St. Edward. Epiphany.

St. Lucian, and his Companions.

St. Hilary.

St. Felix.

St. Maurus.

St. Marcellus.

St. Edward. Epiphany.

Translation of St. William.| [Always on first Sunday after Epiphany.]

5

6 Epiphany.

St. Telesphorus. Epiphany.

8

9

St. Paul, Hermit.

10

11

St. Hyginus.

12

SS. Sulpicius and Antony. St. Antony.

St. Peter's Chains.
St. Antony.

SS. Athanasius and Cyril.
St. Macarius of Egypt.

St. Prisca.

St. Germanicus.

24

Conversion of St. Paul.

25 Conversion of St. Paul.

St. Polycarp.

26

St. Julian.

St. Agnes.

28 St. Agnes.

29

St. Bathilda.

St. Bathilda.

30

31

1] CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD.-[See notes on Gosp. Ep. 1 and Coll.]

Represented By a circle, or a dove holding a ring in its mouth.

6] EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD.-[See notes on Gosp. Ep. and Coll.]

Represented By a star of Bethlehem; by the three kings, or by three crowns.

8] LUCIAN, PRIEST AND MARTYR. -This St. Lucian "of Beauvais" is not to be confounded with St. Lucian "of Antioch," priest and martyr, born, like the Roman satirist of the same name, at Samosata, a forerunner of St. Jerome in Biblical criticism, and occurring in the Roman Martyrology on January 7th. The Sarum Calendar is the only mediæval English one which contains either of them; there we find St. Lucian and his companions on January 8th, as in the Parisian. The Roman Calendar contains neither Lucian. The Roman Martyrology says that at Beauvais, in Gaul, the 8th is the day of the holy martyrs Lucian, a presbyter, Maximian, and Julian, of whom the two last were slain with the sword of the persecutors; but blessed Lucian, who had come into Gaul with St. Denys, not fearing openly to confess Christ, after much slaughter was beheaded. This was under Julian, the persecuting Roman governor in Gaul, about A.D. 290. Little else is known of St. Lucian. It is said that he, St. Denys, and St. Quintin were three Roman missionaries who went to Beauvais, Paris, and Amiens respectively. [Fabian, January 20th.] For the legend which would take St. Lucian back to subapostolic times, see St. Denys, October 9th. In a calendar of the ninth century he is called "Bishop," in accordance with which is the present tradition at Beauvais. Vincent of Beauvais, however [A. D. 1244], speaks of him as priest and martyr. His appearance in the Sarum Calendar has, perhaps, arisen out of the connection between the ancient British and Gallican Churches. Calendars-Sarum, Paris.

Churches dedicated in his name-None.

Represented-Consecrating on his own breast; lying on potsherds in prison; carrying his head in his hand. [See October 9th.]

13] HILARY, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR.-Another French Saint, styled "of Poictiers," and not to be confounded with Hilary of Arles," who has been thought by some to have drawn up the "Athanasian" Creed, and who died A. D. 449. He occurs in Sarum, York, and Hereford, as well as in the Roman Martyrology, on January 13th, but in the Roman Calendar on the 14th, having been transferred on account of the Octave of the Epiphany. Quignonez places him on the 31st; and some calendars, probably in reference to translations of his relics, on June 26th and November 1st. The particulars of his life are mostly to be gathered from his own writings. He was born at Poictiers, of heathen parents, and was converted and baptized in full age; after which, about A.D. 353, he was chosen Bishop of his native city. From the time of his ordination he lived apart from his wife. After the Arian Council at Milan [A. D. 355], which had condemned St. Athanasius, he wrote to the Emperor Constantius to remonstrate with him for his encouragement of heresy, but without success. Most of the Gallican Bishops, however, remained faithful. The rest held an Arian synod in Languedoc, where St. Hilary opposed them, refuting the Arian heresy. There upon the Emperor banished him to Phrygia in A.D. 356, and cruelly persecuted the Gallican clergy, but in A.D. 357 the Bishops wrote to assure St. Hilary of their fidelity. He also received a letter from his daughter Apra, whose touching story is related by Bishop Taylor in his Holy Dying. 358 he wrote his work On Synods, in which he commends the orthodoxy of the British as well as of the Gallican Bishops. Then also he wrote On the Trinity, against the Arians, as well as some hymns. In A.D. 360 he was allowed to return to his diocese, where he was received by the faithful with great joy. After a journey into Italy, where he held a public disputation concerning the Faith, to which he had been invited by the Emperor Valentinian, he returned to Poictiers, and there died [A. D. 368]. The British Bishops had been, in common with their Gallic neighbours, his devoted admirers, and had looked to him for guidance against the Arians. Sarum Breviary says he so abhorred the enemies of the Catholic Faith that he would not even salute them, but he did, in fact, speak gently of them, hoping to win them back.

