Venantius the Martyr
Acta Sanctorum, May 18
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-18/venantius-the-martyr.html
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ON ST. VENANTIUS THE MARTYR

AT CAMERINO IN ITALY.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

The ancient cult of the Saint. The Translation & relation of the Body. Apocryphal Acts.

Venantius, Martyr at Camerino in Italy (St.)

D. P.

[1] Camerino, a most ancient city between the borders of Umbria
and Picenum, situated on the ridges of the Apennine mountain,
is believed to have been founded and to have received its name from the ancient
Camertes, when these, expelled from Etruria, where they had dwelt by the river Clanis
and the city Clusium, [The ancient city of Camerino has St. Venantius as Patron] having been driven out by the Pelasgians, had chosen these
seats. How great it once was can be gathered from this,
that three hundred years before Christ was born, under the Consulship
of Q. Fabius Maximus and M. Rutilius, when the Romans were then most
flourishing, it was of such great value, that for the sake of firmer aid they almost
ambitiously sought the alliance of the Camertines,
which they afterwards cultivated with the greatest religious devotion, even when the Emperors
afterwards reigned: indeed their posterity then gloried that they had
lived under their own Kings, as we shall see below. Concerning their antiquity
may be read Cluverius, book 2 of Ancient Italy, chapters 3
and 6, and Ughelli, in volume 1 of Sacred Italy, among the Bishops of Camerino:
where in the Preface he brings forward an inscription, carved
on a Tiburtine stone, still extant in the same place, in which with L.
Septimius Severus, who reigned from the year CXCIII until
CCXI, for eternal security and glory
by equal right the Camertes confirmed an alliance. Of this city
the divine patron is St. Venantius the Martyr, & in the suburban Collegiate
Church, dedicated to his name, he is venerated with the greatest reverence
on this XVIII of May. Since indeed his body, relayed thither in the year
MCCLXIX, [whose body is there,] whence ten years before it had been removed,
as will be said below; was there deposited in a little silver chest,
fastened with three seals: & thus, found again
on the XXIII day of March in the year MDLVIII, Cardinal Marianus
Perbenedictus marvelously adorned it, the body together with the ampulla of blood
being deposited in a marble mausoleum. Now this
Cardinal died in the year MDCXI. Afterwards Aemilius Alterius further
exalted the cult of that Saint, who in the year MDCLXX, from being Bishop of Camerino,
after the XLII year of that See, made Roman
Pontiff Clement X, ordered that he be venerated throughout the whole Church
under the rite of a Semidouble.

[2] There has moreover been submitted to us from Camerino a document of various
Churches, oratories, & other places dedicated to St. Venantius,
in which either some of his Relics are preserved,
or signs of his cult are set forth. [but elsewhere various Churches] First is named
the Church of St. Venantius near Fabriano, to which, Ughelli being witness,
the already mentioned William, Bishop of Camerino,
in the year MCCLVII granted, that the baptismal font, which was outside
the enclosures of the church, for the greater decency of divine worship,
might be transferred within the Church itself. There are besides
Churches of St. Venantius in the town of Meletica, which
lies adjacent to the territory of Camerino toward the North; in the territory of Cingoli,
in the same place in Picenum; in the diocese of Spoleto, a fortress
called the parish Church of St. Venantius; in the territory
of Siena three miles from the city, the Collegiate Church
of St. Venantius, where he is venerated with great devotion; at Rome,
a new Church for the Camerino nation, where formerly was the Church
of St. John in Marcantello; in the territory of Orvieto,
a fortress & Church of St. Venantius, where his feast
is celebrated with a fair on the XVIII of May. At Ragusa also there is a collegiate
Church, & it is called the temple of St. Venantius & of peace. In
Apulia, [altars] seven miles from Sulmona, is the Oratory of SS.
Venantius & Porphyrius, where there is an altar & a footprint
in the rock, & St. Venantius is venerated on the XVIII of May. At Florence
in the Church of St. Mark there is a chapel, with mosaic work, sufficiently ancient,
in honor of St. Venantius. At Lucca there is also his chapel,
in the Forest as they call it, where he is venerated with much devotion.
At Bologna there is a chapel erected to him by Cardinal Gozadinus
& some Relic of his brought in. On Monte San Martino
of the diocese of Fermo there is an altar under the invocation of St. Venantius
the Martyr. [fortresses.] There are moreover indicated fortresses of St. Venantius in
the borders of Bologna & Ferrara, in the diocese of Comacchio, in
the Duchy of Sora & also in the diocese of Fermo, in the Morana Valley
of the March of Ancona, indeed also at Camerino, of which fortress
the Rector with secular power was the very Chapter of St. Venantius
itself, until that power was taken away. By the vow
also of the people his cult was established at Montefeltro
in the Duchy of Urbino, & among the people of Recanati. The solemn memory
of the same is observed in the Cathedral Church of Aversa,
where also his Legend is held. Finally of his sacred Relics
a rib is preserved in the church of the College of Ascoli
of the Society of Jesus; concerning which, treating in the additions to
this day, Jacobillus [Relics at Ascoli & Rome.] seems to say, that it is dedicated to St. Venantius.
Another rib at Rome in the Vatican Church of St. Peter, which
Jacobillus writes was brought thither in the time of Gregory XIII: &
therefore the feast is prescribed to be celebrated there under a simple rite;
& Pancirolius mentions it in the Treasury of the City, region 7, church
17 & in the Index of Relics. At Rome also from a similar cause St. Venantius
is said to be venerated in the churches of SS. Eustachius, Cecilia &
Mark; & in this one indeed there is a chapel, founded under his name by D.
Barnabas Benignus, with a plenary Indulgence every year.
In the territory of Bari moreover, the fortress of San Salvatore,
in which the holy body rested for a whole eight years, still preserves
the tomb built in his honor.

[3] And these indeed are monuments of the ancient cult, all undoubted
and certain: [the apocryphal legend deferred for a while] would that the history of the Passion were equally certain.
For since from it, as from a fountain, flowed solely
whatever about this Holy Martyr in prose or verse, in Latin
or in Italian, in older or more recent age, was ever written;
or was once recited in the Church, first indeed the Camerine, now also
the universal, or is recited today among the divine
Offices; it is most greatly to be wished, that it had been written
most gravely and most faithfully. But as vainly as we wish that,
so little faith can we attribute to whatever
abridgments received therefrom. [the history of the body removed and relayed is set first.] Wherefore that Passion being for a while omitted
& deferred to the end, we exhibit the history of the body carried away and relayed back,
described in verses by a contemporary Poet, just as
Ughelli offers it to us, in volume I of Sacred Italy, column 601, communicated by Camillus
Lilius, a noble Camertine: yet having sought
and received first the license of comparing Ughelli's edition with the
original; not indeed the autograph of the Poet himself, but the apograph
of Camillus, and that on the faith of R. P. Ferrantes Ferreccioli of Camerino
of the Congregation of St. Charles, communicated to us through R. P.
Nicolaus Bartolini, Presbyter of the Congregation of the Mother
of God. I would also wish license to be given me to supply certain lacunae
by conjecture, & to bring a few other things wrongly transcribed
to some convenient sense, which done by us
the sign* will indicate.

THE HISTORY

OF THE BODY CARRIED AWAY AND RELAYED BACK

From the edition of Ferdinand Ughelli, collated with the apograph of Camillus Lilius.

Venantius, Martyr at Camerino in Italy (St.)

BHL Number: 8525

BY A CONTEMPORARY AUTHOR.

[1] That it may be plain to future peoples, holy Venantius,
when a hostile hand bore away thy body from its own temple
and from the fatherland at once; or when it stood
restored to the fatherland, in compressed song I shall disclose.
Which to me, Christ the Father, mayest thou deign duly to report,
who oftentimes makest a boy's mouth to be eloquent.
The years of the Lord being now completed twelve hundred [In the year 1259 under Alexander IV]
And sixty less one, this fatherland stood
having suffered ruin, under the time of the Fourth Pope
Alexander the Great: under whose time a certain man
by name Manfred, a Sicilian King and tyrant,
stood in the way of Latium, with a great hazard of war.
He who once impiously transferred [a] battle-lines bristling in varied array
to the very shores of Camerino.
Whose leader of horsemen, a certain man called by name
Percival [b], was a fellow-countryman of Genoa:
whom the house of Doria begot, whom prosperous fortune made great [Percival occupying Camerino for King Manfred,]
In the sight of the King, if he be held a King.
He, coming most safely supported by a wing of horsemen,
Entered the fatherland of Camerino, which then
men of various sorts held, under the will of a lord, the powerful ones.

[2] At such a time there was one fierce traitor,
by name Raynerius Ugolini: who, being then the worst
Podestà of Camerino at that time,
by his treason took care to drive out the citizens
And to lay waste the fatherland at the same time: who, compelled by disaster,
unwilling left the fatherland [c] by the lot of fear.

