The Life of Saint Katherine of Alexandria

Prologue: The Discovery and Translation of Katherine’s Life

19 P r o l o g u e The Discovery and Translation of Katherine’s Life Jesus Christ, crown of all maidens, a maiden gave birth to you and suckled you. According to our book, you lead the saints, those lilies that neither fade nor wilt. They look to you with all their hearts. Their love and pleasure are so firmly fixed on you, lord, that they can’t help following you. We know you lead the dance in an orderly fashion, followed by your mother, and then by others, according to their share of eternal joy.1 After the lady whose bliss exceeds all others’2 goes the virgin we call Katherine. We know this, lord, because you and yours have given her such an abundance of grace that all the privileges found in other saints are perfected in her, for she abounds in all of them. If we consider all the saints who inhabited this earth in one form or another, we’ll find their distinctions in this same Kathe­ rine.3 You gave John the great Evangelist, lord, the gift of your presence at his death; you were pleased to grant this maiden that very same presence at the end of her life. You made oil well from her grave, just as you did for Saint Nicholas. And for her purity you granted her the grace you gave Saint Paul: milk flowed from 20 The Life of Saint Katherine of Alexandria his throat along with blood as a sign that martyrdom and virginity were conjoined in him. You, daughter of kings, enjoyed all these holy privileges fully. God sent his angels to deck out your grave, just as he once did for Saint Clement. And just as God granted Saint Margaret ’s dying petition—that whatever man or woman devoutly asks a favor in her name will have it (provided he asks properly and that it’s in his best interest)—your beloved—that is, God—­ obtained that same grace for you, Katherine. Therefore, I will do my best to serve you by writing the story of your life, so that it will be more widely known by women and men. There was a priest, who had grown pale through the labor of his eighteen-­ year search for the account of your life. At last he found it, much to his delight, buried deep in the ground, up in Greece. No Roman or Trojan knight was more delighted with a sword or a bright round helmet than this priest was with the life. He blessed you over and over again and said that all his hardship had turned to comfort, joy, and relief. He translated that account into English very well, but he died before he had fully completed it—he didn’t get to your passion, lady, and the part about the wheel;4 it still needs doing. And what he wrote is very hard to read on account of his obscure language.5 He’s dead now; you’ve given him his reward. Now, lady, with your help, I’ll write a clearer version of his work. Man, maiden, and wife will know what you’ve suffered, and also what you’ve achieved. Pray God, our lord, to unlock the door and inspire us with his special grace so that we are able to praise you and him. This priest whom I just mentioned spoke of his desires in his prologue, how he traveled through many lands to learn about this martyr’s birth, country, language, and parentage. He spent eighteen years seeking this information, praying and fasting, enduring cold and much discomfort. At last he had a revelation—misty, dark, and shrouded in clouds.6 In this vision, he thought he saw a worthy person clothed in fine vestments who kept calling loudly to him, “Behold , man, who I am, what I show, and why I came.” In his hand, he held a very old book, with rotten covers and dusty, torn The Discovery and Translation of Katherine’s Life 21 pages. And he kept calling to the priest, “Look! This is what you’ve striven for—this is your goal! I know perfectly well what you’ve searched for. Open your mouth: you must eat this book; unless you do, you won’t achieve your desire.” “Mercy, lord,” the priest replied. “Spare me! How should I eat this book? Its...