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SOME ACCOUNT OF THE MARTYR GERONYMO AS GIVEN BY HAEDO.

"In a predatory expedition of the Spanish garrison of Oran, about the year 1540, the soldiers seized in the enemy's country, amongst other slaves, a young Arab, almost a child, possessed of an agreeable person and gentle manners. When the prizes thus made were sold, in order that their value should be divided amongst the captors, as was the custom at Oran, this poor child was bought by the licentiate Juan Caro, then vicar, and at the present time vicar-general of this city and garrison. Thanks to his wholesome education, the little Mussulman soon became a Christian, and received in baptism the name of Geronymo.

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Shortly after he had passed the age of eight years, a pestilence breaking forth at Oran, the population were forced to quit the city and dwell under tents in the country. In this situation, vigilance being somewhat relaxed over the captive Arabs, certain of them fled during the night, carrying off with them young Geronymo, whom they restored to his relatives.

"The child, once more amidst his own people, soon resumed the faith and customs of his nation, and thus he lived until about the age of five-and-twenty. But in the year of our Lord 1559, moved by the Holy Ghost, who called him to accomplish his mission, he of his own will returned to Oran, with the intention of dwelling there in the faith of our Divine Saviour.

"It was with great satisfaction that the vicar-general saw Geronymo, grown to man's estate, re-enter his doors. Informed of his good intention, and having received his expression of repentance for his sins, he reconciled him with our holy mother Church, and with much love received him beneath his roof.

"As Geronymo was a grown man and of a brave disposition,- —a quality which he had already displayed upon certain occasions,he caused him to enter the rural squadrons, where he served to the satisfaction of all persons. Besides which, in order to please him, the vicar-general married him to a young Christian in his own household, of the Moorish nation, his slave, and treated them both as though they were his own children.

66 Geronymo having thus passed ten years in the service of the Lord, to his great satisfaction, in the month of May, 1569, Anton de Palma was authorised by Don Martin de Cordova, Marquis of Cortes, who was and still is, general of Oran and of its garrison,

to go in a boat with some soldiers to attack certain Arabs who, according to information received, would be met with at a particular spot a few leagues from the coast. Anton de Palma received permission to embark with nine companions, a number which appeared to him sufficient. Amongst them was Geronymo.

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"At length one morning, having reached the appointed spot, they were beginning to disembark, when they beheld two brigantines approaching from Tetuan. Perceiving that the newly-arrived were Moors, they, the Christians, being so few in number, and unable to conceal themselves as they would have desired, sought to save themselves by rowing away as swiftly as possible. Mussulmans, who on their side had recognised the Christians, immediately commenced following them, and gained upon them so surely that the Christians, for want of other means of escape, ran ashore. This proved but of little service to them, for already the prow-beaks of the two brigantines were upon their boat, in such wise, that the moment that the fugitives leapt on land, their enemies did the same, and took them prisoners, all alive, although Geronymo was severely wounded by an arrow in the arm, and certain others of his comrades were also wounded in various parts of their bodies. Anton de Palma escaped from the enemy, having gained the interior of the country by a rapid flight. Nevertheless, he did not escape, ere long falling into the hands of certain Arabs of those parts. But he was redeemed later on.

"The captors, well satisfied, set off for Algiers with their nine prisoners. As it is customary that the Pachas take for themselves two of every ten Christians made captive, Geronymo and a companion fell to the lot of their governor, who was Euldj-Ali, a Calabrian renegade, at the present day admiral of the Grand Turk.

"Thus Geronymo, finding himself amongst the slaves of the Pacha, was immediately conducted to the bath, which answers the purpose of a prison. The devil, who is ever ready to employ every means for the annoyance of the good, within a very few days made known the origin of Geronymo, how that by birth he was an Arab, and the reason and manner of his having become a Christian. Upon this the keepers of the prison loaded him with a heavy chain, and no longer permitted him to go forth even to labour, as did each day his companions in misfortune.

"Various Mussulmans, especially certain of their learned men and Marabouts, having learnt what Geronymo had been in his childhood, imagined that it would be easy to bring

him back to their faith and sect. Thus many of these personages, influenced by this belief, went continually to the bath, labouring-some by argument, others by promises, and some even by menaces- -to pervert Geronymo.

