No More Learning

In the
— Scoticum. Menologium
vi. ,
'
particulars regarding
Scottish Saints," p. 206. — Article i. —Chapter i.
* See Dom. Ceillier's " Histoire des Auteurs Sacres et
July 21. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 281
the truth, Utho,3 or Voton, as he is more properly called, chose to include two traditional miracles only, with the general traits of character borne by St. Arbogast, in the memory of his clients and diocesans. In that old compila-
tion,
known as the "
Hystoria plurimorum Sanctorum," published
at Louvain,
a. d. 1485, there are notices of St. Argobastus, bishop and confessor, at this
date. "* In the List of Colgan's Manuscripts,* as furnished by Charles Mac
Donnell, Esq. , there is a Vita S. Argobasti, intended for publication, at the
2 1 st of June. There are some notices of this holy bishop by Thomas Demp-
"6
ster, in his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," where he is called
indiscriminately Argobastus, Arbogastus
comes. "? Also Dr. Meredith Hanmer has notice of him. 8 His Acts have
been issued by the Bollandists* from a Manuscript of St. Maximin at Treves,
collated with a Manuscript belonging to Wibling, and with other copies of it previously published. They have been edited by Father Peter Boschius, S. J. , and a Previous Commentary, in five sections and in fifty paragraphs, intro- duces them. Besides, they had a small paper Life of our saint, drawn
we have only a few notices of St. Arbogaste, Bishop of Strasburgh. Bishop Challenor ,2 and the Rev. Alban Butler *3 have an account of him, at this date. The Abbe' Hunkler has specially treated I4- about this holy missionary, her-
10
among many others left us by the Benedictines of the Congregation of St. Maur,
from a Manuscript, belongingto the Vatican Library.
In their valuable work,"
The "Petits Bollandistes"'5 have an account of St. Arbo-
16 Abriefnoticeofhimoccurs,inthe"Nouvelle
By most of the early accounts, he is allowed to have been a Scot or an Irishman by birth. *9 The date for his birth cannot be ascertained ; but, it occurred, most probably, about the beginning of the seventh century. The
mit and prelate.
of
gaste, Bishop
Biographie Generale," ? and in the Rev. S. Baring-Gould's work.
Strasbourg.
1 18
and u S. Florentii Armegastus,
2° on St. Florentius,21 another
of Strasburgh, makes St. Arbogastus a native of Scotia. This, too, is the earliest known allusion we find to the present holy bishop. In the Chronicle of Sens, written in the thirteenth century by Richer, he is said, also, to have been a native of Scotia. 22 On such grounds, it is to be supposed, the Scottish writers
author of a
3 He died Bishop of Strasburg, A. n. 965. See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of the
Saints," vol. vii. , July 21, p. 501.
4 Seefol. xcvii. , xcviii.
anonymous
Eulogy
Bishop
other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xxi. I4 In his " Histoire des Saints d'Alsace.
IS In " Vies des Saints," par Mgr. Paul Guerin, tome viii. , xxic Jour de Juillet.
5 See " Actuum Sanctorum Catalogus
l6 At to pp. 575
qu? e Ms. habentur, Ordine Mensium et Die-
581.
I7 Edited by M. le Dr. Hoefer, tome iii. ,
rum. "
6 l8
See tomusi. , lib. i. , num. 28, pp. 25, 26. 1 Joannes a Nigra Valle is quoted for this
col. 21.
See "Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. ,
July 21, pp. 501, 502.
*? See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia
Sancta," part ii. , p. 36.
z0 This was some time after the composed
Translation of St. Florentius' Relics, ordered by Pvathon or Rothon, one of his successors, about the commencement of the ninth cen-
appellation. ®"
See Chronicle of Ireland," p. 145.
9 See " Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
v. , Julii xxi. De S. Arbogasto Episcopo Argentora-
tensi in Germania Prima, pp. 168 to 179.
10 Num. no. This seems to be a com-
in 1489.
