_St. Uncumber_ (Vol. ii., pp. 286. 342.).--Sir Thomas More details in
his _Dialoge_, with his usual quaintness, the attributes and merits of
many saints, male and female, highly esteemed in his day, and, amongst
others, makes special mention of _St. Uncumber_, whose proper name, it
appears, was _Wylgeforte_. Of these saints he says--
"Some serve for the eye onely, and some for a sore breast. _St.
Germayne_ onely for children, and yet will he not ones loke at
them, but if the mother bring with them a white lofe and a pot
of good ale: and yet is he wiser than _St. Wylgeforte_, for she,
good soule, is, as they say, served and contented with otys.
Whereof I cannot perceive the reason, but if it be bycause she
sholde provyde an horse for an evil housebonde to ride to the
Devyll upon; for that is the thing that she is so sought for, as
they say. In so much that women hath therefore chaunged her
name, and in stede of _St. Wylgeforte call her St. Uncumber,
bycause they reken that for a pecke of otys she will not fayle
to uncumber theym of theyr housbondys_."--(Quoted in Southey's
_Colloquies_, vol. i. p. 414.)
_St. Wylgeforte_ is the female saint whom the Jesuit Sautel has
celebrated (in his _Annus Sacer Poeticus_) for her _beard_--a mark of
Divine favour bestowed upon her in answer to her prayers. She was a
beautiful girl, who wished to lead a single life, and that she might be
suffered to do so free from importunity, she prayed earnestly to be
rendered disagreeable to look upon, either by wrinkles, a hump on the
back, or in any other efficacious way. Accordingly the beard was given
her; and it is satisfactory to know that it had the desired {382} effect
to the fullest extent of her wishes. (Vid. Southey's _Omniana_, vol. ii.
p. 54., where Sautel's lines are quoted.)