Here begins the Third Part of the Book of the City of Ladies,
which explains how and by whom the high turrets of the towers were
finished off, and which noble ladies were chosen to dwell in the great
palaces and lofty keeps.
Lady Justice came to me in all her glory and said, ‘In my opinion, Christine, you have indeed done your very best to bring your task to fruition. With my sisters’ help, you’ve made a fine job of building the City of Ladies. It’s now time for me to add the finishing touches, as I promised you I would. I shall bring you a most noble queen, she who is blessed amongst all women, to dwell here with her fine company. She will govern and rule over the city and will fill it with the great host of ladies who belong to her court and household. I can see that the palaces and splendid mansions have now been decorated and made ready and that the streets are all covered with flowers to celebrate the arrival of both the queen and her retinue of most worthy and excellent ladies.
‘So let all princesses, ladies and women of every rank come forth to receive, with honour and reverence, she who is not only their queen, but also reigns with supreme authority over all earthly powers, second only to her one begotten son whom she conceived of the Holy Spirit, and who is the son of God the Father. It’s truly fitting that a gathering of the whole of womankind should beg this revered, noble and magnificent princess to deign to join their number and to live amongst them in their city here below. Nor will she despise them for their lowliness in comparison with her own greatness. There is no doubt that she, in her humility, which surpasses that of all other women, coupled with her goodness, which is greater than that even of the angels, will not refuse to live in the City of Ladies. She will reside in the highest palace of all, one that my sister Rectitude has already prepared for her, and which is entirely made up of glory and praise.
‘Let every woman now come forward and say, with me, “We greet you, O Queen of Heaven, with an Ave Maria, the same greeting that the Angel of the Annunciation made to you and which gives you more pleasure than any other form of address. The whole of womankind now implores you to agree to live in their midst. Extend your grace and pity to them by acting as their protectress, shield and defender against all attacks from their enemies and the world at large. Let them drink deep from the fountain of virtues which flows from you and may they quench their thirst so fully that they learn to abhor all forms of vice and sin. Please come to us, O Celestial Queen, Temple of God, Cell and Cloister of the Holy Spirit, Dwelling-place of the Trinity, Joy of the Angels, Light and Guide of those who stray, and Hope of all True Believers. O my lady, who could dare even to think, let alone utter, the idea that women are vile, seeing how exalted you are! Even if the rest of womankind were evil, the light of your goodness shines out so brightly that it puts all wickedness into the shade. Since God decided to take a member of the female sex as His bride and to choose you, most excellent lady, because of your great worth, all men should not only desist from attacking women but should hold them in the highest esteem.”’
The Virgin replied, ‘Justice, my son’s dearly beloved, I will gladly come to live amongst these women, who are my sisters and friends, and I will take my place at their side. This is because Reason, Rectitude, you Justice and even Nature, have all persuaded me to do so. Women serve, honour and praise me without end, thus I am now and ever shall be the head of the female sex. God Himself always wished this to be so and it was predestined and ordained by the Holy Trinity.’
Flanked by all the other women who fell to their knees and bowed their heads, Justice replied, ‘My lady, may you be praised and honoured for all eternity. Save us, Our Lady, and intercede on our behalf with your son who refuses you nothing.’
‘Behold, the Empress who is unparalleled in splendour is now living amongst us, despite all the slanders that prattling men have come out with. Next to her should be placed her blessed sisters and Mary Magdalene, for they stayed by her side at the foot of the cross during her son’s passion. What great devotion and unfailing love these women showed by never once abandoning the Son of God in life or in death, even when all the apostles had rejected and forsaken him! You can see just how much God values women’s love, even though there are those who claim that it is such a paltry thing, for He sparked a flame in the hearts of both the Magdalene and these other ladies that caused them to reveal their burning devotion, a devotion which He so warmly appreciated.’
‘The ladies whom we shall invite to form the company of the blessed Queen of Heaven, who is Empress and Princess of the City of Ladies, are blessed virgins and holy women. We shall thus prove that God loves the female sex by showing that He endowed women, just as He did men, with the strength and fortitude needed to suffer terrible martyrdoms in defence of His holy faith, despite the fact that these women were only tender, young creatures. The whole of womankind can benefit from hearing about the lives of ladies such as these, whose heads are crowned with glory, for the lessons which they impart are more edifying than any others. It is for this reason that they will be the most revered inhabitants of the city.
‘The most eminent of these exemplary women is Saint Catherine, who was the daughter of King Costus of Alexandria. Though this worthy maiden was only eighteen years old when she inherited her father’s lands, she conducted both her private life and her public affairs with great discernment. She was a Christian and had refused to marry, preferring to devote herself entirely to God. One day, the Emperor Maxentius came to Alexandria in order to perform an important sacrifice as part of a great ceremony in honour of the pagan gods. Catherine, who was at home in her palace, could hear the bellowing of the animals which were being prepared for the ritual slaughter as well as the loud clamour of music. She sent word to find out what was going on and was told that the emperor had already arrived at the temple to make the sacrifice. No sooner had she heard this than she went up to the emperor and began to speak to him most eloquently about the error of his ways. Being well versed in both theology and the sciences, Catherine used philosophical arguments to prove that there was only one God, the Creator of all things, and that He alone should be worshipped. When the Emperor Maxentius heard this beautiful and noble maiden speak with such extraordinary authority, he didn’t know what to say but could only gaze deeply at her in amazement. He sent for the wisest men that could be found in the whole of the land of Egypt, a country which was famous for the brilliance of its philosophers, fifty of whom were eventually brought to his court. However, once they realized why they had been summoned, they were extremely unhappy, saying that it was foolish of the emperor to have gone to all the trouble of bringing them from so far away simply to argue against a girl.
‘To keep my tale brief, when the day of the debate arrived, the blessed Catherine blinded them with so many arguments that they were all convinced by what she said and were unable to answer her questions. The emperor was very angered by this and made all sorts of threats to them, but to no avail. By the grace of God, every one of them was won over by the virgin’s holy words and became converted to Christianity. In his rage, the emperor sentenced all the philosophers to be burnt to death. The saintly virgin comforted them during their martyrdom, assuring them that they would be received into everlasting glory and praying to God to keep them strong in their faith. It was thus thanks to her that they took their place among the ranks of the blessed martyrs. God revealed His miraculous workings through them, for the fire destroyed neither their bodies nor their clothes: even after they had perished in the flames, not a single hair on their heads had been singed and their faces looked as though they were still alive. The tyrant Maxentius, who was inflamed with desire for the beautiful, holy Catherine, began to pay court to her in an attempt to persuade her to do his bidding. However, when he saw that he was getting nowhere with her, his pleas turned to threats and then to torture. He inflicted a cruel beating on her before throwing her into prison, with the express order that she was to be placed in solitary confinement for twelve days, at the end of which time he hoped to have starved her into submission. Yet the angels of the Lord went to her and gave her succour. When the twelve days were up, she was brought before the emperor once more. Seeing that she was even healthier and lovelier than ever, he was convinced that someone must have been visiting her in secret. He therefore ordered all the prison guards to be tortured. However, Catherine took pity on them and swore to Maxentius that the only comfort she had received came from God Himself. At a loss as to how to inflict an even crueller torture on her than before, the emperor took his prefect’s advice and had wheels made which were fitted with razorblades. These wheels ground against each other in such a way that anything caught between them was torn to shreds. The emperor had Catherine stripped and forced her to lie between the wheels, yet she never once left off worshipping God with her hands clasped in prayer. The angels came down and smashed up the wheels, killing all the torturers standing nearby in the process.
‘When the emperor’s wife learnt about all the miracles that God was performing on Catherine’s behalf, she converted to Christianity and criticized her husband for his conduct. She went to visit the holy virgin in her cell and begged her to pray to God for her sake. Because of this, the emperor had his wife tortured and her breasts cut off, whereupon the virgin said to her, “Most noble queen, don’t be afraid of these tortures, for today you shall be received into neverending joy.” The tyrant ordered his wife to be beheaded, at which sight huge numbers of his subjects converted. He asked Catherine to become his wife but when he realized that she was turning a deaf ear to all his pleas, he finally condemned her to be decapitated as well. In her prayers, she invoked the grace of God for all those who would remember her martyrdom and who would call out to her for help in their time of suffering. A voice came down from heaven saying that her prayer had been granted. As her martyrdom came to an end, milk, rather than blood, poured forth from her body. The angels took her saintly corpse and carried it to be buried on Mount Sinai, which was twenty days’ journey away from Alexandria. God performed many miracles at her tomb, which lack of space prevents me from recounting: suffice to say that, from this tomb, flowed an oil which cured many illnesses. The Lord then punished the Emperor Maxentius in the most horrible ways.’
