212 ST. CUNEGUND his more practical companions gave away their liyes aronnd him. BesideB the horrors of the Tartar incursions, his own vassal princes were heyond his control, and he fled for aid to the King of Hungary, who was quick to see the advantage of marrying his daughter to the young king, and his brother Eoloman to B. Salome, the sister of Boleslaw. As Boleslaw returned with his bride to Cracow, the clergy and people at each town came out to meet the young sovereigns, with joyful acclamations and high hopes that now their misfortunes were over and prosperity was dawning for them. Cunegund stayed at Cracow with her mother-in-law, Grzymislawa, until she had learnt the Polish language. Thrice during the long reign of Boleslaw did the Tartars invade Poland. The first time, about 1238, Boleslaw shut him- self up in a fortress and prayed, but left the fighting to others. Within a few years came a second invasion. He fled again to Hungary with his wife ; and when in 1241, Henry, duke of Silesia, son of St. Hedwig, with all the best and noblest sons of Poland, went to almost certain death in defence of their father- land and of Christendom, Boleslaw and Cunegund were fugitives from their un- happy country. Hundreds of their sub- jects were massacred or dragged off to a miserable captivity ; churches, monas- teries, and towns were destroyed, and the country laid waste. In 1258 there was no nunnery left standing in the lands belonging to Boleslaw. With the advice of his rela- tions and the chief personages of Poland, and in accordance with the wish of his late sister, Salome, that there might be a refuge for sick, poor, and unmarried princesses and other noble ladies in Poland, he and Cunegund founded, at Zawichost, a convent of the Order of St. Francis. There, in the next year, he buried his pious mother, Grzymislawa. In 12 GO the Tartars came and destroyed that and many other centres of religion and progress. Between 12oH and 1279 Boleslaw and Cunegund founded the monastery of Sandecz. They became members of the Third Order of St. Francis, and solemnly took for life the vow of chastity which they had hitherto made privately from year to year. From this time Cunegund went barefooted. As this was painful and injurious in that severe climate, her confessor forbade her to go anywhere without shoes. She obeyed him to the letter, while defeating the spirit of his prohibition, by wearing them hanging from her girdle. Ho again interfered, and she wore shoes on her feet, but with the soles cut away so that she was still barefooted. Boleslaw's death in 1279 relieved his country from the leaden weight of his ignorant and disastrous piety." (Cune- gund, with her sister, B. Yoland (3), or Helen, took the veil in the monastery of Sandecz. Cunegund died in 1292, and was thenceforth regarded and invoked as a saint by the Poles. Pilgrimages were made to her tomb, although she was not canonized until nearly four hundred years afterwards by Alexander Ym., 1690. She is especially venerated by the inhabitants on the Polish side of the Carpathian Mountains. On one of Cunegund's visits to her father, Bela asked what he should give her. She said, ** Give me something that will be a blessing to my people and be of use to both rich and poor." They went to visit the salt-mines at the foot of the mountains between Hungary and Poland. The queen said, ** Give me this mine." The kmg agreed, and she threw her ring in to take possession of it. Up to that time there was no salt in Poland, and the people suffered much for want of it. On her return to Cracow she dis- covered the mine at Yieliczka, and ordered excavations to be begun imme- diately, and had a piece of the salt brought to show to her husband. They broke it, and behold I the queen's ring was in it. Cunegund had a great veneration for St. Stanislas (martyred May 7, 1079), and laboured for his canonization, which was accomplished in 1 253. Dlugosoh, Hist, Polonise, vi., vii. Pertz, Script, Qerm., xxi. Salvandy, Hist de Pologne, Cron. Seraphica. Bosch, in AA.SS. from a Life by Dlugosch. Wolski's very readable sketch of Polish
