Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/55

ST, . ALDEGUNDIS 41 blind, and sit alone in darkness all day." The shepherd was so sorry for her, that, notwithstanding his fear of the horse, he went and called it, and it came as meekly as the best-trained and gentlest horse that ever lived; it allowed the blind girl to mount, and she followed her father to the church of St. John. On reaching the gate, while praying, with her hands and face raised to heaven, oil dropped from on high into her eyes, and she was cured of her blindness. When Basin came and found that his daughter could see, he took her to the gate of the church of St Peter. There she again became blind ; but her father led her into the church, prayed for her, and Towed to St. Peter all his worldly posses- sions. Her sight was immediately re- stored. Then all the people shouted and praised God for this miracle, and Aldegundis offered herself at the altar. The church that Basin built was at Dronghen, on the Lisa, a mile from Ghent ; he and his daughter Aldegundis are buried there. Henschenius, in AA.SS, ; Cuper, in the same collection, July 14. Wion, Lignum Vitae. Baillet, Vies. St Aldegundis (2), Jan. 30, May 11, Oct 18, Nov. 13, June 6, May 26 (Sjlde- GONDE, Obgonne). c. 630-G80. Born at Oourtsore, Coursolre, or Consobre. Patron of Maubeuge and Emmerich ; and against cancer and pains in the chest, or breast. Founder and abbess of Mau- beuge. Eepresented (1) walking on water, led by an angel ; (2) crossing the river Sambre dry-shod ; (3) with St. Hum- bert of Maroilles bringing a fountain of water out of the earth for her, and a dove holding a veil over her ; in Callot's Images, she appears flying from her father's house. According to Guette, there is an ancient picture of her, wear- ing the veil of a virgin, a violet cloak smbroidered with flowers, and a red gown with a white tunic. This is the dress, not of a nun, but of a canoness ; she was not, however, a canoness, although her monastery was, in later times, made over to canonesses, and the picture was probably painted afiker that. Daughter of SS. Walbert and Bebtilia. Younger sister of St. Waltbude. Her father was a near relation of King Clo- thairo II. While very young, Alde- gundis resolved on a religious life, and when her parents talked to her of marriage, she said, " Find me a husband whose estates are heaven and earth and the sea; whoso riches are for ever in- creasing, never diminishing ; only such a one will I marry." Soon after this she went to Haumont, and there received the religious veil from St Amandus, bishop of Maestricht, and St Aubert, bishop of Cambrai. She walked dry- shod over the Sambre, and built on its banks a small nunnery, at a desert place called Malbode. The town of Mauberge grew up round her nunnery, which, in course of time, developed into the great and famous Benedictine monastery of Maubeuge; centuries afterwards it be- came a house of regular canonesses. Aldegundis presided there, with great wisdom and sanctity, for many years; and eventually she died of cancer in the breast, about 680, and was succeeded by her niece, St. Adeltbudb (1). Alde- gundis is commemorated with a double office. The following story is told of her in the Golden Legend : — Before she had taken the veil, while on a visit to her elder sister, St. Wal- tbude, abbess of Mons, St. Bebtilia came to see her daughters, and brought Aldegundis a piece of linen, which she told her to make into shirts, sheets, and kerchiefs for her future husband. Alde- gundis, thinking that would be Christ, made the linen into chrisms, which were caps of a particular sort, worn by chil- dren when they were christened. She used her utmost skill in adorning them with the finest needlework, and brought them to her mother, who, seeing her linen put to a use which she never in- tended, was very angry, and took a stick to beat her daughter. Aldegundis fled, and hid herself in the forest of Mau- beuge. The nobleman to whom her parents intended to marry her sought her diligently in the forest, but could not find her. She remained there until after the death of her mother, when she took the veil, and built the convent of Mau- beuge. Several miracles are recorded of her : one was that while she and her