that the soule doth also liue after it is departed from the body THAT AS THE LIFE OF THE soule remaining in the bodye is gathered by the motion of the members so the life of the soule after death in holy men is to be found out by the vertue of miracles CHAPTER VI. Gregory HErein most readye I am to satisfye your request and for proffe of this pointe no difficultye do I finde for thincke you that the holy Apostles and martirs of Christ wolde haue contemned this present life and offered theire bodies to death had they not knowne that theire soules did most assuredly liue for euer You confesse that you knovve the life of the soule remayninge in the body by the motion thereof beholde then howe these that lost theire liues for Christ and beleeued that soules liued after death be renoumed for theire daily miracles For sicke persons come vnto Pilgrinage to Sainctes bodies theire deade bodies and be curied periured persons repaire thither and be possessed with deuiles possessed with deuiles visit them and are deliuered Lepers come and be clensed deade folke are broughte and they be raised vp againe Consider then in what sort theire soules do liue in those places where they liue whose deade bodies liue also in this worlde by so many miracles yf then you gather the life of Miracles wroughe by relickes the soule remayninge in the body by the motion of the members why do you not likewise by the deade bones which work miracles inferre that the soule doth liue after the death of the body Peter No solution as I thincke can ouerthrowe the force of this reason alleaged by which we are constrained through visible thinges to beleeue those which we see not and be inuisible OF THE DEPARTVRE OF menes soules CHAPTER VII Gregory A Little before you complained for that you coulde not see the soule of one when it departed out of his bodye but that was your fault who desired with corporall eies to beholde an inuisible thinge for many of vs that by sincere faith and plentifull praier haue had the eye of our soule purified haue often seene soules going out of theire bodies and therfore nowe I thincke it necessarye to sett downe both howe and in what sort menes soules departing out of theire bodies haue bene seene and also what wonderfull thinges haue bene reuealed vnto them at the tyme of theire departure that by this meanes examples may satisfye our wauering and doubtfull mindes which reason can not so full ye perswade Wherfore to begin I remember that in the second booke of this worcke I tolde you howe venerable Bennet as by relation of his owne monkes I learned beeing far distant from the city of Capua behelde the soule of Germanus Bishop of the same place at midnighte to be carried to heauen in a fiery globe who seeing the soule as it was ascending vppe behelde also in the largenes of his owne soule within the compasse of one sunne beame the whole world as it were gathered together OF THE DEPARTVRE OF the soule of Speciosus a monke CHAPTER VIII BY the relation also of the same monkes his disciples I vnderstoode howe two noble men that were brethren and very well learned in humanity the one called Speciosus the other Gregory entred into religion there to liue vertuously vnder the direction of his rule whom the venerable father placed in a Monastery of his harde by the city of Teracina These men whiles they remained in the worlde were verye riche but for the redemption of theire owne soules they Voluntarye pouertye had giuene all to the poore and ledd theire life in the same Monasterye One of these twaine to witt Speciosus being sent vpon busines of the Monasterye to the Capua his naturall brother Gregory in the meane tyme sitting at table at dinner amongest the other monkes rapt in spirit behelde his brothers soule thoughe so far distant departing out of his bodye which forthwith he tolde vnto the other monkes and straighte after in all hast tooke his iornye to Capua wher he founde his brother newlye buried and there vnderstoode how he died at that very houre in which he sawe his soule going out of his bodye OF THE SOVLE OF A certaine Anchoret CHAPTER IX A Certaine religious man and one of great credit at such tyme as I liued in the Monastery tolde me that certaine sailing from Sicilye to Rome as they were in the the middest of the sea behelde the soule of a certaine seruant of God caried to heauen who had bene an Anchoret in the Iland of Samnium Landing afterward in the same place Anchoretes and making enquiry of that thinge they vnderstoode that holy man to haue departed this life vpon that very day in which they saw his soule ascending to heauen OF THE DEPARTVRE OF Abbot Hopes soule CHAPTER X. VVHiles I liued as yet in my Monasterye I vnderstode by the relation of a verye reuerent man a certaine thinge which I will now tell you A venerable father there was called Hope who had built an Abbey in a place called Cample distant almost six miles from the old oâ—tye of Nursia This man almightye and mercifull God by temporall affliction preserued from euerlasting miserye and gaue him great grace and quiet of mynde for how deerely he loued him yea at that very tyme when he sent him affliction was afterwarde made apparant to the worlde when he vouchsafed perfectly to restore him to his former health This man therfore was for the space of fourty yeres punnished with such a continuall blindenes of his eies that he coulde not so much as beholde any lighte at all But because none in aduersitye can without the helpe of Goddes grace stande and vnlesse the same mercifull father who sendeth punnishement giueth also patience straighte-waies his chastising of our synnes doth by impatience more increase them and so it pitifully falleth out that our synne is by that very thinge made greater by which an end of all synne mighte very well haue bene expected God therfor seeing our infirmitye together with affliction by his swete prouidence keepeth and preserueth vs and is in his correction which he sendeth his chosen children in this worlde so iust with mercy that they maye become such to whom afterwarde he may iustly shewe mercie and therfore thoughe he did laye his crosse of blindenes vpon this venerable man yet did he not leaue him destitute of inwarde lighte for as his bodye was weried with paine so by the prouidence of Gods holy spirit his soule was refreshed with heauenly comfort At length when he had continewed fourty years in this kinde of blindenes our good Lorde restored him to his former sighte giuinge him also to vnderstande that he was shortly to leaue this worlde and therfore admonished him to preache the worde of lyfe vnto all such Abbeies as were about him and that for as much as him selfe had receiued the light of his body he wold goe and
they heard a noise as it were of many that came in and the cell dore shaken and thrust open as thoughe there had bene a greate presse of people and as they saide they heard a greate company come in yet they saw no body and that by reason of great feare and much lighte for both feare did make them to hold theire eies downe-warde and the brightenes of such plentye of lighte did so dazell them that they coulde not beholde any thinge Straighte after that lighte followed a wonderfull pleasaunt smell which did greatly comfort theire fearefull heartes Romula perceiuing that they coulde not endure that abundance of lighte with sweete wordes comforted Redempta that stoode trembling by her beds side saying Be not affearde mother for I shall not dy at this tyme and when she had often repeated those wordes by little and little the lighte vanished awaye but yet the sweete smell remayned still and so continued both the next and the thirde day after Vpon the fourth nighte againe she called for that her mother and when she was come she desired to receiue the Sacrament and so she did and beholde before Redempta or her other disciple departed from her beddes side suddainlye they hearde two quires singing before the dore without and as they saide they perceiued by theire voices that the one was of men that began the psalmes and the other of wemen that answered and whiles these heauenly funerals were in celebratinge before the cell dore that holy soule departed this life and was caried in that manner vp into heauen and the higher those two quires did ascende the lesse did they heare that celestiall musick vntill at length they heard no more and beside that sweet and odoriferous smell which before they felt vanished quite awaye OF THE DEPARTVRE OF the holy Virgin Tarsilla CHAPTER XVI SOmetyme also for the comfort of the soule that departeth there appeareth vnto it the author him selfe of life and rewarder of all vertue for proffe whereof I will here report that which I remember also to haue spoken of in myne Homelies concerninge myne aunt Tarsilla who in the company of two others of her sisters had for continuance in praier grauitye of life singularity in abstinence arriued to the topp of perfection To this woman Felix my great grand-father sometyme Bishop of this sea of Rome appeared in vision and shewed her the habitation of euerlasting lighte speaking thus Come with me and I will entertaine you in this dwelling place of lighte Shortly after taken with an agew she was broughte to the last cast and as when noble men and wemen ly a dyinge manye do visit them for the comfort of theire friendes so diuers both men and wemen at the tyme of her departure were come which stoode round about her bedde at what tyme she suddainlye casting her eies vpwarde behelde our Sauiour comminge wherevpon looking earnestly vpon him she cried out to them that were present Away awaye my Sauiour Iesus is come and so fixinge her eies vpon him whom she behelde her holy soule departed this life and such a wonderfull fragrant smell ensued that the sweetnes thereof gaue euident testimony that the author of all sweetnes was there present Afterwarde when her deade bodye according to the manner was made ready to be washed they founde that vvith long custome of praier the skin of her armes and knees vvas like a camels become harde and so her deade bodye gaue sufficient testimonye vvhat her liuing spirit had continually practised OF THE DEPARTVRE OF a yonge maide called Musa CHAPTER XVII NEither must that be forgotten vvhich the seruant of God before mentioned called Probus vsed to tell of a little sister vvhich he had called Musa for he saide that one nighte our blessed Lady appeared vnto her in vision shewing her sundrye yonge maides of her owne yeares doathed all in vvhite vvhose company she much desiring but yet not presuminge to go amongest them the Blessed Virgin asked her whether she had any â—ninde to remaine with them and to liue in her seruice to whom she ansvvered that willingly she wolde Then our blessed Lady gaue her in charge not to behaue her selfe lightely nor â—o liue any more like a girle to abstaine also from laughinge and pastime telling her that after thirty daies she sholde amongest those virgins which she then sawe be admitted to her seruice After this vision the yonge maide forsooke all her former behauior and with greate grauitye reformed the leuitye of her childish yeares which thinge her parentes porceiuing and demanding from whence that change proceded she tolde them what the blessed mother of God had giuen her in commandement and vpon what daye the was to go vnto her seruice Fiue and twenty daies after she fell sicke of an agewe and vpon the thirtith daye when the houre of her departure was come she behelde our blessed Lady accompanied vvith those Virgins vvhich before in vision she savve to come vnto her and being called to come avvaye she ansvvered vvith her eies modestlye cast do vvnevvarde and very distinctlye spake in this manner Beholde blessed Lady I come beholde blessed Lady I come in speaking of vvhich vvordes she gaue vp the ghost and her soule departed her virgins bodye to dvvell for euer vvith the holy virgins in heauen Peter Seing mankinde is subiect to many and innumerable vices I thincke that the greatest parte of heauen is replenished vvith little children and infantes HOVV CERTAINE YONGE CHILdren are hindred from heauen by theire parentes wicked education as is shewed by the example of a blasphemous yonge boye CHAPTER XVIII ALthoughe we oughte not to doubt but beleeue that all infantes which be baptized and dye in theire infancye goe to heauen yet no pointe of our beleefe it is that all little ones vvhich can speake do come vnto that holy place because some little children are kept from heauen by theire parentes which bring them vp wickedly and in lewde life For a certaine man in this city well knowne to all some three yeres since had a childe as I thinck fiue yeres olde which vpon too much carnal affection he brought vp very carelesly in such sort that the little one a lamentable case to speake of so sone as any thinge went contrary to his â—â—inde straighte-waies vsed to blaspheâ—â—e the name of God This childe in that great mortality which happened three yeres since fell sicke and came to the pointe of death and his father holding him at that tyme in his armes the childe as they saye which were then present behelde with trembling eies certaine wicked spirites comminge towardes him at which sight he began to crye out in this manner Kepe them away father kepe them awaye and crying so out he turned a waye his face wolde haue hidd him selfe in his fathers bosome who demaundinge why he was so affraide and what he savve O father quoth he there be black a mores come to carry me awaye after which wordes
thoughe in the channell there bad bene no vvater at all and so it fell out that Godes seruaunt hauinge restiâ—ution made him of his one horse that all the soldiars came likewise to enjoye the vse of their owne At the same tyme one Buccellinus entred Campania vvith an army of Frenche men and dycause it was commonly saide that the Abbey in which the holy man liued had great store of monye the Frenche men very gredy of so good a booty came thither and with raginge mindes went into his oratory where he lay prostrat at his praiers seekinge and cryinge out for Libertinus anâ— a strange thinge it was for thoughe they came in stumbled vpon him yet colde they not see him and so deceiued throughe theire owne blindenes awaye thy departed as empty as they came At an other tyme likewise vpon busines of the monasterye at the commandement of the Abbote who succeded his master Honoratus he toke his iornye to Rauenna And for the great loue which he bare to venerable Honoratus alwaies did he beare about him in his bosome one of his stockinges Being in his waye it sel Relickeâ— so out that a certaine woman was carrying the corpe of her deade soÌ„ne who no soner sawe the seruaunt of God but for the loue of her childe she laide holde vpoÌ„ his bridle protesting with a solemne oathe that he sholde not departe before he had raised vp her deade soÌ„ne The holy maÌ„ not acquaiÌ„ted with so strauÌ„ge a miracle was much affraide to heare heâ— make such a request and willinge to haue gott away yet seinge no means how to effect his desir greatly did he doubte what was best to be done Here it is worth the noting to consider what a conflicte he had in his soule humility and the mothers pietye striuinge togither feare to presume vpon so vnusuall a miracâ—e griefe not to helpe the desolaâ— mother at length to the greater glorye of God piety and compassion ouercam that vertuous soule which therformay trutlie be called inâ—incible bycause it did yelde and was conquered for a vertuous soule it had not bene yf piety and compassion had not ouercom it wherfor lightinge from his horse he fell vpon his knees lift vp his handes to heauene drewe the stockinge out of his bosome laide it vpon the brest of the dead corpes and beholde whiles he was at his praiers the soule of the childe returned in to the body which he perceiuinge toke it by the hande and deliuered it aliue to his sorrowfull mother and so went on the rest of his iorny Peter What is to be saide in this case for was it the merite of Honoratus or the praiers of Libertinus that wroughte this miracle Gregorye In the worckinge of so notable a miracle togither with the faith of the woman the vertue of both did concurr and therfor in myne opinion Libertinus had power to raise vp that deade childe because he had learned to trust more vpon the vertue of his