised ; that he might please the eyes of his creator, this was his labour, this the hinge of all his desire, that while he enjoyed the revolving sun and drew alternating breath, he should persist solidly in spirit and mind in the service of God. Earnestly, then, the gem of God and most precious pearl, St. Sindulfus, rendering service to almighty God with devotion for many years, was a great exemplar of a heavenly star, and, shining with the multiplicity of his merits, awaited the divine promises and the prize of eternity from the everlasting king. He longed for Him who is most beautiful, as the blessed eyes of the Saints know, but God deferred his desire to this end, that, increased by delay, it might receive the worthy fruit of the reward.

[7] continually persisting in prayer, Knowing, however, that he who perseveres to the end shall be saved, he was a fit preserver of the worship of God, and approached the throne of His goodness assiduously, with humble and contrite heart, for himself and for all. For the holy man prayed not only for himself but for the salvation of all the faithful; and to him as he besought, the door of the most abundant compassion of God was often opened. Never was his most worthy mind absent from heaven, but continually, with the open gape of his mind , he thirsted for God: drinking Him in his heart, and bearing a breast full of sanctity, he overflowed with spiritual joy in all his inward parts. And because the blessed and holy priest knew the merit of the soul to be very bright before God, he had striven to adorn it with the light of uprightness and with all the necklaces of the virtues *. And that he might do so, it was also conferred on him by divine gift, namely that he should merit to be made a citizen of heaven and to be enrolled in the camps of the eternal king.

[8] he advanced daily in virtues: When, however , the most blessed priest of Christ Sindulfus was mature in age and endowed with full years ^e, there was in him so great a fervour that when others act more remissly, this blessed man laboured more for heavenly things. Therefore with all zeal and haste he hastened by a straight path to the mountain of the heavenly inheritance, and although he was failing in age, love restored his strength. He strove even to surpass the recruits in the warfare of Christ, nor did he wish ever to lay down the burden of Christ , sweet to him. While the days gave time to labours, he desired to sow in tears, that afterwards he might ever reap in joy. This beautiful state of life he bound to himself with dear love and always desired to hold it here, and God, the inspector of his heart, deigned to help his will, with whom service is never unwelcome: and so is His grace rich in wonderful ways, that what He receives simply He repays with hundredfold interest, by whom so great a glory of mind * is acquired as in no way is conceived. To see which is of the likeness of so great an honour that the blessed man would not hope to exchange it for the things which the whole world possesses, and he is so happily exalted,

that he is borne with his head to the stars. Where, adorned in the friendship of God, he will not be defrauded of the pledge of his faith, but will merit to receive even more than he would presume in hope. Here he will find those sublime gifts in which all rejoice who have obtained them; where it is right for the small to hope for great things, and to exchange the worthless for the most precious; where he who has merited will be enriched with so great an honour that its author can be reckoned none other than God: where he who has gone forth here for Him in a mean garment will change it for golden vestments. O most blessed father Sindulfus, such robes befit your members, which here did not refuse to be clothed in mean things for God: O happy one, who worthy have borne yourself here; O blessed soldier, who have betaken yourself to such things.

[9] full of merits and of days Blessed Sindulfus, therefore , after the long pilgrimage of his earthly sojourn, in which he chose Christ, set Him before all things , and strove to serve Him unweariedly, at length found what he desired, that his holy soul should be carried hence by the Angels into the bosom of Abraham and be joined more closely to God. He left his earthly tunic and was clothed with the stole of glory; he left walls of clay and merited the ethereal house and the common country of the Saints, ever shining with a perpetual sun, where he sees an ever unclouded day, where an inestimable light casts a golden radiance, where it gladdens the mind with heavenly adornment, and it delights to see the senators of heaven crowned with golden crowns, and palaces built of gems, resting on milky bases and snowy columns. He now looks upon everything white, everything conspicuous, and sees the stars beneath his feet, and with the white flock follows the lamb wherever He goes. O blessed father Sindulfus, though you had once been born on earth, you have come forth begotten for heaven. O blessed soul, whose glory is of God, I trust that great rewards have been given you and I approve that you merited to be given them ; which remain fixed for you for ever, and glory will sooner be taken away from the sons of men than your rewards be diminished. What is lacking to your soul, which has so great a good in the region of the just? First the most lovely place pleases, and love of it grows with perpetuity. You have obtained, as I truly confess, honours to which no riches are preferred, nay which they in no measure equal. Then you behold with happy eyes your king, whom you always desired, and His Angels and Saints, of whom every wit fails to speak, and you hear canticles of gladness, and you enjoy everlasting joys without end. Wherefore, mindful of many miseries, pray for us, most blessed priest, that by your pious prayers we may merit to live faithfully and to be with Christ *.

