CALLED AT LYONS ST. PRIEST, AT SENS ST. PREST, IN SAINT-ONGE ST. PREILS,
AT PARIS AND IN PICARDY ST. PRIX.
THE episcopal see of Auvergne, which was founded by St. Austremonius, in
the middle of the third century, has been honored with many holy
bishops, of whom twenty-six are ranked among the saints. Of these the
most eminent are St. Alidius, called in French Allyre, the fourth
bishop, in 380, St. Sidonius Apollinaris in 482, St. Gallus in 656, St.
Prix in 674, and St. Bont in 710. About the year 1160, the title of
bishops of Auvergne was changed into that of Clermont, from the city of
this name. St. Prix was a native of Auvergne, and trained up in the
service of the church, under the care of St. Genesius, first archdeacon,
afterwards bishop of Auvergne, and was well skilled in plain song,
(which was esteemed in that age the first part of the science of a
clergyman,) and in holy scriptures and church history. The parish of
Issoire, and afterwards the nunnery, of Candedin, (now probably
Chantoen, a convent of barefooted Carms,) were the chief theatres of his
zeal, till about the year 666 he was called by the voice of the people,
seconded by Childeric II., king of Austrasia, to the episcopal dignity,
upon the death of Felix, bishop of Auvergne. Partly by his own ample
patrimony, and partly by the great liberalities of Genesius, the holy
count of Auvergne, he was enabled to found several monasteries,
churches, and hospitals; so that all distressed persons in his extensive
diocese were provided for, and a spirit of fervor in the exercises of
religion, and all Christian virtues, reigned in all parts. This was the
fruit of the unwearied and undaunted zeal, assiduous sermons and
exhortations, and the admirable example and sanctity of the holy
prelate; whose learning, eloquence, and piety, are exceedingly extolled
by the two historians of his life. The saint, on his road to the court
of king Childeric, whither he was going for the affairs of his diocese,
restored to health St. Damarin, or Amarin, a holy abbot of a monastery
in the mountains of Voge, who was afterwards martyred with him. This
king caused Hector, the patrician of Marseilles, whom the saint had
severely rebuked for having ravished a young lady of Auvergne, a rich
heiress, and having unjustly usurped considerable estates belonging to
his church, to be put to death for this rape and other crimes. One
Agritius, imputing his death to the complaints carried to the king by
St. Prix, in revenge {221} stirred up many persons against the holy
prelate, and with twenty armed men met the bishop as he returned from
court, at Volvic, two leagues from Clermont, and first slew the abbot
St. Damarin, whom the ruffians mistook for the bishop. St. Prix,
perceiving their design, courageously presented himself to them, and was
stabbed in the body by a Saxon named Radbert. The saint, receiving this
wound, said, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, for they know not
what they do." Another of the assassins clove his head with a
back-sword, and scattered his brains. This happened in 674, on the 25th
of January. The veneration which the Gallican churches paid to the
memory of this martyr began from the time of his death. His name was
added to the calendar in the copies of the Sacramentary of St. Gregory,
which were transcribed in France, and churches were erected under his
invocation in almost every province of that kingdom. The principal part
of his relics remain in the abbey of Flavigny, whither they were carried
about the year 760. Some portions are kept in the abbey of St. Prix at
St. Quintin's, of the congregation of Cluni; another in the priory of
St. Prix near Bethune, and in certain other places. See the two lives of
St. Prix, the first written by one who was acquainted with him, the
other by one of the same age, both extant in Bollandus, pp. 628, 636,
and in Mabillon Act. Ben. t. 1, pp. 642, 650.