9. Of the patience and death of petronilla, this Virgin's niece

It is now befitting to relate something also of the maiden Petronilla, this holy virgin's niece. This young maid then of seventeen years of age was the daughter of the virgin Lydia's brother, a lover and guardian of perpetual chastity, taking care of her aunt day and night in the so grievous trouble of a long sickness. In the flesh a relative, in the spirit a sister, by service a handmaiden, she chose to serve the virgin as a virgin, and with chaste attentions to soothe most lovingly the pains of the sufferer. In the persecu- ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM tion of the men of Picardy, who most grievously wounded holy Lydia, the virgin pleasing to God, thereby to be crowned with more ample glory, with all her strength, as was said above, she set herself for the defence of her ailing aunt, that they might not harm the innocent one. For she grieved exceedingly with her who was injured, and hearing many grievous insults and threats, received and endured bodily wounds also from the men of Picardy, so that after ailing a long time she died of her injury. A few days before her death Lydia, set in great tribulation and from persecution rendered more fervent towards God, had the following vision, a true presage of what was to come. For on a certain night being in an ecstasy she saw a solemn pro cession of the heavenly citizens, wherein they each proceeded in distinct orders, to wit, the patriarchs together, the prophets together, the apostles with the apostles, but also the martyrs, confessors and virgins, and priests and clerics each shone in the rank and dignity of his state. And they pro ceeded from the church of the town of Schiedam, preceded as usual by crosses ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM and lights burning- more brightly than the sun, and they came to the door of her house, from which taking a coffin they bore it to the church. And the virgin herself followed the bier with crowns which had been given her, of which she bore one on her head, the others one in each hand. Coming back to herself therefore, she suspected that her own death was foreshadowed by this vision, but at length she said that it signified the death of her niece Petronilla. Whereupon the virgin of Christ, fearful concerning the passing away of her niece, urgently besought the Lord that He would so order her fevers that she might be able to speak to Petronilla for her comfort before her departure, for she loved her ex ceedingly with a sincere love. And the Lord, hearing her prayers and groanings and in pity for the one who was about to die, forestalled the time of the daily fever by the space of about six hours, to the surprise of many who were there, and thus the heat of the fever being cooled, she recovered power to speak with and console Petronilla, who was shortly to pass from the struggle of this world to Christ. Having ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM received then divine comfort from the holy virgin, the maid Petronilla, after being often tried in anguish, as she was the companion of the sufferings of Lydia in life, so also she merited to be the sharer of her comfort in death. Therefore after the vision shown before, and having gratefully received consolation from her most dear aunt, the devout virgin of Christ, Petronilla departed to enter the heavenly court, in the year of the Lord one thousand four hundred and twenty-six, on the nineteenth of the Kalends of February, the feast of St. Pontianus, martyr.1