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96 96 ST. MONENNA throngb a window by a maid. The maid found the task troublesome and left her to starve, from which fate she was saved by a miracle. After a time, her reputation for sanctity brought so many visitors that she retired to Tours, and having paid her devotions at the tomb of St. Martin, shut herself up in another cell. Her husband brought her back to Char- tres ; but she persuaded him to let her return to Tours. There she collected round her a few pious women, who shared her life of austerity and devotion and consoled her for the loss of her children. AA.SS, from St. Gregory of Tours, who knew her personally. Yepez, Chran, Ben. Cahier. Baillet. St. Monenna, MoDWKNXA. Monenn, however, sometimes means St. Ninian. Skene, Celtic: Scotland, St. Monessa, Munessa, Muneria, or Nessa, Sep. 4. 5th or 7th century. Irish. There was once a king who had a beautiful and amiable daughter, for whom he wished to arrange a very good mar- riage, but she would not accept any of the princes who sought her alliance. The king and queen were very angry. They argued with her, scolded her, whipped her, and resorted to magic arts to change her inclination. But all to no purpose. She kept always asking her mother and nurse whether they had found the maker of the wheel by whose light the world was illumined, and when they told her that the sun was made by Him Whose seat was in heaven, she begged them to marry her to Him, as she would have no husband but Him, Who gave such a beautiful light to the heavens. At last her parents hearing of the wisdom of St. Patrick, took her to him and consulted him how they should bring her to obedience. He asked her if she believed in God with her whole heart. She answered, **I believe." Whereupon he baptized her, and she then fell down and died. She was buried where she died, and St. Patrick foretold that on that spot there would some day be a cell where many virgins would be gathered together to serve God. And so it was, for not many years after that time, a church and convent were built on the spot and the memory of St. Monessa was held in honour amongst them. Constantino Suysken says she pro- bably lived after 654. In that case she was not contemporary with St. Patrick who lived much earlier. AA,SS, from Probus* Life of 8i. Patrick. St. Mongon, or Mongond, Mone- GUND (2). St Monica (l). May 4, 332-387. Widow. The Rev. H. C. G. Moule, in Smith's Dictionary of Christian Bio- graphy, says that her name is written MoNNicA in the earliest known copy of St. Augustine. St. Monica was of Phoenician descent, born in Africa, of Christian parents. The chief care of her, as a child, de- volved upon an aged and discreet maid- servant, of whom St. Augustine says : was entrusted to her, to which she gave diligent heed, restraining them earnestly, when necessary, with a holy severity, and teaching them with a grave discretion. For except at those hours wherein they were most temperately fed at their parents' table, she would not suffer them, though parched with thirst, to drink even water." As Monica grew older it became her duty to fetch wine from the cellar, for the household use. From drawing the wine she gradually fell into a habit of tasting and drinking small quantities, but, on being taunted by a servant with being a wine-bibber, she was overcome with shame and immediately renounced the habit. Monica was married young to Patri- cius, a citizen of Tagaste, an upright man but an idolater. She suffered much from his hasty temper, but she patiently and submissively endured her trials, never failing to be, as St. Augustine says, " reverently amiable and admirable unto her husband." When other wives complained to Monica of their husband's conduct, she would answer: "Lay the blame rather on yourselves and your sharp tongues." Augustine, her eldest and best loved son, was born in November, 354. She had besides, a son Navigius, and a daughter.
 * <the charge of her master's daughters