OF SIX MEDLEVAL WOMEN 



to entitle its Abbess to a seat in the Imperial 

 Diet, a right perhaps never exercised except by 

 proxy. The story of its foundation, as told by 

 Roswitha in the unique MS. of her works, is 

 of strange beauty. Listen to her own words as 

 she tells the tale : 



At that time there was, nigh unto the Monastery, 1 a little 

 wood, encircled by shady hills, those same hills by the which 

 we ourselves are surrounded. . And there was, moreover, in the 

 wood a small farm where the swineherds of Liudolf were wont 

 to dwell, and within the enclosure of which the men, during 

 the hours of night, composed to rest their weary bodies until 

 the time when they must needs drive forth to pasture the pigs 

 committed to their care. Here, on a time, two days before 

 the Feast of All Saints, these same herdsmen, in the darkness 

 of the night, saw full many bright lights glowing in the wood. 

 And they were astonished at the sight, and marvelled what 

 could be the purport of this strange vision of blazing light 

 cleaving the darkness of the night with its wondrous brilliance. 

 And all trembling with fear, they related unto their Master 

 that which they had seen, showing unto him the place which 

 had been illumined by the light. And he, desiring by very 

 sight thereof to put to proof that which he had heard tell, 

 joined them without the building, and began the following 

 night, without sleeping, to keep watch, closing not his eyes 

 though they were weighed down by the desire of slumber. 

 And after a while he saw the kindling lights, more in number 

 than afore, once again burn with a red glow, in the same place 

 forsooth, but at an hour somewhat earlier. And this glad 

 sign of happy omen he made known so soon as Phoebus shed 

 his first rays from the sky, and the joyous news spread every- 

 where. And this could not be kept back from the worthy 

 Duke Liudolf, but swifter than speech did it come to his 

 ears. And he, carefully observing on the hallowed eve of the 

 approaching festival whether perchance some further like 

 heavenly vision would clearly show it to be an omen, with 

 much company kept watch on the wood all the night long. 



1 The first foundation, afterwards removed to Gandersheim. 



2 



