Baring-Gould’s sources: Not known to the ancient Martyrologists. Indeed, nothing whatever was known of there having been such saints till the year 1261, when Jacobus, a friar of Lucca, dreamed that he would find relics in a certain place. He accordingly dug there, and discovered a mirble sarcophagus, with the inscription: *' Hie est corpus B. Paulini, primi Lucani episcopi et discipuli Petri Apostoli, et sanctorum Martyrum Severi presbyteri ct Theobaldi militia.’' Henry, bishop of Luca, at once accepted this as a true invention of relics, and the bones were translated by him in the presence of the papal Legate; and by their authority the names were inscribed in the sacred diptychs, and the veneration of their relics was indulgenced. In 1631, the relics were inspected, and the congregation of Sacred Rites, with the sanction of Pope Innocent XI., appointed proper lessons for the festival of these Saints in the diocese of Lucca. Their names were also adopted into the Modern Roman Martyrology. The Acts, which form the basis of these lessons, came into existence after the invention of the relies in 1361. They are a forgery of that date. One of the martyrs is Theobald. It is needless to point out that this is a Teutonic name. The story is so full of fable, that it is amazing that it could have imposed on the congregation of Sacred Rites, and the Pope, for a moment.] It must be clearly understood that this story is a romance of the 13th century, resting on no foundation of truth whatever, except the fact that a sarcophagus was found in 1261, at Lucca, bearing the inscription, “ Here is the body of the Blessed Paulinus, first bishop of Lucca, and a disciple of S. Peter the Apostle; and also the bodies of the blessed martyrs Severus, a priest, and Theobald, a soldier." How this inscription came on the marble tomb, and' how the tomb was found, must not be asked too closely.

Nero the emperor ordered a temple to Diana, to be erected at Lucca, at the bridge of the river Serchio, to contain a statue of the goddess, made of pure gold and set with pearls, of gigantic size, and all the people of Lucca were summoned to fall down and worship it Now the temple had a brazen vault, set on ninety pillars of marble, and it was pierced with holes. And Nero ordered water to be poured over the vault, and the water streamed down through the holes like rain. And he made a sun of lamps, and it was drawn through the vault, and rose and set And he also made a moon of precious stones, to rise when the sun set But the string that supported the moon broke, and it tumbled down and cracked. And he drove a chariot over the brazen vault, and the people heard the rumbling of the wheels, and thought it strikingly resembled thunder. But the Lord sent a wind, and it blew the chariot and horses off the roof, and tumbled them into the river. Now there was in Lucca, at the time, a certain Paulinus, a native of Antioch, who had been ordained bishop by S. Peter, and sent to Lucca. And he had with him a priest named Severus, and a deacon named Luke. Now Paulinus built in Lucca many churches, and placed over them priests. And Nero sent officers, and they took Paulinus, Severus, and Luke, and a faithful soldier named Theobald, as they were praising God in a church Paulinus Veronica, had built and dedicated to “ the Holy Trinity, the lifegiving Cross, the immaculate Virgin Mary, and S. Stephen the proto-martyr.” They were brought before Anulinus, the governor, tortured and slain.