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44 44 ALGASACH arose in Solmona, which led to the ban- ishment of these five nans and of the brother of one of them. They fled to Aqnila, and remained there two years, praying assiduously to be guided where they should serve God. At last an angel revealed to Alexandrina that they were to go to Foligno, and therp build a monastery which should be a temple of God until the end of the world. They obeyed the angel, and, arriving at Foligno on July 19, 1425, presented themselves to Monsignor Giacomo Elmi, the bishop, and to Corrado Trinci, lord of Foligno, and declared their intention. In three days these potentates gave them a site, and there they built a church and convent, which they dedicated to God in the name of St. Luct, Y. M. The five nuns made public profession of the Order of St. Clara, and, like the fathers of the desert, lived devoutly without any ruler but the bishop. Li 1439 Pope Martin V. placed them under the care of the fathers of the convent of St. Bar- tholomew of Foligno, of that branch of the Franciscans sumamed the Zooco- lanti. The nuns soon became so re- nowned for holiness that many virgins of noble families came to join them, from all the towns and places round, and many miracles were wrought through ttieir prayers. This was the first mon- astery to adopt the reform of the Order of St. Clara, and all the others through- out Italy imitated it. Alexandrina was unanimously elected first abbess, and on two subsequent occasions was re-elected. Her confessor ordered her to write a book describing the foundation of the monastery, and the lives of many perfect nuns who flourished there in her time. For the sake of obedience she acceded to his wish, although at the time laden with years and broken down by penances and fatigues. Sbe died April 3, 1458, at the age of 73. The most notable miracle recorded in her life is that the fiisters having dug a well, were much distressed to see no sign of water. Alexandrina prayed with tears and faith, and lo, the well was suddenly full of water to the very brim. They touched the water with their hands, and gave thanks. But it was not customary to have the water of a well quite on a level with the ground, so Alexandrina blessed the water, and commanded it to sink to a convenient level. This it instantly did, and ever after supplied the com- munity with abundance of fi^ood water. Jacobilli, Saints of the Family of Letto ; Saints of Umhria ; Saints of Foligno ; and Bibliotheca Umhrise, Alg^asach means Desioerosa, and was a surname of one of the SS. Lassaea, March 29. 6th century. St. Alfredo, Aug. 2 (Alpbida, Ethel- dritha). 834. Daughter of Offa, king of the Mercians, one of the most powerful of the Saxon kings, and conqueror of several of his contemporaries ; he held his court at Sutton Wallis, in Hereford- shire. His wife was Quendreda. In 793 Alfreda was betrothed to Ethelbert, or Egelbrit, king of the East Angles. Quendreda had him murdered in the interest of her brother Egfrid, who was innocent of any participation in the crime. The murdered Ethelbert was buried secretly at Marden. A pillar of light appeared at night over the spot, and revealed the grave. His body was translated into the church at Hereford. Tortured by remorse, the queen had fits of fury and terror. She died miserably three months after her crime. Alfreda fled to the monastery of St Guthlac, at Groyland, and became a recluse there, being built up in a coll in the south part of the church opposite the high altar; she lived there for forty years, and died about 834^ Britannia Sancta, from Cap- grave and Harpsfeld. Butler, Lives, Bosch, in AA.SS. Boll. Mabillon, AA.SS., O.S,B. S»c. iv. i. 565. New- man, Calendar of English Saints, in Apolofjia. William of Malmesbury, Be- gum AngL i. 4. Wion, Lignum Vitse, p. 523. Ven. Alfrida, Dec. 8 and first Sunday in July. M. c. 819. The servants of God, Alfrida, Sabina, and Edith, VV. MM., daughters of Kenulf, king of Mercia, like many English ladies of their time, sot off to make the pilgrimage to Rome. Crossing the sea, they landed at Mardick ; thence they went to Cassel, where they were entertained for some days in a monastery. Scarcely had they