The Lives of the Saints, Volume III (of 16): March

"Magna est illa insula, et est terra sanctorum; quia nemo scit numerum sanctorum qui sepulti sunt ibi, nisi solus Deus." Vita S. Albei. Colgan, Acta SS.

79

S. Eucherius De laude Eremi, 442.

80

Hexaemeron, lib. 3, c. 5.

81

The locality of the meeting is indicated by a chapel called S. Crocella.

82

Related by Peter de Natalibus, lib. iii. c. 218.

83

He is alluding to the Omophagic rites of Zeus Zagreus, in which the worshippers fell on a sheep and tore it with their teeth and ran about with the blood dripping from their jaws.

84

"Clauso cubile, interula, caligis, cingulo, pileoque nocturno instructus, lecto sese colocat; fusis ad Deum precibus, somno se componit."

85

See Observations on the History of Thomas, earl of Lancaster, by Lord Houghton in the Transactions of the Archæological Association for 1863, and Notes and Queries for 1850; also "The Honour and Castle of Pontefract," by Rev. C. H. Hartshorne.

86

The Caradenc of the Britons, Caraduc of the Welsh, the Latinized Caractacus.

87

S. Luke, i. 26-28.

88

Isaiah ix. 6.

89

Hist. Eccles. vi. p. 110.

90

See for fuller particulars, and more instances, the Lives of S. Werner, April 19th, S. Albert, April 20th, and S. Ludwig, April 30th.

91

In some ancient Martyrologies we find this day set down as that of the Resurrection, but others make the day to be March 25th, March 28th, April 1st, or April 5th.

92

"Sed ut eæ fidei formulæ, quibus subscripsisse Marcum habemus ex Epiphanio, prorsus fuerunt fidei orthodoxæ conformes, et in omnibus præter vocem consubstantialis nihil requireret: sic nec hoc quidem certum est, an in conciliabulo Sirmiensi quidquam senserit Marcus ab orthodoxa professione diversum." Acta SS. Martii T. iii. p. 777.

93

"Quam enim est obscurus hujus anathematismi sensus, tam est nobis suspecta fides adjunctæ rationis, nihil ad blasphemiam de duobus diis, quæ sola damnari videtur, facientis, ut propterea intrusa videri possit ab Ariano aliquo." Bollandus. —Ibid.

94

Liban. ep. 731.

95

"Considera judicium terribile Domini; considera tremendi examinis metendam sententiam; considera formidandam atque horrendam ejus judicii ultricem severitatem; considera etiam annos ætatis tuæ, et sic tandem mores commuta in melius et vel uno die ante mortem tuam corrige vitam tuam."