100 B. BARBARA many came to pray at the spot, and, look- ing on the cross, were healed of their infirmities On the retnm of Dioscnrus from his jonrney, he asked why there were three windows in the chamher. Barbara explained to him the mystic significance of the number three, and avowed herself a Christian. He was so enraged as to be on the point of stabbing her; but bethinking him that he might thereby get himself into tronble, he denonnced her to the governor of the place, who tried in vain to persuade her to abjure her religion, and then ordered her to be tortured. Her wounds were miraculously healed. Whereupon the governor said that as the gods showed her such compassion, she must not be ungrateful, but sacrifice to them. As she remained firm, notwithstanding re- peated and varied tortures, she was con- demned to be led through the city without any clothing. She prayed that she might be hidden from the eyes of unbelievers, and she was covered from head to foot with a brightness like a vesture. The governor then ordered her to be be- headed. She was taken to a hill where malefactors were put to death. Her father, being at his own request her executioner, cut off her head. He re- turned immediately to the city, boasting of the service he had done to the gods, and saying that he deserved to be honoured by the Emperor, and to have his name perpetuated. While he' was speaking, a thunderbolt fell from heaven and destroyed him utterly, so that nothing remained of his body ; as Barbara's soul went up, his went down ; and while she was glorified among the martyrs, he was torn by demons. St Barbara has long been honoured in the Latin, Greek, Russian, and Syriac Churches, but her history is obscured by a variety of false Acts. Baronius follows those that say she was a disciple of Origen, and was martyred at Nicomedia in the time of Maximinus I., who raised the sixth general persecution after the murder of Alexander Severus, 235. Assemani, however, on the authority of other Actsy says that she was martyred at Heliopolis, in Egypt, in the reign of Galerius, about the year 306. The Greek Synaxary and the Emperor Basil's Mendogy support this opinion. A very old monastery at Edessa was dedicated in her name. i^.Jlf., Dec. 4. Usuard and Molanus, Dec. 16. Ado of Treves. Yillegas. Metaphrastes. Butler. Mrs. Jameson. Cahier, Caract^ristiques, Among the objects furnished for the processions of Corpus Christi by and in the borough of Dundee, were ^^ Sane Barhill castel, a credit and thre harnis maid of daith, Abraamia hat, and thre hedis of hayr" Scottish Beview^ No. 12, quoting Maxwell's History of Old Dun» dee, B. Barbara (2), Sept. l. f 1472. Daughter of Albert the Pious, Duke of Bavaria, and Duchess Anna, daughter of Duke Erick of Brunswick. Duke Albert refused the crown of Bohemia, lest, be- coming engrossed with its cares and pomps, he should lose the heavenly crown. In the same spirit his daughter despised all worldly state, and refused the crown of France. From the age of five she was brought up in the nunnery of St. Clara am Anger^ at Munich. After her parents' death, and before she had taken any vows, ambassadors arrived from the young King of France, to ask her to be his wife. Her brother, Albert II., the Wise, told her of the offer, and asked for her decision. She said she would take three days to consider. At the end of that time she gave her answer, namely, that where her parents had placed her, there she would serve God for the rest of her life. Albert agreed, and had the gate of the convent guarded, lest the French should attempt to carry her off. Barbara had in her possession three presents from her parents, which she valued very much : a plant of rose- mary ; a cage containing a great number of birds of various kinds, which sang with her when she sang hymns and psalms; and a gold chain, which, with permission of her superiors, she always wore. She was just seventeen when all at once the bush died, the birds died, and the chain broke. She saw in this coinci- dence a warning of approaching death, for which she devoutly prepared, and gave up her innocent soul. She had twenty companions about her own age.