master then his owne for when he laide his stocking vpon the childes brest no doubt but he Sainctes in heauen pray for vs. 4. reg 20. thought that his soule did obtaine that for which he did theÌ„ praye For we reade the like of Heliseus who carryinge his masters cloake and comminge to the riuer of Iordane stroke the waters once and yet diuided them not but when straighte after he saide VVhere is now the god of Helias and then stroke the riuer with the same cloake he made a waye open for him selfe to passe throughe Whereby you perceiue Peter how muche humility auaileth for the worckinge of miracles for then the merit of the master had force to do that which he desired wheÌ„ he called vpon his name and when with humilitye he did submitt him selfe to his master he wroughte the same miracle which his master had done before him Peter I am well pleased with your answer but is there I praye yowe any thinge els of him yet remayninge which may serue for our edisicatioÌ„ Gregory Surely there is yf there be yet any that list to imitate so notable an exaÌ„ple for I make no doubt but that the patience of so worthie a man did far excell all his signes and miracles as yowe shall nowe heare Vpon a certaine daye the Abbot who succeded Honoratus fell so pitifully out with venerable Libertinus that he strooke him with his sistes and bycause he coulde finde neuer a staff vp he toke a foote stole and with that did so strike his heade his face that they both swelled and became black and blewe Beinge thus vnreasonably beaten without giuinge any wordes he went quietly to bed The next daye he was to go forth about busines of the Abbey therfor wheÌ„ mattins were ended he came to his Abbotes beds side and humbly demanded of him leaue The Abbot knowinge howe greatlye all did honor and loue him supposed that he wolde for the former iniury haue forsaken the Abbey and therfor he asked him whether he ment to goe to whom he answered Father quoth he there is a certaine matter concerninge the Abbey to be handled where I must nedes be for yesterdaye I promised to come and therfor I am determined to trauail thither Then the Abbot consideringe from the bottom of his harte his owne austeritye and hard dealinge and the humility and meeknes of Libertinus suddainlye leapt out of his bed gat holde of his feete confessed that he had sinned done wickedlye in presuminge to offer vnto so goode and worthie a man so cruell and contumelious an iniurye Libertinus on the contrarye prostrat vpon the earth fel downe at his feete attributinge all that he had suffered not to any cruelty of his but to his owne synnes and demerites And by this means the Abbot was brought to great meekenes and the humility of the scoller becam a teacher to the master Going afterwarde abroade about the foresaide busines of the Abbey many gentlemen of his acquaintance that had him in greate reuerence much maruailed and diligently enquired by what means he cam by such a swolne and blacke face to whom he answered Yesterday quoth he at eueninge for punishmeÌ„t of my sinns I mett with a foote stole and gat this blowe which ye see And thus the holy maÌ„ preseruinge both truthe in his soule and the honor of his master did neither bevvraye the faulte of his father nor yet incurred the sinne of lyinge Peter Had not so venerable a man as this Libertinus was of whom yowe haue tolde so many miracles and strange thinges in so great a conuent some that did imitat his holy life and vertues OF A CERTAINE MONCKE that was gardiner to the same Abbeye CHAPTER III. Gregory FElix called also Coruus one whoÌ„ yowe knowe verye well and who not longe since was Prior of the same Abbeye tolde me diuers verie straÌ„ge thinges som of which I wil passe ouer with silence because I hasten to other
and mad sounde by S. Bennet 2. How he ouercame a great carnâ—l tentation 3. How he brake a glas with the signe of the crosse 4. How he cured a moncke that had an idle and wandring minde 5. How by praier he mad water to springe out of a rocke in the topp of a mountaine 6. How he caused an yron bill to come againe into the handle from the bottom of the water 7. How his scholler Maurus walked vpon the water 8. How he mad a crowe to carye a loafe far of that was poisoned 9. How he remoued an huge stone by his praiers 10. Of the fantastical fire of the kâ—tchin 11. How a little boye a moncke was slaine with the ruine of a wall restored to life 12. Of certaine monckes that eate meate contrarye to thiere rule 13. How the hoâ—ye man knewe by reuelation that the brother of ValeÌ„tinian the moÌ„ke had eaten in his iornye 14. How the couÌ„ter faitinge of kinge Totilas was discouered 15. How the holy man did prophecye to the same kinge 16. How he dispossessed a clergye man of a deuil 17. How he did prophecye of the destruction of his owne Abbey 18. How by reuelation he vnderstode of the stolne slaggon of wine 19. How by reuelation he knewe that a monke had receiued certaine napkins 20. How he likewise knewe the proude thoughte of one of his owne monkes 21. How in the tyme of a dearthe two hundred busshels of meale was founde before his cell 22. How by vision he gaue order for the buildinge of the Abbey of Terracina 23. How certaine Nunnes were absolued after thiere death 24. How a certaine monke was cast out of his graue 25. How a monke forsakinge his Abbey was encountred by a dragon 26. How he cured one of a leprosye 27. How miraculously he prouided money for one that was in debte 28. How a cruet of glasse was throwne vpon the stones and not broken 29. How an emptye barrel was miraculouslye filled with oile 30. How a monke was dispossessed of a deuil 31. How a countrye man pinioned was by his only sighte loosed 32. How a deade man was restored to life 33. Of a miracle wroughte by his sister Scolastica 34. How and in what manner he sawe his sisters soule goinge out of her bodye 35. How in vision he sawe the world represented before his eies and of the soule of Germanus Bishope of Capua 36. How he wrot the rule of his order 37. How he fortolde the tyme of his deathe 38. How a mad woman lyinge in his caue was cured THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE LIFE AND MIRACLES OF S. Bennet THERE was a man of Benedictus signifieth Blessed venerable life blessed by grace and blessed in name for he was called Benedictus or Bennet who from his yonger yeres carried alwaies the mynde of an olde man for his age was inferior to his vertue all vaine pleasure he contemned and thoughe he were in the worlde and mighte freelye haue enioyed such commodities as it yeldeth yet did he nothinge esteme it nor the vanities thereof He was borne in the prouince of Nursia of Honorable Parentage and broughte vp at Rome in the study of humanitye But for as much as he sawe many by reason of such learninge to fall to dissolut and and leude life he drewe backe his foote which he had as it were nowe set forth into the worlde least entring to far in acquaintance therewith he likewise mighte haue fallen into that daungerous and godlesse gulphe wherfore giuinge ouer his booke and forsakinge his fathers house welth with a resolute minde only to serue God he soughte for some place where he mighte attaine to the desire of his holy purpose and in this sorte he departed instructed with learned ignorance and furnished with vnlearned wisdom All the notable thinges and actes of his life I could not learne but those fewe which I mynde nowe to reporte I had by the relation of fower of his disciples to witt of Constantinus a most rare and reuerent man who was next Abbot after him Of Valentinianus who many yeres had the charge of the Lateran Abbey Of Simplicius who was the thirde Generall of his order and lastly of Honoratus who is nowe Abbote of that monastery in which he first began his holy life HOVV HE MADE A BROKEN suâ—ue hole and founde CHAPTER I. BEnnet hauinge nowe giuen ouer the schole with a resolute minde to leade his life in the wildernes his nurse alone which did tenderly loue him woloe not by any meanes giue him ouer CoÌ„myng therfore to a place called Enside and remayning there in the churche of S. Peter in the companye of other vertuous men which for charity â—iued in that place it fell so out that his nurse borrowed of the neighbours a sieue to make cleane wheate which being left negligently vpon the table by chaunce it was broken in two pieces wherevpon she fell pitifully a weepinge because she had borrowed it The deuout and religious youth Bennet seeing his nurse so lamenting moued vvith compassion tooke avvay vvith him both the pieces of the sieue and vvith tears fell to his praiers and after he had done rising vp he founde it so vvhole that the place coulde not be seene vvhere before it was broken and comminge straight to his nurse and comforting her vvith goode wordes he deliuered her the sieue safe and sounde which miracle was knowne to all the inhabitantes thereabout and so much admired that the townese-men for a perpetuall memorye did hange it vp at the churche dore to the ende that not only meÌ„ then liuinge but also thiere posteritye mighte vnderstaÌ„de how greatly â—ods grace did worck with him vpoÌ„ his first renouncinge of the worlde The sâ—eue coÌ„tinewed there many yeres after eueÌ„ to these verye troubles of the Lombardes where it did hange ouer the churche dore But Bennet desiringe rather the miseries of the worlde then the praises of men rather to be wearied with labour for Gods sake then to be exalted with transitorye commendation fled priuily from his nurse and went into a deserte place called Sublacum distant almost fourtye miles from Rome in which there was a fountaine springinge forth coole and clere water the abundaÌ„ce whereof doth first in a broade place make a lake and afterwarde runninge forwarde commeth to be a riuer As he was trauailinge to this place a certaine monke called Romanus met him and demanded whether he went and vnderstandinge his purpose Habit of monkes he both kept it close furthered him what he mighte vested him with the habit of holy conuersation and as he coulde did minister and serue him The man of God Bennet comminge to this foresaide place lined there in a An Hermiteslife straighte caue where he continewed three yeres vnknowne to all men except to Romanus who liued not far of vnder the rule of Abbot Theodacus and very vertuouslye did steale certaine houres and likewise sometyme a loafe giuen for his owne prouision
ears OF TVVO HVNDRED BVSSHELS of meale found before the man of Gods cell CHAPTER XXI AT an other tyme there was a great dearche in the same countrye of Campania so that all kinde of people tasted of the miserye and all the wheat of Bennets monasterye was spent and likewise all the breade so that there remayned no more then fiue loaues for dinner The venerable man beholdinge the monkes sad both rebuked theÌ„ modestly for thiere pusillanimitye and againe did comforte them with this promise why quoth he are you so grieued in your mindes for lack of breade Indede too day some want there is but to morrowe yowe shall haue plentye and so it fell out for the next day two huÌ„dred busshells of meale was founde in sackes before his cell dore which almighty God sent them but by whom or what meanes that is vnknowne to this verye daye which miracle when the monkes sawe they gaue God thanckes and by this learned in want not to make any doubte of plenty Peter Tell me I praye you whether this seruaunt of God had alwaies the spirit of prophecye when him selfe pleased or only at certaine tymes Gregory The spirit of prophecy doth not alwaies illuminate the mindes of the prophetes because as it is written of the holy Ghoste that he breatheth where Ioh. 3. he will so we are also to knowe that he doth breathe likewise for what cause and when he pleaseth And hereof it commeth that when kinge Dauid demanded of Nathan whether he mighte 1. Paralip 17. builde a teÌ„ple for the honoure of God the prophet Nathan gaue his consent and yet afterwarde vtterly for bad it From hence likewise it procedeth that when Helizeus sawe the woman weeping and knewe not the cause he saide to his seruauÌ„t that did trouble her Let 4. Reg. 4. her alone for her soule is in griefe and God hath concealed it from me and hath not tolde me Which thinge almightye God of great pietye so disposeth for giuinge at some tymes the spirit of prophecye and at other tymes withdrawinge it he doth both lifte vp the prophetes mindes on highe and yet doth preserue them in humilitye that by the gifte of the spirit they may knowe what they are by Gods grace and at other tymes destitute of the same spirit may vnderstande what they are of them selues Peter There is very great reason for that you saye But I pray you let me heare more of the venerable man Bennet yf there be any thinge els that cometh to your remembrance HOVV BY VISION VENERABLE Bennet disposed the buildinge of the Abbey of Taracina CHAPTER XXII Gregory AT an other tyme he was desired by a certaâ—ne vertuous man to bulide an Abbeye for his monkes vpon his grounde not far from the citye of Taracina The holy man was content and appointed an abbot Prior with diuers monkes vnder them and when they were departinge he promised that vpon suche a day he wolde come and shewe them in what place the oratory sholde be made and vvhere the refectorye sholde stande and all the other necessary roomes and so they takinge his blessinge went there waye and against the day appointed which they greatlye expected they made all such thinges readye as were necessary to entertaine him and those that sholde come in his companye But the verye nighte before the man of God in sleepe appeared to the Abbot and the Prior and particularly described vnto them where eache place and office was to be builded And when they were both risen they conferred together what either of them had seene in thiere sleep but yet not giuing full credit to that vision they expected the man of God him selfe in person accordinge to his promise But when they savve that he came not they returned backe vnto him verye sorovvfullye sayinge vve expected father that you sholde haue come accordinge to promise and tolde vs vvhere eache place sholde haue bene built vvhich yet you did not To vvhom he ansvvered vvhy say you so goode brethren Did not I come as I promised you and vvhen they asked at vvhat tyme it vvas vvhy quoth he did not I appeare to either of you in your sleepe and appointed hovv and vvhere euerye place vvas to be builded Go your vvaye and accordinge to that plat-forme which you then â—awe builde vp the Abbey At which wordes they muche maruailed and returninge backe they caused it to bâ— builded in such sorte as they had bene taught of him by reuelation Peter Gladly wolde I learne by what means that could be done to witt that he sholde goe so far to tell thèm that thinge in thiere sleepe which they sholde both heare and knowe by vision Gregory Why do you Peter seeke out and doubte in what manner this thinge was done For certaine it is that the soule is of a more noble nature then the bodye And by authority of scripture we knowe that the prophet Abacuck was carried from Iudea with that dinner whiche he had and was suddainlye sett in Chaldea by which meate the prophet Daniel was relieued presentlye Daniel cap. 14. after was broughte backe againe to Iudea Yf then Abacuck coulde in a moment with his bodye go so far and carrye prouision for an other mans dinner what maruaile is it yf the holy father Bennet obtayned grace to goe in spirit and to informe the soules of his brethren that were a sleepe coÌ„cerninge suche thinges as were necessarye and that as Abacuck about corporall meate went corporally so Bennet sholde go spiritually about the dispatche of spirituall busines Peter I confesse that your wordes haue satisfied my doubtfull minde But I wolde knowe what maner of man he was in his ordinary talke and conuersation OF CERTAINE NVNNES absolued after thiere deathe CHAPTER XXIII HIs common talke Peter was vsuallye full of vertue for his harte conuersed so aboue in heauen that no vvordes coulde in vayne procede from his mouthe And yf at any tyme he spake oughte yet not as one that determined vvhat vvas best to be done but onlye in a threatnnige manner his speeche in that case vvas so effectuall and forcible as though he had not doubtfully or vncertainly but assuredly pronounced and giuen sentenceâ— For not far from his Abbey there liued two Nunnes in a place by them selues borne of vvorshipfull parentage vvhom a religious good man did serue for the dispatche of thiere outvvarde busines But as nobility of family doth in some breede ignobility of minde and makâ—th them in conuersation to shevve lesse humilitye because they remember still what superiority they had aboue others euen so was it with these Nunnes for they had not yet learned to temper thiere tongues and kepe them vnder with The habit of Nunnes the bridle of thiere habit for often did they by thiere indiscret speech prouoke the foresaide religious maÌ„ to anger who hauinge borne with them a longe tyme at lengthe he complained to the man of God and tolde him with what
