, who
diverted
the Pantheon from being the Temple of all the heathen Divini- ties, 10 become the Church of all the Saints,
with the ptrmission of the Emperor Phocas.
with the ptrmission of the Emperor Phocas.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
343.
49<5 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 26.
CUjcntp-stivtl) ©ap of apriU
ARTICLE I. —ST. TRUDPERT, OF BRISGAU, IN GERMANY, HERMIT AND MARTYR.
[SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ]
the many distinguished missionaries that left Ireland for the
Continent, spread AMONG to
tlie
of Faith and of
works, the good holy
light
solitary Trudpert has been specially distinguished. He is set down in Col-
gan's list, among our national saints. ' We are led to infer, that the Irish hagiologist had his Life ready for issue to the public, and at that time, when Colgan's own death occurred. Henricus Canisius has some notices of him. ' To the 26th or 27th 3 of April, St. Trudpert's festival has been assigned ; and, as will be seen, from various ancient records, his origin has been referred to Ireland. From various sources, the Bollandists have drawn the Acts of St. Trudpert,* but more especially from an old Life,5 referred to the thirteenth cen- tury,'andthesehavebeenpublished,atthe26thofApril. ' Notwithstanding the statement therein contained, supported by other distinct authorities, that our saint owed his origin to tlie Island of Hibernia, and that he was a Scot by race, while descended from a royal family, the editor Father Godefrid
Henschen questions these statements, and on very insufficient arguments or conjecturesofhisown. * TheTeutonicformofnamedoesnotdisprovethe
Article i. —' See "
' The Latin lines were inscribed
Actuum Sanctorum quae MS. habentur ordine Men-
Catalogus
following
in the Manuscript Life :
—
siumet Dienim. "
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," Martii xxvii. Vita S. Rvperti Episcopi, cap. iv. , and n. 6, pp. 757, 761.
* These are prucedefl by a critical Prologue
in six paragraphs, with an Epitome of his
Life, taken from the Breviary of Strasburg,
the capital of Alsace, and another from the
Breviary of Constance. Then follow, Acta
Steculo XIII. sub Wernhero II. Abbate col-
lecta, per monachum raonasterii Trudper-
tini. This latter tract, from an old Manu-
script belonging to St. Trudpert's Monas-
tery, is jireceded by a Prologue, and it con-
tains two Books. The first of these contained
Thirty-three paragraphs, the first eight of the close. Afterwards, a distich in Latin
" In "
Lectiones," tomus vi.
si posc. is, hsec, "Tempus quo scripsimus
ita noscas :
Millenis decies septem, ter tresque,
ducentis
Annos adjicies in came Dei veiiien-
Antiquje Sallsburgensis Historia.
which have been suppressed, liy Godefrid Henschen ; while the Second Book consists
of Twenty-three paragraphs, and notes are appended to illustrate their meaning.
5 This was sent to them, by tlie Jesuit
Joannes Gamasius, (rom Aschaffenburgh. It belonged tea collection of German Tracts; and, by Gamasius, it had been collate<l "cum MS. Blaburensi,' whileon the Frontis- piece was noted, that it belonged to the monastic library of St. Trudpert himself.
declares, that Sifridus composed it, a. d. 1570.
' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Ap-
rilis xxvi. De . S. Trudperto Martyre, Ere-
mita in Brisgoia, pp. 424 to 440.
'
Admitting St. Trudpert to have been the brother of St. Rupert, Bishop of Worms, and afterwards of Saltzburg, and of St. Erentrude, their sister, one account has it, they were of noble French descent. Again, it is said, that St. Rupert died, a. d. 622, or
tis:
Abbas Wernherus tunc rexit Martyris
aedem,
Verna Dei verus, sibi qui det in
sethere sedem. "
Following this are twenty-two Latin lines, and called an Idyllion, commemorating the Life and Passion of the Martyr, St. Trud- pert, each line commencing with a letter of
the Alphabet, and proceeding in order to
April 26. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 497
probability of its having been naturally substituted, for a previous Irish form ; and, It is not just, nor probably correct, to assume, that the compiler of St. Trudpert's Acts was too credulous, or too easily led astray, by a still earlier Irish retailer of fables. ' In a supercilious way, yet in perfectly good faith,
allude '° to the not deem to have been of Irish origin. '^
whom he will
does the Rev. Dr.
Lanigan
present Trudpert,"
landistes," Mgr. Paul Gu^rin, has noted the feast of St. Trudpert, Martyr and
Solitary, at this date. '3 In Rev. S. Baring-Gould's '< work, there is a brief account of this holy Hermit and Martyr. As we have already learned, St. Trudpert was brother to St. Rupert,'5 and to his sister St. Erentriide ;'* that he was from the Island Hibernia,'? and that he was a Scot or Irishman of regal descent, and by race,"' are circumstances specially recorded. The ancient Life, written by the Abbot Erganbald,^^ some ages before it had been recast in better style, evidently connects St. Trudpert's earlier years with Ire- land. '° Nor are other independent sources of evidence wanting, to substan- tiate such an account. "
Our saint was born, during the sixth century. As we have already seen," the family of this holy man belonged to Ireland ; but, it seems a mistake to suppose, that Trudpert lived there, so early as the time of St. Patrick. '^ With his brother St. Rupert, and his sister Erentrude, Trudpert resolved on leaving
628, whereas it is thought, that St. Trud-
pert came to Brisgau, about the year 640, and in whose company St. Rupert could not have been, as he died many years before that time. Besides, it is insisted, the names Rupert, Trudpert, and Erentrude, are evi- dently German. However, these arguments are more specious than real. In the absence of the suppressed paragraphs, and admitting even that fables may abound in the old Acts, as al^o variations of chronology ; we find a sufficient unanimity of respectable tr. idition, to warrant the conclusion, that in all proba- bility, St. Trudpert was of Irish origin, and
were
' See ibid. , Prologus, num. 6, p. 425.
"'
See "Ecclesiastic. ll Histoiy of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix. , sect, vi. , p. 162, and n. 65, pp. 163, 164.
" Dr. Lanigan passes him by with the observation, "whoever he was. "
" He seems to follow implicitly the lead of Father Godefrid Henschen.
