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| A Roman Lady who manifested a Deed of Modesty.
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Chapter X.—A Roman
Lady who manifested a Deed of Modesty.
It is obvious that the capture
of so great a city as Rome must have been attended with many remarkable
circumstances. I shall, therefore, now proceed to the narration of such
events as seem worthy of a place in ecclesiastical history.1634
| 1634Independent narrative. Oros. vii. 39.
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I shall recount a pious action performed by a barbarian, and record the
bravery of a Roman lady for the preservation of her chastity. The
barbarian and the lady were both Christians, but not of the same
heresy, the former being an Arian, and the latter a zealous follower of
the Nicene doctrines. A young man of Alaric’s soldiers saw this
very beautiful woman, and was conquered by her loveliness, and tried to
drag her into intercourse; but she drew back, and exerted herself that
she might not suffer pollution. He drew his sword, and threatened to
slay her; but he was restrained by
the passion which he entertained toward her, and merely inflicted a
slight wound on her neck. The blood flowed in abundance, and she
offered her neck to the sword; for she preferred to die in her chastity
than to survive, after having consorted lawfully with a husband, and
then to be attempted by another man. When the barbarian repeated his
purpose, and followed it with more fearful threats, he accomplished
nothing further; struck with wonder at her chastity, he conducted her
to the church of Peter the apostle, and gave six pieces of gold for her
support to the officers who were guarding the church, and commanded
them to keep her for her husband.
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