Boniface, in the age
succeeding
St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
Hence Paul, the author of the first Life, etymolo-
gizes it into gloria fortis; for Er, in German, signifies "honour," and hard, orhart,is"strong,""hard. " AgainConradderiveshisnamefromHebrew
roots.
^^
Passing these etymologies regarding him, the real name of the saint
seems to have been Erard. As Colgan observes, this denomination was not
uncommon nor unapplied in Ireland, and therefore he traces it to its true
source in the Celtic or Irish language. According to him, Er in Irish is
"noble" or "honourable," and Ardis "high" or "illustrious. " A combina-
tion of both words produces Erard. ^7 Thus what the ancient author, Paul,
considered to be the true etymology of Erard's name, is rejected by the later
writer, Conrad, who seeks the original or roots of it, not in the German, but
in the Hebrew ^^ St. Erard had been a native of Ire-
tongue. If, however,
land—as generally allowed—Colgan's derivation seems preferable to either
of the foregoing ones ; although etymological deductions are too frequently only fanciful, and far from being reliable.
CHAPTER II.
EARLY YOUTH OF ST. ERARD—HIS ATTAINMENTS AND VIRTUES—THE PERIOD ST.
HIS ECCLESIASTICAL RANK— LIVING—HIS CONNEXION WITH THE CITY OF RATXSBON.
ERARD LIVED ON THE CONTINENT—
HIS MANNER OF
From earliest youth, Erhard deserved the name he received, for his morals were in perfect accordance with it. Building his virtues from childhood, on the name of Christ, no waves of temptation or storm of passion could move him from the secure foundation, on which his hopes of future felicity rested. While a boy, he completely eschewed the idle sports of companions, while he sedulouslycultivatedstudiesandgoodpractices; andwhetherornothehap- pened to be in the presence of his instructors, he was always careful to walk in the paths of virtue, to manifest a generous nature, to acquire the fruits of labour in learning, and to place his satisfaction in its acquisition.
The old writer^ of our saint's acts states, that Erard was a model for students in his application to reading, to writing, and to his teachers' lessons ; he stored up in a tenacious memory the subtle learning he conned over, and which he derived from his own judicious enquiries. But his inquisitive spirit, not satis- fied with the casuistry of the schools, sighed most earnestly after the more useful pursuits of Divine wisdom and science. Thus, on the spiritual rock, the hardy roots of secular study took hold, and the stems shot forth early flowers of virtue. So was learning a means to form the judgment, and to
Formed from infancy with the fulness
Some tracts of his were extant in the seven-
Erech, vigil
eligens Dominum;" i. e. , "watching the tion as far-fetched "Acta Sanct—orum Ja- Lord. " nuarii," n. (c), p. 542. Colgan wh—o is
*7 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," n. usually too serious to perpetrate a pun yet 4, p. 28. There was an Erhard, well appositely declares, that it seems to him versedinscienceandIrishhistory,who evenmoreGe—rmanthangermane,
^
lived towards the close of the eleventh cen- Chap, il. ^ Paulus or Paululus. His
tury, during the reign of King Malachy. humility made him adopt the latter title,
guide his free-will, in a right direction.
=5 See Harris' Ardagh," pp. 149, 150.
vol.
" of Bishops
"^ He has " it,
vita et rara ;
teenth century.
^^ BoUandus considers the German deriva-
Ware,
i. ,
ii8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 8.
of holiness, in the school where he planted the seeds of doctrine, he safely led fellow-students through dangerous and winding paths, where their morals were likely to be in peril. He was even rewarded for this guidance by the
general and favourable opinion pronounced regarding him. Yet, while his playfellows rejoiced in the sports of childhood, he thirsted after the refresh-
ing dew of evangelic precepts ; and the breath of the holy spirit, influencing his heart, caused it to bring forth the fruits of a holy life. Whosoever ful- filleth his desires after good things, was a sound ever ringing in his ears ; and his good inclinations thus obtained the habit of piety as a consequence. He willed what he felt able to procm^e, and he was capable of willing in a just measure, so that in tender youth, he acquired a most refined and exem- plary intellect. The fear of the Lord he knew is the beginning of wisdom, and growing in years and strength, he declined not to folly during after-life. He continued even more vigorous in the spiritual conflict, and more respected aslifepassedontomanhood. Thuslivedthenobleyouth,Erard,arestrainer of human passions, a lover of holiness, armed with the defensive weapons of Christ's soldier, and an elect vessel of the Holy Ghost. He was, metaphori- cally speaking, vision to the blind, hearing to the deaf, a supporter of the lame and halting ; he became a father to the orphan and a consoler to the widow; whilehebravelyresistedtheenemyofsouls,andthedeceitfulblan- dishments of fortune. The hope and glory of youth, he was a treasvure to the poor and a warning to the rich, for he loved poverty and despised wealth. He brought delight to the aged, for he well ordered his actions, and adorned the clerical state, for which he was manifestly destined. ^
The history of Erard and his times is confused and intricate. Although Mabillon3 did not take the trouble of inquiring into it, he must have been in- clined to think, this saint belonged to the seventh century. Yet, he was of opinion, that Hildulph, in whose time Erard is generally allowed to have lived, did not survive the early part of the eighth century. Colgan maintains that Erard flourished in the reign of Pepin or Charlemagne, and to sustain this position he strives to answer certain objections. ^ This he does, however, in a very unsatisfactory manner ; and engaged on a vain labour, the results are not concordant ^vith the care and exploration he has bestowed on it. s
ThetimewhenErhardlivedhasnotbeendeterminedbyBollandus. ^ Not
pretending to decide on a question which very eminent men have left unde-
termined, the former opinion appears more probable to Dr. Lanigan, and to
be better supported, by such occurring circumstances, as seem sufficiently
authentic. 7 It is stated, and on respectable authority, that he was Bishop of Ardagh,^ before he left Ireland. 9 Having resigned this see, it is said, he Avent
^ See " Acta Sanctorum Januarii," Com-
mentarius Prsevius Acta S. Erardi, tomusi. ,
viii. Januarii, pp. 534, 535.
