Baring-Gould’s sources: Greek Menaea and Menologies. Of Latin Martyrologists, Maurolychus, Greven, and the Bollandists. Authority A life originally in Greek; also a metrical life by Mar bod of Rennes, d. 1123; the Greek life was probably written in the 5th cent] There lived a beautiful, sinful woman, in Egypt, probably at Alexandria. Her splendid beauty was the cause of many a furious contest between her rivals, and the guilt of their blood lay at her door.
Now there lived in the wild, lone, sand- wastes a very old hermit named Paphnutius. And it was told him how this woman bewitched the youth with her beauty, and gave herself up to pride of life, lust of eye, and of flesh. And as the sun rose and set over the still desert, his mind travelled away to the busy town and the hot, restless life men and women lived there, and his heart filled with inexpressible sadness at the thoughts of the woman who was a sinner.
At length the wilderness became unendurable to -him. He must go and see her, and speak to her. So he disguised himself and went to the town, and called at her house, and asked to say a few words to her. Then he was admitted and was shown into a magnificent apartment, and there, lounging on a costly couch, was the beautiful courtezan. The old hermit stood still and looked hard at her, and his heart beat, and his eyes began to fill, and he could scarcely utter a word.
1 68 L ives of the Saints. [0ct * “ Let all go out,” said he. " There is no one here but God,” she answered. “ What ! you know that there is a God?” said he, with vehemence.
“ Yes,” she replied, “ I was brought up a Christian, and taught this truth.” “ And do you know that there is a heaven for the righteous, and a hell for the ungodly ?”
“ I know it,” she faltered. Then he broke out into a long bitter cry and said: “ O God Almighty ! she knows Thee, and what Thou hast in store for them that serve Thee, and for them that offend Thee, and yet she has slain many poor souls which might have seen Thee and rested in Thy glory through all eternity, but which must now wail in endless woe.” Then Thais, for that was her name, trembled exceedingly, and she sprang from her seat and threw herself at the feet of the old man and held them, and said: “ My father, my father ! show me a way to escape ! Teach me how to repent.”
And he said: “ I will. But first I must go away and prepare a place for thee.” Then, when he was gone, Thais made a great heap in the open street of all her dresses, and set them on fire, and went forth, clad in poor raiment, to the place Paphnutius had appointed her. It was a monastery of holy women. And there he gave her a little cell, and she entered, and he sealed up the door with lead, and bade the sisters give her water and dry bread through the narrow window. Moreover, he bade her not so much as raise her hands to heaven, nor name God with her lips, but look to the east in prayer, and say: “ Thou who hast fashioned me, have mercy upon me.”
After three years had passed, Paphnutius was grieved for 5. Pelagia. Thais, and he went to the Abbot Antony and asked him whether he thought that the severity of her penance might be moderated, and that God had pardoned her sins. Then Antony bade his monks fast and pray one night, and inquire what the will of God was. Now while all were in silent supplication, suddenly Paul, the oldest disciple of Antony, looked up, and saw in vision a glorious place in heaven. And he said: “It is the place prepared for my father Antony.” Then a voice answered, “ Not so, it is for Thais, the penitent.”
And when this was told, with great joy did Paphnutius hurry to the monastery, and he broke open the door and said to Thais: “ Come forth ! the Lord hath pardoned thy sins.”
And she said: “ Since the day that I entered, they have weighed on me as a heavy burden; I have felt them day and night.”
“Therefore,” answered Paphnutius, “the Lord hath pardoned thee.” And after she had come forth, Thais lived but fifteen days, and then she emigrated to the Lord.
