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150 150 ST CATHERIXE Christian religion, and soon baptized her. Then came the yision of her marriage. At this crisis the Emperor Maximinns ordered a grand sacrifice to the heathen gods, and commanded all the Christians in Alexandria to assist. Every man was to bring one beast or more, according to his ability. The sacrifices were so numerous that the altars smoked con- tinually. The Emperor resolved to finish the solemnity by a great sacrifice of one hundred oxen. Catherine went with a retinue of servants to the temple, and de- manded an audience of the Emperor, who was amazed at her beauty, and encouraged her to speak. She argued with him in favour of the Christian doctrines. He ordered fifty of the most learned heathen philosophers and rhetoricians to dispute with her, promising them great rewards if they could convert her. They were at first indignant at being asked to argue with a young woman, but soon not only consented to listen to her opinions, but were converted by her. The Emperor then appointed fifty others, whom also she converted. He condemned them all to be burnt. They fell at Catherine's feet, asking her how they could be saved, as they had not time to be baptized. She assured them that their martyrdom would be to them instead of baptism. Some Christians who came to bury their ashes found their bodies entire, not a hair hav- ing perished in the fire. This miracle caused more conversions. Catherine was beaten and otherwise tortured, and thrown into a dungeon. Her wounds were mi- raculously healed, and a dove brought her food. The Empress, who is called in different versions of the legend Helen and Faustina, visited her in prison, through the connivance of Porphyry, captain of the Emperor s guard. Both >K'ere converted by Catherine, and when they attempted to plead her cause, they were put to death. The Emperor then offered to make Catherine Empress if she would abjure her religion. Exasperated by her refusal, ho devised an engine con- sisting of four wheels armed with spikes, which were to tear her in pieces. As soon, however, as she was bound between the wheels, fire fell from heaven, and destroyed them, the pieces flying among the people, and killing three thousand of them. Catherine was then beheaded. Her dying prayer was that her body might not fall into the hands of the pagans; accordingly, angels carried it to Mount Sinai, where it remains to this day. The earliest mention of St. Catherine in the Eastern Church is in the 8th or 9th century, when the Christians, then groan- ing under the rule of the Saracens, dis- covered her body in Egypt. It was translated to a monastery on Mount Sinad, built by the Empress Helen, and enlarged by Justinian. The legend of its being carried there by angels is said by Faloonius, archbishop of San>Severino, to mean that it was taken by the monks of Sinai to enrich their dwelling with this treasure. After the Crusades the legend and the worship of Catherine were widely spread in Western Europe. Her popularity is extraordinary, con- sidering the small historical foundation on which it rests. Eusebius tells that a Christian lady, the richest and noblest of the women of Alexandria, and very learned and discreet, excited the licen- tious admiration of Maximinns (the legend says Maxentius : both were living at the time), and as she would not listen to him, he banished her and confiscated her property. Eusebius does not mention her name. Bufinns calls her Dorothea. Baronius conjectures that this was her name before her conversion, and that she may have returned from her exile and suffered martyrdom. B,M, Villegas. Assemani. Mrs. Jame- son, Sacred and Legendary Art, Baillet, Vies. Butler, Lives. Neale, Eastern Church. Baronius, Annates. Le Beau, Hist. Bas. Empire^ L 73. St. Catherine (2 ), or Rachel, May 4, Sept. 30, of Louvain; called also "of Brabant," " the Jewess," and by different authors, " Saint," « Blessed," and " Vener- able." 13th century. Between 1124 and 12dd there was a rich Jew of Cologne who cared only for his trade and the money he made by it. He had a little daughter, named Eachel, who, although scarcely more than a baby, always listened attentively when her father argued and disputed on religious