.

Roman, one of the converts of St. Peter, who sent him to preach the Gospel to the people of Fiesole, then one of the greatest of the Etruscan cities. Romulus, accused of being a Christian, and taken before the prætor, was condemned to death; he was first bound hand and foot, and thrown into a dungeon, where he remained four days, and then, after many torments, despatched with a dagger. He suffered under Nero (July 23).

The old Cathedral of Fiesole is dedicated to him. The fine altar-piece by Allori represents St. Romulus baptizing the converts. He is found also in the sculp

tures of Mino da Fiesole and Andrea Feracci; by the latter is the fine basso-relievo in his church representing his martyrdom. I have also found St. Romulo in the churches of Florence; he wears the episcopal habit, and carries the palm.

SAN MAURELIO (Maurelius), first bishop and patron of Ferrara and Imola: he was beheaded. This saint appears on the coinage of Ferrara. The martyrdom

of San Maurelio, painted by Guercino for the abbot of San Giorgio, is now in the public gallery of Ferrara.

SAN CASCIANO (St. Cassian), patron of Imola, was a schoolmaster of that city, and being denounced as a Christian, the judge gave him up to the fury of his scholars, whom the severity of his discipline had inspired with the deepest hatred; the boys revenged themselves by putting him to a slow and cruel death, piercing him with the iron styles used in writing: his story is told by Prudentius, and is represented, as I have been informed, in the Cathedral at Imola.

ST. GAUDENZIO (Gaudentius), bishop and patron of Rimini, was scourged, and then stoned, by the Arian party, which at that time had the upper hand in Italy. (October 14, A. D. 359.) His effigy is on the early coinage of Rimini.

Another St. Gaudentius was bishop of Novara, and appears as patron of that city.

ST. SIRO (Syrus), first bishop of Pavia in the fourth century, governed the church there for fifty-six years: whether he was martyred is uncertain. His effigy is on the early coins of Pavia, and a beautiful statue of him is in the cathedral.

ST. ABBONDIO, fourth bishop of Como, was a native of Thessalonica, contemporary with Leo I. He is the apostle and patron of that part of Italy, and figures in the Cathedral at Como.

ST. HILARY, though properly a French saint (he was bishop of Poitiers in the fourth century), is considered as one of the lights of the early Italian Church, and distinguished himself in Lombardy by opposing the Arians; hence he is reverenced through the North of Italy under the name of Sant' Ilario. As one of the patrons of Parma, where some of his relics are said to repose, he is the subject of one of Correggio's splendid frescos in the cathedral there. He has a church at Cremona where I remember a very fine picture by Giulio Campi, representing the grand old bishop seated on a raised throne reading the Gospel, which lies open on his knees, while St. Catherine and St. Apollonia stand on each side.* It recalls the best manner of Parmigiano in style and color, and is about the same date (1537).

*This St. Hilary, patron of Parma, who died January 13th, 363, must not be confounded with another St. Hilary, bishop of Arles in the fifth century, and not in any way associated with Italy or Italian Art. Hilary of Poitiers left behind him writings which have been quoted with admiration by Erasmus, Locke, and Gibbon. The latter observes, in his sneering way, that Hilary "had unwarily deviated into the style of a Christian philosopher." ("Decline and Fall," chap. xxi.) Correggio has given him a countenance full of pensive benignity.

ST. JANUARIUS (Ital. San Gennaro; Fr. Saint Janvier) is the great patron of Naples and protector of the city against the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius; as such he figures in the pictures of the Neapolitan school, and in pictures painted for the churches of Naples.

The legend relates that he was bishop of Benevento; and, in the tenth persecution, he came with six of his companions to Naples, to encourage and comfort the Christians they were seized and carried to Puzzuoli, and there exposed to the wild beasts in the amphitheatre; but the beasts refused to touch them. Then St. Januarius was thrown into a burning fiery furnace, and came out of it unharmed; finally he was beheaded (Sept. 19, A. D. 303).

In the devotional figures he is represented in the robes and mitre of a bishop, holding his palm, with Mount Vesuvius in the background.

The miraculous preservation of the city of Naples when menaced by torrents of lava, is a frequent subject in the churches there.

Domenichino, when at Naples, painted his large fresco of St. Januarius appearing to the Neapolitans during the eruption of 1631. And by Spagnoletto I have seen the martyrdom of St. Januarius: he is thrown into a furnace. Except at Naples I have never met with any pictures relating to this saint.

FRENCH BISHOPS.

ST. DENIS OF FRANCE; ST. DIONYSIUS THE ARE

OPAGITE.

Lat. Sanctus Dionysius. Ital. San Dionisio or Dionigi. Fr. Saint Denis. Patron saint of France. October 9.

HE legend which confounds Dionysius the Areopagite with St. Denis of France (bishop of Paris in the third century) will not bear any critical remark or investigation; but as it is that which presents itself everywhere in Art, I give it here as it was popularly received.

Dionysius was an Athenian philosopher, who, for his great wisdom in heavenly things, was named Theosophus, and being a judge of the Areopagus, was also called the Areopagite. He travelled into Egypt to study astrology under the priests of that country. Being at Heliopolis with his companion, the philosopher Apollophanes, and studying together the courses of the stars, they beheld the heavens darkened, and there was darkness over the heaven and earth for three hours; and Dionysius was much troubled in spirit, not knowing what this might signify. He knew not then, though he afterwards learned, that this was the darkness which fell upon the earth in the same hour that the Redeemer died for our sins,- the darkness which preceded the dawning of the true light. And on these things did

Dionysius meditate continually. Some time after his return to Athens, St. Paul arrived there, and preached to the people and he preached to them THE UNKNOWN GOD. Dionysius listened with wonder, and afterwards he sought Paul, and asked him concerning this unknown God. Then Paul explained all the mysteries of the Christian religion, and Dionysius believed, and was baptized in the faith. The apostle ordained him priest, and he became the first bishop of Athens.

Among the writings attributed to this great saint are certain letters, in which he tells us that he travelled to Jerusalem to pay a visit to the holy Virgin, and that he was struck with admiration and wonder to behold the glory which shone around her, and dazzled by the glorious company of angels which continually attend upon her. Also the same Dionysius tells us that he was present at her death and burial, and he has recorded the names of the apostles who were also present on that occasion.

"Afterwards he returned to Athens, and thence travelled into Italy and France, and having joined Paul at Rome, he attended him to his martyrdom. After that he was sent by Pope Clement, the successor of Peter, to preach the Gospel in the kingdom of France. And Clement gave him for his companions, to aid him in his labors, a priest, whose name was Rusticus, and a deacon, who was called Eleutherius.

"St. Denis (for so the French afterwards called him) arrived at Paris, the capital of that country, an exceedingly great and rich city, full of inhabitants, and well provided with all the good things of this earth; the skies were bright, and the lands fertile: it seemed to Dionysius another Athens.' So he resolved to fix his residence there, and to teach these people, who were learned, and happy, and rich in all things but those which concerned their salvation, the way of truth and righteousness. Therefore Dionysius preached to them the Gospel, and converted many. Moreover, he sent missionaries to all the provinces of France, and even into Germany.