Then Percival from the chest [carries off the Saint's body,] brought forth that
Excellent body, now [renowned] of the kindly Martyr:
Which he bore to the Sicilians in great [portions] upon a [d] chariot.
A bright casket of silver was made under that very
Time, in which the venerable body remained [secured].
Great lights enough, shining by night and day,
Stood before the aforesaid holy body.
The enemy brought this to Manfred already mentioned,
[as] a great [gift], who finally caused it in a certain
Castle, namely a smoky Pontus, to be enclosed, [which he gives to the castle of San Salvatore:]
Adorned likewise with great adornments, and
With songs [of high-sounding] praise excelling on every side.
The name of the castle is held to be San Salvatore,
Which the Sea surrounds on every side with high rocks.

[3] O venerable mercy of God & greatest power:
Which dost correct unbridled sinners, that [they themselves]
May be converted to thee, but not die;
And oftentimes thou sufferest the bodies of Saints to be taken away,
By unfaithful enemies, at first by a blind crime in this manner,
And very often to tarry in a foreign land;
That men may know that all things [e] are powerfully mingled,
And that nothing can be done without thy governance.
And although thou sufferest thy Saints, O most Holy One,
Thus to be carried away: yet thou dost not thyself wish
The lights of virtues to perish, by which they are venerated [in every] nation.
This body remained in the parts of the Apulians [f], for years
Eight complete. After these things God himself, kindly,
Prepared to bring to the grieving people a [side] [lateral]
Helper's aid, which the crafty enemy from afar
This was the will of the Supreme Pontiff [h] and of his Counts also,
That with few they should withstand those enemies,
Who by their own right wished to destroy the faithful.

[4] Then there arose a certain lover of the true faith
The illustrious Charles, upright, & discreet in arms,
King of the Sicilian Kingdom, best champion, & strong lion,
Another Roland [i] in strength & probity,
In sense a Solomon, in the defense of right a David.
He was Frankish by race, & Frankish in his powerful heart:
Who by the virtue of God terrified the strong enemies.
Him, & the King of the Franks, the same parents
Begot, flourishing in the virtue of magnificent praise.
To the parts of Latium, supported by the great support
Of a magnificent people, supported also by the arms of the Franks.
He came finally to make answer to Manfred: [Manfred being conquered through King Charles]
Whom finally he laid low in the Beneventan [k] field,
Conquered, [destroyed], & ruined all the enemies.
He, after he had joyful triumphs in peace,
And was a happy King over a great Sicilian host,
Which under the will of the Lord Pope governed the kingdom:
Against him came a certain hostile enemy,
By name Conrad [l], son of King Conrad
By name, sprung from the royal stock of the great one [& Conradin,]
Now under the great name of Frederick, by chance ruling
The kingdom of the empire of the Roman people:
Whose supporters, their battle-lines arrayed for arms,
In the [m] Palentine, where he had ordered the camp to be pitched,
Through unknown places, in the field, were scattered in hazard.
He himself fell in battle under a sinister lot;
Whose head was struck off on the pleasant overflowing
Shore of Naples, as is open to all.

[5] Therefore the ravaging battles on every side being calmed,
And the Lord King abiding in [tranquil] peace,
A Writer of the Apostolic See, Conrad by name,
A certain prudent man & of the kindly Martyr's temple
Who stood as Prior [o], wished to direct his steps
To the Lord Pope [p] Clement: to whom with coaxing prayer
With bent neck he poured forth bitter tears:
Before whose feet the aforesaid one oftentimes went. [restored by the orders of Clement IV,]
Not slow, indeed swift; not timid, but well secure,
He always asked the Pope with [solicitous] voice,
How he might finally cause that body to be restored to him.
That Supreme Prelate, bent by prayers under [murmur],
Commanded the aforesaid King, that he restore the body taken away
To the said Conrad, who bore many torments
In his body through the steps of journeys oftentimes.
Who although at first he stood in the way of restoring the body;
Yet in the end [it] he restored. Adorned in order
This was indeed led back to the fatherland of Camerino,
The body of the eminent Martyr, in the time of [q] harvest,
Eminent ones, of the lofty one, & with great gift [adorned]
Enclosed duly in two caskets of silver.
With eminent praises that is led to the temple, [in his own temple it shines with miracles.]
Which had been his: in which God himself openly
Always gives the greatest miracles, the Creator of the world;
O helpful Venantius, take care to defend the people,
Thou of thine own fatherland; to whom mayest thou be a shining [taper]:
And spare thou me, ward off the vice of my breast:
That my mind may be able to rejoice, & to be placed
In the highest heavens, in which thou thyself dost reign faithful.

NOTES.

II, believed to have suffocated his father, took up the administration of Sicily in the name of his brother Conrad in the year 1251; and the tyranny being gradually confirmed by various successes, at length in the year 1258 he caused himself to be saluted King by the Sicilians. Relying on the support of the Saracens; most hostile to the Pontiff and to the Pontiff's dominions.











p. Clement died in this same year 1268, on the 29th of November.

Therefore not until the following year 1269 was the sacred body carried back to Camerino: which if it was not restored while Clement was still alive, must be ascribed to the singular favor of God, that it could be obtained from Charles while the See was vacant (for not until September of the year 1271 was a successor elected) since it would have been easy to frustrate the mandate of the dead man in its effect.

And this is all the more certain knowledge that we can offer about the cult & body of St. Venantius; whose name since it is not found among any ancient Martyrologists, it is given to understand, that no Acts of his were known in the first eight or ten centuries to the Italians, among whom the Passions of Martyrs & the Lives of Saints were diligently enough collected. But what kind afterwards were composed & of what faith, that you may be able to judge for yourself; those very ones, although otherwise unworthy of this work, here we shall give in full; observing moreover this, that the things which were translated from them into the proper Office & Mass, for arranging the Antiphons, Responsories, & Versicles, be printed in a different character from the rest; & so it appears that neither is that Office more ancient than the Acts, nor of greater faith.

* huge
* varied
* of the powerful one
* he carried through
* secretly
* holy
* at first
* high-sounding
* themselves
* all nation, or nations.
* side
* with too much
* and of the Franks
* Unites & or Disjoins
* by title
* by arts
* solicitous
* that
* with marble
* adorned
* care

APOCRYPHAL ACTS

From an old MS. of the Abbey of St. Euticius of Norcia.

Venantius, Martyr at Camerino in Italy (St.)

BHL Number: 8523

FROM A CAMERINE MS.

[1] In the times of Antiochus the great King, there was a man in the city
of Camerino, by name Venantius, fearing the Lord.
He left all his things to his parents, [Accused before Antiochus on account of the Faith] but nevertheless the gold
& silver & garments he gave to the poor. In fastings & prayers
day and night he served the Lord. Many powers
in that city the Lord showed through him. *
It was announced to King Antiochus, who reigned in those times,
by accusers saying: There is one boy in the city
of Camerino, by name Venantius, fearing Christ, & blaspheming
the Lord Jove. * But King Antiochus hearing this
was exceedingly angry: & coming with great fury into the city
he commanded the soldiers, to seek out Venantius more quickly. * Now there
was a little cave near the gate of the city, which is toward the
East, under which he dwelt clothed in haircloth, & night and day
he served the Lord in fastings & prayers. * And when he had heard
that he had been sought by the King, he came to the gate &
preached the word of Christ. * Porphyrius was strengthening the servant of Christ

Porphyrius, [Venantius excellently fortified beforehand,] saying, Fear not from the face of the Emperor, for the Lord
has said: When you come before Kings & Governors,
do not think how or what you shall speak:
for I will give you a mouth & wisdom, which all your adversaries
shall not be able to resist: after labor & combat
we shall receive a reward, just as He said, Come
to me all you who labor & are burdened, & I
will refresh you.

[2] Saying such things he came before the face of the Emperor.
Blessed Venantius said: Pagan King, why do you seek the disciples
of Christ? [he generously confesses Him before him,] The King, exceedingly angry, said: Whence are you? Venantius
answered: I was born in this city, brought up in a
monastery. The King said: Who is your father? Venantius
answered: My father Suprinus, a Christian, born of a noble
race, gave me into a monastery, & there I was brought up
in the faith of Christ. The King said: Venantius, I see your flourishing
youth & comely appearance, I wish that you be in my palace
a cupbearer: * I give you a bracelet & a ring & a purple
garment. Venantius answered: The gold &
silver, which you promise, give to the poor: because just as
water extinguishes fire, so almsgiving extinguishes sin.
The King said: I see you a boy, & I do not know
your merit: [by promises] you, Venantius, ought to hear me: approach therefore, & sacrifice
to the most invincible God Jove. I give you the power of binding & loosing,
& of doing harm to the Christians: & if you will not,
by various punishments I will make you perish. Venantius
answered, Your silver & metal & lead
I do not adore; & therefore I do not fear your torments. The King
said: Sacrifice to the Gods, lest you fall into punishments; & that no one
may say that your madness leads you to death, & that I mock
your race. Venantius answered: Even if you kill me
by the most shameful death, [and threats being despised:] my Judge & my Lord is in heaven,
whom we await to judge the world, * when He shall say:
Come, you blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom,
which is prepared for you from the origin of the world; & because He
knows the hearts of men. You, who dwell in this world,
appear to be the son of the devil, therefore through your malice
in many arguments you make me to be solicitous about Christ my God.
The King said: I wish that you tell me, whence this wisdom
came to you. Venantius answered: Christ
my Lord is with me: & you say, Whence did this
wisdom come to you?

