Brewer's: Fasting

The most ingenious method of fasting I know of is that recorded in the Mappemonde Papistique, p. 82. A Venetian saint had certain boxes made like mass-books, and these book-boxes were filled, some with Malmsey wine, and some with the fleshiest parts of capons and partridges. These were supposed to be books of devotion, and the saint lived long and grew fat on them. Fastrade (2 syl.). Daughter of the Saxon count Rodolph and Luitgarde the German. One of the nine wives of Charlemagne.

Those same soft bells at eventide Rang in the ears of Charlemagne, As, seated by Fastrada's side At lugelheim,in all his pride, He heard their sound with secret pain.

Longfellow: Golden Legend, vi.

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