Breviarium Aberdonense (Edinburgh: Chepman & Myllar, 1509-10) — translated from the Latin. Contains the end of the office of St Ternan, followed by the offices of SS. Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia; SS. Cyricus and Julitta; SS. Marcus and Marcellianus; SS. Gervasius and Protasius; the colophon; and the index of saints for the hyemal part.

… he translated them to the basilica of the apostles which is in Rome. Now they were found and translated on the first of the Kalends of June [1 June]. But their festival is kept on the fifth of the Kalends of August [28 July], for the sake of their martyrdom. The last three lessons are of Saint Ternan. Lesson 7.

Now Convecturius, who held the chief place of that land, seeing the blessed Ternan with the multitude that had come with him, addressed him thus: “O hypocrite, why have you sought my land? Know you for certain that unless you depart, your safety is at stake — first learn to know the gods, and to serve them only.”

Lesson 8. Now Convecturius said: … He departed a servant, made without hope of return; and when he had departed, the feet of the said Convecturius became so entangled with stones that they could not be torn away. And when Ternan had prayed for him, he was set free and baptized.

Lesson 9. At that time Saint Macharius sent to the blessed Ternan, that he might send him his seed; but he, not having grain, filled sacks with sand and sent them to him. Thereupon Macharius, with the blessed man’s prayer, sowed the sand without natural seed, and by the merits of the prelate of the Scots an excellent crop grew.

The feast of the most blessed prelate and pontiff — of Saint Basil the bishop and confessor. Prayer: “O God, who did deign to choose the blessed Basil your confessor, an especial teacher and preacher of the Catholic faith, grant, we beseech you, that by his intercession for us we may be delivered from evils and serve you, the Lord, with sincere minds. Through the Lord.” The last three lessons. Let it be of the Common of one confessor and pontiff. Of the holy martyrs Vitus and Modestus and Crescentia. Prayer:

“O almighty God, grant that we who celebrate the victories of your holy martyrs Vitus and Modestus and Crescentia may share also in their rewards. Through the Lord.” The last three lessons. At Matins the invitatory of many martyrs, first lesson.

The blessed Vitus, of mature mind in boyish years, was first beaten by his own father because he would not depart from the worship of Christ; then he was beaten with rods by Valerian the judge, and remained steadfast in the confession of Christ. And when his father was devising to afflict him with torments, by command of an angel he went aboard a ship and, with his tutors Modestus and Crescentia for company, came to the territory of Tanagro [Lusitania].

Lesson 2. There he cured the daughter of Diocletian by prayer, who was vexed by a demon; many gifts being offered him, he was bidden to devote himself to the worship of the gods, and because he would not sacrifice he was cast into prison with Modestus and Crescentia; then into a cauldron filled with oil, resin and pitch and boiling…

and when these were broken, a most savage lion was let loose upon them, which at once, becoming tame, fell at their feet. But the sacrilegious judge, seeing the saints of God unmoved and the multitude of the people converted to Christ, had them stretched upon the rack and torn until they yielded up the spirit. Their bodies a certain noble matron named Flavia buried in the place which is now called Marianus. The rest of the Common of many martyrs. Prayer: “Hear us, O Lord our God, that we who humbly beseech the patronage of your holy martyrs Cyricus and Julitta his mother, may be able to emulate the constancy of those whose triumph we celebrate. Through the Lord.” First lesson. Lesson 1.

After the persecution of the Christians under the emperor Alexander in the eastern parts, the prefect Alexander caused a certain matron named Julitta to be brought before him with her son Cyricus. She said: “I sacrifice not to your gods, nor do I dread your torments; I fear not your rage.” Then Cyricus, a boy of three years, seeing his mother beaten, cried aloud and scratched the face of the judge with his nails; he, enraged, ordered the child to be killed by dashing him down the steps.

Lesson 3. Then the prefect ordered them all to be beheaded, and Julitta with her son Cyricus to be roasted upon a bed of fire; and afterwards he caused their bodies to be cut up and their heads at last to be cut off. By such martyrdom they passed to Christ, among the many beginnings of the rest.

Of the holy martyrs Marcus and Marcellianus, twin martyrs. Prayer: “Grant, we beseech you, O almighty God, that we who keep the heavenly birthdays of your martyrs Marcus and Marcellianus may be delivered from all threatening ills by their intercessions. Through the Lord.” At Matins the double invitatory. First lesson.

