to Euphrasia, a ladv no less illustrious
for her birth and virtue, by whom he had one only daughter and heiress,
called also Euphrasia, the saint of whom we treat. After her birth, her
pious parents, by mutual consent, engaged themselves by vow, to pass the
remainder of their lives in perpetual continence, that they might more
perfectly aspire to the invisible joys of the life to come; and from
that time they lived together as brother and sister, in the exercises of
devotion, alms-deeds, and penance. Antigonus died within a year, and the
holy widow, to shun the importunate addresses of young suitors for
marriage, and the distraction of friends, not long after withdrew
privately, with her little daughter, into Egypt, where she was possessed
of a very large estate. In that country she fixed her abode near a holy
monastery of one hundred and thirty nuns, who never used any other food
than herbs and pulse, which they took only after sunset, and some only
once in two or three days; they wore and slept on sackcloth, wrought
with their hands, and prayed almost without interruption. When sick,
they bore their pains with patience, esteeming them an effect of the
divine mercy, and thanking God for the same: nor did they seek relief
from physicians, except in cases of absolute necessity, and then only
allowed of ordinary general remedies, as the monks of La Trappe do at
this day. Delicate and excessive attention to health nourishes self-love
and immortification,[1] and often destroys that health which it studies
anxiously to preserve. By the example of these holy virgins, the devout
mother animated herself to fervor in the exercises of religion and
charity, to which she totally dedicated herself. She frequently visited
these servants of God, and earnestly entreated them to accept a
considerable annual revenue, with an obligation that they should always
be bound to pray for the soul of her deceased husband. But the abbess
refused the estate, saying: "We have renounced all the conveniences of
the world, in order to purchase heaven. We are poor, and such we desire
to remain." She could only be prevailed upon to accept a small matter to
supply the church-lamp with oil, and for incense to be burned on the
altar.

The young Euphrasia, at seven years of age, made it her earnest request
to her mother, that she might be permitted to serve God in this
monastery. The pious mother, on hearing this, wept for joy, and not long
after presented