Page:A cyclopaedia of female biography.djvu/445

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JUD.
423

arranged in 839, Judith had the satisfaction of seeing her son placed in possession of a large share of those estates from which he had seemed for ever excluded. Louis the Mild died in 840, and Judith only survived him three years. She died at Tours. Some historians, however, say that her death did not occur till 848, or even till 874. In her heart the mother's ambition was the predominating power.

JUDITH,

Of the tribe of Reuben, daughter of Meravi, and widow of Manasseh, lived in Bethuliah, when it was besieged by Holoferaes. She was beautiful and wealthy, and lived very much secluded. Being informed that the chief of Bethulia had promised to deliver it in five days, she sent for the elders and remonstrated with them, and declared her intention of leaving the city for a short time. Judith then prayed, dressed herself in her best attire, and pretending to have fled from the city, went, with her maid, to the camp of Holofemes, whom she captivated by her beauty, and eventually destroyed by striking off his head while he lay asleep in his tent after a debauch; his army was then defeated; everything that had belonged to him was given to Judith, and who consecrated his arms and the curtains of his bed to the Lord. Judith died in Bethulia at the age of one hundred and five, was buried with her husband, and all the people lamented her seven days.

The "Song of Judith," as recorded in the Apocrypha, is a poem of much power and beauty.

JUDSON, ANNE HASSELTINE,

Was born in 1789, in Bradford, Massachusetts. She was carefully educated, and became early distinguished for her deep and earnest religious character. In February, 1812, she married Adoniram Judson; and in the same month sailed for Calcutta, her husband being appointed missionary in India. Soon after they reached Calcutta, they were ordered by the East India Company, who were opposed to all missionary labour among the natives, to quit the country. While waiting for an opportunity of leaving, Mr. and Mrs. Judson employed their time in investigating the subject of baptism; and being convinced that their previous opinions had been erroneous, they joined the Baptist Church at Calcutta. In July, 1813, Mr. and Mrs. Judson arrived at Rangoon, in Burmah, where for many years they laboured successfully and diligently in the cause of religion. In 1821, in consequence of protracted ill health, Mrs. Judson returned alone to America, where she remained till 1823, when she rejoined her husband in Rangoon. Difficulties now arose between the government of Bengal and the Burman empire, and the taking of Rangoon by the British, in 1824, caused the imprisonment of Mr. Judson and several other foreigners, who were at Ava, the capital of that empire. For two years the inexpressible sufferings endured by these prisoners, were alleviated by the constant care and exertions of Mrs. Judson; and ft was owing in a great measure to her efforts that they were at last released.

In 1826, the missionary establishment was removed from Rangoon to Amherst; and in October, of that year, Mrs. Judson died of a fever during her husband's absence. The physician attributed the