[3] Then the King ordered him to be severely beaten. Venantius said;
You do me not pain but refreshment. Then the King
delivered him to the ministers & to the Governor, saying, Unless Venantius
sacrifices, kill him by various punishments. Then
the Governor, angry, said to his soldiers, [delivered to the Governor,] O Jupiter! O Mercury!
why has Venantius of fifteen years spoken thus? I do not
perceive that your soldiers torment me. And, exceedingly angry,
he said: Take him, & bind his hands & feet, &
cast him into prison, & let no one approach him: & for
four days give him no water, no bread, or anything
that can be eaten; until he fails. Then
Blessed Venantius lay in prison with bound hands & feet,
& prayed saying: O Lord Jesus Christ, [& strengthened by an Angel in prison,] good
Shepherd, do not forsake me, because I have you as a father in heaven: hear
& hearken to me, heal my wounds: * I glorify you, I praise you, &
I bless you, do not cast me from your face, because I am a boy:
I do not know how to speak rightly, but give the spirit of speaking, of being silent,
& of answering: that I may open my mouth, & you fulfill it:
& if my pain is upon me, be not angry, but strengthen
me, King of the Saints. The prayer being made he was lulled
to sleep: & behold an Angel of the Lord loosed him, & his flesh was restored,
as it had been before. * Then the jailer went to the prison,
to see if he were already dead, & found him praying.
He marveled, & reported to the Prefect, saying:
I have seen great marvels of Venantius: he was singing psalms & praying
to his God, with hands & feet loosed, & his flesh
was restored.

[4] Then the Prefect ordered him to be led into his presence, & said
to him: Venantius, sacrifice to the gods, lest you suffer various punishments. [he is scorched with lamps,] * Venantius
answered; Neither do I adore your gods, nor do I fear your
Emperor, nor do I serve you. The Governor, angry, said, Strip
him, & suspend him in the air with burning lamps, &
burn his tender body, so they did, but he was praying
saying: Burn, O Lord, my reins & my heart: I have passed
through fire, lead me into eternal refreshment.
The executioners ceased to burn him. The Governor said,
Consent to me, & sacrifice to the gods. Venantius answered:
I do not consent, nor do I adore deaf & mute gods. Then
the most impious Governor said to the ministers: Take him, [& suspended by the head with smoke set beneath he is tortured,] & on the rack
suspend him, & put the sharpest smoke under his head, &
say, This is the blasphemer of the gods. The ministers did
just as the Governor commanded, & always four squads were beating him.
Then the Governor ordered, that no one should approach him,
until he failed. But Anastasius the Cornicularius,
after four days went where he hung, to see if he still
lived: & he found him walking about upon the smoke,
in a white garment singing psalms: I shall not die but
I shall live & shall tell the works of the Lord.

[5] Anastasius the Cornicularius announced to the Governor saying:
I have seen a great miracle. Then the Governor said, [whence Anastasius the scribe, seeing him safe, is converted,]
What shall we do with him? Anastasius the Cornicularius said:
I believe, that the God of the Christians is great, &
there is no other besides Him. The Governor said to him: And you,
as I see, are seduced. * Then Anastasius said: Most willingly
do I wish to undergo sentence, lest I see the holy & just one tortured.
Venantius hearing these things, that Anastasius had spoken
thus, spread out his hands & raised his eyes to
heaven, & prayed to the Lord saying: I give you thanks, O Lord
the only-begotten Savior, God from God, true light from true
light; the Word which is before all beginning, who reignest with
the Father & the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Anastasius
said to Blessed Venantius: Man of God, show me
the light of eternal life, that I may be able to see the true light. Venantius
said: Go into the part of the city, [& baptized] seek the man
of God Porphyrius, & he will baptize you & your whole house
in the faith of Christ. It was announced to Antiochus
the Emperor, that Anastasius believed in Christ: &
exceedingly angry he caused him to come to him, & said: Anastasius,
do you believe in the God [of the Christians]? Anastasius
said: I believe & my whole house. The King when he heard,
commanded the Governor, to lead him outside the gate of the city,
& behead him & his whole house. [he is beheaded with his family.] And so
they did, & led him to the Broad-Way, which
leads to the city toward the East, & they were beheaded.
At night Christian men came & buried their bodies.

[6] But the King ordered Venantius to come to him, & said
to him: Venantius, why do you subvert the city? [Venantius again variously tortured,] Venantius
said: I do not subvert, but confirm. Then the King, angry,
commanded that they shave the hair of his head, & sprinkle
live coals: & so they did. Then he commanded the ministers
to macerate his back, & shut him up in
prison: & so they did. But Attalus the Praeconarius
said to the Governor: What solicitude is there for you? I
will go & make him sacrifice. Then the Governor said:
By the great power of Jove, & by the power of our
Lords the most invincible Princes; that
if you persuade him, I will make you what I am. So Attalus went
to the prison, where Venantius was: & said to him: Believe,
Venantius, & withdraw from your folly, & sacrifice to the gods: why
do you die in torments, [& vainly solicited by Attalus the apostate] & lose the flower of your
youth? But I, just as you, was a Christian, & now am
a minister [of Jove]. Believe & sacrifice to the gods. Venantius
said: You see me a boy, I am below age, not like
you mad & a son of the devil: who say, Adore deaf
& mute idols, which are fabricated by men: who know not the Lord,
who was born of a Virgin. Rather your father
is the devil, & you do his will, you who say
the Lord is Jove, whose [minister] you are. Attalus said:
Venantius, sacrifice to the gods: it is allowed me to say all things, because
I hold you. And while he was saying these things, the Governor sent, & ordered
Venantius to be brought forth from the prison: & while he was being led,
the voice of the Praetor was sent: Let Venantius blaspheming
the Gods be tortured with the most wicked torments.

[7] Therefore Venantius came before the Governor, & said to
him: [his jaws crushed by the order of the Governor] Do not tempt Christ my Lord, lest
while you wish to tempt you be tempted by your father the devil. The Governor
said: Crush his teeth & jaws. So it was done:
& they cast him into the public square of the city, & placed him
in a dunghill. But he, praying, said: Look
upon me & have mercy on me, because I am your only servant:
hearken to my prayer, do not forsake me. All thought
him to be dead: but he was praying, & an Angel
strengthened him saying: Fear not from their face,
because I am with you, & I offer your prayer,
& I am your guardian always. Venantius said: O Lord
Father, because in my wound I groan, be not angry
with me: [he is healed divinely, & the Governor dies.] you know that I have delivered my soul to you, lest my sense
be mingled with theirs. Saying these things he was made whole,
& began to preach the name of the Lord & to baptize.
But the Governor hearing marveled exceedingly, & made
him come before him, & said: In whose power do you do these things?
Venantius said: He who healed me of my languor, in
His power I do these things, & who can subvert
your tribunal. And when the servant of God had said these things, the Governor
fell from his tribunal. Then his ministers
gathered him up, & put him on a bed: & he said to the soldiers:
Run, I burn: help me: for our gods
are nothing, which we worshiped without cause: but the God of Venantius
is great & eternal, who has done marvels upon his boy
Venantius: & I command these things, that you destroy our gods
& adore the God of Venantius: & when
he had said this, he expired.

[8] But his ministers, seeing this which was done was done, announced it to the Emperor. Then the Emperor ordered
St. Venantius to be cast to the lions. [The same one cast in vain to the lions] And at once his ministers
led him to the place where there were five lions,
& put him in, & the place was closed, that there he
might be killed by the lions. When the holy & just one
had entered there, the lions rising up with all gentleness
prostrated themselves at his feet. But the peoples, seeing, marveled
saying, Truly there is no other God, except
Him whom Venantius the servant of God confesses. And when the peoples
had said these things, Blessed Venantius said to them: Hear, peoples,
believe in the Father & the Son & the Holy Spirit, [he persuades the people to the faith of Christ.]
married women & maidens & all dwelling
in the city, that your souls may be saved: because all
these things are transitory from the world: blessed shall you be, if you believe.
But when the King had heard that the people
had praised the God of the Christians, he commanded Venantius
to be put into prison. There he prayed: Lord, do not
forsake me, do not despise me, since I am your servant.
My enemies, who surround me, are multiplied:
but you, Lord, are my upholder, lifting up
my head; hear me from your holy mount, I will not
fear thousands of the people.

[9] Then King Antiochus, flourishing in the greatness
of his power, resting in the palace on his couch,
saw in a dream heralds running through the city
& saying: Cleanse, cleanse the public places of the city, [Antiochus terrified by a dream,]
& whiten the walls. After this he looked into heaven, &
saw Venantius flying in the air in a white garment,
& with him two companions, sprinkling waters, & making
& dividing little streams through the whole city.
Then men & women came, & washed their heads,
& their bodies were whitened. Then four winds
rushing from the four parts of the world upon
his palace, were destroying it. He saw also
a dark cloud coming over him, & the stars gave
no light, but on every side they were
dark. The King awoke from sleep, & began to think
& knew that evil was upon him. The King
began to weep & to say: O my god, most invincible Jove,
one boy has overcome you, & your power has come
to nothing. But when morning was come all came to the palace:
the King when he saw the people, began to
relate the dream.

