to the profane historians of Rome.  Many statements of not less difficulty to reconcile with fact occur in the course of the Acts.  But, although their authority in particulars be thus destroyed, we see no reason for questioning the reality of the chief events upon which they are founded.  The date of the martyrdom of St. Cecilia may be wrong, the reports of her conversations may be as fictitious as the speeches ascribed by grave historians to their heroes, the stories of her miracles may have only that small basis of reality which is to be found in the effects of superstition and excited imagination,—­but the essential truth of the martyrdom of a young, beautiful, and rich Roman girl, of her suffering and her serene faith, and of the veneration and honor in which her memory was held by those who had known her, may be accepted without reserve.  At least, it is certain, that as early as the beginning of the fourth century the name of St. Cecilia was reverenced in Rome, and that from that time she has been one of the chief saints of the Roman calendar.]

[Footnote B:  The Catacombs of St. Callixtus are among the most important of the underground cemeteries.  They were begun before the time of Callixtus, but were greatly enlarged under his pontificate [A.D. 219-223].  Saint though he be, the character of Callixtus, if we may judge by the testimony of another saint, Hippolytus, stood greatly in need of purification.  His story is an amusing illustration of the state of the Roman episcopacy in those times.  He had been a slave of a rich Christian, Carpophorus.  His master set him up as a money-dealer in the Piscina Publica, a much frequented quarter of the city.  The Christian brethren (and widows also are mentioned by Hippolytus) placed their moneys in his hands for safe-keeping, his credit as the slave of Carpophorus being good.  He appropriated these deposits, ran away to sea, was pursued, threw himself into the water, was rescued, brought back to Rome, and condemned to hard labor.  Carpophorus bailed him out of the workhouse,—­but he was a bad fellow, got into a riot in a Jewish synagogue, and was sent to work in the Sardinian mines.  By cheating he got a ticket of leave and returned to Rome.  After some years, he was placed in charge of the cemetery by the bishop or pope, Zephyrinus, and at his death, some time later, by skilful intrigues he succeeded in obtaining the bishopric itself.  The cemetery is now called that of Saint Callixtus,—­and in the saint the swindler is forgotten.]

[Footnote C:  The passage in the Acts of St. Cecilia which led to her being esteemed the patroness of music is perhaps the following, which occurs in the description of the wedding ceremonies:  “Cantantibus organis, Caecilia in corde suo soli Domino decantabat, dicens:  ’Fiat cor meum et corpus meum immaculatum, ut non confundar.’”]