are told in the account of his mother-in-law, B. Adelaide of Susa.
It was probably between the years 1065 and 1069 that Agnes left Germany, and took the veil without vows at Frudelle or Fructuaria, a Benedictine monastery near Turin. From there she went to Rome, and Hyed at the church of St. Petronilla. She made a general confession to St. Peter Damiani, and had him thenceforth for her spiritual adviser. She had a great regard for Pope Gregory VII., an esteem which he reciprocated, but, much to her grief, her son was constantly in opposition to him. In 1074 the Pope had a plan to go in person and bring the Eastern Church into his own fold. He proposed that the Empress Agnes and the Countess Matilda should accompany him, as pilgrims, on this pious expedition, saying he would gladly lay down his life for Christ with these holy women by his side, assured of meeting them again in eternal bliss. Agnes made many attempts to effect a reconciliation between her son and the Pope, but all her efforts were futile, and she was present at a council in the Lateran at Rome, Feb. 21, 1076, in which Gregory pronounced the ban of the Church against Henry, and loosed his subjects from their allegiance to him. This led to his humiliating expedition to Canossa in January, 1077. (See Adelaide of Susa.) Towards the end of that year Agnes died at Home. An old Italian sermon says that St. Agnes Augusta never visited any church except in a dress of plain linen and common serge. Stephens, Hildebrand. Giesebrocht, Deutschlands Kaiserzeit. Wion, Lignum Vitæ, who calls her "Saint." Lechner, Mart. des Ben, Ordens.
B. Agnes (8), Feb. 10, V. † 1100. Abbess of Bagnarea (Balnei), in Italy. Of the order of Camaldoli, a native of Barsina, " the dignity of whoso merits," Bucelinus says, "is shown to us by God unto this day, for on her festival the waters of the baths emit an unusual light and increase wonderfully in quantity." She rests in the church at Castri Pereti Parva, where she has an altar. Bucelinus. Wion.
B. Agnes (9), Nov. 15, Marchioness of Austria. Founder of Klostemeuburg. Daughter of Henry IV., emperor of Germany. Granddaughter of B. Agnes, empress. Sisterof Henry V. Married, first, Frederic, duke of Swabia, by whom she was the mother of Conrad, emperor, and of Frederick, father of Frederick Barbarossa; secondly, in 1106, she married Leopold III., sixth marquis of Austria, saint and confessor, surnamed the Pious, who succeeded his father in 1096. Of this marriage there were 18 children, seven of whom died in infancy, and all the rest were distinguished by great deeds and virtuous lives. Leopold, the second son, succeeded his father as marquis of Austria, and was duke of Bavaria. Otho, the fifth son, abbot of Morimond and bishop of Frisingen, wrote a famous chronicle from the beginning of the world, besides other books. Agnes took part in all her husband's good works. They read the Holy Scriptures together, and used to rise at midnight to perform the devotions prescribed by the Church. They desired to watch continually at the foot of the altar, but being obliged by their station to attend to other duties, they determined to build a church and monastery at Klostemeuburg, a few miles from Vienna, where canons should attend day and night to this duty in their stead. While they were in doubt where to build the monastery, they were riding along on a perfectly still day, when a sudden gust of wind flew away with a little flame-coloured veil that Agnes was wearing; nine years afterwards Leopold found it in perfect preservation on an elder bush. They took this as an indication of the spot on which their monastery should be built. (Perz., 1. 616.) They also founded the Cistercian monastery of the Holy Cross near Kalnperg, where they lived, 12 miles from Vienna.
Alter a glorious and happy reign of 40 years, Leopold died Nov. 15, 1136, and was buried in his monastery of Klostemeuburg. This is the oldest and richest chapter (Chorherrenstift) in Austria; it owns a great part of the country around Vienna. Gyneceeum. Butler, Life of St, Leopold.