men doth worke miracles by such as they most contemne that truthe proceedinge from the mouth of his humble seruauntes may subdue those which of pridâ— do extoll and aduaunce them selues against the doctrine of truthe OF HERCVLANVS BISSHOP of Perusium CHAPTER XIII NOt longe since the vertuous Bishop Floridus tolde me a notable miracle which was this The greate holy man quoth he Herculanus who broughte me vp was Bishop of Perusium exalted to that dignity from the state of a monke in whose tyme the perfidious kinge Totilas besieged it for seuene yers together and the famin within was so great that many of the townesemen forsooke the place and before the seuenth yere was ended the armye of the Gothes tooke the citye The commander of his campe dispatched messengers to Totilas to know his pleasure what he should doe with the Bishoppe and the rest of the citizens to whom he returned answer that he shold from the top of the Bishoppes heade to his verye foote cutt of a thonge of his skinne and that done to strike of his heade and as for the rest of the people to putt them all to the sworde When he had receiued this order he commanded the reuerent Bishop Herculanus to be carried to the walles and there to haue his heade strooken of and when he was deade that his skin shoulde be cut from the verye crowne downe to the verye foote as thoughe in dede a thonge had bene taken from his bodye after which barbarous facte theye threwe his dead coâ—ps ouer the wall Then some vpon pitty ioyninge the heade to the bodye did bury him together with an infant that was there founde deade Fourtye daies after Totilas makinge proclamation that the inhabitants which were gone shoulde without all feare come backe againe those which vpon extremity of hunger departed returned home to their houses and callinge to mynde the holy life of theire Bishoppe they soughte for his body that it mighte as he deserued be buried in the churche of S. Peter And when they came to the place where it lay they digged and founde the bodye of the infant that was buried together with him putrified and full of wormes but the Bishoppes body was so sounde as thoughe it had bene newly put into the earth and that which is more to be admired and deserueth greater reuerence his heade was so fast ioyned to his bodye as thoughe it had neuer bene cutt of neither did any signe of his beheading appeare at all Then they viewed likewise his backe whether that were also whole and sounde and they founde it so perfect and well as thoughe neuer any knife had touched the same Peter Who wolde not wonder at such miracles of them that be deade wroughte no question for the spirituall goode of the liuinge OF THE SERVANT OF God Isaac CHAPTER XIIII Gregory AT suche tyme as the Gothes first inuaded Italye there was nere to the citye of Spoleto a vertuous and holy man called Isaac who liued almost to the last daies of the Gothes whom many did knowe and especially the holy virgin Gregoria which nowe dwelleth in this citye hard by the churche of the blessed and perpetuall virgin Marie which woman in her yonger yeares desiring to liue a Nunnes life fled to the churche from marriag already agreed vpon by her freindes and was by this man defended and so through Gods prouidence obtayned Nunnes ware a peculiar habit and liued vnmarried to haue that habitt which so much she desired and so leauing her spouse vpon earth she merited a spouse in heauen Many thinges also I had by the relation of the reuerent man Eleutherius who was familiarly acquainted with him and his vertuous life doth giue credit to his wordes This holy man Isaac was not borne in Italye and therfore I wil only speake of suche miracles as he did liuinge here in our countrye At his first comminge out of Syria to the city of Spoleto he went to the churche and desired the keepers that he mighte haue free leaue to praye there and not to be enforced to departe when nighte came And so he began his deuotions and spent all that daye in praier and likewise the nighte followinge The seconde daye and nighte he bestowed in the same manner and remayned there also the thirde daye which when one of the keepers of the church perceiued who was a man of a proud spirit he tooke scandall by that whereof he ought to haue reaped great profitt For he began to say that he was an hyppocrite and cousining companion who in the sighte of the worlde remayned at his praiers three dayes and three nightes together forth with running vpon the man of God he strook him to make him by that meanes with shame to departe the churche as an hyppocryte and one that desired to be reputed an holy man But to reuenge this iniurye a wicked spirit did presently possesse his body who cast him downe at the feete of the man of God and began by his mouth to crye out Isaac doth cast me forth Isaac doth cast me forth For what name the straunge man had none at that tyme did knowe but the wicked spirit told it when he cried out that he had power to cast him out Straighte-waies the man of God laide him selfe vpon his bodye and the cursed deuill that was entred in departed in all hast newes of this was by and by blowne ouer the whole city and men and wemen riche and poore came runnynge euery one striuinge to bringe him home to theire owne house Some for the buildinge of an Abbey did humbly offer him landes other money and some such other helpes as they coulde But the seruaunt of almighty God refusyng to accept any of theire offers departed out of the citye and not farr of he founde a desert place where he builte a little cotage for him selfe To whom many repayringe began by his example to be inflamed with the loue of euerlastinge life and so vnder his discipline and gouernment gaue them selues to the seruice of almighty God And when his disciples wolde often humbly insinuate that it were goode for the necessity of the Abbey to take such liuinges as were offred he very carefull to keepe pouertye tolde them constantly sayinge A monke that seeketh for liuinges vpon earthe is no monke for so fearefull he was to loose the secure state of his pouertye as couetous riche men are carefull to preserue theire corruptible wealthe In that place therfore he became famous for the spirit of prophecye and his life was renoumed far and nere for the notable miracles which he wroughte For vpon a day towardes eueninge he caused his monkes to lay a certaine number of spades in the gardin The nighte followinge when accordinge Mattens to custome they rose vp to theire praiers he commanded them sayinge Go your waies and make potage for our worckemen that it may be readye very earely in the morninge And when it was day he bad them
the mountaine not touching Marcius caue did skipp cleane ouer and auoidinge as it were to hurt Gods seruaunt it fell far of which thinge no man can doubte but that it was done by the handes of Angels at the commandement of almighty God At such tyme as this holy man came first to inhabit that mountaine and had not yet made any dore for his caue he fastned the one ende of an yron chaine to the stony wall and the other he tied to his legge to the end he mighte goe no further then the length of that chaine did giue him leaue which thinge the reuerent man Bennet hearinge of sent him this worde by one of his monkes yf thowe be Gods seruant let the chaine of Christ not any chaine of yron holde the vpon this message Marcius forthwith loosed his chaine yet did he keepe still the same compasse and goe no further then he did before Liuinge afterwarde in the same caue he began to entertaine certaine disciples which dwelt apart from his cell who hauing no other water but that which with a rope and a bucket they drewe out of a well great trouble they had because theire rope did often breake and therfore they came vnto him crauinge that chaine which he had loosed from his legge that they mighte tye the rope to that and fasten the bucket vpon it and from that tyme forwarde thoughe the rope was daily wett with Vertue of relickes water yet did it breake no more for hauing touched the holy mans chaine it became stronge like vnto yron so that the water did not weare it nor do it any harme Peter These worthy actes of his doe please me seinge they are straunge that very much because they were so lately done and be yet freshe in memorye HOVV A MONKE OF MOVNTE Argentario raised vp a deade man CHAPTER XVII Gregory NOt longe since in our tyme a certain man called Quadragessimus was Subdeacoâ— in the churche of Buxentin who in tymes past kept a flocke of sheepe in the same countrye of Aurelia by whose faithfull reporte I vnderstoode a maruailous strange thinge which is this At such tyme as he lead a sheapherdes life there was an holy maÌ„ that dwelt in the mountaine of Argentario whose religious conuersation and inward vertue was answerable to Habit of monkes the habit of a moÌ„ke which outwardly he did weare Euerye yeare he trauailed Pilgrimage from his mountaine to the churche of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles and S. Peter Prince of the Apostles in the waye tooke this Quadragessimus house for his lodginge as him selfe did tell me Comminge vpon a daye to his house which was harde by the churche a poore womans husbande died not far of whom when they had as the manner is washed put on his garmentes and made him ready to be buried The manner of burieng in Italye yet it was so late that it could not be done that daye wherfore the desolat widowe satt by the deade corps weepinge all nighte longe and to sasatisfye her griefe she did continually lament and crye out The man of God seeinge her so pitifully to weepe and neuer to giue ouer was nuche grieued and saide to Quadragesimus the Subdeacon my soule taketh compassion of this womans sorrowe arise I beseche you and let vs praye and therevpon they went to the churche which as I said was harde by and fel to theire deuotions And when thy had praied a good while the seruaunt of God desired Quadragessimus to conclude theire praier which beeinge done he tooke a little dust from the side of the altar and so came with Quadragessimus to the dead bodye and there he began againe to praye and when he continewed so a longe tyme he desirede him not as he did before to conclude theire praiers but him selfe gaue the blessing and so rose vp and because he had the dust in his righte hande with his left he tooke awaye the cloth that couered the deade mans face which the woman seeing earnestlie withstoode him and maruailed much what he ment to do when the cloth was gone he rubbed the deade mans face a goode while withe the dust which he had taken vp and at length he that was deade receiued his soule againe began to open his mouth and his eies and to sitt vp and as thoughe he had awaked from a deepe sleepe maruailed what they did about him which when the woman that had weried her selfe with cryinge behelde she began then a freshe to weepe for ioye and crye out far louder then she did before but the man of God modestlye forbad her sayinge Peace goode woman and say nothinge and yf any demaunde howe this happened say only that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath vouchsafed to worcke his pleasure Thus he spake and forthwith he departed from Quadragessimus and neuer came to his house againe For desirous to auoide all temporall honour he so handled the matter that they which sawe him worcke that miracle did neuer see him more so longe as he liued Peter What other thincke I knowe not but myne oplnion is that it is a miracle aboue all miracles to raise vp deade men and secretlye to call backe theire soules to giue life vnto theire bodies againe Gregory Yf we respecte outwarde and visible thinges of necessitye we must so beleeue but yf we turne our eies to inuisible thinges then certaine it is that it is a greater miracle by preaching of the worde vertue of praier to conuert a sinner then to raise vp a deade man for in the one that fleshe is raised vp which againe shall dye but in the other he is broughte from death which shall liue for euer For I will name you two and tell me in which of them as you thincke the greater miracle was wroughte The first is Lazarê° a true beleeuer whom our Lorde raised vp in fleshe the other is Saul whom our Lorde raised in soule For of Lazarus vertues after his resurrection we reade nothinge but after the raisinge vp of the others soule we are not able to conceiue what wonderful thinges be in holy scripture spoken of his vertues as that his most cruell thoughtes and designements were turned to the bowels of piety and compassion that he desired to dy for his brethen in whose death before he tooke muche pleasure That knowinge the holy scriptures perfectly yet professed that he knew nothinge els but Iesus Christ and him crucified That he did willingly endure the bearing of roddes for Christ whom before with sworde he did persecute That he was exalted to the dignitye of an Apostle yet willingly became a little one in the middest of other disciples That he was rapte to the secretes of the thirde heauen and yet did turne his eye of compassion to dispose of the dutye of married folkes sayinge Let the husband Corint render debt to the wife and the wife likewise to the husbande That he was busied in contemplatinge