[10] There was there a Christian man Porphyrius, who
said: O Emperor, how praiseworthy is the dream
which you have seen! The heralds running through the city, [Porphyrius explaining it] &
crying out, & saying, Cleanse the public places of the city,
& whiten the walls, is the holy preaching of Blessed Venantius.
Cleanse, Cleanse, signifies the two Testaments,
the new & the old: under the two Testaments we have the law,
that no one worship idols nor adore them. Cleanse,
that is, Cast out the god Jove & the King. Whiten the walls,
& Jupiter shall be broken & the King
cast out, & all shall believe in Christ. The four
winds from the four parts of the world, are the four testaments
of the Gospels. They were destroying your house,
that is, that all the idols made by hand & all your works
& your kingdom shall be no more; but the kingdom
of the Christians, who serve God & make
good fruit. The water, which Venantius was sprinkling in the air,
& was making streams, & was running through the whole city,
is the holy preaching & holy
baptism. And that they were washing their heads & bodies &
whitening them, that is that the people is cleansed from idols
& from all defilements through the water of baptism.

[11] The King when he heard, was exceedingly angry, & commanded
the ministers, to lead Porphyrius to the place
of the condemned, which is at the gate of the city, [he orders to be beheaded.] & to cut off
his head. But when Blessed Porphyrius had come
to the place of the condemned, he fixed his knees on the ground,
& prayed saying: Lord God, because there is none
like you among the gods, & there is none according to your works:
for you have made heaven & earth & whatever
is contained within the compass of heaven. Of all things you are Lord,
whom Angels & Archangels serve, & cease not
to cry out saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord
God of Sabaoth, full are the heavens & earth of your glory.
To you I commend my soul, that you not
deliver it into the hands of the impious spirits seeking
it. Hear therefore men & women, set
Christ before your eyes, & adore Him who
made heaven & earth: because His is the power of mortifying
& vivifying, of leading down to hell &
leading back: His is the power to be feared, He is
Lord forever and ever. Amen. When Blessed Porphyrius
had completed the prayer, the executioners cut off
his head, & cast it before the gate of the city: [& the Christians coming
took his body] & buried
him honorably.

[12] Blessed Venantius was shut up in prison, & there came
to him the infirm, the blind, the lame, the paralytic,
the deaf, [Venantius again solicited,] the dumb; & they besought him to baptize them
& they were healed, which also he did. But when it had been announced
in the presence of the Emperor about the miracles of Blessed Venantius,
he was made exceedingly sad, & ordered him to come
to him. When therefore he had come into the presence of the Emperor,
he said to him: Hear me, Venantius, sacrifice to our
gods, [when he persuaded the faith to Antiochus himself,] & you shall live: I give you a crown of gold or gems,
& you shall have peace with me, because I fear you for this
that you are sprung from a noble race. Blessed
Venantius answered him & said: Hear me, King, turn from evil &
do good, seek peace & follow it, & make
peace with Christ; & if you serve Him, there shall be for you exultation
& an everlasting crown. For after your souls
have gone forth from your bodies, you leave your moneys in
this world, & strangers seize them & devastate them:
but you are going to go into eternal torment, where
never shall there be refreshment, but mourning & clamor,
& there is none who hears. If you wish to receive the crown,
give all things to the poor, the orphans, the widows, the hungry,
those suffering nakedness, or sustaining whatever
necessity: & receive the wave of the holy baptism of the sacred
font, believing in God, who shall render a hundredfold
to you in eternal life, where there shall be no end,
but you shall rejoice always in perpetual felicity.

[13] When the King heard he commanded the ministers to put
ropes on his feet, [he is grievously dragged:] & to suspend him on the rack,
thence to drag him through rough places. But when evening was now
come Blessed Venantius began to say, Lord, receive
my spirit, & do not destroy me. The ministers left
him as if dead. A certain widow woman
came & took him secretly into her house. But when morning
was come he came to the city preaching the word
of God. But the people when they saw Blessed Venantius preaching,
marveling said: Because great is the God of the Christians,
who does marvels & great signs in his servant Venantius:
& they struck their breasts, & were converted, & were baptized
in the faith of Christ. But King Antiochus, seeing
that he could not overcome him, [then he is cast headlong from the wall of the city:] began to consider
within himself, & to call him honorably into the palace, &
commanded the ministers to bind his hands & feet, &
cast him headlong outside the wall of the city. Then the ministers did
just as the King had commanded them: but they thought
that he was dead. And the King commanded his men, to drag
him into the valleys, that the birds of heaven
& the beasts of the earth might eat him. And when the ministers had gone, to do
what the King had commanded, they found him with loosed
hands & feet, praying & saying:
Guard me, Lord, as the pupil of the eye, under the shadow
of your wings protect me, from the face of the impious who
have afflicted me: but you, Lord, are my upholder,
[abandoned for dead,] my glory & lifting up my head: do not forsake
me, Lord God of my salvation: deliver me from
my enemies my God, & from those rising up against me
free me. But the ministers, seeing that they were
profiting nothing, began to beat him so long, until
they thought him to be dead. But when they saw him
alive, a rope being put on his neck, by his feet they dragged
him about one mile, leaving him as if
dead, each one saying to his neighbor,
I suffer thirst.

[14] [for his thirsting torturers he obtains water by a miracle,] Blessed Venantius hearing these things, languishing arose,
& fixed his knees on the ground, & raised his eyes to heaven,
& prayed saying: Lord God almighty, who
gavest water from the rock to Moses your servant before the children
of Israel, on account of the hardness of their heart who were rebellious
& unbelieving; show signs & do marvels,
that these tyrants may see, & bring forth from this rock water,
that these tyrants may see; & bring forth from this rock water, that
they may be satisfied & feel, & know that you are the only God
praiseworthy & glorious forever and ever, Amen.
And he made the sign of the Cross in the rock, & divided it on each
side, & there flowed water most clear. But the Ministers
of the King, seeing, were astounded: & casting themselves at the feet of Blessed Venantius
they said to him: Sanctify us, Father: pray for us that we perish not,
having mercy on us. We have seen & we know, [whence they being converted,] that there is no
other God except Him whom you affirm. Holy Father, show
us the Lord living forever, that we may praise
His name & glorify it, & serve Him alone,
who is blessed. As you, holy Father, we wish
to undergo sentence for His name, & we will not fear from the face
of the Emperor. Preach & show us Christ,
whose son He is. When Blessed Venantius heard, with a clear voice
he said: Glory in the highest to God, & on earth peace to men
of good will: you yourself have given them wisdom &
knowledge, who begin to inquire about Christ. And
he related to them about the nativity or about the passion, about the resurrection
& ascension of Him, about the inflaming of the Holy
Spirit & about the division of tongues, & something about the deeds
of the Apostles or Martyrs.

[15] [& having confessed the faith,] One of these, when he received the word of Christ,
reported to the Emperor saying: O King, thirty &
two Roman men you have sent to Venantius, that
they might make martyrdom for him: but they have been converted to the faith
of Christ. The King when he heard about the Romans, exceedingly angry
wept himself & all who stood before him, because
they were illustrious Romans of royal race, &
held power at Rome, & learned in every art
of letters. The King made them come to him, & said to them:
O my sons, you have abandoned fathers & mothers & parents your rich & more noble parents, & you wish to believe one
mad head, & to adore Christ whom the Jews crucified
& mocked. Withdraw from this madness,
& worship the immortal Lord Jove, & I will give
you gold & silver & a marvelous garment, that
you may be first in my kingdom. Hearing the words of the King,
they answered & said: We believe in Christ
crucified, because He Himself is the savior, doing signs &
marvels in heaven & on earth, which He does daily in
His servant Venantius. O King why are you not ashamed
in your god? for your gods are nothing, which you worship. The King
said, Whence do you know? But they said: We
have always seen the Lord your god, yet neither
signs nor marvels have we recognized of him, but he is a tribulation
& a detriment of the souls of men.

