*Blafius. Bishop of Sebafte in Armenia; who is reported to have difcovered the art of woolcombing, and is therefore the patron Saint of the woolcombers, who in some places (particularly at Norwich) honour his memory by an annual proceffion. On these occafions one of the trade reprefents the Bifhop, being clothed in episcopal vestments, and carrying in his hand a pair of combs. He was put to death in his native city during the Dioclefian perfecution, by Agricolaus the prefident of it in the year 289. + Agatha. A Sicilian virgin of honourable family; fuffered martyrdom at Catanea, under the Emperor Decius, the 5th of February 253. Quintinianus, the governor of the province, being enamoured of her beauty, endeavoured by threats to overcome her virtue; but not succeeding in his defign, he tortured her in the most horrid manner, and thruft her into a dungeon. After a short time, the Prætor fent for her again, intending to repeat his cruelties; but the holy virgin praying to be faved from further torture, immediately expired. Valentine. A bishop, or according to some ecclefiaftical writers, only a prefbyter of the church. Under the Emperor Decius he was perfecuted for his religion; and delivered into the cuftody of one Afterius, upon whose daughter he worked a miracle, and by these means converted the whole family to the Chriftian faith. After a year's imprisonment at Rome, he was beheaded in the Flaminian Way (or road) near that city, A.D. 271. The custom of choosing Valentines on this festival is faid by fome to have originated in the character of this faint, who was celebrated for his chriftian love and charity; by others, from the fact in natural hif tory, of birds pairing on or about this day. WITH THE TABLE OF LESSONS. MARCH hath xxxi Days. MORNING PRAYER. EVENING 1 Lesson. 2 Lesson. Lesson. 2 Leffon. d Calendæ David, A. B.* Deut. 15 Luke 12 Deut. 16 Eph. 6 2e 6 Non. Chad, Bp.t 18 Phil. I 3f5 Non. 19 14 20 2 4 4 Non. 5 A3 Non. 6b Pr.Non. 27 Col. 1 7c Nonæ Perpetua.‡ 8d 8 Id. 9e7 Id. 32 20 33 41 10f 6 Id. 34 21 Jofh. 11 Thef.1 11g5 Id. Josh. 2 12 A4 Id. Greg. M. B. 3 13b 3 Id. 4 14 Prid.Id. 15d Idus. 232 Thef.1 16 e 17 Cal. Apr. 24 3 Judg. 2 17 f16 Cal. 18g 15 Cal. Edw. K. Weft. 5 Tim. 19A 14 Cal. [Sax. 오, 3 2613 Cal. 1421 C12 Cal. Benedit, Ab.1 322d11 Cal. 6 10 Cal. 2 Tim.1 112 f 9 Cal. 25g 8 Cal. Annunc. of Vir. 1026A 7 Cal. [Mary. 827 b 6 Cal. 21 Titus 1 2 c5 Cal. Ruth 1 15 Ruth 2 2,3 1629 d 4 Cal. 4 Philem. 530e 3 Cal. Sam. 1 131fPr. Cal. 3 17 Sam.2 Hebr. 1 18 2 4 The Numbers here prefixed to the feveral days, between the 21st day of March and the 18th day of April, hoth inclufive, denote the days upon which thofe Full Moons do fall, which happen apon or next after the 21ft day of March, in thole years, of which they are refpectively the Golden Numbers; and the Sundav-Letter next following any fuch Full Moon, points out Eater day for that year. All which holds until the year of our Lord 1829 inclusive; after which year. the place of these Golden Numbers will be to be changed, as is hereafter expretled. 5. * David. Archbishop, a native of Wales, and patron Saint of that country; uncle to Arthur, and fon of Xanthus prince of Cardiganshire, by Meleria a nun. He was a man of deep learning for the times in which he lived; skilled in theology, and an able oppofer of the Pelagians. Twelve monafteries near St. David's were founded by him, which produced many great and pious men. At a fynod held at Brevy in Brevy in Cardiganshire againft Pelagianism, St. David spoke with fo much eloquence and ability, that the Archbishop of Carleon begged to resign his fee to a divine fo much better qualified to fill it than himself; but it was only by the command of the fynod that St. David could be prevailed on to accept it. He obtained permiffion to remove his fee from Carleon to Menevia, now St. David's, which obtained that name from the circumstance of his refiding there. Having filled this fee fixty-five years, and lived one hundred and forty-fix, he died in 642, as full of honour as of years. He was buried in his own church of St. Andrew, which then changed its name for that of the deceafed archbishop. Pope Calixtus II. about five hundred years afterwards canonized him. + Chad, or Cedde. Bishop of Lichfield, a fubordinate dignity in the church from the Archbishoprick of York, which he had been compelled to accept of, by Egfrid king of Northumberland, in the lengthened absence of Archbishop Wilfrid. On Wilfrid's return Cedde refigned the archiepifcopal throne to him, and was made Bishop of Lichfield by Wolphere king of Mercia, whom he is reported to have converted to Chriftianity; though Wolphere had previously in a fit of rage destroyed both his sons for attending the preaching of Cedde. He died March 2d, A. D. 672. Perpetua. A female of diftinction, who fealed her faith by martyrdom in the fifth primitive perfecution under the Emperor Severus, A. D. 205. St. Austin speaks of Perpetua in high terms of praife, informing us her constancy and fortitude under fuffering was so great, that she fuckled her infant during her tortures. He adds that the anniversary of her martyrdom was an holy-day in his time. Gregory the Great. Bishop of Rome; a prelate of great learning and equal piety. He was confecrated to his fee in 590, and died in 604. Nothing diftinguished him more honourably than the oppofition he made after bis elevation to the mitre, to the title of Univerfal Bishop, which the bishops of Rome have for many centuries affumed. His memory is endeared to this country by the circumftance of its having been converted to Chriftianity through his means. For this purpose he fent to Britain the celebrated Auguftine, with forty attendant Monks, who in a short time happily atchieved their undertaking. He died in 604. His numerous works were printed at Rome, A. D. 1588, in eight volumes folio. D. 975, Edward, King of the West-Saxons. He came to the crown of his anceftors A. D. when little more than twelve years of age. Hated by his step-mother Elfrida, because he stood between her own fon Etheldred and the throne, hefoon fell a victim to her fury; for having called at CorfeCaftle in Dorsetshire to pay his respects to her, he was stabbed in the back by her order, whilft drinking a cup of wine on horseback at the gate. Pope Innocent IV. in 1245, appointed the day of his murder to be kept holy. Benedict. An Italian of good family, holy and learned, who instituted, A. D. 529, the famous order of Monks called after his name. His penances and mortifications were of the most painful nature. St. Gregory relates a notable miracle performed on his account, by which he was preferved un. Injured in a fire made by the Goths in his cell, and in an oven heated to the greatest extremity, and stopped up close. He died March 21, A. D. 542. |