the quires of Angels and yet contemned not to thincke and dispose of the factes of carnall men That he reioysed in his infirmities and tooke pleasure in his reproaches That for him to liue is Christ and gaine to dye That althoughe he liued in fleshe yet was he wholy out of the fleshe Beholde howe this blessed Apostle liued who from hell returned in his soule to the life of vertue wherfore lesse it is for one to be raised vp in bodye excepte perchance by the reuiuinge thereof he be also broughte to the life of his soule and that the outward miracle do serue for the giuing of life to the inwarde spirit Peter I thoughte that far inferior which I perceiue nowe to be incomparably superior but prosecute I beseech you your former discourse that we spend no tyme without some spiritual profit to our soules OF BENNET THE monke CHAPTER XVIII Gregory A Certaine monke liued with me in myne Abbey passinge cunninge in holy scripture who was elder then I and of whom I learned many thinges which before I knewe not By his reporte I vnderstode that there was in Campania some fourty miles from Rome a man called Bennet yonge in yeares but olde for grauity one that obserued the rule of holy conuersation verie strictlye When the Gothes in the tyme of kinge Totilas founde him they went about to burne him together with his cell and fire for that end was putt too which cōsumed all thinges rounde about but no holde wolde the fire take vpon his cell which when the Gothes sawe they became more mad and with greate crueltie drewe him out of that place and espyinge not far of an ouen made hote to bake bread into those flames they threwe him and so stopped the mouthe But the next day he was founde so free from all harme that not only his fleshe but his very apparrell also was not by the fire any thinge touched at all Peter I heare nowe the olde miracle of the three childrē which were throwne into the fire and yet were preserued Daniel 3. from those furious flames Gregory That miracle in myne opinion was in some thinge vnlike to this for then the three children were bounde hande and foote and so throwne into the fire for whom the Kinge lookinge the next daye founde them walkinge in the furnace theire garmentes being nothinge hurt by those flames whereby we gather that the fire into which they were cast and touched not theire apparrel did yet consume theire bandes so that at one and the same tyme for the seruice of the iust the fire had force to bringe them comforte and yet had none to procure them torment OF THE CHVRCHE OF Blessed Zeno the martir in which the water ascended higher then the dore and thoughe it were open yet entred not in CHAPTER XIX Gregory LIke vnto this auncient miracle we had in our daies another but yet in a diuers element for not longe since Iohne the Tribune tolde me that when the Earle Pronulphus was there and him selfe also with Antharicus the kinge how there happened at that tyme a straunge miracle and he affirmeth that him selfe doth knowe it to be true For he saide that almost fiue years since when the riuer of Tiber became so great that it ranne ouer the walles of Rome and ouerflowed many countries at the same tyme in the citye of Verona the riuer Athesis did so swell that it came to the verye church of the holy martir and Bishop Zeno thoughe the church dores were opē yet did it not enter in At last it grew so highe that it came to the church windowes not far from the very roofe it selfe and the water standinge in that manner did close vp the entrance into the churche yet without running in as thoughe that thinne liquid element had bene turned into a sounde wall And it fell so out that many at that tyme were surprised in the churche who not findinge any way howe to escape out and fearinge least they mighte perishe for want of meate and drincke at length they came to the churche dore and tooke of the water to quenche theire thirst which as I saide came vp to the windowes and yet entred not in and so for theire necessitye they tooke water which yet accordinge to the nature of water ran not in and in that manner it stoode there before the dore being water to them for theire comfort and yet not water to inuade the place all this to declare the great merit of Christs martir Which miracle Merit of martirs I saide truely that it was not vnlike to that auncient one of the fire which burnt the three childrens bandes and yet touched not theire garments Peter Maruailous straunge are these actes of Gods sainctes which you tell and muche to be admired of vs weake men that liue in these daies But because I vnderstand now by your relation what a number of excellent and vertuous men haue bene in Italy desirous I am to knowe whether they endured any assaultes of the deiull did thereby more profit in the seruice of God Gregory Without labour and fightinge none can obtayne the crowne of victory whence then come so many conquerors but from this that they foughte valiantly and resisted the assaultes of the old enemye For the wicked spirit doth continuallye watch our thoughtes wordes and worckes to finde something whereof to accuse vs before the eternall iudge For proffe whereof I will now let you vnderstand how ready he is alwaies to intrapp and deceiue vs. OF A PRIEST CALLED Steuen in the prouince of Valeria whose stockinges the deuil wold haue drawne of CHAPTER XX. SOme that are yet liuinge with me affirme this to be true which I wil nowe speake of A man of holy life there was called Steuene who was a Priest in the prouince of Valeria nighe of kinred to my Deacon Bonifacius who comminge home vpon a tyme from trauaile spake somewhat negligently to his seruant sayinge Come Sir deuill and pull of my hoofe at which wordes straighte-waies his garters began to loose in great hast so that he plainely perceiued that the deuill indeed whom he named was pulling of his stockinge whereat beeing muche terrified he cried out aloude and saide Away wretched caitiffe awaye I spake not to the but to my seruant Then the deuill gaue ouer leauing his garters almost quite of By which we may learne that yf the deuill be so officious in thinges concerning our bodye how ready and dililigent he is to obserue and note the cogitations of our soule Peter A verye painefull thinge it is and terrible alwaies to striue against the tentations of the deiull and as it were to stand continually armed ready to fighte Gregory Not painefull at all yf we attribute our preseruation not to our selues but to Gods grace yet so notwithstandinge that we be carefull what we may for our partes and alwaies vigilant vnder Gods protection And it falleth out sometyme by Gods goodnes
be affraide when they dye and of the monkes called Anthony Merulus and Iohne 48. VVhether we oughte to obserue dreames and how many sortes of dreames there be 49. Os a certaine man who in his dreame had longe life promised and yet died shortly after 50. VVhether the soules receiue any commoditye by the buriall of theire bodies in the church 51. Of a certaine Nunne that was buried in the church of S. Laurence which appeared half burnt 52. Os the burial of the noble man Valerianus 53. Of the body of Valentinus which was throwne out of the churche after it was buried 54. Of the body of a dier buried in the churche which afterwarde could not be founde 55. VVhat thinge that is which after death hath force to helppe mens soules and of a Priest of Centumcellis who was by the soule of a certaine man desired that he mighte after his death be holpen by the holy sacrifice And of the soule of a monke called Iustus 56. Of the lise and death of Bisshoppe Cassius 57. Of one that was taken by his enemies whose irons at the tyme of the sacrifice were loosed and of the mariner called Caraca saued by the sacred host from being drowned in the sea 58. Of the vertue and mystery of the healthful sacrifice 59. How we oughte to procure contrition of harte at the tyme of the holy mysteries and of the custodye of our soule after we haue bene sorrowfull sor our sinnes 60. How we oughte to forgiue the sinnes of others that we may obtayne forgiuenes of our owne THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF S. GREGORIES DIALOGVES HOVV CARNAL MEN GIVE the lesse credit to those thinges which be eternal and spiritual because they know not by experience what they heare others to speake of CHAPTER I. AFTER that the first parēt of mankinde was for his synne bannished from the ioyes of Paradise he fell into the miserye of this ignorance and bannishment which to this yerie daye we doe all indure for his synne was the cause that he coulde not any longer see those ioyes of heauen which before by contemplation he possessed for during the tyme of his residence in Paradise he vsually hearde God talking with him and by purity of harte and heauenly vision was present with the quires of the blessed Angels But after his fall he lost that lighte of soule which before abundantly he enioyed From whom we beeing by carnall propagation deriued that liue now in this darcke ignorance of bannishmēt do heare indede of an heauenly countrye and howe it is inhabited by the Angels of God and that the soules of iust and perfect men do there keepe them companye But yet such as be carnall because they can not by experience knowe those inuisible creatures doubt whether there be any such seing with theire corporall eies they can not behold them from which doubt our first Parent was altogether free for althoughe he was exiled from the ioyes of Paradise yet did he still kepe in memorye what he had lost because he had before behelde the same but these men can not by any meanes call to minde such thinges as they heare others speake of because they neuer had of them any former experiēce as our first father Adam had For it is in this case as yf a woman bigge with childe sholde be putt in prison and be there deliuered of a sonne which neuer went forth but were there continually broughte vp for yf his mother sholde tell him of the sunne mone starres mountaines and speake of the fieldes the flying of birdes and running of horses her childe that had continually bene broughte vp in the prison and acquainted with nothing els but blacke darckenes might well heare what she saide but with a doubt whether it were true or no because experience taught him not any such thinge Euene so men that are borne in this darcke worlde the place of theire bannishmēt do heare that there be wonderfull strange and inuisible thinges but because they are not acquainted with any els but terrestriall creatures which only be visible they doubt whether there be any such inuisible thinges as are reported of or no for which cause the creator him selfe of all thinges both visible and inuisible and the only begotten sonne of the eternall father came into this worlde for the redemption of mankinde and sent the holy Ghost vnto our hartes that quickened by him and his grace we shoulde belieue those thinges which as yet by sence or experience we can not possibly vnderstande and therfore so many of vs as haue receiued this spirit the heauenly pledge of our inheritance make no doubte of Gods inuisible and immortall creatures and who so euer as yet is not setled in this beliefe out of all question he oughte of reason to giue credit to the wordes of them that be more learned and holy and belieue them that throughe the grace of Gods holy spirit haue experience of those thinges that be inuisible for he were a very foolishe childe that thoughte his mother lied when she spake of lighte in other places because him selfe where he was beheld nothing els but the darckenes of the prison Peter That you say doth wonderfully content me yet he who beleueth not that there be any inuisible thinges out of question in myne opinion is an infidell and he that is an infidell in that thinge whereof he doubteth seeketh not for faith but for reason THAT AN INFIDEL LIVETH not without faith CHAPTER II. Gregory I Speake boldlye yet trulye that an infidell liueth not without faith for yf I demaunde of him who is his father or mother straight-waies he will tell me such a man and such a woman and yf I presse him further whether he doth remember the tyme when he was first conceiued or the houre when he was borne into this worlde he wil answer me that he neuer knewe or sawe any such thinge and yet for all this doth he beleue that which he neuer behelde seing he beleueth without all doubt that such a man was his father and such a woman his mother Peter I must nedes confesse that I neuer knewe before this tyme that an infidell had any faith Gregory Infidels haue faith but not in God sor then they were not infidels but worthly are they by the former reason to be blamed and thereby also to be prouoked to imbrace true faith for yf concerning theire visible bodye they beleeue that which they neuer sawe why do they not also beleeue some thinges which with theire corporall eyes they can not beholde THAT GOD CREATED THREE kindes of spirites with life CHAPTER III. FOr that our soule doth liue after the death of the bodye reason doth teach vs assisted and holpen with faith for almightye God created three kindes of spirites hauing life One altogether spirituall without bodye an other with a bodye but yet which dieth not with the bodye the thirde that which is both ioyned with the body and also together with the body
doth dye The spirites that haue no bodyes be the Angels they that haue bodies but dy not with them be the soules of men those that haue bodies and by together with them be the soules of cattail and brute beastes Man therfore as he is created in the middle state inferior to Angels and superior to beastes so doth he participate of both hauing immortalitie of soule with the Angels and mortalitie of bodye with beastes vntill the daye of dome for then the glorye of the resurrection shall take away and consume the mortalitye of the bodye for being then reunited to the soule it shall be preserued for euer as the soule ioyned to the body is preserued for God Neither shall the bodyes of the damned lying in tormentes euer perfectly perish for thoughe they alwaies decaye yet for euer shall they continewe and as they synned both with soule and bodye so liuing alwaies in bodye and soule they shall alwaies dy without ende Peter All your discourse is consonant to that reason which Christian religion teacheth but I beseech you yf there be so great difference betwixt the soules of men and beastes as you affirme why doth Salomon speake in this manner I haue said in myne hart of the sonnes Ecclesias cap. 3. of men that God wold proue them and shew them to be like vnto beastes therfore here is one death of men and beastes and theire state is both alike and prosecutinge afterward more exactlye that opinion of his thus he writeth As a man dieth so do beastes dye Al thinges breath alike and man hath nothinge more then beastes After which wordes he addeth also this generall conclusion Al thinges are subiect to vanity all thinges goe to one place of the earth they were made and into the earth they returne againe OF SALOMONS QVESTION to witt The deathe of men and beastes is all one CHAPTER IIII. Gregory SAlomons booke in which these sayinges are founde is called Ecclesiastes as much to say properly as The preacher And in a sermon the manner is to haue an opinion sett downe by means whereof the tumultuous sedition of common people may be appeased and whereas diuers haue diuers opinions yet are they all by the Preachers argumentes and reasons broughte to vnity and agreement and therfore this booke is called The preacher because in it Salomon doth as it were take vpon him the person and wordes of the vnrulye vulgar sort and by way of inquisition speaketh those thinges which haply ignorant men thoroughe tentation doe verily thincke and therfore so many questions as he doth by waye of inquirye propounde so many diuers persons doth he in a manner take vpon him selfeâ— but the true Preacher doth as it were with his hande compounde all theâ—re doubtes and disagrementes and bring them all to concorde and vnitye of opinion when as in the ende of his booke he saith Let vs all Eccles cap. 12 together heare an end of speaking Feare God keepe his commandementes for this is euery man For yf in that booke he had not by his discourse taken vpon him the person of diuers why did he admonish all to make an ende of speaking together with him and to heare He therfore that in the conclusion of the booke saith Let vs altogether heare doth giue euident testimony of him selfe that he tooke many persons vpon him and that he spake not all as of him selfe and therfore some thinges there be in that booke which are moued by waye of disputation and other some which by reason giue satisfaction some thinges which he vttereth in the person of one that is tempted and who as yet followeth the pleasures of the worlde and some other thinges in which he disputeth them according to the rule of reason and to drawe the minde from vaine pleasure and delighte for as there he saith This therfore seemeth vnto me goode that a Eccles 5. man sholde eate and drincke and takeioye of his labour so afterwarde he addeth It is better to goe vnto the house of mourning then to the house of feasting For yf it be good to eate and drincke it semeth better to goe vnto the house of feasting then to the house of mourning and therfore by this it is euident that he vttered that former saying in the person of fraile men and pronounced this latter according to the rule of reason and therfore doth he straighte-waies sett downe the groundes of his reason and sheweth what commodity is gotten by going to the house of mourning saying thus for in that we are put in minde Eccles 11. of the end of all men and the liuing man thincketh what he shall be Againe there we finde it written O yong man reioice in thy youth and yet a little after is added for youth and pleasure be vaine thinges Seing therfore he doth afterward reproue that for vaine which before he seemed to allowe plainely doth he declare that he spake those wordes as it were of carnall concupiscens and the other of a righte and true iudgement Therfore as he doth in the first place expresse the delighte of carnall thinges and pronounceth it to be goode to cast awaye all care and to eate and drincke so afterwarde with reason and iudgement doth he reprouâ— that when he saith that it is better to goe vnto the house of mourninge then to the house of feasting and thoughe hee saith that a yonge man oughte to reioice in his youthe yet doth he vtter that as proceeding from the resolution of a carnall minde seing afterwarde by definitiue sentence he reproueth both youth and pleasure as vaine thinges Euen so and in like manner doth our Preacher sett downe the opinion of mans suspicion as it were in the person of those that be weake and subiect to tentation when he saith The death of man and beastes is one and theire condition both a like As man dieth so they also dy Al thinges doe breath alike and a man hath not any more then beastes who notwithstanding afterwarde putteth downe his owne opinion proceeding from iudgement and reason in these wordes VVhat hath a wise man more then Eccles 6. a foole and what a poore man but that he may goe thither where life is He therfore that saide A man hath no more then beastes saide also with mature deliberation that a wise man hath not only more then a beast but also more then a foolishe man to witt that he goeth to that place where life is in which wordes he doth also teache vs that mans life is not in this worlde seing he affirmeth it to be els where wherefore man hath this more then beastes because they after death doe not liue but he doth then begin trulye to liue when by mortall death he maketh an end of this transitorye life and therfore longe after he saith VVhat soeuer they hand can doe instantly worcke because with them in hâ—l whether thou goest there shal be neither worâ—ke nor reason nor knowledge
