May 31.

St. Petronilla, 1st Cent. St. Cantius and Cantianus, brothers, and Cantianilla, their sister, A.D. 304.

St. Petronilla.

"Her name," says "Butler, "is the feminine, and diminutive of Peter, and she is said to have been a daughter of the apostle St. Peter, which tradition is confirmed by certain writings, quoted by the Manichees, in the time of St. Austin, which affirm, that St. Peter had a daughter whom he cured of the palsy; but it seems not certain whether she was more than the spiritual daughter of that apostle." Ribadeneira refers to these Manichæan writings, by which, according to Butler, the "tradition is confirmed," and unluckily for Butler, he says, that St. Augustine calls these writings apocryphal. Ribadeneira carefully adds though, that Augustine "doth not therefore reprove it as false." Yet it is curious to find this jesuit telling of Augustine, that he teacheth, "that without prejudice of charity we may chastise the body of our enemy, the heretic, for the salvation of his soul." This saying of Augustine's is wholly uncalled for by any thing that Ribadeneira says regarding Petronilla; it is a hot puff of a fiery spirit.

---

FLORAL DIRECTORY.

Yellow Turkscap Lily. Lilium Pomponicum flavum.
Dedicated to St. Petronilla.