" See " Histoire Literaire de la
&c, tome iii. , pp. 427, 621, 622. 12 "
from the former pendium Acts,
Suriushas this — after tury. published Eulogy,
and it is in three Lessons, apparently intended for choir purposes. These very much agree with the Lessons of the Breviary printed at Strasburg
—which means spoiling
France,"
See Britannia Sancta," part ii. , pp. is said to have died a. d. 687. 22 "
See Dacherii Spicilegium," tomus ii. , H See "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Chronici Senoniensis, lib. i. , cap. 5, p. 606.
36, 37.
the verst s in his Life of St. Florentius, which he has published at the 7th of November, in "De
Probatis Sanctorum Hisloriis. "
2l He succeeded St. Arbogast, and his
feast was held on the 7th of November. He
polishing
282 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 21.
23 In the
a. d. 1489,heis madeanativeofHibernia,2* andthisevidentlydisposesofthe
claim him as a
countryman.
very
old
Breviary
of
Strasburg, printed
early local traditions regarding the place of his nativity. Likewise, in the old Missal, printed at Strasburg, a. d. 15 12, a similar statement is made. 25 Various other authorities serve to confirm the foregoing account. There are some other authors,'6 however, whom he is said to have been born in
by Aquitaine, known at a later period as Guyenne. His parents are stated to have held a
distinguished position in this province, and to have procured for him a most excellent education ; while Arbogast responded to their attentions by his
application and the progress he made in holiness. Knowing the dangers to which every Christian is exposed in the world, their son formed the heroic reso-
tion of quitting them, and of leading a solitary life. His parents used every effort and influence to dissuade him from such a purpose; but, their son had
already learned to overcome his natural inclinations, and to resist the impor- tunities of flesh and blood. 2 ?
as a hermit, in Alsace, however, about the year 660. 3 1 There he dwelt among the Vosges Mountains near the River Saur—vulgarly called Sur—about three leagues from Haguenau. In that retreat, he led a very austere life, and keep-
ing apart from men, he advanced rapidly in the way of perfection. Yet, it seems, he was not able to conceal his merits and sanctity, from the know- ledge of the people; and several fervent neophytes were soon found to enrol themselves under his direction, so that the place where he dwelt ceased to be a desert. There, too, was built a church in honour of the Blessed Virgin and of St. Martin of Tours. The of
it is stated, he became a monk in his own a8— country supposed
At
to have been Scotia. This is the opinion, likewise, of the learned Benedic- tine, Father John Mabillon. 2 ^ He left Ireland, to spread the faith in a more distant country. He crossed over to France, which became the country of his future labours. He travelled onwards to the Heiligesforst, or Sacred Forest, about the year 630,3° according to some accounts. He settled down
first,
23 See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xxi.
pp. 575, 576.
28 See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia
Sancta," part ii. , p. 36.
21 2 In the First Vespers of his Feast, at the
21st of July, are these words " Ilunc nobis :
» See "Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. XV. , sect, lix. , p. 487.
3<> See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xxi.
3I See Les Petits " Les Vies Bollandistes,
des Saints," tome viii. , xxie Jour de Juillet, p. 576.
32 In the year 830, under the Abbot Ilil- dimundus the rule of St. Benedict prevailed there,
33 However, Jodocus Coccius attributes its
endowment to King Dagobert.
34 jt is said, at the instigation of St Deo-
datus, Bishop of Nevers.
specialem mater Hibernia misit pastoiem," &C. Antiphon 2. Besides the proper Invi- tatorium, in the First Nocturn oi Matins, we find: "Claris ortus
Hibernia oriundus, velut unum ex fluminibus, para-
disi, Arboga-,tus emissus est. "
2s In the Sequence to Mass of his Feast
"
Hibernia : exultet Hospite religiosa Gal-
his Latin Life.
are these words :
Laetetur tanto Filio mater
" z6
ba.