7 <'l cannot but think that the confusion,
which has taken place on this point as well as on that relative to St. Hildulph of Treves,
has proceeded principally from Pepin Heris- tall, mayor of the palace, and his son Charles
Martel, having been mistaken for King Pepin, grandson of the former Pepin, and
"
his son Charlemagne.
iii. , pp. 35 to 37. On this subject, the History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. ,
" See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber- _ |'
hise," viii. Januarii. Vita S. Erardi, authore
Paulo, lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 23. Not less elo-
quent and eulogistic are the praises bestowed
on him in Conrad's Life, chap, i. , p. 29, ibid.
"
4 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemias," viii.
3
Acta Bene. ," sec. iii. , pars. ii. p. 470.
Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Erardi, cap. iii. , pp. 35 to 37.
"
s See
Januarii. Vita S. Erardi. Appendix, cap.
Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," viii.
reader is referred to the Life of St. Albert, already given at this day, and to the Life of St. Hildulf, at the nth of July. Both holy men were companions, and consequently contemporaneous with St, Erhard.
sec. vii. , and nn. pp. 104 to no.
^ See Father Stephen White's " Apologia
pro Hibemia," cap. iv. , p. 43, and cap. v. , p. 64.
9 Besides the authority of the Breviary of
See "Ecclesiastical
January 8. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
119
to the Continent. It is stated in the Breviary of Ratisbon that Erard went to Rome, and straight from Ireland. But this cannot be reconciled with the seriesofhistransactions,asrelatedinotherdocuments. Theholypilgrim's journeytoRomemusthavebeenafterhisarrivalinGermany. St. Hildulph or Hidulf'° was then living retired in the Vosges mountains. Erard is said to have remained for a considerable time with him in this solitude. From that country he went to Bavaria. There he preached the Gospel, but without attaching himself possibly to any particular see as bishop. Again, it has been incorrectly stated, he was Bishop of Frisengen, or of Treves. Many writers maintain, that after his companion St. Hildulf retired from the charge of this latter see, St. Erhard was postulated to succeed. However, none of those authors, who have treated about the Bishops of Frisengen" or of Treves," place with any degree of certainty our saint in either see. Although younger than Hildulph, St. Erard was living in his times. The contrariety in state- ment regarding the place of his birth has been perpetuated in reference to the
age when he lived. The century in which Erard flourished has been disputed. Some old writers assign his times to the seventh or to the beginning of the
eighth century. Others represent him, as flourishing during the reign of Pepin, sumamedtheDwarf,andthefatherofCharlemagne. 's Thesecondhalfof
the eighth century should therefore be his period, were we to admit the latter calculation.
Resolved to deal only with heavenly things, Erard spent much of the night in prayer, and he sang the Divine praises in psalmody ; he only used for bodily necessity, what others employed for pleasure, so that his mind re- jected fleshly domination, and delighted almost solely in spiritual entertain- ments. Tears of compunction bedewed his eyes, and thus no deceits of life or its luxuries could beguile his time : avarice never bhnded him, nor did sloth obtain a victory over him, and hence hope was in the ascendant. Nor did the murmurs of others disturb him. The body he subjected to the spirit, andhisspiritwasruledbyholiness,whilethisagainwasheavenlybom. He detested the evil works of the flesh, and the enmities it produced, owing to their rebellion against the spirit ; but he had already secured a complete triumph over them, by fasting, through vigils and mental activity. When he obtained the high grade of priesthood, so likewise did he ascend the ladder whichconductstoHeaven. Thenthroughhabithedreadednolabour,be- coming accustomed to it ; for being consecrated to minister at the altar, as a living victim, he wished to be immolated on the altar of the cross. ^^
From the circumstance of Erard having been with Hidulf among the Vosges mountains, it seems almost certain that he flourished in the seventh century. This accords with the chronology of Mabillon. '^s in all probability, this was the period during which Hildulph retired to that country. It is stated, on very good authority, that he arrived there before the death of St. Deodatus
Ratisbon, Racier, and Brunei", for this state-
ment, we find that of Hundius, "Catalogus Episcoporam Ratisbonensium. "
the opinion, that he was ruler of this see. '^ xhe incidents of their reigns are to be found in L. P. Anquetil's "Histoire de France. " Deuxieme Race dite des Carlo- vingiens, pp. 57 to 65. Illustrated folio
edition. Paiis, 1852.
"
Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," viii, Januarii. Vita S. Erardi, authore Paulo,
lib. i. , cap. i. , pp. 23, 24.
'= See " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomus i. , lib, xvi. , sec. xv. , p. 507.
" Paul's "Life of Erard," lib. i. , cap. ii. "
Conrad's Second Life of Erard," cap. ii. The Breviaries and other documents agree,
"John Horolanus in his Calendar ventures to think he might have been bishop of this place.
'"* Colgan's
" The German Martyrology, Phreislebius, and the author of the Second Life of St,
Erhard, published by Bollandus, incline to
120 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 8.
of Nevers, who had also retired to Alsace. The death of Deodatus is univer- sally allowed to have occurred about a. d. 679.
