be too painful to detail, but they afforded Agostina an opportunity of

displaying her intrepidity. She threw herself into the most perilous positions, to rescue the unhappy beings wounded by the bombs or by the falling of timbers. She went ft-om house to house, vis- iting the wounded, binding up their hm-ts, or supplying aid to the sick or starving. The French, by their indomitable perseverance, Imd, from step to step rendered themselves masters of nearly half the city. Lefevre thought his hour of triumph had now ccrtauily arrived— he sent to the commandant, Palafox, to demand a capit- ulation. Palafox received this in public; he turned to Agostina, who stood near him, completely armed — "What shall I answer?"

The girl indignantly replied, "War to the knife 1"

Her exclamation was echoed by the populace, and Palafox made her words his reply to Lefevre.

Nothing in the history of war has ever been recorded, to re- semble the consequence of this refusal to capitulate. One row of houses in a street would be occupied by the Spanish, the opposite row by the French. A continual tempest of balls passed through the air; the town was a volcano; the most revolting butchery was carried on for eleven days and eleven nights. Every street, every house, was disputed with musket and poignard. Agostina ran from rank to rank, everj^where taking the most active part. The French were gradually driven back; and the dawn of the 17th. of August, saw them relinquish this long-disputed prey, and take the road to Pampeluna. The triumph of the patriots — ^their joy, was unspeakable. Palafox rendered due honours to the brave men who had perished, and endeavoured to remunerate the few intrepid warriors who survived — among them was Agostina. But what could be oflfered commensurate with the services of one who had saved the city? Palafox told her to select what honom-s she pleased — anything would be granted her. She modestly answered that, she begged to be allowed to retain the rank of engineer, and to have the privilege of wearing the arms of Saragossa. The rest of her life was passed in honourable poverty, untU the year 1826, when she died,

Superior of a convert at Agreda, in Spain, founded by her parents, wrote a fanatical book on the life of the Virgin Mary, which she said had been revealed to her from heaven. A trans- lation of this extravagant book, which was prohibited at Rome, was published at Brussels in 1717. Notwithstanding the absurdities of this work, it was deemed so fascinating and dangerous by the theolo- gical faculty of Paris, that it was thought proper to censure it. A violent opposition was made to the censure by some of the doctors of the Sorbonne, which, on this important occasion, were divided into two fierce parties, to one of whom the name of Agredians was given, which they long retained. One of the pro- positions of this singular work was — "That (iod gave to the holy "Virgin all that he would, and would give her all that he could, and could give her all that was not of the essence of God."

Marie d' Agreda died in 1665, aged sixty-three. Great efforts were made at Rome to procure her canonization, but without effect.