accustomed to make her his confidant in his ecclesiastical proceedings; he only speaks of his heart having burned within him, in presage of what was to happen. The digging commenced, and in due time two skeletons were discovered, of great size, perfect, and disposed in an orderly way, the head of each, however, separated from the body, and a quantity of blood about. That they were the remains of martyrs none could reasonably doubt; and their names were ascertained to be Gervasius and Protasius; how, it does not appear, but certainly not so alleged on any traditionary information, or for any popular object, since they proved to be quite new names to the Church of the day, though some elderly men, at length, recollected hearing them in former years. Nor is it wonderful that the Saints should have been forgotten, considering the number of the apostolic Martyrs, among whom Gervasius and Protasius appear to have a place.

"It seems to have been usual in that day to verify the genuineness of relics, by bringing some of the energumeni, or possessed with devils, to them. Such afflicted persons were present with St. Ambrose during the search; and before the service for exorcism commenced, one of them gave the well-known signs of horror and distress which were customarily excited by the presence of what had been the tabernacle of Divine Grace.

"The skeletons were raised and transported to the neighbouring church of St. Faustus. The next

day, June 18, on which they were to be conveyed to their destination, a vast concourse of people attended the procession. This was the moment chosen by Divine Providence to give signal to His Church, that, though years passed on, He was still what He had been from the beginning, a living and a faithful God, wonder-working as in the lifetime of the Apostles, and true to His word spoken by His prophets unto a thousand generations. There was in Milan a man of middle age, well known in the place, by name Severus, who, having become blind, had given up his trade, and was now supported by charitable persons. Being told the cause of the shoutings in the streets, he persuaded his guide to lead him to the sacred relics. He came near; he touched the cloth which covered them; and he regained his sight immediately."

As to this narrative, which rests on the high testimony of three witnesses, St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, and Paulinus, the author says, "On the whole, then, are we not in the following dilemma :-If the miracle did not take place, then St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, men of name, said they had ascertained a fact which they did not ascertain, and said it in the face of enemies, with an appeal to a whole city, and that continued during a quarter of a century. What instrument of refutation shall we devise against a case like this, neither so violently à priori as to supersede the Apostles' testimony, nor so fastidious of evidence as to imperil Tacitus or Cæsar? On the

other hand, if the miracle did take place, a certain measure of authority, more or less, surely must thereby attach to St. Ambrose, --to his doctrine and his life, to his ecclesiastical principles and proceedings, to the Church itself of the fourth century, of which he is one main pillar. The miracle gives a certain sanction to three things at once: to the catholic doctrine of the Trinity, to the Church's resistance of the civil power, and to the commemoration of Saints and Martyrs. What alternative shall the Protestant accept? Shall we retreat, or shall we advance? shall we relapse into scepticism upon all subjects, or sacrifice our deep-rooted prejudices? shall we give up our knowledge of times past altogether, or endure to gain a knowledge which we think we fully have already,—the knowledge of divine truth?"

The narrative of St. Ambrose's death shall be taken from Cave's Lives of the Fathers. "Being now worn out with cares and labors, he began to sink. A few days before he fell sick, he foretold his death, but said he should live till Easter. Before he took his bed, he continued his usual studies, and expounded the 43rd Psalm (We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us,' &c.), which he dictated to Paulinus, who was his amanuensis, and who, looking up, on a sudden saw a globe of fire in form of a shield covering his head, and by

Vol. iii. p. 197, 8vo. edition.

degrees creeping in at his mouth, after which his face became white as snow, though soon after it returned to its usual complexion. Paulinus was sore frighted with the vision, his pen fell out of his hand, and he could write no further till he had recovered himself. It was the last time the good Bishop either wrote or dictated anything, nor did he finish his exposition upon that Psalm, which accordingly is extant imperfect at this day. Count Stilicho was infinitely troubled at the news of his sickness, and said openly,The day that that great man dies, destruction hangs over Italy; and therefore, sending for as many of the nobility and magistrates of the city as he knew had an interest in the bishop's kindness, he partly threatened, partly persuaded, them to go to him, and by all means prevail with him to beg his life of God. They went, and with tears besought him to intercede with Heaven for his own life, representing the inconceivable loss the Church of God would receive by the death of so excellent a prelate; to whom he gave no other answer than this, 'I have not so behaved myself among them that I should be ashamed to live; nor am I afraid to die, because I have so good a Master.' The day whereon he died (which was April 4, A.D. 397), he lay for several hours with his hands expanded in form of a Cross, his lips moving all the while, though it could not be understood what he said. Honoratus, bishop of Vercellæ, was there at that time, and being gone into an upper chamber to take a little rest, heard a voice

crying three times to him, 'Arise, and make haste, for he is going to depart.' He came down, and gave him the Holy Eucharist, which he had no sooner taken but he expired. His body was early next morning carried to the great cathedral, and there remained on Easter eve. On the Lord's day, after the public solemnities, it was removed to the Ambrosian church, and there interred; his funeral being attended by persons of all ranks and qualities, of all ages and conditions, not only Christians, but Jews and Gentiles; many striving to touch his body with napkins or handkerchiefs, believing they should be able with them to fence off the assaults of evil spirits."

In theology, St. Ambrose may be called the western echo of Origen, without, however, any of the over-venturesome spirit which has been supposed characteristic of the great Alexandrian teacher. St. Ambrose now ranks as one of the four prime doctors of the Latin Church, Augustine, Gregory, and Jerome being his colleagues.

From the Ambrosian epoch of the Milanese church we may pass to the middle of the eleventh century, a sad and stormy epoch in Lombardy'. The interference of the temporal power under the Franconian emperors with the discipline of the Church and the papal elections, however unjustifiable it was in itself,

The following narrative is compiled from Dunham's Middle Ages, and Bowden's Pontificate of Gregory VII.