[16] [Leontius speaking for all,] The King said, You who say such things, [whence do you know]
who is the God of the Christians? Leontius said: We
know that the God of heaven made heaven & earth, & all
living things which are under heaven: He made man to
His image & likeness, formed him of
earth, & gave him Eve like to himself for a help.
Then the devil came, & persuaded them to eat the forbidden fruit.
After this transgression God
cast them out of the glory of Paradise, & cursed them & said,
In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread, because
you obeyed the voice of your wife more than mine. And
Paradise was closed, & God placed the Cherubim &
a flaming & turning sword to guard
the way of the tree of life. From this the devil received the principality
over men, & led them into ruin & into error,
until God sent His Word into the lands,
born of a Virgin, made under the Law, that those who were
under the law He might redeem: He was offered at the temple, &
was circumcised: baptized by John in the Jordan
He had twelve disciples: one of these perished, took
money, & betrayed the Lord & master.
He was crucified, pierced with a lance: blood & water flowed thence: [& explaining the Christian mysteries,]
He sent forth the spirit, lay in the sepulcher, despoiled
hell & broke all its vessels: on the third day
He rose, & showed to His disciples the wounds of His hands
& side; & gave power to His disciples saying,
Go into all the earth & preach saying, He who shall believe
& shall be baptized, shall be saved; but he who shall not
believe, shall be condemned: these signs shall follow those who believe in me,
in my name they shall cast out demons,
they shall lay hands upon the sick & they shall be well.
After this He gave them power of binding & loosing
in heaven & on earth: then He ascended into heaven,
& sits at the right hand of God. Ten days having passed from His ascension
into the heavens, He came to His disciples that
He might give them the grace of the Holy Spirit: & He found them gathered
into one, & there came suddenly from heaven a sound
as of an oncoming vehement spirit, & filled
the whole house where they were sitting, & there appeared
to them divided tongues as of fire, & there sat
upon each of them the Holy Spirit: & there were there
Jews, religious men of every nation which is under
heaven. The Holy Spirit on that day, namely of Pentecost,
descending upon the Apostles, gave them all kinds
of tongues, & divided them into all the earth, that they might preach
& baptize in the faith of the holy Trinity. But they
having set out preached everywhere, the Lord cooperating
& confirming the word with following signs.
But we, who are reborn of water & the Holy
Spirit, preach & testify, that He Himself is
the Judge of the living & the dead.

[17] But the King when he heard, was exceedingly angry, &
said: O Venantius, why have you perpetrated such things against me? who
have taken away my kingdom from me. [bound they are sent to Rome to their own people.] Why have you taken away the more noble
& more powerful & the warriors from me? These things
the King said for this reason, because he had not dared to kill them:
but he commanded golden collars & little silver chains to be brought,
& put on their necks, & sent them back to Rome
where their parents were. But the parents
of these, seeing them with collars & little chains,
exceedingly angry said: Let us complete an alliance among ourselves, that
King Antiochus no longer rule over Rome. And
they cast out all the King's Magnates, & Questioners,
& Judges, & sent forth all the Nobles. Then
he commanded the soldiers to behead him, [Venantius beheaded] & ten
Roman men with him. When they had been led out thus, &
Blessed Venantius had come to the place of the condemned,
he prayed & said: Lord Jesus Christ, good Father,
receive my spirit: do not permit us to perish, because
we are your creatures: deliver us from the hand of the dragon who
persecutes us: but lion of the tribe of Judah, root of David,
who dost crush wars, receive our spirit. And saying
these things he signed himself: & the other ten, who with him
were to be beheaded, signed themselves: & they said, receive,
O God, our spirit. And at once they were beheaded.

[18] In that very hour there were such thunders & lightnings
in the city, [& buried,] that all thought themselves to be dead:
& they cried out with trembling, Help us, Blessed
Venantius. But the King, when he saw such things, was turned to flight
that night toward the part of Rome. But there came
Christians & gathered the bodies of the Saints, &
buried them outside the city near one mile
in a sarcophagus at night on the XV Kalends of June: where in the same place
from the region of the Pagans just as many were baptized in the faith
of Christ. [Antiochus perishes badly.] A messenger came to the Emperor from the parts of Rome,
that the Nobles & Judges & Heralds had been expelled
at Rome: he proceeded into the Alban country, & there tarried
for some days. But the Roman men heard, &
cast him out: & when he had been cast out, he proceeded into the woods,
& there from heat & hunger died King Antiochus.

[19] When Leontius & Euprepius with their companions
had heard about the King what had been done, they believed the more:
but they considered, [Leontius & companions send their explorers to Camerino:] about Blessed Venantius what they should do.
Then they sent searchers to inquire, what
they should do about him or about his companions. Then they came into
the part of the Camerine city, & hearing the signs & marvels
rejoiced, & came to the tombs of the blessed Saints,
& besought them: & in the same place there were more
than a thousand souls of men. Then the men of the city saw them
& questioned them & said, Whence are you?
The searchers said, From the parts of Rome. The citizens
said, And what do you seek? But they said, Venantius.
Then the men of the city related all things which
about these had been done: & questioned them about Antiochus
what had been done. The Romans said, By a most shameful
death he is extinguished. The men of the city said,
Whose searchers are you? They said of Leontius
& Euprepius & their companions. The peoples said,
Perhaps of those, on whom the King put golden collars
& little silver chains? They answered, Of those
we are the messengers. The citizens said: [to whom relating things seen & heard at Rome,] Report back
to your Lords that they receive the Pontificate
from the Roman powers, & come into this city,
& take the gold & silver & marvelous garments
& precious gems, & judge what is to be done
about the god Jove: but we fear to violate
the face of the Emperor himself for that cause. The Romans hearing these things,
rejoiced greatly: & the men of the city gave them
money, & sent them back to Rome. Then they announced
to their Lords the signs & marvels, which the Lord
gave through His servant Venantius: but they
hearing about the signs rejoiced, praised the Lord
& blessed.

[20] At the same hour they proceeded to Blessed John
the Pope, [Pope John ordains the Bishop & Clergy of Camerino,] & related all things which by the Saints
had been done. But he, when he heard, fixed his knees on
the ground, & raised his eyes to heaven, giving thanks to God,
that he had heard such great things about his servants. Then Blessed
Pope John consecrated Leontius Archbishop,
& Euprepius Archdeacon, & all the others
into the order of Clerics: & the blessing being received
they returned rejoicing to their home. And they took
at night the gold & silver, & came into the city
of the Camerine city. Then the peoples received them honorably,
& they came to the tombs of the Saints: where
seeing the signs & marvels, which God showed through
His servants, rejoicing & being glad they blessed the Lord.
Afterwards they came to the house of Jove, [a church is built,] and
broke it: & they founded an altar in honor
of the blessed Virgin Mary of gold & silver & precious
gems: but above the bodies of the blessed Saints
they founded twelve altars, & built a house
more ample & more marvelous. But from the treasures
of Antiochus the Emperor, of gold & silver &
precious gems, they adorned the tombs of the Saints.

[21] Leontius, Euprepius, Anthimus & Sixtus,
Paternianus, Pastor, Geminianus, Leo, Constantinus
nephew of Constantine, Hieronymus, Enesseus,
Miniatus, Clarius, Elearanus, Ossi, Mero, Tiberius,
Donatillus, Agarius, Metropon, were instituted
Clerics, & led the life of Saints. Through
them the Lord showed signs in their life. But also
those who were killed by Antiochus, Anastasius
the cornicularius & Theopista his wife, & four sons
& two daughters, these are their names: Ebodis, Aradius,
Calistus, Felix; of the daughters, Euphemia, Primitiva. [The Martyrs are honored.]
But the companion of Blessed Venantius was Porphyrius
the Priest, but he ended his life earlier by fifteen days.
But the names of those, who with Blessed Venantius lost
the present life, these are: Ammemona, Euphus,
Julianus & Marius, Silanus & Orion, Dioscorus,
Vientius, & Julianus, Triphon, & others whose
names we know not, one thousand five hundred twenty-five,
whom within the Camerine city [Antiochus
caused to be killed. For] because that very Camerine city was the Chamber
of the King, & the King tarried there, therefore
more Saints there for the name of Christ were killed.
Through the intercession of them & of all the Saints
may our Lord Jesus Christ lead us to the kingdoms
of the heavens: who with the Father & the Holy Spirit lives & reigns
God through the immortal ages of ages. Amen.

CRITICAL ANNOTATION

[1] These Acts, at the urging of Henry Lindanus, a Priest
of our Society & Penitentiary in the Lauretan shrine, [From these Acts, received from an old MS.]
in the year MDCXLIX, from an old parchment codex of the Abbey
of St. Eutitius, distant from Camerino XX m. p., from Norcia VI, the Most Illustrious & Most Reverend
D. Jacobus Crescentius, a Noble Roman & perpetual Commendatary
of the aforesaid Abbey, ordered to be copied out
for us with public & notarial faith. The Codex itself, either brought from Camerino, or copied from another older Camerine one,
contains all the original knowledge, which about
St. Venantius was had at Camerino, at that time when there were ordained
the Mass & Office of this Saint; which we have from
the old Missal & Breviary of the Church of St. Venantius of Camerino,
as having been used in it from of old, until the sacred
Congregation of Rites intervened, & ordered all things to be done from
the common. The Congregation was moved no doubt by the evident fabulosity,
which the wholly chimerical fiction
about Antiochus, King & Emperor, Roman indeed, but having his palace
at Camerino, contained; [& accustomed to be read among the divine offices,] & about the Pontificate of I know not what Blessed John
the Pope, since with that name before the VI century no one
presided over the Roman Church. There were not present indeed in the aforesaid
Breviary, or rather Antiphonary, written with chant & notes,
the Lessons themselves, inasmuch as it was the custom for them to be recited from
the Passional or Legendary, especially written for this without chant
& notes: but that in place of the Lessons there were those
Acts which we have already given, is made certain by the Antiphons, Versicles
& Responsories, all & each excerpted verbatim from the same,
just as we have caused them to be printed in a special character.