nor wisdom how then is the death of man and beastes all one and howe is theire condition and state alike or how hath not a man more then beastes when as they after death liue not and the soules of men after the death of there bodies be for there wicked deedes caried to hell and do not dye when they depart this life But in both these sayinges which seeme contrary each to other it is made manifest that the Preacher speaketh the truth vttering the one of carnall tentation and yet afterwarde vpon deliberation and according to truth resolutely setteth downe and defineth the contrarye Peter Glad I am that ignorant I was of that question which I demanded seing I haue by meanes thereof come to so exact an vnderstanding of that which before I knewe not But I beseeche you to take it patiently yf I also like to this our Preacher take vpon me the person of weake and fraile men that I may the better as it were by theire demanding of questions be profitable to them in theire weakenes and infirmities Gregory Why sholde I not beare with you condescending to the infirmities of your neighbours when as Paul saith 1. Corint â— To al men I became al thinges that I might * By this we see that men may in a goode soÌ„ce be called Sauiours without any iniury to our Sauiour Christ saue al and surely you are the more to be reuerenced for condescending to theire weakenes vpon charity therein do you imitate the steppes of an excellent preacher OF A QVESTION CONCERNING the soule which goeth inuisibly out of the bodye to witt whether there be any such thinge seing it can not be seene CHAPTER V. Peter IT chaunced so that I was present when one departed this life Who suddainlye as he was a speakinge gaue vp the ghost and whom before I heard talking with me in an instant I sawe deade but whether his soule went out of the body or no that I did not see and it seemeth verye harde to beleeue that thinge which no man can behould Gregory What maruaile is it Peter that you sawe not the soule departing out of the bodye seing you behould it not when it remayneth in the bodye what do you beleeue me to haue no soule because whiles you nowe talke with me you can not see it The nature of the soule is inuisible and therfore inuisibly doth it depart out of the body as it doth inuisibly remayne in the body Peter That the soule hath life so long as it remaineth in the bodye easily do I perceiue by the motion thereof for yf the body were destitute of the soule the members coulde not possibly moue at all but that the soule liueth when it is out of the body by what motions or actions I sholde gather desirous I am to be informed by you to the end that by such thinges as I do see I may knowe that thinge which I can not see Gregory Thoughe not with any great â—ubtility of discourse yet confidentlye do I affirme it to be most true that as the power of the soule doth quicken and moue the bodye so the power of God doth fill all thinges which he hath created and to some thinges doth he giue life by breathing it into them to other thinges he vouchsafeth life in an other manner and vpon some other thinges he bestoweth only a being without any life at all Seing therfore you doubt not but that God is the creator and preseruer of all thinges that he doth fill and imbrace all thinges that he doth excell all thinges and also mainetayneth them that he is incircumscriptible and inuisible so neither ought you to doubt but that he is serued with inuisible creatures seing they that serue oughte to be somewhat like vnto him vpon whom they attende and so consequently that we ought not to doubte but for as much as he is inuisible in him selfe that they also be of the same nature and what creatures can these be els but his holy Angels and the soules of iust men wherfore as you knowe when you see the bodye moue that the soule remaineth in the body and you gather this from the bodie which is lowest so oughte you to thincke of the life of the soule that departeth from the bodye deducing a reason from God who is the highest to witt that the soule liueth inuisibly seing it is to remayne in the seruice of the inuisible creator Peter All this is verye well saide yet our minde can hardelye be broughte to beleeue that which with our corporal eies we can not beholde Gregory Seing S. Paul saith that faith is the Hebr. 11. substance of thinges to be hoped for the argument of thinges not appearing truly are we saide to beleeue that which can not be seene and by no meanes to beleeue that which with out eies we doe behold yet in fewe wordes to bring you home againe to your selfe I saye that no visible thinges be seene but by the means of inuisible for althoughe your bodily ey beholdeth all sensible creatures yet coulde it not beholde any such thinge did it not receiue force from that which is inuisible for take awaye the soule which none doth see and in vaine be the eies opened to loke vpon any thinge Take away the soule from the body and the eies out of all question may remaine still open as before Yf then our eies did â—ee of them selues howe commeth it to passe that nowe the soule is gone they see nothinge at all Learne then by this that visible thinges them selues are not sene but by meanes of them that be inuisible Let vs also imagin that we sawe before vs the building of houses huge timber and stones to be lifted vp great pillers to hang vpon engines what I pray you effecteth all this the visible bodye that with handes draweth and moueth those huge and massy thinges or the inuisible soule that giueth life to the bodye for take awaye that which is not seene in the bodye and straightwaies all those thinges which before did moue will temayne without any motion at all By which we may easily gather that nothing can be disposed of in this visible worlde but by an other creature which is inuisible for as almightye God either by inspiration or by replenishing those creatures which haue reason doth both quicken and moue those thinges which be inuisible so in like manner those thinges which be inuisible doe giue motion and sence to carnall bodies which are visible Peter Willingly ouercome with these reasons alleaged I confesse that I am enforced almost to thincke that these visible thinges are nothing whereas before taking vpon me the person of weake and vnlerned men I doubted whether there were any inuisible creatures or no wherfore your whole discourse doth very well please me yet as I am assured of the life of the soule by the motion of the bodye so desirous I am to knowe by some sure and certaine demonstrations
inprisonment bene the death of Pope Iohne and also killed Symnachus iustlye did he appeare to be throwne of them into fire whom before in this life he had vniustly condemned OF THE DEATH OF Reparatus CHAPTER XXXI AT the same tyme when I first desired to leade a solitary life a certaine old man called Deusdedit passing well beloued of the whole citye and one also that was my friende and familiar acquaintance tolde me that in the tyme of the Gothes a certaine worshipfull man called Repararus came to dye who lying a longe while with his countenance changed and his body stiffe many thoughte in verye deede that he had bene deadeâ— and when diuers of his friendes and familye wept for his departure all on a suddaine he came to him felfe to the great admiration of his mourning house-holde Being returned thus to life he bad them in all hast to send a boye to the church of S. Laurence in Damafo so called of him that built it and quicklye to bringe worde what was become of Tiburtius the Prlest This Tiburtius as the speeche went was much giuen to a dissolute and wanton life and Florentius who at that tyme was a Priest in the same church remembreth full well his conuersation and manner of life When the messenger was gone Reparatus that was returned to life tolde them that in the place where he was he sawe a great woode-pile made readye and Tiburtius broughte forthe and laide vpon it and there to haue bene burnt with fire Then an other fire quoth he was prepared which was so highe that it reached from earth to heauen but althoughe they demanded for whom it was yet did he not tell them for when he had spoken these wordes straight-waies he died and the boy vvhich vvas sent to see vvhat vvas became of Tiburtius returned vvith newes that he found him a little before his comming departed this life By vvhich vve may learne that seing this Reparatus vvas caried to the places of tormentes to see them returned after vvarde to life to tell vvhat he had there behelde and straighte after left this vvorlde that he savve not all these thinges for him selfe but for vs that yet liue and haue tyme graunted to amende our vvicked liues And the reason vvhy Reparatus savve that great vvoode-pile burning vvas not that vve sholde thincke that the fire of hell is nourished with any woode but because he vvas to make relation of these thinges to them that remayned still in this vvorlde he savve that fire prepared for the vvicked to be made of the same matter of vvhich our fire is to the ende that by those thinges vvhich vve knovve and be acquainted vvith vve should learne to be affraide of those vvhich yet vve haue not sene nor haue any experience OF THE DEATH OF A COVRtier whose graue burned with fire CHAPTER XXXII MAximianus Bishop of Siracusis a man of holy life who for a longe tyme in this citye had the gouernment of my Monasterye often tolde me a terrible storye which fell out in the Prouince of Valeria A certaine courtier vpon Easter euen was Godfather to a yonge maide who after the fast was ended returned home to his house where drinckinge more wine then ynoughe he desired that his God daughter might tarry with him whom that nighte which is horrible to speake of he did vtterlye vndoe In the morning vpp he rose and with guilty conscience thought goode to go vnto the bathe as thoughe the water of that place coulde haue washed awaye the filthines of his synne yet he went and washed him selfe Then he began to doubt whether it vvere best to goe vnto the church or no fearing on the one side vvhat men wolde say yf he vvent not vpon that so great a festiual day and on the other yf he did go he trembled to thincke of Gods iudgement In conclusion shame of the worlde ouercame him and therfore to the churche he went where yet he remained with great feare and horror loking euery instant that he should haue bene deliuered to the deuile and tormented before all the people At that solemne masse Solemne masse though he did wonderfully shake for feare yet he scaped free from all punishement and so he departed very ioyfully from churche and the next day after came thither without any feare at all and so merilie and securely he continewed for six daies together thincking with him self that either God savve not that his abhominable sinne or els that mercifully he had pardoned the same Vpon the seuenth daye by suddaine death he was taken out of this vvorlde And being buried for a longe time after in the sighte of the whole to vvne a flame of fire came out of his graue vvhich burnt his bones so longe vntill it consumed the very graue it selfe in such sorâ—e that the earth vvhich was raised vp with a little bancke appeared lower then the rest of the grounde By which fact almightye God declared vvhat his soule suffred in the other vvorlde vvhose dead body flaminge fire consumed in this To vs also he hath lefte a fearefull example that vve may there-by learne vvhat the liuing and sensible soule suffreth for synne committed vvhen as the sensible bones by such a punnishement of fire vvere burnt to nothinge Peter Desirous I am to knovve vvhether in heauen the goode knovve the goode and the vvicked in hell knovve one an other THAT IN HEAVEN THE GOODE knowe the goode and in hel the wicked haue knowledge of the wicked CHAPTER XXXIII Gregory THe truthe of this question vve finde most clerelye resolued in those vvordes of our Sauiour before alleaged in vvhich vvhen it is saide that There was a certaine rich man and he Luc. 16. was clad with purple and silke and he fared euery day magnificallye and there was a certaine begger called Lazarus that lay at his gate ful of sores desiring to be filled of the crommes that fel from the rich mans table and none did giue him but the dogges also came and licked his sores straighte vvaies it is there also saide that Lazarus died and was carried of the Angels into Abrahames bosome and the rich man also died and was buried in hell who lifting vp his eies being in tormentes sawe Abraham a far of and Lazarus in his bosome and he cried saying father Abraham haue mercye on me and send Lazarus that he may dippe the tippe of his finger into water for to coole my tongue because I am tormented in this flame To vvhom Abraham an â—vvered Sonne remeÌ„ber that thowe diddesâ— receiue goode thinges in thy life tyme and Lazarus likewise euil By vvwhich wordes the rich man hauing no hoope of saluation for him selfe beginneth to make sute for his friendes saying Father I beseeche the that thow woldest send him vnto my fathers house for I haue fiue brethren for to testify vnto them least they also come into this place of tormentes In which wordes we see plainlye that the good do knowe the goode
