sustained in a supernatural manner, her whose soul enjoyed continual peace and spiritual joy, how much mow rational is it to presume that he is deceived to whom none of these circumstances have occurred . It is highly probable that if any one be deceived, it is not she who had been preserved previously. In fine it is better to answer nothing to skillful calumniators, they merit only the contempt of upright persons. What degree of virtue would they not attack; those who resemble them, called our Blessed Saviour, a demon, why should they not defame his faithful servant.
Catherine full of the spirit of prudence and desirous of imitating her divine Master, remembered that when St. Peter asked him for the two didrachmas that he was obliged to pay for the tax, he proved to him that he was exempt; but that he added: "But that we may not scandalize them, go to the sea, and cast in a hook: and that fish which shall first come up take; and when thou has opened its mouth, thou shalt find a stater; take that, and give it to them for thee and me." (Matt. xvii. 26) Catherine was willing to appease their murmurs and determined that every day, she would go once and take a seat at the common table, and endeavor to eat. Although she used neither meat, nor wine, nor drink, nor eggs, and did not even touch bread, what she took or rather what she tried to take, caused her such sufferings that those that saw her, however hard-hearted they were, were moved to compassion: her stomach could digest nothing, and rejected whatever was taken into it; she afterwards suffered the most terrible pains and her whole body appeared to be swollen; she did not swallow the herbs which she masticated, she only drew from them their juice and rejected their substance. She then took pure water to cool
