VII.
JANUARY 21. SAINT AGNES, VIRGIN.
Ambrose, Bishop of Milan,
found [written] in old books concerning the blessed Agnes,
how she endured cruel persecution in the city of Rome,
and in girlhood suffered martyrdom.
Then wrote Ambrose concerning the maiden thus.
At that time there was a noble maiden
called Agnes, believing in the Saviour,
in the city of Rome, gentle and wise,
a child in years, but old in mind.
She contended through faith with the fiendlike rulers.
and in her thirteenth year lost mortality,
and found eternal life, for that she loved Christ.
She was fair in countenance, and fairer in faith.
When she returned from school, a youth wooed her,
son of Sempronius, who was set over the city
[to rule] as prefect, and who was an idolator.
Then straightway his kinsmen offered to the maiden
costly robes, and promised [her] yet costlier ones,
but the blessed Agnes despised it all,
and recked no more of the treasures than of a reeking dunghill.
Then the youth brought to the pure maiden
precious gems and worldly ornaments,
and promised her riches if she would [have] him.
Then Agnes answered the youth fearlessly,
'Depart thou from me, thou fuel of sin,
food of crime, and nourishment of death,
depart from me ! I have another lover,
unlike to thee in nobility,
who hath offered me better adornments,
and hath granted me for a pledge the ring of His faith,
and hath adorned me with unimaginable honour.
He hath encircled my right hand and also my neck
with precious stones, and with shining gems.
He hath set His token upon my face
that I should love none other beside Him.
He hath decked me with a robe woven of gold,
and hath adorned me with exceeding [rich] jewels;
He hath shewed me also His incomparable treasures,
which He hath promised me if I follow Him.
I may not to His dishonour choose another
and forsake Him who hath espoused me by His love.
His countenance is fairer and His love winsomer [than thine],
His bridal-bed hath been now of a long time prepared for me with joys,
His maidens sing to me with melodious voices.
From his mouth I have received milk and honey;
now already I am embraced with His pure arms;
His fair body is united to mine,
and His blood hath adorned my eyebrows {lit. eye-rings).
His mother is a Virgin, and His mighty Father
knew not woman, and to Him the angels ever bow.
The winsome stars glorify His beauty,
and the sun and moon also, which enlighten the earth.
By His word even the dead are quickened,
and by His touch the infirm sick are strengthened.
His abundance never faileth, nor His wealth waneth.
To Him alone I ever keep my troth,
to whom I commit myself with all devotion.
When I love Him, I am wholly pure;
when I touch Him, I am unstained,
when I receive Him, I am still a virgin,
and there, in the bridal, no child lacketh.
There is conception without sorrow, and perpetual fruitfulness.'
The youth was angered, and inwardly blinded
after the maiden's speech, who had spurned him with words.
He straightway fell ill, and drew sighs
from the depths of his breast, lying on his bed.
Then leeches enquired why he was lying there,
and made known to the father the youth's mental disorder.
Then the father sent straightway to the maiden
the same errand which his son had before announced;
but Agnes refused, saying that she would not
by any marriage, ever stain
the noble troth of the first bridegroom.
Then it seemed to the Prefect shameful in his mind
that she should account another before his son.
He strictly questioned, nevertheless, with great threatening
who this bridegroom was of whom Agnes boasted.
It was then told him that she had been a Christian
from early childhood, and so filled with delusion
that she accounted Christ as being her bridegroom.
Lo! then Sempronius, with a loud voice,
bade fetch her home to his judgment-seat,
and first, apart, with persuasive words
flattered the maiden, and after that intimidated her.
But the virgin of God could not be allured
by any flattery from her beloved Lord,
neither was she afraid because of his threatening.
Then Sempronius saw her true constancy,
and told her friends that she would be accused
for her Christianity, which the Emperor abhorred.
After this in the morning the wicked judge bade
fetch the blessed Agnes to him,
and told her repeatedly how his son loved her,
but he had little success, though he spake very much.
He sat there on his judgment-seat, vexed in mind,
and promised to the maiden manifold punishments,
unless she would renounce the true Saviour.
After that he said again to the wise maiden,
Listen to my counsel, if thou lovest virginity,
that thou submit quickly to the worship loo
of the goddess Vesta, who hateth impurity.'
Then Agnes answered the wicked man, and said,
' I refused thy son, who truly is a man,
and I can in no wise regard the beauty of his countenance
for the love of my Christ; how can I, to His dishonour,
humble myself to the dead image '
Then said the Prefect to the holy maiden,
' I have borne with thee hitherto because thou art yet a child;
thou insultest our gods, yet do not anger them.'
