Page:The Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology, Volume 1, 1854.djvu/200

 190 Journal of Philology. his last fatal journey into Frisia, commended his disciples to the king, after several embassies successfully conducted to the courts of different popes, seeks Rome once more upon another errand. From their slumber by St Laurence in the field of Verus, the bones of Hippolytus came borne to France by Fulrad Abbot of St Denis. As the goodliest gift which he could make to his native province of Alsace, he laid the holy relics in the abbey which he built near Markirch; called thenceforward from his name Fulrado-Villiers, or otherwise St Hippolyte, and St Bilt 4. Fulrad in his last will 5 speaks affectionately of the place (which he calls by its more ancient name) as " Cella qure dicitur Audaldo-Villare ubi Sanctus Ipolytus requiescit" and if, as Mabillon concludes, the will was made in the last year of his life, (a.d. 784 6 ), he probably meant the relics to rest there still. But shortly afterwards, probably by his successor Harduin, they were translated with great state to the mother church of St Denys 7. For a time they rested in the body of the church upon a gorgeous hearse, and finally they were removed to a chapel prepared for them, the easternmost in the north aisle of the nave, the most honourable and goodliest of all ; where was pre- served for many ages to the admiration of the faithful a glorious reliquary of silver-gilt, setting forth, like the more ancient paint- ing, the manner of the martyr's death 8. He lies upon his face, his wrists bound with cords which are fastened round the chest of a wild horse ; a man seated on the creature lashes it with a long whip, and hurries the dying Saint over a rocky ground 9. 4 Felibien. Jlistoire de VAbb. De St the will contradict this, if wo suppose it Denis, p. 53. to have been drawn up some time before 6 Mabillon discovered this interest- his death. At any rate the translation ing document at St Denis, in two took place before his epitaph was writ- forms, the longer of which alludes to ten ; it is by our own Alcuin, and in the shorter ; both are signed by lus own the following lines : hand. Ada SS. Ord. Benedidini. VoL Iste pios patres m&gno dilexit amore in. p. 1. Quorum relliquias hjec Domus alma 6 A MS. Chronicle given by Du- tenet ; chesne fixes this date. where patres must refer to other saints 7 The Acts of the Translation of the besides St Vittu. relics of St "Vitus to St Denys made by Felibien. Appendix, in which it Fulrad, speak of Fulrad as having him- is engraved. self translated SS. Hippolytus and Alex- 9 Saussay gives the most astounding ander to the same place. Neither does version of the Progress of the Relics