Shortly after the occurrence of their martyrdom, Gozbert himself returned
to Wurtzburg, and he was told, that no trace of the Christian missionaries was to be found.
to Wurtzburg, and he was told, that no trace of the Christian missionaries was to be found.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
Patrick had announced.
The gratitude of a people, rescued from pagan darkness and idolatry, had excited in the minds of those mo—st devoted servants of God an earnest—desire to bestow upon other nations now sunk in the same dismal shades that gift which should profit more than all other
advantages a nation might enjoy. Such were the feelings, and such the pur- poses, by which their present course had been directed. After these declara-
tions, they began to explain the nature and doctrines of the Christian religion,
contrasting it in the most favourable light with pagan errors, and showing the debasing influence of these latter over men's minds and passions. The
Conversations Lexicon," vol. vii. , p. 128.
*5 Like many of the kings and chiefs of the micklle ages, but for the Acts of the Saints, Gosbert and his wife Geilana should dis-
appear from history.
& So is he called, in the Martyrology of
Notker.
"
8? Mabillon states Gosbertum regionis the Life of St. K—ilian. Notatio 14.
ducem, Iletani semoris filium, Ruodis nepo- CHAPTER
'
This is not stated, in the
tern, quern RabanusinMartyrologiojudicem, Sigcbertus principem Wirtziburgensium vo-
—"Annates Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
cat. "
tomus i. , lib. xvii. , num. lxviii. , p. 587.
88
Serrarius has given a very learned I )is- quisition on the idolatrous worship, which then prevailed in Franconia, in his notes to
II.
*5
86
8
or Cospert.
JUly 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 129
novelty of their doctrines, combined with the learning, eloquence and per- suasiveness of their preachers, attracted immense crowds of persons to hear them. These listened with great respect, and felt very anxious to have a repetition of arguments and explanations offered, by their newly arrived Apostles.
The report of Kilian's eloquence no sooner reached the ears of Prince Gozbert, than he hastened to increase and personally to influence the number of auditors. He procured an immediate interview with the holy Bishop. The latter improved the occasion, by laying before him those arguments establishing the great truths of Christianity. He dwelt on the nature and attributes of God ; on the mystery of the Holy Trinity ; and on the general plan of salvation, in which Christ took upon Himself our human nature, and suffered on the cross at the hands of Jews. This movement on Gosbert's part—in the beginning, perhaps, the result of mere curiosity—proved an occasion for opening the king's eyes to the light of Faith. The first inter- view led to continued and more prolonged conferences, concerning religious subjects.
After receiving all necessary explanations and instructions, this Prince conceived a most exalted idea of the doctrine taught by the saint. He admired, too, that spirit of self-sacrifice which could thus impel men to aban- don friends, home and native country, to encounter in its propagation those perils of various kinds, to which they had necessarily been exposed. Gosbert encouraged the missionaries to labour anew in a field, which then afforded such happy expectations and results. He then made a public profession of the true Faith. He sought and obtained the sacrament of regeneration, at the instance of St. Kilian. He is said to have been baptized, with many
1 others,onthedayprevioustothatofourLord'sResurrection, andwhich
corresponded with Holy Saturday.
The example given by the Prince induced numbers to seek the baptismal
font. Christianity soon began to spread among the people. In less than two years after this event, idolatry had altogether disappeared from Wurtz- burg city, and from its dependent territories, while the Christian religion was thus proudly established, instead of the former Gentile superstitions. After making himself acquainted with the wants of the inhabitants, and the neces- sitiesoftheircondition,St. KilianthenundertookajourneytoRome. He resolved to seek the Pontifical sanction, for opening there his new mission. 2 Colman and Totnam were his companions on the way. They arrived at Rome, a. d. 686, according to the most probable accounts. On their arrival
there, they found the holy See in possession of Pope John V. 's successor, who was named Conon. 3 Kilian was examined by the Pontiff, regarding his
religious profession and doctrine. * However, there appears to be no reason for supposing, that the Pope had any grounds for suspecting his orthodoxy. s Those strangers were graciously received by the Pope. St. Kilian revealed
First Life of St. Kilian, and Serrarius ap- pears to have wasted his researches, in try- ing to ascertain why this day had been chosen. See Art. 15, in his annotations on our saint's Acts.
3
this resolve had been formed in Flanders "ubi
per Angelicam visionem revelatum fuit bea-
tissimo Kiliano, ut per Alemaniam iter
Pontefici," tomo secondo, An. 686.
* Probably, to discover whether or not, he had been infected with any leaven of Pelagian heresy, and which had prevailed to some extent among people inhabiting the
The Abbot Thadaeus seems to imply, that
dirigeret versus Romam ; et sic pervenit
British Isles.
s Such is the
of Father Soller, in this relation found in his
^ Romam. "—
opinion
"
tomus iv. Fragmentum Chronicon Thadaei
about
Canisius,
Antiquae Lectiones,"
treating Acts.
Vol. VII. —No. 3.
2
Abbatis, Scotorum Ratisbonse, p. 473.
3 « yn eletto Pontefice a '21 Ottobre del
—"
686. " De Novaes' Storia de Sommi
130 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
his projects and purposes, for approval of the Sovereign Pontiff. Being satisfied on the score of his orthodoxy, this Pope is said to have created him a regionary Bishop, but without assigning him to any fixed See. He con- ferred upon St. Kilian, however, full powers for regulating all religious obser- vances, and in such a manner, as rendered his authority wholly independent of any other episcopal jurisdiction, saving only the rights and privileges of
the Roman Church, and that obedience he owed its Chief.
wise obtained permission to preach with apostolic authority.
The saint like- It has been
stated,
years,
6 that St. Kilian served St. Peter's church for some
which were spent in the Eternal City, and that he was then appointed Bishop of Herbi- polis,7 in Franconia. However this may be, for that country he took his departure from Rome, resolving to devote himself with apostolic abandon- ment, to cares and labours, inseparably connected with his new mission. Colman and Totnan bore St. Kilian company, on his return to Germany. It is said, that they left Columbanus 8 in Italy, when he had parted from Gallus,9 who was prostrate from the effects of a fever in Germany. 10 But, as this statement presents an anachronism, perhaps the better way to treat it should be to consider, that for the founder of Bobbio we should substitute his place, which was among the Apennines, and on the direct route from Rome to their German destination. In his travels, St. Kilian is believed to have met St. Fiacre 1X—who is said formerly to have been a servant to his father—but these holy men were not allowed the opportunity of a very prolonged inter-
view. " Hurriedtimeobligedeachtohastenindifferentdirections.
A usage, similar to that existing among the Jews, had been commonly prac- tised by the people of Wurtzburg ; and, it was exemplified in Prince Gosbert's owncondition. Hehadtakentowifethewidowofhisownbrother. Hername was Geilana—sometimes called Geilane, and Geila. ^ The prince entertained the strongest sentiments of love and attachment towards his consort; but, for some time, Kilian thought it imprudent to disturb the conscience of his convert, who still remained in good faith regarding the lawfulness of his mar-
Its
By Molanus.
St. Kilian, an Irishman and a contemporary. See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. viii. , August xxx.
,3 See Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedict! ," tomus i. , lib. xvii. , num. lxviii. ,
p. 587.
