[The following relation is taken from
Prudentius, de Coron. hym. 14, St. Ambrose,
lib. i. de Virgin and Offic. lib. i. c. 41,
and other fathers. Her acts are as ancient
as the seventh century but not sufficiently
authentic; nor are those given us in
Chaldaic by Stephen Assemani of a better
stamp; they contradict St. Ambrose and
Prudentius in supposing that she finished
her martyrdom by fire. See Tillemont, t. v.]
St Jerome says[1] that the tongues and pens
of all nations are employed in the praises
of this saint, who overcame both the cruelty
of the tyrant and the tenderness of her age,
and crowned the glory of chastity with that
of martyrdom. St. Austin observes[2] that
her name signifies chaste in Greek, and a
lamb in Latin. She has always been looked
upon in the church as a special patroness of
purity, with the Immaculate Mother of God
and St. Thecla. Rome was the theatre of the
triumph of St. Agnes; and Prudentius says
that her tomb was shown within sight of that
city. She suffered not long after the
beginning of the persecution of Diocletian,
whose bloody edicts appeared in March, in
the year of our Lord 303. We learn from St.
Ambrose and St. Austin that she was only
thirteen years of age at the time of her
glorious death. Her riches and beauty
excited the young noblemen of the first
families in Rome to vie with one another in
their addresses who should gain her in
marriage.[3] Agnes answered them all that
she had consecrated her virginity to a
heavenly spouse, who could not be beheld by
mortal eyes. Her suitors, finding her
resolution impregnable to all their arts and
importunities, accused her to the governor
as a Christian, not doubting but threats and
torments would overcome her tender mind, on
which allurements could make no impression.
The judge at first employed the mildest
expression and most inviting promises, to
which Agnes paid no regard, repeating always
that she could have no other spouse than
Jesus Christ. He then made use of threats,
but found her soul endowed with a masculine
courage, and even desirous of racks and
death. At last terrible fires were made, and
iron hooks, racks, and other instruments of
torture, displayed before her, with threats
of immediate execution. The young virgin
surveyed them all with an undaunted eye, and
with a cheerful countenance beheld the
fierce and cruel executioners surrounding
her, and ready to dispatch her at the word
of command. She was so far from betraying
the least symptom of fear that she even
expressed her joy at the sight, and offered
herself to the rack. She was then dragged
before the idols and commanded to offer
incense, "but could by no means be compelled
to move her hand, except to make the sign of
the cross," says St. Ambrose.
The governor seeing his measures
ineffectual, said he would send her to a
house of prostitution, where what she prized
so highly should be exposed to the insults
of the debauchees.[4] Agnes answered that
Jesus Christ was too jealous of the purity
of his spouses to suffer it to be violated
in such a manner, for he was their defender
and protector. "You may," said she, "stain
your sword with my blood, but will never be
able to profane my body, consecrated to
Christ." The governor was so incensed at
this that he ordered her to be immediately
led to the public brothel, with liberty to
all persons to abuse her person at pleasure.
Many young profligates ran thither, full of
the wicked desire of gratifying their lust,
but were seized with such awe at the sight
of the saint that they durst not approach
her—one only excepted, who, attempting to be
rude to her, was that very instant, by a
flash as it were, of lightning from heaven,
struck blind, and fell trembling to the
ground. His companions, terrified, took him
up and carried him to Agnes, who was at a
distance, singing hymns of praise to Christ,
her protector. The virgin by prayer restored
him to his sight and health.
The chief prosecutor of the saint, who at
first sought to gratify—his lust and
avarice, now laboured to satiate his revenge
by incensing the judge against her, his
passionate fondness being changed into anger
and rage. The governor wanted not others to
spur him on, for he was highly exasperated
to see himself baffled and set at defiance
by one of her tender age and sex. Therefore,
resolved upon her death, he condemned her to
be beheaded. Agnes, transported with joy on
hearing this sentence, and still more at the
sight of the executioner, "went to the place
of execution more cheerfully," says St.
Ambrose, "than others go to their wedding."
