Aberdeen Breviary, winter part (Edinburgh: Chepman & Myllar, 1509-10). Contains the offices of St Triduana (8 October), St Dionysius and companions (9 October), St Gereon and companions, and the beginning of St Cainnicus (Kenneth) the abbot.

Of Saint Triduana, virgin and not a martyr, whose relics rest at Restalrig and there she is much honoured. Prayer:

“O God, who do make your faithful joyful by the glorious solemnity of the blessed Triduana, make us also by her merits to deserve the joys of either life. Through the Lord.” At Matins, nine lessons. First lesson:

The blessed and glorious virgin Triduana, born in Colosse, came with the blessed Regulus to the parts of the Scots by angelic admonition. She, with two virgins, Potentia and Emeria, drew her life in the wilderness at Rescobie. Now a certain tyrant named Nectan, ruler of that region, hearing the fame of the virgin, was inflamed with love into lust, and sent legates to the virgin that he might obtain her consent. And when… Lesson 2.

Now when she had learned it, groaning that her chastity would be oppressed by the tyranny of the prince, she determined to leave her country, and tarried for a while at Atholl in a place which is called Dunfallandy. Meanwhile messengers are sent to seek the virgin, that at length she might satisfy the prince’s words; but she said to the messengers: “What is it that the said prince desires of me, a poor little virgin of God?” To whom they answered: “Desiring the most excellent beauty of your eyes, if he obtain them not he will perish.” Lesson 3.

Whereupon the virgin answered with a steadfast voice: “That which he desires of me he shall obtain.” And turning into a more secret place, she plucked out her eyes and gave them, thrust upon a stake, saying: “Take what the prince desires.” And when, Lord… “Hanging therefore the eyes…” Lesson 4.

The eyes of the virgin thus thrust through upon the stake they brought to their king, and reported what had been done. Now the king, wondering at the unshaken constancy of the blessed virgin, turned the hatred which before he had into love. Meanwhile the blessed virgin Triduana, being free for prayers and orisons at Restalrig in Lothian, passed to the heavenly things. And when… Lesson 5.

A certain woman of the English nation, noble by birth, had lost the light of her eyes; and when she had devoutly gone round many shrines of saints for the restoration of her sight and had not obtained her desire, at length the virgin Triduana appeared to her in dreams, saying: “Go into Scotland to the place which is called Restalrig, and to my sepulchre, from where you shall be restored to health”; which she, eagerly fulfilling the commands, deserved to receive the light of her eyes. And when… Lesson 6.

Now moreover a little daughter of the same woman fell through a window of the house from the height of thirty feet, all her members as it were broken, and by the impetus of the fall her eyes were plucked out; but the mother, sorrowing for the misery of the child, remembering the blessed Triduana, devotedly besought the health of her daughter; and the little girl was made whole and received the integrity of her eyes. And when… The lesson of the exposition of the Gospel: “The kingdom of heaven is like…” and the rest, all of the Common of one virgin not a martyr.

Of Saint Dionysius and his companions, martyrs, at Vespers. Antiphon: “You saints…” Psalms ferial. Chapter: “The souls of the just.” Hymn: “The illustrious man.” Verse: “By the merits of the saints.” Verse: “Rejoice in the Lord.” Antiphon: “The voices of your nobility resound with famous proclamations, gracious one, praising you; with suppliant word let us follow, O illustrious martyr, companion of angels, fellow of apostles, guest of the supper, co-heir of the martyrs, holy Dionysius with your companions; intercede for us, O salvation of all.” Psalm: Magnificat. Prayer:

“O God, who on this day did strengthen the blessed Dionysius with the virtue of constancy in the passion, and did deign to join to him Rusticus and Eleutherius to preach your glory to the nations: grant us, we beseech you, by their imitation to despise the prosperities of the world for your love, and to fear none of its adversities. Through the Lord.”

At Matins. Invitatory: “Let us adore the king of martyrs, the Lord; him who in his own is wonderful.” Psalm: Venite. Hymn: “By the merits of the saints.”

In the first nocturn. Antiphon: “The chosen Dionysius, taught by the blessed Clement, the successor of the blessed apostle Peter, received the seeds of the divine word to be bestowed upon the nations.” Psalm: Beatus vir. Antiphon: “By whom, the more he learned to serve the error of heathendom, the more intrepid and armed with the heat of faith he approached, and came to Paris, the Lord leading.” Psalm: Quare fremuerunt. Antiphon: “Not in truth to try the fierceness of the unbelieving people, because the record of their penalty strengthened his virtue.” Psalm: In Domino confido. Verse: “Rejoice in the Lord.” Lesson 1.