M Serrarius has a on this long Disquisition
marriage in his Life of St. Kilian, Art. 16,
validity,
6
7 The former name for Wurtzburgh.
8
His festival occurs, at the 2ist of Novem- ber. He died a. d. 615.
9 His feast is held, on the 16th of October.
He died before the middle of the seventh
century. 10
to the Second Life.
" His festival was held on the 30th of
August, and he died about A. D. 670.
According
moreover, now came into 1 * It soon was St. question.
riage.
Kilian's duty, to explain the church discipline on this point. Having first grounded his new convert in the doctrines and faith, he had embraced ; Kilian then endeavoured to explain to this prince, the false and objectionable natureofthatconnection,formedwithhisfemalecompanion. Thishedid, but in the most gentle and persuasive manner ; for, he knew, that the most tender and sensitive natural feelings of Gosbert must be stirred. Yet was it necessary, to teach him the true Christian doctrine and practice for his correc- tion. When the matter was first proposed to him, the king felt a great
repugnance to the idea of separation ; but, being assured, it had become a
matter of necessity, if he wished to live in a manner becoming his profession,
all difficulties seemed to remove from his mind, and Gozbert consented to
the divorce. He signified this assent, but with the Christian's spirit of self-
j
sacrifice. s This determination of the king soon came to the knowledge of
ld " This account refers, however, to another ,s His words are thus reported :
Audivi
17, 18.
July[8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 131
Geilane. She was not disposed to acquiesce in this arrangement, however, without putting into practice all the artifices of a woman, whose worldly interests and conscientious scruples were by no means violently opposed. Her arguments and artifices, notwithstanding, were of little avail, as the Prince's sternresolutionswerenotthentobeovercome. 16 Hereupon,sheburnedwith an insatiable fury, against the ministers of Jesus Christ, and she resolved upon seizing the first occasion for effecting a deadly revenge. This opportunity was soon presented.
The Prince being called away on a military expedition, in the year 689,
1 ? who were hired to execute her scheme of vengeance. These abandoned wretches acted with too much fide- lity to her instructions. Although St. Kilian and his companions are said to
18
havehadamiraculouswarning, concerningthisdesignagainsttheirlives;they
did not think of saving themselves by flight, or even of seeking a protection, which the ruler and people of Wurtzburg would be willing to afford. St. Kilian exhorted his companions to constancy, assuring them that the soul at least would prove invulnerable, to any assaults of their temporal enemies. The holy missionaries applied themselves to making the best preparations
possible, by prayer a—nd fasting, while anticipating their coming danger. On
to some
his wicked consort found hardened
assassins,
9 othersa. d. 6892° whilstSt. Kilianandhiscompanions,ColmanandTotnan —some writers adding others to the number—were together in the same apartment, their assassins entered with drawn swords. Their intentions were at once apparent, from a stern determination, manifested in the demoni- acal expression of their countenances. St. Kilian offered himself first to the executioners' strokes, and he was instantly laid lifeless at their feet. His companions, who were present, fell in like manner, but only to arise with
31
According to the First Life of St. Kilian,itissaid,theywerebeheaded. Toremovealltracesmanifesting this deed of butchery, the martyrs' bodies were removed, under cover of the night,andthecorpseswereinterredinthemostprivatemanner. Thecross, the book of the Gospels, with other books and movables, which belonged to
the 8th of —
day July according
writers,
according
greater glory in a world beyond the grave.
were thrown into the same 23 grave.
them,
However, a religious woman, Burgunda by name,23 had a cell near that
oratory, in which the holy Martyrs were accustomed to pray ; and, during
"
pater, te docente, quia Dominus Jesus monet,
nihil preferendum suo amori, non patrem,
non matrem, non filios, non uxorem, et
idcirco quamvis unice diligam junctam mini
uxorem, propono tamen divinum amorem. the Second Life, than here presented. Sed non adest mihi otium inquirendi qualiter
eam dimittam, quia contra hostes nostrse reipublicse festino, cum autem fuero reversus,
Father Soller suspects it to be an interpola- tion.
inventa —
opportunitate dimittendi, seperabor
martino nell' anno
688. "
Moroni's Diziona-
ab ilia. " Messingham's
sulae Sanctorum," Vita S. Kiliani, p. 321.
16 It seems rather inexplicable, that St. Kiliandidnot seek a dispensation, in this peculiar case, from the Sovereign Pontiff,
Erudizione Storico-Ecclesiastica, xiv. , Art. Colomano.
20 See Baronius' "Annates Ecclesias- tici. " —
2I
clination, to exercise it for what seems to have been very sufficient reason.
17 In the First Life only one assassin is
the of their l'assion was Some year 689.
writers, such as Werner, have placed it at A. D. 694, while others, with Sigibert, have it so late as A. D. 697.
thus mentioned,
"
accessit lictor ad eos, ense
Florilegium
According to local tradition affirmed whohadpower,andmostprobablythein- a—lsoinanepitaphcomposedfortheMartyrs
acuto ad Dei22 ashasa quasi prseparatus jugulandos Serrarius, usual,
disquisition on amicos," &c. In most of the other Lives, the books that had been buried, in his edi-
the "carnifices ber.
are put in the plural num-
j
a. d. 688, to
l8 This is not mentioned in the First Life, but it is given in a more detailed manner in
:
'« Thus " Essi ricevettero la palma del
—
". In- riodi vol.
132 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
her vigils, she seems to have witnessed the murderers proceeding to engage in their nefarious project. Her curiosity and suspicions were the more awakened on their return, so that she went to the spot where the martyrdom took place. There, she only found their blood, in which she steeped a linen cloth, and this she buried in that place, where she knew the bodies to have been covered over with earth. 2* Still, Burgunda resolved on keeping it a secret, lest the wicked Geilane should remove them to any other spot, and for greater concealment. That holy woman continued to frequent, but by stealth, that place where the bodies of the holy martyrs had been committed to the earth, and there she prayed beside their remains. In order to remove all suspicion calculated to reveal their tragical end, that wicked woman, who was the principal author of their murder, caused a report to be industriously circulated throughout the city, that St. Kilian and his companions had left it secretly, and that it was impossible to discover, whither they had retired, or forwhatpurpose. Meantime,toremoveeverytracewhichmightservetoreveal the spot where their remains had been deposited, Geilane conceived the idea of forming a frame-work of planks over their grave, and on these she caused a stable to be built for horses. 2* That place—of sepulture might have remained unknown to all
whendeathwasabout to remove her from this life revealed it to some faithful companions who
— hadnot
persons, Burgunda
surrounded her.