' See tome v. , xxvi« Jour d'Avril, p. 28. '* See " Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , April
26, p. 351.
'5 See his Life already given, in vol. iii. ,
and at the 27th of March, the day set apart for his festival.
' By some writers, she is called his niece,
and her feast is generally referred to the 30th
of June.
'' The Breviary of Strasburg has " ex
Hibernia insula ortus," and this clause has been altogether omitted by Father Hen- schen.
' The Breviary of Constance states : "Trudpertus genere Scotus regalique," &c. The latter words are purposely suppressed by Henschen.
'' Father Henschen has been able to throw very little light on this writer ; but, on the last margin of lib. i. , the following Latin lines were found : —
even that his land.
early days
spent
in Ire-
"• The is the " following
"
Has Erganbaldus Trudpert, Martyris almi
Praesul post cineres renovando re- struxerat sedes,
Tactus amoie Dei : venerandos scri- bere Sancti
Actus non piguit, sed et id pro posse peregit," &c.
The compiler of " Les Petits Bol-
Syllabus Capi- tulorum," which thus notices the suppressed paragraplis of Father Henschen. i. De situ regni Hil>erniDe, et quod earn B. Patri- cius ad fideni Christ! converlit. 2. De Ro- manis Pontificibus et Imperatoribus. 3. Ubi beatus Trudpenus cum fratie et sorore pro Chri^toperegrinantur. 4. Ubirelictisom- nibus divitiis mundi Hiberniam egressi sunt. 5. Qualiter ad visitancia limina Romam per- venere. 6. Quod redeuntes k Roma divini- tus jussi sunt separari. 7. Quod B. Ruper- tus cum sorore Wormatiam pervenit. 8. Quod vocatus per ducem Theodorum Bawa- riam cum sorore perrexit, ibique in pace
quievit.
" Erkenbald, Abbot of St. Trudpert's
Moniistery, wrote his Life, before 903, and this was amplified in 1279. See Rev. S. Baring- Gould's " Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , April 26, p. 351.
" The reader is referred to the Life of St.
Rudpert, or Rupert, Bishop of Saltzburgh, at the 27th of March, vol. iii. . Article iii. , in this work.
"3 See his Life, at the 17th of March.
» The old writer of his Acts tells us, that
II
498
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 26.
his parents, relations, friends and native country. '^ The brother and sister are said to have visited Rome. ^s and to have returned from this city in com- pany, until quitting the bounds of Italy, Rupert and Erentrude separated from Trudpert, at a valley designated Prysgangia or Brisgangia, now known as Brisgau,^* or Bresgaun, situated in the diocese of Constance,'' and within that range, denominated the Black Forest. '' Already the holy pilgrim had a heavenly vision regarding the spot, which was destined for his future abode. It was lonely, and therefore most suited for Iiis desire, to lead a eremitical life. He resolved on asking the proprietor's permission, that he might settle there. Thatvalley,whichseemedsodelightfultothemindofTrudpert,then belonged to a certain noble lord of Alsace, named Othpert, from whom the royal family of Hapsburg derived their origin. 'S The pilgrim's request was acceded to, by Othpert, who sent some of his young nobles, fond of hunting,
toactashisguides. But,thedirectionofheaven,ratherthantheirco-opera- tion, brought him to a place called Numagum, enclosed by wooded hills, and in a valley beside the Neumazen-Bach, in the Miinsterthal. This spot lay not far from the ancient town of Staufen, and near to the ruined Castle of Stau- fenburg. 3° Arriving at the place indicated by the Almighty, our saint threw himself on the ground in prayer, and then arising, he desired the young nobles to convey his thanks to Othpert, as he found the grassy secluded glen, with high rocks above, and a dense forest all around, most suited for a her- mitage. Here, he laboured to imitate the most perfect saints, whose actions are recorded, under the Old Law and under the New Dispensation. The pious Othpert was pleased to find, that so holy a stranger should have elected todwellwithinhisterritories,andheresolvedonpayinghimavisit. 3' Then,
on examination, he found the i)ilgrim in no way disposed to remit his austeri- ties,ortodesireevenamore^agreeableplace. 3» ThenobleOthbertresolved.
this happened during the time when Phocas killed Mauricius Ca;^ar, which was on the
Geography," Map 15, respecting Switzer- land and the Alps of Savoy and Piedmont.
^* A mountainous and woody district of Germany, and part of the ancient Hyrci- niaii Forest, extending northwards from the frontiers of Switzerland, and for about 100 miles parallel with the north course of the River Rhine. See R. Brook's "General Gazetteer," &c. , p. 91. London, 1854, l2mo.
°9 Hieronymus Vignerms and Joannes Jacobus Chiflet h. ive traced the stem of the
royal house of Austria, with great genealogi-
cal precision.
^ Tiiis was the seat of a powerful race,
of November, 602, after the latter had
27th
reii;ned twenty years. See Edward Gibbon's " History of tlje IJecline and Fall of the Ro-
man Empire," vol. v. , chap, xlvi. , p. 385, Dr. William Smiths edition. The death of Phocas followed, after a reign of nearly eight years on the 4ih of October, A. D. 610. See ii/V/. , pp. 388, 389.
'5 1'lie old writer of his Acts relates, that this happened, in the time of Pope Boni- face III.
, who diverted the Pantheon from being the Temple of all the heathen Divini- ties, 10 become the Church of all the Saints,
with the ptrmission of the Emperor Phocas.
However, in ihis account, there is a mistake,
for Pope St. Gregory the Great died ad. iv. , p. 351.
606, uhen Sabianus immediately succeeded, and then Boniface IV. , in the year 607. This must have been the Sovereign Pontiff, to whom allusion is really made.
^ Also called Brei-gau, which with the district of Orthenau, formerly constituted a landgraviate, in the south-western part of Suabia, between the Schwartzwald and the Rhine. See " The Popular Encyclopedia ;or Conversations Lexicon,'' &c. , vol. i. , p. 685.
