of Christianity, were struck with admiration at the constancy of the martyrs. Boniface, having found what he came to seek, boldly embraced these men condemned as malefactors and undergoing the sentence of the law, and openly entreated them to pray for him, that he might have a share in their merits. He comforted them by saying that their sufferings would soon be over, and their recompense would be eternal. The judge, Simplicius, governor of Cilicia, considered the conduct of Boniface as an insult to himself and his gods, and had him arrested on the spot. Boniface, thinking this was his last opportunity of speaking, prayed to Christ, and cried out to the martyrs to pray for him, which they all did so loudly that a tumult arose among the people, which caused the judge to fear for his safety; he therefore sent Boniface to prison till the disturbance was over. Next day, finding him firm in his adherence to the Christians and their God, he condemned him to be beheaded at once. Thus was Boniface rewarded for his kindness to the martyrs by sharing their sufferings and triumph. Meantime, his servants began to be uneasy at his continued absence, and, knowing his habits, they sought him in wine-shops and taverns, expecting to find him drunk in bad company. It happened that one of the persons of whom they inquired was the gaoler's brother. When they described their master as a stout, square-built, fair man, with curly hair, and wearing a scarlet mantle, he told them that must be the man who had just been beheaded on account of his profession of Christianity. He then took them to the place of execution, where, much to their surprise, they recognized the body of the martyr. They ransomed it for 500 golden pence, embalmed it, and brought it back to Rome. Aglaé went to meet her dead friend a mile out of Rome, on the Via Latina, where, thanking God for His mercy, she built a tomb to his memory, and, some years afterwards, a chapel. According to Hemans' Roman Moments, the church was on the Aventine, near the house of Aquila and Priscilla. The dedication of St. Boniface was afterwards changed to that of the young pilgrim, St. Alexius. Aglaé renounced the world, liberated her slaves, gave her goods to the poor, and spent the remaining 13 years of her life in devotion and penance, accompanied only by two or three women who had been her attendants, and who remained with her after her conversion, and adopted her altered way of living. She died in peace, and was buried beside St. Boniface. The day of her death is supposed to be May 8, but she is generally honoured with St. Boniface on the 14th. Her day in the Greek Church is Dec. 19.
Baillet gives the story from the Acta of St. Boniface, which he says are ancient and founded on fact, but not authentic. Henschenius, in a note, Feb. 25, says it is possible Aglaé lived and died, not at Rome, but at Tarsus in Cilicia.
B. Aglae (2), or Agläa, Aug. 25, Doc. 19, in the Greek Calendar. Nurse of St. Patricia (4). Nutrix, perhaps, means a relation or governess who brought her up. (See St. Ammia.) St. Aglay built a church and convent at the tomb of St. Patricia, at Naples; there many holy women took the veil, and many miraculous cures were wrought.A A.SS. in the Life of St. Patricia.
St. Agliberte, or Ailbert, Aug. 11. Second abbess of Jouarre.
St. Agna (1), May 18 (Ægina, Egena), M. at Constantinople. AA.SS.
St. Agna (2), July 5, in the Græco-Slavonic Calendar, is supposed to mean Anna or Agnes.
St. Agne, Jan. 16. A mother, and perhaps a martyr. Her name is in a table of 48 Russian saints, given in the introduction to vol. i. of Bollandi Acta SS. Maii. Her name is one of 20, marked with an asterisk to denote that it is not known whether they were Russian, or only adopted into the calendar by the Russians. She may be St. Agnes, V.M., Latin Church, Jan. 21, Greek Church, July 5; or she may be a native saint. She may be actually a mother, or only so called, in accordance with the Russian custom, as a mark of respect and affection.
St. Agnes (1), July 5, of Beggio, in