Among these are Uthon, the author of
2
? See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xxie de Jour
Juillet,
35 ln
Apparatus,
tome i. , 126. p.
natalibus,
by
Thomas
Dempster. 3
6 While St.
Arbogast
monastery
32 was
founded, owing to the liberality of King Dagobert II. , and of other influential persons. It has been thought, that Shutteran monastery had also been built, or
endowed,33 by St. Arbogast j while others have stated Ebersheimunster, but this latter was the foundation of Duke Athico,34 father to St. Odilia. Accord- ing to Possevin, St. Arbogast had been a secretary and counsellor 35 to King Dagobert I. , and it said he flourished a. d. 643 ; but this statement is quite incorrect. It is the one followed
Surburg
July 21. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
283
lived in France, it is related, that King Dagobert II. dwelt at Kirchem, near Molsheim. 37 According to another account, his palace was at Isenbourg,
nearRouffach. 33 HehadbeenanexileinIrelandfromthe
he had been banished by Grimoald,3? mayor ofthe palace, who had elevated hissonChildeberttousurphisinheritance. UnderthereignofKingDago- bert II. ,«° Rodthaire, also called Lothaire, Bishop of Strasburgh, departed this life, about a. d. 670. 41 When Lothaire, Bishop of Strasburgh, died, King Dagobert deemed this a proper time to draw St. Arbogast from his retreat; and although he felt great reluctance to assume such an office, the royal choice was unanimously approved both by the clergy and the people. With general acclaim, he was consecrated, and he had then a further opportunity for manifesting his zeal to extend the kingdom of Christ among his people.
down as the second Bishop of Argentine or Strasburgh. 42 According to one
account, his rule began in the year 669/3 but, this seems to be too early a
date, since it is generally held, that Dagobert II. , surnamed the Younger, only returnedfromhisexiletoFranceintheyear674. 44 HebecameBishopover
this See, it is stated, through the influence of King Dagobert II. , by whom he had been often called to court. * 5 The old Latin name Argentoratum was
that by which Strasbourg was formerly known; and, it is stated, the temple of Hercules stood on the site of its present magnificent cathedral. So early as the fourth century, it has been alleged, that an episcopal See was here established, but that its ancient basilica had disappeared, owing to the ravages of barbarians, who brought back the empire of paganism on its ruins. '' 6 How- ever, when these barbarians had been obliged to yield obedience, in their contest with the Christian kings of Austrasia, religion once more was estab- lished. The ancient bishopric of Strasburg in Alsace, lay on both banks of the Rhine. *? It is stated, that King Dagobert enriched the See of Strasburgh with several large estates ; and that, for the love he bore our saint, the manor andtownofRufach,orRuffeich,nearColmar,48 hadbeenbestowedonit, together with an extensive country situated on both sides of the River Alse or Elle, 4 9 together with the old royal palace of Isenberg. The city of Strasburg in the middle ages was a free city of the German Empire, and had power to elect its own magistrates, exempt from subjection to any neighbouring prince, and entitled to assert its independence at the Germanic Diet. s° In 1681, it
36 " Floruit anno dcxliii. Coliturdie XXI. 42 See Dr. Meredith Hanmer's " Chronicle Julii. Molan. Addition. Usuardi. Guil. of Ireland," p. 145.
—" "— By some writers, Arbogast said to have been a godley Preacher is set
Eisengrinius. Fr. Irenicus. lib. III. German. Exeg. , cap. xlviii. "—" Historia Ecclesias- tica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. i. , num. 28, p. 26.
37 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints,"
43 See M. le Dr. Hoefer's "Nouvelle Bio-
graphie Generale," tome iii. , col. 21.
44 "
See Michaud's Biographie Univer-
selle, Ancienne et Moderne," tome x. ,
vol. vii. , July xxi.
38 See Les Petits Bollandistes,
"
Vies des Saints," tome viii. , xxi Jour de Juillet,
p. 577.
39
"
Grimoalde le fit enlever et conduire
en Irlande, que les —auteurs de ce temps-la "
nommaient Scotia. " Bossuet's Abrege de l'Histoire de France," liv. i. CEuvres Com- pletes de Bossuet, tome x. , col. 1 179.
e
49 Jodocus Coccius, when treating on the 678. See Le Sieur F. de Mezeray's His- reign of King Dagobert, alludes to this
40 Dagobert, King of Austrasia, died a. d. "
toire de France," tome i. , liv. viii. , p. 268. 41 See " Histoire Literaire de la France,"
tome iii. , vii. siecle, p. 622.
donation, in cap. xv.
