Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 2.djvu/93

81 ST. MAXIMA 81 baptized without his parents' knowledge, by Protasins, a Christian priest at Borne. The fiather of St. Ansanus denounced his son and Maxima as Christians, and she was scourged to death. B,M, AA.SS. St. Maxima (2), Oct. l, V. M. c. 303, at Lisbon, with her brother and sister, SS. Verissimus and Julia (23). B.M. AA.SS, SS. Maxima (3) and Mag aria (1), April 8, MM. in Africa with St Janu- arius. B.M. St. Maxima (4), March 26, M. in the time of the Emperor Maximian. Wife of St. Montanus, a priest; taken with him and forty other Christians at Sirmium, the capital of Pannonia, and thrown into the Save ; their bodies were found about nine miles from the city. These martyrs are erroneously claimed for Spain. B.M, St. Maxima(5) or M£me of Chartres, Aug. 25, v. M. Patron of Ste. Maxime, near Dourdan. Daughter of Dordanus, a heathen king of Chartres. When she was fourteen her father seized a certain Christian, kept him prisoner in his house and ill-treated him on account of his religion. Maxima secretly received in- struction from the prisoner and adopted his fedth ; her father tried by threats and promises to make her change her mind, promising among other inducements to marry her to the king of Castile. All arguments being in vain, her twin brother Maximinius drew his sword ; Maxima gathered up her hair and presented her neck and her brother cut off her head : he afterwards became a Christian, did penance, led a holy life and became bishop of Orleans. Pinius, the BoUau- dist, judges the whole story to be fictitious. AA.SS. St. Maxima (6;. (See Camilla St Maxima (7), Oct. lO, V. 5th century. After the death of the aged St. Deogratias, bishop of Carthage, 457, Genaeric, king of the Vandals, an Arian, continued to persecute the Catholics and to make many martyrs. A Vandal officer of his army, who commanded a regiment of 1000 men, had for slaves four brothers, two of whom were SS. VOL. n. Martinian and Satumian ; he had also a female slare named Maxima, a beautiful girl and a clever and faithful servant, who had the charge of his house. He had a great regard for Martinian, who was his armour-bearer, and he thought if he married him to Maxima, both would have additional reason to devote them- selves to his service. Martinian was young, and as he had always intended to marry some day, he was well pleased with the arrangement ; but Maxima had made a vow of celibacy, so when they were married she said to him, " Brother Martinian, I have already dedicated myself to Jesus Christ, therefore having a God for a husband I can never be the wife of a mortal man, but if you will follow my advice, you will consecrate yourself to the same Master, and you will think yourself happy in spending your life in His service.'' Martinian became a Catholic, converted his three brothers, and they all determined to save them- selves by flight. The four men went to the monastery of Tabraca on the borders of Numidia, and Maxima took refuge in a convent which was near. In time they were discovered and brought back to their master, who treated them with groat cruelty and tried to compel them to receive Arian baptism. When they were put to various tortures their wounds were miraculously healed, and some of the instruments designed to inflict new sufferings on them fell to pieces. The Vandal, blind to this iLterposition of Providence, was smitten by Divine veugeance, and died suddenly, as did all his children, horses and cattle. His widow made haste to rid herself of the slaves who had brought so much trouble upon her, by presenting them to Sersaon, a relative of Genseric, but they seemed to bring ill luck to his family also ; all his children and servants were afflicted in one way or another, and he thought the new slaves must have brought evil demons into his house; he applied to Genseric, who, to save himself all further trouble with these slaves, presented the four brothers to Capsur, a king of the Moors, a people more barbarous even than the Vandals ; as for Maxima, he set her at liberty, and she betook herself to G