A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

S. ULRIC Bishop of Augsburgh.

WE shall begin with S. Ulric Bishop of Augsburgh. He was descended from an Ancient Fami∣ly in Germany, the Son of Hugpaut and Thetpirga; He began to study in the Monastery of S. * 1.1 Gal, and was taken from thence to be put under the Tuition of Adalberon Bishop of Augsburgh, in the year 909. He made a Journey to Rome, and during his residence there Adalberon died, and left Hiltin his Successor, after whose death Ulric was nominated Bishop of Augsburgh by King Henry, A. C. 924. He was highly esteem'd by that Prince, and the Emperor Otho had a particular respect for him. This Prelate, in like manner, made two other Journeys to Rome; one about the year 956. and the other near the end of his Life. He dyed A. C. 973. in the 83d year of his Age, after having governed the Church of Augsburgh during Fifty years.

His Life, which was written by an Author of those times named Gerard, who was Contemporary with him, contains many remarkable Passages. It is there related, that besides the Divine Office, which he sung every day with his Canons in the Choir of his Church; He was wont to recite in particular the Offices of the Blessed Vitgin, of the Holy Cross, and of All the Saints, with the ••n∣••ite Psalter; and that he was accustom'd to say one, two, or three Masses accordingly, as the time would permit: That in Lent, after having said Matins at Night, he continu'd his Prayers till the hour that the Bell rung to the Vigils for the dead, which he sung with the Choir, and afterwards the * 1.2 Prime; That he continued in the Church at Prayers till the Canons return'd with the Cross to cele∣brate Mass, at which he assisted, and kissed the Hand of the Priest that officiated: That after Mass he sung † 1.3 Tierce with the Canons, and that he remain'd in the Church till the Sexte; when he visited the Altars, and kneel'd before them, singing a Miserere and a De Profundis: That then he return'd to his Camber, to wash his Face, and to prepare for saying Mass: That when it was said, and Vespers after it, he was wont to visit the poor of the Hospital, to wash the Feet of Twelve a∣mongst them; and to give every one a penny: That at his departure from thence, he sat down at Table; that after having eat, he said ••is Compline, and retir'd: That he spent all the days of Lent after this manner▪ till that of the Indulgence, commonly call'd Palm-Sunday: That on that day, he went early in the Morning to the Church of S. Afer, where he sung a Trinity-Mass, and made a Benediction of the Palm-Tree Branches, which he carried about in Procession, accompanied with the Clergy and People, with the Gospel, the Cross, the Banners, and an Image representing our Sa∣viour sitting on an Ass, as far as Mount Perleich, where he was met by the Choir of Canons▪ and part of the People, who cover'd the way with Palm-Tree Branches or Garments: That he made an Exhortation to them upon our Saviour's Passion, and that they return'd together to sing Ma••s in the Cathedral Church: That during the three following days, he held a Synodical Assembly: That on Holy Thursday he celebrated Divine Service, Consecrated the Holy Chrysm and other Oyls, and di∣stributed them among his Clergy: That afterward he went, according to his usual Custom, to visit the Hospital, from whence he return'd to the Church; Clothed twelve poor Men in the Ve••••ry, and wash'd their feet: That on Good-Friday he assisted at the whole Office; That after having Admini∣stred the Holy Sacrament to the People as on the preceding day, he laid up the rest of the Eucha∣rist, in order to bury it, according to the Custom of those times; and that at Night he eat Bread and drank Beer, without sitting down at Table; That on Holy Saturday, after the Nocturnal Office,

the Repetition of the Psalter, the Singing of the Three Litanies, the Blessing of the Tapers, and the Reading of the Lessons, he went in Procession to S. John's Church, where he baptiz'd three Infants, and then return'd to Celebrate Mass, to Administer the Holy Sacrament to the People, and to say Vespers: That afterwards he distributed Victuals to a great many Persons: That on Easter-Day, af∣ter the Prime Office, he usually went to S. Ambrose's Church, where he celebrated the Trinity Mass, and return'd from thence in Procession, carrying the Image of our Saviour with the Gospel; the lighted Tapers and the Incense to S. John Baptist's Church, where he Sung Tierce, and from thence to the Cathedral, where he sung Mass and administred the Sacrament to all the Assistants: Afterward he gave Provisions to the Canons of his Cathedral, and to the Clergy of S. Afra's Church distributing to them Lambs Flesh and pieces of Bacon, which had been blessed at Mass, and gave them a very splendid Entertainment. It is also observable, that he was wont to visit his Diocess eve∣ry Four years; to instruct the People; to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation, and to reform his Clergy.

