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Giles, or Egidius, an Athenian by birth; but fettling in France, with Cæfarius bishop of Arles, and dedicating himself to a religious life, he obtained the favour of the king, who made him abbot of Nifmes. He died in the year 795.

† Eunurchus, or Avortius, bishop of Orleans in France; to which dignity it is faid he was chofen by the miraculous appearance of a dove alighting upon his head, during the time of the election of a bishop of Orleans, and thus manifefting the approbation of Heaven in his favour. He died about the year 380.

Nativity of the Virgin Mary. The Romish church believes that a concert of angels was heard at the birth of Chrift's mother; for which reafon they confecrated the day. Pope Innocent IV. appointed an octave to it, and Gregory XI. added a vigil.

Holy Crofs. A feftival inftituted in commemoration of the bringing back to Jerufalem, by the Emperor Heraclius, in the year 615, a great fragment of the holy crofs which had been taken thence by Cotrhoes king of Perfia, who plundered the holy city. Heraclius purfued and defeated him, and reftored the fragment to its place.

Lambert, bishop of Utrecht, in the time of Pepin I. of France; a zealous prelate, who was affaffinated by the contrivance of a loose woman, concubine to the king's grandfon, because he had reproved the prince for his connection with her. He was canonized fhortly after his murder, but did not obtain the dedication of a day to his memory, till Robert bifhop of Leeds procured an order for it, in a general chapter of the Ciftertian order, A. D. 1240.

St. Cyprian, bifhop of Carthage, A. D. 248. An African, and heathen, but converted to the faith, which he fet his feal to by becoming a martyr in the Decian perfecution.-It should feem by the Romish Breviary, however, that this day was confecrated to another St. Cyprian, of Antioch, a deacon and martyr. In his death (which was by frying in a pan) he had for his companion one Justina, a beautiful Chriftian virgin, and the object of his attachment. Unconquered by tortures, they died profefling their religion, A. D. 272.

+ St. Jerome. A celebrated Chriftian divine, born in Palestine; first monk, and then ordained prefbyter, A.D. 378. He is remarkable for having tranflated all the canonical Scriptures of the Old Teftament out of the Hebrew into Latin; all which books the Jews themfelves received in his day as canonical. His learning was great, his application and diligence exceffive, and his zeal ardent. He died A. D. 422, aged 80.

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Vifitation of the Virgin Mary. This feftival was inftituted in the year 1441, by Urban VI. to allay the ferment which had been excited by the oppofite claims of himself and Clement VII. to the Papacy. The day was dedicated to the remembrance of the journey taken by the Virgin Mary into the deferts of Judea to vifit the mother of John the Baptift; to the end "that the being honoured with this folemnity, might reconcile her "Son by her intercellion, who is now angry for the fins of men; and that "fhe might grant peace and unity among the faithful."

+ Tranflation of St. Martin. The 4th of July is dedicated to the removal of the remains of this faint (who was firft a foldier, and afterwards Bishop of Tours in France) from the place of their original obfcure interment to a fepulchre of expence and magnificence: this was performed by Bishop Perpetuus, one of his fucceffors in the fee.

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Swithun, bishop of Winchefter; commonly called the crying faint, from the traditional obfervation, that if there be rain on his day, there will be rain more or lefs for forty days after. The occafion of this tradition is thus explained in the Antiquitates Vulgares: "The Monks do indeed give fome fhew of reafon why rain should happen about the time of St. "Swithun; for about the time of his feaft there are two rainy conftella"tions, Præcepe, and Afellus, which arife cofmically, and generally pro "duce rain." Swithun was firft a monk, afterwards prior of the convent of Winchester, and promoted to the fee in 852. It is recorded, as an inftance of his humility, that he would not be buried in the church, aś bifhops always were, but in the church-yard.