[2] For the further confirmation of this assertion the
Antiphon at the Benedictus makes, [the remaining parts of the proper Office received.] in the very order in which the Acts
present it, comprising the torments ascribed to the Saint by those,
under a synopsis of this kind: Bound & sent into prison,
stripped & suspended in the air, scorched
with lamps, placed on the rack above smoke, slaughtered
on the back, beaten with rods, shorn of hair, cudgeled,
sprinkled with live coals was the Martyr of Christ, his jaws
& teeth crushed, given to the lions, cast in a dunghill,
hurled headlong outside the wall, dragged through the valleys &
rough places, finally beheaded by Antiochus, Blessed
Venantius. Alleluia. From the same Acts was also taken
the material of four Hymns for both Vespers,
Matins & Lauds; & of others, perhaps composed for the Octave,
similarly four, not inelegant for that age,
which however because they can teach us nothing new I pass over.
Yet I cannot pass over that beginning of the Sequence
(as they call it) to be sung before the Gospel:

Venantius was begotten of an excellent lineage,
In the royal city, formerly called Valeria,
      Now it is called Camerinum,
      And is called the Chamber of the King.

Do you see also the last clause of the Acts, expressed in the beginning
of this sequence? Doubt not therefore but that those Acts,
just as we have given them, are the very ones which the Camerine Church
used as its own; & at the same time understand, that all things are of that
most barbarous time, in which, the memory of legitimate antiquities
being abolished, various Italian cities devised fabulous
causes of their appellations from their own names, often quite
ridiculously interpreted, as Milan (Mediolanum), from a sheep
having wool only in the middle part of its body & born there; Ariano,
as if from the Altar of Janus dug up again, & other similar things.

[3] [These, faulty not by their antiquity,] Cardinal Baronius, in his Annotations on the Roman Martyrology
of XVIII May, at the name of St. Venantius,
thus writes: We have seen the documents of the Church of Camerino
(namely the Mass & proper Office) & also
his Acts & those of his fellow Martyrs, which however on account of
the too great antiquity of time having mistakes brought upon them,
need censure & no small correction. Indeed a great
antiquity of time, while one copy from another is repeatedly
transcribed, by the hands either unskilled or careless
of scribes, is wont even on the best monuments
to bring a certain obscurity, by truncating or altering
some words, & the forms of proper names or numerical
notes; so that not without tedious labor & the collation of several
MSS. among themselves can they be fully purged: but these
being removed, the more ancient the Acts of the Saints are, the more they are
nearly to be believed as sincere & more worthy of faith. [but by their novelty can be called fabulous.] But that
certain things appear fabulous in almost the whole context, that for the most part
is caused not by an excess, but by a defect of fitting antiquity. For what
can be certainly believed about the most ancient matters, if it was not by the most ancient
authors committed to writing? But when
after the course of several centuries, in the middle & wholly
barbarous age, some presumed to supply the defect or loss of ancient
monuments by narrations adorned poetically
rather than rhetorically, through men intent on this one thing,
that they might stir up the admiration of readers (such altogether
he seems to have been, who patched together the Passion of Venantius)
what but insipid things & contrary to all antiquity would they give,
partly from ill-digested traditions of the common people, partly from inventions
of their own, while they strive to extend a knowledge of the true either none or
slight into an ample Legend?

[4] [Equilinus substituted the name of Decius for Antiochus,] Peter de Natalibus, Bishop of Equilio, in his
Catalog of Saints book 5, written about the year MCCCCLXXXII,
wove a brief compendium from the Acts; & Antiochus King
& Emperor being entirely expunged, preferred thus to begin:
Venantius the Martyr suffered in the city of Camerino,
in the time of Decius Caesar: who, held by the Governor, when
he confessed Christ the Lord, first indeed
beaten with cudgels, then sent into prison, but by an Angel
was strengthened. Although Equilinus did this relying on no other ancient author,
nor do the monuments of the Camerines exhibit a trace of the Decian persecution;
yet it pleased Caesar Baronius, as singularly expedient for reducing
Antiochus into order, & banishing him to
the class of urban Governors. The other writers followed everywhere,
namely the Author of the Italian Life, [to whom others joined the Governor Antiochus;] printed at the instance of Perbenedictus
Marinus in the year MDCXI at Camerino, in which
Antiochus is called Prefect of the Camerine city under Decius;
Andreas Perbenedictus of Camerino, Bishop of Venosa,
in the sacred Representation of the Life & Martyrdom of St. Venantius,
a regular book brought on stage in Italian, & dedicated to the Senate &
People of Camerino & printed in the year MDCXVII;
Joannes Andreas Gilius in his Annals, also published in the vulgar
tongue, book 2 treating of the Persecutions of the Church, & comprising in a brief
epitome the whole series of the Venantian martyrdom;
finally the Author of the new Lessons under Aemilius Alterius the Bishop,
which we received from Rome in the year MDCXL, & now
from the year MDCLXX, inserted into the Roman Breviary for the common
use of the whole Clergy, we recite.

[5] Finally, about six or eight years before these, in Roman
type, in a small volume in 12, (as Nicolaus Bartolini
of the Congregation of the Presbyters of the Mother of God writes to us)
there came forth the Life of the holy Martyr Venantius, [& several new circumstances,]
by the author Joannes Philippus Bandini, in the Italian tongue,
described in three books; but in a style so turgid, that he seems to have composed
not a history of the Saint probable by truth for the ears of the pious,
but a romance for the idle common rabble,
nearly destroying the faith which he had previously built up for the Reader
of the work excellently undertaken by him in seeking out
the knowledge of the sacred Champion, through places often laid waste &
burned by the barbarians, whose beginning is bound up in this synopsis.
St. Venantius, of the country of Camerino, was begotten under
Pope Fabian, the Emperor Maximinus, in the year CCXXXVIII,
of his parents Soprinus & Benedicta, baptized by
Porphyrius the Presbyter & piously nourished,
from his tender years dwelt in caves: & under his guidance under Decius
withdrawing to the valley of Amiternum in the Samnites, not
far from the town commonly named Raiano, he was renowned
by the fame of sanctity even in the little one of flattery, & by the prodigy
of the very marble taking on his footprints with a facility more than
waxen. Summoned to Corfinium, a city now destroyed,
he pacified a civil sedition. Returning to Porphyrius,
that both might leap forth into the open to confess the name
of Christ, he prevailed by prayers: whence afterwards
he was delated before Antiochus the Prefect. Thus far in
a letter given to us in the year 1675 Nicolaus Bartolinus,
bidding us note, that nothing of those things which here are so
asseveratingly said, are said thus in the original Legend: which things
therefore only I wished to adduce, that it may appear by what reason
fables are amplified; while in the silence of the older ones someone
presumes, that it is lawful indeed expedient, that a rude & undigested
tradition be clothed with all the circumstances, required for
a full history, although it be necessary to invent them.

[6] Meanwhile what I said remains true, that Peter
de Natalibus is the first, who brought Decius into the history;
nor is anything had from elsewhere, by which it is proved either that under him
Venantius suffered, or that some Antiochus lived at Camerino.
But it appears that this one cannot, [not except by uncertain conjecture.] from the summit of the supreme
Royal power, be thrust down to the Prefecture of one city,
unless those Acts be subverted from the foundations, from which alone however he became known;
just as from those alone became known the kinds of torments inflicted on St. Venantius,
& his tender age defined by only fifteen
years; & the twin band of the Camerine Martyrs,
one with Anastasius the Cornicularius on the day
XI of May, the other with a whole millenary of citizens on the XXIX
inscribed in today's Roman Martyrology. [The fellow Martyrs are equally uncertain.] The first on
the said day we have given, not without scruple; the second to give
we do not think necessary. Yet because it can scarcely be doubted,
that in the time of the persecutions Camerino, equally as the other
Italian cities, sent many Martyrs to heaven;
& the memory of posterity could have preserved the names of some,
confused indeed & obscure; we think also it could have come
to pass, that the writer of the Acts of St. Venantius drew into his
history some true & known-by-true-names Martyrs of Camerino;
although perhaps they suffered long before or after,
just as he drew into it St. Porphyrius the Presbyter,
whom that he was by no means feigned the body still surviving
in a most ancient marble chest proves.