The elect Dionysius of the Lord, the athlete, after the passion of Peter and Paul coming from Rome, was honourably received by the blessed Pope Clement; who said to him: “In my stead receive the apostleship of all Gaul; do the work of an evangelist”; and joining companions to him, with peace given to them all he sent them from him. Verse: “After the passion of the Lord, to the diverse nations the preaching followed; so much that when the faith grew he deserved to be made prelate of many whom the Catholic church afterwards rejoices to have merited as martyrs. For they saw his own sufferings which he had learned when the Lord Jesus Christ taught, filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit they taught.” And when… Lesson 2.

Therefore the holy Dionysius, when he learned that the error of heathendom served the more among the Gauls, there intrepid and armed with the heat of faith he approached, and came to Paris, the Lord leading. Where when by the grace of Christ he had gained much among the peoples, he built a church and established offices of the clergy serving the Lord there, and appointed approved persons of honour of the second order. Verse: “I give you thanks, O Lord, who, when the javelins of the enemy were hurled, did grant them to the wounds of your faithful, and not wounds but such reward for labour did you bestow upon your martyrs; that the enemy might rejoice that none of your was destroyed. No, you bestow the perpetual triumph, that they may ever be an example to your church.” And when… Lesson 3.

“How great virtues the Lord deigns to exercise through him, that he might obtain the hearts of the rebellious not less by miracles than by preachings.” He is sent therefore by Domitian, the wicked prefect, that he might compel Dionysius to sacrifice to the idols or smite him with the axe. “The most blessed Dionysius, Christ the martyr delivering, by the blessed Clement received the seeds of the divine word to be bestowed upon the nations; and by how much the more he learned the error of heathendom, there intrepid and armed with the heat of faith he approached.” Verse: “And he came to Paris, the Lord leading, not in truth to try the fierceness of the unbelieving nation.” And… Glory… There…

In the second nocturn. Antiphon: “A church among those who were not yet in the places; and that people built a new one, and established offices of the serving clergy after the manner, and increased the approved persons in honour of the second order.” Psalm: Domine quis habitat. Antiphon: “Girded therefore with faith and preferring mercy, he little by little joined to God those whom he drew away from the devil.” Psalm: Conserva. Antiphon: “In no wise could the armed people resist the unarmed man.” Psalm: Domini est terra. Verse: “Let the just exult.” Lesson 4.

Then Saint Dionysius is taken, and with Saints Rusticus and Eleutherius is set before the prefect. To whom the prefect said: “are you that old man who do make void the worshippings of the gods?” To whom Saint Dionysius said: “Old indeed I am in body, but in the fervour of the faith and the salutary confession of my Lord Jesus Christ I remain ever new; and I cease not to beget new sons.” And when… Response: “How great virtues the Lord deigned to exercise through him, that the hearts of the rebellious…” Verse: “In truth the heavenly virtue wonderfully radiated. The hearts of the rebels…” Lesson 5.

“The prefect said to the blessed Dionysius: ‘If you will not worship the gods, you shall perish.’ And they, as it were with one mouth, answered: ‘In this it is manifest to us that we are most true Christians: with the heart we believe, with the mouth we confess, and in deed we worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the three and one God and Lord.’” Verse: “When the blessed Dionysius celebrated the sacred mystery in prison, there appeared to him the Lord Jesus Christ with a multitude of angels, giving him holy things, saying: ‘Receive this, my beloved, which shortly I shall fulfil for you, one with my Father.’” Verse: “For great is your reward, and those who hear you shall be safe in my kingdom. Give him the holy things.”

Lesson 6.

Now the prefect, angered, commanded them to be afflicted with various torments; and when not even so would they cease from the praise of Christ, he caused them to be shut up again in prison. Where, when the blessed Dionysius celebrated the sacred mystery, at the hour when the bread was broken, so great a light shone upon him that all who were present wondered. Response: “For great is your reward, and those who hear you shall be safe in my kingdom. Now you shall do it sweetly, and your name shall be in praise.” Verse: “The love and benignity which you have ever, and the things which you ask, you shall obtain. Now you shall do it. Glory to the Father…”

In the third nocturn. Antiphon: “How great virtues the Lord deigned to exercise through him, that he might obtain the hearts of the rebellious not less by miracles than by preachings.” Psalm: Exultate iusti. Antiphon: “While the blessed Dionysius celebrated the sacred mystery in prison, there appeared to him the Lord Jesus Christ with a multitude of angels.” Psalm: Benedicam. Antiphon: “Giving him the holy things, he said: ‘Receive this, my beloved, which shortly I shall fulfil for you, one with my Father.’” Psalm: Deus venerunt gentes. Verse: “The souls of the just.”

Lesson 7.

