herself by an admirable sweetness of temper, modesty, and devotion, shewed a great love of the holy state of virginity, and by her seriousness and her contempt of

The most famous work of Prudentius is his book #ep cepavav, or on the crown of martyrs, consisting of fourteen hymns. Le Clerc, the learned French Protestant critic, p. 310. makes the following observation on this work: "It clearly appears from several places in these hymns, that Christians prayed to martyrs at that time, and believed that they were appointed patrons of some places by God. Certain Protestant writers, who fancy that the tradition of the four or five first centuries ought to be joined with the scripture, have denied that the saints were prayed to in the fourth century. But they should not have framed a national system before they were well instructed in facts, since they may be convinced of this by several places out of Prudentius, Thus in the first hymn, which is in praise of two martyrs of Calathorra, he says, v. 15. Exteri necnon et orbis, &c Strangers come hither in crouds, because fame has published through the whole world that the patrons of the world (Patronos Mundi) are, here, whose favour may be sought by prayers: No body ever offered tere pure supplications in vain. Whoever came to pray to them, per ceiving all his holy requests were granted him, went away full of joy, having wiped away his tears. These martyrs are so solicitous to intercede for us, that they suffer not that they should be prayed to in vain. Whether it be done with a loud or a low voice, they hear it, and report it to the ears of the Eternal King. Thence plentiful gifis Aow bountifully from the fountain itself on earth....Christ never denied any thing to his martyrs. Those who desire more proofs, says Le Clerc, need only read Hymn ii. v. 457. iii. 311. iv. 175, 196. v. 545. ix. 97. x. 139. xiv. 124." The works of St Paulinus, St Ambrose, St Jerom, St Austin, St Basil, St Chrysostom, &c. demonstrate this to have been the doctrine and practice of the church in the fourth and fifth ages. Le Clerc also takes notice that Pruden tius complains, that time and the malice of the idolaters had destroyed abundance of Acts of Martyrs. Hymn. i. v. 73. and that he testifies Rome was full of the tombs of martyrs. Hyma ii. v. 5415 Hymn xi. v. 158. The same critic observes, p. 316. that the custom of filing churches with images was practised in Italy in Prudentius's time, as is clear from his Hymn ix. on St Cassian (v. 9.) and Hymn xi on St Hippolytus, v. 123. On this latter passage Le Clerc makes the following remark: "It ought to be observed, that upon that grave there was a table, or an altar, on which they celebrated the Eucharist, (v. 170.) so that the image was placed precisely upon the altar where they are wont to place images now in the church of Rome." Le Clerc, Lives of Primitive Fathers, in Prudentius, p 316, 317.

Prudentius mentions with great respect the sign of the cross, the frequent use of which he strongly recommends, as chasing away in fernal fiends (Cathem. hymno vi. v. 129, 133, &c.) In describing the

Θ 2

Labarum

dress, ornaments, diversions, and worldly company, gave early proofs of her sincere desire to lead on earth an heavenly life. Her heart was raised above the world before she was thought capable of knowing it, so that its amusements, which usually fill the minds of young persons, had no charms for her, and every day of her life made an addition to her virtues.

She was but twelve years old when the bloody edicts of Dioclesian were issued, by which it was or dered that all persons, without exception of age, sex or profession, should be compelled to offer sacrifice to the gods of the empire. Eulalia, young as she was, took the publication of this order for the signal of battle; but her mother, observing her impatient ardour for martyrdom, carried her into the country. The saint found means to make her escape by night, and after much fatigue arrived at Merida before break of day. As soon as the court sat, the same morning she presented herself before the cruel judge, whose name was Dacianus, and reproached him with impiety in attempting to destroy souls, by compelling them to renounce the only true God. The governor commanded her to be seized, and first employing caresses, represented to her the advan-. Labarum or military ensign, instituted by Constantine, he mentions that a cross was wrought in the banner, or painted upon the flag or streamer, and also that a figure of the cross in solid gold was set upon the shaft. (in Symmach. 1. 1. v. 466. 488.) The best editions of Prudentius's works are those of Weitzius, Nich. Heinsius, Cellarius, Elzevir, and F. Camillard for the use of the Dauphin of France.

The most perfect sentiments of Christian virtue are expressed in his poems; and Erasmus declares that for the sanctity and sacred erudition which are displayed in his writings, he deserves to be ranked among the gravest doctors of the church. Prudentius wrote his Cathemerinon in the fifty-seventh year of his age, as he declares in the preface; in which he enumerates all his other works, except the Enchiridion. How long he survived is uncertain. Ecclesiastical writers, and some compilers of the lives of saints, give him the title of saint, though his name occurs not in the martyrologies. See his works, and the notes collected by Weitzius, Cellarius, and F. Chamillard: also his life compiled by Aldus Minutius, George Fabricius, Le Clerc amongst his Primitive Fathers, p. 281. Baillet, 25th August, Ce l lier, T. 17. p. 66. He is not to be confounded with St Prudentius, bishop of Troyes, who died in 861. and is honoured on the 6th of April.

