Page:Lifeofsaintcatha.djvu/53



Catharine resumed her pious exercises, and was continually speaking to her parents of her desire to give herself more fully to her divine Spouse. She also solicited the "Sisters of Penance, of St. Dominic," who are denominated Mantelees, to condescend to receive her among them, and allow her to wear their costume. Her mother afflicted at these requests, dared not, however, refuse her, and so as to try to distract her from her austerities she, without precisely knowing it, became the accomplice of Satan, by proposing to go to the Baths and to take Catharine with her. The spouse of our Lord, combated with invincible arms, and all the attacks of the devil turned to her advantage. She found a method of torturing her body; for, under pretext of bathing herself better, she approached the canals by which the sulphurous waters enter the Baths, and she endured the burning heat, on her uncovered and delicate flesh, to such a degree, that she suffered more than when scourging herself with iron chains. When her mother told me this fact, Catharine told me that she had asked to bathe after the departure of the others, because she was well assured that she would not be suffered to do this; and when I inquired how she could support such atrocious torture without dying, she answered me with dove-like simplicity: "When there, I thought much on the pains of Hell, and of Purgatory: