reading Cicero; but after his conversion found that author, and all other reading, tedious and bitter, which was not sweetened with the honey of the holy name of Jesus, and seasoned with the word of God, as he says in the preface to his book _On Spiritual Friendship_. He was much edified with the very looks of a holy monk, called Simon, who had despised high birth, an ample fortune, and all the advantages of mind and body, to serve God in that penitential state. This monk went and came as one deaf and dumb, always recollected in God; and was such a lover of silence, that he would scarce speak a few words to the prior on necessary occasions. His silence however was sweet, agreeable, and full of edification. Our Saint says of him, "The very sight of his humility stifled my pride, and made me blush at the want of mortification in my looks." This holy monk, having served God eight years in perfect fidelity, died in 1142, in wonderful peace, repeating with his last breath, "I will sing eternally, O Lord, thy mercy, thy mercy, thy mercy!" S. Aelred, much against his inclination, was made abbot of a new monastery of his order, founded by William, Earl of Lincoln, at Revesby, in Lincolnshire, in 1142, and after, in 1143, of Rievaulx, where he governed three hundred monks. Describing their life, he says that they drank nothing but water, ate little, laboured hard, slept little, and on hard boards; never spoke, except to their superiors on necessary occasions; and loved prayer. [Illustration: S. Odilo, Jan. 1, p. 20.] FOOTNOTES: [39] Socrates, Eccl. Hist., lib. vi. c. 18. [40] Monk-Wearmouth on the north bank of the river. [41] Bede: Vitae Abbt. in Wiramuth, c. 6. [42] This is Bede, who describes, further on, how the abbot and that little boy celebrated alone, and in great sadness, the whole psalms of the monastic service, with no little labour, until new monks arrived. [43] Not to be confused with Theosterictus, disciple of the abbot S. Nicetas, who writes this account. January 13. The Octave of the Epiphany. S. POTITUS, _M._, A.D. 166. SS. HERMYLUS AND STRATONICUS, _MM., at Belgrade_, A.D. 315. S. GLAPHYRA, _V., at Amasia, circ._ A.D. 324. S. AGRICIUS, _B. of Trèves, circ._ A.D. 335. S. HILARY, _B. of Poictiers_, A.D. 368. S. VIRENTIUS, _P._, _in Burgundy_, A.D. 400. S. KENTIGERN, _B. of Glasgow_, A.D. 601. B. BERNO, _Ab. of Cluny_, A.D. 920. S. HELDEMAR, _H., in Artois_, A.D. 1097. B. GOTFRIED, _of Kappenberg_, A.D. 1127. B. JUTTA, _W. and Recluse, at Huy, in Belgium_, A.D. 1228. B. VERONICA, _V. at Milan_, A.D. 1497. SS. HERMYLUS AND STRATONICUS, MM., AT BELGRADE. (A.D. 315.) [Greek Menaea and Menologium. The Acts in Metaphrastes are compiled from the original genuine Acts, and may be trusted.]