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144 144 ST. PERPETUA legend, was brother of St. Barnabas and brother-in-law of Andrew, who married the sister of SS. James, John and Con- cordia. St Perpetua (2), Aup. 4. When she had been baptized by St. Peter the apostle, she converted Africanns her husband, and St. Nazarios her son ; and buried many martyrs at Eome. i^.JIf. AA.SS. St. Perpetua (3), July 5, M. with Agnes (1) and Fklicitas (19). AA,SS. SS. Perpetua (4) and Felicitas (2), March 7, Greek Calendar Feb. 2, Mm. in 203, at Carthage or at the neighbouring city of Tuburbum. The martyrs Yibia Perpetua and Feli- citas, with their companions Saturninus, Secundolus, and Eevocatus, were catucbu- mens and were baptized after their arrest. Felicitas and Bevocatus were slaves; Perpetua was twenty- two years of age, of good birth and education. Her family seem on the whole to have been in sympathy with her faith, except her father, who embittered her imprison- ment with his alternate threats and entreatiea She had a son a few months old ; a daughter was bom to Felicitas in prison. The Deacon Saturus, who had probably been the instructor of the con- verts, surrendered himself of his own accord, that he might be with them. Perpetua was inspired by the Spirit to pray, in the sacrament of baptism, for physical endurance. Shortly after, they were cast into the dungeons, dark, hot and overcrowded. Two deacons con- trived, by bribing the officials, to have them removed for a few hours, into a pleasanter part of the prison, where Per- petua's mother and brother brought to her her infant son. She obtained leave to keep him with her in the dungeon. " And suddenly," she wrote, " the dun- geon became to me a palace." Her brother exhorted her to seek a vision, that she might know if her trial would result in a passion or an escape. That night she dreamed that she ascended a perilous ladder, set with swords and guarded by a dragon, up which Saturus had gone before her. A white-haired shepherd, of immense stature, who was milking sheep in a fSair and spacious garden at the summit, bade her wel- come, and placed in her joined hands a fragment of ewe milk cheese. As she ate it a white-robed host standing round cried, " Amen." And at the sound of the voices she awoke, still tasting something indescribably sweet. When she related this vision to her brother, it was clear to them both that it signified a passion. A few days after this the report spread that the prisoners were to be brought to triaL Perpetua's father, his fjEUse worn with anxiety, came to her again. With tears he kissed her hand, cast himself at her feet and entreated her to save herself by renouncing her faith. Perpetua grieved that her father alone of all her iamily did not rejoice in her sufferings. She tried to comfort him, but he went away fall of sorrow. On the day of the trial he brought her infant son and adjured her for his sake, if not for her father's, to recant. Still her courage held. She and all her com- panions confessed their faith and were condemned to fight with the beasts on the birthday of Geta CsBsar. They re- turned to prison rejoicing. Perpetua sent at once for her child, but her fisither refused to let her have him again. After a few days, while the prisoners were praying together, a voice said to Perpetua, ''* Dinocrates." She began forthwith to pray earnestly for Dinocrates, her brother, who had died at the age of seven of an ulcer in the face. That nigbt she had a vision which convinced her that he was in misery, and she entreated God for him earnestly day and night, until she knew that her prayer was granted, for she saw him again in a vision playing happily like other children. In the camp prison the Christians found favour with Pudens, the captain of the guard ; he admitted their friends to see them, and when the day of the exhi- bition drew near, Perpetua's father oame again. Three days before the games Felicitas gave birth prematurely to a daughter, which a Christian woman took and brought up. As Felicitas groaned in her pain, a servant of the gaolers taunted her. "If you cannot endure these throes," said he, "what will you do