Warmington.
W. S. W. (Vol. iv., p. 188.) invites attention to a manuscript note in
his valuable copy of Peter Lombard's _Sentences_ (ed. Vien. 1477), by
which Lombard, Gratian, and Comestor are described as "_fratres
uterini_."
Antoninus, Archbishop of Florence, wrote about A.D. 1445. His account,
therefore, of this clearly fabulous story must be somewhat earlier, as
it is (at least in one particular) more curiously circumstantial. His
words are (_Chronic. Op._, cap. vi. p. 65., ed. Lugd. 1586):
"A quibusdam prædicatur in populis, quod fuerunt germani ex
adulterio nati. Quorum mater cum in extremis peccatum suum
confiteretur, et Confessor redargueret crimen perpetratum
adulterii, quia valde grave esset, et ideo multum deberet dolere,
et poenitentiam agere, respondit illa: '_Pater, scio quod
adulterium peccatum magnum est; sed, considerans quantum bonum
secutum est, cum isti filii sint lumina magna in Ecclesiâ, ego non
valeo poenitere._'"
However, whilst he records this singular story, Antoninus confesses that
he gives little credit to it; for he presently adds:
"Non enim reperitur authenticum; imo, nec fuerunt contemporanei,
etsi vicini tempore. Gratianus enim fuit ante alios duos."
And not only were they not cotemporaries, but also it may be worth
observing, that they were not even fellow-countrymen.