Baring-Gould’s sources: Ferrarius, Artnrius in his Gynaeceo Sacro, Castellani. The Life of S Sperandea exists only in a fragmentary condition, and is eminently untrustworthy.] Sperandea, said to be the sister of S. Ubaldus, was born at Gubbio, in Italy, about a.d. 1216, but dates do not ’agree, and it is therefore probable that she was only a member of the same family which produced Ubaldus of Gubbio. She became abbess of the convent of the Order of S. Benedict at Cingoli.

Among other stories told of her is one that Christ Himself appeared to her with a pig’s-skin in His hand and clothed her with it, the bristles inside. Round this she wore an iron girdle, and absolutely refused to put on any other clothes.

This incident is related in the sequence at Mass for her festival at Cingoli. “ Dedit tibi vestimentum Pellis suis indumentum, Zon& strinxit ferret.

Another of her visions was less fantastic and objectionable. She saw in dream a narrow road strewn with thorns and razors, and a voice called her to walk in it. When she did so, and her feet were cut and bleeding, the Lord shone before her, encouraging her to advance, and looking at Him, she forgot the pain in her feet, and advanced hastily, and found herself in a meadow of roses and violets.1 On another occasion she saw in vision a red cross, where1 “ltemdum manebat in contemplatione, vidit tres juvenes, aetate fere viginti quinque annorum, et quilibet in fionte crucem habebat, et statim in unum redact! fcuiit; ac Trinitatem esse, sibi dictum fuit." Sept n.) S. Sperandea.

upon on waking she made one like it, and marched bearing it, apparelled only in the miraculous pig’s-skin, through the town, singing at the top of her voice. No wonder that the biographer adds, “A swarm of boys followed her.” These were some of her less objectionable visions and exploits, the Bollandist father declines to print the rest.1 Various miracles are said to have been wrought by her. Some images of the Saint at Gubbio and Caorle have been indulgenced; and devotion to her was sanctioned by a decree of the Congregation of Sacred Rites in 1633. » “ Ex recitatis/* he says, “ non mirabitnr eruditus lector, alias a noe prseter[Sept. ia.