3' An ancient poet, who evidently knew the place, thus describes it : —
''The ciiy of Constance is beautifully
situated on the east of a lake so named, and
its position is well shown on Alexander gcntis et Hab>purgi Comitum oiigines et
Keith
Johnstone's
"RoyalAtlasofModem deduciiones,multoetn. agnolabore,dislinc-
that became extinct in 1602. See Rev. S.
Baring-Gould's
"
Saxa per et rupes, et qua via nulla, secutus. "
"
Lives of the Saints," vol.
^ According to Gabriel Bucelin, who was master of novices at this monastery of St. Trudpert, in A. D. 1624, Othbert had founded it, over a thousand years before; and, he adds, in "Germania Sacia," ''. se ex ejus ve- tusiissimis moniiinentis Agilotpliingicae
April 26. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
499
therefore, to bestow on Triidpert all that district of country, reaching from the mountain Samba, where rises the River Niunaga,33 on to Mettenberg, with the valley of the river included and its confluents, as also the hills, hollows and woods, extending far and near;34 thesd were to become a perpetual in- heritance for himself and for his successors, wlio desired to serve God in the same 35 He confirmed all those
place.
Here, the pious hermit Trudpert lived, and he began to labour with his own
hands, in cutting down trees, in clearing away brushwood, and in practising agricultural works, as if he had been born, not a prince, but a peasant. Like Martha, he never allowed himselfrest by day, and hke Mary, in prayer and con- templation,3« he spent the night. To aid him in those industrial pursuits, the noble Othpert, not satisfied with granting liim a place for his hermitage, and lands to cultivate, would even send six skilled labourers, who were to obey his directions. However, not one of them was before Trudpert, at early morn- ing, and in the field, which he was the last to leave. But, while he took good care to refresli his workmen, his own meals were most frugal. Having cleared a sufficient ambit of ground, he began to erect an oratory,37 which he dedicated to the Apostles, Saints Peter and Paul. In it, he deposited their relics,38 which he had brought from Ron)e. 39 This oratory was consecrated with solemn rites, by Martinus or Marianus,<° Bishop of Constance. *' For some time, the six labourers wrought willingly, at such tasks as were assigned to them; but, at length, they began to idle, to grow contentious, and to dis- regard the saint's instructions. Mindful neither of his example nor of his ex-
hortations, a spirit of hatred, which led them to plot against his life, arose. Notwithstanding his patience, mildness, andgentleness,in reproving orentreat- ing, living as a lamb among the wolves, two of the labourers were especially contumacious and insolent. Yet, were they daily supported by the labour andfoodprocuredforthem,bythatjustsuperior. Tiireeyearsofiiiseremi- tical life had almost passed away, while he was exercised in every virtue.
The Martyr's crown was destuied soon to reward him. One day, while Trudpert lay asleep on the bench, fatigued after his work, the two evil-minded
labourers resolved on
and struck at the innocent man's head. ' This very atrocious murder com- mitted on the 26th of April, and in the year 644 <'—procured for him the repiitation and honour of being a Martyr, as olten liappened in the early Christian ages, when holy persons underwent an unjust and a violent death. " A speedy condemnation and punishment awaited the miscreants, who exe-
taking
tissimetamenetclarissime,deduxisse. "
mentmadetoit, forthecustodians
" """'
thought
XI " Tlic old Life Slates,
^'""«"'age.
very j. i>tly, that gems or were in erior to gold
the original object, as possessed by the saint. 3' See the Bullandisis' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Apnlis xsvi. Vita S. Trudpeiti Ereni. Mart. , lii>. i. , cap. i. , sect. I to 17, with notirs, pp. 427 to 429.
ex utraque pirte montium in integrum atque per totum," &c. 3= The wmer of the old Life intimates, that moi. ks belonging to the order of St.
Benedict were sub^equenily in possession of thatplace.
St. Luke X. , 38 to 42.
" Some scribe had nKirked, on the margin
of the Codex containing Trudpen's old I^ife, Ex sumptu et consensu Otiperti Comitis anno iJomini 642. " Hut, this mar-inal note
«a1,ocalled M. iriiaiius.
have been the fourth bishop, who presided over Const. mce.
' Accord. ng to the Breviary of Con- stance.
•' In the Chronicle of James Keiastith, it
his life. One of them
with — approached an axe,
does not seem to the con- is •' Corumitus VI. belonging oiigmal . said,
Kalendas Miijianno
'*''*•
3" The old Life has it, that in the shrine
these wcrepiescrved to the writer's lime, and that casket had been brought rom Ronje by Truapext ; nor was any addition of orna-
DCXLIV.
*3 See the Holland ists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Aprilisxxvi. De Vita et passione S. Trndpert. , lib. i. ,c. ip. ii. , sect. l«, 19, 20' 21, 22, and nn. (a, b, c), pp. 430 to 432.
specifica. ions, by a charter.
He is said to
Soo LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 26.
cuted this unnatural and foul deed ; for, seeking to escape from justice, they fled into the dense forest. For that day and night, they endured great priva-.
tion, anxiety and fatigue. In the morning, ignorant of the course to be taken, they had wandered back to that very spot, where they had assassinated the
innocent Trudpert. Having been recognised by some persons, they were chasedthroughthewoods. Meantime,Othpertcametoseetheremainsof
the holy servant of God laid out, previous to his interment; when, four days after Trudpert's death, not alone was the body found fresh and incorrupt, but
his benign and angelic features were composed, as if the Martyr were sleep- ing, while no discolouration, or even pallor, was to be seen over his face.