though he had begged mony of the martyrs to buy him a new garment and in this manner they followed him out of the Church But the good man without saying any thing went forth where he espied vppon the sea side a great fish leaping and skippinge that was lately cast vp which by their help he gott and strayght after sould it to a certayne cooke called Carcoso for an hundred halfepence which cooke was an honest man and a good Christian telling him all the matter as it had happened purposing with the mony to buy some wool that his wife therof might prouide him more apparrell But when the cooke came to open the fish he found in the bowels a ringe of gould whervppon moued by and by with pitty terrified with religion he restored it to Florentius saying behould how liberally the tweÌ„ty marty â—s haue sent the apparrell At the Tibilitan waters at such time as Bishopp Proiectus carried thither the relickes of the most glorious martyr S. Steuen great multitudes of people came to his shrine amongst whom a blinde woman desired that she might be brought to the Bishoppe that carried those holy relickes and when she was come she gaue certaine flowers which she brought and receiuinge them agayne she put them to her eyes and strayght wayes she was restored to her former sight An other shrine there is like wise of Coloniâ— or colony is a place inhabited by people that cam from som other place the same martyr in Sinecen a towne not far from the Colonye of Hippo which Lucillus Bishopp of the same place carried in a procession and a fistula which long time had put him to much payne and which a Phisitian of his familiar acquaintance was to haue lanced by the bearing of that holy carriage was suddenly cured for neuer after could he finde it any more in his body Eucharius a Spanish Priest dwelling at Calama lay sicke of an old disease of the stone and was cured by the shrine of the foresayd martyr S. Sreuen which Bishopp Possidius brought to that place The very same man afterward by the extremity of an other sicknes lay so like a dead man that none makinge any doubt therof they bound his hands together but by help of the foresayd martyr one bringing the preists coate from his shrine and casting it vppon his body he was restored to life againe There dwelt in the same place a maÌ„ of his degree in very good accouÌ„t called Martialis vvel strooken in yeares but one that could not abide Christian religion yet his daughter and sonne in lawe were both Christians baptised that very yeare both Christians baptised that very yeare both which instantly besought their sicke father that he would likewise become a Christian but all in vayne for in no wise could they perswade him but in great anger he commanded them out of his sight His sonne in lawe in that necessity thought it best to visitte the shrine of S. Steuen and there with all his deuotion to make his prayers that God would giue him a good minde and inspire him quickly to become a Christian and to beleeue in Christ and so he did with great sighing many teares much sinceritye and a burninge affection of true pietie and vppon his de parture he carried with him from the altar some of the flowers which came next to hand and when it was night he layd them vnder his father in lawes head after which he fell a sleepe and behold before it was yet morning the old man cried out that thy would runne to the Bishop who by chance was then with me at Hippo but vnderstandinge that he was not at home he desired that some of his Priests would vouchsafe to come vnto him and when they were present he told them that he did now beleeue in Christ and so he was baptised to their great admiration and ioy And so long as he liued after he had these words continually in his mouth O Christ receiue my spirite him selfe being altogether ignorant that these were the very last words which S. Steuene spake when he was stoned of the Iewes which were also the last that euer he vttered for not long after he departed this life In the same place three others sicke of the goute wer cured by the same martyr Two of them were Cityzens and the third a Pilgrim and the CityzeÌ„s were straight healed with out any more adoe but the Pilgrim was instructed by reuelation what he should do when the payne came vppon him which so often as he did the griefe straight vanished away There is a peece of ground called Andurus where there is a Chnrch and in it a shrine of the martyr S. Steuen By chance certayne oxen running out of the vvay did vvith the vvheele of the cart crush a litle childe as he vvas playing in the yard and by and by after a fevv pangues it gaue vp the ghost The mother tooke it vp in her armes and carried it to the Church there layd it before the shrine of the martyr and it did not only returne to life but vvas also perfectly cured that no shew of any hurt at all remayned A certayne Nunne likewise dwellinge hard by the same Church in a place called Caspaliana was desperatly sicke whose gowne some of her friends carried to the same shrine and before it vvas brought backe agayne she vvas dead notvvith standinge at their returne they layed it vppon her dead corpes vvhervpon her soule returned into her body and she to life agayne At Hippo one Bassus borne in Siria did pray before the shrine of the same martyr for his daughter vvhich vvas dangerously sicke and carried with him thither her gowne and so it happened that whils he was there at his deuotions she departed this life His seruants in hast came from his house to let him vnderstand that dolefull newes but his freinds that mett them did vtterly forbidd them least he should before the people haue lamentably cryed out Returning home and finding the house full of weeping and wayling he layd vpon her dead corps the garment which he brought from the shrine of the martyr and forthwith she returned to life againe In the same place the sonne of one Ireneus a collector departed this life whose body likewise was layd forth and all things with much weepinge sorrow made ready for his buryall One comfortinge the father gaue him counsell to annoynt his sonnes body with the oyle of the same Maâ—tyr which being done the younge man reuiued Likewise Eleusinus the Tribune who dwelleth here amongst vs had a young sonne of his an infant which dyed whome he layd vpon the shrine of the Martyr which is in the subvrbes and after he had prayed there with teares he carryed him backe aliue What shall I doe my promise to finish this worke doth binde me that I can not here report all those miracles which I knowe and no question but many Christians will be sory when they
in castinge out of deuils in so muche that sometyme he did cast out of possessed bodies whole legions and by the continuall exercise of praier he ouercam all thiere tentations Iulianus who had an office here in our church and not long since died in this city was familiarly acquainted with him by whose relation I learned that which I will nowe tell you for by reason of his great and in ward familiarity often was he present at such miracles as he wroughte and did diuers tymes talke of him to our instruction and his owne comforte A certaine noble matrone there was dwellinge in the hither partes of Tuscania that had a daughter in lawe which not longe after the marriage of her sonne was togither with heâ— mother in lawe inuited to the dedication of the oratory of the blessed martir S. Sebastian and the nighte before this Dedication of churches solemnitye ouercome with carnall pleasure she coulde not abstaine from her husbande and thoughe in the morninge her former delighte trobled her conscience yet shame draue her ProcessioÌ„ forth to the procession beinge more ashamed of men then fearinge the iudgement of God and therfor thither she went togither with her mother in lawe And beholde straighte vpon the bringing of the reliques of S. Sebastian Translation of â—eliâ—es the martir into the oratorye a wicked spirit possessed the foresaide matrons dawghter in lawe and pitifully tormented her before all the people The Priest of the oratory beholdinge her so terribly vexed and lifted vp toke a white lynninge cloth and cast vpon her and forth withe the deuill also entred into him and bycause he presumed aboue his strengthe enforced also he was by his owne vexation to knowe what him selfe was Those that were present tooke vp the yonge getle woman in thiere handes and carried her home to her owne house And for as muche as she was by the enemye continually and cruelly tormented her kinsfolke that carnally loued her with thiere loue did persecut her caused her caused her to be caried for helpe to certaine witches so vtterlye to cast awaye her soule whose body they went about by sorcerye for a tyme to relieue Comming into thiere handes she was by them broughte to a riuer and there washed in the water the sorcerers laboring a longe tyme by theire inchantementes to cast out the deuill that had possessed her bodye but by the wonderfull iudgement of almightye God it fell ouâ— that whiles one by vnlawfull arte was expelled suddainly a whole legion did enter in And from that tyme forwarde she began to be tossed with so many varieties of motions to shrike out in so many sundry tunes as there were deuils in her bodye Then her parentes consultinge togither and confessing thiere owne wickednes caried her to the venerable Bishop Fortunatus and with him they left her who hauinge taken her to his charge fel to his praiers many daies and nightes and he prayed so muche the more earnestly because â—he had against him in one body an whole army of deuils and many daies passed not before he made her so safe and â—ounde as thoughe the deuill had neuer had any power or interest in her bodye At an other tyme the fame seruant of almighty God cast forth a deuil out of one that was possessed which wicked spirit when it was no we nighte and sawe fewe men stirring in the stretes takinge vpon him the shape of a stranger began to go vp and downe the citye crying out O holy Bishop Fortunatus beholde what he hath done he hath turned a stranger out of his lodginge and nowe I seeke for a place to rest in and in his whole citye can finde none A certaine man sittinge in his house by the fire with his wife and his little sonne hearing one to crye out in that manner went forth and enquired what the Bishop had done and withall inuited him to his house where he caused him to sett with them by the fire and as they were amonge them selues discoursinge of diuers matters the same wicked spirit on a sudcâ—ain entred into his little childe cast him into the fire and forth with killed him then the wretched father by the losse of his sonne in this manner knewe full well whom he had entertained and the Bishopp turned out of his lodginge Peter What was the cause that the olde enemye presumed to kill his sonne in his owne house who thinckinge him to be a stranger voursafed him of lodging and entertaynement Gregory Many thinges Peter seme to be goode and yet ar not because they be not done with a goode mynde and intention and therfor our Sauiour saith in the gospell Yf they eye be naughte al thy Math. 6. bodye shal be darcke for when the intention is wicked all the worcke that followeth is naughte althoughe it seme to be neuer so goode and therfore this man who lost his childe thoughe he semed to giue hospitalitye yet I thincke that he toke not any pleasure in that worcke of mercye but rather in the detraction and infamy of the Bishoppe for the punnishemeÌ„t which followed did declare that his entertainement goinge before was not voide of synne for some there be which are carefull to do goode worckes to th ende they may obscure the vertue of an other mans life neither take they pleasure in the good thinge which they doe but in the conceipt of that hurte which thereby they imagin reclouÌ„deth to others and therfore I verilye suppose that this man which gaue entertainment to the deuill was more desirous to seme to do a goode worcke then to do it in dede to th ende that he mighteseme more charitable then the Bishop in that he entertained him whom the man of God Fortunarus had thrust out of his house Peter It is verilye so as you saye for the ende of the worcke declared that the intente of the doer was not good Gregory At an other tyme likewise one that had lost his eysighte was brought vnto him who craued his intercession and obtayned it for so sone as rhe man of God had praied for him and made A miracle of the signe of the crosse the signe of the crosse vpon his eies straighte waies he receiued his sighte Beside this a certaine soldiars horse became so mad that he colde scant be holden by many and so cruel he was that he rent and tare the flesh of all such as he coulde reach with his tethe at lengthe as well as they coulde they tied him with roopes and so brought him to the man of God who puttinge An other miracle of the signe of the crosse forth his hande made vpon his heade the signe of the crosse forth with all his madnes departed in such sort that he became more gentle then euer he was before Then the soldiar seing his horse so miraculously cured determined to bestowe him vpon the Bishop which because he refused and yet the other instantly entreated
that he wolde not reiect his poore gifte the holy man toke the middle waye and yelded so to the soldiars request that yet he wolde not take any rewarde for the doinge of that miracle for he gaue him first so muche money as the horse was worth and then receiued him for perceiuing that the soldiar wolde haue bene grieued yf he had refused his courteous offer vpon charity he boughte that whereof he had then no nede Neither must I passe ouer with silence that which I hearde almost twelue daies since for a certaine poore olde man was broughte vnto me because I loued alwaies to talke with such kinde of men of whom I inquired his countrye and vnderstandinge that he was of the citye of Tuderti I asked him whether he knewe the good olde father Bishoppe Fortunatus to which he answered that he knewe him and that very well Then I beseche you quoth I tell me whether you knowe of any miracles which he did and because I am very desirous let me vnderstande what manner of man he was This man quoth he vvas far different from all those vvhich liue in our daies for he obtayned at Gods handes vvhatsoeuer he requested One of his miracles vvhich commeth to my minde I vvill novve tell you Certaine Gothes vpon a daye trauailing not far from the citye of Tuderti as they vvere in thiere iorny to Rauenna carried avvay vvith them tvvo little boies from a place vvhich belonged to the saide citye Nevves hereof being broughte to the holy Bishop Fortunatus he sent straight vvaies desiryng those Gothes to com vnto him to vvhom he spake very courteouslye being vvilling by faire speche to pacifye thâ—ere fierce cruel natures and aftervvarde tolde them that they sholde haue vvhat money they desired so they vvolde make restitution of the children and therfore I beseche you quoth he gratifye my request in this thinge Then he vvhich semed to be the chiefe of theÌ„ tvvo told him that vvhatsoeuer els he commanded they vvere readye to performe but as for the boies by no means they wolde let them goe To whom the venerable man threatninge in sweete sort spake vnto him in this manner You grieue me good sonne to see that you will not be ruled by your father but giue me not any such cause of griefe for it is not good that you do But for all this the Gothe continewing still harde harted denied his request and so went his waye yet comminge againe the next day the holy man renued his former sute concerninge the children but when he sawe that by no means he colde perswade him in sorrowfull manner he spake thus well I knowe that it is not goode for you to depart in this manner and leaue me thus afflicted But the Goth not esteming his wordes returned to his inne sett those children on horsebacke and sent them before with his seruantes and straighte wayes him selfe tooke horse and followed after and as he was ridinge in the same citye by the churche of S. Peter the Apostle DedicatioÌ„ of churches to Sainctes his horse stumbling fell downe and brake his thighe in suche sorte that the bone was quite a sunder vp was he taken and carried backe againe to his Inne who in all hast sent after his seruantes and caused the boies to be broughte backe againe Then he sent one to venerable Fortunatus with this message I beseche you father to sende vnto me your deacon who when he was come vnto him lying in his bedde he made those boies which before vpon no entreaty he wolde restore to be broughte forth and deliuered them to him sayinge Go and tell my Lord the Bishop Beholde you haue cursed me I am punnished but I haue nowe sent you those children which before you required take them and I beseche you to pray for me The deacon receiued the children and carried them to the Bishop wherevpon the holy manforth with gaue his deacon some holy water sayinge Goe quickelye and cast it vpon him where he lieth who went his waye and comminge to the Goth he sprinckled all his bodye with holy water and o A miracle wroughte by holy water strange and admirable thinge the holy water no soner touched his thighe but all the rupture was so healed and him selfe so perfectly restored to his former helthe that he forsook his bed that verye houre tooke his horse vvent on his iornye as thoughe he had neuer bene hurte at all and thus it fell out that he vvhich refused for money and vpon obedience to restore the children was by punnishemeÌ„t enforced to do it for nothinge When the olde man had tolde me this strange storye ready he vvas to procede vnto other but because I vvas at that tyme to make an exhortation to somâ— that expected me and the day vvas vvell speÌ„te I coulde not at that tyme heare any more of the notable actes of venerable Fortunatus and yet yf I might neuer vvolde I do any thing els then giue eare to such excellent stories The next day the same olde man reported a thinge far more wonderfull for he saide that in the same citye of Tuderti there dwelt a good vertuous man called Marcellus togither with two of his sisters who fallinge sicke somwhat late vpon Easter euen departed this life and because he was to be caried far of he coulde not be buried that daye His sisters hauinge now longer respit for his buriall with heauie hartes ranne weeping vnto the Bishop where they began to cry out aloud in this manner we knowe that thow leadest an Apostolicall life that thou doest heale leapers restore sighte to the blinde come therfore we beseche you and raise vp our deade brother The venerable man hearinge of theire brothers deathe began him selfe likewise to weepe desired them to departe and not to make any suche petition vnto him for it is our Lordes pleasure quoth he vvhich no man can resist vvhen they vvere gone the Bishoppe continued still sad and sorovvfull for the goode mans deathe and the next day being the solemne â—east of Easter verye earlye in the morninge he went with two of his deacons to Marcellus house and comminge to the place where his deade bodye laye he fell to his praiers and when he had made an ende he rose vp and satt dovvne by the corps and with a lovve voice called the dead man by his name sayinge Brother Marcellus whereat as thoughe he had bene lightely a slepe and awaked with that voice he rose vp opened his eies and lokinge vpon the Bishop saide O what haue you done o what haue you done to whom the Bishop answered sayinge what haue I done Marye quoth he Yesterdaye there came two vnto me discharged my soule out of my body and carried me awaye to a goode place and this day one was sent who bad them carry me backe againe bycause Bishop Fortunatus was gone to myne house And vvhen he had spoken these wordes straighte waies he recouered of his sicknes