In A.D.

The

"Hilary term" in the law courts used to begin on the 13th, after the Christmas vacation, but it now extends from January 11th to January 31st. Dean Boys quaintly remarks that “howsoever in the court of conscience there be some pleading every day, yet the godly make it Hilary term all the year round."

Calendars-All except Aberdeen.
Dedications of Churches-Three.

Represented-On an island among serpents; with three books, or a triangle, pen, staff, or trumpet; with a child, sometimes in a cradle, at his feet.

18] PRISCA, ROMAN VIRGIN AND MARTYR.-Prisca was a young Roman lady who suffered either under Claudius I. in the first century, or, more probably, under Claudius II. about A.D. 270. Her "Acts" are not genuine, but there seems to be ground for believing that she suffered cruel tortures rather than sacrifice to idols, and that she was finally beheaded. It is said that an eagle defended her body from dogs until the Christians came and buried it. Some true tale of Christian faith and fortitude no doubt underlies the uncertain accounts that have come down to us respecting those details of her sufferings which are commemorated in works of art. [Sar. Ep. and Gosp.: Ecclus. li. 9-12. St. Matt. xiii. 44-52.] Calendars-All.

Dedications of Churches-None.

Represented-With an eagle near her dead body; with one or more lions near her, a sword, or a palm, in her hand; an idol falling.

20] FABIAN, BISHOP OF ROME AND MARTYR.-In most calendars St. Fabian occurs together with St. Sebastian the martyr, but they have no connection with each other beyond having the same "birthday." Eusebius says that Fabian was made Bishop of Rome in consequence of a dove alighting on his head while the election was going on; and that although he was then comparatively little known, the supposed sign from heaven determined the unanimous choice of both clergy and people [A. D. 236]. The incident of the dove is related of St. Gregory the Great and of other saints, and is perhaps a symbolical expression of belief in the presence of the Holy Ghost. Having governed the Church fourteen years, during which he sent SS. Denys, Lucian, and Quintin into Gaul [see January 8th], St. Fabian suffered martyrdom under Decius A.D. 250, and according to an ancient Latin register was buried "in Callisti," i.e. in the Catacomb of Callistus, where his name is still to be seen with those of other early Bishops of Rome, thus: PABIANOC EIII MP, Fabian, Bishop, Martyr. [Sar. Ep. and Gosp.: Heb. xi. 33-39. St. Luke vi. 17-23.]

Calendars-All.

Dedications of Churches-One (with St. Sebastian).

Represented-As a pope, with a dove, sword, or club; kneeling at a block.