Occupied with the pious duty of consigning Trudpert's body to the grave, Othpert heard that the robbers had thrice returned towards the hermitage,
andthatthricetheneighbouringpeoplehadgiventhemchase; therefore,he charged the local guards to assist, and soon the murderers were secured. He ordered them to be brought for examination, before the provincial Count Bobon, or Babo, the son of Otger, and the Landgrave of Alsace. '** But, while the guards conducted the prisoners to him, passing over a bridge, or the crossing of a certain river, one of the soldiers placed his spear in a position, to support himself the better, when its point turning towards one of the cul- prits, the latter rushed against it, and so put an end to his life. The other wretched man was brouglit before Bobon, who convicted him, and sentenced him to be hung, while he was allowed but a very short time to prepare for death. A stone coffin was made to enclose the holy Trudpert's body, and a great number of the people was present. With religious rites, it was deposited in that oratory, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. Afterwards, it became a celebrated place for pilgrimages ; when multitudes of blind, lame, deaf, lepers and other infirm persons flocked thither, to be cured of their diseases. *'
When some years had rolled over, after this first interment, a pious servant of God saw Trudpert in a vision, and he declared, that water had poured in, so as to create damp within the coffin, which, it was intimated, should be placed on a higher level. The matter being referred for consideration to several priests and religious, while Othpert was still alive, it was resolved to exhume the sarcophagus. A considerable number of the clergy assisted at this cere- mony, and on opening the tomb, many years having elapsed since his inter- ment, Trudpert's body was found to be preserved in a very perfect state, and without any signs of decay. The sarcophagus was raised, and new linen hav- ing been set around the remains, with religious hymns and ceremonies, Trud- pert's tomb was duly replaced. After Othpert's death,** the oratory and grave of our saint were deserted, owing to some troubles raised by his heir ; however, in the time of his grandson, called Rampert, a real effort was made to restore and to ornament that oratory of St. Peter and Paul,—which is desig-
nated as a Basilica. It is said, that — the Pope Stephen perhaps
Third Sovereign Pontiff bearing the name examined trustworthy wit- nesses, regarding the manner of Trudpert's death, and the number of miracles, which had been wrought at his tomb. Satisfied with the result of their testimony, we are told, that Sovereign Pontiff inscribed the blessed
"This is asserted, in the chronicle of the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
James Keraslith.
*5 The old Life of our saint declares, that
of these cures had been attested by writing, while many had been overlooked, throui^h carelessness, and that a fire had caused several of the local memorials to perish. The Abbot Erganbald, of whom mention has been already made, restored the ravages which happened to the Sicred structure. See
iii. , Aprilis xxvii. De S. Trudperto Martyre. Prologue num. 5, p. 425.
•' The Bollandists quote a distich, — pre-
many
fixed to the Codex ofSt. Trudpert's Life
"
:
Othpertus, Rampertque, Comes Lud- fridus ab Hapspurg,
Trudpcrti sacram fundarunt Martyri* asdem. "
April 26. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 501
man's name on the list of holy Martyrs, and decreed honours to his memory. When the church newly built by Ramperl had been finished, the spirit of
Trudpert appeared once more to some religious men. Then, they learned, that tlie place selected for his sepulture was still damp, and that the coffin should be again raised. The diocesan Bishop,'" accordingly, convoked a great assembly of clergy, monks and people, who lived near and even distant from the Rhine. In their presence, the Martyr's relics were again exhumed, and covered anew with a shroud. Rampert assisted, and the tomb was raised to a more conspicuous part of the church, while the Gloria in Excehis was chaunted, by the whole congregation,*' on the sixth of the May Kalends, and in the year of our Lord 813. When Count Rampert had been gathered to his fathers, the illustrious Count Ludfrid, a worthy scion of the same family, after the lapse of several years, greatly augmented the revenues of that monas- tery, dedicated to the holy Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, as also to the glorious Martyr Trudpert. A Benedictine community then sung God's praises, both by day and by night. The great fame of the various cures, wrought at St. Trudpert's tomb, caused the presiding Bishop of Constance to translate the relics, in a solemn manner. Very opportune was this occasion deemed for a great crowd of people to assemble, and especially for those labouring under various kinds of infirmities. With the diocesan were two assisting pre- lates. Only the Bishops, the Canons, the Priests and Religious, were per- mitted within the church doors ; and, clothed in their respective habits, theseapproachedtheMartyr'stomb. ThissolemnTranslationofSt. Trud- pert's remains took place the day after the Festival of the Apostles, Saints Simeon and Jude; consequently, it happened on the 29th of October. '"
The subsequent history of St. Trudpert's veneration at Brisgau is revealed, in
the diflferent instances cited from the old Acts, about his miraculous interposi-
tion on behalfof his favoured clients, in high and humble positions; as also, in the
variouscures,wroughtthroughhisintercession,andathisshrine. 5° Thesedetails
are not devoid of curious social illustrations, setting forth manners and usages,
regarding the ages and localities specified; while exhibiting, also, the great faith
of the clergy and people in his merits and power, before the throne of Almighty
God, particularly in tliose parts, where his memory was preserved. 'I'he town of
Bresgau, the diocese of Constance, and the region of the Black Forest, were
specially blessed with his patronage. At the 26th of April, the Martyrology ofUsuard,s'amplifiedforthechurchofAlsace,5'hashisfestival. 53 Invarious
Breviaries, such as in those belonging to the church of Spiers, of Strasburgh, of Salisbury, and of Constance, prayers, commemorations and lessons for St. Trudpert are set down; while, in the Chronicle of the Bishopric of Con-
* He is said to have been named Wolf-
leon. theseventeenthBishopinotderofsucces- sion at Constance, who was elected A. D.
8(3, and who died a. d. 831, according to Manlius.
** This ceremony took place, the second
year of the reign of King Louis, the son of
Charlemagne.
*< See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus lii , Aprilis xxvi. Vita S. Trudperti Erem. Mart. , lib. i. , cap. iii. , sect. 23 to 33,
with notes, pp. 432 to 435. Father Hen- schen thinks, th. it the last three sections had not been written by Abbot Erganljald, and that these had been added, at times subse- quent to his departure.
*" See ibid. , hb. ii. , cap. i. , ii. , and sect. I to 23, with notes, pp. 435 to 440.
! ' It has " In Nigra-sylva S. Trudperti Martyris,"at vi. of the May Kalends. This
copy formerly belonged to M. Nicolaus Scheichius Hagenoius.
'' This parchment Manuscript is in the handwriting of Widon Krentzclin. and it was traced in the time of the Emperor Sigismund, the Roman See being vacant, consequently in A. D. 1416.
5' See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , April 26, p. 351.
5* This was begun, by Jacobus Manlius, and it has been edited by Joannes Pistorius,
"
Veteres Renim Germani- carum Scriptores. " In the Fourth Appen- dix, presenting a Catalogue of the Saints
belonging to the Diocese of Constance, we
find written :
in his collection,
"
S. Tnidpertus, Eremita,
502 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 26.
