Baring-Gould’s sources: Mart, of Jerome. Ado,Usuardus, Roman Martyrology. By the Greeks, Russians, Syriac Kalendar, that of the Maronites, &c. Authority: — Two Greek lives, paraphrases of a more ancient Greek one, by James the deacon of Nonnus, Bishop of Ilierapolis, who converted Pelagia.] Maximus, Bishop of Antioch, had convoked the bishops under his metropolitan jurisdiction to assemble for a synod in Antioch. Eight prelates attended, and amongst them was Nonnus, Bishop of Edessa, 1 a holy man, who had been monk in the monastery of Tabenna in Egypt, but had been forcibly drawn from it to be ordained bishop. The synod met in the basilica of the Martyr Julian. When the session was not being held, some of the bishops and clergy sat at the church door in the shade, and amongst them Nonnus. Then certain of those present asked him to give them words of counsel. He rose at once and spoke, and what he said was so seasoned with salt, that none who heard him remained unmoved.

Now whilst he was speaking, there came out of a street upon the square into the broad sunlight, Pelagia, the chief actress and dancer of the theatre of Antioch, riding on an ass, adorned with jewels and in array of fine linen and silk. Her shoes were of gilded leather, studded with pearls. On either side was a train of boys and girls, beautifully dressed, wearing golden torques round their necks, young actors and actresses trained by Pelagia. She wore no veil, and her dazzling beauty attracted the eyes of all the passers by. So highly scented was she with musk, that the air of the street through which she passed was made fragrant. Now when the bishops saw her with bare face and shoulders, they turned their heads aside. But Nonnus, arrested in his discourse, looked attentively at her, following her with his eyes very earnestly till she disappeared. Then turning to the other bishops, he asked, “ Did not the sight of that woman please you?’' They answered him not a word.

Then he laid his face on his knee and wept, and his book of prayers was stained with his tears. After a while he looked up and said again to the bishops, “ Did you not delight in her beauty ?”

They remained silent as before, perplexed at his question. 1 Venerated on December a. S. Pelagia. But he said, “ I was right well pleased to see her. For it seems to me, that God has placed her before us to judge our lives and bishoprics. For, see you, my dearest, how that woman spends many hours in bathing and anointing herself, in decking out her hair, and her arms and neck and ankles, with rings of gold and chains of pearls, and how she devotes long time and much effort to practise her dances, whereas we have not such zeal and diligence in our office, or in preparing our souls for our just and holy Lord who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.”

So saying, he laid his hand on his deacon, James, the writer of this most touching narrative, and bade him lead him away to the hostel where he lodged. And when he came there he entered into his chamber and cast himself on the pavement and wept sore, and smote his breast; and the night settled down on the city and the stars shone out, and the old man prayed on, till he fell asleep with his face in his hands.

When morning came the old bishop called to him his deacon, and said, “ I have had a dream, and I cannot understand it, and it has disturbed me greatly.” And later in the day he said: “ I thought I was standing at the altar, and at the comer I saw a dove, stained with filth and nearly black, and it flew about me as I said mass, and I could not endure its foulness. But when the deacon had proclaimed to the catechumens that they must depart, then I saw it no more till I had completed mass, and had finished the oblation, and had dismissed the congregation; and then, as I went out of the porch, I saw again that dove fluttering round me; and I put forth my hands and caught it and cast it into the shell that stood in the atrium of the church, and forthwith the dove flew up white as snow, and soared, and I stood looking, and it went higher and higher and was lost to sight in the deep blue sky.* Then Nonnus the bishop laid his hand on his deacon’s shoulder, and bade him lead him to the church, for it was the Lord's day. Now when Nonnus entered with the other bishops they saluted their metropolitan [the archbishop who heads a group of dioceses], and the people crowded in after them, and the bishops sat on their thrones. “ Now after the canonical celebration,” says the deacon James, “ or reading of the holy gospel, the same bishop of the city held out the holy gospel to the blessed Nonnus, and exhorted him to speak a word to the people. And he opening his mouth spake the wisdom of God which dwelt in him, for there was in him no studied elocution, or philosophy, or anything superfluous, but filled with the Holy Ghost he reasoned with and admonished the people, speaking simply of the future judgment, and of the good things laid up by God. And all the people were moved by the words he spake through the Holy Ghost, so that their tears dropped on the pavement of the church. And by the counsel and mercy of God, it fell out that the woman of whom I have told happened then to be in the church, and it was a great wonder, for she was not a catechumen [a person preparing for baptism], and had never felt any solicitude about her sins, nor had frequented churches at any time. But now she heard and was pricked to the heart with the fear of the Lord, whilst Nonnus spake, so that she despaired and could not contain her tears, but sobbed out aloud. And she said to two of her slaves, i Tarry here, and when the blessed Nonnus goes forth, follow him, and learn where he dwells, and come and bring me word.’ “The slaves therefore did as their mistress had commanded, and, following us, they came to the basilica of the blessed martyr Julian, where was given us a lodging or cell. And going back, they went and told their mistress, saying, ‘ They lodge in the basilica of the blessed martyr Julian.’ Then straightway she sent a diptych of tablets by the same servants, on which she had written these words j ‘ To the rX ifr S. Pelagia.