SomeauthoritiesassertthatSt. ErhardwasBishopofRatisbon. ^^ Certain it is, however, that he and his companions from Ireland preceded in point of time St. Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, in spreading the Gospel of Christ, among the people of Bavaria. Others deny that St. Erard was bishop over Ratisbon. Mabillon states, that it is a mistake to assign to him such a posi- tion. '? Nor does his name appear among the Ratisbon prelates, in those catalogues relating to them. It is generally allowed, St.
Boniface, in the age succeeding St. Erard's, had this city erected into an episcopal see.
Nearly all the German WTiters'^ allow that St. Erhard spent a good part of his
time in Ratisbon. Tradition has it, that here he founded a nunnery for pious
women, and this was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It was situated in a
low part of that city. Moreover, it is asserted that he built seven different
monasteries. '9 In Ratisbon he lived as an angel in human form, full of charity,
remarkable for his chastity and modesty, illustrious for his miracles, and so
watchful over his charge, that he removed the errors of infidelity and the pest
of heresy from the fold of Christ. As he was distinguished for his virtues in
youth, so his manhood continued to produce the fruits of former studies and
the works of Divine love. His wise conversation, and the cultivation of his
manners, were the sweet odour of Christ, which brought souls into the Church.
Thenobleconfessor,whilebenignanttoallthepeople,hadfewfamiliars. He
was faithful to all, and so he was enabled to collect under his banner many to
contend for the crown. From priesthood, it is said, he attained the episcopal
rank, with the approval of God and men of good-will. In this latter state, he
shone as the morning star through the gloom, as a rose among thorns, as a re-
freshing stream in the desert, as a sweet-sounding calandrus among the tama-
risks : as the nightingale warbling its harmonious strains through the still
hours of night, so did he in vigil sing God's praises, while others slept. As
a fountain relieving the heated traveller in summer, and as a gentle rivulet
waking harmonies through the rocks as it flows, so were his words and works
delightful. When sinners gave proof of repentance, Erard was always com-
passionate towards them, and he rejoiced to impart remission of their former
'^^
CHAPTER III.
bUKE ETICO, AND THE BAPTISM OF HIS DAUGHTER ST. ODILIA—ST. ERARD RETURNS TO RATISBON AND FOUNDS A MONASTERY THERE—HIS PREPARATION FOR DEATH—HE DEPARTS THI—S LIFE ON THE EIGHTH OF JANUARY—SEVERAL MIRACLES WROUGHT AFT—ERWARDS TRANSLATION OF HIS RELICS AND CANONIZATION BY POPE LEO IX. CONCLUSION.
Etico, the son of Leudesius,^ had married Berswinda,^ during the reign of Childeric the Second, King of Austrasia, and afterwards of all France. It is
'* Among these, the German Martyrology, '5 See Mabillon's " Annales Ordinis S.
the Viola Sanctoram, the Carthusian Martyr- Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. xvi. , sec. xv. , p.
offences.
ology, or Usuard's additions, Andreas De 507. " ^°
Chesne, Historiae Francorum Scriptores Cdsetanei," tomus i. , Hugo Menard in the Benedictine Martyrology, and the author of
the work known as " Panis
'7 See "Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti. "
tomus i. , lib. xvi. , sec. xv. , p. 507,
'* Among these may be mentioned Hun-
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," viii. Januarii. Vita S. Erardi, authore
dius, in
"
Metropoli," and Rader.
Quotidianus.
"
Chap. hi.
great friend of St. Fursey, and mayor of the palace. He died about 660.
" She was sister to the queen and a daugh- ter of the sister of St Leodegarius.
Conrado, cap. i.
p. 29.
—'The son of a Erchenoald,
,
January 8. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
variously stated, he was killed a. d. 667,3 671,+ or 673,5 or as others assert in 676. *^ This king had made Etico duke of Germany. ? Accordingly he resided at Ehenheim, in the castle of Hohemburg. ^ Dr. Lanigan is of opinion that
Pepin, mayor of the palace, or Pepin de Heristal, who had held that office, from about 688 until 714, must have been meant. He was the father of another Charles, i. e. , Charles Martel. 9 This Pepin had governed Austrasia with almost sovereign authority since about 680. ^°
While St. Erard was near the Rhine, he baptized the daughter of Atticus, otherwise known as Duke Etico. " She was afterwards the celebrated St. Odilia. St. Hidulph joined, it is stated, in this act. Through the prayers
of St. Erard, while the sacrament of Baptism was being administered, Odiha, who was born blind, recovered the faculty of vision. '^ The circumstances connected with such an incident prove that our saint flourished before the times of the most renowned King Pepin. His reign did not commence until about the middle of the eighth century; while the birth of Odilia cannot have been later than about its commencement. There are some statements, which appear very extravagant and improbable in reference to this matter, as related by the biographer Paul, and which doubtless must have rested solely on popular rumour. ^3 Ethico is said to have determined on putting his daughter to death, because she happened to be born blind, and that the mother to preserve her child charged a nurse to have her secretedinamonasterycalledPalma. ThenarevelationcametoSt. Erard, who was in Bavaria at the time, that he should hasten to where the girl lived, and he prayed God to effect not only the enlightenment of her mind by Baptism,butthathercorporaleyesmightlikewisebeopened. Sheobtained the name of Othiha, which is Latinized " Deus Sol,"'4 when immersed in the baptismal font. The restoration of his daughter's sight caused the father's
unbounded joy, the mother's great consolation, the child's own beatification, while the Divine praises were extolled by all who heard of or witnessed this miracle. According to an account, in a life of St. Hildulph, he is said to have baptized the girl, while St. Erard raised her as a sponsor from the font ;'
3 According to Mirasus, in Chronico.
* According to Baronius and other writers. s See "Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomusi. , lib. xvi. , sec. xxxii. , pp. 515, 516.
