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227 ST. SIRUDE 227 rites as usual. She obeyed the call. As soon as she had taken the firewood which was used by the Magi, she saw herself surrounded by a splendid flame. En- couraged by this sign, she broke the wood, interrupted the sacrifice, spat upon the fire and put it out, saying, '' I am going to the Church of the Christians, and no one shall hinder me from adopt- ing their faith." Hearing this, her brothers and other relations held her and ordered the gates to be shut. She requested them to call her father, that she might declare her resolution in his presence. She was kept in fetters with- out food or drink for many days. As she persevered in spite of the persuasions of her friends, the leader of the Maviptas was informed. He called the Magi to- gether, brought Sira before them in the Temple of fire, and asked her why she had departed from their customs. She answered that each person was bom with intelligence and that it was only fit for an animal to go on doing what ho saw the others do, without considering whether it were right or wrong; that therefore she had used her reason, and had come to the conclusion that the Christian faith was better than that taught by her parents. The Mavipta threatened her with tortures and death, which she said did not frighten her, and she began to sing. Ho asked her what words she was saying. As some of the bystanders said they were Christian words, he sent for the bishop. He came. Sira perceiving that he was in great fear of the Magi, said, 'Tear not. Father, but remember the words of the Scrip- tures," and she quoted Psalm cxix. 46 and St. Matt. z. 28. Then the bishop said that Sira was speaking the words of the Christians. The prince of the Magi ordered her to be struck on the mouth ; but a great crowd of Christians took her back to her father's house. The Mavipta not wishing to bring disgrace on so illustrious a family, advised her father to persuade her by gentle means to give up her fancy for Christianity. The Dar (king of Persia) sent messen- gers to threaten her with death if she did not renounce her errors, and to promise a royal reward if she returned to the religion of her family. She said she would like to be taken before the Dar and to give him an account of her fcdth. After this it was ordered that the fetters were to be made heavier, and that she was to be thrown into a well : the smiths and guards were unable to fasten the fetters imtil Sira herself made the sign of the cross over them. After being mira- culously delivered, she was baptized, but the contemporary author says that, how, and by whom this was managed, he was not at liberty to say. At 'this time the Eoman legate was about to return to his own country. The Magi feared he would send a re- quest to the king to liberate Sira, so they determined to anticipate such re- quest, by sending her to the king at once. They put a seal on her neck which coTtld only be removed by cutting ofif her head. Fruitless attempts were made to induce her to apostatize. At last she was condemned to death. She fell ill and was much afraid that the honour of martyrdom would not be granted to her. She recovered, how- ever, and was ordered to be strangled. A rope was put round her neck, and when she was nearly strangled, it was loosened and she was asked if she would purchase her life by renouncing her &ith. She refused and the same thing was done again. On her second refusal she was strangled to death. She was denied the honour of burial and her body was thrown to the dogs, but they would not touch it and the Christians buried her and erected an oratory over her grave. Other Christians were martyred with her. AA,SS. St. Siria, Syr a (1). St. Siriana, July 17, M. AA.SS. St. Sirilla, SiBTiLLA, or Sytilla, April 12, M. AA,SS. St. Sirtilla, Sirilla. St. Sirude, or Sitrudk, Sept. 30, abbess. 7th century. Sister of St. Donatus (Aug. 7^, bishop of Besan^on in Burgundy. They were children of Waldelen and Flavia who begged St. Columbanus to pray that they might be blessed with children ; then they had a son and two daughters. When Walde- len died, Flavia built a convent for