‘Neither should we forget the holy virgin Saint Margaret, whose legend is very well known. Born of noble parents in Antioch, she was introduced to Christianity by her nurse when she was only very young. To show her humility, she went out every day to look after her nurse’s sheep. Olybrius, the emperor’s prefect, caught sight of her once as he passed by. He became inflamed with love for Margaret and asked for her to be brought to him. To cut a long story short, she confessed to him that she was a Christian and refused to submit to his advances. He therefore had her severely beaten and thrown into prison. In her cell, she could feel herself subject to temptation and so called on God to let her see clearly exactly what it was that was pursuing her with such evil intent. To her horror, a foul dragon appeared which then swallowed her up. However, on making the sign of the cross, she broke out through its stomach. Next, in a corner of the cell, she glimpsed a figure that was as black as an Ethiopian. Margaret showed no fear as she threw herself upon the apparition and hurled it to the ground. She then placed her foot on its throat until it cried out for mercy, whereupon the cell was instantly filled with light and Margaret was comforted by angels. She was then taken once again before Olybrius who, when he saw that his threats were having no effect, ordered even more brutal tortures to be inflicted on her. However, God sent His angel down to destroy all the instruments of torture and the virgin escaped unscathed. At this sight, a whole host of onlookers converted. When the base tyrant realized what was happening, he sentenced Margaret to be beheaded. Before she died, she offered up a prayer for all those who would remember her martyrdom and would invoke her name in their hour of need, especially pregnant women and those in labour. The angel of the Lord came and told her that her prayer had been heard: she could now go to claim her palm of victory in the name of God. She proffered her neck to be decapitated and her soul was carried off to heaven by the angels.
‘The villainous Olybrius also tortured and beheaded the blessed virgin Regina, a young girl only fifteen years of age. This was because she not only refused to give herself to him but also converted many people through her preaching.’
‘Neither should the blessed virgin, Saint Lucy of Rome, be excluded from our litany. This virgin was kidnapped and taken captive by the barbarian king Aucejas. Back in his own country, he tried to take Lucy by force. She began to preach to him, managing by the grace of God to rid him of his evil intentions and to win him over by her excellent good sense. Proclaiming that she was a goddess, he installed her in his palace and treated her with great honour and respect. He provided her and her household with beautiful rooms and forbade anyone else from entering them for fear of disturbing her. She spent her time in constant fasting and prayer, leading a holy existence and beseeching God to shine the light of His faith down into her host’s heart. Aucejas consulted her in all his affairs, and everything on which he took her advice turned out well for him. When he went off to war, he implored her to pray to her god for his sake. She said a blessing on him and, on his triumphant return, he declared that he wanted to adore her like a goddess and dedicate temples to her. Lucy told him not to do so on any account, for there was but one God who should be worshipped, whereas she was but a poor sinner.
‘She lived in this holy state for twenty years until she received a vision from Our Lord telling her to return home to Rome where she would end her life as a martyr to the faith. When Lucy informed the king of her plans, he was deeply saddened and exclaimed, “Alas! If you leave me, my enemies will attack me and all my good fortune will disappear once you’re gone from my side.” But she answered him, “My lord, come with me and leave your earthly kingdom behind: God has chosen you to partake of a higher realm, one which will last for ever.” At these words, the king abandoned everything to go off with the holy virgin, acting no longer as her sovereign but as her servant. Once they were in Rome, Lucy lost no time in revealing that she was a Christian. She was immediately taken prisoner and led off to be martyred. Aucejas was distraught at what had happened and ran to find her. He would gladly have attacked those who were torturing her but she forbade him at all costs from doing so. Weeping bitterly, he shouted out that only wicked people could do such an evil thing to a virgin of God. When he saw that they were about to decapitate the saintly maiden, he laid his head on the block next to hers and exclaimed, “I, too, am a Christian, and I offer my head to the living God, Jesus Christ, whom Lucy worships.” Thus they were both beheaded and crowned in glory, along with twelve others who had also been converted by the blessed Lucy. Their joint feast day is celebrated on the seventh of the calends of July.’1
‘We mustn’t forget to mention the blessed virgin Martina, an extremely beautiful girl who was born of noble parents in Rome. The emperor wanted to make her marry him but she replied, “I am a Christian and have dedicated myself to the living God who delights in chastity of body and purity of heart. I adore only Him and to His care alone do I commend myself.” Outraged by these words, the emperor had Martina taken to a temple where he tried to force her to worship the idols. Falling on her knees and raising her eyes towards the heavens, she clasped her hands together as she offered up a prayer to God. Immediately, the idols cracked and fell to the floor, the temple crumbled and all the priests who served the pagan gods were killed. The devil who was hidden in the chief idol screamed out loud and confessed that Martina was indeed the servant of God. In order to avenge the loss of his idols, the tyrannical emperor had Martina endure a cruel martyrdom but God appeared to her and comforted her. She prayed for those who were tormenting her and succeeded in converting them and many other people by her great virtue. When he saw this, the emperor became even more determined than before and he submitted Martina to tortures that were twice as brutal. However, her persecutors cried out that they could see God and His saints standing in front of her. They therefore begged for mercy and converted. Whilst she was deep in prayer on their behalf, a light shone down upon them and a voice from heaven was heard saying, “For the sake of my beloved Martina, I shall spare you.” Seeing that they had indeed gone over to the Christian faith, the prefect shouted at them, “You fools! You’ve been tricked by this sorceress Martina!” Their fearless reply came, “It’s you who have been deceived by the devil which possesses you, because you don’t even recognize your own Creator.” In his rage, the emperor ordered them to be hanged and flayed alive. They all praised God as they received their martyrdom with joy.
‘Next, the emperor had Martina stripped naked. She had such lily-white skin that the onlookers were all dazzled by her incredible beauty and the emperor burnt with desire for her. He made many threats to her and, as she refused to give in to him, he had her flesh cut to ribbons. From her wounds poured milk instead of blood and a delicious scent emanated from her body. His anger grew ever greater as he ordered her to be tied down flat on the floor between four posts, telling his torturers to smash her limbs. They beat her until they were completely exhausted, since God wanted to keep her alive a little longer in order for her to inspire everyone present to convert, including those who were persecuting her. Indeed, the torturers all cried out, “Your Majesty, we can’t continue with this because angels are beating us with chains!” More men were brought in to punish Martina but they promptly fell down dead, much to the astonishment of the emperor, who was at his wits’ end. None the less, he then had Martina spreadeagled on the ground and her body set on fire with burning oil. Never once did she leave off singing the glories of God as a delightful scent poured out of her mouth. When the torturers grew tired of inflicting these sufferings upon her, they threw her into a dark dungeon. The emperor’s cousin, Elagabalus, who went to spy on Martina in her cell, saw her surrounded by angels and seated on a magnificent throne. The whole room itself was bathed in a brilliant light and was filled with the sound of melodious singing. Martina held up a golden tablet on which was written “O sweet Lord, Jesus Christ, praised be your works through your blessed saints”. Elagabalus was so stunned by what he had seen that he went to tell the emperor, who retorted that his cousin had been taken in by Martina’s sorcery. The next day, when the tyrant had her brought out again, everyone was amazed to see that her body was completely whole once more, and many of those present converted on the spot.
‘The emperor took her back to the temple to make her sacrifice to the false gods. However, the devil who was lurking in one of the idols began to shriek, “Alas, alas! I give in!” The virgin ordered him to come out and reveal himself in all his foulness. Immediately there was a great roar of thunder and a bolt of lightning fell from the heavens, hurling the idol to the floor and burning the priests to death. The emperor then attacked Martina even more viciously than before, having her tied down and all her flesh torn off with iron pincers. Seeing that she was not yet dead but still kept praising God, he had her thrown to wild beasts for them to devour. A huge lion which hadn’t eaten for three days came over to her and bowed down before her. It then lay down beside her like a little dog and began to lick her wounds. She extolled the glory of the Lord, saying, “Thanks be to God, for in His goodness He has calmed the ferocity of these savage beasts.” The tyrant was so maddened by this spectacle that he gave the command for the lion to be taken back to its pit. To his horror, the lion reared up in rage and leapt out, killing his cousin Elagabalus. The emperor then ordered Martina to be burnt alive on an enormous fire. However, as she stood there joyfully in the midst of the flames, God sent a strong wind to spread the fire all around her, thus burning to death all those who were torturing her.