49<5 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 26.
CUjcntp-stivtl) ©ap of apriU
ARTICLE I. —ST. TRUDPERT, OF BRISGAU, IN GERMANY, HERMIT AND MARTYR.
[SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ]
the many distinguished missionaries that left Ireland for the
Continent, spread AMONG to
tlie
of Faith and of
works, the good holy
light
solitary Trudpert has been specially distinguished. He is set down in Col-
gan's list, among our national saints. ' We are led to infer, that the Irish hagiologist had his Life ready for issue to the public, and at that time, when Colgan's own death occurred. Henricus Canisius has some notices of him. ' To the 26th or 27th 3 of April, St. Trudpert's festival has been assigned ; and, as will be seen, from various ancient records, his origin has been referred to Ireland. From various sources, the Bollandists have drawn the Acts of St. Trudpert,* but more especially from an old Life,5 referred to the thirteenth cen- tury,'andthesehavebeenpublished,atthe26thofApril. ' Notwithstanding the statement therein contained, supported by other distinct authorities, that our saint owed his origin to tlie Island of Hibernia, and that he was a Scot by race, while descended from a royal family, the editor Father Godefrid
Henschen questions these statements, and on very insufficient arguments or conjecturesofhisown. * TheTeutonicformofnamedoesnotdisprovethe
Article i. —' See "
' The Latin lines were inscribed
Actuum Sanctorum quae MS. habentur ordine Men-
Catalogus
following
in the Manuscript Life :
—
siumet Dienim. "
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," Martii xxvii. Vita S. Rvperti Episcopi, cap. iv. , and n. 6, pp. 757, 761.
* These are prucedefl by a critical Prologue
in six paragraphs, with an Epitome of his
Life, taken from the Breviary of Strasburg,
the capital of Alsace, and another from the
Breviary of Constance. Then follow, Acta
Steculo XIII. sub Wernhero II. Abbate col-
lecta, per monachum raonasterii Trudper-
tini. This latter tract, from an old Manu-
script belonging to St. Trudpert's Monas-
tery, is jireceded by a Prologue, and it con-
tains two Books. The first of these contained
Thirty-three paragraphs, the first eight of the close. Afterwards, a distich in Latin
" In "
Lectiones," tomus vi.
si posc. is, hsec, "Tempus quo scripsimus
ita noscas :
Millenis decies septem, ter tresque,
ducentis
Annos adjicies in came Dei veiiien-
Antiquje Sallsburgensis Historia.
which have been suppressed, liy Godefrid Henschen ; while the Second Book consists
of Twenty-three paragraphs, and notes are appended to illustrate their meaning.
5 This was sent to them, by tlie Jesuit
Joannes Gamasius, (rom Aschaffenburgh. It belonged tea collection of German Tracts; and, by Gamasius, it had been collate<l "cum MS. Blaburensi,' whileon the Frontis- piece was noted, that it belonged to the monastic library of St. Trudpert himself.
declares, that Sifridus composed it, a. d. 1570.
' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Ap-
rilis xxvi. De . S. Trudperto Martyre, Ere-
mita in Brisgoia, pp. 424 to 440.
'
Admitting St. Trudpert to have been the brother of St. Rupert, Bishop of Worms, and afterwards of Saltzburg, and of St. Erentrude, their sister, one account has it, they were of noble French descent. Again, it is said, that St. Rupert died, a. d. 622, or
tis:
Abbas Wernherus tunc rexit Martyris
aedem,
Verna Dei verus, sibi qui det in
sethere sedem. "
Following this are twenty-two Latin lines, and called an Idyllion, commemorating the Life and Passion of the Martyr, St. Trud- pert, each line commencing with a letter of
the Alphabet, and proceeding in order to
April 26. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 497
probability of its having been naturally substituted, for a previous Irish form ; and, It is not just, nor probably correct, to assume, that the compiler of St. Trudpert's Acts was too credulous, or too easily led astray, by a still earlier Irish retailer of fables. ' In a supercilious way, yet in perfectly good faith,
allude '° to the not deem to have been of Irish origin. '^
whom he will
does the Rev. Dr.
Lanigan
present Trudpert,"
landistes," Mgr. Paul Gu^rin, has noted the feast of St. Trudpert, Martyr and
Solitary, at this date. '3 In Rev. S. Baring-Gould's '< work, there is a brief account of this holy Hermit and Martyr. As we have already learned, St. Trudpert was brother to St. Rupert,'5 and to his sister St. Erentriide ;'* that he was from the Island Hibernia,'? and that he was a Scot or Irishman of regal descent, and by race,"' are circumstances specially recorded. The ancient Life, written by the Abbot Erganbald,^^ some ages before it had been recast in better style, evidently connects St. Trudpert's earlier years with Ire- land. '° Nor are other independent sources of evidence wanting, to substan- tiate such an account. "
Our saint was born, during the sixth century. As we have already seen," the family of this holy man belonged to Ireland ; but, it seems a mistake to suppose, that Trudpert lived there, so early as the time of St. Patrick. '^ With his brother St. Rupert, and his sister Erentrude, Trudpert resolved on leaving
628, whereas it is thought, that St. Trud-
pert came to Brisgau, about the year 640, and in whose company St. Rupert could not have been, as he died many years before that time. Besides, it is insisted, the names Rupert, Trudpert, and Erentrude, are evi- dently German. However, these arguments are more specious than real. In the absence of the suppressed paragraphs, and admitting even that fables may abound in the old Acts, as al^o variations of chronology ; we find a sufficient unanimity of respectable tr. idition, to warrant the conclusion, that in all proba- bility, St. Trudpert was of Irish origin, and
were
' See ibid. , Prologus, num. 6, p. 425.
"'
See "Ecclesiastic. ll Histoiy of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix. , sect, vi. , p. 162, and n. 65, pp. 163, 164.
" Dr. Lanigan passes him by with the observation, "whoever he was. "
" He seems to follow implicitly the lead of Father Godefrid Henschen.
' See tome v. , xxvi« Jour d'Avril, p. 28. '* See " Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , April
26, p. 351.
