The Irish challenge this saint as a native of their island. The
Scots also lay claim to him, and are supported by Richer’s Chronicle
of Sens, written in the thirteenth century, and by the life of St.
Florentius, his successor, though his acts say he was of a noble
family in Aquitain. Travelling into Alsace he led an anachoretical
life in the Sacred Forest (for this is the interpretation of the
Teutonic name Heiligesforst), about the year 630. He was often called
to the court of king Dagobert II., and by his interest promoted to
the episcopal see of Strasburg. His acts relate, that not long after
his exaltation he raised to life Dagobert’s son, killed by a fall
from a horse; these acts call this prince Sigebert; his name is not
recorded by the historians. Many other miracles are ascribed to
this saint; who, assisted by the liberality of this king, enriched
the Church of Strasburg with several large estates. King Dagobert
bestowed on it, for his sake, the manor and town of Rufach, with an
extensive country situated on both sides the river Alse or Elle,
together with the old royal palace of Isenburg, residing himself
at Kirchem near Molsheim. St. Arbogastus also founded, or at least
endowed, several monasteries, the principal among which were
Surburg and Shutteran: some say also Ebersheimunster; but the chief
founder of this last was duke Athico, the father of St. Odilia, by
the direction of St. Deodatus, bishop of Nevers. St. Arbogastus
died, according to Bosch the Bollandist, in 678, the year before
Dagobert offered the bishopric of Strasburg to St. Wilfrid, who was
then on his journey to Rome. Upon his declining that dignity, it
was conferred on St. Florentius. All writers on St. Arbogastus’s
life mention that, in his last will, he ordered his body should be
interred on the mountain which was the burial-place of malefactors.
His will was complied with; but the church of St. Michael was
afterward built upon the spot, and surrounded by a village called
Strateburg. Near it was founded the abbey of St. Arbogastus, to which
his body was translated with honor by his successor St. Florentius.
See the life of St. Arbogastus which seems to have been written in
the tenth age, published with remarks by F. Bosch, t. 5, Julij, p.
168.