Shortly after the occurrence of their martyrdom, Gozbert himself returned
to Wurtzburg, and he was told, that no trace of the Christian missionaries was to be found. Being astonished at their mysterious departure, he caused instant enquiries, and a search to be made throughout the whole province, to dis- cover the place of their retreat. The fraudful Geilane at last persuaded her husband, that he should little concern himself about such migratory, worth- less and unceremonious visitors, so that he soon became indifferent on the matter, and as we may well imagine his scruples on the score of his marriage weresoonremoved. Whenthosemattersasrelatedbydegreesfadedfrom popular recollection, still the crime of that murder though hidden became revealed,andinamostmiraculousmanner. Bothofthosewretches,who had perpetrated that barbarous deed, were at length discovered, and through amanifestjudgmentofHeaven. Inaveryremarkableway,Divinejustice was soon visited upon them. One of the murderers put an end to his own
: existencebythesword,whilehecriedout "OKilian,youbitterlypersecute
me, since fire consumes me ; what I have done, I cannot conceal ; I see the sword, stained with your blood, now about to slay myself. " The horrors of a guilty conscience crowded the mind of his fellow assassin with fearful images, both by day and night ; and, in fine, these tormented him, in such a manner, that every glimpse ot reason was extinguished, and he became a raving maniac. He ran publicly through the streets, confessing the deed he
tion of St. Kilian's Life, Art. 19. ibi stabulala super sepulcra Martyrum, nee
23 The account of this holy woman's inter- stercora nee urinam jacerent honorem
erence differs greatly in the First and Martyribus exhibentia, ut quod de Capite
Second Lives of St. Kilian.
2* Nothing of this regarding Burgunda, or what follows, is to be found in the First Liie,
which makes it be suspected as an interpola- tion in the Life attributed to Egilward.
25 What is not to be found in the First Life has been here introduced into the Second, and it was most probably only a
1'ropheta vaticinatus est, hoc in eis membris
reperietur. Cognovit, inquiens, bos posses- sorum suum, et asinus praesepe Domini sui ;
Israel non cognovit. "
"
fuere, posteris rclatum, quod animalia
popular legend.
Ferunt tamen ab his, qui
26
tained in an ancient Life of St. Kilian, pub- lished by Surius, Serrarius, Canisius, and Mcssingham, written, it is supposed, by
Egilwaid, and found, also, in Mabillon and the Bollandists,
Some of these particulars are not con-
July 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 133
had committed, tearing himself in a shocking manner, and crying out, that
St. Kilianhadtorturedhimwithfire. Hewasinstantlyarrested,andbrought
before the Prince, who began to deliberate whether or not he was a fit subject
for the punishment his crime seemed to deserve. One of Gosbert's courtiers,
however, who was in favour with Geilane, counselled her husband to leave the
chastisement of this wretch to the Christians' God. To this advice the Prince
inclined. That courtier had in view an idea of teaching the Prince to doubt
the miraculous dispensation of Providence, and to incline once more to the
worshipofthegoddessDiana. Totheoldpracticeofpaganismthecourtier
was secretly inclined, although he had professed Christianity, to gain Goz-
26
bert's confidence.
The unhappy Prince again returned to the superstitions and idolatrous prac- tices of his pagan ancestors. The vengeance of Heaven was at length vindi- cated, by the unhappy end of the wicked Geilane. An evil spirit took possession of her, and continued to torment her so long as life lasted. She was often heard exclaiming : "lam justly tormented, because I have mur- dered innocent men; I am rightly tortured, because I prepared tortures for them. O Kilian, you persecute me fiercely, O Kolman, you add fire, O Totnan, you supply the flames. It is enough for you to have conquered; tooheavilyareyourinjuriesavenged. OKilian,youaresocalledfromthe
chalice,
2? buta
very
bitter
cup you pour
outforme. " Thenshe tothat raged
Gozbert unhappily yielded to his worst persuasions.
degree,thatherattendantscouldscarcerestrainher. ThepeopleoftheEastern
Franks afterwards drove her son Hetnan from the kingdom. In a short time
after St. Kilian's death, Gosbert suffered the punishment of having aban-
doned the true and living God. This prince is said to have been killed by
hisownservant. 28 However,thereseemstobenojustwarrantforthislatter
2
statement. 9 Nay more ; all Gosbert's kindred were displaced from any
positions of trust or dignity in that province, while his whole race was utterly exterminated.
As a zealous labourer in the Lord's vineyard in Eastern Franconia,
before or in a. d. 742,3° St. Burchard 3
1
had been nominated first Bishop of
Wurtzburg,3
2 which had been erected into an St. city espiscopal See, by
Boniface, Archbishop of Mayence ; and, as has been stated, in consequence
of his learning about the extraordinary miracle already related. 33 A story is told,3* which has been accepted for the narrative relative to finding the remains of those holy martyrs. When the venerable virgin St. Gertrude,35
27 This seems belonging to an interpolated Life, given by Canisius, and which Mabillon passage in the old Life by Egilward ; and appears to have followed.
"° although the Latin runs, a calice Kiliane 3
This year was held the German Council, diceris," it is quite an incorrect derivation in which as Mabillon shows, both Burchard
for St. Kilian's name. Almost equally in- correct are many of the attempts of commen- tators on the Acts of these Martyrs, to give the true derivation.
and Willibald presided as bishops.
3l His feast is held, on the i4thofOcto-
ber.
3* To this dignity he was appointed by
28
"All the actors in this tragedy," says "
Pope Zachary, as may be seen in the Epis- the Protestant historian Milner, Gosbert ties relative to St. Boniface, Epist. 132,
among the rest, came to an unhappy end ;
and there is no doubt, but that in this case,
as well as many others, the blood of the
martyrs became the seed of the church.
Numbers of the eastern Franks had em- his temporibus quarumdum civitatum pos- braced — and sealed the
Christianity, ministry
trema tamen exornata — habearis, corporibus
of the Church of
of Kilian. " "History
Christ," vol. i. , century vii. , chap, ii. , Ion's "Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Bene- p. 533. dicti," ssec. iii. , pars, i. , p. 702
29 Yet it is in the edition of our saint's ** In the Second Life of St. Kilian.
133.
3i St. Boniface is said thus to have pro-
phesied : "Felix es Wirzpurch, et inter Germanise non ignobilis urbes ; et quamvis
Martyrum,
inferior non habeberis. "
Mabil-
i 3 4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
who was daughter to Pepin, King of the Franks, sought to avoid the marriage designed for her, she is said to have travelled into Franconia, where she founded a monastery in honour of the Blessed Virgin, at a place called Carle- bnrg. There, she caused two pious men who accompanied her to receive Holy Orders. Those were named Atalongus, who became a priest, and Bernard, who became a deacon. Afterwards, she returned to her own country, where she became abbess over a nunnery founded at Nivelle, in Brabant. Now, it so happened, that Atalongus 36 was a man well read in scholastic learning, and distinguished for his solid virtues. But, he knew scarcely any- thing about St. Kilian and his companions. However, as he taught young boys their lessons, while standing before him in the class one day, all those at once
:
cried out, as if moved by some Divine impulse " Kilian makes signs, and
he should be taken from that place, where he has been ignominiously buried. " These exclamations astonished the priest, but he threatened the pupils with stripes for raising such a foolish clamour. However, when night came, and when he had taken some refreshment, the priest retired to rest, and he had dreams of an extraordinary character. In the morning when he awoke, a vision of St. Kilian, surrounded with a dazzling light, was presented to his view.
