Spicil. tom. 4, p. 1, 20.
4. From this testimony it is clear, that the French language, used by
the common people, had then so much deviated from the Latin as to be
esteemed a different tongue; which is also evident from Nithard, an
officer in the army of Lewis le Debonnaire, who, in his history of
the divisions between the sons of Lewis le Debonnaire, (published
among the French historians by du Chesne,) gives us the original act
of the agreement between the two brothers, Charles the Bald, and
Lewis of Germany, at Strasburg, in 842.
5. Alcuin, Ep. 107.
6. St. Gerard, of Seauve-majeur, died on the 5th of April, 1095, and
was canonized by C[oe]lestine III. in 1197. See his life, with an
account of the foundation of his monastery, in Mabillon, Acts,
Sanctorum ad S. Benedict. t. 9, p. 841.

JANUARY III.

ST. PETER BALSAM, M.

From his valuable acts in Ruinart, p. 501. Bollandus, p. 128. See
Tillemont, T. 5. Assemani, Act Mart. Occid. T. 2, p. 106.

A.D. 311.

PETER BALSAM, a native of the territory of Eleutheropolis, in Palestine,
was apprehended at Aulane, in the persecution of Maximinus. Being
brought before Severus, governor of the province, the interrogatory
began by asking him his name. Peter answered: "Balsam is the name of my
family, but I received that of Peter in baptism." SEVERUS. "Of what
family, and of what country are you?" PETER. "I am a Christian."
SEVERUS. "What is your employ?" PETER. "What employ can I have more
honorable, or what better thing can I do in the world, than to live a
Christian?" SEVERUS. "Do you know the imperial edicts?" PETER. "I know
the laws of God, the sovereign of the universe." SEVERUS. "You shall
quickly know that there is an edict of the most clement emperors,
commanding all to sacrifice to the gods, or be put to death." PETER.
"You will also know one day that there is a law of the eternal king,
proclaiming that every one shall perish, who offers sacrifice to devils:
which do you counsel me to obey, and which, do you think, should be my
option; to die by your sword, or to be condemned to everlasting misery,
by the sentence of the great king, the true God?" SEVERUS. "Seeing you
ask my advice, it is then that you obey the edict, and sacrifice to the
gods." PETER. "I can never be prevailed upon to sacrifice to gods of
wood and stone, as those are which you adore." SEVERUS. "I would have
you know, that it is in my power to revenge the