Goswinus
Acta Sanctorum, May 22
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-22/goswinus.html
----------------------------------------

ON ST. GOSWINUS,

A BOY MARTYR, AT ROME.

THE COMMENTARY OF JOHN BOLLAND.

On the notice of the martyrdom from the Martyrologies of more recent writers and the etymology of the name.

Goswinus, a boy, Martyr at Rome (S.)

The natal day of S. Goswinus on the XI Kalends of June
was consigned in their Fasti by Hermann
Greven the Carthusian a hundred and forty years ago, Peter
Canisius our own, Molanus, Ferrarius.
The former two only express the name and laurel
in these words: Of Goswinus the Martyr. Molanus in the auctarium
to Usuard, [He is said to have suffered as a boy at Rome,] [adds] the place of the contest, and the age of the athlete:
At Rome, he says, of S. Goswinus a boy and Martyr. Ferrarius
in the general Catalogue of Saints, citing Molanus, yet
dissents from him as to the place: On the same day, he says, at Cologne
of S. Gosuinus a boy Martyr. The same in the Fasti of Cologne
has Aegidius Gelenius: but he found nothing further
of this Saint anywhere, as he testified to us. The Ms. Florarium
of the Saints, the place being dissembled, indicates the time of Martyrdom,
but puts it on May XXVII: The Passion, it says, of Goeswinus a boy
and Martyr under Antoninus Pius, in the year of salvation CLXXVI.
But that was the year XVI from the accession of Antoninus Pius,
of the empire of M. Aurelius and L. Verus XVI, with Pollio and Aper as Consuls.

[2] From the words of these authors I conjecture, that of this Holy
Martyr some Acts are extant somewhere, [perhaps sprung from Belgium,] or relics are kept,
with things added which we have related on some little label; as in ancient
shrines is wont to be. The name is Teutonic: whence anyone might
divine, that he sprang from Germany or Belgium, and came to Rome
either in the company of his parents or kinsmen, or in the retinue of some Prefect
returning from those regions; and that, having freely
professed the faith, which either in his fatherland he had imbibed, or had learned
at Rome, he carried off the palm of Martyrdom.

[3] Unless one should rather suspect, that to those shores the relics of an unknown Martyr
were brought from Rome, who afterward as Goswinus,
that is, [or given by a Bishop a Teutonic name,] Beloved-of-God, or Friend-of-God, or Theophilus,
was named by some Prelate, a general name being turned into a proper one.
For Wine or Win in the old language of our people, and
also of the English, signifies Friend or beloved.
Thus in the Life of S. Lebuinus the Presbyter in Surius
November XII Hucbald, an old writer: After the bright
lights of very many Doctors, which the same sun of justice,
that he might drive away the darkness of the West, had irradiated with his own
splendor, [in which Win signifies friend,] that they themselves also might be the light of this world;
one star also, exceptional, when the day of this age was now nearly
darkening to evening, suffused most copiously with the grace
of his splendor, He deigned to bring forth
for their enlightenment, namely Lebuinus, a dear friend to Himself,
according to the idiom of a name most fittingly agreeing with him. For
he is reported by those skilled in his language, that he was called
LIEFWIN in the speech of his country, which to the Romans sounds, Dear friend.
But certain letters being removed or changed to suit Latinity,
he was called Lebuinus. By that word Wine
Wilteramus the Abbot everywhere expounds in the Paraphrase of the Song
of Songs, published by Paul Merula, that which in Latin is Beloved.
Thus that chapter I. v. XII, *A bundle of myrrh is my beloved
to me*, he himself renders in the old Frankish tongue,
as Merula speaks, or Teutonic or Saxon: Min
Wine, is mïr also ein gebundelin mirron. And v. XIII,
*A cluster of cypress is my beloved to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.*
Min Wine is mer Worthan ethele Winthruvo van
Cypro, in then Wingardon Engaddi. And V, XV, *Behold
thou art fair, my beloved, and comely.* Sino schone bistu
Wine min, ande eerlich. And so onward. More
examples of similar nomenclature James Revius brings forth in Daventria
illustrata book 1 page 10, as Hlodewin, who is Chlodoveus
commonly, that is, Friend of the people: Baldwin, brave friend:
Winfrid, friend of peace, or dear peace. So therefore
Goswin, [God Deum;] Friend of God. For God in the Teutonic speech is
God. Hence Gods-win, or Godes-win, or for euphony's
sake the d being cast off, Goswin or Goeswin. [so that Goswin is Theophilus, or friend of God,] What if some
Saint, whose remains brought from Rome into lower Germany
were [there], was called Theophilus; and as for Theodulus
or Servant-of-God, our people called certain ones Godscalc,
for Deodatus, or Deusdedit, Gotgave; so Goswin,
they preferred to call him?