:
The holy Martyr then spoke these words " Unless you believe, you shall
not see ; which observations our Lord Himself prophetically addressed to the Jews; unless you believe, you cannot understand/' When the sun began to rise afterwards, no sight of it remained for Atalongus, and when he learned from a servant, that the day was already advanced, he recollected how he had presumed to chide his scholars for their ready faith, and he burst into tears. Whereupon, he began to enquire from the people of that place about St. Kilian, whose praises had been already proclaimed by his youthful charge. One of those persons who lived there, and a rustic, informed him, that Kilian had come from a far distant country, that he had spread the Christian reli- gion throughout their province, that he was destroyed through the perfidy of a woman, unknown to the people, and that his memory was even then fading from their traditions. Wherefore, when the priest heard this account, he asked to be brought near the reputed place where the Martyrs' bodies lay, and there he most earnesty prayed, that through their intercession, the Lord might graciously pardon his want of discretion and the rashness of his words, so that his sight might be restored. It pleased the Almighty, favourably to hear his prayers; and with great joy, Atalongus proclaimed the wonderful miracle wrought in his regard. This announcement soon spread abroad, and the Martyrs' fame was greatly magnified.
The bodies of St. Kilian and of his companions were suffered to remain intheplaceoftheirfirstsepulture,untilabouttheyear746. 37 Somewritershave a later date, while others bring it down to a. d. 752. However, it is doubtful if St. Burchard was then living. 38 It has been stated,3? that Pope Zacharyhad canonized St. Kilian ; but, we must recollect that no form of pontifical canonization had been instituted, until several subsequent centuries had
35 Her feast occurs, at the 17th of March, and she has another festival at the 8th of
May, in the Belgian Martyrologies. She was born in 626, and she departed this life a. d.
659.
36 This story about Atalongus does not
appear in the First Life, and it seems incon- sistent with the account therein contained, that Btirgunda had already discovered the relics, and that she made known the place
of their concealment.
37 According to Sigibert's Chronicle.
38 See the observation* of Father Soller, in reference to this chronology, in " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Julii viii. De S. Kiliano Epis. et Martyre, Colomano seu Colonato et Totnano ejus sociis, Herbipoli in Franconia. Commentarius Praevius, sect, iii. ,
pp. 603 to 605.
39 By Luke Castellan.
July 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 135
elapsed. Through the instrumentality of St. Boniface and by order of Pope Zachary/ a solemn Translation of the remains to a shrine, at Mount Saint
Mary, near Wurtzburg, took place. This is generally supposed to have happened, on the 8th day of February. On this date, at least, a festival has been instituted, in commemoration of those holy martyrs. It is said to have
12 occurred, likewise, during the reign of Pipping the first KingofFranconia. *
The holy Bishop Burchard suspected, that as the devoted martyrs had been secretly murdered, and as the hurried concealment of their remains was an object kept in view by all the parties concerned in the murder, their bodies could not have been deeply buried in the earth. Accordingly, he ordered a public fast, which was kept by the clergy and people, so that the Almighty Discoverer of hidden things might deign to reveal his secrets to the faithful, who desired to honour him through his saints. 43 He announced a day for the Elevation, when a great multitude of people flocked into Wurtzburg, some through a hope of witnessing great miracles, some through a desire to be healed from corporal diseases, and all through religious motives. The holy Bishop himself went to the traditional place of sepulture. He brought with himaspadeormattock,andbegantoopentheearth. UnderSt. Burchard's auspices, a search was instituted by numbers of willing labourerers who were present, for the recovery of those dead bodies. They were at length found, and in a shallow grave. The martyrs' flesh was reduced to dust. However, their bones, and those sacred articles buried with them, were dis- covered, in a good state of preservation. What seemed most wonderful was a fragrant odour that became diffused around ; and the people assembled in ecstatic delight sought to touch the sacred relics, or bear them in some way, while they were being removed from their place of deposition. With great delight, and as if by unanimous acclaim, they all cried out: "Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace be to men of good will. "
Illustrious miracles were wrought on the occurrence of this elevation, as likewise,onmanysubsequentoccasions. Asitseems,atthistimeabasilica dedicated to the holy Mother of God stood in Wurtzburg, and it was on a very elevated site. Thither, on a day appointed for the purpose, with a great concourse of the clergy and people, the bishop removed their sacred relics, and with great religious ceremony. St. Burchard and the clergy kept vigil over the martyrs, and he resolved on that site to erect his chief monastery. However, he had a revelation, that owing to the steepness and difficulty of the ascent to that mount, the structure which he began with wood must be abandoned. The removal of their relics was only temporary, notwithstanding this care ; for, St. Burchard immediately set to work, and he commenced the building of a new cathedral. This afterwards was called Novum Monas- terium, or the New Monastery. This church had been placed under the specialinvocationofSt. Kilian,St. ColmanandSt. Totnan. Itwasbuiltof stone and elegantly fashioned. To it, the bodies of the saints were brought, an elaborate sarcophagus having been prepared, to receive their remains.
*° He in the chair of St. presided Peter,
from a. d. 741 to 752. See Sir Harris
"
*2 to the First Acts of St. According
Kilian and his companions.
43 This account is taken from Egilward's
"Vita S. Burchardi," lib. ii. , cap. ii.
*4 Now known as Die Neuminster Kirche. It fronts on one of the principal streets of Burgundy, afterwards extending his sway Wurtzburg, and it is surrounded on every over Franconia in 752. His death took side by houses, over which however appear
Nicolas'
41 Known as Pepin le Bref, who on the
Chronology of History," p. 21 1.
death of his father, Charles Martel, a. d. 741, succeeded to the kingdoms of Neustria and
place, a. d. 768. See M. Le Dr. Hoefer's the facade and dome or cupola, with a sort "
"Nouvelle Biographie Generate, tome of tower crowned by a Byzantine-style of xxxix. , cols. 541 to 544. minaret. It is very faithfully presented in
136 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
That church « is said to have been erected over the very spot, where the relics of those holy Martyrs had been so long entombed. The people of Wurtzburgh believe, also, that this was the exact site, on wh—ich the castle of Duke Gosbert formerly stood. The —tomb of the Martyrs very artistically designedandofantiqueworkmanship issurroundedbystrongandwrought iron railings of very handsome workmanship. It is to be seen, in the crypt of what is interiorly a most beautiful church, and numbers of the faithful daily assemble to pray before this tomb. *5 There, in former times, many miracles are said to have been wrought ; nor have we any doubt, that the
Die Neuminster Kirche, Wurtzburg, containing the Martyrs' Tomb.
aithful clients of those saints, at the present] day, receive various spiritual
and temporal benefits through their intercesson. The city *6 and citizens of
Wurtzburg, who are almost exclusively Catholics, are under the special pro- tection of their Patron Martyrs.
the accompanying illustration copied from beatum
a photograph procured on the spot. A Ob Salvatorem proprium fudisse
drawing of it by William F. Wakeman on the wood has been engraved by Mrs. Mil- lard.
«sOn the 23rd of September, 1886, the writer had the same privilege and an oppor- tunity for inspecting this and other fine churches in Wurtzburg, during the course of a trip from Frankfort-on-the Maine to Ratis- bon and Vienna.
46 It contains a Catholic University and
thirty-three Catholic churches, including the cathedral, with several other fine religious houses and institutes.
4? On a stone—slab, the following verses
cruorem.
Hinc fuit, est, et erit salus illi, qui
pie quaerit,
Est caecus, mutus, claudus, sordusque
solulus.