[7] [as also the age of Leontius the Bishop,] In this very manner Leontius was drawn thither, if any such
one really was ordained Bishop of Camerino by a certain Pope John:
but he was by no means the first: since
in the year CCCCLXV Gerontius of Camerino is named among
XLVIII Bishops, who assembled in a Roman Synod
under Pope Hilarus. To Gerontius could have succeeded Boniface
of Camerino, named in the III Roman Synod under Symmachus
in the year DI. From here until Projectus,
who flourished a whole century & a half after, the name of no Bishop of Camerino
became known: & again until St. Ansovinus,
ordained in the year DCCCXXII (as we taught at his Life),
only two Bishops are named: whence it appears,
that all the monuments of that city were lost, & with them
also the true time of the aforesaid Leontius. Under this one, to be
referred perhaps to the VII or VIII century, could have been found
the body of St. Venantius, hitherto unknown among the Camerines,
under the indication of a name set on a small Tablet: whom a fifteen-year-old
boy the slenderness of the bones could have made to be believed, but a Martyr
indeed
the dissected or divided skull: [& the time & manner of death inflicted on St. Venantius.] of which the upper part from
the nostrils to the crown, exhibiting the form of a little dish,
Joannes Andreas Gilius being witness, with several other Relics
was found in the year MDLVIII on the XXII day of March.
From which a new argument is added against the faith of the Acts,
which assert the Saint to have been beheaded. The same Gillius
says: That the Camerines refer it to St. Venantius, cast down
from the walls of their city; which although it not
rarely happens that some fall from the same, without graver harm yet the fall is of a graver kind. But what if someone should wish
to suspect, that the holy youth, in some, not so much persecution,
as barbarian raid, under the Lombards or other
heathens, was cast down from the walls, & the skull being
shattered by the fall died a Martyr, outside all form of judgment,
whose Passion then some fabulist, just as we have seen,
adorned? I would not wish to affirm that. Yet I wished
to propose it to the reader, that he may determine for himself, what & how far he wishes to believe
the Acts & the compendia taken therefrom. We give to St. Venantius
the first place on this day: because if it does not befit him here,
as having suffered before the others; it befits at least, as one
to be venerated before the others by mandate of the Apostolic See.

[8] Georgius Cardosus, in the Lusitanian Hagiology on this day,
mentions another St. Venantius the Martyr, [Another Venantius, a Roman Martyr at Lisbon.] brought from the cemetery
of Priscilla at Rome to Lisbon to the convent of the Fathers
Theatines, surnamed of Divine Providence; with
this authentication. We Antonius Barberinus, Bishop
of Tusculum, called Cardinal Antonius,
Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church & great Almoner of the Kingdom of France,
the within-written greater part of the relics
of the Body of St. Venantius the Martyr, given to us,
with the same faculties we give & grant
to the Most Illustrious & Most Excellent Lord Knight,
D. Franciscus de Sousa & Coutinho, Ambassador of the King
of Lusitania, so that of them or part of them, by virtue
of the said faculties, he may dispose in every
better way &c. Given in the Palace of our usual
residence, X January, MDCLIX. There are present in the same
chest two canes of St. Hyacinth Martyr & St. Vincent
Martyr. All which that they might lawfully be exposed to public veneration,
were duly recognized by the Bishop of Targa,
D. Franciscus de Sotomajor, as Provisor of the Chapter
the See being vacant, XIV June MDCLX. But rightly Cardosus
notes, that this day was chosen for his cult;
not because he is now believed to have suffered (for the Birthday of that one & of all
similar ones is unknown) but because now someone of his name
occurs in the Roman Martyrology. Which why we approve less,
we have already often said.

APPENDIX

How the Acts of St. Venantius are for a great part taken from the older Acts of St. Agapitus the boy, Martyr of Praeneste.

Venantius, Martyr at Camerino in Italy (St.)

BHL Number: 0125

[Col. 144A]

[9] These things I had arranged, indeed I already long ago had them printed:
when the printing of the fourth & fifth Volume being now almost finished,
[King Antiochus is similarly introduced,] I hear from our Ribadeneira read at table
the Passion of St. Agapitus the Martyr of Praeneste, for the XVIII
day of August; & marveling at the complete similarity of the whole narration
with those things which I remembered to be had here, I found
among our MSS., laid up for that day, double Acts of his;
of which the first & older began thus. Under King
Antiochus the Pagan there was a certain boy by name Agapitus.
Such things Rabanus Maurus also had & the author of the supposititious
Bede, the day XV Kalends of September thus beginning
The Birthday of St. Agapitus the Martyr, who under King Antiochus,
when he was a boy of fifteen years, for Christ
suffered &c. I saw then, not only the same things as to substance,
but for a great part also as to words, inserted
into the Legend of St. Venantius, so that almost this whole one until
num. 9 (for the things which follow thereafter are superadded from elsewhere
[Col. 144B]) appears to have been transumed thence, with a somewhat fuller
phrase, with some transposition of things & a slight
diversity of torments. Considering moreover how much among
the common people prejudice has been born against truth, from the time when the epitome of the Passion
of St. Venantius was received into the Roman Breviary; I judged
this new conviction of the noted fiction not
to be passed over, nor the month of August to be awaited
in which the same things would be again treated. Read therefore here,
how my predecessors received from our P. Beatillus
at Naples, & found the same, in the MS. Codices of the Most Illustrious
men Rebdorff, Du Puy, Ussher, Belfort;
also in the most ancient Codices of San-Maximin, Fulda,
Saint-Bertin & ours, & finally printed by Boninus
Mombritius; with this tenor nearly everywhere; whose words when
they are the same as in the Acts of St. Venantius, will be expressed
in a different character.

[10] Under King Antiochus the Pagan there was a certain boy,
by name Agapitus, fearing God: he renounced all
the things of his parents, & offered himself to God
a holocaust. [& the man of God Porphyrius.] Who when he was daily in the doctrine
of Christ, & did not cease; said to the man of God by name
Porphyrius: By your crown, & by this that
we seem to be & are soldiers of Christ, I adjure you, that
we hide ourselves not from the wickedness of the devil; but rather
of our own accord let us offer ourselves, & say: Pagan King, why
[Col. 144C] do you persecute the disciples of Christ, & why do you try to deliver them
to death? & (just as blessed Paul the Apostle says; If
your enemy hunger feed him, & if he thirst give him
drink; for doing this you will heap coals of fire upon
his head [Rom. 12, 20.]) let us preach to him the divine word.
Forthwith this was announced to the King. Then the King ordered
Agapitus to be brought forth, [The Martyr having professed the faith before him] who had spoken this, & said
to him. I see you to be very mad & wordy,
so that before you are questioned you seem to give yourself into
judgment. Agapitus answered: I am not
mad, but a Christian: & in my God I place my hope,
because He Himself said, do not fear those who kill
the body, but to the soul they can do nothing. King Antiochus
said to him: whose son are you, or from what race
have you descended, or in whom do you believe? Agapitus answered.
From a boy I am a Christian, & born of a most noble race,
& in the forum I learned law: then my parents gave me
into a monastery, [he says he was instructed in a monastery,] & there I was instructed in the truth; & my God
I worship, & Him alone I serve who created me. If anything
in this you dare to speak against God, if you are His enemy,
I answer you. King Antiochus said to him:
I will not now speak much to you, for I hear that you are a boy;
but of what merit you are I know not. But I say to you, Agapitus,
[Col. 144D] you ought to obey. Approach therefore & sacrifice to the great God Jove
the most invincible, lest you, as a Christian boy & noble
by a generous family, I make to perish by various punishments.
I know you to have said, I do not fear your torments; [& that his wisdom was from Christ] but advised
sacrifice, lest you fall into death, & many say
after your torments, that as a Christian & a boy under
fifteen years, he is prepared to die. Agapitus answered:
My Judge is my God, who knows the hearts of all.
But you who dwell in this world, appear to be the son of your father
the devil; & therefore through your malice you make me in your many
arguments to be solicitous about Christ my Lord. King Antiochus
said: I wish that you tell me whence is this wisdom to you?
Agapitus answered: Christ my God is with me, &
you say, Whence is this wisdom to you?

[11] Then the King ordered him to be strongly beaten with raw sinews.
Agapitus answered: I am not beaten, but refreshed: [he is said then delivered to the Governor, & beaten with sinews] for in what
manner boys beat themselves with their hands in a threshing-floor, so also I am mocked
by your ministers. Then the King delivered him to the Governor &
[Col. 144E] said: Unless Agapitus shall sacrifice, kill him with various punishments.
Then the Governor said to his soldiers: O Jove! O Mercury!
to whom should we attend, what should be done? because Agapitus
of fifteen years says, I do not feel that your soldiers slaughter
me? And the Governor, angry, said: Take him & put into
prison, & let no one approach him, [cast back into prison;] & for four days let no
water or any creature be given him, until he there fails. But Attalus
the Cornicularius said to the Governor: Why do you bear
solicitude for yourself? I go to him, & will make him sacrifice.
Then the Governor said to him: By the state of this city, [where Attalus the Apostate having vainly solicited him by his example,]
& by the power of great Jove & by the power of our
Lords the most invincible Princes, that if you persuade
him, I will make you what I am. But Attalus the Cornicularius
went to Agapitus in prison, & said to him: Believe,
Agapitus, & withdraw from your folly, & sacrifice to the gods. For what
will it profit you to die in torments? & why do you lose the flower
of your most pleasing youth? But I, just as you are, was
a minister [of Jove]. Then Agapitus said to him: You see
me a boy in age, but I am not so detained by boyish fatuity as
you, mad son of the devil; who go & adore deaf
& mute idols, which are made by men, which my God
knows not; who are born of the devil your father, whose son you are, & his will
you do; who say Jove, since he is my God,
[Col. 144F] whose companion you are. Attalus the Cornicularius said: Agapitus,
sacrifice to the gods: it is allowed me to say all things to you, because I sustain you.
And when he was saying these things the Governor sent, & ordered Agapitus
to be brought forth from prison. And while he was being led, the voice
of the herald was sent before; Let Agapitus, blaspheming the gods, [then live coals are said to have been placed on the head of the Martyr,] by us
with exquisite torments be tortured. Therefore Agapitus came
to the Governor, & said to him: Agapitus, have you considered to be
our friend? Agapitus answered: Do not tempt the Lord
Christ my God, lest while you wish to tempt you be tempted by your father
the devil. The Governor said: Take live coals, & on his head
put. And when on his head the live coals had been placed,
Agapitus said: Glory to you O God, who reignest forever,
who hast made me to be proven: & he began to sing psalms, On account of
my innocence you have received me, & confirmed me
in your sight forever. And again the Governor ordered
Agapitus to be beaten with scourges. Agapitus said: [& scourges applied,] a flame
I saw first, & I was not tortured; then with scourges
I am beaten, & so it is to me as if it defends from flies that I may be refreshed.

