Veronica

VERNON, AMBROSE WHITE: Congregation alist; b. in New York City Oct. 13, 1870. He was educated at Princeton (B.A., 1891), Union Theo logical Seminary (1894), and the universities of Berlin, Halle, and Göttingen (1894-96). He was pastor of the First Congregational churches at Hia watha, Kan. (1896-99), and East Orange, N. J. (1899-1904); pastor of Church of Christ, Dartmouth College, N. H.; professor of Biblical literature in the same college (1904-07); and professor of practical theology in Yale Divinity School (1907-09). Since 1909 he has been pastor of Harvard Church, Brookline, Mass. He has written The Religious Value of the Old Testament (New York, 1907), and has edited the series Modern Religious Problems (1909), Songs for the Chapel (in collaboration with C. H. Morse, 1909), and Hymns of the Kingdom of God (in collaboration with H. S. Coffin, 1910).

VERONICA, ve-ren'i-ca or ver"ro-nf'ca: The traditional name of a pious woman of Jerusalem, who, according to the legend in its most common form, when Christ passed by her on his way to Gol gotha, took off her head-cloth, and handed it to him in order that he might wipe the blood and sweat from his face; and, when he returned the cloth, his features had become impressed upon it (see Jesus Christ, Pictures Aim Images of, III.,

1, § 2). A modification of the legend identifies Veronica (or rather Berenice, according to Johannes of Malala, in Chronographia, x. 306-308; in CSHB) with the woman "diseased with an issue of blood" (Matt: ix. 20-22). Another represents her as sprung from royal blood, a grand-daughter of Herod the Great, evidently confounding her with Berenice, the niece of Herodias. The manner in which the portrait was brought to Rome is generally represented as follows: the Emperor Tiberius was sick; and, having heard of the wondrous cures wrought by the portrait, he sent for Veronica. She obeyed the call, and went to Rome, and; as soon as the emperor had touched the cloth, he was cured. Veronica remained in Rome, and, when she died, bequeathed the relic to Clement, the successor of Peter. In the beginning of the eighth century, Pope John VII. asserted that the Church of St. Maria Maggiore was in possession of the miraculous portrait; but it was shown only to kings and princes, and only under special conditions. Both Milan, however, and Jaen in Spain, claim to have the genuine head-cloth of Veronica. It is worth noticing that in the thirteenth century (Gervasius of Tilburg, Otia imperialia, xxv.; Matthew of Paris, on the year 1216), it was not the possessor of the cloth, but the cloth itself which was called "Veronica," this being based on the word-play vera icon., " the true picture." Most probably the legend is a growth; first came the story, which is even likelyChrist may well have received this kindness from a pitying bystander; then the legend that the cloth had upon it the "true picture" of Christ's face; then the name of this became the name of the person giving it.

Bibliography: ASB, Feb., i. 449-457; W. Grimm, Die Sage vom Ursprung der Christuabilder, Berlin, 1843; Tillemont, Mémoires, i. 471 172; X. Pearson, Die Fronroca, sin Beitrag zur Geschichte der ChrbstusbsTder im Mittelalter, Strasburg, 1887; J. Palms, Die deutschen Yeronicalegenden den Ly. JahrhunderEs, Prague, 1892; E, von Dobachiita, in TU, iii (1899); idem, Christuabilder, Leipsic, 1899; idem and L. Coat, in Burlington Magazine, Sept., 1904; W. Weals, in Dietaehe Warande, new series, iii. 600-618; C. G. N. de Booys, in Tijdschrift moor Nederlandsche TaaY en Letterkunde, vol. ax., 1901; DCB, iv. 1107-08.