(A.D. 526.)
[Authorities:--The lives of S. Bridget.]
Amongst the nuns of S. Bridget's monastery of Kildare, there was one
named Darlugdach. When young, she followed S. Bridget, and being very
dear to her, slept with the abbess.
Darlugdach, not guarding her eyes with sufficient strictness, saw, and
fell in love with a man, who also became enamoured of her, and their
ardent glances revealed their mutual passion. A plan was formed that
she should elope with him, on a certain night; and she laid herself in
the bosom of the sleeping abbess with beating heart, troubled by a
conflict between duty and passion. At last she rose, and in an agony
of uncertainty, cast herself on her knees, and besought God to give
her strength to master her love, and then, in the vehemence of her
resolve, she thrust her naked feet into the red coals that glowed on
the hearth, and held them there till the pain had conquered the
passion. After that, she softly stole into bed again, and crept into
the bosom of her holy mother. When morning broke, Bridget rose, and
looked at the blistered and scorched soles, and touching them, said
gently, "I slept not, dear child, but was awake, and saw thy struggle,
and now, because thou hast fought valiantly, and hast conquered, the
flame of lust shall no more hurt thee." And she healed her feet.
Darlugdach, as has been related in the life of S. Bridget, besought
her spiritual mother to let her die with her, but S. Bridget promised
that she should follow on the anniversary of her departure, after the
expiration of a year. And so it was.