[4] But the former conjecture is more approved by me, that S. Goswinus
sprung from Germania Secunda, set out or was carried to Rome,
on whatever occasion at last. But there were
in the age of Antoninus Pius and M. Aurelius, Christians already
quite numerous in the same Germania Secunda, especially in those places
where there were Roman garrisons, at Cologne of the Ubii, Atuatuca
of the Tungri, Jülich, Marcodurum, and elsewhere. And in the Belgic
provinces, or of Lower Germany in the Cisrhenane tract,
many everywhere from S. Goswinus, [The name is frequent among the Belgians.] their patron, draw their name in baptism.
There is another B. Goswinus (but to whom not yet have the public
honors of the sacred been decreed by the authority of the Apostolic See)
Abbot of the monastery of Anchin near Douai, who died
in the year MCLXVI, whose Life we shall publish October IX. His
appellation doubtless drawn from that more ancient Goswinus, whatever he was:
although outside the German Empire, or the kingdom
of Lotharingia, namely at Douai, he was born. And from those things
which we have here said, it is clear, what may be answered to the
clever (as they themselves think) little questions of some, how it can be
that from the ancient cemeteries of the Romans were dug up bodies
of Saints, to whom German, or names used by other peoples,
were ascribed. Thus in the college of the Society of Jesus at Mons
in Hainaut, a noble city of Belgium, the body of S. Henry the Martyr
is kept with public veneration, dug up from the cemetery of S. Priscilla
at Rome. Why indeed not, since to that City
from the whole world very many flocked together, whether for military service or
for business, or led by mere curiosity, also Belgians,
should have frequented it, and the neighboring Germans, since for more than CCCC
years they were under the empire of that City, until, prevailing
by arms, the Franks compelled it to be changed? And, to omit
the custodians of bodies adopted by the ancient Emperors,
Germans, Batavians, and others; is it not clear from the Notitia of the Empire,
that very many troops of soldiers were chosen from these peoples?
Thus the Nervii, Mattiaci, Menapii, Vandals, Germans,
Franks, Quadi, Alamanni, and others, are read in the same Notitia
to have served under various Dukes and Governors.
Why not from these someone, imbued with our sacred rites, could have
consummated martyrdom at Rome?

[5] Thus far formerly our Bolland, in favor of his friend
Goswin Nickel, [but without respect to any Saint.] then Provincial Provost of the Lower Rhenish Province,
but afterward General of our whole Society.
But what we can add there remains nothing, except the wish,
that concerning the place, in which the Relics of that Saint are kept, from somewhere
greater notice may come; which had, perhaps also more light
will shine upon the aforesaid conjectures. Meanwhile it is probable
that those who among us are called by such a name, were so called
without any respect to this or any other Saint:
as most of those, to whom such names of their fatherland's
origin fell, first indeed invented from the pious vow of parents,
then for preserving the memory of grandfathers and great-grandfathers or godfathers
in certain private families more studiously continued; equally
as certain other words of good omen, chosen for the naming of sons,
as of those born for public
or private good, as are Ruwardus, Keeper
of quiet, Lidericus, Rich for the people, and others similar, by the patronage
of no yet illustrious Saint, to whom respect could be had from present-day
usage, ennobled.