"All their trouble, all their efforts, were utterly lost, since this good Geronymo, animated by a lively and constant faith, alone replied by exhorting them to cease their exertions, saying that nothing in the world, neither terrors nor menaces, would cause him to abandon Christianity.

"Sometimes, importuned beyond endurance by these visitors, he bade them depart in the keeping of God. Then rejoining the Christians, one of whom related the fact to me, he added, speaking of the Mussulmans who had just gone forth, 'Do those miserable men imagine that they will make a Mussulman again of me? No, I shall never again become one, even were I to lose my life for it!'

"The Moors finding themselves thus disappointed, and perceiving that their exhortations led to nothing, had recourse to rigorous acts. They related to the Pacha Euldj-Ali all that had occurred, laying great stress upon the importance of the matter. According to them, the holy constancy of this servant of Jesus Christ was simply an obstinate disposition. They demanded for him, in any case, such chastisement as would most efficaciously serve as an example to the others.

"The Pacha hearing these things fell into a great anger, and consoled the complainants with gracious words. From that time an ardent desire arose in his heart to cause the destruction of the servant of God through some form of death remarkable for its cruelty. Occupied with this thought, he went to inspect the progress of a fortress erecting without the gate Bab-el-Oued, towards the west, for the defence of a certain place of embarkation, which upon this side is near to the city. He examined for a long time the work, and at the moment of returning to his palace, called to one of the Christian slaves, Master-mason Michael, from Navarre, the chief of certain men occupied in making mud for the forts, and said to him as follows:

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"Michael, thou seest that frame,' pointing with his finger towards the planks which were set up to make a block of mud-cement, but between which as yet no earth was thrown. 'Do not fill it up yet, for I wish to bury alive this dog of Oran who refuses to return to Islam!'

"Having said these words, he returned to his palace.

"Master Michael did that which he was ordered to do, and shortly afterwards, the day

being ended, for it was already late, he returned to the bath with the other slaves, who, like himself, belonged to the sovereign.

"Upon reaching the bath, Michael, much affected by the thought of the evil which the Pacha wished to bring about, immediately sought out Geronymo, and with sorrow related to him the orders issued by Euldj-Ali, supplicating him to receive this trial in patience, and exhorting him to prepare like a good Christian for that death which was verily certain, since he, Michael, had just prepared his place of sepulchre with his own hands.

"Hearing these tidings, the good Geronymo in no wise lost courage, but with a resolute spirit replied: Blessed be God for everything! Do these miserable men think to terrify me by the prospect of this death of torment, or yet to make me abandon Christianity? May our Lord only deign to remember my soul and pardon my sins!'

"Certain of the Christians, particularly his friends, upon hearing these his words, surrounded him, consoling him as well as they might, encouraging him to receive this death in patience for the love of God. He replied to them with much energy:

"I have confidence in the Lord, who, by His grace, will give me strength to die for His holy name. But I ask you all to recommend me to God by your prayers.'

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"Wishing, after this declaration, to prepare himself like a good Christian for the struggle that stood before him, Geronymo called a priest who was amongst the Pacha's captives, and prayed him to hear his confession. ecclesiastic willingly listened to him, and entering with him into the church, which for some long time the Christians possessed in the bath, he heard his confession at full length, cousoling him, and encouraging him to meet his martyrdom with fortitude.

"After this, it being already night, Geronymo retired to his chamber, where he remained in prayer until morning, recommending himself with all his heart to our Lord, beseeching Him to pardon his sins, and to aid him by His grace. A little before dawn he returned to the church, where the priest who had confessed him had already arrived. After the mass, which he heard with much devotion, the priest administered to him the Communion and the Viaticum of the holy body of our Redeemer Jesus Christ.

"Thus armed with these spiritual and invincible weapons, the happy servant of Christ, confident in their power, awaited the moment when Satan's ministers should conduct him to death.