[10] he rests in a holy end. Finally the most blessed priest of God, Sindulfus, after his passing, was buried honourably in the church of the aforesaid village, where he had founded a cell for himself, the Angels and Saints rejoicing and singing praises to God, pious men too weeping at his death and exulting at his merits. And there was written over his tomb an epitaph of this kind:

Sindulfi merito recubant hic membra sereni, Hic cella clausus velut in eremo bene vixit. Adgaudens huc progenies Aquitannica vertit; Tunc regionis erat regina hujus Brunebildis, Sublimisque chorus refuga labente relucet. Tripudiant testes, seu missi, pontificesque, Carmen virgineus cœtus canet omnipotenti; Interea gaudet chorus, emicat et polus omnis ^f.

[Here by merit rest the limbs of serene Sindulfus; here, shut in his cell as in a desert, he lived well. Rejoicing, an Aquitanian offspring turned hither; then the queen of this region was Brunebildis; and the sublime choir shines again as the fugitive one slips away. The witnesses, or envoys, and the pontiffs dance for joy; the virgin assembly will sing a song to the Almighty; meanwhile the choir rejoices, and the whole pole shines forth.]

And the Blessed confessor of Christ and priest Sindulfus passed to the Lord and to perpetual felicity on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of November. He, contending spiritually in the gymnasium of contempt of the world, turned the revolving sun to use, and, perfectly despising the present age, followed Christ with his whole heart. His conversation, flashing with virtues and miracles, declares that he led a celibate * life; and he, efficaciously fleeing the twofold earth and going out from it, sowing in tears with the Patriarchs, and leaving the fruit of holy conversation, immolating himself for Christ with the Apostles, with the Martyrs stretching out both hands from the soil of this pilgrimage to the shore, with the Confessors filling his fingers with most approved myrrh, with the Virgins answered the bridegroom of his soul with a new canticle, until he should meet him upon the mountains of spices, like a roe and a young hart.

[11] Alsontia hallows his body Moreover, whoever desires to know more fully how meritoriously the blessed man lived, let him read the miracles which, a long time after his sacred deposition, were lately worked on the journey of his soldier at his translation to this our monastery of Hautvillers ^g, and he will see that he lives with Christ, who, so great, could obtain the medicine of salvation after death; whoever wishes to read what is noted below will find it in two ways; namely in prose speech and in a more prolix work polished in a certain rhythm ^h. From the place, then, where the body of the most blessed Sindulfus was laid, while it was being nobly carried to our monastery, midway on the journey at Spies on the river ⁱ, a distinguished miracle shone forth to all standing by there: for when a certain woman, deprived of her eyes for a long time now, heard the noise of those passing, she asked those conversing with her what this was: as soon as she perceived with her ear the truth of the matter, tottering this way and that, she passed through the door of her little cell and came to meet the bier of the most blessed Sindulfus. And at once, as she gave herself to prayer, she received the gift of light. And when he was drawing near to the gate of the city of Reims, a great crowd of people came to meet him, with whom a girl, dumb and infirm, had gone together; forthwith, as she prostrated herself on the ground, she merited to be healed in both members. When all who knew this deed were marvelling, a little woman was brought there from a neighbouring place who had a contraction of the hands and knees: her husband had at one time abandoned her on account of this infirmity: but as soon as she was let down to the ground there, her step being made firm, she was restored to health; and, made sound, she began to say to some conversing with her that, willing or not, her husband should take her back; as she said this, she returned to her former misery: at this sight all were then also astonished and stupefied; and both were known to many, since they lived in suburban places.