'5 See his Life already given, in vol. iii. ,
and at the 27th of March, the day set apart for his festival.
' By some writers, she is called his niece,
and her feast is generally referred to the 30th
of June.
'' The Breviary of Strasburg has " ex
Hibernia insula ortus," and this clause has been altogether omitted by Father Hen- schen.
' The Breviary of Constance states : "Trudpertus genere Scotus regalique," &c. The latter words are purposely suppressed by Henschen.
'' Father Henschen has been able to throw very little light on this writer ; but, on the last margin of lib. i. , the following Latin lines were found : —
even that his land.
early days
spent
in Ire-
"• The is the " following
"
Has Erganbaldus Trudpert, Martyris almi
Praesul post cineres renovando re- struxerat sedes,
Tactus amoie Dei : venerandos scri- bere Sancti
Actus non piguit, sed et id pro posse peregit," &c.
The compiler of " Les Petits Bol-
Syllabus Capi- tulorum," which thus notices the suppressed paragraplis of Father Henschen. i. De situ regni Hil>erniDe, et quod earn B. Patri- cius ad fideni Christ! converlit. 2. De Ro- manis Pontificibus et Imperatoribus. 3. Ubi beatus Trudpenus cum fratie et sorore pro Chri^toperegrinantur. 4. Ubirelictisom- nibus divitiis mundi Hiberniam egressi sunt. 5. Qualiter ad visitancia limina Romam per- venere. 6. Quod redeuntes k Roma divini- tus jussi sunt separari. 7. Quod B. Ruper- tus cum sorore Wormatiam pervenit. 8. Quod vocatus per ducem Theodorum Bawa- riam cum sorore perrexit, ibique in pace
quievit.
" Erkenbald, Abbot of St. Trudpert's
Moniistery, wrote his Life, before 903, and this was amplified in 1279. See Rev. S. Baring- Gould's " Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , April 26, p. 351.
" The reader is referred to the Life of St.
Rudpert, or Rupert, Bishop of Saltzburgh, at the 27th of March, vol. iii. . Article iii. , in this work.
"3 See his Life, at the 17th of March.
» The old writer of his Acts tells us, that
II
498
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 26.
his parents, relations, friends and native country. '^ The brother and sister are said to have visited Rome. ^s and to have returned from this city in com- pany, until quitting the bounds of Italy, Rupert and Erentrude separated from Trudpert, at a valley designated Prysgangia or Brisgangia, now known as Brisgau,^* or Bresgaun, situated in the diocese of Constance,'' and within that range, denominated the Black Forest. '' Already the holy pilgrim had a heavenly vision regarding the spot, which was destined for his future abode. It was lonely, and therefore most suited for Iiis desire, to lead a eremitical life. He resolved on asking the proprietor's permission, that he might settle there. Thatvalley,whichseemedsodelightfultothemindofTrudpert,then belonged to a certain noble lord of Alsace, named Othpert, from whom the royal family of Hapsburg derived their origin. 'S The pilgrim's request was acceded to, by Othpert, who sent some of his young nobles, fond of hunting,
toactashisguides. But,thedirectionofheaven,ratherthantheirco-opera- tion, brought him to a place called Numagum, enclosed by wooded hills, and in a valley beside the Neumazen-Bach, in the Miinsterthal. This spot lay not far from the ancient town of Staufen, and near to the ruined Castle of Stau- fenburg. 3° Arriving at the place indicated by the Almighty, our saint threw himself on the ground in prayer, and then arising, he desired the young nobles to convey his thanks to Othpert, as he found the grassy secluded glen, with high rocks above, and a dense forest all around, most suited for a her- mitage. Here, he laboured to imitate the most perfect saints, whose actions are recorded, under the Old Law and under the New Dispensation. The pious Othpert was pleased to find, that so holy a stranger should have elected todwellwithinhisterritories,andheresolvedonpayinghimavisit. 3' Then,
on examination, he found the i)ilgrim in no way disposed to remit his austeri- ties,ortodesireevenamore^agreeableplace. 3» ThenobleOthbertresolved.
this happened during the time when Phocas killed Mauricius Ca;^ar, which was on the
Geography," Map 15, respecting Switzer- land and the Alps of Savoy and Piedmont.
^* A mountainous and woody district of Germany, and part of the ancient Hyrci- niaii Forest, extending northwards from the frontiers of Switzerland, and for about 100 miles parallel with the north course of the River Rhine. See R. Brook's "General Gazetteer," &c. , p. 91. London, 1854, l2mo.
°9 Hieronymus Vignerms and Joannes Jacobus Chiflet h. ive traced the stem of the
royal house of Austria, with great genealogi-
cal precision.
^ Tiiis was the seat of a powerful race,
of November, 602, after the latter had
27th
reii;ned twenty years. See Edward Gibbon's " History of tlje IJecline and Fall of the Ro-
man Empire," vol. v. , chap, xlvi. , p. 385, Dr. William Smiths edition. The death of Phocas followed, after a reign of nearly eight years on the 4ih of October, A. D. 610. See ii/V/. , pp. 388, 389.
'5 1'lie old writer of his Acts relates, that this happened, in the time of Pope Boni- face III.
, who diverted the Pantheon from being the Temple of all the heathen Divini- ties, 10 become the Church of all the Saints,
with the ptrmission of the Emperor Phocas.
However, in ihis account, there is a mistake,
for Pope St. Gregory the Great died ad. iv. , p. 351.
606, uhen Sabianus immediately succeeded, and then Boniface IV. , in the year 607. This must have been the Sovereign Pontiff, to whom allusion is really made.
^ Also called Brei-gau, which with the district of Orthenau, formerly constituted a landgraviate, in the south-western part of Suabia, between the Schwartzwald and the Rhine. See " The Popular Encyclopedia ;or Conversations Lexicon,'' &c. , vol. i. , p. 685.
3' An ancient poet, who evidently knew the place, thus describes it : —
''The ciiy of Constance is beautifully
situated on the east of a lake so named, and
its position is well shown on Alexander gcntis et Hab>purgi Comitum oiigines et
Keith
Johnstone's
"RoyalAtlasofModem deduciiones,multoetn. agnolabore,dislinc-
that became extinct in 1602. See Rev. S.
