CHAPTER LVII

CANDIDA

[1] ATTENDING to her precepts and imitating her like a mirror, the blessed Candida, daughter of Trajan the general, lived a worthy life and attained to the height of sanctity, paying honours both to churches and bishops. Having instructed her own daughter for the condition of virginity she brought her to Christ as a gift of her own body, afterwards following her own daughter in temperance and chastity and the distribution of her goods. [2] I knew her labour all night long with her hands at the mill to subdue her body; and she used to say: “Fasting is insufficient; I give it an ally in the shape of toilsome watching, that I may destroy the insolence of Esau.” She abstained absolutely from anything with blood and life in it, but taking fish and vegetables with oil on feast days, at other times she continued to content herself with a mixture of sour wine and dry bread.

[3] In emulation of her example the most venerable lady Gelasia, a tribune’s daughter, walked in the path of religion, having put on the yoke of virginity. Her virtue is renowned in that the sun never went down on her irritation against man-servant or maid-servant or any one else.