‘The emperor commanded her beautiful long hair to be cut off, declaring that it was the source of all her magic powers. The virgin replied, “Just as you are taking away the hair that the Apostle calls the glory of a woman,2 so the Lord will take away your kingdom and will persecute you until you suffer a terrible death in torment.” He then ordered her to be locked up in a temple dedicated to his gods, and he himself secured the doors tight, marking them with his own seal. Three days later, he returned to find his gods lying smashed on the ground whilst the virgin, still alive and well, was seen playing with the angels. When the emperor asked her what she had done to his gods, she answered, “The glory of Jesus Christ has brought them down.” At that point, he gave the command that her throat should be cut. A voice was then heard saying, “Martina, noble virgin, since you have fought the good fight in my name, come and join the saints in my kingdom and live in eternal joy with me.” Thus the blessed Martina met her end. The bishop of Rome arrived with all his clergy to take the body away and give it a splendid burial in the church. That very same day, the emperor, whose name was Alexander, was afflicted with such searing pain that he bit himself all over in his agony and devoured his own flesh.’
‘There was also another Saint Lucy, who came from the city of Syracuse. One day, as she was praying for her sick mother at the tomb of Saint Agatha, she received a vision of the saint surrounded by angels and adorned with precious jewels. Agatha said to her, “My sister Lucy, virgin dedicated to God, why are you asking me for what you yourself can do for your mother? I tell you here and now that, just as the city of Catania is exalted thanks to me, so will the city of Syracuse become famous thanks to you, for you have given Jesus Christ the priceless treasure of your virginity.” Lucy stood up and her mother was cured. She gave up everything she had to God and ended her days as a martyr. One particular torture with which she was threatened by the judge who was persecuting her was to be taken to a house full of prostitutes where she would be raped, thus nullifying the vows she had sworn to her celestial bridegroom. To this threat, she replied, “The soul cannot be tainted if the mind does not give its consent. If you try to corrupt me by force, my chastity will be strengthened and my victory will be all the greater.” The tyrant was determined to send Lucy to the brothel but she became so heavy that neither oxen nor any other beasts that they tied her to could pull her. Though they attached ropes to her feet in order to drag her, she remained as immovable as a mountain. As she was dying, she prophesied what would happen in the future to the Roman empire.
‘Likewise, the glorious virgin Saint Benedicta, who was born in Rome, is equally deserving of our veneration. She was accompanied by twelve virgins whom she had converted to Christianity through her preaching. In her desire to use her eloquence to increase the number of believers, she and her host of blessed virgins journeyed fearlessly across many lands, for God was with them. It was Our Lord’s wish that they should be separated from each other in order that they might spread the word to as many countries as possible. Having introduced several different nations to Christianity, Benedicta ended her life holding the palm of martyrdom in her hand, just as did every one of her holy companions in turn.
‘Likewise, no less perfect than Benedicta was Saint Fausta, a fourteen-year-old virgin. Because she refused to sacrifice to the gods, the Emperor Maximian ordered that she should be cut to pieces with an iron saw. Although the men entrusted with this task didn’t stop sawing at her from the hour of terce to none,3 they were unable to make even a scratch on her body. They therefore asked her, “What magic spell have you put on us to make all our lengthy efforts so futile?”, whereupon Fausta began to preach to them. She told them about the Christian faith and soon succeeded in converting them. The emperor was infuriated by this and had her subjected to various other forms of torture, one of which consisted of banging a thousand nails into her head, which soon resembled a knight’s helmet. None the less, she kept on praying for those who were persecuting her. The prefect himself was eventually converted once he saw the heavens open and beheld God sitting amongst His angels. As Fausta was being placed in a cauldron of boiling water, he cried out, “Holy servant of the Lord, don’t go without me!” and jumped straight into the cauldron after her. When two other men whom she had converted saw this, they too leapt in. The water was bubbling away furiously but Fausta touched them all so that they felt no pain and said to them, “I am in your midst, just like the vine which bears fruit. As Our Lord says, ‘Wherever several people are gathered together in my name, I am there in the middle of them.’ ” A voice was then heard exclaiming, “Come, holy spirits, your Father is calling you.” At these words, their souls joyfully departed their bodies.’
‘The holy virgin Justine, born in Antioch, was a young girl of extraordinary beauty who overcame the Devil. This demon, who had been conjured up by a necromancer, boasted that he would succeed in making Justine give herself to a man who was desperately in love with her and would not leave her alone. This was because Justine’s would-be suitor had decided he would invoke the Devil’s help, seeing that his promises and entreaties had had no effect on her. Yet it was all in vain, for the glorious Justine kept chasing away the Devil, no matter what different shapes he took to tempt her. In the end, the demon slunk off in defeat, having been totally vanquished by Justine. She then converted not only the man who had been pursuing her so relentlessly, but also the necromancer himself, whose name was Cyprian. Though he had led a wicked life, he became a better man afterwards thanks to her. Several other people were also converted by the signs of the Lord which He revealed through her. In the end, she departed this life as a martyr.
‘Likewise, the blessed virgin Eulalia, born in Spain, was only twelve years old when she ran away from her parents. They had locked her up because she wouldn’t stop talking about Jesus Christ. She escaped one night and went to cast down the idols in the pagan temples. She accused the judges who were persecuting the martyrs of acting in error, but insisted that she too wanted to die a martyr of the faith. Eulalia thus became one of the soldiers of Christ,4 and underwent much suffering. Many people were converted by the signs which God made manifest through her.
‘Likewise, another holy virgin, called Macra, was subjected to terrible torture in defence of the Christian faith. As part of her punishment, she had her breasts cut off. Later, as she lay in her prison cell, God sent her His angel to restore her to health. The next day the prefect was astounded at this sight, though he carried on persecuting her most cruelly. Eventually, she surrendered up her soul to God. Her body now lies near the city of Rheims.
‘Likewise, the glorious virgin Saint Foy underwent martyrdom when she was only a young girl. She had to endure many torments but in the end the angel of the Lord came down to crown her in full view of everyone, bringing her a diadem encrusted with precious stones. God revealed His many mysteries through her, thus bringing about the conversion of scores of people.
‘Likewise, when the blessed virgin Marciana saw that everyone was worshipping the false image of an idol, she picked it up and hurled it to the ground to smash it. For this action, she was beaten so hard that she was left for dead. That night, as Marciana lay locked in a cell, a corrupt priest crept in to try and rape her. By the grace of God, a huge wall suddenly rose up to stop him from getting anywhere near her. In the morning, many people saw the wall and were converted there and then. Marciana endured more terrible suffering but she never left off preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. She prayed to God to come and fetch her soul, at which point her martyrdom finally came to an end.
‘Saint Euphemia was another martyr who had to endure appalling torments for Jesus’s sake. This exceptionally lovely girl came from a very noble family. The governor Priscus used all sorts of threats to try and make her sacrifice to the idols and renounce Jesus Christ. However, the arguments she gave him against doing as he wished were so convincing that he didn’t know how to answer her. In his fury at having been outwitted by a woman, he inflicted many cruel punishments upon her. Yet the more Euphemia’s body was racked with pain, the more eloquent she became as words inspired by the Holy Spirit continued to pour out of her mouth. In the midst of her affliction, the angel of the Lord came down and not only destroyed the instruments of torture but also attacked those who had been tormenting her. With a face full of joy, she emerged unscathed from her suffering. The treacherous governor then had a huge furnace lit. When the flames leapt over 40 cubits into the air,5 he had Euphemia thrown inside. From within the furnace, her delightful songs in praise of God were loud enough to be heard by everyone outside. When the fire died down, she emerged from the furnace as alive and well as before. Priscus grew angrier than ever and ordered red-hot pincers to be used to tear her limb from limb. However, those men who were supposed to perform this torture were so terrified that they didn’t dare touch her and the pincers themselves fell to pieces in their hands. The brutal tyrant then had four lions and two other ferocious wild beasts brought in, but all they did was fall down before her and worship her. In the end, the blessed virgin prayed to God to accept her soul, for her only desire was to be at His side. She thus died untouched by a single one of the animals.’
‘Equally worthy of mention here is the blessed Theodosina, who showed such remarkable constancy in martyrdom. This extraordinarily beautiful girl, only eighteen years of age, was born of a very noble family. She used her fine intelligence to debate with Urban, a judge who was threatening her with persecution unless she renounced Jesus Christ. However, because she answered him with the words of God, he had her hung by her hair and given a severe beating. Yet still she reproached him, saying, “What a wretch is he who seeks to rule over others but is incapable of ruling himself. Woe betide him who thinks only of gorging himself with food and gives no thought to the starving. Shame on him who wants to be warm yet does not help clothe and comfort those who are dying of cold. Cursed be he who wishes to rest and yet forces others to work, who claims all things as his own when he has in fact received them from God, and who desires to be treated well by others but whose every action is wicked.” Throughout her suffering, the virgin kept on coming out with other splendid words such as these. None the less, in her heart, she felt ashamed that her naked body was on display for everyone to see. God therefore sent a white cloud to cover her up completely from view. To Urban’s increasing threats she replied, “You shall not take a single dish away from the celestial table that has been prepared for me.” When he warned her that he meant to rob her of her virginity, she answered, “Your threats to defile me are all in vain because God dwells in the hearts of the pure.” More incensed than ever, the judge had her thrown into the sea, weighed down with a heavy stone tied to her neck. However, she was kept afloat by the angels and she sang as they brought her back to shore. Theodosina then picked up the stone, which was heavier than she was, and carried it in her arms. Next the tyrant set two leopards on her, but all they did was dance around her in joy. In the end, Urban ran out of ideas and so had her beheaded, whereupon her soul visibly departed her body in the form of a pure white dove. That very night, she appeared to her parents wearing a priceless crown and shining more brightly than the sun, accompanied by a host of virgins. Holding a golden crucifix in her hand, she proclaimed to them, “Behold the glory that you wished to take away from me!”, and straightaway they converted.