Septingentesimo quinquagesimoque secundo
A Bonifacio, Burkardo consociato, Hi sunt sublati, rite quoque canoni-
zati :
Hos pete devote, qui sint oramine
pro te.
advantages a nation might enjoy. Such were the feelings, and such the pur- poses, by which their present course had been directed. After these declara-
tions, they began to explain the nature and doctrines of the Christian religion,
contrasting it in the most favourable light with pagan errors, and showing the debasing influence of these latter over men's minds and passions. The
Conversations Lexicon," vol. vii. , p. 128.
*5 Like many of the kings and chiefs of the micklle ages, but for the Acts of the Saints, Gosbert and his wife Geilana should dis-
appear from history.
& So is he called, in the Martyrology of
Notker.
"
8? Mabillon states Gosbertum regionis the Life of St. K—ilian. Notatio 14.
ducem, Iletani semoris filium, Ruodis nepo- CHAPTER
'
This is not stated, in the
tern, quern RabanusinMartyrologiojudicem, Sigcbertus principem Wirtziburgensium vo-
—"Annates Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
cat. "
tomus i. , lib. xvii. , num. lxviii. , p. 587.
88
Serrarius has given a very learned I )is- quisition on the idolatrous worship, which then prevailed in Franconia, in his notes to
II.
*5
86
8
or Cospert.
JUly 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 129
novelty of their doctrines, combined with the learning, eloquence and per- suasiveness of their preachers, attracted immense crowds of persons to hear them. These listened with great respect, and felt very anxious to have a repetition of arguments and explanations offered, by their newly arrived Apostles.
The report of Kilian's eloquence no sooner reached the ears of Prince Gozbert, than he hastened to increase and personally to influence the number of auditors. He procured an immediate interview with the holy Bishop. The latter improved the occasion, by laying before him those arguments establishing the great truths of Christianity. He dwelt on the nature and attributes of God ; on the mystery of the Holy Trinity ; and on the general plan of salvation, in which Christ took upon Himself our human nature, and suffered on the cross at the hands of Jews. This movement on Gosbert's part—in the beginning, perhaps, the result of mere curiosity—proved an occasion for opening the king's eyes to the light of Faith. The first inter- view led to continued and more prolonged conferences, concerning religious subjects.
After receiving all necessary explanations and instructions, this Prince conceived a most exalted idea of the doctrine taught by the saint. He admired, too, that spirit of self-sacrifice which could thus impel men to aban- don friends, home and native country, to encounter in its propagation those perils of various kinds, to which they had necessarily been exposed. Gosbert encouraged the missionaries to labour anew in a field, which then afforded such happy expectations and results. He then made a public profession of the true Faith. He sought and obtained the sacrament of regeneration, at the instance of St. Kilian. He is said to have been baptized, with many
1 others,onthedayprevioustothatofourLord'sResurrection, andwhich
corresponded with Holy Saturday.
The example given by the Prince induced numbers to seek the baptismal
font. Christianity soon began to spread among the people. In less than two years after this event, idolatry had altogether disappeared from Wurtz- burg city, and from its dependent territories, while the Christian religion was thus proudly established, instead of the former Gentile superstitions. After making himself acquainted with the wants of the inhabitants, and the neces- sitiesoftheircondition,St. KilianthenundertookajourneytoRome. He resolved to seek the Pontifical sanction, for opening there his new mission. 2 Colman and Totnam were his companions on the way. They arrived at Rome, a. d. 686, according to the most probable accounts. On their arrival
there, they found the holy See in possession of Pope John V. 's successor, who was named Conon. 3 Kilian was examined by the Pontiff, regarding his
religious profession and doctrine. * However, there appears to be no reason for supposing, that the Pope had any grounds for suspecting his orthodoxy. s Those strangers were graciously received by the Pope. St. Kilian revealed
First Life of St. Kilian, and Serrarius ap- pears to have wasted his researches, in try- ing to ascertain why this day had been chosen. See Art. 15, in his annotations on our saint's Acts.
3
this resolve had been formed in Flanders "ubi
per Angelicam visionem revelatum fuit bea-
tissimo Kiliano, ut per Alemaniam iter
Pontefici," tomo secondo, An. 686.
* Probably, to discover whether or not, he had been infected with any leaven of Pelagian heresy, and which had prevailed to some extent among people inhabiting the
The Abbot Thadaeus seems to imply, that
dirigeret versus Romam ; et sic pervenit
British Isles.
s Such is the
of Father Soller, in this relation found in his
^ Romam. "—
opinion
"
tomus iv. Fragmentum Chronicon Thadaei
about
Canisius,
Antiquae Lectiones,"
treating Acts.
Vol. VII. —No. 3.
2
Abbatis, Scotorum Ratisbonse, p. 473.
3 « yn eletto Pontefice a '21 Ottobre del
—"
686. " De Novaes' Storia de Sommi
130 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
his projects and purposes, for approval of the Sovereign Pontiff. Being satisfied on the score of his orthodoxy, this Pope is said to have created him a regionary Bishop, but without assigning him to any fixed See. He con- ferred upon St. Kilian, however, full powers for regulating all religious obser- vances, and in such a manner, as rendered his authority wholly independent of any other episcopal jurisdiction, saving only the rights and privileges of
the Roman Church, and that obedience he owed its Chief.
wise obtained permission to preach with apostolic authority.
The saint like- It has been
stated,
years,
6 that St. Kilian served St. Peter's church for some
which were spent in the Eternal City, and that he was then appointed Bishop of Herbi- polis,7 in Franconia. However this may be, for that country he took his departure from Rome, resolving to devote himself with apostolic abandon- ment, to cares and labours, inseparably connected with his new mission. Colman and Totnan bore St. Kilian company, on his return to Germany. It is said, that they left Columbanus 8 in Italy, when he had parted from Gallus,9 who was prostrate from the effects of a fever in Germany. 10 But, as this statement presents an anachronism, perhaps the better way to treat it should be to consider, that for the founder of Bobbio we should substitute his place, which was among the Apennines, and on the direct route from Rome to their German destination. In his travels, St. Kilian is believed to have met St. Fiacre 1X—who is said formerly to have been a servant to his father—but these holy men were not allowed the opportunity of a very prolonged inter-
view. " Hurriedtimeobligedeachtohastenindifferentdirections.
A usage, similar to that existing among the Jews, had been commonly prac- tised by the people of Wurtzburg ; and, it was exemplified in Prince Gosbert's owncondition. Hehadtakentowifethewidowofhisownbrother. Hername was Geilana—sometimes called Geilane, and Geila. ^ The prince entertained the strongest sentiments of love and attachment towards his consort; but, for some time, Kilian thought it imprudent to disturb the conscience of his convert, who still remained in good faith regarding the lawfulness of his mar-
Its
By Molanus.
St. Kilian, an Irishman and a contemporary. See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. viii. , August xxx.
,3 See Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedict! ," tomus i. , lib. xvii. , num. lxviii. ,
p. 587.
M Serrarius has a on this long Disquisition
marriage in his Life of St. Kilian, Art. 16,
validity,
6
7 The former name for Wurtzburgh.
8
His festival occurs, at the 2ist of Novem- ber. He died a. d. 615.