*
According to Sigbertus, Gordonus, and other writers.
7 On account of this relationship by mar-
copper of a carved stone, extant in the beginning of the last century, on Mount St. Odilia. This had carvings of Eticho Dux, S. Odilia, and S. Leudegar, over corre- sponding figures, in their appropriate cos- tumes. Mabillon thinks this stone must have been carved before a. d. iioo. See tomus i. , lib. xv. , sec. Ixi. , pp. 489, 490.
'^ There is a account of very interesting
this holy virgin in Mabillon's great work.
See z(^/a^. , sec. Ixii. , A. D. 667, pp. 491 to492. '3 With better judgment Conrad has sup-
pressed the improbabilities, but he adds the unnoted circumstances, that Odilia received instruction in the Catholic faith, and then Erardbaptizedher. Thefameofthemiracle
riage, his promotion took place. See An-
dreas du tomus "
Chesne, i. , Scriptorum
Rerum Franciarum. "
^ From these circumstances, Bollandus
justly concludes that this baptism, and other events, were prior to the times of King Pepin
"
and Charlemagne. See
Januarii," tomus i. , viii. Januarii. Com- mentarius Prsevius.
vol. iii. , chap, xviii,, n. loo, p. 1 10.
"In Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," there is a fine engraving' on
9 See L. P.
France. " Premiere Race dite des Merovin- giens, pp. 54 to 56. See likewise the ac- count of his exploits in Greenwood's "First Book of the History of the Germans : Bar- baric Period," chap, xii. , sect, iv. , A. D. 640 to A. D. 724, pp. 711 to 719.
wrought
Anquetil's
" See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
Acta Sanctorum
" Histoire de
tended to confirm the Norici in a profession of the Christian faith. See Col- gan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," viii. Januarii. Vita S. Erardi, authore Conrado, cap. ii. , p. 31.
''•Bollandus attempts, but hardly to his own satisfaction, the solution of this etymon in his notes to Conrad's Life of St. Erard, chap. ii. See "Acta Sanctorum Januarii," tomus i. , viii, Januarii, n. (Aa), p. 543-
122 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 8.
while again the action of either saint has been exactly reversed, by other authors. The pious writer Paul remarks, that only Jesus Christ Himself opened the eyes of one born blind, as recorded in the Gospels, until St. Erard wrought this miracle. He then adored the Divine clemency, and gavethankstoGodforHismercy. Healsomanifestedhisreverencefor Odilia, and when he had learned the doom to which she had been destined by a cruel father, to the latter he forwarded an admonitory message, that he should shun all devices of the devil. He added, moreover, that if Ethico hated Odilia for a blameless blindness, that she should thenceforth be loved for the corporal light received from Christ, with her soul's illumination ; and he intimated, that if this counsel were despised, the father must incur a dread penalty for his crime,^s After the baptism of Odilia, St. Erard is said to have revisited Ratisbon. ^^ There he built what was aftenvards called the
Lower Monastery, and it was dedicated to the ever-glorious Virgin Mary, MotherofGod. Thischurchwasafterwardsservedbycelibatecanonesses.
Whilst living, St. Erard, according to tradition, dug a very deep well near this house, and he accomplished the labour with his o^\ti hands. Very clear water was contained in it, and at a subsequent period an abbess of the community there had it carefully enclosed. The people entertained a great veneration for this fountain, and many miracles were reported to have happened in connection with it.
As the time of Blessed Erard's death approached, he desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Deploring the bonds of the flesh, his soul seemed to anticipate its future state, and to sigh not for visible but invisible things, not for transient but for permanent delights. Often and with great
fervour he " When shall I repeated :
and
before the face of our
go
Lord? " As the day of his release was near, he frequently ejaculated:
"WhenshallIbedeliveredfromthestraitsofthiscorruption? \\Tienshall I be drawn from the misery of this earthly prison ? When shall my hopes be satisfied ? When shall God's glory be revealed to me ? When shall I learn that my labours have pleased Him? When shall I understand the nature of my judgment, or what may be that reward of which the Apostle speaks, how neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God has prepared for those who love Him? " Thus, according to the apostolic precept, forgetting the world, and crucifying it with its vices and concupiscences, he looked forward to Jesus Christ ; and during his last struggle, he revolved in mind all his past actions, as being about to stand before the tribunal of his judge, while the hope of immortal bliss was to him a shield against every fear. Holy thoughts caused him to relinquish earthly regrets, and already the angelic choirs were opening to receive him into their august assembly, where he was thenceforth destined to sing the Divine praises. His will was to see and hear what his bright anticipations pictured to his mind; the movements of life alone remained, and gradually closed, as the eyes of his heart turned from worldly scenes, during the few days of his last illness. His days of health and labour were the true preparation for his moment of happy departure. As a pilgrim on earth, he felt exiled from Heaven ; but things corruptible passed away, as with a fer\'ent desire he hastened towards the grave. He longed for the victory of death; frequently were his reverent eyes and suppliant hands elevated in prayer ; and he awoke, at last, to the ineffable visions of bhss, when he had fallen asleep in the Lord. '7
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Paulo,
'^ See " Annales Ordinis Mabillon's
'S See
S.
