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85 ST. ASELLA 85 hundred pieces of gold on the altar, and then, with her friends, received the Holy Communion. Soon after her arrival she was seized with fever, and died in her seventeenth year. All the women of the city lamented and wept. She was bnried in the chnroh of St. Luke, at the Porta Eofina, and afterwards translated into the cathedral. Henschenins and Papebroch, in AA.SS. from an old Life in a manuscript martyrology in the liibrary at Benevento, and a Life, in Longobardic characters, in the Vatican ; also from Vipera's History of the Bishops of Benevento; and Ferrarius* Italian Saints, St. Arthongathe, Ercongotha. St. Artongate, Ercongotha. St. Ascelina, Aug. 23, Dec. 27, V. Cistercian, -f- 1195. Related to St Bernard. When she was twelve years old, a young clerk, being much struck with her beauty, and desiring some oppor- tunity of conversing with her alone, offered to teach her Latin, music, and ringing. As he could not talk to her long at a time, he wrote letters and verses to her in French. At the third lesson, he confessed his love. The un- suspecting child answered that if he would become a monk she would give him her love. The sinner changed his dress, but not his heart, and dwelt three months among the brethren — a wolf in sheep's clothmg. About this time, a leper appeared to Ascelina, and bade her beware of her false teacher, as he was an instrument of Satan to rob her of her innocence. The girl, distressed and per- plexed, ran and told her mother, who came at once to question the leper ; but he was gone, and no trace of him could be found. Her mother took her to a holy priest, who cut off her hair, and from that time she led an ascetic life, which soon destroyed her beauty. The false monk soon left his cloister and re- tnmed to the world. By the advice of St. Bernard, Ascelina became a Cister- cian nun under his niece Adeline, at Pouligny, near the monastery of Boulan- court, in Haute Marne. AA,SS.y from a Life given as contemporary by Henriquez. St. Asdepiodote, Sept. 15, M. under lian. A relation of SS. Maximus and Theodotus, and put to death with them at a village between Philippopolis and AdrianopoUs in Thrace. Ascelepio- dote was tied to a wild bull at Adria- nople ; it stood quiet and did not hurt her. Teres, the tyrant of Thrace, had the three martyrs taken to a villa called Saltys, and there beheaded. Very soon after, he was struck dead by lightning. The Acts end by a prayer of the writer for the cessation of the persecution. Stilting, in AA,SS, from Greek Acts^ believed to be contemporary and authen- tic. In the B.M. the name is written AscLEPioDOTus, and the story seems to be of three men. St. Asella (Ooella, Osella), Dec. 6, V. Bom c. 334, "f" between 405 and 408. Friend and disciple of St. Jerome, whose writings are the authority for her story. Whether he is to be understood literally or not when ho speaks of her as the daughter of Albina and sister of Mabgella, she seems to have been a member of a noble and wealthy Boman Christian family. She was not more than ten years old when St. Athanasius paid his third and last visit to Bome. His conversation made a deep impression on her, and being already a pious child, she I wished to dedicate her life to the service of Christ. For a long time her parents would not give her the rough brown gown worn by the women who devoted themselves to a life of asceticism and charity, so she sold her gold neck- lace and bought the coarse stuff, made the dress secretly, and when she was twelve, surprised her family by appear- ing before them in this garb of consecra- tion. From this time she lived in great silence and seclusion, inhabiting a narrow cell where she enjoyed the breath of Paradise, having one stone for a place of prayer and of repose. She lived on bread, salt, and water, sometimes fasting for days together. She would not go into society nor speak to any man. She worked with her hands and sang psalms. When she attended the Church of the Holy Martyrs she went very fast, so as not to he seen. *< You," writes Jerome to Marcella, '* have seen with your own eyes her holy knees hardened like those of a oameL" These austerities never