ST, BERTHA 117 She IB mentioned by Sanssaye, Molanus, Lahierins, and Ferrarius. St. Berlinda, Beklekdis. St Beroma, Be at a (i). St. Beronica, Veronica (1). St. Bertana, Ebembebta, Hebem- BERTHA, or Ibembertana, Oct. 15. End of 7th or beginning of 8th century. Abbess. Niece of St. Vulmer, Abbot of Silviac, near Boulogne. Silviac was afterwiurds called Samer- (t.e. St Vulmer) in-the-Wood, to distinguish it from another monastery of St. Vulmer bnilt by B. Ida, widow, within the walls of Boulogne. Bertana was a nun in authority, under Vulmer, at Wiere, near Samer. When she and her fellow-nuns could get no food, he refreshed them with a mellifluous sermon. AA.SS. St. Bertha (l). f^^^. Queen of Kent, first Christian queen in England. She was the daughter of Charibert, one of the four brothers who became kings of France in 561. Her mother was the pious Ingoberga. She married Ethel- bert, king of Kent, who promised her free exercise of her own religion. She took as her chaplain to England, Liud- hard, a bishop. Ethelbert gave him a little church at Canterbury, built during the Boman occupation of Britain, and still standing. Liudhard restored it, and dedicated it in the name of St. Martin. It is the oldest church in England, and has been used continuously since that time. The additions of dif- ferent periods are distinctly visible. Bertha's character and conduct predis- posed the king in favour of Christianity, and when, in 596, St. Gregory, the Pope, sent a band of missionary monks to England, under Augustine, they were received with respect. The king and many others listened to their teaching. On Whitsunday, 597, Ethelbert declar^ himself a Christian, and was baptized; and bis example was quickly followed by many of his people. He gave his own house at Canterbury to Augustine, who there founded a church, now the cathe- dral. Ethelbert and Bertha, standing between Augustine and Liudhard, appear in the windows of the nave of Canterbury Cathedral, among the early English saints. St. Bertha figures in the windows of the Eoman Catholic Church of Hams- gate. She is spoken of at Canterbury as *' St. Bertha," but it is not dear that she has ever been worshipped, and she has no dedications. Dean Stanley. Montalembert. SS. Ethelbubqa (1) and Edbuboa (1) were her daughters. St. Bertha (2), May l, Aug. 31, Oct. 12, V. M. Wife of St. Gombert, lord of Champenois, who was of the royal family of France. He built her a nun- nery at Avenay, near Bheims. He then retired to a monastery which he had built on the seashore. Here he was killed by idolaters, towards the end of the 7th century. After his death, St. Bertha, in obedience to a vision, re- moved with her nuns to Val d*Or, near Avenay. The nuns and the people of Avenay being in great want of water, St. Peter appeared to Bertha, and guided her to a garden where there was a good spring. She bought it for a pound of silver (according to Martin, about sixty francs), and traced with her distaff a little furrow from the spring to her convent; the water ran along the line, deepening its channel as it flowed. She called the stream Libra, because it was bought for a pound ; and there it flows to this day, an abundant supply of beauti- ful, clear water, curing many infirmities, and witnessing the truth of the legend of the distaff. The Privigni, Gk)mbert's relations, were very angry because Bertha gave to the poor a great deal that they hoped to got for themselves. So they murdered her, and were imme- diately seized by the devil, and tore themselves to pieces, all but one — a woman named Nunoia, who had some pangs of repentance. Many years after- wards, Bertha appeared to her and said, '* If thou wouldst be forgiven, bring the body of my blessed husband and lay it beside mine." Nuncia said, "But how shall I know that I am forgiven for so great a crime?" Bertha answered,
- ' As soon as you have fulfilled my com-
mand, blood will gush from your nose and mouth. By that sign you will know that you are forgiven." Without delay, Nunoia set about her pious task, and had Gombert's body brought to the convent church of Val d'Or. She then