Colgan's
nise," viii. Januarii, Vita S, Erardi, authore
Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. xvi. , sec. xv. , p. 507.
gizes it into gloria fortis; for Er, in German, signifies "honour," and hard, orhart,is"strong,""hard. " AgainConradderiveshisnamefromHebrew
roots.
^^
Passing these etymologies regarding him, the real name of the saint
seems to have been Erard. As Colgan observes, this denomination was not
uncommon nor unapplied in Ireland, and therefore he traces it to its true
source in the Celtic or Irish language. According to him, Er in Irish is
"noble" or "honourable," and Ardis "high" or "illustrious. " A combina-
tion of both words produces Erard. ^7 Thus what the ancient author, Paul,
considered to be the true etymology of Erard's name, is rejected by the later
writer, Conrad, who seeks the original or roots of it, not in the German, but
in the Hebrew ^^ St. Erard had been a native of Ire-
tongue. If, however,
land—as generally allowed—Colgan's derivation seems preferable to either
of the foregoing ones ; although etymological deductions are too frequently only fanciful, and far from being reliable.
CHAPTER II.
EARLY YOUTH OF ST. ERARD—HIS ATTAINMENTS AND VIRTUES—THE PERIOD ST.
HIS ECCLESIASTICAL RANK— LIVING—HIS CONNEXION WITH THE CITY OF RATXSBON.
ERARD LIVED ON THE CONTINENT—
HIS MANNER OF
From earliest youth, Erhard deserved the name he received, for his morals were in perfect accordance with it. Building his virtues from childhood, on the name of Christ, no waves of temptation or storm of passion could move him from the secure foundation, on which his hopes of future felicity rested. While a boy, he completely eschewed the idle sports of companions, while he sedulouslycultivatedstudiesandgoodpractices; andwhetherornothehap- pened to be in the presence of his instructors, he was always careful to walk in the paths of virtue, to manifest a generous nature, to acquire the fruits of labour in learning, and to place his satisfaction in its acquisition.
The old writer^ of our saint's acts states, that Erard was a model for students in his application to reading, to writing, and to his teachers' lessons ; he stored up in a tenacious memory the subtle learning he conned over, and which he derived from his own judicious enquiries. But his inquisitive spirit, not satis- fied with the casuistry of the schools, sighed most earnestly after the more useful pursuits of Divine wisdom and science. Thus, on the spiritual rock, the hardy roots of secular study took hold, and the stems shot forth early flowers of virtue. So was learning a means to form the judgment, and to
Formed from infancy with the fulness
Some tracts of his were extant in the seven-
Erech, vigil
eligens Dominum;" i. e. , "watching the tion as far-fetched "Acta Sanct—orum Ja- Lord. " nuarii," n. (c), p. 542. Colgan wh—o is
*7 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," n. usually too serious to perpetrate a pun yet 4, p. 28. There was an Erhard, well appositely declares, that it seems to him versedinscienceandIrishhistory,who evenmoreGe—rmanthangermane,
^
lived towards the close of the eleventh cen- Chap, il. ^ Paulus or Paululus. His
tury, during the reign of King Malachy. humility made him adopt the latter title,
guide his free-will, in a right direction.
=5 See Harris' Ardagh," pp. 149, 150.
vol.
" of Bishops
"^ He has " it,
vita et rara ;
teenth century.
^^ BoUandus considers the German deriva-
Ware,
i. ,
ii8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 8.
of holiness, in the school where he planted the seeds of doctrine, he safely led fellow-students through dangerous and winding paths, where their morals were likely to be in peril. He was even rewarded for this guidance by the
general and favourable opinion pronounced regarding him. Yet, while his playfellows rejoiced in the sports of childhood, he thirsted after the refresh-
ing dew of evangelic precepts ; and the breath of the holy spirit, influencing his heart, caused it to bring forth the fruits of a holy life. Whosoever ful- filleth his desires after good things, was a sound ever ringing in his ears ; and his good inclinations thus obtained the habit of piety as a consequence. He willed what he felt able to procm^e, and he was capable of willing in a just measure, so that in tender youth, he acquired a most refined and exem- plary intellect. The fear of the Lord he knew is the beginning of wisdom, and growing in years and strength, he declined not to folly during after-life. He continued even more vigorous in the spiritual conflict, and more respected aslifepassedontomanhood. Thuslivedthenobleyouth,Erard,arestrainer of human passions, a lover of holiness, armed with the defensive weapons of Christ's soldier, and an elect vessel of the Holy Ghost. He was, metaphori- cally speaking, vision to the blind, hearing to the deaf, a supporter of the lame and halting ; he became a father to the orphan and a consoler to the widow; whilehebravelyresistedtheenemyofsouls,andthedeceitfulblan- dishments of fortune. The hope and glory of youth, he was a treasvure to the poor and a warning to the rich, for he loved poverty and despised wealth. He brought delight to the aged, for he well ordered his actions, and adorned the clerical state, for which he was manifestly destined. ^
The history of Erard and his times is confused and intricate. Although Mabillon3 did not take the trouble of inquiring into it, he must have been in- clined to think, this saint belonged to the seventh century. Yet, he was of opinion, that Hildulph, in whose time Erard is generally allowed to have lived, did not survive the early part of the eighth century. Colgan maintains that Erard flourished in the reign of Pepin or Charlemagne, and to sustain this position he strives to answer certain objections. ^ This he does, however, in a very unsatisfactory manner ; and engaged on a vain labour, the results are not concordant ^vith the care and exploration he has bestowed on it. s
ThetimewhenErhardlivedhasnotbeendeterminedbyBollandus. ^ Not
pretending to decide on a question which very eminent men have left unde-
termined, the former opinion appears more probable to Dr. Lanigan, and to
be better supported, by such occurring circumstances, as seem sufficiently
authentic. 7 It is stated, and on respectable authority, that he was Bishop of Ardagh,^ before he left Ireland. 9 Having resigned this see, it is said, he Avent
^ See " Acta Sanctorum Januarii," Com-
mentarius Prsevius Acta S. Erardi, tomusi. ,
viii. Januarii, pp. 534, 535.