‘Likewise, during the reign of the Emperor Maximian, the virtue of the blessed virgin Barbara, a high-born and supremely lovely girl, was in full flower. Because of her great beauty, her father locked her away in a tower, where she was divinely inspired to become a Christian. With no one else there to baptize her, Barbara took some water and christened herself in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Though her father wanted her to make an advantageous marriage, she held out for as long as she could against complying with his wishes. Eventually she had to admit to him that she had become a Christian and had dedicated her virginity to God. On hearing this, her father was ready to kill her, but she managed to escape from him. Determined that she should die, her father set off after her and finally tracked down his daughter with the help of a shepherd who gave away her whereabouts. This shepherd was soon scorched to death for his pains, along with his flock. Her father took her before the prefect and there she was subjected to appalling tortures and hung upside down by her feet, all because she had disobeyed his orders. She kept saying to him, “You wretch, can’t you see that your tortures are having no effect on me?” Boiling with anger, he had her breasts cut off and then dragged her around the town to display her mutilated body. Yet still she never let up singing God’s praises. However, because she was ashamed that everyone would see her naked, virginal body, the Lord sent down His angel to heal her wounds and to drape her from head to foot in a white robe. When they deemed that her humiliation had gone on long enough, they took her back before the prefect, who flew into a rage at seeing her completely restored to health and her face shining like a star. He had new torments inflicted on her until even the torturers themselves grew tired of persecuting her. Finally, the prefect became so livid that he couldn’t bear the sight of her any longer and ordered her to be taken away and decapitated. She began to pray, beseeching God to help those who would call on Him for her sake in remembrance of her martyrdom. When she had finished praying, a voice was heard saying, “Come, my dearly beloved daughter. Come and rest in your Father’s kingdom and receive your crown. All that you have requested will be granted.” At the top of the mountain which was chosen as her place of execution, her wicked father himself cut off her head. On his way back down again, a bolt of lightning fell from the heavens and burnt him to a cinder.
‘Likewise, the blessed virgin Dorothy of Cappadocia also underwent much suffering. Having refused to take any mortal man as her husband, Dorothy kept talking incessantly about her bridegroom Jesus Christ. As she was being taken off to be beheaded, a lawyer by the name of Theophilus mocked her by saying that once she was reunited with her bridegroom she should be sure to send him some roses and apples from her husband’s garden. Dorothy replied that she would certainly do so. No sooner was her martyrdom over than a beautiful little child, about four years old, appeared with a small basket full of the most exquisite roses and the most mouthwatering and delicious-smelling apples. He came up to Theophilus and told him that it was Dorothy who had sent these gifts to him. As it was still winter time, being the month of February, Theophilus was so amazed by this sight that he immediately converted. He too later died a martyr’s death for the sake of Jesus Christ.
‘If I were to tell you about all the holy virgins who are now living in heaven thanks to their constancy in the face of torture, such as Saints Cecilia, Agnes, Agatha, and countless others, it would really take far too long. You only have to look in the Miroir historial, which contains many of these stories, to find out all about these other saints. However, I will tell you about Saint Christine, not simply because she’s your patron saint, but also because she was a particularly splendid example of a virgin-martyr. I won’t omit any of the details, for hers is a most beautiful and inspiring story.’
‘The blessed virgin Saint Christine came from the city of Tyre. She was the daughter of Urban, governor of the city. Because of her great beauty, her father kept her locked up in a tower along with twelve other maidens. Despite the fact that he had built a pretty little oratory next to her bedroom for her to worship the pagan gods, she had already been inspired to adopt the Christian faith from the tender age of twelve and would have nothing to do with these idols. Her companions were most taken aback by this and they frequently urged her to offer up a sacrifice. Instead, she would take the incense as if to worship the gods but would then kneel down in front of a window which faced east, look up towards the heavens and pay homage to the eternal glory of the Lord. She would then spend the rest of the night gazing at the stars from her window, moaning softly as she invoked God’s name in her prayers and begging Him to come to her aid against her enemies. Though they could see that her heart was given up to Jesus Christ, her maidens would often kneel down in front of her, their hands clasped together, imploring her to revere her parents’ gods rather than put her faith in some strange deity. They were afraid that, if the truth came out, both she and they would be put to death. Christine retorted that they had all been tricked by the Devil into worshipping a multiplicity of gods when there was in fact only one true God.
‘When her father eventually discovered that she was refusing to venerate the idols, he was extremely alarmed and reproached her severely. She replied that she would gladly make a sacrifice to the ruler of the heavens. Thinking that she meant Jupiter, her father was delighted and rushed to kiss her. But she cried out to him, “Don’t touch my mouth, for I want to offer myself untainted to the Lord”, which pleased him even more. She then went back into her room and locked the door behind her. Going down on her knees, she burst into tears as she recited a devout prayer to God. The angel of the Lord came and comforted her, bringing white bread and meat for her to eat because she had gone three days without food.
‘A short while after, as she was looking out from her window one day, she saw some poor Christians begging at the foot of her tower. Having nothing of her own to give them, Christine went and fetched her father’s idols which were made of gold and silver. She then smashed them to bits and gave the broken pieces to the beggars below. When her father found out what she had done, he gave her a savage beating. She told him in no uncertain terms that he was wrong to glorify these false images, for there was but a single God, who was three in one, and He alone should be adored. She herself was devoted entirely to this God and would worship no other, even if her life were at stake. At these words, her father flew into a terrible rage and put her in chains. Before throwing her into prison, he had her scourged as she was being led through the town. Having decided to judge her himself, he had her brought before him the next morning and threatened her with all sorts of tortures if she refused to revere the idols. However, when he saw that neither his pleas nor his threats were having any effect on her, he ordered her to be stripped and spreadeagled, with her arms and legs tied down, and commanded twelve men to whip her until they were exhausted. He kept asking her if she had changed her mind, saying to her, “Daughter, it truly breaks my paternal heart to have to torture my own flesh and blood, but my duty to the gods means that I have no choice, for you have turned your back on them.” The holy virgin replied, “Tyrant! You’re fit only to be called the enemy of my happiness, not my father! Though you may inflict a harsh punishment on this flesh which you have created, you have no power to subject my spirit to any temptation whatsoever, for it has been created by my Father who lives in heaven and it is protected by Jesus Christ, my saviour.” Her brutal father grew even more furious and brought in a wheel that he had had made. He tied the poor little child to it, lit a fire beneath her and threw great quantities of boiling oil on to her body. As the wheel turned, all her limbs were broken.
‘God, the merciful Father, took pity on His servant. He commanded His angel to go down and break the wheel, put out the fire and deliver the virgin safe and sound. More than a thousand pitiless unbelievers who had been watching her suffer were killed, blaspheming against God as they died. Her father asked her, “Tell me, who taught you such black magic?”, to which she replied, “Ruthless tyrant, didn’t I make it plain to you that my Father, Jesus Christ, was the one who taught me to have patience and to uphold my faith in Him, the living God? Thanks to Him, I shall overcome every possible torture you can devise and, with the grace of God, I will resist all the assaults that the Devil may make on me.” Despairing at having been defeated, her father threw Christine into a dark and gloomy dungeon. As she lay there contemplating God’s mysteries, three brightly shining angels came to visit her, bringing her food to eat and words of comfort. Urban kept dreaming up different kinds of torture to inflict on his daughter, for he was at his wits’ end how to deal with her. He finally became so angry that he decided to get rid of her once and for all by tying a great stone around her neck and throwing her into the sea. However, just as she was being tipped into the waves, the angels took hold of her and carried her off across the water with them. She raised her eyes to heaven and offered up a prayer to Jesus Christ, begging him to baptize her using the sea water as the holy sacrament, for her sole desire was to be christened. Jesus Christ himself came down with a whole host of angels and baptized her with his own name, calling her Christine. He then crowned her and placed a bright star on her head before leading her back to dry land. That night, Urban was tormented by the Devil and died.