"It was scarcely three o'clock, or nine, according to the Spaniards' mode of reckoning, when three or four guards of the Pacha entered the bath and inquired for Geronymo, who was still in the church recommending himself to God. He came forth towards these men, who, as soon as they perceived him, commenced, according to their custom, to overwhelm him furiously with insulting language. The servant of God replied not a single word.

"The guards having placed him in their midst, directed their steps towards the fort, of which we have already spoken, where the Pacha awaited him, and which was destined to be the scene of his glorious death. Geronymo having arrived in the presence of the governor, who was accompanied by many renegades and Turks, Euldj-Ali addressed him in these words:

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Bre, juppe!' which means in Turkish: 'Hallo, dog!' wherefore wilt thou not be a Mussulman?'

"I will not be one in anything,' replied the martyr of God. 'I am a Christian, and I shall remain a Christian.'

"Ah, well,' replied the Pacha, if thou wilt not become a Mussulman-look there!' and he showed him the mould for the block of mud. 'Look there: I will bury thee alive there!'

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"Do what thou wilt,' returned the holy man, with admirable courage. 'I am prepared for all things. The aspect of death will not make me abandon the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

“Euldj-Ali, perceiving his grand resolution, ordered the chain upon his leg to be struck off, and his feet and hands to be bound together; also that he should be placed at the bottom of the mud-mould which he had had prepared the previous day, and after this was done, that he should be forthwith buried alive there.

"The guards immediately executed his orders; and Geronymo, his limbs bound, was placed between the planks. A Spanish renegade of the house of Hadji-Mourad, known in Christendom under the name of Tamango, and by the Turks under that of Djafar, who had been taken at the defeat of Mostaganem with the Count d'Alcaudete, jumped with both feet upon the martyr of God, and seizing in his hand one of the rammers lying near, called out that they should at once bring him earth. Accordingly, earth was brought and spread over this holy one of God, who spake not one word, opened not his mouth, being like a gentle lamb before his shearers. Then began Tamango to ram down the earth with both his

hands and all his strength, multiplying his furious and cruel blows.

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Seeing this, other renegades from the numerous troop of refugees from the true faith, which surrounded the Pacha, wished also to exhibit themselves as good Mussulmans and accomplished Turks, and seizing other rammers, and ramming down the earth which they brought to the spot, accomplished the death of this glorious martyr of Christ.

"The spirit of Geronymo, we must believe, according to our holy faith, was received by our Lord amongst the number of his saints in Heaven, the martyr obtaining the crown and recompense of his holy and glorious death.

"All being thus ended, and the body of the holy man being covered up in his noble sepulchre, Euldj-Ali returned to the palace, remarking upon the way, that in truth he had not expected this Christian would have received death with so much courage.

"This occurred in the middle of September of the year 1569, upon the 18th, a day which will remain a perpetual remembrance to those who love the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord.

"The Christians who were labouring at the fort Bal-el-Oued, deliberated whether they should remove from thence the body of the saint; but this did not appear possible, since they would have been seen by the Turks and Moors who guarded them. Besides, such a removal would not have been desirable, seeing that the memory of this most happy martyr, and his glorious death and courage, would be best preserved if he remained interred there, on the spot where he suffered, fully in sight not only of the Christians, but of the blind Turks and Moors, and, above all, by the renegades, who, regarding so excellent a martyr of God, would feel themselves confounded, and would suffer regret for their sin.

"If the fort be looked at towards the north, in order to discover the spot where the holy corpse is interred, it may be clearly recognised in the wall, since upon this side there is a block broken up, and, as it were, disturbed. The reason being that the flesh having, in the lapse of time, been consumed from the bones, the earth of this block has sunk,-a movement which is very remarkable.

"We await through the Divine Goodness the arrival of a day when Geronymo shall be drawn forth from this place, and when his body shall be united to those of many other holy martyrs of Christ whose blood and most happy deaths have consecrated this country, in order to be laid together in a more honourable and suitable place, to the glory of the Lord, who has left to us captives such saints and such examples.

"The most happy martyr Geronymo, according to appearance at the moment of his glorious death, might have reached the age of five-andthirty years. He was spare and small of stature; his face was thin and his complexion very brown, such as is that mostly of the Moors of this country of Barbary."

