by others, our common son Epiphanius, your
archpresbyter, being present before us, replied that the said abbess had
up to the day of her death refused to wear the monastic dress, but had
continued in the use of such dresses as are used by the presbyteresses
of that place. To this the aforesaid Gavina replied that the practice
had come to be almost lawful from custom, alleging that the abbess who
had been before the above-mentioned Sirica had used such dresses. When,
then, we begun to feel no small doubt with regard to the character of
the dresses, it appeared necessary for us to consider with our legal
advisers, as well as with the other learned men of this city, what was
to be done with regard to law. And they, having considered the matter,
answered that, after an abbess had been solemnly ordained by the bishop
and had presided in the government of a monastery for many years until
the end of her life, the character of her dress might attach blame to
the bishop for having allowed it so to be, but still could not prejudice
the monastery." Those "presbyteresses" whose attire Sirica considered
she had ample right to copy, were the wives of presbyters who had been
married before ordination. It is all very trivial; and yet there is to
be recognized such a touch of naturalness about this abbess of thirteen
centuries ago that it is worthy of remark. And it must be confessed that
Sirica has our entire approval as we fancy we see her going calmly about
the duties of her office, while Pope Gregory of Rome is calling together
his legal advisers to know what shall be done about her dress, she all
the while determined that she is going to array herself in exactly that
style which, to her independent mind, seems most befitting.

When, however, serious faults on the part of nuns had to be dealt with,
Gregory possessed, even in that early day, the power as well as the will
to inflict punishment of a severe nature. Moreover, the Church had
become what Rome was in the time of the emperors,--so universal and
thoroughly organized that culprits could not hope to flee beyond the
reach of the disciplinary hand. Petronilla, a nun of Lucania, had given
way to the weakness of nature and the seducements of Agnellus, the son
of a bishop. Taking the property which Petronilla had brought to the
monastery, and also that which the father of Agnellus had given to the
institution, they fled to Sicily in the hope of there enjoying love and
affluence in th