Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman, Gallican, and Franciscan Martyrologies. By the Capuchins on Oct. 20; his translation on June 18. Canonized in 1369 by Gregory XI. Authority: — A Life by an anonymous writer, written apparently shortly after his canonization.] S. Elzear was descended from the ancient family of Sabran in Provence. His father, Hermengild de Sabran, was created Count of Ariano in the kingdom of Naples. Elzear was born at Ansois, a castle belonging to the family near Apt, in the year 1295. His mother, a very pious woman, took the infant in her arms and offering him to God, said, “My Lord God, I give thee thanks for this little boy, given to me of thy clemency, and I humbly entreat thee, receive him as thy servant, and pour out thy benediction upon him. But, O Lord ! if thou foreseest that he would be a rebel to thy will, then, I pray thee, after he has been baptized, take him out of this world. For better were it that as a little innocent he should rest with Thee than that he should live to offend thy Majesty.”
Elzear had two aunts, Burgola and Alizette, and an uncle, William de Sabran, Abbot of S. Victor at Marseilles. The little boy seemed formed for piety from his cradle. His heart was full of tenderness for the poor, and his nurses were obliged to fill their pockets with bread and small coins that he might satisfy the need of any he met, who seemed bowed down with poverty. He was educated by his uncle, who wisely reproached the child's eagerness for self-mortification, and when he found him wearing a knotted cord round his waist, which galled his skin and drew blood, he took it away and called the boy to task for injuring the health God had given him.
At the age of ten he was affianced to Delphine de Gland^ves, daughter and heiress of the Count of PuyMichel, aged twelve. Three years after, in 1308, the marriage was solemnized at the castle of Puy-Michel, and these simple children grew up together tenderly attached to one another, but regarding one another rather as brother and sister than as husband and wife. They were both of them devoted to the love of God. They kept Lent [the forty days of fasting before Easter] and Advent with extraordinary rigour, like saints in primitive days; and were diligent in seeking out the poor around their castle of Ansois and relieving their necessities. It was a beautiful life of peaceful happiness. This young couple, always together, loving no society like that of each other, having the same interests, and actuated by the same goodness of heart, were to be seen day after day around their castle, under the forest trees, in the flowery lanes, carrying food to the sick, or met by peasant children, to whom they talked with kindly interest in their little wants, and whom they never left without a bit of good advice.
The two young people communicated almost daily in the castle chapel. One day Elzear said to his wife, “ Delphine ! I think there is no happiness equal to that of receiving the Blessed Sacrament.” And his beautiful face, full of simplicity, and lighted with earnestness, showed that he felt what he said. After seven years Delphine’s father died, and they moved to Puy-Michel. Before they were married, when marriage had been spoken of to the girl, with childish petulance she had exclaimed, “ 1 wish fire would bum down all my castles, and all my retainers would run away, so that no one would care to have me.” But now she was happy with her husband, and found that together they could do infinite good to their vassals. When Elzear and Delphine began to keep house at Puy-Michel, he made the following regulations for his family, and insisted on their being strictly observed: — “ 1. Eveiy one in my house shall daily hear mass, whatever his business may be.
“ 2. Swearing, cursing, blasphemy, are forbidden under pain of chastisement for the first offence, and dismissal for the second.
“3. Purity in speech and act shall be enforced. “ 4. Every member of the household shall confess weekly, and communicate at least at Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, and the feasts of Our Lady.
“5. No idleness is permitted. The men shall pray to God first in the morning, and then go about their work. The women shall pray and read in the mornings, but shall spend the afternoons in some work.
“6. Dice and all games of hazard are forbidden, not merriment or innocent games. “ 7. Slander, tale-telling, backbiting, are forbidden. Let peace be maintained.
“ 8. Should any quarrel arise, let the apostolic rule be observed for appeasing it. “ 9. Every evening there shall be a pious conference for the whole house.
“ 10. Oppression, injustice to the poor is forbidden. No alms done by the master of the house can compensate for injustice done to the poor by his underlings.’' The observance of these rules conduced to the happiness ! of all in the castle. Delphine was loved by her servants, and she loved them; and Elzear was admired and respected by all his retainers.
After the death of his father Elzear was obliged to go to Naples, and take possession of his estates at Ariano [followers of Arius, who taught that the Son is a created being, not fully God]. But the people, who hated the cruel rule of the Angevin house, refused to acknowledge him. Elzear saw and shuddered at the frightful atrocities perpetrated by the French usurpers, and he refused to allow these barbarities to be committed in his territory. His cousin, the Prince of Tarentum, one day told him that his mildness injured the French cause. “Let me take these scoundrels to task for you,” said he, “ I will hang up half a thousand, and make the rest as pliant as a glove. Take your ease, say your prayers for me, and let me be your executioner.” Elzear indignantly refused. “ What !” said he, “ shall I show myself their count and father by butchering my subjects and children ? God forbid !” At length the people of Ariano saw that it would be wiser for them to submit to so gentle a count than look to the uncertain support of the King of Aragon. When Elzear looked over his father’s collection of letters, he found among them some from an officer in his service, persuading his father to disinherit Elzear, as one fitter to wear a cowl than bear arms. Delphine was highly incensed at these letters, but Elzear would take no notice of them. In like manner, on other occasions, he burnt or suppressed informations that were given of injuries which others had done him, that he might spare the parties the confusion of knowing that he had received intelligence of them. In his county of Ariano he settled a rigorous administration of justice, and punished the least oppression of the people by any of his officers. He visited malefactors condemned to die, and many who had proved deaf to priests were moved by his tender exhortations to compunction When their goods were confiscated to him, he secretly restored them to their wives and children. Writing out of Italy to Delphine, he said: “You desire to hear often of me. Go, visit our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament. Enter in spirit his sacred heart. You know that to be my constant dwelling. You will always find me there.” Elzear having settled his affairs in Italy, obtained leave of King Robert, son and successor of Charles II. and brother of S. Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, to return into Provence for two years. He was received at Ansois with incredible joy.
