VITUS, St, according to the Roman Breviary, while still a very young boy, had been baptized without the knowledge of his father, who, on learning this, spared no effort to bring about his return to paganism. After other severe measures had been tried in vain he was delivered to Valerian to be scourged, but even this had no effect, and he was handed back to his father. Admonished by an angel, Vitus, accompanied by Modestus and Crescentia, by whom he had been brought up, now took refuge abroad, where his fame for sanctity became so great that he was summoned by Diocletian to heal his child, who was grievously vexed with a devil. Successful in this he was urged by the ungrateful emperor to worship the pagan deities, and on his refusal was cast into prison. Along with Modestus and Crescentia he was sentenced to be plunged into a cauldron of molten lead, resin, and pitch, but here their experience was that of the three Hebrew children. Next they were cast before the lion, but the wild beast fawned upon them and licked their feet. Finally they were torn limb from limb. The three are commemorated on June 15. The more extended legend of St Vitus relates that, on one occasion when he had been shut up in a dungeon, his father looking through a chink in the door beheld him dancing with seven beautiful angels; so dazzled was he by the sight that he became blind, and recovered only through the intercession of his son. St Vitus is accordingly the patron saint of dancers and actors, and is invoked against the disease known as St Vitus’s Dance (q.v.). He is the patron of Saxony, Bohemia, and Sicily, and throughout Germany ranks as one of the fourteen “Nothhelfer” of the church.