At the time of the publication in the "Akbar" by M. Berbrugger of the foregoing narrative, there was a prospect of the demolition of the "Fort of the Twenty-Four Hours," *—the fort clearly indicated in Haedo's history as the scene of the martyr's sufferings and of his entombment. "It was," says M. Berbrugger, " even believed that its destruction would be confided to private enterprise. Happily however," he continues, "the hand of Providence, so conspicuous throughout the whole affair, brought about a favourable combination of circumstances for the search. In the year 1852 the business of demolishing the fort was confided to a young captain of artillery, M. Suzzoni, who, having heard speak of my article upon the martyr Geronymo, requested from me all needful information in prosecuting a search, which henceforth was carried on with persistent ardour."

The work was commenced on the northern frout, that which the text of Haedo appears especially to designate as containing the sacred remains. Nothing being however for some time discovered, fears were entertained that during the repairs in former years, of which there were evident traces upon the surface of the wall, the precious relics had perished. These fears vanished upon more careful observation, the lower portion of the building, in which, according to the Spanish narrative, Geronymo had been interred, being found to have escaped repair.

There was no need, however, to have been disheartened. The indication of Haedo had been given to him by slaves, mostly men without education, who doubtless neither possessed instruments for scientific observation, nor yet the habit of exactitude in description. They will simply have remarked that the northeastern projection of the fort where Geronymo reposed was in the prolongation of the gate Bab-el-Oued, through which you passed if you wished to go towards the north, as well as towards the east, and this will have served as the basis of the approximate indication which they have given.

*The European name of the Fort of the Four-and-Twenty Hours (Fort des Vingt-Quatre-Heures), observes M. Berbrugger, has caused considerable speculation regarding its origin; and he would suggest whether this mysterious designation may not have reference to the tragedy acted out in September, 1569, during its erection, and of which the duration from beginning to end was twenty-four hours; that is, from the time when the Pacha was informed that Geronymo would not abjure his faith, to the time when his martyrdom was accomplished.

But, besides this remarkable clue in the Spanish narrative, there is also an expression which very clearly defined the position of the spot sought for. It is where Haedo remarks that the side of the rampart where the martyr reposes is a place in sight not only of the Christians, but of the Turks and renegades. This supposes, without question, that the spot was open to a public road. Now the high road, which leads from the gate Bab-el-Oued, passed then, as now, before the front of the fort, where, in fact, ultimately the skeleton of Geronymo was found. The great thoroughfare ran parallel with this wall; whilst the other sides of the fort, alone commanding a view of the small paths of a cemetery, which was no place of thoroughfare, in no way answered the description given by Haedo.

The whole matter was, however, soon set at rest by the discovery made on Tuesday, December 27th, 1853.

The official paper of the colony, the "Moniteur Algérien," has given, December 30th, the following account of the event:—

"A very affecting discovery has just been made at the fort of the Four-and-Twenty Hours,' a little after noonday on Tuesday last. The soldiers employed in the demolition of the rampart facing the road, perceived, upon removal of the rubbish produced by the explosion of one of the mines, extending lengthways within a block of mud, an excavation inclosing a human skeleton, which was visible from the occipital region to the articulation of the tibia with the femur. In short, excepting the upper portion of the head and the lower portions of the legs, the whole body was quite visible.

"M. Suzzoni, captain of artillery, superintendent of the demolition of the fort, was immediately informed of the discovery. A rapid examination led him at once to the conclusion that he saw before him the precious remains of the martyr Geronymo. He hastened to communicate the tidings of this happy discovery to Monseigneur Pavy, Bishop of Algiers; and our venerable prelate, accompanied by a number of clergy, hastened to the spot. Also, M. le Préfet and numbers of gentlemen belonging to the army, to the administration, and to the population at large, came to visit the remains.

"The skeleton is extended upon its face, the legs lying very closely together. The position of the bones of the fore-arm, and a cord still attached to the spot corresponding with the wrists upon the side of the mould left by the impression of the body of the martyr in the mud, before the decay of the fleshy portions, lead to the belief that the vic

tim's hands had been fastened behind his back. It appears also probable, judging from the juxtaposition of the leg-bones, that the legs also had been bound.