9 His feast is held, on the 16th of October.
He died before the middle of the seventh
century. 10
to the Second Life.
" His festival was held on the 30th of
August, and he died about A. D. 670.
According
moreover, now came into 1 * It soon was St. question.
riage.
Kilian's duty, to explain the church discipline on this point. Having first grounded his new convert in the doctrines and faith, he had embraced ; Kilian then endeavoured to explain to this prince, the false and objectionable natureofthatconnection,formedwithhisfemalecompanion. Thishedid, but in the most gentle and persuasive manner ; for, he knew, that the most tender and sensitive natural feelings of Gosbert must be stirred. Yet was it necessary, to teach him the true Christian doctrine and practice for his correc- tion. When the matter was first proposed to him, the king felt a great
repugnance to the idea of separation ; but, being assured, it had become a
matter of necessity, if he wished to live in a manner becoming his profession,
all difficulties seemed to remove from his mind, and Gozbert consented to
the divorce. He signified this assent, but with the Christian's spirit of self-
j
sacrifice. s This determination of the king soon came to the knowledge of
ld " This account refers, however, to another ,s His words are thus reported :
Audivi
17, 18.
July[8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 131
Geilane. She was not disposed to acquiesce in this arrangement, however, without putting into practice all the artifices of a woman, whose worldly interests and conscientious scruples were by no means violently opposed. Her arguments and artifices, notwithstanding, were of little avail, as the Prince's sternresolutionswerenotthentobeovercome. 16 Hereupon,sheburnedwith an insatiable fury, against the ministers of Jesus Christ, and she resolved upon seizing the first occasion for effecting a deadly revenge. This opportunity was soon presented.
The Prince being called away on a military expedition, in the year 689,
1 ? who were hired to execute her scheme of vengeance. These abandoned wretches acted with too much fide- lity to her instructions. Although St. Kilian and his companions are said to
18
havehadamiraculouswarning, concerningthisdesignagainsttheirlives;they
did not think of saving themselves by flight, or even of seeking a protection, which the ruler and people of Wurtzburg would be willing to afford. St. Kilian exhorted his companions to constancy, assuring them that the soul at least would prove invulnerable, to any assaults of their temporal enemies. The holy missionaries applied themselves to making the best preparations
possible, by prayer a—nd fasting, while anticipating their coming danger. On
to some
his wicked consort found hardened
assassins,
9 othersa. d. 6892° whilstSt. Kilianandhiscompanions,ColmanandTotnan —some writers adding others to the number—were together in the same apartment, their assassins entered with drawn swords. Their intentions were at once apparent, from a stern determination, manifested in the demoni- acal expression of their countenances. St. Kilian offered himself first to the executioners' strokes, and he was instantly laid lifeless at their feet. His companions, who were present, fell in like manner, but only to arise with
31
According to the First Life of St. Kilian,itissaid,theywerebeheaded. Toremovealltracesmanifesting this deed of butchery, the martyrs' bodies were removed, under cover of the night,andthecorpseswereinterredinthemostprivatemanner. Thecross, the book of the Gospels, with other books and movables, which belonged to
the 8th of —
day July according
writers,
according
greater glory in a world beyond the grave.
were thrown into the same 23 grave.
them,
However, a religious woman, Burgunda by name,23 had a cell near that
oratory, in which the holy Martyrs were accustomed to pray ; and, during
"
pater, te docente, quia Dominus Jesus monet,
nihil preferendum suo amori, non patrem,
non matrem, non filios, non uxorem, et
idcirco quamvis unice diligam junctam mini
uxorem, propono tamen divinum amorem. the Second Life, than here presented. Sed non adest mihi otium inquirendi qualiter
eam dimittam, quia contra hostes nostrse reipublicse festino, cum autem fuero reversus,
Father Soller suspects it to be an interpola- tion.
inventa —
opportunitate dimittendi, seperabor
martino nell' anno
688. "
Moroni's Diziona-
ab ilia. " Messingham's
sulae Sanctorum," Vita S. Kiliani, p. 321.
16 It seems rather inexplicable, that St. Kiliandidnot seek a dispensation, in this peculiar case, from the Sovereign Pontiff,
Erudizione Storico-Ecclesiastica, xiv. , Art. Colomano.
20 See Baronius' "Annates Ecclesias- tici. " —
2I
clination, to exercise it for what seems to have been very sufficient reason.
17 In the First Life only one assassin is
the of their l'assion was Some year 689.
writers, such as Werner, have placed it at A. D. 694, while others, with Sigibert, have it so late as A. D. 697.
thus mentioned,
"
accessit lictor ad eos, ense
Florilegium
According to local tradition affirmed whohadpower,andmostprobablythein- a—lsoinanepitaphcomposedfortheMartyrs
acuto ad Dei22 ashasa quasi prseparatus jugulandos Serrarius, usual,
disquisition on amicos," &c. In most of the other Lives, the books that had been buried, in his edi-
the "carnifices ber.
are put in the plural num-
j
a. d. 688, to
l8 This is not mentioned in the First Life, but it is given in a more detailed manner in
:
'« Thus " Essi ricevettero la palma del
—
". In- riodi vol.
132 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
her vigils, she seems to have witnessed the murderers proceeding to engage in their nefarious project. Her curiosity and suspicions were the more awakened on their return, so that she went to the spot where the martyrdom took place. There, she only found their blood, in which she steeped a linen cloth, and this she buried in that place, where she knew the bodies to have been covered over with earth. 2* Still, Burgunda resolved on keeping it a secret, lest the wicked Geilane should remove them to any other spot, and for greater concealment. That holy woman continued to frequent, but by stealth, that place where the bodies of the holy martyrs had been committed to the earth, and there she prayed beside their remains. In order to remove all suspicion calculated to reveal their tragical end, that wicked woman, who was the principal author of their murder, caused a report to be industriously circulated throughout the city, that St. Kilian and his companions had left it secretly, and that it was impossible to discover, whither they had retired, or forwhatpurpose. Meantime,toremoveeverytracewhichmightservetoreveal the spot where their remains had been deposited, Geilane conceived the idea of forming a frame-work of planks over their grave, and on these she caused a stable to be built for horses. 2* That place—of sepulture might have remained unknown to all
whendeathwasabout to remove her from this life revealed it to some faithful companions who
— hadnot
persons, Burgunda
surrounded her.
Shortly after the occurrence of their martyrdom, Gozbert himself returned
to Wurtzburg, and he was told, that no trace of the Christian missionaries was to be found. Being astonished at their mysterious departure, he caused instant enquiries, and a search to be made throughout the whole province, to dis- cover the place of their retreat. The fraudful Geilane at last persuaded her husband, that he should little concern himself about such migratory, worth- less and unceremonious visitors, so that he soon became indifferent on the matter, and as we may well imagine his scruples on the score of his marriage weresoonremoved. Whenthosemattersasrelatedbydegreesfadedfrom popular recollection, still the crime of that murder though hidden became revealed,andinamostmiraculousmanner. Bothofthosewretches,who had perpetrated that barbarous deed, were at length discovered, and through amanifestjudgmentofHeaven. Inaveryremarkableway,Divinejustice was soon visited upon them. One of the murderers put an end to his own
: existencebythesword,whilehecriedout "OKilian,youbitterlypersecute
me, since fire consumes me ; what I have done, I cannot conceal ; I see the sword, stained with your blood, now about to slay myself. " The horrors of a guilty conscience crowded the mind of his fellow assassin with fearful images, both by day and night ; and, in fine, these tormented him, in such a manner, that every glimpse ot reason was extinguished, and he became a raving maniac. He ran publicly through the streets, confessing the deed he
tion of St. Kilian's Life, Art. 19. ibi stabulala super sepulcra Martyrum, nee
23 The account of this holy woman's inter- stercora nee urinam jacerent honorem
erence differs greatly in the First and Martyribus exhibentia, ut quod de Capite
Second Lives of St. Kilian.
