Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/St Elizabeth

ELIZABETH, St (1207–1231), of Hungary, daughter of Andrew l[., king of Hungary, was born in l’resburg in 1207. At four years of age she was betrothed to L mis [V., land-grave of Thuringia, and conducted to the 'l‘huringian court ta be educated un lcr the direction of his parents. From her earliest years she is said to have evinced an aversion to worldly pleasures, and, making the early Christians her chief model, to have devoted her whole time to religion and to works of charity. She was married at the age of fourteen, an .l acquired such inllucnce over her bus- band that he adopted her doctrines aml zealously assisted her in all her charitable endeavours. On the death of Louis in 1227, Elizabeth was deprived of the regency by his brother Henry ltaspe, on the pretext that she was wast- ing the estates by her ahns; aml with her three infant children she was driven from her home without being allowed to carry with her even the bar-3st necessaries of life. She lived for some time in great hardship, but ultimately her uncle, the bishop of Bamberg, offered her an asylum in a house adjoining his pal-ace. Through the intercession of Some of the principal barons, the regency was again offered her, and her Son Hermann was declared heir to the throne; but renouncing all power, and making use of her wealth only for charitable purposes, she preferred to live in seclusion at Marburg under the direction of her Confessor Conrad. There she spent the remainder of her days in penances of unusual severity, and in ministrations to the sick, especially these afflicted with the most loathsome diseases. She died at Marburg, 19th November 1231, and four years afterwards was canonized by Gregory IN. on account of the frequent miracles reported to have been perfirmed at her tomb.

A life of Elizabeth was written by Theodore of Thuringia; and L’Ulsloz'rc de Sainte llsubclh dc [long/Tic, by Montalcmbcrt, was published at Paris in 1836. Her life has also supplied the materials for a dramatic poem by Charles Kingsley, entitled the Saint's Tragedy.