dence compelled Indicael, the Breton prince, to present himself to Dagobert to more quickly appease his just indignation.

The monarch became daily more attached to Eloy, but being anxious to employ him on business of great imortance, required him to take the oath of allegiance, as was usual in like circumstances. The saint, who could see no occasion for this act of religion, asked again and again for time to think over it. But the prince, knowing the cause of his fears, praised his delicacy of conscience, and regarding it as a surer proof of fidelity than the oaths of others, dispensed with the obligation. The silversmith's heroic example, his piety and mercy, made a deep impression on the mind of St. Oven, then about twelve years of age, attached to the court, and afterwards bishop of Rouen, and an intimate friend of our saint's. One and the other, though laymen, not only worked hard to have a council summoned in Orleans for the condemnation of certain heretics of that time, but declared war on simony, till then pretty common in France.

On the death of Acarius, Bishop of Noyon, the neighbouring prelates believed that no one was more suited for the vacant see than the illustrious silversmith, and elected him to it. St. Eloy trembled at the sole consideration of the charge they wished to impose on him ; but convinced that it was God's will he bowed his head, and was ordained with his friend St. Oven, in 640. His new dignity made no change in his mode of life, if not to increase his watching and penances. The same

humility, the same spirit of poverty, the same love of prayer, the same charity to the poor and sick, were still conspicuous in him. Certain days of the week he served twelve poor men at table with the same love as ever, and felt singular pleasure in being with them, consoling and assisting them.

But his zeal was not the same. His new character of pastor had inspired him with an ardour for the extension of the divine glory, which burned and consumed him. When he had restored ecclesiastical discipline, which had become somewhat impaired, he directed his efforts to the conversion of various people yet infidels, such as the Saxons, the Suevi, and, above all, those of the districts of Gand and Courtrai. Great were the dangers he ran among those barbarians, whom his sweetness, charity, and perseverance succeeded in civilising. He received all with the affection of a loving father, instructed them with patience and exhorted them with fervour to walk unhesitatingly in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. He feared not fatigue or risks when there was question of preventing sin and promoting the observance of the divine law. Having preached on St. Peter's day against dances, which were the occasion of sin to his people, he incurred the animosity of some malcontents, who went so far as to threaten his life. But all their threats were incapable of intimidating the zealous prelate, and particularly that of the crown of martyrdom which he anxiously longed for. The following year, on the same day, he preached on the same subject with greater earnestness and vigour. On this the officers of the lord of the soil, abusing their power, raised the country against the saint. But he, appealing to extreme measures hurled excommunication against the guilty, and cut them off as rotten members from the body of the Church. The Omnipotent confirmed the anathema by visibly striking fifty of the delinquents. But publicly repenting of their sin, they were miraculously cured by St. Eloy, whom God had distinguished with the gift of prophecy and miracles. He predicted that the French monarchy should be divided among the three sons of Clovis II., and should be reunited under Thierry, the youngest of the three. This fact is mentioned by his

friend Oven in his life of the saint, written before the fulfilment of the prophecy.

IV.

His zeal was indefatigable. He distributed to his flock almost daily the bread of the Divine Word, exhorting them with unction and clearness to the fulfilment of the promises made in baptism. He inculcated alms, prayer, the invocation of saints, the frequenting of the sacraments, and the holy custom of arming themselves frequently with the sign of the cross. He had spent nineteen and a half years in the direction of his flock, when the Lord revealed to him the proximity of his departure. Having foretold his death to his disciples some time before his last illness, and seeing them deeply affected and weeping for the loss of so loving a father, he said to them: "Children, be not sad; you should rather congratulate me. For a long time have I been sighing for the end of my life, and I long to feel myself free from the miseries of this world, whose weight oppresses me." Attacked by fever, he ceased not to pray. On the sixth day of his illness he called his disciples around his bed, and so pathetically exhorted them to virtue, that they could not restrain their tears. Comforted with the last sacraments, he tranquilly expired reciting the canticle of ancient Simeon: "Now, O Lord, dismiss thy servant in peace." His death occurred on the 1st of December, 659, at the age of seventy years and some months.

At the first news of his illness Queen Batilda started from Paris, accompanied by her son and many courtiers; but she found him dead. After bedewing the sacred

body with her tears, she desired to take it as a precious treasure to the monastery of Chelles; but the inhabitants of Noyon, who equally loved their deceased pastor, opposed the queen's wishes. This lady soon after sold all her jewels and adornments and gave the price of them to the poor, with the exception of a pair of golden bracelets, which she ordered to be made into a cross to be placed over St. Eloy's tomb. She also made for it a canopy of gold and silver, which, as it emitted great brilliancy from its gold and precious stones, was covered with a cloth bordered with silk on days of penance, such as the time of Lent. It was noticed later on that this cloth gave out a kind of juice which restored the sick to health. The Lord glorified those venerable remains with many other miracles, as if proclaiming by means of those dry bones that there is no state in life in which we cannot reach the height of Christian perfection. This seemed to be said by the mortal remains of St. Eloy, the honour and glory of silversmiths and coiners.

ST. AFRA.

I.

WHEN reading the life of St. Margaret of Cortona, one cannot help admiring the infinite mercy of God in withdrawing from the sink of corruption souls so forgetful of their eternal salvation. Great indeed are the chastisements with which God threatens the lascivious, and terrible the examples He has made and is daily making of those who allow themselves to be mastered by the

Ivice of the flesh. But if these chastisements and examples warn us not to defer for one moment our conversion, and not to presume on the divine mercy, on the other hand, the innumerable saints, men and women, whom we venerate, who were buried in the impure sink, should encourage us to throw ourselves at once into the arms of that loving Father who watches for the prodigal son to give him the kiss of peace and pardon, and count him again among his beloved children. To add to the example of Margaret, who died in the odour of sanctity through the penances with which she blotted out her crimes, the example of another woman who washed away her scandalous disorders with the blood of martyrdom, and to inspire all with the desire of serving the God of mercies, we are going to copy the acts of the triumphs of St. Afra and her companions, won over to Jesus Christ by the zeal of the illustrious St. Narcissus.

Afra lived in Ausburg, a town of Rhetia, at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth centuries, and was the scandal and stumbling-block of the whole place. She kept a house of ill-fame, and had with her Digna, Eunomia, and Eutropia, leading the same vile life. St. Narcissus, the Bishop of Gerona, of which place he was a native, having escaped for the present from the persecution raised against the Christians, went to Ausburg to preach the faith, and took up his lodging in Afra's house. Blessed hospitality which gained heaven for her! Moved by the saint's example and exhortations, Afra renounced her disordered life and did penance for her sins. Her three companions were also converted, and were baptised by the holy bishop. The latter had left for Gerona, where he received the crown of martyrdom, together with Felix, his deacon, and many other Christians, when Maximian-Herculeus, colleague of the Emperor Diocletian, who committed barbarous cruelties throughout his dominions, made his sanguinary fury