7 <'l cannot but think that the confusion,
which has taken place on this point as well as on that relative to St. Hildulph of Treves,
has proceeded principally from Pepin Heris- tall, mayor of the palace, and his son Charles
Martel, having been mistaken for King Pepin, grandson of the former Pepin, and
"
his son Charlemagne.
iii. , pp. 35 to 37. On this subject, the History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. ,
" See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber- _ |'
hise," viii. Januarii. Vita S. Erardi, authore
Paulo, lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 23. Not less elo-
quent and eulogistic are the praises bestowed
on him in Conrad's Life, chap, i. , p. 29, ibid.
"
4 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemias," viii.
3
Acta Bene. ," sec. iii. , pars. ii. p. 470.
Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Erardi, cap. iii. , pp. 35 to 37.
"
s See
Januarii. Vita S. Erardi. Appendix, cap.
Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," viii.
reader is referred to the Life of St. Albert, already given at this day, and to the Life of St. Hildulf, at the nth of July. Both holy men were companions, and consequently contemporaneous with St, Erhard.
sec. vii. , and nn. pp. 104 to no.
^ See Father Stephen White's " Apologia
pro Hibemia," cap. iv. , p. 43, and cap. v. , p. 64.
9 Besides the authority of the Breviary of
See "Ecclesiastical
January 8. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
119
to the Continent. It is stated in the Breviary of Ratisbon that Erard went to Rome, and straight from Ireland. But this cannot be reconciled with the seriesofhistransactions,asrelatedinotherdocuments. Theholypilgrim's journeytoRomemusthavebeenafterhisarrivalinGermany. St. Hildulph or Hidulf'° was then living retired in the Vosges mountains. Erard is said to have remained for a considerable time with him in this solitude. From that country he went to Bavaria. There he preached the Gospel, but without attaching himself possibly to any particular see as bishop. Again, it has been incorrectly stated, he was Bishop of Frisengen, or of Treves. Many writers maintain, that after his companion St. Hildulf retired from the charge of this latter see, St. Erhard was postulated to succeed. However, none of those authors, who have treated about the Bishops of Frisengen" or of Treves," place with any degree of certainty our saint in either see. Although younger than Hildulph, St. Erard was living in his times. The contrariety in state- ment regarding the place of his birth has been perpetuated in reference to the
age when he lived. The century in which Erard flourished has been disputed. Some old writers assign his times to the seventh or to the beginning of the
eighth century. Others represent him, as flourishing during the reign of Pepin, sumamedtheDwarf,andthefatherofCharlemagne. 's Thesecondhalfof
the eighth century should therefore be his period, were we to admit the latter calculation.
Resolved to deal only with heavenly things, Erard spent much of the night in prayer, and he sang the Divine praises in psalmody ; he only used for bodily necessity, what others employed for pleasure, so that his mind re- jected fleshly domination, and delighted almost solely in spiritual entertain- ments. Tears of compunction bedewed his eyes, and thus no deceits of life or its luxuries could beguile his time : avarice never bhnded him, nor did sloth obtain a victory over him, and hence hope was in the ascendant. Nor did the murmurs of others disturb him. The body he subjected to the spirit, andhisspiritwasruledbyholiness,whilethisagainwasheavenlybom. He detested the evil works of the flesh, and the enmities it produced, owing to their rebellion against the spirit ; but he had already secured a complete triumph over them, by fasting, through vigils and mental activity. When he obtained the high grade of priesthood, so likewise did he ascend the ladder whichconductstoHeaven. Thenthroughhabithedreadednolabour,be- coming accustomed to it ; for being consecrated to minister at the altar, as a living victim, he wished to be immolated on the altar of the cross. ^^
From the circumstance of Erard having been with Hidulf among the Vosges mountains, it seems almost certain that he flourished in the seventh century. This accords with the chronology of Mabillon. '^s in all probability, this was the period during which Hildulph retired to that country. It is stated, on very good authority, that he arrived there before the death of St. Deodatus
Ratisbon, Racier, and Brunei", for this state-
ment, we find that of Hundius, "Catalogus Episcoporam Ratisbonensium. "
the opinion, that he was ruler of this see. '^ xhe incidents of their reigns are to be found in L. P. Anquetil's "Histoire de France. " Deuxieme Race dite des Carlo- vingiens, pp. 57 to 65. Illustrated folio
edition. Paiis, 1852.
"
Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," viii, Januarii. Vita S. Erardi, authore Paulo,
lib. i. , cap. i. , pp. 23, 24.
'= See " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomus i. , lib, xvi. , sec. xv. , p. 507.
" Paul's "Life of Erard," lib. i. , cap. ii. "
Conrad's Second Life of Erard," cap. ii. The Breviaries and other documents agree,
"John Horolanus in his Calendar ventures to think he might have been bishop of this place.
'"* Colgan's
" The German Martyrology, Phreislebius, and the author of the Second Life of St,
Erhard, published by Bollandus, incline to
120 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 8.
of Nevers, who had also retired to Alsace. The death of Deodatus is univer- sally allowed to have occurred about a. d. 679.