[12] to Reims with solemn pomp, And so, when they came to the basilica of the most holy Mother of God Mary ^k, while the choir was resounding with praises, there came a certain girl, creeping on her breast and rolling her whole body along the ground on her knees, who had been bent in wonderful manner for three years: as soon as she saw the bier before the altar, she suddenly merited to be healed before the eyes of all, and, made upright, learned happily to look up at the sky, she who until then had unhappily known only to look down at the earth. There was brought also a blind woman, while Mass was being celebrated, and she had been held in her infirmity for seven years; but as soon as she approached the doors of the temple, she merited to see the light. She, moreover, had lived from infancy in that city, and for that reason was very well known to almost all. The office being finished, the body of St. Sindulfus went out from the hall of Blessed Mary with praises and hymns: and it was translated to the illustrious house of the kindly Remigius ^l. And as the next sun dawned, it was taken up from there with great reverence. And when it was passing through a certain monastery of girls, whose proper name is Avenay ^m, the holy women ran to meet it, and led it to the aforesaid monastery. There there came to meet it a certain little man, brought up there and known to all, the sole of whose foot for the course of two years could in no way set down a step. And while those who saw this were rendering praises to God, there is added to this a wonderful and venerable sign: for there was carried there a little woman, contracted in every part for ten years, who, while all looked on, was restored to straight steps: seeing this, the women consecrated to God, who had always known her, gave themselves up to weeping for joy, praising the Lord, who deigned to bestow such things.

[13] and thence he is translated to Hautvillers. Thence the holy man Sindulfus was carried to the place prepared for him by God, where then very many prodigies were shown. For a very small girl (præmodia) too, blind from the first year of her birth, lying carried in her father's arms the whole of that journey, as she came to the door of our monastery, forthwith beheld clear light. Two brothers german of advanced age came there, deprived of the light of their eyes for one year: having entered the oratory, as soon as they gave themselves to prayer, their eyes flowed with blood instead of tears, and they saw the sepulchre of the most holy Sindulfus with new light. What a certain woman consecrated to God underwent I undertake to relate in a few words. She made a vow with her companions to escort the body of St. Sindulfus to our monastery. Half the journey, then, being accomplished, she said that they should return home, because the door of the monastery would by no means be opened: the rest pursued unweariedly the journey they had begun, but she returned to her own place. Forthwith, as she reached the state of her little cell, her knees and soles contracted, she began to have her hams for feet, and her arms grew stiff so very sharply that they could scarcely bring a morsel of bread to her mouth. Accordingly, carried on a cart, brought in unhappily , she was brought to the aforesaid monastery, and there, having remained long in this sickness, she was as it were * restored to her former health by the merits of blessed Sindulfus ⁿ.

ANNOTATIONS.

come down? I have nothing to answer: certainly the manuscript of the monastery of St. Hubert omits all of it, and, with no word interposed, connects the phrase about those exulting at his merits with what follows: And the Blessed confessor of Christ passed, etc.

* so

* works

* chastity

* adds and

* charity

* the Lord

* otherwise: an Angel opening the way

* adds dry

* for

* adds Blessed

* lacking in

* of Christ

* exitistentes

* middle

* this.

* adds Blessed

* instructed

* adds was

* as very many of them

* as this one

* "most" is lacking

* lacking in

* adds flowers

* a thousand

* that

* would know

* "to" is lacking

* of goodness

* "of mind" is lacking

* strove

* adds now

* "of Christ" is lacking

* many

* adds man

* preferred

* "given" is lacking

* "and I approve that you merited to be given them" is lacking

* "and" is lacking

* our

* adds always

* adds holy

* singing

* virgin (accusative)

* sings

* cœlestem?

* stratum?

* feliciter?

* tandem?