Baring-Gould's
"
Saxa per et rupes, et qua via nulla, secutus. "
"
Lives of the Saints," vol.
^ According to Gabriel Bucelin, who was master of novices at this monastery of St. Trudpert, in A. D. 1624, Othbert had founded it, over a thousand years before; and, he adds, in "Germania Sacia," ''. se ex ejus ve- tusiissimis moniiinentis Agilotpliingicae
April 26. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
499
therefore, to bestow on Triidpert all that district of country, reaching from the mountain Samba, where rises the River Niunaga,33 on to Mettenberg, with the valley of the river included and its confluents, as also the hills, hollows and woods, extending far and near;34 thesd were to become a perpetual in- heritance for himself and for his successors, wlio desired to serve God in the same 35 He confirmed all those
place.
Here, the pious hermit Trudpert lived, and he began to labour with his own
hands, in cutting down trees, in clearing away brushwood, and in practising agricultural works, as if he had been born, not a prince, but a peasant. Like Martha, he never allowed himselfrest by day, and hke Mary, in prayer and con- templation,3« he spent the night. To aid him in those industrial pursuits, the noble Othpert, not satisfied with granting liim a place for his hermitage, and lands to cultivate, would even send six skilled labourers, who were to obey his directions. However, not one of them was before Trudpert, at early morn- ing, and in the field, which he was the last to leave. But, while he took good care to refresli his workmen, his own meals were most frugal. Having cleared a sufficient ambit of ground, he began to erect an oratory,37 which he dedicated to the Apostles, Saints Peter and Paul. In it, he deposited their relics,38 which he had brought from Ron)e. 39 This oratory was consecrated with solemn rites, by Martinus or Marianus,<° Bishop of Constance. *' For some time, the six labourers wrought willingly, at such tasks as were assigned to them; but, at length, they began to idle, to grow contentious, and to dis- regard the saint's instructions. Mindful neither of his example nor of his ex-
hortations, a spirit of hatred, which led them to plot against his life, arose. Notwithstanding his patience, mildness, andgentleness,in reproving orentreat- ing, living as a lamb among the wolves, two of the labourers were especially contumacious and insolent. Yet, were they daily supported by the labour andfoodprocuredforthem,bythatjustsuperior. Tiireeyearsofiiiseremi- tical life had almost passed away, while he was exercised in every virtue.
The Martyr's crown was destuied soon to reward him. One day, while Trudpert lay asleep on the bench, fatigued after his work, the two evil-minded
labourers resolved on
and struck at the innocent man's head. ' This very atrocious murder com- mitted on the 26th of April, and in the year 644 <'—procured for him the repiitation and honour of being a Martyr, as olten liappened in the early Christian ages, when holy persons underwent an unjust and a violent death. " A speedy condemnation and punishment awaited the miscreants, who exe-
taking
tissimetamenetclarissime,deduxisse. "
mentmadetoit, forthecustodians
" """'
thought
XI " Tlic old Life Slates,
^'""«"'age.
very j. i>tly, that gems or were in erior to gold
the original object, as possessed by the saint. 3' See the Bullandisis' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Apnlis xsvi. Vita S. Trudpeiti Ereni. Mart. , lii>. i. , cap. i. , sect. I to 17, with notirs, pp. 427 to 429.
ex utraque pirte montium in integrum atque per totum," &c. 3= The wmer of the old Life intimates, that moi. ks belonging to the order of St.
Benedict were sub^equenily in possession of thatplace.
St. Luke X. , 38 to 42.
" Some scribe had nKirked, on the margin
of the Codex containing Trudpen's old I^ife, Ex sumptu et consensu Otiperti Comitis anno iJomini 642. " Hut, this mar-inal note
«a1,ocalled M. iriiaiius.
have been the fourth bishop, who presided over Const. mce.
' Accord. ng to the Breviary of Con- stance.
•' In the Chronicle of James Keiastith, it
his life. One of them
with — approached an axe,
does not seem to the con- is •' Corumitus VI. belonging oiigmal . said,
Kalendas Miijianno
'*''*•
3" The old Life has it, that in the shrine
these wcrepiescrved to the writer's lime, and that casket had been brought rom Ronje by Truapext ; nor was any addition of orna-
DCXLIV.
*3 See the Holland ists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Aprilisxxvi. De Vita et passione S. Trndpert. , lib. i. ,c. ip. ii. , sect. l«, 19, 20' 21, 22, and nn. (a, b, c), pp. 430 to 432.
specifica. ions, by a charter.
He is said to
Soo LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 26.
cuted this unnatural and foul deed ; for, seeking to escape from justice, they fled into the dense forest. For that day and night, they endured great priva-.
tion, anxiety and fatigue. In the morning, ignorant of the course to be taken, they had wandered back to that very spot, where they had assassinated the
innocent Trudpert. Having been recognised by some persons, they were chasedthroughthewoods. Meantime,Othpertcametoseetheremainsof
the holy servant of God laid out, previous to his interment; when, four days after Trudpert's death, not alone was the body found fresh and incorrupt, but
his benign and angelic features were composed, as if the Martyr were sleep- ing, while no discolouration, or even pallor, was to be seen over his face.