‘The blessed Christine, whom God wanted to receive in heaven as a martyr, as was also her own most fervent wish, was taken back to the prison by her tormentors. The second judge, whose name was Dyon, knew all about what had already been done to her and ordered her to be brought before him. The sight of her beauty quickened his heart with desire, but when his honeyed words clearly failed to have any effect on her, he decided to subject her to new tortures. He had a huge cauldron of oil and pitch heated up over a great fire, into which she was thrown head first and prodded by four men wielding iron hooks. The holy virgin kept on singing sweet hymns in praise of God as she mocked her torturers by saying that they would be punished in hell. Realizing that his efforts were all in vain, the cruel judge had her suspended by her long, golden hair in front of the whole town. Women rushed up to her in tears, full of pity at seeing such a tender young creature being so ill treated. The women said to the judge, “Brutal tyrant, you’re more ferocious than a wild beast. How can any man have it in his heart to be so violent towards a lovely, innocent girl like this?” As they were about to attack him, the judge grew so afraid that he said to Christine, “My friend, don’t suffer this torture any longer. Come with me, we’ll go together and worship the supreme god who has helped sustain you through all this.” Although by “supreme god” he meant Jupiter, she understood something quite different. She therefore replied, “You’ve convinced me to do as you say.” He had her cut down and taken to the temple, with a huge crowd of people following on behind. Having brought her before the idols, Dyon thought that Christine would bow down and worship them. Instead, she knelt down, raised her eyes to heaven and said a prayer to God. She then stood up, turned towards the idol and exclaimed, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I order the evil spirit that lives inside this idol to come out now!” No sooner had she uttered these words than the Devil himself appeared with a deafening and terrifying roar. Everyone was so horrified that they all fell to the floor. When the judge picked himself up, he said to Christine, “Our almighty god has been moved by your words: he has taken pity on you and come out to see his creature for himself.” She was furious at this and attacked him fiercely for being so blind that he couldn’t even recognize the hand of God at work. She then prayed to the Lord to cast the idol down and turn it into dust, which is exactly what happened. Thanks to the virgin’s words and miraculous deeds, more than 3,000 men were converted. The terror-stricken judge said, “If the king finds out the wrong that this Christine has perpetrated on our god, he’ll have me put to a horrible death.” He went out of his mind with fear and died.
‘A third judge, by the name of Julian, was then called in. He seized Christine and boasted that he would definitely succeed in making her worship the idols. However, no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to move her from the spot where she stood. He therefore had a huge fire lit all around her, in which she was tortured for three whole days. Yet, throughout this time, sweet songs could be heard coming from the flames. Her persecutors were absolutely terrified by these extraordinary signs and went to tell Julian what they had seen. He thought he would go mad with rage when Christine emerged completely unscathed after the fire had died out. He therefore ordered serpents to be brought, and Christine was set upon by two asps – a kind of snake that has a terribly poisonous bite – as well as by two enormous adders. However, the snakes just fell at her feet with their heads bowed and did her no harm whatsoever. Next, two horrible vipers were let loose, but they simply hung off her breasts and licked her. Christine looked up to the heavens and exclaimed, “Lord God, Jesus Christ, thanks be to you for exalting me with your holy powers so that these vicious serpents can recognize your splendour in me.” Despite these marvels, Julian would not stop there but shouted over to the man who looked after the snakes, “Has Christine cast a spell on you too which prevents you from making the snakes attack her?” Fearful of what the judge might do to him, the man tried to excite the snakes into striking Christine, but they just turned on him instead and bit him to death. As everyone was too afraid of the serpents to go near them, Christine commanded them in the name of God to return whence they came without harming anyone, which they did. She brought the dead man back to life, who immediately fell down at her feet and became a Christian. The judge, who was too blinded by the Devil to see that these were the workings of God, said to Christine, “We’ve had quite enough of your witchcraft!” In her fury, she answered him, “If your eyes could see God’s powers, you would surely believe in them.” Livid with rage, he had her breasts torn off, whereupon milk rather than blood poured forth from her wounds. As she wouldn’t stop calling out Jesus Christ’s name, he had her tongue cut out too. Yet she then spoke even more clearly and eloquently than before as she talked of holy matters and blessed God, thanking Him for the favour He had shown her. She began to pray to Him, asking to take her place at His side once the crown of her martyrdom was completed.
‘A voice from heaven was heard saying, “Pure, innocent Christine, the heavens are open to you and the everlasting kingdom is ready to welcome you. The whole company of saints is praying to God on your behalf: ever since you were a child, you have steadfastly upheld the name of Jesus Christ.” Lauding God, she lifted her gaze towards heaven. The voice spoke again, “My beloved daughter Christine, my chosen one, come and accept the eternal crown and palm. Take the reward that you deserve for having spent your life as a martyr glorifying my name.” When the evil Julian heard this voice, he reproached the torturers for not having removed enough of Christine’s tongue, telling them to cut it so close that she would be unable to converse with her lord Jesus. They cut off the whole of her tongue, right down to the root, but she spat out these remains into the tyrant’s face and blinded him in one eye. Speaking just as easily as ever, she exclaimed, “Tyrant, what was the point of your removing my tongue so that I couldn’t praise God when my spirit will praise Him for evermore whilst yours is damned for all eternity? It’s only fitting that my tongue should have blinded you, since you didn’t believe my words in the first place.” So saying, Christine could already see Jesus Christ seated at his Father’s right hand as her martyrdom came to an end from two arrows that were shot at her, one in her side and the other near her heart. A relative of hers, whom she had converted, buried her saintly body and wrote down her magnificent legend.’
I exclaimed, ‘O blessed Christine, worthy virgin exalted by God, and most triumphant and glorious martyr! Since the Lord chose to confer on you the crown of sainthood, I beg you to pray for me, a poor sinner who bears your name. O most merciful lady, please intercede on my behalf as my patron saint. See how delighted I am to recount your holy legend and include it in my book, showing my great devotion to you by leaving nothing out. If you please, pray also for the whole of womankind, in the hope that your saintly life will inspire all women to make a good end. Amen.’
Justice continued, ‘What more can I tell you, my dear friend, to swell the number of inhabitants of our city? Let Saint Ursula come forward with her great host of blessed virgins, more than eleven thousand in total, all of whom were beheaded for the sake of Jesus Christ. Having been sent off to be married, they arrived in a country full of unbelievers who tried to force them to renounce Christianity. They all preferred to die rather than abjure their faith in Jesus Christ, their Saviour.’
‘What in the world is more tender than a mother towards her child? What greater pain is there than that felt in a mother’s heart when she sees her child suffer? Yet, in my view, faith is an even greater thing, as was shown by the many valiant women who, for the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, gave up their own children to be martyred. One such woman was the blessed Felicity, who saw all seven of her beautiful children being tortured in front of her. This fine mother comforted her little ones and urged them to have patience and to remain steadfast in their faith: in her devotion to God, she had put aside all maternal feelings for her own flesh and blood. After she had allowed every one of them to be sacrificed, she chose to suffer the same fate and so died a martyr’s death.
‘Likewise, this was also the case of the blessed Julitta, who had a son named Cyricus. Just as she gave her son nourishment for his body, so she gave him nourishment for his soul by thoroughly immersing him in the tenets of the Christian faith. Though he was just a young child, he never succumbed to the efforts made by his persecutors to force him to renounce the name of Jesus Christ. Indeed, as he was being tortured, he kept crying out as loud as he could in his little high-pitched voice, “I am a Christian, I am a Christian, and I give thanks to you, Lord God!” He spoke as eloquently as any forty-year-old man would have done. His loving mother comforted him before she too in turn underwent terrible torments. She never left off praising God and reassuring the other martyrs by telling them not to be afraid but to turn their minds towards the celestial joy that awaited them.
‘Likewise, what could we say about the constancy and fortitude displayed by the blessed Blandina? She watched her beloved fifteen-year-old daughter being tortured and martyred before her very eyes. She consoled her child most joyfully and afterwards went to face her own martyrdom with a heart as glad as that of any bride going to meet her bridegroom. Blandina was subjected to so many different torments that her persecutors wore themselves out from their efforts. She was placed on a gridiron and roasted, before being torn to pieces with iron pincers. Yet she still kept on glorifying God, right up until the moment she died.’
’There are so many stories that could be told about virgin-martyrs as well as other women who took religious orders or who displayed their saintliness in different ways. I’ll tell you about two such women in particular, because their legends are very inspiring and they also prove what we’ve been saying about the constancy of women.