[12] And again the Governor ordered black smoke to be made, &
naked with head turned downward to be suspended. [likewise smoke set under him being suspended,] But when he said
to the Governor, Your wisdom & your vanity labors with smoke;
again he is beaten with scourges by four succeeding one another in turn,
[Col. 144A] & saying, Do not do injury to the Governor,
& blaspheme the gods. But the ministers left him suspended.
Then the Governor ordered that no one should approach him,
until his body should be announced to have failed. But Anastasius
the Cornicularius, after four days, went where he hung, to see if he still lived: & he found him walking about upon the smoke,
in a white garment, & singing psalms & saying;
I shall not die, but I shall live, & shall tell the works of the Lord. And again: [whence Anastasius finding him saved was converted:] We have passed through fire & water, &
you have brought us, O God, into refreshment: for an Angel
of the Lord loosed him. Then Attalus the Cornicularius announced
to the Governor, a great miracle, which he had seen. Then the Governor
says: What shall we do with him? Anastasius said. I believe
that his God is great, & there is no other God besides Him.
The Governor said to him; As I see, you are seduced. Now I will intimate
to the Emperor, that you are seduced. Anastasius said. Most willingly
do I wish to undergo sentence, lest I see the holy & just one
tortured. Agapitus hearing these things, that Anastasius had spoken thus,
spread out his hands, & raised his eyes to Heaven,
& prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ saying: Thanks
to you, O God the only-begotten Savior, God from God, & true light from
true light, [the Martyr indeed insulting the tyrant,] Word who art before all power, who reignest
with the Father & the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Then
the Governor was exceedingly angry, & tore his garments, saying:
[Col. 144B] O immortal gods, who show not your powers
against the sacrilegious one & the one blaspheming the gods,
that you avenge not your injuries upon Agapitus. Saint
Agapitus said: Why do you thus, Governor, grow angry, & do injury
to your gods? Or know you not, that just as stones are laid
in the streets to avoid mud, so also you their dust
will diminish? But the Governor understood not what
the man of God Agapitus said. And the Governor said to him:
Man, you have not proven your age, whence to you this wisdom?
Agapitus said: My God, who knows the hearts of all,
knows also how I believe Him with a pure heart: & thanks
I give to my God living & true, who deigned to bestow on me that wisdom
of His riches. The Governor said:
Tell me who is your God? Agapitus said:
Great is my God, & admirable, & invincible in power,
whom Angels & Archangels serve, who made
heaven & earth, the sea & all things which are in them; to whom
from earth to heaven sweetly psalms are sung, who you with all
your people will make to come to nothing.

[13] Then the angry Governor said to his soldiers: strip
him, [& therefore having his belly drenched with boiling water,] & boiling water into his belly put,
& say to him; Do not be very wordy as a boy,
& do injuries to the Governor. And while these things were done
by the soldiers, the man of God Agapitus said: What is it
[Col. 144C] that you put boiling water into my belly?
I think that you put cold water on me, because my Lord,
on account of whom I suffer all these things, has deigned to bestow
refreshment on me. And he said to the Governor: Even
so believe, that your torments are nothing. Then the Governor
ordered his jaws to be broken, [& his jaws crushed.] & said to him. Know you not before whom
you stand, & you speak undisciplinedly? The man of God Agapitus
answered. Now I am ashamed to look upon your sacrilegious face.
The Governor said: You speak truly, because still I make you
to live. Agapitus said: all torments I do not fear,
which are on the earth, if they be heaped together upon me: because
I have a great patron, God, who strengthens me
& will make me contend against a mad man. The Governor
said to him: If I shall believe, shall I see your God? Agapitus
answered: You shall not tempt the Lord God
my God, because your father the devil also wished to tempt our
Lord Jesus Christ, & He said to him,
You shall not tempt the Lord your God, go behind, Satan:
So also you shall not tempt the servant of God, lest while
you wish to tempt you be tempted by your father the devil. And when
the servant of God Agapitus had said these things, [the Governor however having fallen from the tribunal & been killed,] the Governor fell from his tribunal.
Then his ministers gathered him up, & put him on a bed.
Then the Governor said to his soldiers: Run, I burn:
help me: for our gods are nothing, which without cause
[Col. 144D] we worship; but the God of Agapitus is great & eternal: &
what I did to the boy of God, this I receive. And when this
the Governor had said, he expired at once.

[14] But the ministers, seeing this which was done
about the Governor, announced it to the Emperor. [By the Emperor's order cast to the Lions,] Then the Emperor ordered
Saint Agapitus to be subjected to the Lions. And at once his ministers
led him into the Praenestine city, & prepared
an amphitheater, & made a spectacle for the people,
that there they might subject him to the Lions. But the lions,
when they had been let loose, came to saint Agapitus,
& with all gentleness humbled themselves at his feet.
But the peoples, seeing, marveled, saying: Truly there is no
other God, except Him whom Agapitus the servant of God confesses. And
when the peoples had said these things, Agapitus said to them: Believe in
Christ, fathers & brothers, that your souls may be saved,
because all these things are transitory from the world, which are done on
earth; Blessed shall you be if you believe in the living God. Then
the ministers of the devil took saint Agapitus, & led
him, that they might kill him with various punishments. And
they came opposite the city, where there are two columns: &
the knee being set in prayer there they struck him with a sword,
& at once he sent forth the spirit, on the day XV Kal. of September. [& finally diminished by the head,]
Then the Christians came through the night, & took
his body, & put it from the city one mile, in a field,
[Col. 144E] in a new sarcophagus which they found there, saying;
That God chose this one a worthy Martyr for Himself, that
through him there might God be blessed, where was the religion of the Pagans. [& was buried by the Christians.]
And many of the Pagans believed in God through
the servant of God Agapitus, & through Christ our Lord,
who lives & reigns with God the Father &
the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

[15] [Only the fable about Agapitus is shorter:] You see here not only King Antiochus, but also
Porphyrius the man of God, & the education of the Martyr in a monastery,
& the age of fifteen years, & the nobility of race;
& the Anonymous Governor, to whom Agapitus was committed to be tortured,
similarly fallen from the tribunal & killed:
the Martyr besides scourged, cudgeled, with live coals placed on the head
& smoke set under him vexed, & cast to the lions:
then the vain attempts of Attalus the Apostate, & Anastasius the Cornicularius,
& many of the people converted; finally the burial,
& with nearly the same words all the things in which you had read the same about St.
Venantius: nor any notable difference, except that
where Agapitus is said to be drenched in the belly with boiling water this one
is feigned dragged through precipices, & is said to have elicited a fountain of water
for his draggers; so that one would have to be plainly blind or obstinate,
who could not or would not see, that these Acts of St. Agapitus
were proposed to him who patched together the Passion of St. Venantius;
nor was anything else cared for, than that the fable might come out more prolix,
[Col. 144F] with the Passions & Acts also of others added, as if
connected with the Martyrdom of St. Venantius. In this however far
more insipid the later one appears, that he wished the tragedy to have been
enacted at Camerino, as if there the King or Roman Emperor had his seat
& palace: while the other detains his Antiochus at Rome,
& there says the torments were inflicted on the Saint, & only the capital
punishment last taken at Praeneste.

[16] But now, just as the emenders of the Acts of St. Venantius
judged that all would be safe for them, if Antiochus, [whose other copies make Antiochus only a Governor] cast down from the Royal
& Imperial power, with the title of Governor they should subject
to some Emperor, so already of old it was done with the aforesaid
Acts of St. Agapitus, in some MSS. with this beginning: At that
time, when the most impious Aurelian the Emperor was exercising a most savage
persecution against the Christians
in the whole Roman world; there held at Rome the Prefectorial
dignity a Governor, by name Antiochus, worse in all things
than his Lord. There was then in the same city a venerable
boy by name Agapitus, fearing God, &c. But thereafter
where here King Antiochus is named, there is the Emperor
Aurelian; & the Governor here Anonymous, there is called
Antiochus. [under the Emperor Aurelian,] Thus corrected the Acts had & followed
Ado, Usuard, & others; except that in the supplements of Bede
of Arras, Barberini & Dijon, instead of Aurelian is written
Aurelius; from the same fountain certainly.