I shall take no notice of a great number of Miracles that are related in this Life of S. Ulric, nor of those that were written by G••beard his fourth Successor, and by Berno Abbot of S. Afer: but I cannot omit the History of Adalbero Nephew to this Reverend Bishop. He had caus'd him to be carefully educated, gave him an Abbey, design'd him for his Successor, and made use of his Service in the management of all his Affairs, as well at Court, as in his own Diocess. To gain him grea∣ter Authority, he intreated the Emperor, in the last Journey he made to Rome, to vouchsafe to entrust him with the sole Administration of the Affairs of his Diocess, and to nominate him for his Succes∣sor. Adalbero upon his return from Augsburgh, not only caus'd an Oath of Fidelity to be taken to him, by the Clergy and People of the City, but also presum'd to use the Crosier Staff. This Attempt gave offence to the Bishops of Germany, insomuch, that in a Council held at Ingelheim in the year 972. in the presence of the Emperor Otho, and of his Son, to which S. Ulric and Adalbero were summon'd; a Process was drawn up against the latter, for presuming to bear the Marks of the E∣piscopal Dignity, and upon that account they proceded so far, as to declare him uncapable of suc∣ceeding his Uncle in the Bishoprick of Augsburgh. Whereupon the good old Man, not being able sufficiently to explain the Case, by reason of his great Age, sent word by one of his Clerks, that he design'd to retire, and embrace the Monastick Life, according to the Rule of S. Benedict, whose habit he had assum'd. The Bishops of the Council having made a Remonstrance, That he ought not thus to leave his Bishoprick, and that this Example would be of very dangerous Consequence, ob∣lig'd him to return to the Government of his Church; promising him at the same time, that after his death no other Bishop should succeed in the Diocess of Augsburgh, but Adalbero; of whom they ex∣acted an Oath, that he knew not that it was unlawful, or that it was an Heretical Practice, to as∣sume the Ensigns of the Episcopal Dignity, and to Exercise the Authority of a Bishop without due Ordination.

This Promise signified nothing with respect to Adalbero, because he died suddenly in a short time after, even before his Uncle; who had for his Successor Henry the Son of Count Burchard, who caus'd himself to be chosen by force. The latter dy'd as he had liv'd, that is to say, rather like a Soldier than a Bishop; for in his time he raised a Rebellion against his Sovereign Prince, and was kill'd in a Battel fought against the Saracens in the year 983. After his death, the Emperor Otho the Second, was desirous to confer that Bishoprick upon Werenharius, whom S. Ulric had design'd for his Successor; but upon his refusal of it, Eutychus Count of Altorf was elected. Luitolphus, who succeeded in the year 988. made a Journey to Rome to procure of Pope John the XV. the Canoni∣zation of S. Ulric, which he obtain'd in a Council at Rome, upon the reading of the Life and Mira∣cles of that Saint, who edified the Church rather by his Life and Conversation, than by his Wri∣tings; for few are attributed to him, and those too are very dubious. We have already observed that some make him the Author of a Discourse, concerning the Ecclesiastical Functions ascrib'd to Pope Leo the Fourth, and inserted in the Synodical Letter of Ratherius, which seems to be really so; because he returns an Answer to certain Questions which the Writer of his Life says he propos'd to his Clergy, during the time of his Visitation.

The same Author cites a Sermon of S. Ulric upon the Eight Mortal Sins, and the Eight Beatitudes. But it is probable that he compos'd it out of the ordinary Discourses that he had heard from the Mouth of that Saint: In the preceding Century was likewise publish'd in Germany, a Letter bearing the Name of S. Ulric, and directed to Pope Nicolas; in which he adviseth that Pope, for putting an end to the Irregularities of the Clergy, to permit them to marry: Mention is made of this Letter, in an Addition of Barthoul Priest of Constantz, to the Chronicon of Hermannus Contractus; and its af∣firm'd to be mention'd by Aeneas Sylvius in his Treatise of the Manners of the Germans; where he says, That S. Ulric reprov'd the Pope for keeping Concubines. But this Letter is apparently Suppo∣sititious, by reason that in S. Ulric's time there was no Pope nam'd Nicolas, neither did S. Ulric Bishop of Augsbourgh live in the time of those Popes who bore that Name. The Authority of the Chroni∣con is of little moment, and Aenaeas Sylvius does not distinctly make mention of that Letter; but only says, that S. Ulric reprov'd the Pope, upon account of his Concubines; which may agree with John the XII. Besides that, this Passage is not found in some Manuscripts of Sylvius's History, nor in the Roman Edition. But altho' it were true, that this Author alludes to that counterfeit Letter, it would only prove that it was already forged in his time; and that it is more ancient than the Coun∣cils of Basil and Constantz, which, as I presume, cannot be call'd in question.

Notes

• * 1.1

  S. Ulric Bishop of Augs∣burgh.
• * 1.2

  The first of the Ro∣man Cano∣nical Hours.
• † 1.3

  Two o∣ther of the Canonical Hours.