’A layman had a young daughter called Marina, whom he placed in the care of one of his relatives when he took holy orders and went off to devote himself to God. However, his thoughts were naturally still drawn to her and his anxiety about her welfare preyed heavily on his mind. He became so preoccupied that the abbot eventually asked him what it was that was causing him such distress. He explained that he was deeply concerned about a son of his left behind in the outside world and whom he was unable to put out of his thoughts. The abbot told him to fetch his son and bring him back to the monastery with him. In order for her to stay with her father, the young maiden was made to dress like a novice. She learnt to keep up this pretence and adhered perfectly to the rigours of her new life, growing ever more saintly with each passing day. Her father, who had given her a truly devout upbringing, died when she was eighteen years old. Henceforth, she lived alone in his cell, leading such a holy existence that the abbot and all the other monks were full of praise for her piety. None of them suspected that she was, in fact, a woman.
’About three miles away from the monastery lay a town where a market was regularly held. The monks frequently had to go to the market to buy their necessary supplies. Sometimes in winter when their business kept them overnight, they would take lodgings in town. Marina, who was known as Brother Marinus, often had to take her turn and spend the night at a certain inn where they usually stayed. It so happened that the innkeeper’s daughter became pregnant. Under pressure from her parents to tell them who the father was, she accused Brother Marinus. Her parents went to complain to the abbot, who was deeply upset by this news and called Marinus in to see him. Since the holy virgin preferred to take the blame rather than prove her innocence by revealing that she was a woman, she fell weeping to her knees and said, “Father, I have sinned. Pray for me and I will do penance.” The abbot was so angry that he had Marinus beaten and thrown out of the monastery, forbidding him ever to return. In penance, Marinus lay down on the ground in front of the gate and begged for a scrap of bread to eat from the other monks. The innkeeper’s daughter gave birth to a son whom her mother then left with Marinus as he lay outside the monastery. The virgin took the child and fed him with the pieces of bread that she received from people as they went inside, bringing the boy up as if he were her own son. After a while, the monks took pity on Marinus and begged the abbot to show mercy on him and allow him back in. They had great difficulty in persuading him to do so, even though Marinus had already spent five years doing penance. On his return to the monastery, the abbot gave Marinus all the dirtiest and most unpleasant tasks to do, making him fetch the water for washing and cleaning and forcing him to see to everyone’s needs. The holy virgin carried out all these jobs most willingly and with great humility.
’Some time later, she fell asleep in Jesus Christ. When the monks told the abbot, he said to them, “You can clearly see that his sin was so great that he was not forgiven. Wash his body all the same, but bury him well outside the monastery walls.” However, once they undressed him and discovered that he was in fact a woman, they began to beat themselves and wail in dismay. They were horrified to see the terrible wrong that they had done to such a holy and innocent creature, and they were all amazed by her extraordinary saintliness. No sooner was the abbot informed than he rushed to Marina’s cell. He burst into tears as he fell down at her feet, beating his breast and begging for mercy and forgiveness. Afterwards, he gave the order for her to be buried in a chapel inside the church. The monks all gathered round the tomb, including a certain monk who had lost his sight in one eye. As he bent down to kiss the body and pay his respects, his sight was immediately restored. That same day, the girl who had given birth to the baby went out of her mind and confessed her sin. She too was taken before the holy body and soon recovered her senses. Many other miracles occurred on this site, and still do today.’
’Similarly, in Alexandria, lived a virgin named Euphrosyna whose father, Paphnutius, was a very wealthy man. God had granted him a daughter in answer to all the prayers which he had requested from a holy abbot and a community of monks which lay nearby. When this girl came of age, her father wanted to marry her off. However, because she had dedicated herself to God and wished to preserve her virginity, she ran away from home disguised as a man. She asked to be admitted into this monastery, making them believe that she was a youth from the emperor’s court who devoutly wished to take orders. Seeing the boy’s great fervour, the abbot was delighted to let him in. When Paphnutius realized that his beloved daughter was missing, he fell into despair. In order to find some comfort, he went to the abbot and poured out his heart to him, begging him and the whole community of monks to appeal to God for news of her. The abbot tried to reassure Paphnutius by saying that he couldn’t believe that God would have answered his prayers and given him a daughter whom He would then allow to perish. He and his monks spent a long time praying on the father’s behalf.
’Seeing the worthy man come back to the monastery day after day to try to alleviate his suffering at having received no news of his daughter, the abbot eventually said to him, “I truly believe that your daughter cannot have come to any harm: if she had, God would somehow have let us know it. We have here amongst us a pious young man who has come from the emperor’s court. God has shown him such favour that whoever speaks to him is greatly comforted by his words. You could go and talk with him, if you wished.” Paphnutius asked him to arrange such a meeting straightaway. The abbot then led him to see his daughter, whom he failed to recognize. She, however, recognized him instantly. Tears welled up in her eyes and she had to turn her head away from him as if she were finishing a prayer. Because of the harsh regime of abstinence which she followed, her fresh young complexion had already faded. A few moments later, she spoke to her father and cheered him immensely by saying that his daughter was serving God and living in a safe place. She also reassured him that, before he died, he would definitely see her again and would once more delight in her company. Thinking that the boy knew all this thanks to divine inspiration, the father felt much better. As he took his leave, he told the abbot that ever since he had lost his daughter, he had never known such peace of mind: “By God’s grace, I’m as happy as if I had actually found my daughter.” On his departure, he commended himself to the abbot and to the monks’ prayers. It wasn’t long before he started to come back time and time again to visit the holy man, for the only happiness he knew was when the two of them were in conversation.
’This state of affairs went on for a long time. The daughter, who called herself Brother Smaragdus, had spent thirty-eight years in her cell when God decided to call her to Him. She thus fell very ill. The good Paphnutius was very upset at this news and rushed to his side. Seeing that Smaragdus was on his deathbed, he began to cry out to him, “Alas! What about all the comforting words and the promises you gave me that I would see my daughter again?” Smaragdus later died in God’s arms when the father was absent. In his hand, he clasped a letter which none of the monks could remove from his fingers. Everyone in the monastery, including the abbot, tried to do so but failed. At this point, the father came in, weeping and wailing at the loss of his dear friend, the only person who had ever consoled him. As he approached the body to kiss it, in front of everyone the hand opened and gave him the letter. He took it and read inside that she was his daughter and that no one else but him should prepare her body for burial. He, the abbot and all the other monks were astounded by these revelations and couldn’t praise her highly enough for her devout constancy and determination. Her father was so moved by pity and relief at the thought that she had led such a holy life that his tears increased twofold. He sold everything he owned in order to join the monastery, where he eventually ended his days.
’Now that I’ve told you about several virgins, I’ll go on to talk about some other holy ladies, all of whom suffered a glorious martyrdom.’
’At the time of the great persecutions in Rome during the reign of Diocletian, there lived a very patrician lady named Anastasia, who was one of the richest and most influential women in the city. This lady was full of heartfelt compassion at seeing a constant stream of blessed Christian martyrs being subjected to torture. Every day, she would disguise herself as a pauper and go off accompanied by a young girl to visit the martyrs in their cells and try to comfort them with costly wines, foods and whatever else she could find. She washed and dressed their wounds and anointed them with precious ointments. She carried on like this until her activities were reported to Publius, a Roman nobleman who wanted to marry her. Angered by this news, he put her under such close surveillance that she no longer dared to leave her house. Amongst the other martyrs detained in prison was Saint Chrysogonus, a most worthy man who had endured horrific tortures and had been greatly sustained by all the gifts brought by the holy lady Anastasia on her visits. Using a kind Christian lady as an intermediary, this saintly man sent Anastasia a series of letters in which he counselled her to have patience. She sent similar letters back to him, thanks to the same helpful lady. In the end, it was God’s wish that Publius, the man who had placed her under strict guard, should pass away. The noble Anastasia thus sold everything she owned and devoted herself entirely to visiting the martyrs and bringing them succour, gathering round her a large company of Christian ladies and maidens.
’Amongst these women were three virgins, Anastasia’s intimate companions, who were all sisters from a very distinguished family. One of the sisters was called Agape, another Chionia, and the third Irene. Having found out that these three virgins had become Christians, the emperor sent for them and promised them great gifts and advantageous marriages if they would renounce Jesus Christ. When they took no notice of his offer, he had them beaten and thrown into a horrible prison. Here they were visited by their saintly friend Anastasia, who never left their side day or night. She prayed to God that He would keep her alive until her wealth ran out so that she could continue to do these charitable works. The emperor informed his prefect, Dulcitius, that all the Christians who were being held in the cells should be subjected to torture until they agreed to worship the pagan idols. The prefect thus ordered all the prisoners to be brought before him, including the three blessed sisters.
