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190 100 ST. CLEOPATRA highness that I may take him away and give him proper burial." The goYemor granted her request, in consideration of a large sum of money. St. Cleopatra, however, left her husband* in Egypt, took St. Varus out of the ground, put more spices and a rich robe round him, and put him in a sack, with a quantity of wool, so that no one might suspect what she was carrying off, or attempt to steal the martyr*s body. For at this time the Christians were beginning to take courage to collect the remains of the saints, and place them in the mon- asteries and raise monuments in their honour. She buried him in the tomb of her fathers, near Mount Tabor, and adorned the sepulchre with lamps. It very soon appeared that a saint was buried there, for whoever went to the tomb was cured of whatsoever disease he had, so that great multitudes came, and there was no room for them in the tomb. Then Cleopatra determined to build a church on the spot. She made arrangements to send her young son to the Emperor's court, that he might be brought up as a soldier. This cost her a gte&t sum of money, but still she had enough to build a church. When it was finished, she invited all the bishops and clergy she could collect, and a great number of other Christians ; they made a grand religious ceremony. She dressed her son for the occasion in a robe and girdle which had been laid on the body of St. Yams. Cleopatra prayed to the martyr that he would remember her and her child before God, and that, as she had suffered much in the persecu- tion, and had taken so much trouble to hide his sacred body and to honour him by building a church, he would impute her good works to her boy, and obtain for him health and salvation and favour with the Emperor. As the guests de- parted, the child was smitten with fever. The distracted mother did her utmost to revive him, but without avail. She took him in her arms, and held him in her lap until midnight, when he died. She then took him to the church, and reproached the saint for giving such an unkind return for her good works, and such a disappointing answer to her prayers. She told him that Grod had raised many dead persons to life, and conjured him to procure also the resus- citation of her son, or else to take her also. The boy was a great favourite. The servants, priests, and neighbours wept all day with the bereaved mother, and grieved that she had not received a worthy reward for her piety. At mid- night she sank exhausted over her child, and fell asleep. St. Varus appeared to her, leading her boy by the hand ; they were both girt with golden bands, and wore cloaks that seemed to be made of light. Their brooches shone like stars, and they had crowns of stars on their heads. Cleopatra was frightened, and prostrated herself at their feet. St. Varus bade her arise. He reproached her for supposing him ungrateful for all her care, and the risks she had run for his sake, and told her that, in grati- tude for her having placed him in the tomb of her family, he had obtained salvation from God for her and her son. Then he went on to say, " Why do you reproach me ? Did you not entreat me, when you built your church, to pray that God would write your son's namo among those of His firstborn ? Did you not pray that he might have an illus- trious rank in the army? Have I not obtained him a place in the grandest of all armies ? Did not you ask peace and glory for him, and do you not see that he has them ? And now take him back if you will." The child entreated that he might not be sent back to the sinful world. To his mother he said, "Can a mother envy her child, and wish to take him out of the royal court and place him in poverty and darkness?" Cleopatra besought them to take her with them. They answered, " You are still with us while you remain in your place, and we will come for you when God wills." The child*s body was still in her arms. They bade her bury it beside the martyr. She awoke, and told her dream to her friends and servants^ took a white robe and spices and em- balmed her child, and laid him beside St. Varus. All her female friends advised her to dress him in the cloak he had worn at the dedication of the