5° See "Gazetteer of the World," vol.
xii. , p. 755.
*
45 See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xxi.
46 " Plus
See Les Belles Cathedrales de
France," Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, p. 140.
4? See "The Popular Cyclopedia, or Conversations Lexicon," vol. vi. , p. 421.
<8 See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's " Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. , July 21, p. 502.
p. II.
year 653,
whither
284 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 2 t.
fell under the dominion of France ; but, in 1870, it was besieged and taken by the Germans, to whose Empire it was then annexed, and to whom the citizens are now subjected.
CHAPTER II.
THE HOLY LIFE OF ST; ARP. OGAST—HE RESTORES PRINCE SIGEBERT TO HIS PARENTS- GRATITUDE MANIFESTED BY KING DAGOIiERT II. —MIRACLE AT THE RIVER ILL— WORKS ATTRIBUTED TO ST. ARBOGAST—HIS PASTORAL LABOURS—HIS DEPARTURE FROM THIS LIFE—HONOURS PAID TO HIS MEMORY—FESTIVALS AND COMMEMORA- TIONS—CONCLUSION.
in
great holiness,
and goodness, that every one of his subjects obeyed him with pleasure, and even
sought to anticipate his wishes and directions. During the period of his episco- pacy, idolatry yet lingered in that part of the country, and especially were its traces to be found among those almost inaccessible mountains and forests, where old customs are most apt to linger. Our saint adopted the best effective measures
to eradicate those practices, and he was prepared even if necessary to spend his life could he only gain souls to Christ. Among other matters, it is stated,
St. Florentius. 4
Among his many other miracles, it is stated, that through his prayers,
Arbogast recalled to life Sigebert, the only son of King Dagobert. While
hunting one day in the forest of Ebersheim,* he had been killed by a wild
while from his 6 That animal was of enormous boar, separated companions.
size. Being hard pressed by the young prince, it turned on the horse which he rode, fixing its tusks in the flesh and causing such pain, that in fright the wounded steed fled, and in its agony threw Sigebert on the ground. While some writers state, that he was then attacked and dangerously wounded by the infuriated boar ; others have it, that he was entangled by the reins or stirrup leathers of the horse and dragged along the ground, having been trampled on repeatedly by the frighted animal on which he had ridden. His attendants, finding him in that deplorable condition, brought his body to the palace, where the king and queen were plunged into an excess of grief. Soon the dolorous news spread among their subjects. It was resolved, that St.
dem
The life of was Arbogast
spent
1 while such was his
gentleness
that St. 2 of was on familiar terms with our Deodatus, Bishop Nevers,
saint, when, retiring from the Heiligevvrst or Sacred Forest, he lived in the Eber- sheim monastery,3 and presided over it. This friendship lasted during the lifetime of Arbogast, and it was continued to his successor and countryman
Chapter
—*
See
Challenor's M Britannia Sancta," part ii. , p. 36.
successoris et conterranei. " 'Thus was it called, either on account of
11.
Bishop
Arbogasti
2 Called Apostle of the Vosges Moun- its abounding in wild boars, or perhaps from
tains. His festival occurs, at the 19th of
June.
3 This was founded by Duke Atticus,
father of St. Odilia, Virgin. Their history, with a curious copperplate engraving of their images, sculptured on stone may be found in
'*
Annales Ordinis S. lknedicti," tomus i. , lib. xv. , sect. lix. to lxii. , pp. 487
to 493.
4 Thus Mabillon writes: "familiaritate
usus Arbogasti episcopi Argentinensis, ori- illustrium Germanise," tomus i. , p. 133. gine Scotti ; acdeinde beati Florentii, ejus- Bale, 1565, 1566, fol.
Mabillon's
the incident here narrated. It would seem that a monastery had been afterwards erected on its site, known as Ebersheimunster,
Latinized Apri-monasterium. There, too, was a little town, dependent on the See of Strasburg, and on the River 111, not far from Schlestad.
