He was born in Anjou of a family allied to the emperor Charlemagne.
From his infancy it was his only ambition to serve Christ with his
whole heart. When he was of an age to be settled in the world, his
parents obliged him to accept a ring sent him by a great lord of the
country named Baronte, as a token that he would marry his daughter;
but to prevent this engagement, he fled into Auvergne, and there
received the monastic habit at the hands of St. Chaffre or Theofrede,
who was then œconome of the monastery of Carmery or Cormeri, so
called from its founder Carmen, duke of that country, since called
St. Theofrede’s or Chaffre’s monastery in Auvergne, four leagues from
Puy in Velay, whom he had met at Menat, and followed to this abbey.
Here he lived seven years under the holy abbot Eudo; then returned to
Menat seven leagues from Clermont; this monastery he built in such a
manner as to have borne the name of its founder. He governed it for
many years with great sanctity, and died in 720. He is honored with
singular veneration in Auvergne and Anjou, and mentioned by Usuard
on the 22d of July. See Mabillon, Sec. 3, Ben., part 1, Labbe, t.
2, Bibl. Novæ, p. 591. Branche, Vies des SS. d’Auvergne et Velay.
Baillet, &c.