FORTUNATUS.
VEnantius Honorius Fortunatus was born in Italy, and after he had studied at Ravenna, he settled in France. He was Ordain'd Priest of the Church of Poictiers towards the Year 565, and some time after Bishop of the same Church. He liv'd till the beginning of the next Age, and was an in∣timate Friend to Gregory of Tours. The principal Works of this Author are written in Verse. He wrote four Books of the Life of St. Martinus, address'd to Gregory of Tours his intimate Friend, in acknowledgment for the Cure he had receiv'd of a Distemper in his Eyes, by rubbing them with the Oyl of a Lamp lighted before the Sepulchre of this Saint, and eleven Books of different Po∣ems.
The first contains the Description of many Churches, and the Praises of Leontius Bishop of Bour∣deaux.
The second the Hymns upon the Cross, and among them the Pange lingua, and the Vexilla regis, which are his, the Verses in the Praise of the Clergy of Paris, with a Description of the Church of that City, and Verses to the Honour of many Saints.
The third contains Letters to Euphronius Bishop of Tours, and to Felix Bishop of Nantes, a De∣scription of the Church of Nantes, and Verses address'd to many Bishops.
The fourth Book is a Collection of Epitaphs; to which are joyn'd a Letter to Avitus Bishop of Clermont, and a Poem upon the Conversion of the Jews, a Letter to Siagrius Bishop of Autun, which accompanies a Piece of Poetry upon the Life of Jesus Christ, wherein he is tyed up to a certain num∣ber of Words and Letters. Lastly, this Book contains many Papers of Verses.
The fifth and sixth are for the most part written upon profane Subjects.
In the seventh, among other Pieces, there is an excellent Description of the Assembly of the Saints in Heaven: There he notes the Country where each of the Apostles was in his time believ'd to dye.
That which is most remarkable in the eighth is the Pieces address'd to Chilperic, and the Epigrams upon the Actions of St. Martin.
The tenth is made up of many Papers to the Princess Radegondes.
The eleventh is not yet printed.
Besides these Poetical Works, Fortunatus wrote also in Prose the Lives of many Saints, as the Monk Himonius affirms. There are many of them among those which have been collected by Suri∣us and Bellandus; and among others, the Lives of St. Hilary of Poictiers, St. Albinus of Angers, St. Germanus of Paris, St. Medardus of Noyon, St. Radegondes, St. Maurilius of Angers, St. Remigius of Rhemes, St. Marcellus of Paris, St. Amandus of Rhodes.
Fortunatus pass'd in his own time for an excellent Orator and a good Poet, and not without rea∣son; for he did not only excel all the other Poets of his Age, but he came near to those of a better,