reprochefull wordes they â—ntreated him where vpon he sent them by and by this message sayinge Amende your tongues otherwise I do excommunicat you which sentence of excommunication notwithstandinge he did not then presentlye pronounce against them but only threatened yf they amended not them selues But they for all this chaÌ„ged thiere conditions nothing at all both which not longe after departed this life and were buried in the churche and vvhen Solemne mass solemne masse was celebrated in the same churche and the Deacon accordinge to custome saide with lowde voice yf any there be that do not communicate let them departe the nurse which vsed to giue vnto our Lorde an Offring for the dead offringe for them behelde them at that tyme to rise out of thiere graues to depart the churche Hauing often tymes at those vvordes of the Deacon sene them leaue the churche and that they could not tarry within she remeÌ„bred what message the man of God sent them whâ—les they were yet aliue For he tolde them that he did depriue them of the communion vnlesse they did amende theire tongues and conditions Then with great sorrowe the whole matter was signified to the maÌ„ of God who straight-waies with his owne handes gaue an oblation saying Go your waies and cause this to be offered Oblation for the deade vnto our Lorde for them and they shall not remayne any longer excommunicat which oblation beinge offered for them the Deacon as he vsed crying out that such as did not communicate shold departe they were not sene any more to go out of the churche whereby it was certaine that seeinge they did not departe with theÌ„ which did not communicate that they had receiued the communion of our Lorde by the handes of his seruant Peter It is very straunge that you report for howe coulde he thoughe a venerable and most holy man yet liuinge in mortall body loose those soules which stoode nowe before the inuisible iudgement of God Gregory Was he not yet Peter mortall that hearde from our Sauiour whatsoeuer Math. 16 thowe shall binde vpon earth it shall be bound also in the heauens whatsoeuer thowe shalt loose in earth shal be loosed also in the heaueÌ„s whose place of bindinge and loosinge those haue at this tyme which by faith and vertuous life possesse the place of holy gouernement and to be stowe such power vpoÌ„ earthly men the creator of heauen and earth desconded from heauen to earthe and that fleshe mighte iudge of spirituall thinges God who for mans sake was made fleshe vouchesafed to bestowe vpon him for from thence our weaknes did rise vp aboue it selfe from wheÌ„ce the strength of God was weakened vnder it selfe Peter For the vertue of his miracles your wordes do yelde a very goode reason OF A BOYE THAT AFTER HIS buriall was cast out of his graue CHAPTER XXIIII Gregory VPon a certayne daye a younge boye that was a monke louinge his parentes more then reason wolde went from the Abbey to thiere house not crauinge the fathers blessinge before hand and the same daye that he came home vnto them he departed this life And beinge buried his bodye the next daye after was founde cast out of the graue which they caused againe to be put in and againe the daye following they founde it as before Then in great hast they went to the man of God sell downe at his feete with many teares beseeched him that he wolde vouchsafe him that was deade of his fauour To whom the man of God with his owne handes deliuered the holy communion of our Lordes body sayinge Goe and lay with great The Sacrament was not buried with him but only laid vpon his brest and taken of againe reuerence this our Lordes body vpon his breast and so burye him which when they had done the deade corps after that remayned quietly in the graue By which you perceiue Peter of what merit he was with our Lorde Iesus Christ seeinge the earth wolde not giue entertainement to his bodye who departed this worlde out of Bennets fauour Peter I perceiue it very well and do wonderfully admire it HOVV A MONKE FORESAKING the Abbey mett with a dragon in the way CHAPTER XXV Gregory A Certaine monke there was so inconstant and fickle of mynde that he wolde needes giue ouer the Abbey for which fault of his the man of God dâ—d daily rebuke him and often tymes giue him goode admonitions but yet for all this by no means wolde he tary amongest them and therfore continuall sute he made that he mighte be discharged The venerable man vpon a tyme wearied with his importunitye in anger bad him departe who was no soner out of the Abbey gate but he founde a dragon in the waye expecting him with open mouth which being about to deuoure him he began in great feare and tremblinge to cry out aloude sayinge Helpe helpe for this dragon will eate me vp At which noise the monkes running out dragon they sawe non but finding him there shaking treÌ„bling they broughte him backe againe to the Abbey who forth with promised that he wolde neuer more forsake the monasterye and so euer after he continued in his profession for by the praiers of the holy man he sawe the dragon comminge against him whom before when he savve not he did willingly followe HOVV HOLY BENNET CVRED a boye of the leprosy CHAPTER XXVI BVt I must not here passe ouer with silence that which I had by relation of the honourable man Anthonye who saide that his fathers boye was so pitifully punnished with a leprosy that all his heare fell of his body swelled and filthy corruption did openly come forthe Who beinge sent by his father to the man of God he was by him quickly restored to his former healthe HOVV BENNET FOVND MONEY miraculously to relieue a poore man CHAPTER XXVIII NEither is that to be ommitted which one of his disciples called Peregrinus vsed to tell for he saide that vpon a certaine daye an honest man who was in debt founde no other meanes to helpe him selfe but thought it his best waye to acquaint the man of God with his necessitye wherevpon he came to the Abbey and findinge the seruant of almighty God gaue him to vnderstande howe he was troubled by his creditor fortwelue shillinges which he did owe him To whom the venerable man saide that him selfe had not so muche money yet giuinge him comfortable wordes he saide Go your wayes and after two dayes come to me againe for I can not preseÌ„tly helpe you in which two daies after his manner he bestowed him selfe in praier when vpon the thirde daye the poore man came backe there were founde suddainly vpon the chest of the Abbey which was full of corne thirtene shillinges which the man of God caused to be giuen to him that required but twelue both to discharge his debte and also to defraye his owne charges But nowe will I returne to speake of such
Then turninge back to Galla that came raginge after he saide This is father Bennet of whom I tolde you who lookinge vpoÌ„ him in a great fury thinckinge to deale as terribly with him as he had with others cried out aloude to him sayinge Rise vp sirrha rise vp and deliuer me quickelye suche wealth as thowe hast of this mans in keepinge The man of God hearinge such a noise straighte-waies lifte vp his eies from readinge and behelde both him and the countrye fellowe and turninge his eies to his bandes verye straungelye they fell from his armes and that so quickelye as no man with any hast could haue vndone them Galla seeinge him so wonderfullye and quickely loosed fell straighte a trembling and prostratinge him selfe vpon the earth boowed downe his cruell and stiffe necke to the holy mans feete and with humilitye did commende him selfe to his praiers But the venerable man for all this rose not vp from his readinge but callinge for some of his monkes commanded them to haue him in and to giue him some meate And when he was broughte backe againe he gaue him a goode lesson admonishing him not to vse any more suche rigour and cruell dealinge His proude minde thus taken downe away he went but durst not demande after that any thinge of the countrye fellowe whom the man of God not with handes but only with his eies had loosed from his bandes And this is that Peter which I tolde you that those which in a more familiar sorte serue God doe sometyme by a certaine power and authority bestowed vpon them worcke miracles For he that sittinge still did appease the furye of that cruell Gothe and vnloose with his eies those knottes and cordes which did pinion the inocent mans armes did plainelye shewe by the quickenes of the miracle that he had receiued power to worcke all that which he did And nowe will I likewise tell you of an other miracle which by praier he obtayned at Gods handes HOVV BY PRAIER VENERABLE Bennet raised vp a deade childe CHAPTER XXXII BEinge vpon a daye gone out with his monkes to worke in the fielde a country man carrying the corps of his deade sonne came to the gate of the Abbey lamentinge the losse of his childe and inquiringe for holy Bennet they tolde him that he was abroad with his monkes in the fielde Downe at the gate he layd the deade bodye and with great sorrowe of soule ranne in hast to seeke out the venerable father At the same tyme the man of God was returninge home ward from worcke with his monkes whom so sone as he sawe he began to crye out giue me my sonne giue me my sonne The man of God amazed at these wordes stoode still saide what haue I taken awaye your sonne No no quoth the sorrowfull father but he is deade come for Christ Iesus sake and restore him to life The seruaunt of God hearing him speake in that manner seeinge his monkes vpon compassion to sollicit the poore mans sute with great sorrowe of minde he saide Away my goode brethren awaye Suche miracles are not for vs to worcke but for the blessed Apostles why will you lay suche a burthen vpon me as my weakenes can not beare But the poore man whom excessiue griefe enforced wolde not giue ouer his petition but swore that he wolde neuer departe excepte he did raise vp his sonne Where is he then quoth Gods seruaunte he answered that his body lay at the gate of the Abbey to which place when the man of God came with his monkes he kneeled downe and lay vpon the bodye of the little childe and rising he helde vp his handes towardes heauen and saide Beholde not o Lorde my synnes but the faithe of this man than desireth to haue his sonne raised to life and restore that soule to the body which thowe hast taken away He had scarse spoken these wordes and beholde the soule returned backe againe and there with the childes bodye began to tremble in such sort that all which were present did beholde it in straunge manner to pant and shake Then he tooke it by the hande gaue it to his father but aliue in healthe Certaine it is Peter that this miracle was not in his owne power for which prostrat vpon the grounde he praied so earnestly Peter All is most true that before you saide for what you affirmed in wordes you haue nowe verified by examples and worckes But tell me I beseche you whether holy men can do all suche thinges as they please and obtaine at Gods handes whatsoeuer they desire OF A MIRACLE VVROVGHTE by his sister Scholastica CHAPTER XXXIII Gregory VVHat man is there Peter in this worlde that is in greater fauour with God then S. Paul was who yet three tymes desired our Lord ro be deliuered from the pricke of the fleshe and obtained not his petition Concerninge which pointe also I 2. Cor. 12. must nedes tell you howe there was one thinge which the venerable father Bennet wolde haue done and yet he could not For his filter called Scholastica YouÌ„g children dedicated to a religious life dedicated from her infancy to our Lord vsed once a yere to come and visit her brother To whom the man of God went not far from the gate to a place that did belonge to the Abbey there to giue her intertainement And she comming thither on a tyme accordinge to her custome her venerable brother with his monkes went to meete her where they spent the whole daye in the praises of God and spirituall talke and when it was almost nighte they supped together as they were yet sitting at the â—able talkinge of deuoin matters and darcknes came on the-holy NuÌ„ne his sister entreated him to stay there all nighte that they mighte spende it in discoursinge of the ioyes of heauen But by no perswasion wolde he agree vnto that sayinge that he mighte not by any meanes tarry all nighte out of his Abbey At that tyme the skye was so clere that no cloude was to be sene The Nunne receiuinge this deniall of her brother ioyning her handes together laide them vpon the table and so bowing downe her heade vpon them she made her praiers to almighty God and liftinge her heade from the table there fell suddainlye such a tempest of lightninge and thundringe and such abundance of raine that neither venerable Bennet nor his monkes that were with him coulde put theire heade out of dore for the holy Nunne restinge her heade vpon her handes poured forth such a flod of teares vpon the table that she drewe the clere aier to a watrye skye so that after the end of her deuotions that storme of rayne followed and her prayer and the rayne did so meete together that as she lifted vp her heade from the table the thunder beganne so that in one and the verye same instant she lifted vp her head and broughte downe the rayne The man of God seeinge that he could