Agnes answered him, ' The Almighty approveth
the minds of men rather than their great age;
and faith is not in years, but dwells in prudent understandings.
Let thy gods be angry if they can do aught.
Let themselves command us to worship them ;
if thou canst not accomplish this, afflict us, lo! how thou wilt.'
Then said Sempronius, the shameful judge,
' Choose thee now, Agnes, one of these two things;
either thou shalt, among the virgins of the mighty Vesta,
offer thy sacrifice, or thou shalt be associated
with loathly harlots and foully dishonoured,
and the Christians will not then be able to deliver thee.'
Then Agnes answered with great resolution,
'If thou knewest my God, thou wouldest not say these words.
Without care, I despise thy threatenings,
because I well know my Lord's might.
I trust in Him because He is
to me a strong wall, and an unfailing defence,
so that I need not sacrifice to thy accursed gods;
neither by pollution from without [can I]
ever be defiled among foul harlots.
I have God's holy angel with me;
thy gods are molten of [mere] brass,
whereof men construct fair vessels,
or they are of stone, whereof men make streets.
God's dwelling is not in the gray stones,
nor in brazen lumps, but He dwelleth in Heaven.
Thee verily, and such as are like thee,
shall terrible hell, with its greedy fire, seize,
wherein ye shall be blasted, and yet cannot be consumed,
but shall ever be renewed in the everlasting burning.'
Then the infuriated judge bade men take off her garments,
and lead her, thus naked, to the harlot's house;
and commanded them to cry throughout the streets, and make this known.
Lo then! God's power was mightily manifested,
so that the maiden's hair covered her all about
as soon as the executioners tore off her clothes;
and the hair covered her alike on every side.
Then they dragged the maiden to the harlots' house;
but she at once found there a shining angel of God,
so that no man, because of that great light,
could either look upon or touch her,
for the house all shone as the sun in the day-time;
and the more closely they looked at her, the more their eyes
were dazzled.
Then Agnes prostrated herself, praying to the Almighty,
and God thereupon sent her a shining tunic.
Then she thanked Christ, and donned the clothing,
which fitted her size very exactly,
brightly shining, so that men might see
that God had sent her the shining clothing.
So became that house of harlots a house of prayer for men,
and each one who entered gave glory to God
for the heavenly light which shone in that house.
Then came the Prefect's son to the shining place
with his shameful companions, desiring to dishonour the virgin of God,
and straightway sent in before him some of them to her;
but they marvelled greatly at the winsome light,
and returned astonished to their impious lord.
Then he reproached them furiously because they had wondered so much
at the shining light, and had not dared to defile her.
Then he himself ran in with shameful intent,
but he fell prostrated before the maiden, struck down
by the devil whom he foolishly obeyed.
He lay there, as if dead, a long time upon the floor;
then his companions thought that he was busied
about his evil deeds, then one of them came to see,
and found him dead, and immediately cried out in grief,
Alas! ye ever pious Romans,
help us quickly, this cruel harlot
with her witchcraft hath destroyed our lord! '
Then straightway the citizens ran thither astonished,
and the father also came, crying aloud,
Thou crudest woman, wouldst thou show
thy fiendlike sorcery, to destroy my son '
Agnes said to him, 'Why are the others living
who came in hither, but because they worshipped
the Almighty God who compassionately clothed me,
and sent me His Angel, who preserved my body,
which was, from the cradle, consecrated to Christ?
Thy shameless son, with shameless intent
ran in towards me, but the Angel felled him,
and delivered him to the devil who straightway destroyed him.'
Then said the Prefect to the holy maiden,
' Thy saying will be manifested if thou wilt pray the self-same angel
that he will now raise up my only son in sound health.'
The blessed Agnes answered him thus,
' Thou art not worthy to see that wonder,
but nevertheless it is time that the Lord's might be manifested.
Go ye now therefore all out, that I may pray alone.'
Then went they all out, and she prayed alone,
beseeching her Lord that He would raise the dead.
Then appeared there Christ's Angel, and raised the youth,
and he immediately ran out, when he was requickened,
crying everywhere, and saying thus,
'There is One God in Heaven and likewise on earth,
He who is the God of the Christians, and your gods are naught;
they can neither profit themselves nor help others.'
Then the idolaters were sorely troubled,
and cried clamorously against the believing maiden,
'Away, away quickly with the cruel witch,
her who thus by her witchcraft perverts men's minds.'
Then the Prefect durst do nothing against the heathen,
but left his deputy to stem the tumult,
and himself went away sorrowful in mind,
because he could not save the maiden
from the idolators, after the raising of his son.
