Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/136

122 122 ST. BESSIA St Bessia (2), Vebtina. A martyr of Scillita. (See Januabia (1).) B. Bessela, March 24. 12th cen- tury. Abbess and foonder of Wert. Wife of Foloold, count of Bern, near Bois le Due, and Teisterband. His lands lay .between the Meuse and the Waal, and included Hensdan, Altena, and the island of Bomnelana. Once, in a battle, being hard beset by his enemies, he leaped with his horse into the Mense, vowing at the same moment that if he were sayed he would build a monastery. His safety was ensured by the Yiboin Mart, who was seen sitting behind him on his horse. He fulfilled his vow in 1134, with the consent of his wife, Bessela, and the bishop, by turning his castle of Bern into a monastery of the Premonstratensian Order. The Blessed Bobert, abbot of the Island of St. Mary, a house of the same order, sent him brothers for his new establishment, and set the Blessed Everard over them. Fol- cold became a lay-brother in his own monastery, and lived there for fifteen years in great humility. Bessela also took the monastic habit, and became founder and first abbess of Wert, be- tween the Meuse and the Waal, where fihe ruled over seventy Premonstratensian nuns. Folcold and Bessela died about 1153. AA.SS.y Prseter. Le Paige, JBihL Preem. Ordinis. St. Beth, Elizabeth of Beuthe. St. Betilda, Bathilde. St Bettelina. Not later than 9th century. Worshipped at Croyland — sup- posed to have been a nun there. Stadler. St. Beuve, Bova. St. Bevea, Babbea. St. Bey, Beoa. St. Beya, Beoa (1), and Vey. St. Bez, Beoa (1). St. Bibiana, or Viviana, Dec. 2, V. M. 364. Patron of the city of Seville ; against epilepsy ; and of drinkers in Grermany; invoked against drunken- ness and headache, apparently enabling her votaries to indulge their taste for strong drink with impunity. Eepresented (1) in her church in Home, holding a dagger and a palm; (2) holding a branch with little twigs on it ; (3) carrying bags. Daughter of SS. Flavianus and Da- FBOSA. Sister of St. Demetbia. Scourged to death at Home, under Apronius, in the time of Julian the Apostate. Her body was ordered to be left for beasts to eat, but after two days it was taken at night by a pious Christian priest named John, and buried near the palace of Luoinius. A chapel was built over her grave on the restoration of peace to the Church. It is not unlikely that her martyrdom and that of her parents took place in the reign of Gallienus, just a century earlier. There was no organized persecution of the Church under Julian, although there are instances of such martyrdoms, either for private ends of the persecutors or on account of political action on the part of Christians. M,M, Butler, Lives, Leggendarto, Bibadeneyra. Vega. Yillegas. Bede. Husenbeib. AASS.j St, Pigmenius, March 23. Baring-Gould, Lives, Dec. 2. St. Biblias, or Biblis, June 2. 3rd century. One of the martyrs of Lyons. She was one of the ten who, on being accused as Christians, denied their faith, and even accused the others of crimes, in order to screen themselves by appear- ing not to belong to the same community. The apostates were treated with con- tempt by the multitude, and were kept in prison with the other Christian con- fessors until the Emperor's pleasure should be known regarding them. On the arrival of an order that the Christians should be put to death, but that those who would renounce their errors should be set at liberty, the apostates were brought before the tribunal again. To the surprise of all, they declared them- selves ashamed of their base denial of their fEuth, and ready to prove their repentance by enduring tortures and death. Biblias, as a Eoman citizen, was beheaded. She was first tortured, and, when asked if the Christians sacrificed and ate their own children, she answered, when they are not even allowed to eat the blood of animals?" Baillet, Vie. (See Blandina.) St. Bicca, or NiCAs, June 28, M in Africa, AA,SS.
 * ' How can they eat their own children,