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160 160 ST. PLECTRUDE Aquas Salvias, now called Tre Fontane, about fwo miles from Borne. She be- sought his blessing, and he asked for her veil to bind his eyes when he should be beheaded, promising to return it to her after his death, and bidding her go a little aside and wait until he should come back. After his martyrdom St. Paul appeared to her and gave her the veil stained with his blood. After a life passed in the practice of all virtues, she died in peace. B.M, AA.SS. Leggendario, Mrs. Jameson. St. Plectrude, Buttrude or Piu- TRUDB, 7th and 8th century. Called princess and duchess of Austrasia. Patron of Cologne. Daughter of Hugo- bert. Wife of Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the palace (079 to 714) who was the second of the three great Pepins, son of St. Begga (1 ), nephew of St. Gertrude of Nivelle, and great-grandfather of Charle- magne. Cologne was his capital, and was about the centre of his dominions. They had two sons, Drogo and Grim- wald, who died in the fiower of their age. Pepin, although said to be of stricter morality than many of his con- temporaries, took another wife, named Alpais. St. Lambert remonstrated, and Alpais had him murdered before the altar. Meantime St. Swibert — an Eng- lish missionary of royal descent, who had preached in many countries and performed many miracles — came to Co- logne, where Pepin and Plectrude re- ceived him very graciously and gave him land and whatever was necessary to build a monastery at Werda on the Ehine. When Pepin was dying at Joppila, he was much troubled in mind, on account of the murder of St. Lambert, instigated by his inferior wife Alpais. St. Swibert and Agilulf, bishop of Cologne, went to visit him, but first they consulted Plec- trude, who charged them to warn him that it was as much as his soul was worth to disinherit her sons and make the son of Alpais his heir. They went, and the dying man received them wil- lingly and listened respectfully to all they had to say, until they began to discuss the point of his wife and his mistress and who should be his 'heir; then he became very angry and Alpais burst into the room in a fury and ordered them out. They returned discomfited to Plectrude. Pepin died the same year and was succeeded by Charles Martel, his son by Alpais. Plectrude's son Grim wald had left four sons, whom she kept with her in Cologne, proclaiming the eldest mayor of the palace and ruling in his name. Her stepson Charles, after- wards Bumamed Martel, she imprisoned in a strong castle, but the people liber- ated him. He soon defeated her general, allowed him to retire with honours from his post, and made peace with Plectrude. She gave up her four grandsons, three of whom were provided with ecclesias- tical benefices, the other, who was more energetic, was conveniently found dead, but Charles is not accused of the murder. He gave Plectrude an estate in Anstrafiia where she might end her days in peace. St. Notburga (2) was her niece. Alpais is said to have repented of her crimes and become a saint. Among the Diplaniata Maiorum Domui in Pertz, Monumenta Germanise, voLxxvii., are several grants signed by Pepin and Plectrude. Pertz, Hausmeir. Leibnitz, Scriptorea Brunawlcceima, " Life of St. Swibert," by Marcellinus. Chronide of Fredogarius, in Bouquet, H. 4o«l. Brower, Annalca Trev. I. 350. Freher, Germaniairum Bcrum. St. Poemenia, May 10. Beginning of 4th century. Mother of St. Alexander, M. (May 13), a young Roman soldier under the Emperor Maximian. Accused of Christianity at Home, he spoke of Jupiter and the other gods with con- tempt ; whereupon the emperor gave him over to Tiberianus, a tribune, who had orders to search for Christians from Rome to Byzantium, and not to spare any of them. Alexander was at once condemned to horrible tortures, which he bore joyfully. Tiberianus then ordered him to be bonnd with heavy chains and taken with him to Thrace. That night an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to his mother saying, <* Arise, Pcemenia, take thy slaves and thy horse and follow thy son, fearing nothing, for he is going to meet his death for Christ's sake, therefore take no rest