2* Nothing of this regarding Burgunda, or what follows, is to be found in the First Liie,
which makes it be suspected as an interpola- tion in the Life attributed to Egilward.
25 What is not to be found in the First Life has been here introduced into the Second, and it was most probably only a
1'ropheta vaticinatus est, hoc in eis membris
reperietur. Cognovit, inquiens, bos posses- sorum suum, et asinus praesepe Domini sui ;
Israel non cognovit. "
"
fuere, posteris rclatum, quod animalia
popular legend.
Ferunt tamen ab his, qui
26
tained in an ancient Life of St. Kilian, pub- lished by Surius, Serrarius, Canisius, and Mcssingham, written, it is supposed, by
Egilwaid, and found, also, in Mabillon and the Bollandists,
Some of these particulars are not con-
July 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 133
had committed, tearing himself in a shocking manner, and crying out, that
St. Kilianhadtorturedhimwithfire. Hewasinstantlyarrested,andbrought
before the Prince, who began to deliberate whether or not he was a fit subject
for the punishment his crime seemed to deserve. One of Gosbert's courtiers,
however, who was in favour with Geilane, counselled her husband to leave the
chastisement of this wretch to the Christians' God. To this advice the Prince
inclined. That courtier had in view an idea of teaching the Prince to doubt
the miraculous dispensation of Providence, and to incline once more to the
worshipofthegoddessDiana. Totheoldpracticeofpaganismthecourtier
was secretly inclined, although he had professed Christianity, to gain Goz-
26
bert's confidence.
The unhappy Prince again returned to the superstitions and idolatrous prac- tices of his pagan ancestors. The vengeance of Heaven was at length vindi- cated, by the unhappy end of the wicked Geilane. An evil spirit took possession of her, and continued to torment her so long as life lasted. She was often heard exclaiming : "lam justly tormented, because I have mur- dered innocent men; I am rightly tortured, because I prepared tortures for them. O Kilian, you persecute me fiercely, O Kolman, you add fire, O Totnan, you supply the flames. It is enough for you to have conquered; tooheavilyareyourinjuriesavenged. OKilian,youaresocalledfromthe
chalice,
2? buta
very
bitter
cup you pour
outforme. " Thenshe tothat raged
Gozbert unhappily yielded to his worst persuasions.
degree,thatherattendantscouldscarcerestrainher. ThepeopleoftheEastern
Franks afterwards drove her son Hetnan from the kingdom. In a short time
after St. Kilian's death, Gosbert suffered the punishment of having aban-
doned the true and living God. This prince is said to have been killed by
hisownservant. 28 However,thereseemstobenojustwarrantforthislatter
2
statement. 9 Nay more ; all Gosbert's kindred were displaced from any
positions of trust or dignity in that province, while his whole race was utterly exterminated.
As a zealous labourer in the Lord's vineyard in Eastern Franconia,
before or in a. d. 742,3° St. Burchard 3
1
had been nominated first Bishop of
Wurtzburg,3
2 which had been erected into an St. city espiscopal See, by
Boniface, Archbishop of Mayence ; and, as has been stated, in consequence
of his learning about the extraordinary miracle already related. 33 A story is told,3* which has been accepted for the narrative relative to finding the remains of those holy martyrs. When the venerable virgin St. Gertrude,35
27 This seems belonging to an interpolated Life, given by Canisius, and which Mabillon passage in the old Life by Egilward ; and appears to have followed.
"° although the Latin runs, a calice Kiliane 3
This year was held the German Council, diceris," it is quite an incorrect derivation in which as Mabillon shows, both Burchard
for St. Kilian's name. Almost equally in- correct are many of the attempts of commen- tators on the Acts of these Martyrs, to give the true derivation.
and Willibald presided as bishops.
3l His feast is held, on the i4thofOcto-
ber.
3* To this dignity he was appointed by
28
"All the actors in this tragedy," says "
Pope Zachary, as may be seen in the Epis- the Protestant historian Milner, Gosbert ties relative to St. Boniface, Epist. 132,
among the rest, came to an unhappy end ;
and there is no doubt, but that in this case,
as well as many others, the blood of the
martyrs became the seed of the church.
Numbers of the eastern Franks had em- his temporibus quarumdum civitatum pos- braced — and sealed the
Christianity, ministry
trema tamen exornata — habearis, corporibus
of the Church of
of Kilian. " "History
Christ," vol. i. , century vii. , chap, ii. , Ion's "Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Bene- p. 533. dicti," ssec. iii. , pars, i. , p. 702
29 Yet it is in the edition of our saint's ** In the Second Life of St. Kilian.
133.
3i St. Boniface is said thus to have pro-
phesied : "Felix es Wirzpurch, et inter Germanise non ignobilis urbes ; et quamvis
Martyrum,
inferior non habeberis. "
Mabil-
i 3 4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
who was daughter to Pepin, King of the Franks, sought to avoid the marriage designed for her, she is said to have travelled into Franconia, where she founded a monastery in honour of the Blessed Virgin, at a place called Carle- bnrg. There, she caused two pious men who accompanied her to receive Holy Orders. Those were named Atalongus, who became a priest, and Bernard, who became a deacon. Afterwards, she returned to her own country, where she became abbess over a nunnery founded at Nivelle, in Brabant. Now, it so happened, that Atalongus 36 was a man well read in scholastic learning, and distinguished for his solid virtues. But, he knew scarcely any- thing about St. Kilian and his companions. However, as he taught young boys their lessons, while standing before him in the class one day, all those at once
:
cried out, as if moved by some Divine impulse " Kilian makes signs, and
he should be taken from that place, where he has been ignominiously buried. " These exclamations astonished the priest, but he threatened the pupils with stripes for raising such a foolish clamour. However, when night came, and when he had taken some refreshment, the priest retired to rest, and he had dreams of an extraordinary character. In the morning when he awoke, a vision of St. Kilian, surrounded with a dazzling light, was presented to his view.
