Baring-Gould’s sources: Not in any ancient Martyrologies. Ferrariua gives S. Ensanius on July 7 th, and his Companions, with Eusanius again, in his Catalogue of Saints of Italy, on July 9th. But in his General Catalogue of Saints, he gives S. Eusanius alone on July 9th, and Eusanius and his Companions on July 7th. But in the Neapolitan diocese of Aquila the festival is observed on July 9th, and Eusanius is commemorated as a Confessor. The Acts are fabulous and untrustworthy. The Bollandists say of them: — "Esse ea in numero fllorum Actorum, quae videntur potius excogitata ad exercendum stylum scriptoris quam ad inform andum animum lectoris; adornata ex episodiis piura aliquod drama repraesentantibus, non autem ex sinceris collecta monumentis."] S. Eusanius is said to have been a native of Apulia, bom of Christian parents. He retired to a desert on Monte Gargano, and lived there a hermits’ life. But after having wrought many miracles there, he went with his brother, Theodore, and his sister Gratia, to Reate, where they wrought such marvels as to excite the wrath of the 44 King” of that country, named Priscus; 1 who had him taken at Fuscone, and kicked, and beaten, because he would not adore an idol Then four devils, in the shape of birds, carried off king Priscus from his throne, and thus he disappeared not only from the eyes of his people, but from the pages of history.

Then Eusanius was set free. 1 A King of Apulia in the reign of the Emperors Diocletian [Roman emperor 284–305, who began the ‘Great Persecution’ of Christians in 303] and Maxlmian I July*] SS. Patermuth, Copres & Alexander. 207 SS. PATERMUTH, COPRES, AND ALEXANDER, (date doubtful.) [Greek Mensea. The Menoiogy of Basil Also by the Greeks on December 17th. Modem Roman Martyrology.] Eusebius [Eusebius of Caesarea (d. c. 339), the first historian of the Church], in his account of the Martyrs of Palestine (c. 13), mentions an Egyptian priest, named Patermuth, who suffered death in flames with the bishops Nilus and Peleus. This was in the persecution of Diocletian, in 310. This Patermuth is venerated by the Greek church on Sept 17th. Photius, in his “ Bibliotheca,” mentions him as being one of the chief confessors, who, after the martyrdom of S. Pamphylus (June 1st), had been condemned to the mines, and who shortly afterwards was burned alive by order of the governor Firmilian. In the Lives of the Fathers of the Desert another Patermuth is mentioned by Rufinus (lib. ii. c. 9), who from being “the chief of robbers, and violator of tombs, and most notorious for all criminals ” was converted whilst in the act of committing a robbery, and became a notable penitent Rufinus relates the story on the authority of an old priest named Copres. This Copres is mentioned by Sozomen in his account of the holy men who flourished in Egypt in the middle of the 4th century. He says: — “ Copres had received from God the power of healing sickness and divers diseases, and of expelling demons." Of Alexander nothing authentic is known. But the commemoration of these three is due not to these scanty records, but to some Greek Acts, which are purely fabulous from beginning to end. These are sufficiently curious to be given in outline here. Unfortunately these most apocryphal Saints have been admitted into the modern Roman Martyrology rather than the Patermuth mentioned by Eusebius, or the Patermuth and Copres spoken of by Rufinus. According to these Acts, in the reign of Julian, there lived in Egypt two hermits, named Patermuth and Copres. Said Copres to Patermuth, “My father, what means the saying of S. Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, 1 1 was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.' ” l Then Patermuth answered, “ S. Paul is not speaking in his own person, for he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and was never without the law. He was speaking in the pers on of Adam. For God made Adam, and placed him in Paradise, and he was then without the law. But when the law came, forbidding access to the Tree, he ate and died.”

“My father,” said Copres. “It is said in the Gospel that a certain woman having ten pieces of money, lost one, and then lit a candle and sought till she found it.* Can you explain this parable to me ?” “ The woman is the Divine Wisdom, which possesses the nine orders of Angels, and Man the tenth. But Man was lost, and the Eternal Wisdom in Christ seeks diligently till Man is found and recovered.”

“ My father,” said Copres, “ I have read in the Psalm, 1 Truly God is loving unto Israel, even unto such as are of a clean heart Nevertheless, my feet were almost gone; my treadings were well nigh slipped. And why ? I was grieved at the wicked, I do also see the ungodly in such prosperity.' 3 My father what means this ?” “This,” said Patermuth, “was spoken by Asaph, who lived a hermit's life on a high hill, and at its foot was a city. And when he looked down and saw the citizens riding on joiy » j •SVS". Patermuth, Copres & A lexander. 209 horses, or driving in chariots, and amusing themselves, and full of activity, he wished to descend from the mount But an angel arrested his steps and sent him back to the mountain top, and then grace was given him to know the real value of earthly things; and having learned this, he says that psalm.”

“ My father, once again 1 What means that passage, Men do not put new wine into old botdes; else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved P” 1 “This,” said Patermuth, “is the meaning. The new wine is the Gospel The old bottles are the Jews; the new bottles are the Gentiles.”

M Only one question more, my father 1” said Copres. “I dreamt that a white-robed man came down from heaven to me, then uprose a black man in the midst of dense smoke and a smouldering fire, and the black man stretched forth his hand and grasped me, and I was in the midst of the smoke with all my sins whistling round me. What means this, my father ?”

“ It means that in a great temptation that is coming on thee, thou wilt fall.” Now it fell out that about this time the Emperor Julian came through Egypt on his way against the Persians. 3 And he summoned Copres before him and persuaded him to renounce Christ and Christian baptism, as he had done. And Copres afraid lest he should be tortured and put to death, consented and became an apostate. secute Christians; the only ones who suffered in his reign were soldiers, and they suffered under a different charge. There was a rising against certain Christians at Alexandria at the beginning of bis reign, but it was against the Arian [followers of Arius, who taught that the Son is a created being, not fully God] bishop George and his party, not against the Catholics. VOL. VII. 14 Then next Patermuth was taken and brought for judgment before the tyrant And when he saw Copres standing among the servants of Julian, he wept, and denounced Copres, threatening him with eternal fire. Then Copres cried out, “I am no more a Julianite, but a Christian.”

So Julian, the emperor, ordered Patermuth to be cast into a burning fiery furnace, and the tongue of Copres to be tom out with red-hot pincers. But when the pincers were brought near, they grew suddenly cold. And at the order of Julian he was cast with Patermuth into the furnace. But God sent his angel, and he made the fire to lose its power, and it harmed them not And when a soldier, named Alexander, who stood by, saw the miracle, he believed, and he also was ordered by Julian to be cast into the fiery furnace. And he fell down, but the fire did him no harm, only he gently breathed forth his soul; and when Julian saw that the fire would not consume Patermuth and Copres, he bade them to be drawn forth out of the furnace, and be executed with the sword.