Merati adds "quod aliqua qua controversia erant utpote
alicujus aliquam haberent probabilitatem, ideo rejecta non fuerant sed
retenta eo modo quo erant cum falsitatis argui non possent, quamvis
fortasse opposita sententia sit a pluribus recepta" (Merati, _Obser. ad
Gavant_, sec. v., chap. xii., nn. 10 and 16). The words of these learned
men and the writings of the learned Bollandist mentioned above are
worthy of consideration, as sometimes priests are puzzled about the
truth and accuracy of the incidents recorded in those lessons of the
second nocturn. They should be treated with reverence. The ignorant
flippancy of a priest in an article (in a very secular periodical) on
St. Expeditus gave great pain to Catholics and gave material for years
to come to scoffing bigots.

"Legends, _i.e._, narratives, were based upon documents of the nature
described above, and worked up by later writers, either for the purpose
of edification or from the point of view of the historian. The writings,
however, differ endlessly as to their value, according to the knowledge
and authority possessed by the writers, and according to their nearness
to the events described. There were many martyrs whose sufferings were
recorded in no acta or passiones, but were imprinted on the memory of
men and became part of the traditions handed down in the community,
until they were finally committed to writing. The later this took place
the worse for the authenticity. For it was then that anachronisms,
alterations in titles, changes in the persons and other similar
historical errors could more easily creep into the narrative, as we know
in fact they have done in many instances. The historical sense was
unfortunately lacking to the Franks and Byzantines, as well as all idea
of sound criticism.

"A false kind of patriotism and national pride often go along with
credulity, so that we find here and there in literature of this kind,
even downright fabrication. After the introduction of printing, by which
literature became more widely diffused, and comparative criticism was
rendered possible, it at once became evident among Catholics that error
was mixed with truth and that a sifting of the one from the other was
necessary, and, in many cases, possible" (Kellner, _Heorlology_, pp.
209-210). "It was not the intention of the Church or of the compilers
and authors of the service books to claim historical authority for their
statements. And so, the Popes themselves ha