King Robert of Sicily chose him on his return to be tutor or guardian to his son Charles, Duke of Calabria. The young prince was volatile, vain, and intractable. Count Elzear could with difficulty manage him, and after a troublesome outbreak in defiance of his authority, he called the young prince to him and administered a serious rebuke. Charles, gushing with repentance and affection, threw his arms round his neck, and said, “ Forgive me this once. It is not too late for me to begin to amend. What must I do?”
The count gave him admirable advice on the duty of self-government, and on his responsibilities as called to rule human beings redeemed by the blood of Christ. The example and advice of Elzear proved of great benefit to Charles, who, however, did not succeed to the throne of Naples, as he died before his father.
King Robert of Naples, having to go into Provence, left his son Charles regent in his room, under the care of Elzear, who was chief of the council. Elzear entreated the Duke of Calabria to appoint him advocate of the poor, and the prince laughingly said, “ You have asked an office no one else covets. I grant your request, and commend to you all the poor of the kingdom.” Elzear bowed low and thanked him heartily.
In discharge of this office, he had a large purple velvet satchel made which he slung at his waist, and when he went through the streets he received the complaints and suits of the poor, and having listened to all the grievances, put into his bag the schedules of their cases, and doled out of it alms to the most needy. He pleaded their causes in court with S. Elzear.
great zeal and eloquence, and obtained for them justice and relief. Whilst he was high in authority, he was offered presents of money by persons who wished him to further their suits, but these he refused, as partaking of the nature of bribes. “ If one begins to finger presents, one will shortly come to pocket bribes/7 he said. “ It is safer to refuse all offerings of like nature. When once one begins to take gifts, an appetite for receiving presents grows on one and becomes insatiable.’' i In 1310 Henry of Luxemburg, Emperor of the West, \ entered Italy to be crowned at Rome. Hitherto the Popes had been implacable enemies to the German Emperors, and they had supported the French domination of Naples to preserve themselves from being fixed between the jaws of the German power, which, under Frederick II., had united the sovereignties of Germany and of Naples. But now Clement V. became alarmed at the preponderance of French power. Philip the Fair, bold, crafty, and ambitious, sat on the French throne, and he was manifestly working to obtain a commanding influence in the West. Never was Europe in greater danger of falling, if not under one sovereignty, under the dominion, and that the most tyrannical dominion, of one house. Princes of the house of France sat on the thrones of Naples and Hungary. The feeble Edward II. of England was Philip’s son-in-law. He determined to obtain the empire for Charles of Valois, and thus secure supreme rule in Germany and mastery in Italy. ! Clement saw that the Papal territory would be held at his mercy. But the election of Henry of Luxemburg had redeemed Christendom from the danger. This election had been managed with unrivalled skill by Peter Ashpaller, Archbishop of Mainz, a creature of Pope Clement. When Henry descended into Italy, Clement threw his authority into his side, against the French. In March, 1312, the Emperor advanced to Rome to be there crowned by the Pope in the basilica of S. Peter. King Robert of Sicily immediately sent his brother John of Naples to occupy the city, and a body of men under Count Elzear to assist him by harassing the march of the Emperor. When Henry appeared before Rome, Prince John was forced to retire across the Tiber. The Emperor, with the cardinals commissioned by the Pope to crown him, entered Rome, but could not dislodge the enemy from the other side of the river. S. Peter’s was in the power of the Neapolitans; the magnificent ceremonial, which Pope Clement had drawn out at great length for the coronation of Henry, could not take place. He was forced to submit to receive the crown with humbler pomp in the church of S. John Lateran [St. John Lateran, the pope’s cathedral in Rome]. In the autumn of 1323, Elzear was sent ambassador to Paris, to demand of Charles IV. Mary, the daughter of the Count of Valois, in marriage for the Duke of Calabria, who had lost his wife Catharine of Austria in 1323. The negotiation was successfully concluded, and the marriage took place on January 11, a.d. 1324. During the proceedings Elzear fell sick at Paris. Three years before he had enrolled himself in the third Order of S. Francis. In his sickness, feeling his end approach, he sent for the Provincial of the Franciscans, and made a general confession of his sins to him. The Passion of Christ was read to the dying count, and as he listened to that story, never old, the tears glittered in his eyes, and rolled slowly down his cheeks. The holy Viaticum was brought him, and he received the last unction, and after a painful sickness, fell asleep in the Lord whom he had loved and honoured and worked for, on September 27, in the year 1323, in the twenty-eighth year of his age. His body was translated to Apt, and there interred, according to his request, in the church of the Franciscan Friars. His bones, S. Elzear.
together with those of his gentle wife Delphine, repose now in the church, formerly the cathedra^ of Apt. S. Delphine died at Apt at the age of seventy-six, on November 26, on which day she is commemorated in the Franciscan Martyrology.
September 28, S. Privatus, M. at Rome; a.d. 222. SS. Marcus, Alphius, and Others, MM. in Asia; circ. a.d. S. Charito, Ad. in Palestine; circ. a.d. 340. S. Exuferius, B. of Toulouse; circ. a.d. 415. S. Eustochium, V. at Bethlehem; a.d, 419. S. Faustus, B. ofRiez in Gaul [roughly modern France and Belgium]; circ. a.d. 490. S. Lioba, Abss. of Bischojfsheim in Germany; circ. a.d, 779. S. Wenceslas, M.K. in Bohemia; a.d. 936.
