Brother Mathew, of Avignon, a Capuchin Friar who lived about the year 1540, and spent many years in Corsica with a reputation of sanctity, gave just such another capital instance of virtue as that exhibited by St. Edmund. The Saint having been charitably received in a certain Castle in Piedmont, where he was then begging about the Country, a young Lady, extremely handsome, and of noble birth, came during the night, stripped to her shift, to visit him, in the room that had been assigned to him, and approaching the bed in which he was asleep, solicited him to commit the carnal sin. But the holy Friar, instead of answering her, ‘took up his discipline, made with sound and well-knotted Spanish small cords, and flagellated her so briskly upon her thighs, her posteriors, and back, that he not only made her blush with shame, but moreover left upon her skin numberless visible marks of the lecture he gave her[101].’ To these instances of the holy severity with which Saints have treated such Ladies as ventured to make attempts upon their virtue, may be added that of Bernardin of Sienna, according to the account given by Surius; for the virtue of Saints has been exposed to more dangers than the vulgar think of. ‘One day (says Surius) as Bernardin was gone abroad to buy some bread, a Woman, the Wife of a Citizen of Sienna, called him to her house: as soon as he had got into it, she locked the door, and said, Unless you now let me have my wish, I declare I will cover you with shame, and say that you have offered violence to me. Bernardin, finding himself drawn into such a dangerous situation, prayed to God, within himself, not to forsake him; for he greatly detested that crime. God did not disregard his prayer; he presently suggested to him to tell the Woman, that since she would absolutely have it so, she must strip off her clothes. To this the Woman made no objection; and she had scarcely done when Bernardin exhibited his whip, which he happened to have about him, and laying fast hold of her, began to exert it vigorously; nor did he give up fustigating her, till her lustful ardour was extinguished. She loved the holy Man the better for that afterwards; and so did her Husband, when he knew how things had been transacted[102].’ [Illustration: _Page._ 264.] [Illustration: (end of chapter mark)] FOOTNOTES: [99] ... “_In ligno pedes ejus fortiter strinxit, gravibus eum vinculis alligavit, verberibus duris afflixit, & tamdiù corpus ejus piâ severitate perdomuit, donec ejus mentem ad salutis statum Deo medente reduxit._” [100] ... “_Eam ad musæum suum excivit, ibique spoliatam virgis cæcidit, ac nudatum corpus vibicibus conscribillavit._” [101] Here an opportunity occurs of giving a second specimen of the Latin of the Abbé Boileau; the first was produced in p. 232.