holy disciple of Christ, a sinner and disciple of the devil sends greeting. I have heard of thy God, who bowed the heavens, and came down on earth, not to save the just, but sinners; and that He so humbled Himself as to draw nigh to publicans, He, whom cherubim dare not gaze on, conversed with sinners. And thou, my lord, who art very holy, although with eyes of flesh thou hast not seen that Lord Jesus Christ who manifested Himself by the well to the Samaritan woman, yet thou art His worshipper, as I have heard from Christians. If, therefore, thou art a true disciple of that Christ, reject me not, desiring to behold the Saviour by thee, and let me be permitted to see thy holy face/ “Then the holy Nonnus, the bishop, wrote back to her: 4 Whoever thou art, it is manifest to God, and so is the counsel of thy heart. But I say unto thee, Tempt not my humility, for I, though a servant of God, am a sinner. If thou then truly hast a desire of divinity, of acquiring virtues and faith, and seekest to see me, there are other bishops with me, and thou mayest see me in their presence, but alone thou mayest not see me/ Now when she had read this she was filled with joy, and came swiftly to to the temple of the blessed Julian the martyr, and announced to us her presence. On hearing this, Nonnus the bishop called about him all the bishops who were there, and bade her come in. And she, entering, where the bishops were assembled, cast herself on the pavement, and held the feet of the blessed Bishop Nonnus, and said, 4 1 pray thee, my lord, imitate thy Master, Jesus Christ, and pour out upon me thy great charity, and make me a Christian. For I, my lord, am an ocean of sins, and an abyss of iniquity. I pray that I may be baptized/ 44 Now, when the holy bishop Nonnus had hardly persuaded her to rise from his feet, he lifted her up, and said to her, 4 The ecclesiastical canons forbid to baptize a courtezan unless she be attended by sponsors, who may see that she falls not back again to her former sins.’ She, hearing this, cast herself again on the floor, and clasped the feet of the holy Nonnus, and washed them with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, saying, ‘ Thou, then, must answer for my soul to God. To thee will I attribute my evil deeds, if thou deniest me the washing of baptism to cleanse me, guilty and most foul. Thou shalt not have thy portion among the saints, unless thou now estrangest me from my former evil career. Thou deniest thy God, if thou refusest to give me this day new birth as a bride of Christ, and presentest me cleansed before God.’ And when they heard this, all who were present glorified God, for the so great desire of salvation kindled in the heart of this woman who was a sinner.

“ Forthwith they sent me, the sinful deacon, to the bishop of that city, that I might inform him of all, and ask his beatitude to bid one of the deaconesses attend with me. And he, hearing this, was filled with great joy, saying, * It is well, honourable father, these works will await thee in heaven; I know that thou wilt act as my mouth.* 1 And straightway he sent with me the Lady Romana, the first deaconess. And we coming, found the woman still at the feet of the holy Nonnus the bishop, who could scarce persuade her to rise, saying, ‘ Stand up, daughter, to be exorcised.* And he said to her, ‘ Confess all thy sins.* And she answered, ‘ If I search out the depth of my heart, I find in myself no good acts whatever. But I know my sins, which are weightier than the sand by the sea-shore; and the water is as a drop to their abundance. But I trust in thy God, that he will remove the burden of my iniquities, and look in compassion upon me.* “Then said Nonnus to her, ‘Say, what is thy name.” And she answered, ‘ My natural name is Pelagia, which was given me by my parents; but the citizens of Antioch S’. Pelagia.

call me Margaret, on account of the pearls wherewith I have adorned me, the price of my iniquities/ Again Nonnus the bishop said to her, * Are you properly called Pelagia V And she said, ‘ It is so, my lord.* Then the holy Nonnus exorcised her, and baptized her, and gave her the seal of the Lord, and communicated her with the Body of Christ. And her spiritual mother was the holy lady Romana, the first deaconess, who, receiving her, went up into the house of the catechumens, in the which we were also lodged. Then said the holy Nonnus, the bishop, to me, ‘ I say unto thee, brother deacon, to-day we will rejoice with the angels of God, and eat our food with oil, and drink wine with great gladness of spirit, because of the salvation of this poor girl/” When the conversion of Pelagia was rumoured in Antioch, there gathered a crowd of the dissipated men of the place, and shouted and railed against the bishops, and cried to Pelagia to return to the stage, and to the pomps and vanities of life. But Nonnus said to Pelagia, “ Sign thyself with the Cross, and renounce them.” And she made the holy sign, and was unmoved by their cries.

