§ 158. St. Paulinus of Aquileia

I. Sanctus Paulinus, patriarcha Aquileiensis: Opera omnia, in Migne, Tom. XCIX. col. 9-684, reprint of Madrisius' ed., Venice, 1737, folio, 2d ed. 1782. His poems are given by Dümmler: Poet. Lat. aevi Carolini I. (Berlin, 1880), pp. 123-148.

II. Vita Paulini, by Madrisius in Migne's ed. col. 17-130. Cf. Du Pin, VI. 124. Ceillier, XII. 157-164. Hist. litt. de la France, IV. 284-295; Bähr: Geschichte der römischen Literatur im Karolingischen Zeitalter, Carlsruhe, 1840 (pp. 88, 356-359); Ebert, II., 89-91.

Paulinus, patriarch of Aquileia, was born about 726¹⁰⁸² in Forum Julii, now Friuli, near Venice. He entered the priesthood, was employed in teaching and arrived at eminence as a scholar. He played a prominent part in the affairs of his country, and his services in suppressing a Lombard insurrection met, in the year 776, with recognition and reward by Charlemagne, who gave him an estate and in 787 elevated him to the patriarchal see of Aquileia.¹⁰⁸³ He carried on a successful mission among the Carinthians, a tribe which lived near Aquileia, and also another among their neighbors, the Avari (the Huns).¹⁰⁸⁴ He opposed with vigor the Adoptionists, and his writings contributed much to the extinction of the sect. He lived entirely for God and his church, and won the hearts of his spiritual children. Perhaps the most striking proof of his virtue is the warm friendship which existed between himself and Alcuin. The latter is very, enthusiastic in his praise of the learning and accomplishments of Paulinus. Charlemagne seems to have valued him no less.¹⁰⁸⁵ With such encouragement Paulinus led a busy and fruitful life, participating in synods and managing wisely his see until his death on January 11, 804.¹⁰⁸⁶ Very, soon thereafter he was popularly numbered among the saints,¹⁰⁸⁷ and stories began to be told of his miraculous powers.¹⁰⁸⁸ His bones were deposited in the high altar of the collegiate church of Friuli, or as the place was called Civitas Austriae. The church underwent repairs, and his bones were for a time laid by those of the martyr Donatus, but at length on January 26, 1734, they were separated and with much pomp placed in the chapel under the choir of the great basilica of Friuli.¹⁰⁸⁹

The writings of Paulinus comprise (1) Brief treatise against Elipandus,¹⁰⁹⁰ archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain, who is generally regarded as the father of Adoptionism. It was issued in the name of the council of Frankfort-on-the-Main (794), and sent into Spain. It was first published by Jean de Tillet, in 1549. (2) Three books against Felix of Urgel,¹⁰⁹¹ also against the Adoptionists. It was prepared in 796 by order of Charlemagne, and probably submitted to Alcuin, agreeably to the author's request.¹⁰⁹² It is the most important work of Paulinus, though by no means the best in point of style. The Felix addressed was bishop of Urgel and the leader of the Adoptionists. Paulinus refutes the heretics by quotations of Scripture and the Fathers. The work is elaborately annotated by Madrisius, and thus rendered much more intelligible.¹⁰⁹³ (3) A deliverance by the council of Friuli, held in 796, upon the Trinity and the Incarnation.¹⁰⁹⁴ (4) An exhortation to virtue,¹⁰⁹⁵ addressed to Henry, count or duke of Friuli. It was written about 795, and consists of sixty-six chapters upon the virtues to be practiced and the vices to be shunned by the duke. The style is excellent. The work was once claimed for Augustin, but this is now conceded to be an error. Nine of the chapters (x.-xv. xvii.-xix. ) are copied from The contemplative life, a work by Pomerius, a Gallican churchman of the fifth century. On the other hand, chapters xx.-xlv. have been plagiarized in an Admonitio ad filium spiritualem which was long supposed to be by Basil the Great.¹⁰⁹⁶

(5) Epistles. (a) To Heistulfus,¹⁰⁹⁷ who had murdered his wife on a charge of adultery preferred against her by a man of bad character. It was written from Frankfort, in 794, during the council mentioned above. Paulinus sternly rebukes Heistulfus for his crime, and tells him that if he would be saved he must either enter a monastery or lead a life of perpetual penitence, of which he gives an interesting description. The letter passed into the Canon Law about 866.¹⁰⁹⁸ It has been falsely attributed to Stephen V.¹⁰⁹⁹ (b) To Charlemagne,¹¹⁰⁰ an account of the council of Altinum¹¹⁰¹ in 803. (c) Fragments of three other letters to Charlemagne, and of one (probably) to Leo III.¹¹⁰²

(6) Verses. (a) The rule of faith,¹¹⁰³ a poem of one hundred and fifty-one hexameters, devoid of poetical merit, in which along with a statement of his belief in the Trinity and the Incarnation Paulinus gives a curious description of Paradise and of Gehenna, and to the latter sends the heretics, several of whom he names. (b) Hymns and verses,¹¹⁰⁴ upon different subjects. (c) A poem on duke Eric.¹¹⁰⁵

(7) A Mass.¹¹⁰⁶

(8) The preface to a tract upon repentance¹¹⁰⁷ which enjoins confession to God in tender words.

(9) A treatise upon baptism.¹¹⁰⁸