“Now at the aforementioned light, the Lord Jesus Christ coming took the holy bread and gave it to him, saying: ‘Receive this, my beloved, which shortly I shall fulfil for you, one with my Father; because your reward is greatest with me, and those who hear you shall be safe in my kingdom. Now you shall do it sweetly, and your name shall be in praise. The love and benignity which you have ever, and the things which you ask, you shall obtain.’” Verse: “Now is the most sacred day of the blessed Dionysius, in which he fulfilled the triumphant agony and deserved to receive the crown of victory from the hand of the Lord. For the Lord after the apostles so honoured him, that by his apostleship he should mark out all Gaul, which also he consecrated with his blood.”

Lesson 8.

“After these things the blessed martyrs of Christ were brought to the spectacle of the prefect; and when they would not sacrifice they were led to the place of beheading. Where, when they had poured forth prayer upon their knees, at once in the same moment they were beheaded by the wicked.” Response: “The illustrious martyr of God Dionysius, the precious one, kindled with the fire of divine love, steadfastly sustained the pains of the passion, and through the immensity of the torments came to the fellowship of the angels.” Verse: “May his intercession obtain for us pardon, who through the torments of the passion merited the eternal palm and the everlasting crown.” And when… Lesson 9.

“Now moreover their heads being cut off, the tongue confessed the Lord to declare also the merits of the martyr Dionysius; and his corpse raised itself, and took up his own head in his dangling arms, and began to walk, and bore it to the place where he now lies.” Verse: “The blessed Dionysius, Rusticus and Eleutherius, remaining in this constancy of the faith, rendering their bodies to the earth, gave up their blessed souls with joy to heaven. The souls of the blessed saints Dionysius, Rusticus and Eleutherius, the clods being left, followed the Saviour. Rendering… Glory to the Father… The blessed…” Verse: “But the just for ever.”

At Lauds. Antiphon: “The holy men of the blessed Dionysius never suffered his presence to be wanting, whom he found in the same questioning of the striking.” Psalm: Dominus regnavit. Antiphon: “In this constancy of the faith therefore remaining, rendering their bodies to the earth, they gave up their blessed souls to heaven.” Psalm: Iubilate. Antiphon: “For they deserved to pass to the Lord by so great a profession, that when their heads were cut off you would think the tongue still palpitating confessed God.” Psalm: Deus Deus meus. Antiphon: “A blessed fellowship and pleasing to our God, among whom neither the first could be the second nor the third; but confessing the Trinity they deserved to be crowned by a triple martyrdom.” Psalm: Benedicite. Antiphon: “And there was made a fellow multitude of the heavenly host, praising God at the lifeless body of the blessed Dionysius laying down his own head, and saying: ‘Glory to you, O Lord.’” Psalm: Laudate Dominum. Chapter: “The souls of the just.” Hymn: “O God gloriously of the martyrs.” Verse: “Wonderful is God.” Antiphon: “Now is the most sacred day of the blessed Dionysius, in which he fulfilled the triumphant agony and deserved to receive the crown of victory from the hand of the Lord.” Psalm: Benedictus. Prayer as above.

At Prime, antiphon: “The holy men.” Psalm: Deus in nomine tuo. At Terce, antiphon: “In this.” Verse: “Set forth the king.” The chapters and verses of the Common of many martyrs are said at all the hours. At Sext, antiphon: “For they deserved.” Psalm: De fecit. At None, antiphon: “And there was made.” Psalm: Mirabilia.

At second Vespers, antiphon: “The holy men.” Psalms ferial. Chapter: “The souls of the just.” Hymn: “O God gloriously.” Verse: “Wonderful is God.” Antiphon: “O blessed Dionysius, great is your faith; intercede for us to the Lord our God, that we who are unlike you in quality, his grace bestowing, he may make us companions.” Psalm: Magnificat. Prayer as above.

A commemoration is made of Saint Gereon and his companions the martyrs. Prayer:

“Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that as the birthdays of your saints Gereon, Victor, Cassius, Florentius and their companions desert not our celebration, so may their suffrages ever accompany us. Through the Lord.”

Of Saint Gereon and his companions, martyrs, nine lessons, all of the Common of many martyrs, with the middle prayer: “Grant, we beseech you.”

Of Saint Cainnicus the abbot, who is held for a patron at Kennoway in the diocese of Saint Andrews. Prayer:

“Our prayers, O Lord, which we offer you in veneration of the blessed Cainnicus your confessor and abbot, benignly receive, and graciously hear what we ask by his intervention. Through…”

Commemoration of Saint Methasius and his companions the martyrs. Prayer:

“O God, who have consecrated to us this solemn day in honour of the holy martyrs Methasius, Quirinus and Funiculus: be present to the prayers of your family, and grant that we may be relieved by the merits and aid of those whose feast we keep. Through the Lord.”

At Matins, nine lessons. Lesson 1.

Cainnicus, who had received his birth from Ireland and his name coming to Scotland, fought for many years under the monastic habit and the rule of monks; for at that time the blessed Columba, a man of great sanctity and devotion, flourished in the island of Iona; whom when the blessed Cainnicus visited, he was received with the venerable… Lesson 2.