[69] Daughter of king Charibert. She had seceded from the monastery with a large following of nuns and was at this time at St. Hilary’s church in Poitiers. [70] The monastery was called the monastery of the Holy Cross. [71] _Cf._ Bonnet, p. 306. [72] Gregory’s niece. [73] One of Chrodield’s faction, daughter of king Chilperic. [74] Daughter of Berthar, a Thuringian king, and the wife of Clothar I. [75] _Chrodieldis scola._ [76] _Scolas._ [77] _Mediocritatis nostræ personam._ [78] The count is meant. [79] Reading _Adfuerunt_ for _adferunt_. [80] _Barbaturias._ _Cf._ Du Cange, _barbatoria_. [81] _Arrhae_, _cf._ p. 97. [82] June 14. SELECTIONS FROM THE EIGHT BOOKS OF MIRACLES[83] ATTITUDE TOWARD SECULAR LEARNING (Preface, _Book in Honor of the Martyrs_) The priest Jerome, next to the apostle Paul the best teacher of the church, tells us that he was brought before the judgment-seat of the eternal Judge and subjected to torture and severely punished because he was in the habit of reading Cicero’s clevernesses and Vergil’s lies, and that he said in the presence of the holy angels and the very Ruler of all that he would never thereafter read these, but would occupy himself in future only with such [writings] as would be judged worthy of God and suited to the edification of the church. Moreover the apostle Paul says: “Let us follow after things which make for peace and things whereby we may edify one another.” And elsewhere: “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth; but such as is good for edifying, that it may give grace to them that hear.” Therefore we too ought to follow after, to write, and to speak the things that edify the church of God, and by holy instruction bring weak minds to a knowledge of the perfect faith. And we ought not to relate lying tales nor to pursue the wisdom of philosophers that is hateful to God, lest by God’s judgment we fall under sentence of eternal death.[84]… OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD’S DAY (_Ibid._, ch. 15) In the territory of this city [Tours] at Lingeais, a woman who lived there moistened flour on the Lord’s day and shaped a loaf, and drawing the coals aside she covered it over with hot ashes to bake. When she did this her right hand was miraculously set on fire and began to burn. She screamed and wept and hastened to the village church in which relics of the blessed John are kept. And she prayed and made a vow that on this day sacred to the divine name she would do no work, but only pray. The next night she made a candle as tall as herself. Then she spent the whole night in prayer, holding the candle in her hand all the time, and the flame went out and she returned home safe and sound. RELICS HANDED DOWN IN GREGORY’S FAMILY (_Ibid._, ch. 83)