The executioner had secret instructions to
use all means to induce her to a compliance,
but Agnes always answered she could never
offer so great an injury to her heavenly
spouse, and, having made a short prayer,
bowed down her neck to adore God, and
received the stroke of death. The spectators
wept to see so beautiful and tender a virgin
loaded with fetters, and to behold her
fearless under the very sword of the
executioner, who with a trembling hand cut
off her head at one stroke. Her body was
buried at a small distance from Rome, near
the Nomentan Road. A church was built on the
spot in the time of Constantine the Great,
and was repaired by Pope Honorius in the
seventh century. It is now in the hands of
Canon-Regulars, standing without the walls
of Rome, and is honoured with her relics in
a-very rich silver shrine, the gift of Pope
Paul V, in whose-time they were found in
this church, together with those of St.
Emerentiana. The other beautiful rich church
of St. Agnes, within the city, built by Pope
Innocent X (the right of patronage being
vested in the family of Pamphili), stands on
the place where her chastity was exposed.
The feast of St. Agnes is mentioned in all
Martyrologies, both of the East and West,
though on different days. It was formerly a
holyday for the women in England, as appears
from the Council of Worcester, held in the
year 1240. St. Ambrose, St. Austin, and
other fathers have wrote her panegyric. St.
Martin of Tours was singularly devout to
her. Thomas a Kempis honoured her as his
special patroness, as his works declare in
many places. He relates many miracles
wrought and graces received through her
intercession.
Marriage is a holy state, instituted by God,
and in the order of providence and nature
the general or more ordinary state of those
who live in the world. Those, therefore, who
upon motives of virtue, and in a Christian
and holy manner, engage in this state, do
well. Those, nevertheless, who, for the sake
of practicing more perfect virtue, by a
divine call, prefer a state of perpetual
virginity, embrace that which is more
perfect and more excellent. Dr. Wells, a
learned Protestant, confesses that Christ[5]
declares voluntary chastity, for the kingdom
of heaven's sake, to be an excellency, and
an excellent state of life.[6] This is also
the manifest inspired doctrine of St.
Paul;[7] and in the revelations of St.
John[8] spotless virgins are called, in a
particular manner, the companions of the
Lamb, and are said to enjoy the singular
privilege of following him wherever he goes.
The tradition of the church has always been
unanimous in this point; and among the
Romans, Greeks, Syrians, and barbarians many
holy virgins joyfully preferred torments and
death to the violation of their integrity,
which they bound themselves by vow to
preserve without defilement in mind or body.
The fathers, from the very disciples of the
apostles, are all profuse in extolling the
excellency of holy virginity, as a special
fruit of the incarnation of Christ, his
divine institution, and a virtue which has
particular charms in the eyes of God, who
delights in chaste minds, and chooses to
dwell singularly in them. They often repeat
that purity raises men, even in this mortal
life, to the dignity of angels—purifies the
soul, fits it for a more perfect love of
God, and a closer application to heavenly
things, and disengages the mind and heart
from worldly thoughts and affections: it
produces in the soul the nearest resemblance
to God. Chastity is threefold— that of
virgins, that of widows, and that of married
persons; in each state it will receive its
crown, as St. Ambrose observes,[9] but in
the first is most perfect, so that St.
Austin calls it fruit a hundred-fold, and
that of marriage sixty-fold; but the more
excellent this virtue is, and the higher its
glory and reward, the more heroic and the
more difficult is its victory; nor is it
perfect unless it be embellished with all
other virtues in a heroic degree, especially
divine charity and the most profound
humility.
Endnotes
1 Ep. 8.
2 Serm. 274
3 St. Ambrose, lib. i.; Virgin.
4 Prudentius; St. Ambrose.
5 Matt. xix. IT.
6 Wells, Paraphrase on St. Matthew, p. 185.
7 I Cor. vii. 7, 8, 25, 27, 32, 38.
8 Apoc. Xiv. 1, 3. 4. 5.
9 St. Ambrose, lib. de Viduis, t. v. p. 635.
(Taken from Vol. I of "The Lives or the
Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints"
by the Rev. Alban Butler.)
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