ister of state. During the whole of his
life, his strong turn to religion rendered him a warm patron of monastic
establishments; and, among others, he founded the celebrated abbey of
Rebais en Brie. He was still young when he renounced the world, embraced
the ecclesiastical state, and devoted himself to the preaching of the
gospel; shortly after which, at the request of the inhabitants of Rouen,
he was appointed to succeed St. Romain, as their pastor. His
consecration took place in 646, and was performed in the church of the
monastery of St. Peter, since-called St. Ouen. It was also at his own
particular desire, that he was there interred. His name occurs among
those of the prelates who were present at the council of Chalons, in
650; he was likewise entrusted by the king with various important
negociations; and, after an earthly career, passed, according to his
historians, in the practice of every civil and apostolic virtue, he died
at Clichy, near Paris, in the year 689.

[175] The following extract from the _Neustria Pia_, p. 35, bears
witness at once to the merits of the abbot, and the light in which the
building was regarded throughout France.--"Hic Abbatiam reperit bonis
omnibus sufficienter munitam, pecunia et commeatu haud indigentem: quam
et ipse sapienter ac religiose gubernavit, locupletavit, et vehementer
adauxit; tum possessionibus et redditibus, tum aedificiis ac
reparationibus: Basilicam iliam admirabili structura compositam,
totiusque Galliae speciosissimam, construere coepit, anno 1318, die festo
S. _Urbani_; quam continuavit ad ann. usque 1339, in festo Apostolorum
SS. _Petri_ et _Pauli_: quo in opere expendit 63036 libras argenti, et
quinque solidos Turonensis: (quae nunc haud posset compleri aedificio pro
663036 libris, etiam aureis) quorum omnium tesserem vetera hujusce domus
inclytae monimenta nunc usque accurate continent. De hujusmodi
celeberrima aede, sic quidam neotericus vere locutus est. _Nunc est S._
Audoeni: _cujus mirabilis structura, hodieque dubium relinquit, si alia
per Galliam splendidior et elegantior: Monasterium est tota quidem
Europa, celeberrimum, sed Patroni sui sanctitate magis aestimandum._ cui
alii adstipulantur. Et hoc, consilio et auxilio D. Caroli, Comitis
_Valesii_: cui operi Carolus Valesius VI. Rex ann. 1380, dono dedit tria
millia librarum ad instantiam Burgundiae Ducis, sui patruelis."

PLATE LXXVII.

FOUNTAIN OF THE STONE CROSS, AT ROUEN.[176]

[Illustratio