with St. Bepabata of Cæsares. AA.SS., Præter.
St. Goda, Oct. 23. Worshipped in the parish of Heron, near Liėge, as patron against tumours and diseases of that sort. AA.SS., Præter. Possibly Guda (1).
St. Godditis, Jan. 27, M. in Africa. AA.SS.
St. Godeberta, April 9, April 11 (Gotheberta, Gothoberta), V. O.S.B. † 670, Bucelinus (April 11; says 640. Patron of Noyon against pestilence and against rain. Represented holding a ring. According to Baillet, Godebert is a Gothic name signifying fervour. She was the daughter of one of the chief officers of Clothaire III., son of Clovis II. While her father was consulting the king on the subject of a marriage for his daughter, St. Eloy came and put his ring on her finger, saying, *'I betroth you to Jesus Christ" The king, understanding that she was thereby dedicated to the service of God, gave up his palace, as well as an oratory of St. George at Noyon, that she might there undertake the care and direction of twelve maidens, who devoted themselves to a religious life. Her sanctity was shown by many miracles. Some years afterwards, when the plague was raging at Noyon, St. Godeberta proposed to the inhabitants to observe a fast of three days in sackcloth and ashes, after the example of the Ninevites. They followed her advice, and the plague disappeared from the town and neighbourhood. She died of her austerities, 670. FM., April 9. Le Glay, Gaule Belgique.
St. Godefas, Sodefa.
St. Godelaine, Godeleva.
St. Godeleva, July 6 (Godelaine, Godeliéve, Godlief, Godoleph, Godoleph, Theophila), V. M. c. 1070. Patron of Ghistelle, and against sore throat and quinsey. Addressed in her Litany as the saint of marriage. Sometimes represented with throe crowns, but generally being hold between two men and put head downwards into a pond. She was born at the village of Lodefort, between Boulogne and Calais (diocese of Therouenne). Her parents, Wifroy and Ogine, or Infrid and Ogeva, chose as the richest of her suitors, and the most ardent in his admiration, Bertold, lord of Ghistelle, a village near Bruges and Ostend. He was a bad man, and took a dislike to her from the time he brought her home. His mother reproached him for bringing her a daughter-in-law with black hair and eyebrows. "Had we not crows enough at home," said she, "without going so far to look for one?" He would not even be present at the feast in honour of his marriage. His mother kept up the estrangement, so that whereas he at first only neglected his wife, he soon began to persecute her, first depriving her of all authority or charge of the house, and then putting her under the care of a servant, who was only to give her a certain quantity of bread and water. The servant added insult to cruelty. Meantime Godeleva's conduct was irreproachable. Bertold hoped she would die, but did not dare to kill her. He curtailed even her scanty allowance of bread. She then fled to her father, who complained to Baldwin VI., count of Flanders, who referred the complaint to the ecclesiastical courts, promising that if Bertold did not obey the judgment of the bishop of Noyon, he would interfere in person. Bertold, in obedience to the bishop, took Godeleva back, and treated her with more humanity, but resolved to get rid of her altogether. She regarded him as an instrument in the hands of God, and although she perceived his design, she would not irritate him by a second flight. Feigning a reconciliation, he told her that their misunderstandings had doubtless been caused by a jealous demon, and that he would get a woman to dissolve the spells and dissipate the aversion with which the sight of Godeleva inspired him. She said she would gladly be reconciled, but declined to use witchcraft for the purpose. He instructed two of his servants to murder her, and went away to Bruges that suspicion might not fall on him. Lambert and Hacca, the two assassins, come into her room at midnight, and dragged her out of bed, pretending that the woman of whom Bertold had spoken was at the
