# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for St. Venantius, Martyr (May 18). Sourced
# directly from web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/05-18.txt,
# English/Sancti/05-18.txt. Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, one
# continuous account of the martyrdom. No Lectio7-9 in his own file
# (his `[Rule]` is `vide C2a`) -- defers to the Common of a Martyr's
# own Nocturn 3, not transcribed here.
id: st-venantius
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    text:
      la: >-
        Venantius Camers, quindecim annos natus, cum christianæ religiónis accusarétur
        apud Antíochum, qui sub Decio imperatóre Camerino præerat, in porta civitátis
        præsidi se obtulit. Quem ille pollicitatiónibus ac terróribus diu tentátum,
        flagris cædi et vinculis astringi jussit; sed is mirabíliter ab Angelo solutus,
        lampadibus póstea aduritur, atque inverso ore, fumo supposito, suspénditur. Ejus
        constantiam in tormentis demirátus Anastasius Cornicularius, et quod eum ab
        Angelo íterum solutum cándida veste supra fumum ambulántem vidísset, in Christum
        credidit; et a beato Porphyrio presbytero cum família baptizatus, paulo post
        martyrii palmam cum eodem promeruit.


        At Venantius præsidi sistitur, et ab eo íterum frustra tentátus ut Christi fidem
        deséreret, in carcerem conjícitur; quo Attalus præco mittitur, qui ei dicat se
        quoque christianum fuísse et ei nómini proptérea renuntiásse, quod cognovísset
        inane esse fidei comméntum, quo Christiáni præséntibus se ábdicant ob vanam
        futurórum spem. Verum nobilis Christi athleta, callidi hostis insidias non
        ignorans, diaboli ministrum a se pénitus rejécit. Quare ad præsidem íterum
        adducto omnes contusi sunt dentes maxillæque confractæ; atque, ita cæsus, in
        sterquilinium dejícitur. Sed inde ab Angelo quoque ereptus, rursus stetit ante
        judicem; qui, Venantio adhuc loquente, e tribunali cécidit, et in ea voce, Verus
        est Venantii Deus, nostros deos destrúite, exclámans exspirávit.


        Quod cum præsidi nuntiátum esset, extemplo Venántium leónibus óbjici jussit;
        qui, naturali feritáte omissa, ad ejus se pedes abjecérunt. Interim ille pópulum
        Christi fidem edocébat. Quare inde amotus, íterum in carcerem traditur. Cumque
        postridie præsidi referret Porphyrius, se per visum noctu pópulos, quos
        Venantius aqua tingebat, claríssima luce fulgéntes, ipsum vero præsidem
        obscuríssima caligine operátum vidisse; præses, ira incénsus, eum illico cápite
        plecti imperat, deínde Venántium per loca vépribus et cárduis cónsita trahi
        usque ad vésperam. Is, cum semiánimis relíctus esset, mane se íterum præsidi
        præsentávit; cujus jussu statim e rupe præcipitátur. Sed inde étiam divinitus
        ereptus, denuo per loca aspera ad mille passus trahitur; ubi, milítibus siti
        æstuántibus, in próxima convalle, ex lápide, in quo et genuum formam relíquit,
        sicut étiam nunc in ejus ecclésia vidére licet, crucis signo a Venantio facto,
        aquæ manarunt. Eo miraculo plures permoti in Christum credidérunt, quos omnes
        præses eo loci una cum Venantio cápite feriri jussit. Fulgura et terræmotus eo
        témpore ita magni fuére, ut præses aufugeret; qui paucis tamen post diébus,
        divinam haud valens effugere justítiam, turpíssimam mortem oppétiit. Christiáni
        interim Venantii et aliórum córpora honorifico loco sepeliérunt: quæ Camerini, in
        ecclésia Venantio dicata, cóndita adhuc sunt.
      en: >-
        Venantius was a lad of Camerino (in the neighbourhood of Ancona,) who at fifteen
        years of age was accused of Christianity before Antiochus, Praefect of Camerino
        under the Emperor Decius. Venantius therefore appeared before Antiochus at the
        gate of the city, and when the Praefect had striven with him for a long while,
        by promises and threats, he commanded him to be scourged and thrown into irons,
        but an Angel loosed his bonds. He was afterwards scarified with lamps, and hung
        head downwards in smoke. Anastasius the trumpeter was amazed at his hardiness
        under suffering, and when it appeared to him that the Martyr was a second time
        loosed by an Angel, and was walking in white raiment on the smoke, he believed
        in Christ, and was baptized, with all his house, by the blessed Priest
        Porphyry, and a little while after they both together earned the palm of
        martyrdom.


        Now Venantius stood before the Praefect, and when he had again vainly tempted
        him to give up his faith in Christ, he cast him into prison, and sent unto him
        Attalus the crier. Attalus told him how that he also had been a Christian, but
        had denied that name, seeing it was a foolish faith which made Christians to
        throw away things present for a groundless hope of things to come. But Christ's
        brave champion, well knowing the wiles of our subtle enemy, drove the devil's
        servant from his presence. When he appeared again before the Praefect, his
        teeth and jaws were broken, and so mangled he was cast out upon a dunghill. But
        thence also an Angel delivered him, and he stood again before the judge. And
        there while Venantius was yet speaking, the judge fell from off the
        judgment-seat, and when he had cried with a loud voice, "Venantius, his God is
        true, take away our gods," he died.


        Then they told the President of it, he commanded Venantius to be straightway
        thrown to the lions. But the beasts were not wild to him, and lay down at his
        feet. And meanwhile he taught the Christian faith to the people. So they took
        him away from thence and cast him once more into prison. The next day Porphyry
        came to the President, and told him how that he had seen in a vision of the
        night Venantius sprinkling certain ones with water, and they that were sprinkled
        shone with a marvellous light, and the President himself hidden in deep
        darkness. Then the President was moved to great anger and commanded forthwith
        to behead Porphyry. As for Venantius, he bade them drag him about in rough
        places, full of briars and thistles, until the evening. When it was over, he
        was left half dead, but in the morning he stood for the last time before the
        President, who commanded to cast him down from a steep rock. It pleased God
        that this should not kill him, and he was haled again through rough places for
        about a mile. There the soldiers were athirst, and Venantius, by the sign of the
        Cross, made waters to flow from a stone in a gulley hard by. This is that stone
        whereon also he left the imprint of his knees, and which can be seen to this day
        in his Church. By this wonder many were moved to believe in Christ and the
        President commanded them all, and Venantius with them, to be beheaded in the
        same place where they were. When it was done there were great lightnings and
        earthquakes, so that the President fled, but he could not fly from the judgment
        of God, and but a few days thereafter he died a most shameful death. Meanwhile
        the Christians took the bodies of Venantius and the others, and buried them in
        an honourable place, wherein they lie to this day, under the Church at Camerino
        which is dedicated to Venantius.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