:
The holy Martyr then spoke these words " Unless you believe, you shall
not see ; which observations our Lord Himself prophetically addressed to the Jews; unless you believe, you cannot understand/' When the sun began to rise afterwards, no sight of it remained for Atalongus, and when he learned from a servant, that the day was already advanced, he recollected how he had presumed to chide his scholars for their ready faith, and he burst into tears. Whereupon, he began to enquire from the people of that place about St. Kilian, whose praises had been already proclaimed by his youthful charge. One of those persons who lived there, and a rustic, informed him, that Kilian had come from a far distant country, that he had spread the Christian reli- gion throughout their province, that he was destroyed through the perfidy of a woman, unknown to the people, and that his memory was even then fading from their traditions. Wherefore, when the priest heard this account, he asked to be brought near the reputed place where the Martyrs' bodies lay, and there he most earnesty prayed, that through their intercession, the Lord might graciously pardon his want of discretion and the rashness of his words, so that his sight might be restored. It pleased the Almighty, favourably to hear his prayers; and with great joy, Atalongus proclaimed the wonderful miracle wrought in his regard. This announcement soon spread abroad, and the Martyrs' fame was greatly magnified.
The bodies of St. Kilian and of his companions were suffered to remain intheplaceoftheirfirstsepulture,untilabouttheyear746. 37 Somewritershave a later date, while others bring it down to a. d. 752. However, it is doubtful if St. Burchard was then living. 38 It has been stated,3? that Pope Zacharyhad canonized St. Kilian ; but, we must recollect that no form of pontifical canonization had been instituted, until several subsequent centuries had
35 Her feast occurs, at the 17th of March, and she has another festival at the 8th of
May, in the Belgian Martyrologies. She was born in 626, and she departed this life a. d.
659.
36 This story about Atalongus does not
appear in the First Life, and it seems incon- sistent with the account therein contained, that Btirgunda had already discovered the relics, and that she made known the place
of their concealment.
37 According to Sigibert's Chronicle.
38 See the observation* of Father Soller, in reference to this chronology, in " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Julii viii. De S. Kiliano Epis. et Martyre, Colomano seu Colonato et Totnano ejus sociis, Herbipoli in Franconia. Commentarius Praevius, sect, iii. ,
pp. 603 to 605.
39 By Luke Castellan.
July 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 135
elapsed. Through the instrumentality of St. Boniface and by order of Pope Zachary/ a solemn Translation of the remains to a shrine, at Mount Saint
Mary, near Wurtzburg, took place. This is generally supposed to have happened, on the 8th day of February. On this date, at least, a festival has been instituted, in commemoration of those holy martyrs. It is said to have
12 occurred, likewise, during the reign of Pipping the first KingofFranconia. *
The holy Bishop Burchard suspected, that as the devoted martyrs had been secretly murdered, and as the hurried concealment of their remains was an object kept in view by all the parties concerned in the murder, their bodies could not have been deeply buried in the earth. Accordingly, he ordered a public fast, which was kept by the clergy and people, so that the Almighty Discoverer of hidden things might deign to reveal his secrets to the faithful, who desired to honour him through his saints. 43 He announced a day for the Elevation, when a great multitude of people flocked into Wurtzburg, some through a hope of witnessing great miracles, some through a desire to be healed from corporal diseases, and all through religious motives. The holy Bishop himself went to the traditional place of sepulture. He brought with himaspadeormattock,andbegantoopentheearth. UnderSt. Burchard's auspices, a search was instituted by numbers of willing labourerers who were present, for the recovery of those dead bodies. They were at length found, and in a shallow grave. The martyrs' flesh was reduced to dust. However, their bones, and those sacred articles buried with them, were dis- covered, in a good state of preservation. What seemed most wonderful was a fragrant odour that became diffused around ; and the people assembled in ecstatic delight sought to touch the sacred relics, or bear them in some way, while they were being removed from their place of deposition. With great delight, and as if by unanimous acclaim, they all cried out: "Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace be to men of good will. "
Illustrious miracles were wrought on the occurrence of this elevation, as likewise,onmanysubsequentoccasions. Asitseems,atthistimeabasilica dedicated to the holy Mother of God stood in Wurtzburg, and it was on a very elevated site. Thither, on a day appointed for the purpose, with a great concourse of the clergy and people, the bishop removed their sacred relics, and with great religious ceremony. St. Burchard and the clergy kept vigil over the martyrs, and he resolved on that site to erect his chief monastery. However, he had a revelation, that owing to the steepness and difficulty of the ascent to that mount, the structure which he began with wood must be abandoned. The removal of their relics was only temporary, notwithstanding this care ; for, St. Burchard immediately set to work, and he commenced the building of a new cathedral. This afterwards was called Novum Monas- terium, or the New Monastery. This church had been placed under the specialinvocationofSt. Kilian,St. ColmanandSt. Totnan. Itwasbuiltof stone and elegantly fashioned. To it, the bodies of the saints were brought, an elaborate sarcophagus having been prepared, to receive their remains.
*° He in the chair of St. presided Peter,
from a. d. 741 to 752. See Sir Harris
"
*2 to the First Acts of St. According
Kilian and his companions.
43 This account is taken from Egilward's
"Vita S. Burchardi," lib. ii. , cap. ii.
*4 Now known as Die Neuminster Kirche. It fronts on one of the principal streets of Burgundy, afterwards extending his sway Wurtzburg, and it is surrounded on every over Franconia in 752. His death took side by houses, over which however appear
Nicolas'
41 Known as Pepin le Bref, who on the
Chronology of History," p. 21 1.
death of his father, Charles Martel, a. d. 741, succeeded to the kingdoms of Neustria and
place, a. d. 768. See M. Le Dr. Hoefer's the facade and dome or cupola, with a sort "
"Nouvelle Biographie Generate, tome of tower crowned by a Byzantine-style of xxxix. , cols. 541 to 544. minaret. It is very faithfully presented in
136 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
That church « is said to have been erected over the very spot, where the relics of those holy Martyrs had been so long entombed. The people of Wurtzburgh believe, also, that this was the exact site, on wh—ich the castle of Duke Gosbert formerly stood. The —tomb of the Martyrs very artistically designedandofantiqueworkmanship issurroundedbystrongandwrought iron railings of very handsome workmanship. It is to be seen, in the crypt of what is interiorly a most beautiful church, and numbers of the faithful daily assemble to pray before this tomb. *5 There, in former times, many miracles are said to have been wrought ; nor have we any doubt, that the
Die Neuminster Kirche, Wurtzburg, containing the Martyrs' Tomb.
aithful clients of those saints, at the present] day, receive various spiritual
and temporal benefits through their intercesson. The city *6 and citizens of
Wurtzburg, who are almost exclusively Catholics, are under the special pro- tection of their Patron Martyrs.
the accompanying illustration copied from beatum
a photograph procured on the spot. A Ob Salvatorem proprium fudisse
drawing of it by William F. Wakeman on the wood has been engraved by Mrs. Mil- lard.
«sOn the 23rd of September, 1886, the writer had the same privilege and an oppor- tunity for inspecting this and other fine churches in Wurtzburg, during the course of a trip from Frankfort-on-the Maine to Ratis- bon and Vienna.
46 It contains a Catholic University and
thirty-three Catholic churches, including the cathedral, with several other fine religious houses and institutes.
4? On a stone—slab, the following verses
cruorem.
Hinc fuit, est, et erit salus illi, qui
pie quaerit,
Est caecus, mutus, claudus, sordusque
solulus.
Septingentesimo quinquagesimoque secundo
A Bonifacio, Burkardo consociato, Hi sunt sublati, rite quoque canoni-
zati :
Hos pete devote, qui sint oramine
pro te.
