(ABOUT 198.)
[Mentioned in English Martyrologies, and by Ferrarius in his
General Catalogue of the Saints. The evidence for these Saints is
purely traditional; the first written record of them was by Gildas,
A.D. 560, but his account is lost. It is referred to by Matthew of
Westminster.]
Saint Elvan of Avalon, or Glastonbury, was brought up in that school
erroneously said to have been founded by S. Joseph of Arimathea. He
vehemently preached the truth before Lucius, a British king, and was
mightily assisted by S. Mydwyn of Wales (Meduinus), a man of great
learning. Lucius despatched Elvan and Mydwyn to Rome, on an embassy to
Pope Eleutherius, in 179, who consecrated Elvan bishop, and appointed
Mydwyn teacher. He gave them, as companions, two Roman clerks, Faganus
and Deruvianus; or, according to some, Fugatius and Damianus. They
returned with these to King Lucius, who was obedient to the word of God,
and received baptism along with many of his princes and nobles. Elvan
became the second archbishop of London. He and Mydwyn were buried at
Avalon. S. Patrick is said to have found there an ancient account of the
acts of the Apostles, and of Fugatius and Damianus, written by the hand
of S. Mydwyn. Matthew of Westminster gives the following account of the
conversion of Lucius, under the year 185:--"About the same time, Lucius,
king of the Britons, directed letters to Eleutherius, entreating him
that he would make him a Christian. And the blessed pontiff, having
ascertained the devotion of the king, sent to him some religious
teachers; namely, Faganus and Deruvianus, to convert the king to Christ,
and wash him in the holy font. And when that had been done, then the
different nations ran to baptism, following the example of the king, so
that in a short time there were no infidels found in the island."
There is a considerable amount of exaggeration in this account of
Matthew of Westminster, which must not be passed over. Lucius is known
in the Welsh triads by the name of Lleurwg, or Lleufer Mawr, which means
"The great Luminary," and this has been Latinized into Lucius, from
_Lux_, light. He was king of a portion of South Wales only. The Welsh
authorities make no mention of the alleged mission to Rome, though, that
such a mission should have been sent, is extremely probable. Some
accounts say that Medwy and Elfan were Britons, and that Dyfan and
Ffagan (Deruvianus and Faganus) were Roman priests. But both these names
are British, consequently we may conjecture that they were of British
origin, but resided then at Rome.
Four churches near Llandaf bore the names of Lleurwg (Lucius), Dyfan,
Ffagan, and Medwy, which confirms the belief in the existence of these
Saints, and indicates the scene of their labours. Matthew of Westminster
adds:--"A.D. 185. The blessed priests, Faganus and Deruvianus, returned
to Rome, and easily prevailed on the most blessed Pope that all that
they had done should be confirmed. And when it had been, then the
before-mentioned teachers returned to Britain, with a great many more,
by whose teaching the nation of the Britons was soon founded in the
faith of Christ, and became eminent as a Christian people. And their
names and actions are found in the book that Gildas the historian wrote,
concerning the victory of Aurelius Ambrosius."
Geoffrey, of Monmouth, who, unsupported, is thoroughly untrustworthy,
mentions the same circumstance, on the authority of the treatise of
Gildas, now lost. The embassy to Rome shall be spoken of at length,
under the title of S. Lucius, December 11th. See also Nennius, § 22;
Bede's Eccles. Hist. i. 4; and the Liber Landavensis, p. 65.