6
on this hunting excursion, . ^ee Henricus Pantaleon, in "Prosopographia Viroruua
According to some, the king himself was
July 2 1 . ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 285
Argobast should be sent for, and when he arrived, that scene of woe moved him totears. Thequeenfellonherknees,beforetheholybishop,andaskedhimto pray for her son's restoration. Accordingly, St. Arbogast entered the church fasting,andheremainedallnightinferventprayer. Towardsmorningheap- proached where the dead prince lay, beseeching the Blessed Mother of God to intercede on his behalf. To the great amazement and joy of all, the dead prince came to life, and as if he had awakened from a gentle sleep. The cere-cloths with which he had been covered were soon exchanged for his ordinary habi- liments. ?
The record of this miracle regarding the restoration of Sigisbert, son of
8 "On trouve des traces du
y Dagobert, felden,
interestinconnexionwithFrench 8 Itis history.
hasa
related, that the king felt so grateful for the miracle which restored his son, thathewishedtoconferthemostgenerousrewardsonSt. Arbogast. However, the saint refused to receive any gift, which was offered to himself personally ; yet, he accepted those endowments which were awarded to his cathedral and See. Whereupon, Dagobert gave to these RoufTach, and the palace of Isenbourg, with all its domain. 9 The king endowed, likewise, the Abbey of Wissem- bourg, in the same city. He also placed the authenticated deed for these dotations in the hands of St. Arbogast, and in presence of the nobles belong- ing to his court. Having thus received them, on his return to Strasbourg the holy prelate placed those deeds on the altar, in presence of his clergy, and of the people, while he offered them in turn to our Blessed Lady. This gene- rous grant, and the miracle which he wrought, not only gained him respect
Dagobert III. ,
special
from the king, but likewise from all his subjects, who extolled the name of
Arbogast, as one worthy to rank with those pastors raised by the Almighty in his Church, to triumph over the inveterate practices of idolatry and the wiles of heresy, in the fourth and fifth centuries. 10
After the performance of the foregoing miracle, which caused him to become very celebrated, our saint is said to have lived many years. In a wocd on the brink of the River 111," he had caused a small cell to be built. When the day had been spent in continuous labour and in the discharge of his ministerial functions, he would often leave the city when night set in for this hermitage, which reminded him of his former place for retirement. Here would he meditate in solitude, on the grandeur and sacredness of his duties, while like another Moyses he negotiated for the interests of his people with the Almighty, when he engaged in prayer. One evening having arrived at the banks of that river, the accustomed boat was wanting to cross it ; but, his
7 Such is an abridged account of what Utho relates, but in a manner more diffuse.
Gueberschwihr, Pfaffenheim, Osenbir, Or- schwihr, Soulzmath, Osenbach and Wins-
Herlisheim and Westhalten. After qu'011 n—e connoissoit pas avant le xvn. the death of the last Counts of Egisheim,
siecle. " "Histoire Literaire de la France," tome vi. , x. siecle, p. 303.
9 This dotation was afterwards called Ilaut-Mundat.
Sainte Croix, Egisheim, Wettolsheim and Obermorschwihr were added to the former endowment. At the end of the fourteenth century, Jungholz, Bollwiller, Hatstadt, Benwihr and Zellenberg were also added, Nevertheless, the Haut-Mandat depended in spirituals on the Diocese of Bale. See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des Saints,'' tome viii. , xxi° Jour de Juillet, pp. 57S, 579.
10
This gift by deed of the palace oflsen-
bourg and of its domain formed the germ of
temporal sovereignty for the Bishops of St^as-
"
bourg. However, at the commencement,
the temporalities were not so extended, as in
after times, because several Bishops added
new lands to their See. At first, Rouffach, the
Castle of Isenbourg, and the village of Sund- while in other Manuscripts it is variedly
heim, long since destroyed, Soultz, and called Bruyscha, Brusen, Bruschius, and Alschwiller, also destroyed, were parcels of Bruscha. In the vernacular, it is the Breusch, this grant ; as likewise, Wunheim, Rim- which joins the 111, near Strasburg, where bachzell, Hartmannsweiler, Gundolsheim, both flow into the Rhine.
"The Life by Utho calls it Briuscha,
2 S6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 21. ___ •:
confidence in God was so great, that making a sign of the cross over its waters, he passed over without so much as wetting his feet, and arrived at his oratory.