"Well, then, Aspasius, the deputy- Prefect,
could not oppose the blood-thirsty people,
but bade men kindle, for this great dishonour (of the gods),
a very great fire, and bade them shove her into the midst.
Then was it so done, as the cruel man commanded,
but the flame instantly divided itself into two parts,
and burned up those who had made the tumult;
and the blessed Agnes stood unharmed in the midst of the fire,
with outstretched hands, thus praying,
' Oh! Thou Almighty God, who alone art to be adored,
Terrible Creator, who art truly to be worshipped.
Father of my Lord, I bless Thee,
for that I have escaped, through Tliy gracious Son,
the threatenings of the wicked, and also the filth of the devil.
Behold, now I am besprinkled with divine dew,
this flame is divided, and the unbelievers are consumed.
I bless Thee, Father, who art to be proclaimed God,
that I may pass unfearful through the fire to Thee.
That which I have believed, that I see ;
that which I have hoped for, that I now have;
Thee I confess with my mouth and heart,
and with all inward affection Thee I desire,
One true God, who reignest with Thy Son
and with the Holy Ghost, ever One Almighty God.'
Then the fire became quenched, so that not one coal glowed there,
and the people attributed it to witchcraft,
roaring with loud clamour, and fierce against [her] life.
Then Aspasius could not withstand the great tumult,
but bade kill her with death-bearing sword,
and Christ then received her, martyred for His Name.
Her father and her mother, with great joy,
took her body, and brought it to their own house,
and buried her there without sorrowing,
and there often watched, venerating the place.
Then on a certain night they saw come
a great company of virgins, and Agnes in the midst;
they were all clothed with golden garments,
and advanced gloriously with exceeding light.
Then said the holy Agnes to her parents thus,
'Beware that ye weep not for me as if dead,
but rejoice with me, I am a companion of these virgins,
and I have received with them very fair habitations,
and I am associated to Him in Heaven, whom I loved here on earth.'
After these words she departed with the virgins.
Then was this vision widely spread abroad.
Then it befell, after a little time,
in the Emperor's days, who was called Constantine,
that some men told the vision to his daughter,
called Constantia, who as yet was a heathen;
she was, notwithstanding, wise; and [was] very ill,
having fearful wounds in all her limbs.
Then she thought that she would watch one night
at Agnes' tomb, to pray for her healing.
Then came she thither, though she was a heathen,
and with believing mind cried to the virgin
who possessed the tomb, that she would grant her healing.
Then she fell on sleep, and saw in a vision
the blessed Agnes saying these words to her,
'Begin resolutely, thou noble Constantia,
and believe that the Saviour has power to heal thee,
through Whom thou shalt receive the healing of thy wounds.'
Then Constantia awoke, and was so healed
that on her body was not seen aught of the sore wounds.
Then went she whole home to her father,
and rejoiced him and her brothers,
and all the household rejoiced for her healing,
and the heathenism waned and God's faith waxed.
She was then baptized, as was her father,
and received the veil with fair observances,
and many other maidens through her worthy example
forsook worldly pleasures and were consecrated to Christ.
Then Constantia prayed Constantine her father,
that he would rear a church to the blessed Agnes,
and bade set a coffin there for herself.
The fame of it sprang throughout all the nation,
and many infirm people came to the holy tomb,
and were healed through the holy Agnes.
Likewise many of the Roman maidens continued
in pure virginity for the love of Christ
after Agnes' example, who is there buried.
ANOTHER STORY; WRITTEN BY TERENTIANUS.
In those days there was a certain general called Gallicanus,
victorious in fights, and very dear to the emperor
for his great victory, though he was not baptized.
He wooed Constantia, the emperor's daughter,
at the time that the Scythians were warring much against him.
Then the emperor was troubled on account of the wooing,
knowing that his daughter, who had chosen the Lord,
would rather die than take a husband.
Then the daughter saw her father's trouble,
and spake to him thus with pure intention,
' I know that God will never forsake me,
cast away thy solicitude, and promise me to the general,
that he may take me after the war,
after he shall by victory conquer the Scythians.
For sake of this promise I will have his daughters,
Attica and Arthemia, in my companionship,
until our nuptials are prepared.
Let him have forth with him on the expedition
John and Paul, those who are most faithful to me,
that they may tell him of my ways,
and I through his daughters will learn his ways.'
It was so done, that she took the daughters,
and the general departed with the expedition.
