osterior to this.
Gerard Ithier mistakes when he says that St. Stephen went to
Benevento in the twelfth year of his age; and remained there twelve
years. He went only then to Paris to Milo, who was bishop only two
years. See Martenne, p. 1053.

ST. PAUL, BISHOP OF VERDUN, C.

HAVING lived in the world a perfect pattern of perfection by alms,
fasts, assiduous prayer, meekness, and charity, he retired among the
hermits of {385} Mount Voge, near Triers, on a hill called from him
Paulberg. King Dagobert placed him in the episcopal chair of Verdun, and
was his protector in his zealous labors and ample foundations of that
church. The saint died in 631. See his authentic anonymous life in
Henschenius. Also Calmet, Hist. de Lorraine, t. 1, l. 9, n. 41, p. 402.
Bollandus, Feb. t. 2, p. 169.

ST. CUTHMAN, C.

THE spiritual riches of divine grace were the happy portion of this
saint, who seemed from his cradle formed to perfect virtue. His name
demonstrates him to have been an English-Saxon, not of British
extraction, either from Wales or Cornwall, as Bollandus conjectured. He
was born in the southern parts of England, and, from the example of his
pious parents, inherited the most perfect spirit of Christian piety.
From his infancy he never once transgressed their orders in the least
article, and when sent by his father to keep his sheep, he never failed
coming home exactly at the time appointed. This employment afforded him
an opportunity of consecrating his affections to God, by the exercises
of holy prayer, which only necessary occasions seemed to interrupt, and
which he may be said to have always continued in spirit, according to
that of the spouse in the Canticles: I sleep, but my heart watcheth. By
the constant union of his soul with God, and application to the
functions and exercises of the angels, the affections of his soul were
rendered daily more and more pure, and his sentiments and whole conduct
more heavenly and angelical. What gave his prayer this wonderful force
in correcting and transforming his affections, was the perfect spirit of
simplicity, disengagement from creatures, self-denial, meekness,
humility, obedience, and piety, in which it was founded. We find so
little change in our souls by our devotions, because we neglect the
practice of self-denial and mortification, live wedded to the world, and
slaves to our senses and to self-love, which is an insuperable obstacle
to this principal effe