athlete who is not overcome.  Purity is the truth that blencheth not.  Purity is worthy before God of being to Him a familiar handmaiden.  Purity is the messenger of concord which bringeth the tidings of peace.”

Another romance of chastity is furnished by the episode of Drusiana in The History of the Apostles traditionally attributed to Abdias, Bishop of Babylon (Bk. v, Ch.  IV, et seq.).  Drusiana is the wife of Andronicus, and is so pious that she will not have intercourse with him.  The youth Callimachus falls madly in love with her, and his amorous attempts involve many exciting adventures, but the chastity of Drusiana is finally triumphant.

A characteristic example of the literature we are here concerned with is St. Ambrose’s story of “The Virgin in the Brothel” (narrated in his De Virginibus, Migne’s edition of Ambrose’s Works, vols. iii-iv, p. 211).  A certain virgin, St. Ambrose tells us, who lately lived at Antioch, was condemned either to sacrifice to the gods or to go to the brothel.  She chose the latter alternative.  But the first man who came in to her was a Christian soldier who called her “sister,” and bade her have no fear.  He proposed that they should exchange clothes.  This was done and she escaped, while the soldier was led away to death.  At the place of execution, however, she ran up and exclaimed that it was not death she feared but shame.  He, however, maintained that he had been condemned to death in her place.  Finally the crown of martyrdom for which they contended was adjudged to both.

We constantly observe in the early documents of this romantic literature of chastity that chastity is insisted on by no means chiefly because of its rewards after death, nor even because the virgin who devotes herself to it secures in Christ an ever-young lover whose golden-haired beauty is sometimes emphasized.  Its chief charm is represented as lying in its own joy and freedom and the security it involves from all the troubles, inconveniences and bondages of matrimony.  This early Christian movement of romantic chastity was clearly, in large measure, a revolt of women against men and marriage.  This is well brought out in the instructive story, supposed to be of third century origin, of the eunuchs Achilleus and Nereus, as narrated in the Acta Sanctorum, May 12th.  Achilleus and Nereus were Christian eunuchs of the bedchamber to Domitia, a virgin of noble birth, related to the Emperor Domitian and betrothed to Aurelian, son of a Consul.  One day, as their mistress was putting on her jewels and her purple garments embroidered with gold, they began in turn to talk to her about all the joys and advantages of virginity, as compared to marriage with a mere man.  The conversation is developed at great length and with much eloquence.  Domitia was finally persuaded.  She suffered much from Aurelian in consequence, and when he obtained her banishment to an island she went