And on the third day after her baptism she said to her steward, “ Go into my room where I keep my apparel, and gold and silver, and jewels, and make a list of all, and bring it me.” He did so, and she handed over to Bishop Nonnus all that she possessed, to be by him disposed of as he saw fit. And he called for the treasurer of the church, and gave it all to him, and said, “ See that none of it be carried into the church, but distribute it among the widows and orphans, for these are the hire of sin.”

And Pelagia summoned her slaves, and gave them all their liberty, and made them a present of the gold torques they wore, and said, “ Make haste, and escape out of the bondage of this sinful world.”

And on the eighth day, on which the baptismal white robe is laid aside, Pelagia rose in the night, took off her the white garment of baptism, and clothed herself in the horsehair tunic and mantle of Nonnus, and from that day was seen no more in Antioch.

Romana the deaconess wept bitterly, fearing that Pelagia had returned to her evil ways; but the bishop Nonnus, who knew what was the purpose of Pelagia, consoled her, saying, “ Rejoice, my daughter, for Pelagia has chosen that good part which the Lord extolled in the Gospel.” Pelagia took her course to Jerusalem, and she built herself a little cell on the Mount of Olives, near the garden of Gethsemane.

“And after three or four years, I, James the deacon, designed to go to Jerusalem, to adore the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I asked permission of my bishop. And when he consented that I should go, he said to me, ‘ I bid thee, brother deacon, when thou comest to Jerusalem, seek out a certain brother Pelagius, a beardless monk, who has for some years dwelt shut up in a cell; ask him how he fares, perhaps thou mayest be able to succour him.* And I went to Jerusalem, and adored the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; and next day I went in quest of the servant of God. And I went and found him on Mount Olivet, where the Lord prayed, in a little cell, enclosed on all sides, and with a little window in the wall.

“ And I knocked at the window, and straightway it was opened, and she knew me, but I, indeed, did not recognize her. For how could I ? Seeing that before I had beheld her in radiant beauty, and now I saw a pallid face, with deep sunken eyes.

u And she said to me, ‘ Whence comest thou, brother ?* I answered and said, ‘ I am sent unto thee by Nonnus the bishop. 1 And she said, ‘ Let him pray for me, for he is a true saint of God.’ Then she closed the window, and S. Pelagia.

began to sing the Psalms of the third hour. And I prayed, leaning against the wall of the cell, and then went away, much gratified by this angelic vision. And I returned to Jerusalem, and went about the monastery, and visited the brethren. And everywhere I heard praise of the virtues of Pelagius. Therefore I deliberated in my mind to return and salute the anchorite [a hermit, sometimes walled into a cell beside a church] and obtain some salutary instruction. But when I came to the cell and knocked, and called Pelagius by name, there was no answer. So I waited the second and the third day, persevering, and calling Pelagius by name, but I heard no one. Therefore I said within myself, 4 Either no one is within, or he who was here has left the place/ 44 But, by God’s inspiration, another thought struck me, and I said, 4 Perhaps he may be dead/ So I pushed open the little window, and looked in, and saw that he was dead. So then I closed the window, and choked it up with clay, and ran to Jerusalem and told what I had discovered, that the holy monk Pelagius had fallen asleep. Then the holy fathers from divers monasteries came and opened the door of the cell, and carried out the little body, and laid it, as was worthy, on gold and precious stones. But when they found that she was a woman, all the people burst forth into praise, saying, 4 Glory be to Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, who hast many hidden treasures on earth, not male only, but female also.* And when the fame spread, then came all the monasteries of virgins from Jericho and from Jordan, with wax candles and lamps, and hymns, and so her holy relics [the bodily remains of a saint, or objects they used, kept with honor] were laid at rest, borne by the holy fathers/’ Relics at Jouarre, in France.

VOL. XI. roct.8 S. Keyne in Cornwall, near Liskeard. It is covered with old masonry, upon the top of which grow five large trees, a Cornish elm, an oak, and three antique ash trees, on so narrow a space, that it is difficult to imagine how the roots can be accommodated. According to popular story, S. Keyne presented this well to the inhabitants in return for the church which they dedicated to her, and it has the marvellous property, by which the husband or wife who can first obtain a draught of water from the spring will acquire the ascendency in domestic affairs. The mystical well is the subject of a ballad, by Southey, which concludes with the following lines: — 11 1 hasten’d as soon as the wedding was o’er And left my good wife in the porch, But i’ faith she had been wiser than I, For she took a bottle to church 1”