Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/45

Rh B. Agnes (10), March 31, of Braine, † 1145 or 1149. Wife of Andrew, count of Bandemont, lord of Braine, and seneschal of Champagne. They were so pious and charitable that their house was like a hospice. Agnes employed her servants to serve the poor, and, when they required rest, performed the work herself. With the consent of her husband and children, she gave estates and rents to certain churches and monasteries of the Fremonstratensians. She took the veil in that order in 1133. Count Andrew became a monk of the Order of Olairraux, and is mentioned in a letter of St Bernard (No. 226) to King Louis VII. of France.

It is a disputed point whether the monastery of St. Evode (Euodius), at Braine, was founded by B. Agnes or by her granddaughter Agnes, who was married to Eobert, count of Dreux, brother of Louis VIL Guy, son of the elder and father of the younger Agnes, became a lay-brother there, and is connted among the Beati of the Fremonstratensian Order. Le Faige, Bibl. Prwm. Ord., lib. i. 340, and Hb. ii. 480. Boll., AA. SS. She is called "Saint" by some writers, "Blessed" by others; but by Saussaye, ''Mart. Gall'', and Oelenius, only "Venerable" and "Pious."

B. Agnes (11), March 28. Middle of 12th century. OfChatillon. Called by Bncelinns Agnes de Satillon, and by Oa^rin Agnes du Catillon. Cistercian nun at Beau Pré, near Tournay in Belgium, where she was sub-prioress, and afterwards mistress of the novices. Boll., AA.SS. Henriquez, Lilia Cistercii. Bucelinus, ''Men. Ben''.

St Agnes (12), Sept. 1. Middle of 12th century. Of Venosa, or Venusia. Abbess. Penitent.

St. William of Monte Vergine was a monk of the Order of St. Benedict, and founder of the Hermits of Monte Vergine, and of several houses of that order. When Roger, the young Norman king of Sicily, came into Apulia, which was part of his dominions, William preached before him and his courtiers; the king listened attentively, but entertained some doubts of the sincerity of the man who set up a higher standard of virtue than others; but Count George, the king's admiral, was enchanted with William, and regarded him as a holy prophet. When the preacher had taken leave of the king and his friends, and returned to his lodging, a wicked woman named Agnes came to them, and said she would show them what a hypocrite William was. George was vexed, but the king laughed, and promised her an immense reward if she could seduce William. She went to the inn where he was staying, and talked to him, and then came and told the king she had not had any difficulty in persuading him to make an assignation for the same night, and that he had even made her promise to sleep in the very bed that he would, in the mean time, prepare for himself. George boldly said he believed the woman was telling a lie. She laughed and said he should soon see that it was true. Wagers were made on both sides, and it was arranged that some of the courtiers should be concealed in the room and should hear all that happened. William got his companions to collect quantities of wood and make a huge fire. At the appointed hour Agnes arrived, beautifully dressed and perfumed; he met her at the door, and she said, "Where is your room, that I may be alone with you?" He answered, "In the name of God, I will show you my room and my bed." Soon the woman, fearing she was making no impression upon him, and knowing that her reward depended on her complete success, said, "I think you forget what I have come here for." It was a cold night, and there was a large fire on the hearth. William raked all the burning wood out of the fire-place into the middle of the floor, and carefully arranged it so as to form a broad layer of fire. On this he lay down, and beckoning to his temptress, he said, "Come, here is your place, you engaged to lie down beside me; there is room for you: here is your place." She was frightened, so he went on to say, "You cannot be afraid of a little fire! This fire will soon be burnt out, but you are going straight to where the fire is never quenched. Perhaps you want to know