Margaret. A virgin who fuffered martyrdom A. D. 278, in confequence of her refufing to marry Olybius, prefident of the Eaft, under the Romans. The papifts regard her memory with much refpect, and confider her (as the Romans did Lucina) the tutelary faint of women in labour.

St. Mary Magdalene, or of Magdala. This day continued to be a feftival for fome years after the Reformation in this country. The first Prayer-Book of Edward VIth contained a fervice for it. The Epiftle was part of the 31ft chapter of Proverbs, from the roth verfe to the end; the Gofpel was the 7th chapter of Luke, from verfe 36; and the Collect was as follows: "Merciful Father, give us grace that we never presume to fin "through the example of any creature; but if it fhall chance us at any "time to offend thy Divine Majefty, that then we may truly repent and la "ment the fame, after the example of Mary Magdalene; and by a lively "faith obtain remiffion of all our fins, through the only merits of thy Son “our Saviour Chrift. Amen." As it became a doubt, however, with our Reformers afterwards, whether Mary Magdalene were the woman men. tioned in Luke vii. or not, the festival was ordered to be discontinued.

St. Anne. In a fragment of Hippolitus the Martyr, preferved to us by Nicephorus, we find the following mention of this holy female: "There were three fifters of Bethlehem, daughters of Matthan the prieft, "and Mary his wife, under the reign of Cleopatra, and Cafopares king " of Perfia, before the reign of Herod, the fon of Antipater. The eldeft was Mary; the fecond was Sobe; the youngeft's name was Anne. The "eldeft, being married in Bethlehem, had for daughter Salome the "midwife. Sobe, the fecond, likewife married in Bethlehem, and was "the mother of Elizabeth. Laft of all the third married in Gallilee, and brought forth Mary the mother of Christ."

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Remigius, bishop of Rheims in France. He is efteemed by many the Apoftle of that country, having baptized Clovis, the king of that country; who, in the fimplicity of his heart, and ardour of a new convert, exclaimed, on hearing a fermon on the sufferings of Chrift: "If I had been "there with my Franks, it should not have happened." He died at the advanced age of 96, A. D. 535.

Faith, Virgin and Martyr. Little is known of her, except that the was born at Pais de Gavre in France, and suffered a cruel martyrdom, A. D. 290.

t St. Denys, or Dionyfius the Areopagite, was converted to Christianity by St. Paul, (vide Acts xvii.); one of the judges of the famous Athenian court called the Areopagus, but afterwards bishop of Athens, and a mar tyr. The French affert he was the firft who preached the Gospel in their country, and therefore claim him as their tutelar faint.

Tranflation of King Edward the Confeffor. The youngest son of King Ethelred, and fucceeded to the English crown in 1042. The title of Confeffor was conferred on him by the Pope, for his agreeing to pay the Roman Pontiff a yearly tribute of acknowledgment, called Rome-Scot, or Peter-Pence. He merited more of his country, however, for collecting and digefting a body of useful laws. At the coronation of the Kings of England, his chair and crown, staff and fpurs, are still used.

Etheldreda. Daughter of Anna, king of the Eaft-Angles, and born A.D. 630, at a village in Suffolk. She married Toubert, an Eaft-Anglian earl; and on his death took King Egfrid for her fecond husband. Upon the death of Toubert, the Ifle of Ely became her fole property, where the founded a convent, and built the conventual church. After a refidence of twelve years with her laft husband, and having no children, the obtained permiffion to take the veil; which fhe did at Coldingham abbey, Yorkthire, under Ebba, daughter of King Ethelfred. She died abbefs of Ely, June 23d, 679, and her name was afterwards corrupted into that of St. Audrey.

Crifpin and Crifpianus: martyrs and brothers, born at Rome towards the latter end of the third century. They travelled into France, in order to preach the Gospel, and that they might not be chargeable to their hearers, they worked as hoemakers, and thus fupported themfelves. In confequence of this they are confidered as the tutelar faints of that trade. They were beheaded at Soiffons about the year 303.

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