21] AGNES, ROMAN VIRGIN AND MARTYR.-All calendars have also "S. Agnetis ii." on the 28th, which, though called "Octa. Agnetis" in the Austin Canons' Calendar, is not, according to Baronius, an ordinary octave, but rather relates to an apparition of St. Agnes to her parents. She was born of Christian parents, and while yet at school was seen by a Roman youth, who sought her love. His pleadings and his offers of costly presents were alike unavailing, and he fell sick. The physicians finding that his disappointment was the cause of his sickness, the case was reported to Symphronius the Prefect. He having tried in vain to induce Agnes to listen to the suit of the young man, said she should be a Vestal virgin, and had her dragged to the altar of Vesta, where instead of throwing on incense she made the sign of the Cross. Then she was exposed to public infamy, which, however, she escaped, only to be first put on a fire, and then beheaded. Such are the main points in her story as commonly accepted in very early times. St. Ambrose says that she preferred chastity to life; St. Jerome that she overcame both the cruelty of the tyrant and the tenderness of her age, and crowned the glory of chastity with that of martyrdom; St. Augustine that her name means chaste in Greek and lamb in Latin. As in the case of St. Prisca and of many others, it is impossible to know how much of truth underlies the mass of legend that has grown around her story. It is said that while her parents were praying at her tomb, probably in the Catacombs, she appeared to them with a choir of holy virgins to comfort them, hence her "second feast " referred to above. A church in Rome, built over her supposed resting-place, has acquired a kind of distinction from the Pope's going there each year on St. Agnes' Day to bless the lambs whose fleeces are to be made into the palls sent to Archbishops, one of which appears in the arms of the See of Canterbury lying upon the archi-episcopal cross. St. Agnes is mentioned in the Nobis quoque in the Canon of the Mass. [Sar. Ep. and Gosp.: Ecclus. li. 1-8. St. Matt. xiii. 44-52]

Calendars-All.

Dedications of Churches-Three (one with St. Anne). Represented-With a lamb or an angel by her; with a lamb on a book; in a fire; angels covering her with their hair, or a garment; a sword in her hand or in her throat; a dagger; a palm; a short cross; a dove bringing a ring to her as a "bride of Christ."

22] VINCENT, SPANISH DEACON AND MARTYR.-St. Vincent was born at Saragossa, trained in the faith by Valerius, Bishop of that see, and by him, too, ordained deacon. The Bishop, having an impediment in his speech, gave himself to prayer and meditation, while Vincent under his direction undertook public teaching. Datian, governor under Diocletian and Maximian, was a fierce persecutor, and only too zealous in carrying out the imperial edict for the "Diocletian persecution." Valerius and Vincent being brought before Datian in chains, he first tried the usual way of persuasion in order to induce them to sacrifice to the gods. They both stood firm; and Valerius being unable to deliver a public address, Vincent made a noble profession of the faith in the na.ne of both. Valerius was banished, but Vincent was put to the most horrible tortures. He was stretched on a rack, torn with hooks, beaten, put on an iron frame with sharp bars and a fire under, and laid on broken pots in a dungeon, while his feet were made fast in the stocks. Here he sang praises to God, and his jailer was converted. Datian chafed with rage, but now ordered him to be put to bed, either to recruit his strength for more tortures or to prevent his dying a martyr. But God took him. He departed in peace

January 22, A.D. 304. The rage of the persecutor followed his dead body, which though thrown into the sea was at last obtained and privately buried by the Christians. When the persecutions were over, it was removed and laid with great honour under the altar of the principal church in Valencia.

The "Acts" of St. Vincent are at least older than the time of St. Augustine, when they were read in the church of Hippo. His ". passion" forms the subject of a hymn by Prudentius, and of sermons, etc., by St. Augustine, St. Leo, and other early fathers. [Sar. Ep. and Gosp.: Ecclus. xiv. 20, and xv. 4-6. St. John xii. 24-26.]

Calendars-All.

Dedications of Churches-Four.

Represented-As a deacon holding an iron hook, or a boat, or a palm; his bowels torn by a hook; burnt on a gridiron; angels breaking his chains; a wolf; a crow or raven, sometimes on a millstone.

25] CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.-[See notes on Gosp. Ep. and Coll.]

Dedications of Churches-Seventy-two to St. Paul alone; with St. Peter, two hundred and thirty; with the Blessed Virgin, one. Represented-St. Paul is represented with a sword and book, or with the three springs supposed to have gushed out at three places where his head fell upon the earth after decapi

tation.

30] KING CHARLES'S MARTYRDOM. See "State Services' in Appendix. Dedications of Churches-Six.