UNDES, EMPRESS.

From her life written by a canon of Bamberg, about the year 1152: also
the Dissertation of Henschenius, p. 267.

A.D. 1040.

ST. CUNEGUNDES was the daughter of Sigefride, the first count of
Luxemburgh, and Hadeswige his pious wife. They instilled into her from
her cradle the most tender sentiments of piety, and married her to St.
Henry, duke of Bavaria, who, upon the death of the emperor Otho III.,
was chosen king of the Romans, and crowned at Mentz on the 6th of June,
1002. She was crowned at Paderborn on St. Laurence's day, on which
occasion she made great presents to the churches of that city. In the
year 1014 she went with her husband to Rome, and received the imperial
crown with him from the hands of Pope Benedict VIII. She had, by St.
Henry's consent before her marriage, made a vow of virginity.
Calumniators afterwards accused her to him of freedoms with other men.
The holy empress, to remove the scandal of such a slander, trusting in
God the protector of innocence, in proof of hers, walked over red-hot
ploughshares without being hurt. The emperor condemned his too
scrupulous fears and credulity, and made her ample amends. They lived
from that time in the strictest union of hearts conspiring to promote in
every thing God's honor, and the advancement of piety.

Going once to make a retreat in Hesse, she fell dangerously ill, and
made a vow to found a monastery, if she recovered, in a place then
called Capungen, now Kaffungen, near Cassel, in the diocese of
Paderborn, which she executed in a stately manner, and gave it to nuns
of the Order of St. Benedict. Before it was finished St. Henry died, in
1024. She earnestly recommended his soul to the prayers of others,
especially to her dear nuns, and expressed her longing desire of joining
them. She had already exhausted her treasures and her patrimony in
founding bishoprics and monasteries, and in relieving the poor. Whatever
was rich or magnificent she thought better suited churches than her
palace. She had therefore little now left to give. {502} But still
thirsting to embrace perfect evangelical poverty, and to renounce all to
serve God without obstacle, on the anniversary day of her busband's
death, 1025, she assembled a great number of prelates to the dedication
of her church of Kaffungen; and after the gospel was sung at mass,
offered on the altar a piece of the true cross, and then put off her
imperial robes, and clothed herself with a poor h