Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/132

118 118 ST. BERTHA addressed the body of Bertha, asking if she was forgiven. Immediately the blood spouted out of her nose and mouth. A hundred years afterwards Bertha's body was found fresh and life-like, and when the two bodies were taken to the place where she had been killed, her wounds bled afresh. Papebroch, in AA.SS., May 1, from her Acta in the ancient office of the church of Avenay. Martin's edition of Suriua d^Aprea Lipoman. St. Bertha (3), July 4. + c. 725 or 735. Abbess and founder of Blangy, in Artois. Bepresented with her two daughters dressed as nuns. They are drawn on a very small scale, to indicate their minor importance. Daughter of Bigobert, count of the Palace, under Clovis II. (638-656), and Ursana, his wife, who was of English descent and related to the wife of Clovis. Bertha married a relation of the king, Oount Sigfried, son of Prince Bigomar and St. Gertrude op Hamay. They had five daughters, Gertrude, Deotila, Emma, Gesa, and G^sta, all of whom did credit to the training of their pious parents. When they had been married twenty years, Sigfried died and was buried in his own ground at Blangy. Then Bertha left off silk and jewels, took the habit of a nun, and resolved to build a church on her husband's estate. As soon, however, as the building had made a little progress, it fell down. She built again, on another spot. When the church was finished and ready to be consecrated, and while Bertha was on a visit to St. Bictrude, abbess of Mar- chiennes, about thirty miles from Blangy, the church fell with such a noise that Bertha and Bictrude heard it as they sat talking. Bictrude tried to comfort Bertha by saying that it was the will of God. she should build on another site. At Bertha's request a fast of three days was strictly observed at Marchiennes, and during that time fervent prayers were offered for the success of her scheme, and for Divine direction as to the situation of the church. At the end of the third day an angel showed in a dream, to one of the workmen, a fitting spot at Terouanno, beside the river Thena, where the foundations were already lined out. There she built her famous church and monastery. Germain of Paris, Eligius, bishop of Noyon, and several bishops who were afterwards honoured as saints, assisted at the con- secration. When they were all assembled for the consecration, there was no hyssop. Consequently, Bavengarins, bishop of Terouanne, refused to proceed with the ceremony. Bertha was in great distress that she had gathered together so many holy and worthy men, and still it seemed that the consecration of her church must be deferred. However, while she was in her oratory engaged in fervent prayer, a man came to the door with hyssop. Bertha thanked God, and thought that at last all would now be well, but another of her people came to tell her that the bishops, finding there was to be no ceremony, had gone away. She, however, sent after them in all haste, and they prophesied that great blessings would rest on her undertaking, as she had persevered and had at length been assisted by a miracle. The church and convent were consecrated, and Bertha and her two eldest daughters received the veil, a.d. 682. The three younger daughters continued with her. Boger, one of the king's great nobles, a proud man, seeking mundane and transitory gratification, earnestly entreated Bertha to grant him the hand of Gertrude, her eldest daughter. Bertha replied that her daughter was already the bride of Christ, and that she could enter into no negotiation for her. He went to the king, one of St. Bathilde's sons, and told him that Count Sigfried had promised him the hand of his eldest daughter, and the greater part of his estates as her dowry. He then returned to Blangy with a strong band of followers, armed with the kmg's authority to marry Gertrude. Again failing to extort the consent of the mother, Boger swore he would not go away without seeing Gertrude. Bertha agreed to this. She kept the soldiers waiting until the hour of evening prayer, and while the nuns began to sing the service, the doors of the church were thrown open, and