"The garments, which consist of a short shirt and a haïk or a gandoura, have been found adhering to the sides of the mould, where their slightest folds, and the least detail of their texture, may be perfectly well recognised. Geronymo having been taken captive in May, 1569, remained a little more than three months in the bath of Algiers, until the 18th September of the same year, the day of his martyrdom. No doubt, during this time he had been made to assume the dress of the slaves, described by Aranda, and which was of the simplest character, since it had to be fashioned and sewn by the slave himself out of the five ells of coarse stuff delivered by the Beylik to each of the captives.

"A detailed report relating to this valuable discovery has been drawn up by M. le Capitaine Suzzoni, and signed by all the witnesses, addressed to M. le Colonel D'Alayrac, director of the artillery A commission, composed of doctors, civil and military, charged with the examination of the skeleton, will give their opinion regarding the question of sex, age, and

race.

The "Akbar" and the "Moniteur Algérien " reprinted the entire article which M. Berbrugger had published in the "Akbar" in October 1847, regarding Geronymo ; and so great was the public interest excited by the discovery, that every extra number of these papers was sold on the day of publication.

In fact, public interest continuing ever on the increase, M. Berbrugger was induced to publish the little book which I have now the pleasure of introducing to my readers. Proud indeed must the day have been to the author, when his religious enthusiasm, and his indefatigable historic faith and research were rewarded almost beyond his own expectation by the disinterment of these affecting memorials of Christian fortitude. M. Berbrugger himself observes:“It was difficult to preserve a calm aspect at the sight of the eager and respectful crowd, composed of all that is distinguished by social or official position in our city, mingled with the poor and humble, and with the representatives of the most opposing religous faiths, all without exception returning deeply moved by the indescribable spectacle which they had just beheld."

The limits of this article will only permit me a slight reference to the remaining contents of M. Berbrugger's volume, in which he brings before his readers much curious and valuable historic information regarding both Haedo

the historian and Haedo the archbishop, his patron, and regarding the condition and sufferings of the slaves in Algiers. Suffice it to say that the further Haedo's narrative is investigated with reference to the martyrdom, and that the further the discovered remains have been examined with reference to Haedo's account, the more perfectly do the two tally.

Now it

For instance, according to the Spanish monk's narrative, we learn that when Geronymo fell with his face prostrate upon the earth at the bottom of the frame prepared to receive the mud, a Spanish renegade leapt upon his body and called upon the bystanders to bring earth with which to bury the martyr; and also that the earth was brought. is a remarkable fact that in the mud-block containing the discovered skeleton, the lower portion of it, that in which the skeleton lay, is simply composed of pure earth, whilst all other blocks are made of earth mixed with lime. Also, it is especially noted in the medical report upon the discovery of the skeleton, that the greater portion of the ribs are broken; and this circumstance is in entire accordance with the description given by Haedo of the furious treatment accorded by the regenades to their prostrate victim.

His

M. Berbrugger concludes his volume by an "Epilogue," in which he relates how Monseigneur de Pavy, Bishop of Algiers, visited Rome, there to lay before the Holy See an account of the discovery of the martyr's bones. mission appears to have been eminently successful, and the bones of the poor Moorish slave to have been regarded with great favour by his Holiness, for the Bishop thus writes in his pastoral letter :—

"We are charged in the name of the Holy See to commence apostolic proceedings (with reference to Geronymo). We are permitted to transport the remains of this servant of God to the interior of our cathedral to place them there above-ground, with an inscription recording the tradition of the martyrdom and the discovery of his remains; we are permitted to surmount the remains with the martyr's portrait; we are permitted to distribute his relics," &c.

The Holy See had already pronounced Geronymo worthy to bear the name of "the Venerable." Three stages in the process of canonization, however, remained unfulfilled; the last process dependent upon the lapse of a stated number of years, during which it is to be proved whether the holy relics possess the power of miracle-working; and not until this period has arrived, bringing with it assurance of miraculous power of Geronymo, will he bear the title of Blessed.

Nevertheless, great were the demonstrations

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