“ Through the intercession of some of the principal barons, the regency was again offered her, and her son Hermann was declared heir to the landgraviate; 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, the bigoted persecutor Conrad of Marburg. There she spent the remainder of her days in penances of unusual severity, and in ministrations to the sick, especially those afflicted with the most loathsome diseases. ”

“ She was married at the age of fourteen, and acquired such influence over her husband that he adopted her point of view and zealously assisted her in all her charitable endeavours. According to the legend, much celebrated in German art, Louis at first desired to curtail her excessive charities, and forbade her unbounded gifts to the poor. ”

“ It is far more probable, however, that the passage is not to be taken literally.
Lives of St Elizabeth were written by Theodoricus (Dietrich) of Apolda (b. 1228) , Caesarius of Heisterbach (d. c. 1240) , Conrad of Marburg and others (see Potthast, Bibl. Hist. Med. Aev. p. 1284) . A metrical life in German exists by Johann Rothe (d. c. 1440) , chaplain to the Landgravine Anne of Thuringia (Potthast, p. 985) . L’Histoire de Sainte Élisabeth de Hongrie, by Montalembert, was published at Paris in 1836. ”