Less known than the legend of St. Catherine, but certainly equally valuable, is the Bohemian legend of St. Dorothy. The martyrdom of that saint has been a favourite subject for the painters and poets of many countries. In our time Mr. Swinburne has made it the subject of a beautiful poem. Several Bohemian versions of the legend have been preserved. The most interesting of them, though probably not one of the oldest, is the version contained in the manuscript of St. Vitus. It is written in short and somewhat irregular rhymes. The mediæval mystical idea of the marriage between Christ and female saints appears here even more prominently than in the legend of St. Catherine. Dorothy, who is of royal blood, refuses to marry the cruel heathen King Fabricius and to renounce the Christian faith. The poem begins with a short invocation of St. Dorothy:-- "_Dorothy, O maiden fair,_ _The Holy Church celebrates thy festival,_ _For thou wast a maiden choice,_ _One chosen by God._ _Thy virtues, beauty, and purity_ _No one can describe;_ _Adorned by these_ _Thou wast wedded to Christ._ _Rejoicing now with thy husband,_ _Help us in our misery;_ _Lead us to eternal bliss._" In consequence of her refusal to renounce Christianity, Dorothy is cruelly scourged by order of King Fabricius. The description of her sufferings is very similar to that contained in the legend of St. Catherine, but we miss the curious conceit of the six colours that suddenly appear on the body of the martyr. Dorothy is finally led out to execution, and on her way meets "Theophilus, the clerk of the land," who mockingly asks her where she is going. Dorothy answers:-- "_To a garden, a delightful one,_ _In which manifold fruits,_ _Apples, flowers, and roses,_ _I shall gather._" Theophilus replies with a sneer, "Send me some of the fruits which grow in your lord's garden." After Dorothy's death "a child beautifully dressed in purple" (that is, an angel) appears to Theophilus, carrying a basket which contains three apples and three roses. The child says, "My sister Dorothy sends you this fruit." Then, seeing this, Theophilus exclaims:-- "_I believe in thee, O Jesus Christ,_ _That thou art the living Son_ _Of the True God,_ _For whose sake the virtuous Dorothy,_ _Guiltless, was executed to-day._ _I the sinner beg, O maiden,_ _Earnestly for thy favour;_ _Deign to intercede for me,_ _That in the realm of thy husband_ _I too may join thee._"