SomeauthoritiesassertthatSt. ErhardwasBishopofRatisbon. ^^ Certain it is, however, that he and his companions from Ireland preceded in point of time St. Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, in spreading the Gospel of Christ, among the people of Bavaria. Others deny that St. Erard was bishop over Ratisbon. Mabillon states, that it is a mistake to assign to him such a posi- tion. '? Nor does his name appear among the Ratisbon prelates, in those catalogues relating to them. It is generally allowed, St.
Boniface, in the age succeeding St. Erard's, had this city erected into an episcopal see.
Nearly all the German WTiters'^ allow that St. Erhard spent a good part of his
time in Ratisbon. Tradition has it, that here he founded a nunnery for pious
women, and this was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It was situated in a
low part of that city. Moreover, it is asserted that he built seven different
monasteries. '9 In Ratisbon he lived as an angel in human form, full of charity,
remarkable for his chastity and modesty, illustrious for his miracles, and so
watchful over his charge, that he removed the errors of infidelity and the pest
of heresy from the fold of Christ. As he was distinguished for his virtues in
youth, so his manhood continued to produce the fruits of former studies and
the works of Divine love. His wise conversation, and the cultivation of his
manners, were the sweet odour of Christ, which brought souls into the Church.
Thenobleconfessor,whilebenignanttoallthepeople,hadfewfamiliars. He
was faithful to all, and so he was enabled to collect under his banner many to
contend for the crown. From priesthood, it is said, he attained the episcopal
rank, with the approval of God and men of good-will. In this latter state, he
shone as the morning star through the gloom, as a rose among thorns, as a re-
freshing stream in the desert, as a sweet-sounding calandrus among the tama-
risks : as the nightingale warbling its harmonious strains through the still
hours of night, so did he in vigil sing God's praises, while others slept. As
a fountain relieving the heated traveller in summer, and as a gentle rivulet
waking harmonies through the rocks as it flows, so were his words and works
delightful. When sinners gave proof of repentance, Erard was always com-
passionate towards them, and he rejoiced to impart remission of their former
'^^
CHAPTER III.
bUKE ETICO, AND THE BAPTISM OF HIS DAUGHTER ST. ODILIA—ST. ERARD RETURNS TO RATISBON AND FOUNDS A MONASTERY THERE—HIS PREPARATION FOR DEATH—HE DEPARTS THI—S LIFE ON THE EIGHTH OF JANUARY—SEVERAL MIRACLES WROUGHT AFT—ERWARDS TRANSLATION OF HIS RELICS AND CANONIZATION BY POPE LEO IX. CONCLUSION.
Etico, the son of Leudesius,^ had married Berswinda,^ during the reign of Childeric the Second, King of Austrasia, and afterwards of all France. It is
'* Among these, the German Martyrology, '5 See Mabillon's " Annales Ordinis S.
the Viola Sanctoram, the Carthusian Martyr- Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. xvi. , sec. xv. , p.
offences.
ology, or Usuard's additions, Andreas De 507. " ^°
Chesne, Historiae Francorum Scriptores Cdsetanei," tomus i. , Hugo Menard in the Benedictine Martyrology, and the author of
the work known as " Panis
'7 See "Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti. "
tomus i. , lib. xvi. , sec. xv. , p. 507,
'* Among these may be mentioned Hun-
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," viii. Januarii. Vita S. Erardi, authore
dius, in
"
Metropoli," and Rader.
Quotidianus.
"
Chap. hi.
great friend of St. Fursey, and mayor of the palace. He died about 660.
" She was sister to the queen and a daugh- ter of the sister of St Leodegarius.
Conrado, cap. i.
p. 29.
—'The son of a Erchenoald,
,
January 8. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
variously stated, he was killed a. d. 667,3 671,+ or 673,5 or as others assert in 676. *^ This king had made Etico duke of Germany. ? Accordingly he resided at Ehenheim, in the castle of Hohemburg. ^ Dr. Lanigan is of opinion that
Pepin, mayor of the palace, or Pepin de Heristal, who had held that office, from about 688 until 714, must have been meant. He was the father of another Charles, i. e. , Charles Martel. 9 This Pepin had governed Austrasia with almost sovereign authority since about 680. ^°
While St. Erard was near the Rhine, he baptized the daughter of Atticus, otherwise known as Duke Etico. " She was afterwards the celebrated St. Odilia. St. Hidulph joined, it is stated, in this act. Through the prayers
of St. Erard, while the sacrament of Baptism was being administered, Odiha, who was born blind, recovered the faculty of vision. '^ The circumstances connected with such an incident prove that our saint flourished before the times of the most renowned King Pepin. His reign did not commence until about the middle of the eighth century; while the birth of Odilia cannot have been later than about its commencement. There are some statements, which appear very extravagant and improbable in reference to this matter, as related by the biographer Paul, and which doubtless must have rested solely on popular rumour. ^3 Ethico is said to have determined on putting his daughter to death, because she happened to be born blind, and that the mother to preserve her child charged a nurse to have her secretedinamonasterycalledPalma. ThenarevelationcametoSt. Erard, who was in Bavaria at the time, that he should hasten to where the girl lived, and he prayed God to effect not only the enlightenment of her mind by Baptism,butthathercorporaleyesmightlikewisebeopened. Sheobtained the name of Othiha, which is Latinized " Deus Sol,"'4 when immersed in the baptismal font. The restoration of his daughter's sight caused the father's
unbounded joy, the mother's great consolation, the child's own beatification, while the Divine praises were extolled by all who heard of or witnessed this miracle. According to an account, in a life of St. Hildulph, he is said to have baptized the girl, while St. Erard raised her as a sponsor from the font ;'
3 According to Mirasus, in Chronico.
* According to Baronius and other writers. s See "Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomusi. , lib. xvi. , sec. xxxii. , pp. 515, 516.
