eleven thousand virgins for the service of God.
But Conon and his father held nothing too hard to do, if they might secure so good and wise and fair a princess. The king sent east and west and north and south, to all his lords and vassals, bidding them send their daughters to attend on his son's bride, Princess Ursula. And from the furthest ends of his realm the virgins came trooping, all the purest and noblest and most lovely, dressed in rich garments, decked with jewels. On a sweet May morning, Ursula assembled them in a meadow, gay with spring flowers, and preached to them, as if she had been an apostle, so that they all lifted up their hands and promised to go with her whithersoever she would. And such as were heathen were baptised straight-way in a clear stream that flowed through the meadow.
Then the eleven thousand virgins took ship from the port of London, for Rome, and with them went many holy and wise prelates, but no sailors. The maidens guided the vessels. Instead, however, of sailing south, they were carried northwards, and were driven up the Rhine as far as Cologne. There Ursula had a vision that they should all in due time suffer martyrdom at that place. The virgins thanked God for the honour prepared for them and sailed on to Basle, where they disembarked and set out on foot for Rome. They were miraculously conducted across the Alps by six angels, who went before them and removed all obstacles. At last the eleven thousand maidens, reverently wrapt in prayer and meditation, crossed the Campagna and approached the holy city.
Cyriacus, the nineteenth Pope from St. Peter, was glad of their comins, for he was born in Britain (or Brittany) and had many relatives in the company. He came out to meet them, in procession, with his cardinals and bishops, and caused tents to be pitched for their accommodation, outside Rome, towards Tivoli.
Meanwhile Conon had become impatient for news of his promised bride and had set out for Rome by another route and reached it on that very same day. He was baptized by Cyriacus and changed his name to Ethereus (purity), for he no longer aspired to become the husband of Ursula on earth, but was eager to share her martyrdom and be reunited to her in heaven.
There were then at Rome two heathen commanders who were over all the imperial army in Germania. They dreaded the return of these Christian maidens to Germany, lest they should convert the nation or marry and thus increase the number of Christians. So they sent word to the king of the Huns, who was then besieging Cologne, and instructed him to massacre the eleven thousand immediately on their arrival.
Pope Cyriacus was most anxious to be a companion of their return journey, for he, too, had been granted a vision of martyrdom, so he called a consistory to appoint a new bishop of Rome. His clergy held that his head had been turned by foolish virgins, and they were incensed with him and struck his name from the list of popes. However, various cardinals, archbishops and other prelates were ready to accompany him, and with these and Conon and his retinue, Ursula and her followers re-embarked.
"Then the barbarians looked from the walls of Cologne, out on the high seas, and they saw St. Ursula's ships coming." At first they were dumfounded at the sight of so many beautiful women. But very soon they gathered themselves together and falling upon the defenceless company, "like wolves upon lambs," they massacred them all without mercy, and with them, the Pope, the cardinals, the bishops, and Conon.
While her companions were struck down by hundreds and by thousands, Ursula sped from one to another, encouraging them to die bravely for their honour and their faith. The barbarians were so awed by her beauty and courage that they dared not kill her, but carried her a prisoner before their leader. He looked at her with admiration and. offered to make her the greatest queen in Germany. "Do you think that I would let all my companions win a crown of martyrdom and not win one myself?"
she cried, and heaped on him words of contempt and derision. The pagan was