’When the wicked prefect laid his eyes on the three girls, he was greatly smitten with their beauty. In secret, he tried to cajole them with promises into letting him have his pleasure with them, in exchange for their freedom. Because they rebuffed all his advances, Dulcitius put one of his servants in charge of them and ordered him to escort the girls to his house, convinced that one way or another he would win them over. At nightfall, he set off alone without a lantern to the house where the three sisters had been taken. Hearing their voices as they sang God’s praises through the night, he began to make his way towards them. As he passed through the room where all the kitchen implements were hanging up, he was so blinded by the lustful thoughts that the Devil had inspired in him that he hugged and kissed each pot in turn, thinking that he was with the three virgins. He gave himself up completely to his pleasures until he was exhausted. In the morning, he went outside to meet up with his men who were waiting for him. However, as soon as they saw him, they fled in terror, taking him for a devil because he was covered from head to foot in dirt, grease and soot, and his clothes were all torn and hanging off him in shreds. He was utterly baffled to see them all running away and couldn’t understand why they were refusing to have anything to do with him. As everyone who came across him walking down the street made fun of him, he decided to go straight to the emperor to complain about being ridiculed as he passed by. On arriving at the palace, where some people were waiting that morning for an audience, he was immediately set upon. Whilst one person hit him with a stick, another pushed him from behind, saying, “Shove off, you filthy pig, you’re stinking the place out!”, and yet another spat in his face, much to the amusement of the crowd. In his shock at being treated like this, he almost went out of his mind, for the Devil had closed his eyes so tightly that he was unable to realize what a state he was in. Burning with shame, he made his way back home.
’He was replaced by another judge who had the three sisters brought before him and tried to force them to worship the idols. Seeing their adamant refusal to comply with his wishes, he ordered them to be stripped and beaten. Yet no matter how hard his men tried, they were unable to undress the girls: their clothes had become so firmly stuck to their skin that they couldn’t be removed. The judge then had them thrown into a raging fire, but this did them no harm at all. None the less, the three sisters prayed to God to let them die, if He so pleased, and they ended their days as glorious martyrs. In order to show that they had died of their own free will, the fire didn’t burn either a single hair of their heads or a scrap of their clothing. When the flames died down, their bodies were found to be completely intact, with their hands joined in prayer and their faces as fresh as if they were merely asleep. The blessed Anastasia took care of their bodies and buried them.’
’Anastasia had another faithful companion, a lady by the name of Theodota, who had three young sons. Because she had declined to marry the Count Leucatius and had refused to worship the idols, Theodota was subjected to various types of torture. Thinking that they would break her will by appealing to her maternal instincts, they persecuted one of her sons. Yet the strength of her faith was greater than that of her earthly ties, for she comforted the boy, saying, “My son, don’t fear these torments, for it is thanks to them that you will go to heaven.” As she lay in prison, a son of the Devil came to try and seduce her but he immediately began to have a terrible nosebleed. He shouted out that there was a young man in the cell with her who had punched him in the face, whereupon she was taken off to be tortured once more. In the end, she and her three children died, glorifying God’s holy name as their spirits departed their bodies. The worthy Anastasia buried them all.
’Having spent so much time helping the martyrs, the blessed Anastasia was herself eventually arrested and thus prevented from going to visit God’s saints. In prison, she was deprived of all food and drink. Yet, because she had taken such excellent care of God’s blessed martyrs and had assuaged their hunger, the good Lord decided that He would not let her suffer. He therefore sent down to Anastasia the soul of her saintly companion Theodota, who was bathed in a dazzling light. Setting out a table laden with delicious things for Anastasia to eat, Theodota kept her friend company for the whole thirty days that she had been condemned to go without food. Although it had been assumed that by the end of this time she would have died of hunger, she emerged alive and well, much to the prefect’s dismay when he saw her standing before him. Since many people were converted at the sight of this miracle, the prefect had Anastasia placed on board a ship with various wrongdoers who had been sentenced to death. Once they were out on the open sea, the sailors followed the orders they had been given and scuttled the ship before taking off in a different vessel. The blessed Theodota appeared to Anastasia and the other prisoners and led them across the sea for a day and a night, as safely as if they had been on dry land. She eventually brought them to the island of Palmaria, where there were many bishops and holy men who had been sent into exile. They were greeted with great rejoicing and all gave thanks to God. Those who had been saved with Anastasia were baptized and became Christians. When news of what had happened later reached the emperor, he sent for all the men, women and children on the island, who were more than three hundred in number, and had every one of them tortured to death. Even the blessed Anastasia, who engaged in lengthy debates with the emperor, was subjected to torture and finally received her martyr’s crown.’
’Nathalia was the noble wife of Adrian, leader of Emperor Maximian’s army. She herself had secretly adopted Christianity during the time when the first Christians were being persecuted but she discovered that her husband, Adrian, on whose behalf she was forever praying to God, had suddenly converted at the sight of the martyrs being tortured and had praised the name of Jesus Christ. The emperor was so enraged by this news that he had thrown Adrian into a dank and gloomy dungeon. The blessed lady was overjoyed at her husband’s conversion and went directly to his cell to console him and to beg him not to turn back now that he was on the right road. She kissed the bonds that held him fast and wept tears of compassion and joy. Enjoining him not to regret the loss of transient, earthly pleasures, she urged him to concentrate his mind instead on the infinite glory that awaited him. This holy lady stayed at her husband’s side for a long time that day, offering words of solace both to him and to all the other martyrs, and praying to God that she too would soon be of their number. She implored the others to keep up her husband’s morale, for she was afraid that his faith might waver once he was put to torture. Nathalia went to see Adrian every day, saying comforting things to him and encouraging him all the time to remain steadfast. Because she and several other ladies paid such frequent visits to the martyrs, the emperor forbade women from going into the cells. But Nathalia simply disguised herself as a man and was there on the day when her husband received his last torment. Binding his wounds and kissing his bloody body, she wept tears of devotion and beseeched him to pray to God for her sake. Thus the blessed Adrian met his end and she buried his body with all due ceremony. She took one of his hands that had been cut off and wrapped it up carefully to keep as a holy relic. ‘Because this pious lady came from such a noble family and was so beautiful and wealthy, she found herself under great pressure to remarry after her husband’s death. She thus threw herself into her prayers, begging God to deliver her out of the hands of those who were trying to force her to take another husband. One night, Adrian appeared to her whilst she was sleeping. As he comforted her, he told her that she should go to Constantinople and bury the bodies of the many martyrs that were being killed there. She did exactly as he said and performed this holy service for some time, visiting the blessed martyrs in their cells. Her husband then appeared to her a second time, saying, “My sister and my friend, handmaiden of Jesus Christ, come into the everlasting glory, for Our Lord is calling you.” No sooner had she woken from her sleep than she passed away.’
’Afra was a prostitute who converted to Christianity. She was brought before the judge, who said to her, “As if it weren’t enough for you to sin with your body, you go and commit an error of faith by worshipping a foreign god! Sacrifice to our gods and they will pardon you.” Afra replied, “I will sacrifice to my Lord, Jesus Christ, who came down to earth for the sake of sinners. It says in his Gospel that a female sinner washed his feet with her tears and was forgiven. He didn’t despise either prostitutes or sinful publicans,6 but rather allowed them to sit and eat with him.” The judge retorted, “If you don’t agree to make a sacrifice, you’ll never see any of your clients again, nor will you receive any more presents from them.” She answered, “I will never again accept a tainted gift. As for those that I did wrongfully receive, I’ve asked poor people to take them away and to pray for my soul.” The judge sentenced Afra to be burnt to death for having refused to worship the gods. As she was being put into the fire, she glorified God, saying, “O Lord Almighty, Jesus Christ, you who call all sinners to repent, please accept my martyrdom in this hour of my passion and deliver me from the everlasting fire by means of this earthly fire that has been prepared for my mortal body.” As the flames leapt up around her, she cried out, “Lord Jesus Christ, please receive me, a poor sinful woman martyred in your holy name, you who made a single sacrifice of yourself for the whole world. You were a righteous man nailed to a cross for the sake of all those who were immoral, a good man who died for the wicked, a blessed man for the damned, a gentle man for the cruel, an innocent and pure man for the corrupt. To you I offer the sacrifice of my body, you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever.” Thus the blessed Afra ended her days, on whose behalf Our Lord later performed many miracles.’
’My dear friend Christine, what more can I tell you on this subject? I could go on recounting an infinite number of such stories to you. Because you said before that you were so astonished at the amount of criticism that writers have heaped on women, I can assure you that no matter what you’ve read in the works of pagan authors, I think you’ll find few negative comments on women in holy legends, in stories of Jesus Christ and his apostles, and even in lives of the saints. If you look at such texts, what you will find instead are countless instances of women who were endowed by God with extraordinary constancy and virtue. What great acts of kindness women have unstintingly and diligently performed for the servants of God! What exemplary charity and devotion they have shown them! So much hospitality and so many other kindnesses are surely not things to be taken lightly. Even if certain foolish men want to dismiss them as insignificant, it is undeniable that, according to our faith, such acts are the rungs on the ladders that lead to heaven.