Occupied with the pious duty of consigning Trudpert's body to the grave, Othpert heard that the robbers had thrice returned towards the hermitage,
andthatthricetheneighbouringpeoplehadgiventhemchase; therefore,he charged the local guards to assist, and soon the murderers were secured. He ordered them to be brought for examination, before the provincial Count Bobon, or Babo, the son of Otger, and the Landgrave of Alsace. '** But, while the guards conducted the prisoners to him, passing over a bridge, or the crossing of a certain river, one of the soldiers placed his spear in a position, to support himself the better, when its point turning towards one of the cul- prits, the latter rushed against it, and so put an end to his life. The other wretched man was brouglit before Bobon, who convicted him, and sentenced him to be hung, while he was allowed but a very short time to prepare for death. A stone coffin was made to enclose the holy Trudpert's body, and a great number of the people was present. With religious rites, it was deposited in that oratory, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. Afterwards, it became a celebrated place for pilgrimages ; when multitudes of blind, lame, deaf, lepers and other infirm persons flocked thither, to be cured of their diseases. *'
When some years had rolled over, after this first interment, a pious servant of God saw Trudpert in a vision, and he declared, that water had poured in, so as to create damp within the coffin, which, it was intimated, should be placed on a higher level. The matter being referred for consideration to several priests and religious, while Othpert was still alive, it was resolved to exhume the sarcophagus. A considerable number of the clergy assisted at this cere- mony, and on opening the tomb, many years having elapsed since his inter- ment, Trudpert's body was found to be preserved in a very perfect state, and without any signs of decay. The sarcophagus was raised, and new linen hav- ing been set around the remains, with religious hymns and ceremonies, Trud- pert's tomb was duly replaced. After Othpert's death,** the oratory and grave of our saint were deserted, owing to some troubles raised by his heir ; however, in the time of his grandson, called Rampert, a real effort was made to restore and to ornament that oratory of St. Peter and Paul,—which is desig-
nated as a Basilica. It is said, that — the Pope Stephen perhaps
Third Sovereign Pontiff bearing the name examined trustworthy wit- nesses, regarding the manner of Trudpert's death, and the number of miracles, which had been wrought at his tomb. Satisfied with the result of their testimony, we are told, that Sovereign Pontiff inscribed the blessed
"This is asserted, in the chronicle of the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
James Keraslith.
*5 The old Life of our saint declares, that
of these cures had been attested by writing, while many had been overlooked, throui^h carelessness, and that a fire had caused several of the local memorials to perish. The Abbot Erganbald, of whom mention has been already made, restored the ravages which happened to the Sicred structure. See
iii. , Aprilis xxvii. De S. Trudperto Martyre. Prologue num. 5, p. 425.
•' The Bollandists quote a distich, — pre-
many
fixed to the Codex ofSt. Trudpert's Life
"
:
Othpertus, Rampertque, Comes Lud- fridus ab Hapspurg,
Trudpcrti sacram fundarunt Martyri* asdem. "
April 26. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 501
man's name on the list of holy Martyrs, and decreed honours to his memory. When the church newly built by Ramperl had been finished, the spirit of
Trudpert appeared once more to some religious men. Then, they learned, that tlie place selected for his sepulture was still damp, and that the coffin should be again raised. The diocesan Bishop,'" accordingly, convoked a great assembly of clergy, monks and people, who lived near and even distant from the Rhine. In their presence, the Martyr's relics were again exhumed, and covered anew with a shroud. Rampert assisted, and the tomb was raised to a more conspicuous part of the church, while the Gloria in Excehis was chaunted, by the whole congregation,*' on the sixth of the May Kalends, and in the year of our Lord 813. When Count Rampert had been gathered to his fathers, the illustrious Count Ludfrid, a worthy scion of the same family, after the lapse of several years, greatly augmented the revenues of that monas- tery, dedicated to the holy Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, as also to the glorious Martyr Trudpert. A Benedictine community then sung God's praises, both by day and by night. The great fame of the various cures, wrought at St. Trudpert's tomb, caused the presiding Bishop of Constance to translate the relics, in a solemn manner. Very opportune was this occasion deemed for a great crowd of people to assemble, and especially for those labouring under various kinds of infirmities. With the diocesan were two assisting pre- lates. Only the Bishops, the Canons, the Priests and Religious, were per- mitted within the church doors ; and, clothed in their respective habits, theseapproachedtheMartyr'stomb. ThissolemnTranslationofSt. Trud- pert's remains took place the day after the Festival of the Apostles, Saints Simeon and Jude; consequently, it happened on the 29th of October. '"
The subsequent history of St. Trudpert's veneration at Brisgau is revealed, in
the diflferent instances cited from the old Acts, about his miraculous interposi-
tion on behalfof his favoured clients, in high and humble positions; as also, in the
variouscures,wroughtthroughhisintercession,andathisshrine. 5° Thesedetails
are not devoid of curious social illustrations, setting forth manners and usages,
regarding the ages and localities specified; while exhibiting, also, the great faith
of the clergy and people in his merits and power, before the throne of Almighty
God, particularly in tliose parts, where his memory was preserved. 'I'he town of
Bresgau, the diocese of Constance, and the region of the Black Forest, were
specially blessed with his patronage. At the 26th of April, the Martyrology ofUsuard,s'amplifiedforthechurchofAlsace,5'hashisfestival. 53 Invarious
Breviaries, such as in those belonging to the church of Spiers, of Strasburgh, of Salisbury, and of Constance, prayers, commemorations and lessons for St. Trudpert are set down; while, in the Chronicle of the Bishopric of Con-
* He is said to have been named Wolf-
leon. theseventeenthBishopinotderofsucces- sion at Constance, who was elected A. D.
8(3, and who died a. d. 831, according to Manlius.
** This ceremony took place, the second
year of the reign of King Louis, the son of
Charlemagne.
*< See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus lii , Aprilis xxvi. Vita S. Trudperti Erem. Mart. , lib. i. , cap. iii. , sect. 23 to 33,
with notes, pp. 432 to 435. Father Hen- schen thinks, th. it the last three sections had not been written by Abbot Erganljald, and that these had been added, at times subse- quent to his departure.
*" See ibid. , hb. ii. , cap. i. , ii. , and sect. I to 23, with notes, pp. 435 to 440.
! ' It has " In Nigra-sylva S. Trudperti Martyris,"at vi. of the May Kalends. This
copy formerly belonged to M. Nicolaus Scheichius Hagenoius.
'' This parchment Manuscript is in the handwriting of Widon Krentzclin. and it was traced in the time of the Emperor Sigismund, the Roman See being vacant, consequently in A. D. 1416.
5' See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , April 26, p. 351.
5* This was begun, by Jacobus Manlius, and it has been edited by Joannes Pistorius,
"
Veteres Renim Germani- carum Scriptores. " In the Fourth Appen- dix, presenting a Catalogue of the Saints
belonging to the Diocese of Constance, we
find written :
in his collection,
"
S. Tnidpertus, Eremita,
502 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 26.
