Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/453

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B. JULIA 430 of chastity. Her xnaBter, Ensebius, who was a Syrian, in the course of a voyage to Gaul, with precious merchandise, touched at Corsica, and there took part in a pagan sacrifice. It was presently discovered by some of the chief inhabi- tants that he had a Christian maiden on board, who despised their pagan gods and took no part in their sacrifices. Eusebius was called upon to produce her, but he said that her obstinate ad- herence to her own superstition would not yield either to menace or persuasion, and that finding her the most faithful of his slaves, ho had ceased to persecute her on that account. He was then offered four other slaves in her stead, or bidden to name his price for her, and he should have it. But he said that if they would give him their whole fortune he would not port with her. They now had recourse to stratagem. Eusebius was invited to a banquet and plied with wine till he sank into a heavy sleep. A crowd of pagans then hastened to the ship, dragged forth the maiden, promis- ing her freedom if she would sacrifice to their gods. She replied that the service of Christ was her freedom. Blows and torture failed to shake her constancy, and infuriated by opposition, they cruci- fied her. Eusebius awoke from his wine only in time to witness the last struggle of her victorious fiuth. Angels supported her in her last moments, and a dove issuing from her mouth, winged its way beyond the stars. Angels bore tidings of her martyrdom to a congregation of monks who abode in the island of Gor- gona. They forthwith set sail for Corsica; the wind was favourable, and they found all as the angels had told them. So they took down the body of the holy martyr from the cross, placed it in their ship, and, notwithstanding the wind was against them, returned with all speed to Gorgona. They there wrapped the body in spices and laid it in a sepulchre with great joy. It is said that other brethren from the island of Capraja seeing the ship return from Cornea in full sail and in the teeth of the wind, marvelled what virtue she could have in her that she flew to wind- ward like a bird. So they came and heard the whole tale ; asked and received the blessing of their brethren, and departed. Some two hundred years afterwards, Queen Anna, wife of Desiderius, king of the Lombards, inspired by God with a desire for the remains of St. Julia, had the body brought to Brescia with all reverence, and there raised a convent in her honour. B.M, AA.S8. St Julia (28) or Juliana, Oct. 11, V. Abbess of Pavilly near Eouen. Middle of 8th century. She was refused ad- mission to the Benedictine Convent of Pavilly (Pauliacum), on account of her obscure birth and poverty ; but one day, at the festival of St. Austrsbebta, the founder, Julia took fast hold of the saint's tomb and protested she would not move from thence till she received the habit. The abbess was angry, and ordered her to be removed by force, but she had hardly given the order when she was seized with fever and felt the ap- proach of death. She addressed her prayers to St. Austreberta, vowing if she recovered, to adopt the poor girl into the community and do for her more than she asked. No sooner was this resolve formed than the abbess was restored to health. She kept her promise, and was so well rewarded by Julia's piety that after her death, her protdg^e was elected to succeed her as abbess. AA.SS. Migne. Bucelinus. B. Julia (29) doUa Eena, Feb. 25, Doc. 20, O.S.A., + 1367 or 1372, popu- larly called Ullia, was bom at Certaldo in Tuscany. Although of noble birth, she resolved to be a servant in the house of Tinolfi at Florence. She afterwards be- came a recluse at Certaldo, living in a cell near the parish church of St. Michael. She took no thought for food or clothing, knowing that some one would put the necessaries of life through the hole in her cell for that purpose. She gave, as a reward to those who supplied her with what she needed, lovely flowers at all seasons. She lived thus for thirty years, and after death was found kneeling : a sweet odour pervaded the place. The neighbours gave her a funeral worthy of the general opinion of her sanctity and