’We can cite the example of Drusiana, a noble widow, who took Saint John the Evangelist into her home, where she served him and prepared his meals. Saint John returned from exile, much to the delight of the people of the city who came out to greet him, just as Drusiana’s dead body was being lowered into the ground. She had died from grief at his lengthy absence. The neighbours said to him, “John, here lies Drusiana, the lady who was such a kind hostess to you and who died because you stayed away so long. She’ll never serve you again.” At this, Saint John exclaimed, “Rise up, Drusiana! Go home and get my food ready for me!”, whereupon she was brought back from the dead.
’Likewise, we could mention the worthy Susanna, a noblewoman from the city of Limoges. She was the first person to give shelter to Saint Martial, who had been sent by Saint Peter to convert the French. This lady showed him every kindness.
‘Likewise, the same can be said of Maximilla, that excellent lady who cut Saint Andrew down from the cross and buried him, thus putting her own life in danger.
’Likewise, the holy virgin Ephigenia was a devoted follower of Saint Matthew the Evangelist, whom she served. After his death, she built a church dedicated to him.
’Likewise, there was another fine lady whose pure love for Saint Paul the Apostle was so great that she went everywhere with him and served him most diligently.
’Likewise, at the time of the apostles, lived a noble queen by the name of Helen – not the mother of Constantine, but the queen of Adiabene – who went to Jerusalem. The city was desperately short of food because of a famine that was raging all around. When Helen learnt that Our Lord’s saints, who had come to Jerusalem to preach to and convert the people, were dying of hunger, she bought enough food to keep them well supplied until the famine was over.
’Likewise, when they were taking out Saint Paul to be beheaded on Nero’s orders, an honourable lady by the name of Plautilla, who used to look after the saint, came up to him shedding bitter tears. Saint Paul asked her for the veil that she was wearing on her head. As she handed it to him, some wicked people who were standing nearby mocked her, saying more fool her for giving up such a pretty object. Saint Paul used the veil to blindfold himself. Later, after his death, the angels gave the blood-stained veil back to her, which she then kept as a precious relic. Saint Paul appeared to her and said that, for having done him this service on earth, he would do her a service in heaven by praying for her soul. I could tell you about many other cases like this.
’Basilissa was a noble lady full of the virtue of charity. She was married to Saint Julian. On their wedding night, they made a pact that they would both preserve their virginity. It’s impossible to measure the full extent of this virgin’s saintliness or the vast numbers of women and maidens who were saved by her holy teachings and encouraged to lead a devout existence. In short, her exemplary charity won her such divine favour that Our Lord spoke to her in person when she was on her deathbed.
’My dear Christine, I’m not sure what more to say to you. I could tell you endless stories about women of all different social ranks, whether virgins, wives or widows, whose wonderful strength and constancy revealed how God was working through them. Let what I have said be enough. It seems to me that I have well and truly acquitted myself of my task, which was to complete the high turrets of your city and to fill it up with illustrious ladies, just as I promised. These final examples will act as the gates and portcullises of our city. Although I haven’t cited the names of every single holy lady who has ever lived, or is still living, or is indeed yet to come, for it would be impossible for me to do so, they can all none the less take their place in this City of Ladies, about which we can say: “Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, civitas Dei.”7 I’m therefore handing it over to you now that it is finished and the gates are closed and locked, just as I said I would. Adieu, and may the peace of God remain with you always!’
’Most honourable ladies, praise be to God: the construction of our city is finally at an end. All of you who love virtue, glory and a fine reputation can now be lodged in great splendour inside its walls, not just women of the past but also those of the present and the future, for this city has been founded and built to accommodate all deserving women. Mydearest ladies, the human heart is naturally filled with joy when it sees that it has triumphed in a particular endeavour and has defeated its enemies. From this moment on, my ladies, you have every reason to rejoice – in a suitably devout and respectable manner – at seeing the completion of this new city. It will not only shelter you all, or rather those of you who have proved yourselves to be worthy, but will also defend and protect you against your attackers and assailants, provided you look after it well. For you can see that it is made of virtuous material which shines so brightly that you can gaze at your reflections in it, especially the lofty turrets that were built in this final part of the book, as well as the passages which are relevant to you in the other two parts. My beloved ladies, I beg you not to abuse this new legacy like those arrogant fools who swell up with pride when they see themselves prosper and their wealth increase. Rather, you should follow the example of your queen, the noble Virgin. On hearing that she was to receive the supreme honour of becoming the mother of the Son of God, her humility grew all the greater as she offered herself up to the Lord as His handmaiden. Thus, my ladies, since it is true that the more virtuous someone is, the more this makes them meek and mild, this city should make you conduct yourselves in a moral fashion and encourage you to be meritorious and forbearing.
’As for you ladies who are married, don’t despair at being so downtrodden by your husbands, for it’s not necessarily the best thing in the world to be free. This is proven by what the angel of the Lord said to Esdras: “Those who used their free will fell into sin, turned their backs on God and corrupted the righteous; for this reason they were destroyed.”8 Those wives whose husbands are loving and kind, good-natured and wise, should praise the Lord. This is no small boon but one of the greatest blessings in the world that any woman can receive. Such wives should serve their husbands with devotion, and should love and cherish them with a faithful heart, as is their duty, living in peace with them and praying to God to keep them safe and sound. Those wives whose husbands are neither good nor bad should none the less thank the Lord that they’re not any worse. They should make every effort to moderate their husbands’ unruly behaviour and to strive for a peaceable existence with them according to their social condition. Those wives with husbands who are wayward, sinful and cruel should do their best to tolerate them. They should try to overcome their husbands’ wickedness and lead them back to a more reasonable and respectable path, if they possibly can. Even if their husbands are so steeped in sin that all their efforts come to nothing, these women’s souls will at least have benefited greatly from having shown such patience. Moreover, everyone will praise them for it and will be on their side.
’So, my ladies, be humble and long-suffering and the grace of God will be magnified in you. You will be covered in glory and be granted the kingdom of heaven. It was Saint Gregory who said that patience is the key to paradise and the way of Jesus Christ. You should all resolve to rid yourselves henceforth of silly and irrational ideas, petty jealousies, stubbornness, contemptuous talk or scandalous behaviour, all of which are things that twist the mind and make a person unstable. Besides, such ways are extremely unhealthy and unseemly in a woman.
’As for you girls who are young virginal maidens, be pure and modest, timid and steadfast, for the wicked have set their snares to catch you. Keep your gaze directed downwards, say few words, and be cautious in everything you do. Arm yourselves with strength and virtue against the deceitful ways of seducers and avoid their company.
’As for you widowed ladies, be respectable in the way you dress, speak and hold yourselves. Be devout in your words and deeds, prudent in the way you run your affairs, and patient, strong and resilient in the face of suffering and aggravation, for you will have sore need of such qualities. Be unassuming in your temperament, speech and bearing, and be charitable in your actions.
’In short, all you women, whether of high, middle or low social rank, should be especially alert and on your guard against those who seek to attack your honour and your virtue. My ladies, see how these men assail you on all sides and accuse you of every vice imaginable. Prove them all wrong by showing how principled you are and refute the criticisms they make of you by behaving morally. Act in such a way that you can say, like the Psalmist, “The evil done by the wicked will fall on their own heads.”9 Drive back these treacherous liars who use nothing but tricks and honeyed words to steal from you that which you should keep safe above all else: your chastity and your glorious good name. O my ladies, fly, fly from the passionate love with which they try to tempt you! For God’s sake, fly from it!10 No good can come to you of it. Rather, you can be sure that though it may seem to be superficially attractive, it can only be to your harm in the end. This is always the case, so don’t think otherwise. My dear ladies, remember how these men accuse you of being weak, flighty and easily led, and yet still use the most convoluted, outlandish and bizarre methods they can think of to trap you, just as one would a wild animal. Fly, fly from them, my ladies! Have nothing to do with such men beneath whose smiling looks a lethal venom is concealed, one which will poison you to death. Instead, my most honoured ladies, may it please you to pursue virtue and shun vice, thus increasing in number the inhabitants of our city. Let your hearts rejoice in doing good. I, your servant, commend myself to you. I beg the Lord to shine His grace upon me and to allow me to carry on devoting my life to His holy service here on earth. May He pardon my great faults and grant me everlasting joy when I die, and may He do likewise unto you. Amen.’
End of the Third and Final Part of the Book of the City of Ladies.