The holy martyrs of Christ Marcellianus and Marcus, when they would not sacrifice to the gods, were bound and put in prison. And since they remained firm in the confession of Christ, capital sentence was pronounced upon them, upon this condition — that if they would consent to sacrifices, they should be restored to their parents, wives, children and goods. Second lesson.

Moreover, during the time of thirty days’ indulgence, the emperor’s men kept urging them to sacrifice. And when they refused, they were bound to a stake; then they were pierced with nails through the feet, standing secure in the confession of Christ. Response: …

“I thirst,” said the prefect: “drink you the blood of the sacrifices, until you sacrifice to the gods.” To whom they said: “Our souls thirst for Christ, by whose body we are covered.” Then they sang to one another: “See how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” And when a day and a night had passed with them in the psalms, they were commanded to be beheaded, standing in the holy faith. And they passed to the heavenly kingdoms. They were buried on the Appian Way, two miles from the city, at the place called Ad Arenas. Response: “This is the true brotherhood.” And the rest of the Common of many martyrs. Of the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius, brother martyrs. Prayer:

“O God, who do gladden us by the yearly solemnity of your holy martyrs Gervasius and Protasius, grant propitiously that we may be furthered in faith by the merits in which we rejoice. Through the Lord.” The last three lessons. At Matins a double invitatory. Lesson 1.

Of the saints Gervasius and Protasius: their father was named Vitalis, and their mother Valeria. And when, by the intestate right of the holy Vitalis their father, they had succeeded to his patrimony, they distributed all things to the poor, and hid themselves in one upper chamber for ten years, giving themselves to fasts and prayers. Them, in the tenth year, Astasius the count commanded to sacrifice to the gods, that he might make them companions of his expedition.

Gervasius said: “Victory is to be sought from almighty God, not from deaf and dumb images.” The count, enraged, ordered him to be beaten with scourges until he yielded up the spirit. When he was dead he said to Protasius: “Wretch, learn you also to live.” Protasius said: “I am the wretch, who fear not you — you who prove that you are to be feared by me.”

Lesson … the count ordered him likewise to be beaten with scourges, and said: “Wretch, why do you thus perish like your brother Gervasius perished?” And Protasius said: “I am not angry with you, for the eyes of your heart are blinded.” The enraged count ordered him to be beheaded. By such martyrdom the victor passed to Christ. Their bodies were buried by a certain Philip, their friend, in a stone sarcophagus. Afterwards, by divine will, they were translated through the blessed Ambrose, bishop of Milan, to the basilica of Ambrose. Response: “This is the true brotherhood.” And the rest of the Common of many martyrs.

FINIS

The end of the Breviary of Aberdeen for the use most especially of the Scottish church, the hyemal part; by the work and at the expense of the honourable man Walter Chepman, a merchant of the burgh of Edinburgh, in Scotland, on the Kalends of February from Christ born, in the ninth year above one thousand five hundred, in the twenty-second year of the reign of James the Fourth, most illustrious king of the Scots.

Index for the hyemal part of the legends of the saints, in which each in their own months may be found most easily by their own order as follows:

In December are read: Saint Andrew the apostle, folio first Eligius the bishop, folio v Bibiana [Ethernan?] the bishop, folio vi Barbara the virgin, folio viii Nicholas the bishop, folio x The Conception of Mary, folio xiv Lucy the virgin, folio xvii Drostan the abbot, folio xix Sannan [?] the bishop, folio xx Thomas the apostle, folio xxi Ethernach the confessor, [the same] folio Gazota [?] the virgin, folio xxiii Caran the bishop, folio xxiv Fotinus the martyr, at the end

In January: Genevieve the virgin, folio xxiv Kentigerna the matron, folio c Nathalan the bishop, folio xxvi Felan [Fillan] the abbot, folio xxvii Kentigern the bishop, folio xxviii Felix the priest, folio xxix Maurus the abbot, at the end Furseus the abbot, folio xxxi Antony the abbot, folio xxxii Prisca the virgin, folio xxxiii Fabian and Sebastian, at the end Agnes the martyr, folio xxxvii Chuninus [?] the bishop, folio xxxviii Vincent the martyr, folio xl The Conversion of Paul, folio xli Agnes the second, folio xlii Molocus the bishop, at the end Glascianus the bishop, folio xlv Monocus [?], at the end

In February: Brigid the virgin, folio xlvi

[blank] Candlemas

The Purification of Mary, folio xlvii Blasius the bishop and martyr, folio l Monan the abbot, folio lii Agatha the virgin, folio liii Vedast and Amandus, folio lviii Scholastica the virgin, at the end