The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-22
CITY [ NTELLI @ NC e
For additional Local Items see Third Page.l

ST. AGNES DAY-THE EVE OF ST. AGNES
THE FESTIVAL AND ITS TRADITIoNs-ITs POETRY
AND QUAINT SUPERsTITIoNs.-Yester was st.
Agnes Day, and Saturday was, Of course, st.
Agnes Eve, festival of unwonted interest to all
unmarried and marriageable ladies. st, Agnes,
than whom there is no saint more revered by
the Catholic Church, has always been considered
as the paironess OF purity. chastity, and
maideny modesty. ST. Jerome, writing in the
fourth century, says that 'the tongues and the
pens of all nations have been employed in her
praises;" homilies, hymns, and other etfusions
have been written in her rhonor in all languages.
st. Ambrose st. Austin and other Fathers have
indited her panegyric st. Martin OF Tours was
singularly devoted to her; and Thomas attempts
selected her as his spiritual guardian, which his
works amply testify. The legend does not tell
who we're her parents, or what their rank in
life, but takes up her biography abruptly
thus:-
"Ihere lived in the city of Rome maiden whose
name was Agnes; she was not more than thirteen
years old, but having followed Christ from her in
fancy she distinguish for her gracious
sweetness and humility tor her surpassing beauty.
1t chanced that the son of Sempronus, the Project
of Rome, nehed her one day as he rode through the
city, when he became violently enamored, and de,
advances, and rejected his costly presents replying
that she had associated herself TO heavenly spouse.
On which the young man was seized with such
jealousy and rage that he went home, fell upon his
bed, and became SICK almost unto DEATH His father,
being informed OF the cause of his malady repaired
to Agnes and to her parents, and besought them to
accept his SON but all his entreaties unavail-
ing Having boldly proiessed herself Christian,
SemprOnlus resolved to subject her TO the most
savage and revolving outrages, under the authority
OF the bloody edicts of the Emperor Dlocesian.
Having borne their tortures and successfully resist
ing their macninations she was eventually con-
demned to die. Overjoyed on hearing her sentence,
St. Ambrose says she went to The place of execution
more cheeriully than others to a wedding The
spectators wept on seeing her loaded with tetters,
and fearless under the very knife of the execu-
toner, who, with trembling hand, cut of her head
with SINGLE blow" (Janusry 21, A. d. S04)
1t appears from "Ribadeneira," that ''she was
to have been burned and was thrown into the
fire tor that purpose, but the flames were sud
denly extinguished and she stood unharmed ;
while the eXecutioners were slain by the force
of the fire, which had no power over her. But
the wicked deputy and the idOlatrous priests
commanded the eXecutioner to ascend the pile
and end her life with the sword. Looking up to
heaven, she yielded up her pure spirit, and fell,
bathed in blood in the thirteenth year OF her
age"
Her legend further states, that "Eight DAYS
after her death she appeared to her parents
(who were praying by her sepulchrcI, all radiant
of aspect, arrayed in robes of white, attended by
virgins with garlands of pearls, and a lamb
whittier than the driven snow" Hence she is
usually portrayed with a lamb by her side
which, in Christian art, is the emblem OF inno-
cence, meekness, modesty; in this sense il is
given 10 ST. Agnes OF whom Massillcn said so
beautifully, ''Where there is no religion there is
little modesty; where there is no modesty, there
is little religion" The connection OF her rname
with the Latin term for lamb (Agnus) has pro.
badly led to the association OF this animal with
her memory. On this anniversary there still is a
procession in Rome when a lamb highly deco
rated, is led through the principal streets.
st. Agnes is the favorite saint Dt the Roman
| women. The traditional reverence paid to heI
| memory has been kept alive to this very hOul
| by Their loeal associations, and by two tamou.
churches at Rome bearing her name-one within
and one without the walls. The first stands on
! the west side Of the Piazza Navona, on the very
| spot where stood the house OF infamv to whict
| she was dragged by the soldiers. "0hen," OBJ
serves Mrs. Jameson, "have l seen the steps o
this church so crowded with kneeling worship
pers that could not make my way among them
Thev we're principally market women, and other
OF the lower orders with dstatfs, who came Il
pray for the blessings Of meekness and chastit
rare gifts in these regions The other churcl
of st. Agnes is outside the 'Pious Gate;"
was erected by Constantine the Great, at tn
request of his daughter, and is one OF tn
most venerable of the older churches IN Rome
Beneath the altar is the sarcophagus contauin
her remains.