Then straightway Constantia besought God
with great fervour that He would hear her prayers j
'O Thou Almighty God, Who for Agnes' intercession,
Thy great Martyr, hast healed my leprosy,
and to myself hast revealed Thy true love,
and Who hast promised us in Thy holy Gospel,
" Verily I say unto you. My Father will give you
whatsoever ye ask Him here in My Name,"
I beseech Thee, my Lord, that Thou wilt gain to Thyself these maidens,
and their father Gallicanus, who desireth to take me from Thee,
associate (him) to the purity of Thy faith.
Open the ears of their hearts to the salutary lore,
that they may love Thee only, and desire no earthly things,
and attain with burning love Thy bridal-bed.'
After this prayer the maidens bowed
to holy baptism ere the father came,
and were consecrated to the Saviour's chastity.
Then became Gallicanus likewise converted to God,
and straightway prayed with true faith
at the shrine of S. Peter which standeth in Rome.
The emperor welcomed him, and said to him with joy,
'When thou wentest to the battle thou didst sacrifice to the foul devils,
and since thou hast returned victorious, thou hast prayed to Christ,
and to His Apostles; tell me how is this?'
Then louted (bowed) Gallicanus to the orthodox Emperor,
and related in order how he was converted to God;
' The Scythian people had slain many of us,
and I was locked up in a little town
with a very small force, and we durst not fight
against the overwhelming army, which had besieged the town;
Then I offered often my sacrifices to the gods,
until my colleagues surrendered me and themselves
to the attacking enemies, and I then took to flight.
Then said the Christians, John and Paul,
" Promise the God of Heaven that thou wilt bow to Him,
if He now helpeth thee, and thou shalt have victory."
I then straightway promised, even as the holy men exhorted me,
and there immediately came to me God's angel with a cross,
bidding me take my sword and go with him;
thereupon I followed him, and many angels came
in the likeness of men, gloriously armed,
heartened me with their words, and bade me go forth
until we arrived where the king was;
then fell he afrighted, prostrate at my feet;
then God's champions bound Bardon the king
and his two sons, and delivered them to me;
I slew not one, nor commanded to slay.
Now is thy land preserved, and the people submit to thee;
all the chief-men, who submitted to me,
together with their soldiers, I have converted to Christ;
the others who would not so do I contemned.
I myself am so much a Christian that I have said in a vow,
that I henceforth will not have the company of a wife;
find me now a successor, that I may serve God
in true religion, as I vowed to the Almighty.'
Then the emperor embraced the soldier of God,
and told him how his daughters were serving the Lord,
and his two sisters likewise believed afterward.
Then went they into the hall, and the holy Helena came
with the aforesaid maidens, greatly rejoicing;
they continued in virginity, leading glorious lives,
until they departed from the world to Christ.
Then Gallicanus freed five thousand men,
and endowed them with goods, and distributed to the poor
his manifold riches, and turned him thence
to a certain holy man called Hilarion,
with some of his men who would not leave him.
Four estates he gave up entirely, together with himself,
for the reception of strangers and for alms-deeds.
Then his fame spread widely throughout the land,
how the great man washed men's feet,
and carried water for their hands, and served them with food.
Then he grew so holy that he healed the impotent,
and as soon as he looked on the possessed,
they were at once cleansed from the unclean spirits.
Afterward when Julian, the infamous apostate,
was chosen emperor, though he had been shorn for the priesthood,
he proclaimed an edict, being full of wickedness,
that the Christians should own nothing in the world.
Then he banished Gallicanus the man of God;
and he went to Alexandria, the Egyptian city,
going afterward to the desert, and was there an anchorite;
until a certain heathen slew him there,
because he would not sacrifice to the foul gods,
and so he departed victoriously to Christ.
After that Julian, the same apostate, desired to turn
the holy brothers, John and Paul, to his idolatry,
but when he could not entice these great servants of God
to his court, nor persuade them to his heathenism,
then he sent to them a certain heathen man,
called Terentianus, who had with him
a golden image, and said to the servants of God,
Our lord Julian commandeth you to pray
to this image, or I must slay you both.'
Then said the saints, 'We know no God
save the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost;
from this Holy Trinity thy lord hath apostatized,
and desireth to entice others to perdition with himself.'
Lo then! Terentianus commanded men to behead secretly
the two brothers, and to bury them in their house.
Then was Julian, for his cruelty,
soon after this, slain at Saint Mary's hest.
and Christianity flourished, and those saints were made known,
so that madmen were healed
in the same house wherein the saints lay,
and Terentianus' son, filled with a black devil,
ran to their burial-place, awfully raving,
and the father immediately sought the sepulchres,
and confessed his sin, in .that he had slain the saints,
and was baptized, and his son became in his right mind,
to the praise of the Saviour who liveth for ever. AMEN.