self to a life of virginity and self-denial, and active charity; and from her piety and holiness she has ever been esteemed the patron Saint of Paris. Several miracles are related of her; the one by which she is chiefly known is that she lighted the candles by her prayers which the devil had blown out during a vigil. She is therefore generally represented in earlier paintings with a taper in her hand, and a demon at her feet with a small pair of bellows. She is also sometimes represented with a basket of loaves, because when a sore famine raged at Paris she procured bread for the people, and always has suspended round her neck a coin stamped with a cross, which S. Germanus gave her, and bade her henceforth to wear no other necklace. Later representations depict her as a shepherdess, in allusion to her original occupation, with sheep near her, either knitting or with a spindle in her hands, in allusion to her charity in making apparel for the poor. She is commemorated in the Church of Rome on January 3rd. The Churches of Euston and Fornham, Suffolk, are dedicated in her

name.

S. George. See Calendar, April 23rd, p. 64.

S. Germanus, B. C., A.D. 448. Bishop of Auxerre, and one of the most celebrated of the Gallican Bishops. He was sent by the council of Arles into England to oppose the Pelagian heresy, which was then spreading rapidly, and which he successfully checked by the eloquence and learning he brought to

His

bear upon the subject. He came a second time when it was on the increase some years afterwards, and effectually subdued it," enlightening the whole island. with the rays of his sanctity." Thirteen Churches still retain their dedications in his honour, and Selby Abbey in the joint names of SS. Mary and Germanus. Some writers give July 26th, others July 31st, as the day upon which he was commemorated. legend says that being a young man with large estate, and very fond of hunting, he hung the heads of the beasts he killed on a pine-tree in the middle of the town of Auxerre; Amator, Bishop of that see, cut the tree down, which so enraged Germanus that he resolved to be revenged in the meantime Amator had a vision which revealed to him that his death was near at hand, and that he who threatened his life was to be his successor; he at once laid hold of Germanus, ordained him deacon, and informed him that he was to succeed him as Bishop. As soon as our saint recovered his surprise, God, who had directed the whole affair, so touched his heart, that when, upon the death of Amator a few days after, he was chosen to succeed him, he made his life a model of the episcopal character." He is, in accordance with this legend, represented as a Bishop with dead or hunted beasts lying around him.

:

S. Germowe, or S. Germoke, is honoured at Ger

a Ancient British Piety, p. 111.

moe, Cornwall. He came over from Ireland with S. Breaca, and built a Church on this site. "His tomb is yet seen there, and his chair is shewn in the Churchyard, and his well a little without the Churchyard"." He was commemorated on October 27th.

S. Gerrens is commemorated in the village and Church of Gerrans, Cornwall.

SS. Gervasius and Protasius, MM., c. A.D. 69. These two saints are invariably classed together, whether from being brothers in blood or in martyrdom only is uncertain. S. Ambrose gives a most interesting account of the discovery of their bodies, A.D. 386, and the wonderful miracles they performed, though even then very little was known of their acts and martyrdom. He calls them the proto-martyrs of Milan, as they are believed to have suffered under the persecution of Nero. They are commemorated in the Church of Rome on June 19th, the day of the discovery of their relics. The Church of Little Plumstead, Norfolk, is named after them. Le Clerc represents them in the act of being decapitated, and this agrees with the account of S. Ambrose, that their heads were found separated from their bodies; but other accounts make them beaten to death with leaden clubs, with which they are sometimes represented.

S. Giles. See Calendar, Sept. 1st, p. 102.

Leland's Itinerary, vol. iii.

S. Godwald. The village and Church of S. Godwald, Worcestershire, are named after this saint, who formerly had a chapel outside Sidbury gate, at Worcester, but who he was Leland could not learn, "though some say he was a Bishop."

S. Gormanda. The Church of Roche, Cornwall, is dedicated in this name.

S. Gregory. See Calendar, March 12th, p. 51. S. Gulval is commemorated at the village and Church of Gulval, and at the Church of Laneast, Cornwall, and is probably a corruption of S. Godwall, who was a native of Wales, and passed into Cornwall and Devonshire, founding an hermitage, which, by the number of disciples who flocked to him, grew into a monastery; he afterwards passed over into Brittany, and succeeded S. Malo, as Bishop of the see now called after his name. He lived about the end of the sixth, and beginning of the seventh centuries, and was commemorated on June 6th.

S. Gorran, H., c. 850. A hermit, who lived a solitary life in a small cell, and in great sanctity, which cell he afterwards gave up to S. Petrock when he went into that neighbourhood; he was commemorated on June 4th, and the village and Church in Cornwall, which occupy the site of his hermitage, are called after his name.

S. Guthlac, or Guthlake, H., A.D. 714. Was in his earlier days, the head of a band of lawless soldiers, but he became afterwards disgusted with his course

R

of life, and determined to quit the world; he retired first to the monastery of Ripon, and longing there for a life of stricter seclusion and penance, he eventually became a

hermit in the desolate island of Crowland in Lincolnshire, where he lived in great austerity for fifteen years, “seeing wonderfull visions and working wonderful mi

racles ".

Living in

the midst of swamps and marshes, he often thought he was summoned to battle with foul fiends when he

8, GUTHLAC,

saw the wisp-fires in from a MS. in the Cottonian Library the night." Five years after his death, A.D. 719, Ethelbald, king of the Mercians, founded a famous monastery upon the spot of his retirement, which he dedicated in the name of S. Guthlac's patron saint S. Bartholomew; it now bears the dedication of SS. Mary and Guthlac. There are seven other Churches in the neighbourhood dedicated in his sole honour. April 11th was the day of his commemoration in the old English calendar. In the sculpture in front of

s English Martyrologe, p. 93.

Churton's Early English Church, p. 131.