270 Pelagia was very pretty, and, according to her own account, “her sins were heavier than the sand.” The people of Antioch, who were very fond of her, called her Margarita, or the pearl. “Il arriva un jour que divers évesques, appelez par celui d’Antioche pour quelques affaires, estant ensemble à la porte de l’eglise de S.-Julien, Pélagie passa devant eux dans tout l’éclat des pompes du diable, n’ayant pas seulement une coeffe sur sa teste ni un mouchoir sur ses épaules, ce qu’on remarqua comme le comble de son impudence. Tous les évesques baissèrent les yeux en gémissant pour ne pas voir ce dangereux objet de péché, hors Nonne, très-saint évesque d’Héliople, qui la regarda avec une attention qui fit peine aux autres.” However, this bishop immediately began crying a great deal, and reassured his brethren, and a sermon which he preached led to the conversion of the actress. (Tillemont, _Mém. d’Hist. ecclés._ tome xii. pp. 378-380. See, too, on women, “under pretence of religion, attiring themselves as men,” Sozomen, iii. 14.) 271 Tillemont, tome x. pp. 376, 377. Apart from family affections, there are some curious instances recorded of the anxiety of the saints to avoid distractions. One monk used to cover his face when he went into his garden, lest the sight of the trees should disturb his mind. (_Verb. Seniorum._) St. Arsenius could not bear the rustling of the reeds (ibid.); and a saint named Boniface struck dead a man who went about with an ape and a cymbal, because he had (apparently quite unintentionally) disturbed him at his prayers. (St. Greg. _Dial._ i. 9.) 272 “Quemadmodum se jam divitem non esse sciebat, ita etiam patrem se esse nesciret.”—Cassian, _De Cœnobiorum Institutis_, iv. 27. 273 “Cumque taliter infans sub oculis ejus per dies singulos ageretur, pro amore nihilominus Christi et obedientiæ virtute, rigida semper atque immobilia patris viscera permanserunt ... parum cogitans de lacrymis ejus, sed de propria humilitate ac perfectione sollicitus.”—Ibid. 274 Ibid. 275 Bollandists, July 6; _Verba Seniorum_, xiv. _ 276 Verba Seniorum_, xiv. 277 TARTUFFE (_tirant un mouchoir_ _ de sa poche_). “Ah, mon Dieu, je vous prie, Avant que de parler, prenez-moi ce mouchoir. DORINE. Comment! TARTUFFE. Couvrez ce sein que je ne saurois voir; Par de pareils objets des âmes sont blessées, Et cela fait venir de coupables pensées.” _Tartuffe_, Acte iii. scène 2. 278 Bollandists, July 6.