tages which her birth, youth, and fortune gave her in the world, and the grief which her disobedience would bring to her parents. Then he had recourse to threats, and caused the most dreadful instruments of tortureto be placed before her eyes, saying to her: "All this you shall escape, if you will but touch a little salt and frankincense with the tip of your finger." Provoked at these seducing flatteries, she threw down the idol, trampled upon the cake which was laid for the sacrifice, and, as Prudentius relates, spit at the judge: an action only to be excused by her youth and inattention, under the influence of a warm zeal, and fear of the snares which were laid for her. At the judge's order, two executioners began to tear her tender sides with iron hooks, so as to leave the very bones bare. In the mean time she called the strokes so many trophies of Christ. Next lighted torches were applied to her breasts and sides; under which torment, instead of groans, nothing was heard from her mouth but thanksgivings. The fire at length catching her hair, surrounded her head and face, and the saint was stifled by the smoke and flame. Prudentius tells us, that a white dove seemed to come out of her mouth, and to wing its way upwards when the holy martyr expired: at which prodigy the executioners were so much terrified, that they fled and left the body. A great snow that fell, covered it and the whole forum where it lay which circumstance shews that the holy martyr suffered in winter. The treasure of her relicks was carefully entombed by the Christians near the place of her martyrdom: afterwards a stately church was erected on the spot, and the relicks were covered by the altar which was raised over them, before Prudentius wrote his hymn on the holy martyr in the fourth century. He assures us, that "pilgrims came to venerate her bones; and that she, near the throne of God, beholds them, and, being made propitious by hymns, protects her clients." Her relicks are kept with great veneration at Oviedo, where she is honoured as patroness. The Roman martyrology mentions her name on the 10th of December. See Prudentius De Cor. hymno 9. alias

3. de S. Eulalia; and F, Thomas ab Incarnatione Hist. Ecclesiæ Lusitanæ, sæc, 4. c, 6. p. 217. (b),

Another St EULALIA, V. M. at Barcelona, is mentioned by Ado, Usuard, &c. but we have no authentic acts of her martyrdom.

From his works, St Jerom, Rufin, and Anastasius in the Pontifical, See Tillemont, T. 8. p. 385. Ceillier, T. 6. p 455. Abbate Anton. Merenda, in the new edition of this pope's works, .which he published at Rome, in folio, Anno 1754, in which he gives the life of this pope in Annals.

A. D. 384.

POPE Damasus is said, in the Pontifical, to have been a Spaniard; which may be true of his extraction: but Tillemont and Merenda shew that he seems to have been born at Rome. His father, whose name was Antony, either after the death of his wife, or by her free consent, engaged himself in an ecclesiastical state, and was suecessively reader, deacon, and priest of the title or parishchurch of St Laurence in Rome. Damasus served in the sacred ministry in the same church, and always lived in a perfect state of continence, as St Jerom assures us. When Liberius was banished by Constantius to Bercea in 355, he was archdeacon of the Roman church, and attended him into exile, but immediately returned to Rome. Liberius at length was prevailed upon to sign a

(b) The lessons of the church of Oviedo, and the acts of St Eu lalia's martyrdom, say she was only twelve years old, and that another holy virgin, named Julia, suffered with her also that she suffered torments and death under Calpurnianus, Dacian's lieutenant at Merida. Some object, that only the proconsul could pronounce a capital sentence, as the emperor Constantius declares. Leg. unica cod. de offic. Procons. et Legat. and, as the lawyer Venuleius Saturninus shews, Leg. 11. ff. de officio Procons. et Legati. But the lawyers Paulus and Pomponius tell us, that proconsuls could, by a special mandate and commission, delegate to a lieutenant such a isdiction. Leg. 12. et 13. de officio procons.

confession of faith in which the word Consubstantial was omitted. After his return from banishment he constantly held communion with St Athanasius, as is clear from that holy man's letter to the bishops of Egypt in 360. He condemned and annulled the decrees of the council of Rimini, by a letter which he wrote to those bishops, mentioned by Siricius (1). Liberius, after this, lay hid some time in the vaults of the cemeteries, for fear of the persecutors, as we learn from Sozomen (2), Prosper in his chronicle (3), Lucifer of Cagliari (4), and Anastasius, in the life of pope Julius. Thus he repaired the fault which he had committed by his subscription. All this time Damasus had a great share in the government of the church, and doubtless animated the zeal of the pope.

Liberius died on the 24th of September 366, and Damasus, who was then sixty years old, was chosen bishop of Rome, and ordained in the basilic of Lucina, otherwise called St Laurence's, which title he bore before his pontificate. Soon after, Ursinus, called by some moderns Ursicinus, who could not bear that St Damasus should be preferred before him, got together a crowd of disorderly and seditious people in the church of Sicin, commonly called the Liberian basilic, now St Mary Major, and persuaded Paul, bishop of Tibur, now Tivoli, a dull ignorant man, to ordain him bishop of Rome, contrary to the ancient canons, which require three bishops for the ordination of a bishop; and to the ancient custom of the Roman church, whose bishop was to be consecrated by the bishop of Ostia, as Baronius. and Tillemont observe. Juventius, prefect of Rome, banished Ursinus, and some others of his party. Seven priests who adhered to him were seized, to be carried into exile; but were rescued by their partizans, and carried to the Liberian basilic. The people that sided with Damasus came together with swords and clubs, besieged the basilic to deliver these men up to the prefect, and a fight ensued, in which one hundred and thirtyseven persons were killed, as Ammianus Marcellinus (5) (1) Siricius, ep. ad Himer Terrac. (2) Soz. 1. 4. c. 11. & 19. (3) See this chronicle published entire by Canisius ed. Basnag. T. I, (4) Lucifer adv. Constantium, (5) Ammian. 1. 27. c. 3.