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120 120 B. BERTHA deToted the rest of her life to the seryice of Christ. Enpert from his earliest infancy exhibited an nnnsnal gentleness and sweetness. His mother had him well instructed, and resolved that he should rule in his father's stead and protect the Church. He was good to the poor, and spent lavishly in building churches and places of refage for them. Besolved, however, to become, like his blessed Lord, a stranger upon earth, he left his home and made a pilgrimage to Bome, where he won all hearts by his gentle goodness. Here he met holy men, who warned him to remember the words of St. Matthew's Gospel, "Go, sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and then come and follow Me." Eupert resolved to follow their advice, and re- turned at length to his mother. He then divided all his possessions, which were very great, amongst his servants and followers, with special provision for the care of the poor, and retired from the world. He soon afterwards died of a fever, in his twentieth year, and was buried in a church which he had built. After his death Bertha gave herself up more than ever to good works, fiGLSting, almsgiving, and prayer, and after twenty- five years of patient waiting, she died, and was buried in the same grave with her son on the Eupertsberg. St. Hilde- OABD calls her Beata. Tritheim speaks of her as a holy woman. Pictures of the 16th century represent her with the nimbus. Henschenins, in AA,88, B. Bertha (5) of Biburg, O.S.B. 1151. Bepresented with St. Everard, offering to a bishop and an abbot, who appear in the clouds, documents with seals hanging from them ; in the back- ground is a church in process of building. She wears the halo of a saint. Only sister of ten brothers, to whom Biburg belonged. One of these was St. Everard, first abbot of Biburg, and afterwards bishop of Salzburg. With the help and advice of St Otho, bishop of Bam- berg, Bertha built a church of the Order of St. Benedict, and a hospice for the poor, at Biburg. Barefooted, she carried the stones, and assisted in the pious work, not only with her wealth, but with the labours of her hands. Other women followed her example. The temple was finished in eight years, and was opened by St. Otho of Bamberg, and Henry, bishop of Eatisbon. Bertha lies buried at Biburg. Bavaria Sancta. St. Bertha (6), March 24, V. Ab- bess. O.S.B. -^llidS. Daughter of Lothario di Ugo, count of Vemio. Sho is called, by Bucelinus and others. Bertha de' Bardi. It seems more probable that she belonged to the family of Albert!, who were counts of Yernio in the 12th century; the county only passed into the hands of the Bardi in the 14th century. She was bom at Florence, and was very pious from her infancy. In 1143 she took the veil in the convent of St. Fblicitas, in Florence, whence she was sent by the Blessed Gualdo Galli, general of the Order of Yallam- brosa (a branch of the Benedictines ), to reform and preside over the monastery of St. Mary, at Capriola or Cavriglia, in Valdarno. Bertha was distinguished by miracles and regarded as a saint. She was not buried among the other nuns, but laid in a coffin under the high altar of the chapel. Brocchi, Santi Toecani. Bucelinus, Men, Ben, Helyot, Ordres Monastiques, v. 29. Boll., AA.SS. Bucelinus says sho was descended from counts of Eavenna. B. Bertha (7), countess of Eaven- stein. Founder or restorer of the abbey of Elchingen. 12th century. Honoured by the people of Bavaria for having driven away the wild geese from the banks of the Upper Danube. Her day is unknown to Cahier. She is not Berthe Pedauque, nor the Queen of Sheba. Cahier, Caracteristiques^ voc. " Oie." St. Bertha (8) de Marbais, July 18. J' 1247. Cistercian nun at Aquiria, and rst Abbess of Marquette, or Marchet^ near Lille, which was founded by Jano, countess of Flanders, in 1227. Migne. Diet, des Ahbayes. Henriquez and Bol- landus. Ven. Bertha (0) Jacobi, June 2,5. 1427-1514. A professed sister of the rule of Anchorites, she lived at Utrecht more than fifty-seven years, in her cell, barefooted, without fire, tasting neither flesh nor milk, and wearing only a hair shirt and a single tunic winter and