*
According to Sigbertus, Gordonus, and other writers.
7 On account of this relationship by mar-
copper of a carved stone, extant in the beginning of the last century, on Mount St. Odilia. This had carvings of Eticho Dux, S. Odilia, and S. Leudegar, over corre- sponding figures, in their appropriate cos- tumes. Mabillon thinks this stone must have been carved before a. d. iioo. See tomus i. , lib. xv. , sec. Ixi. , pp. 489, 490.
'^ There is a account of very interesting
this holy virgin in Mabillon's great work.
See z(^/a^. , sec. Ixii. , A. D. 667, pp. 491 to492. '3 With better judgment Conrad has sup-
pressed the improbabilities, but he adds the unnoted circumstances, that Odilia received instruction in the Catholic faith, and then Erardbaptizedher. Thefameofthemiracle
riage, his promotion took place. See An-
dreas du tomus "
Chesne, i. , Scriptorum
Rerum Franciarum. "
^ From these circumstances, Bollandus
justly concludes that this baptism, and other events, were prior to the times of King Pepin
"
and Charlemagne. See
Januarii," tomus i. , viii. Januarii. Com- mentarius Prsevius.
vol. iii. , chap, xviii,, n. loo, p. 1 10.
"In Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," there is a fine engraving' on
9 See L. P.
France. " Premiere Race dite des Merovin- giens, pp. 54 to 56. See likewise the ac- count of his exploits in Greenwood's "First Book of the History of the Germans : Bar- baric Period," chap, xii. , sect, iv. , A. D. 640 to A. D. 724, pp. 711 to 719.
wrought
Anquetil's
" See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
Acta Sanctorum
" Histoire de
tended to confirm the Norici in a profession of the Christian faith. See Col- gan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," viii. Januarii. Vita S. Erardi, authore Conrado, cap. ii. , p. 31.
''•Bollandus attempts, but hardly to his own satisfaction, the solution of this etymon in his notes to Conrad's Life of St. Erard, chap. ii. See "Acta Sanctorum Januarii," tomus i. , viii, Januarii, n. (Aa), p. 543-
122 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 8.
while again the action of either saint has been exactly reversed, by other authors. The pious writer Paul remarks, that only Jesus Christ Himself opened the eyes of one born blind, as recorded in the Gospels, until St. Erard wrought this miracle. He then adored the Divine clemency, and gavethankstoGodforHismercy. Healsomanifestedhisreverencefor Odilia, and when he had learned the doom to which she had been destined by a cruel father, to the latter he forwarded an admonitory message, that he should shun all devices of the devil. He added, moreover, that if Ethico hated Odilia for a blameless blindness, that she should thenceforth be loved for the corporal light received from Christ, with her soul's illumination ; and he intimated, that if this counsel were despised, the father must incur a dread penalty for his crime,^s After the baptism of Odilia, St. Erard is said to have revisited Ratisbon. ^^ There he built what was aftenvards called the
Lower Monastery, and it was dedicated to the ever-glorious Virgin Mary, MotherofGod. Thischurchwasafterwardsservedbycelibatecanonesses.
Whilst living, St. Erard, according to tradition, dug a very deep well near this house, and he accomplished the labour with his o^\ti hands. Very clear water was contained in it, and at a subsequent period an abbess of the community there had it carefully enclosed. The people entertained a great veneration for this fountain, and many miracles were reported to have happened in connection with it.
As the time of Blessed Erard's death approached, he desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Deploring the bonds of the flesh, his soul seemed to anticipate its future state, and to sigh not for visible but invisible things, not for transient but for permanent delights. Often and with great
fervour he " When shall I repeated :
and
before the face of our
go
Lord? " As the day of his release was near, he frequently ejaculated:
"WhenshallIbedeliveredfromthestraitsofthiscorruption? \\Tienshall I be drawn from the misery of this earthly prison ? When shall my hopes be satisfied ? When shall God's glory be revealed to me ? When shall I learn that my labours have pleased Him? When shall I understand the nature of my judgment, or what may be that reward of which the Apostle speaks, how neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God has prepared for those who love Him? " Thus, according to the apostolic precept, forgetting the world, and crucifying it with its vices and concupiscences, he looked forward to Jesus Christ ; and during his last struggle, he revolved in mind all his past actions, as being about to stand before the tribunal of his judge, while the hope of immortal bliss was to him a shield against every fear. Holy thoughts caused him to relinquish earthly regrets, and already the angelic choirs were opening to receive him into their august assembly, where he was thenceforth destined to sing the Divine praises. His will was to see and hear what his bright anticipations pictured to his mind; the movements of life alone remained, and gradually closed, as the eyes of his heart turned from worldly scenes, during the few days of his last illness. His days of health and labour were the true preparation for his moment of happy departure. As a pilgrim on earth, he felt exiled from Heaven ; but things corruptible passed away, as with a fer\'ent desire he hastened towards the grave. He longed for the victory of death; frequently were his reverent eyes and suppliant hands elevated in prayer ; and he awoke, at last, to the ineffable visions of bhss, when he had fallen asleep in the Lord. '7
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Paulo,
'^ See " Annales Ordinis Mabillon's
'S See
S.
Colgan's
nise," viii. Januarii, Vita S, Erardi, authore
Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. xvi. , sec. xv. , p. 507.
