The Argosy (Volume 69)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899. Excerpt: ... THREE NOTABLE LADIES. By Jan Winn. T T would be interesting to know why the Church in its wisdom has always been so much more prone to canonise men than women. For every woman who has a place in the calendar, there are half a score of men at least. Yet who would venture to maintain, in this our day, that men are, or ever have been, ten times more saintly than women? Clearly it is a case of flagrant injustice. The devil's advocate has always had the sympathy of the Court on his side when the claimant, with whom he was dealing, was a lady. It is a remarkable fact, therefore, considering the difficulties against which they have had to contend, that there should be one month in which no less than five women have had special days set apart in their honour. All the five are, of course, saints of the first rank, and three of them, St. Colette, St. Jane of Valois, and St. Clare of Rimini, are also interesting personages, who played more or less of a role in the world. St. Colette was certainly a notable woman, one with a clear head and strong will, and a marvellous power of making that will prevail. Her most marked characteristic was sturdy common-sense, and this being the case, were she alive to-day, she would make short work of the many strange wild legends that have grown up around her memory. She was French by birth, but whether noble or plebeian, is a matter of dispute, the name even of her parents being unknown. She was born in the latter half of the fourteenth century, and passed her early days with the Beguines--a community of women supposed to devote themselves to good works. After a time she left the Beguines, holding that their rule of conduct was less severe than it ought to be, and she joined the Third Order of St. Francis. A very short experience o...