that lighte which appeared to his outwarde eies the inward lighte which was in his soule rauished the minde of the beholder to supernall thinges and shewed him howe small all earthly thinges were Peter I perceiue nowe that it was to my more profitt that I vnderstoode you not before seeinge by reason of my slowe capacitye you haue deliuered so notable an exposition But nowe because you haue made me througlye to vnderstand these thinges I beseeche you to continewe on your former narration HOVV HOLY BENNET VVROT a rule for his monkes CHAPTER XXXVI DEsirous I am Peter to tell you many thinges of this venerable father but some of purpose I set passe because I make hast to entreat also of the actes of other holy men yet I wolde not haue you to be ignorant but that the man of God amongest so many miracles for which he was so famous in the worlde was also sufficiently learned in diuinitye for he wrot a rule for his monkes both excellent for discretion and also eloquent for the stile Of whose life and conuersation yf any be curious to knowe further he may in the institution of that rule vnderstand al his manner of life and discipline for the holy man coulde not otherwise teache then him selfe liued HOVV VENERABLE BENNET did prophecye to his monkes the tyme of his owne deathe CHAPTER XXXVII THe same yeare in which he departed this life he tolde the daye of his holy death to his monkes some of which did liue daily with him and some dwelt far of willinge those that were present to keepe it secret and tellinge them that were absent by what token they sholde knowe that he was deade Six daies before he lefte this worlde he gaue order to haue his sepulchre opened and forthwith fallinge into an agewe he began with burninge heate to wax fainte and when as the sicknes daily increased vpon the sixt day he commanded his monkes to carry him into the oratory where he did arme him selfe with receiuinge the body and bloode of our Sauiour Christ and hauing his weake body holden vp betwixte the handes of his disciples he stoode with his owne lifte vp to heauen and as he was in that manner praying he gaue vp the Ghost Vpon which daye two monkes one being in his cell and the other far distant had concerninge him one and the selfe same vision for thy sawe all the waye from the holie mans cell towardes the east euene vp to heauene hunge and adorned with tapestry and shininge with an infinite number of lampes at the topp whereof a man reuerently attired stoode and demanded yf they knewe who passed that way to whom they answered saying that they knewe not Then he spake thus vnto them This is the waye quoth he by which the beloued seruaunt of God Bennet is ascended vp to heauen And by this means as his monkes that were present knewe of the deathe of the holy man so likewise they which were absent by the token which he foretold them had intelligence of the same thinge Buried he was in the oratory of S. Iohne Baptist which him selfe built when he ouerthrewe the altar of Apollo who also in that caue in which he first dwelled euene to his verie tyme worketh miracles yf the faithe of them that pray requireth the same HOVV A MAD VVOMAN VVAS cured in his caue CHAPTER XXXVIII FOr the thinge which I meane nowe to rehearse fel out lately A certaine woman fallinge madde lost the vse of reason so far that she walked vp and downe day and nighte in mountains and valle is in woodes and fieldes and rested only in that place where extreame wearines enforced her to staye Vpon a day it fell so out that albeit she wandred at randon yet she missed not the righte waye for she came to the caue of the blessed man Bennet and not knowinge any thing in she went reposed her self there that nighte and rising vp in the morning she departed as sound in sence well in her wittes as though she had neuer bene distracted in her whole life and so continewed alwaies after euen to her dyinge daye Peter What is the reason that in the patronage of martirs we often tymes finde that they do not afforde so great benefits by theire bodies as they do by Sainctes relickes worcke miracles other of theire reliques and doe there worke greater miracles where them selues be not present Gregory Where the holy martirs lye in theire bodies there is no doubt Peter but that they are able to worke many miracles yea and also do worke infinite to such as seek them with a pure minde But for as much as simple people Sainctes in heauen heare our praiers Praier to Sainctes mighte haue some doubte whether they be present and doe in those places heare theire praiers where theire bodies be not necessarye it is that they sholde in those places shewe greater miracles where weake soules may most doubte of theire presence But he whose minde is fixed in God hath so muche the greater merit of his faith in that he both knoweth that they rest not there in bodye and yet be there present to heare our praiers And therfore our Sauiour him selfe to increase the faithe of his disciples saide If I do not departe Ioh. 16. the comforter will not come vnto you for seeinge certaine it is that the comfortinge spirit doth alwaies procede from the father and the sonne why doth the sonne saye that he will departe that the comforter may come who neuer is absent from the sonne But because the disciples beholdinge our Lorde in flesh did alwaies desire to see him with theire corporall eies very well did he saye vnto them vnles I do go awaye the comforter will not come as thoughe he had plainly tolde them Yf I do not with drawe my bodye I can not let you vnderstande what the loue of the spiritis except you giue ouer to loue my carnall presence neuer will you learne to affect me with true spirituall loue Peter That you saye pleaseth me verye well Gregory Let vs now for a while giue ouer our discourse to the end that yf we meane to prosecute the miracles of other Sainctes we may throughe silence be the more able to performe it The ende of the second booke THE CHAPTERS OF THE THIRDE BOOKE 1. OF Paulinus Bisshoppe of the city of Nola. 2. of Pope Iohn 3. Of Pope Agapitus 4. Of Datius Bisshoppe of Millan 5. Of Sabinus Bisshoppe of Camisina 6. Of Cassius Bisshoppe of Narni 7. Of Andrewe Bisshoppe of Funda 8. Of Constantius Bisshop of Aquinunt 9. Of Frigidianus Bisshop of Luna 10. Of Sabinus Bisshop of Placentia who by his letters made the riuer of Poe to retire into his channel 11. Of Cerbonius Bisshop of Populonium 12. Of Fulgentius Bisshop of Otricoly 13. Of Herculanus Bisshop of Perusium 14. Of the seruaunt of God Isaac 15. Of the seruantes of God Euthitius and Florentius 16. Of Martius the
sometyme condescende to speake with them of certaine thinges by little and little we get such a custome that we heare that spoken with pleasure which is not meete to be hearde at all so that afterwarde we are loth to giue that ouer to which at the first to gratify others we were broughte against our wills And by this meanes we fall from idle wordes to hurtefull speches and from talke of small moment to wordes of great importance and so it commeth to passe that our tongue is so muche the lesse respected of God when we pray by howe muche we are more defiled with folishe speche because as it is written He that turneth away his eare Prouerb 28. that he heare not the lawe his praier shal be execrable what maruaile then is it yf when we praye God doth slowely heare vs when as we heare Gods commandemeuts either slowly or not at all And what maruaile yf Florentius when he praied was quickely hearde who obeied God in obseruinge his commandements Peter The reason alleaged is so plaine that nothinge with reason can be saide against it But Euthicius who was companion to Florentius in seruing of God was famous also for miracles after his deathe For the inhabitantes of that citye do speake of manye but the principall is that which euen to these tymes of the Lombardes almighty God hath voutsafed to worcke by his coate for when they had any great drouth the citizens gatheringe them selues together did carry that and together with theire praiers offer it in the sighte of our Lorde And when they went with The vertue of relickes that throughe he fieldes praying to God forth with they had such plentye of raine as the drynes of the grounde required wherbye it was apparaunt what vertue and merites were in his soule whose garment shewed outwardlye did pacifye the anger of almighty God OF MARCIVS THE MONKE of mount Marsico CHAPTER XVI NOt longe since there was a reuerent man in Campania called Marcius who liued a solitary life in the mountaine of Marsico and many yeres together did he contine we in a narrowe and straighte caue whom many of our acquaintance knewe very well and were present at such miracles as he did and many thinges concerning him haue I hearde from the mouthe of Pope Pelagius of blessed memorye my predecessor and also of others who be very religious men His first miracle was that so sone as he made choise of that caue for his habitation there sprunge water out of the hollowe rocke which was neither more nor lesse then serued for his necessity By which almighty God did shewe what great care he had of his seruaunt seeinge miraculously as in auncient tyme he had before done to the children of Israel he caused the harde rocke to yelde forth water But the olde enemy of mankinde inuyinge at his vertues went about by his auncient slight to driue him from that place for he entred into a serpent his olde friende and so thoughte to haue terrified him from thence For the serpent alone wold come into the caue where he liued also alone and when he was at his praiers it wold cast it selfe before him when he tooke his rest it woldly downe by his side The holy mā was nothinge at all dismaide at this for sometyme he wolde put his hand or legge to his mouth sayinge Yf thowe hast leaue to stinge me I hinder the not and when he had liued thus continually the space of three yeres vpon a daye the olde enemy ouercome with his heauenly courage made a great hissinge and tumblinge him selfe downe by the side of the mountaine he consumed all the bushes and shrubbes with fire in which fact by the power of God he was enforced to shewe of what force he was that departed with losse of the victorye Consider I pray you then in the top of what mountaine this man of God stoode that continewed three yers together with a serpent without taking any harme at all Peter I doe consider it and do tremble at the very hearinge of the storye Gregory This reuerent man when he first shutt him selfe vp was determined neuer to beholde wemen any more not because he contemned them but for that he feared least theire sighte mighte be the occasion of sinfull tentation which resolution of his a certaine woman vnderstandinge vp she went boldly to the mountaine and forgettinge all modesty impudentlye approched to his caue He seeinge her a goode way of and perceiuinge by the apparrell that it was a woman he fell straighte to his praiers with his face vpon the earthe and there he laye prostrat vntill the shamelesse creature wearied with staying at his windowe departed and that very daye after she was descended the mountaine she ended her life to giue all the worlde to vnderstāde howe highely she displeased almighty God in offendinge his seruant with that her bold enterprise At an other tyme many of deuotion goinge to visit him a yonge boye taking little heede to his feete by reason the path◠was so straighte vpon the side of the mountaine fell downe and tumbled vntill he came to the bottome of the valley which was verye depe for the mountaine is so highe that huge trees growing beneathe seeme to them that be aboue nothinge els but little shrubbes The people present were at this chaunce muche dismaide and verye diligentlye did they seeke to see where they coulde finde his deade bodye for who wolde haue thoughte any otherwise but that he was slayne or once imagined that his bodye coulde euer haue come safe to the groūde so many rockes beeing in the waye to reare it in peces yet for al this he was foūde in the valley not only aliue but also without any harme at all Then they perceiued verye well that the reason why he was not hurte was because Marcius praiers did preserue him in his fallinge Ouer his caue there was a great rocke which seemed to hange but by a little pece vnto the mountaine and therfore dailye was it feared that it wolde fall and so kill the seruaunt of God For preuentinge of which mischief the honorable man Mascarus nephewe to Armentarius came thither with a great number of countrye people desiringe him to leaue his caue so longe vntill they had remoued that rocke to the end he mighte afterward continewe there without any danger but the man of God coulde not by any meanes be perswaded to come forthe bidding them notwithstanding doe what they thoughte conuenient only he retired him selfe to the furthest parte of his cell yet none made any doubt but that yf so huge a rocke as that was did fall but that it wolde both spoile his caue and kill him selfe wherfore they laboured what they mighte to see yf they coulde remoue that mighty stone without any danger to the man of God and forthwith in the sighte of them all a straunge thinge happened for that rocke seuered by theire labour from the rest of
it sholde be purged And here of it commeth that reprobates receiue superioritye and power ouer others who at theire death be so much the more punnished for that they vsed theire cruell authoritye against Gods seruantes as the foresaide wicked and wretched man whom God suffred not to triumphe ouer that venerable Deacon thoughe he permitted him to kill his bodye which thinge to be true we learne also out of holy scriptures For that man of God which was sent against Samaria because contrarye to 3. Reg. 19. Gods commandement he did eate in in his iorny was slayne by a lion and yet in the same place we reade that the lion stoode by the mans asse and did not touche his dead bodye By which we perceiue that his synne of disobedience was by that his death pardoned because the same lion that feared not to kill him presumed not yet to touch his dead carcasse for licence he had for the one but no leaue was graunted for the other because he that was culpable in his life hauing his synne of disobedience now punnished was iust by his death and therfore the lion that before slewe the body of a synner preserued afterward the corps of a iust man Peter Your discourse pleaseth me very well yet willing I am to knowe whether before the resurrection the soules of iust men do enter into the kingdome of heauen VVHETHER THE SOVLES OF iust men be receiued into heauen before the general resurrection of our bodies CHAPTER XXV Gregory THis thinge speaking generallye Al iust men go not straighte to heauen of all iust men can neither be affirmed nor denied for the soules of some iust men remayninge as yet in certaine mansions be differâ—ed from heauen by which staye of theirs what els do we learne but that they lacked some-what of perfect iustice And yet is it more clere then daye that the soules of them that be perfect do straighte after death possesse the ioyes of heauen the truthe where of Christ him selfe assureth vs when he saith VVheresoeuer the body shal be thither will the Luc. 17. eagles be gathered together for where our Sauiour is present in bodye thither without all question doe the soules o â— iust men assemble them selues and S. Paul saith I desire to be dissolued and to â— Philip. 1. with Christ He therfore thaâ— doubteth not Christ to be in heauen how can he doubt that S. Paules soule is in the same place which Apostle speaketh also of the dissolution of his body and his dwelling in heauen in these wordes VVe knowe that if our terestrial house of 2 Corint 5. this habitation be dissolued that we haue a buildinge of God and house not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Peter If iust mens soules be already in heaueÌ„ what then shall they receiue for a rewarde of theire vertuous and iust life at the daye of iudgement Gregory Whereas nowe theire soules be only in heauen at the day of iudgement this further increase of ioye shall they haue that theire bodies also shall be partakers of eternall blisse and they shall in theire fleshe receiue ioye in which for Christes sake they suffred griefe and toâ—mentes In respect of this there douole glorye the scripture saith In theire land they shal possesse double Esay 61. thinges and it is written of the soules of the iust that before the day of resurrection To euery one of them white stoales Apocalip 6. were giuen and it was saide to them that they should rest yet a little tyme vntill the number of theire fellow-seruantes and brethren were complete They therfore that now receiue but one stoale in the daye of iudgement shall euery one haue two because nowe they reioyce only for the felicitye of theire soules but then shall they enioye the endlesse glorye of bodye and soule together Peter I graunt it to be as you saye but what I beseech you is the reason that ostentymes those which ly a dyinge do prophecye and tell of many thinges to come BY VV HAT MEANES IT FALLETH out that those which ly a dying do prophecye of thinges to come and of the death of a certaine aduocat os that also which was reuealed to the monkes Gerontius and Mellitus of the death of a boye called Armentarius and of the diuersitye of tongues CHAPTER XXVI Gregory SOmetyme the soule it selfe by reason of the spirituall nature vvhich it hath doth foresee some thing which will so fall out and sometyme soules before theire departure come to the knowledge of future thinges by reuelation sometyme also when they are straight-waies to leaue the body by heauenly inspiration they penetrate with theire spirituall eies the secrets of heauen For that the soule by reason of the spirituall nature which it hath doth knowe thinges to come certaine it is by that which happened to a certaine aduocate in this citye who died two daies agoe of a paine in his side For a little before his death he called for his boye to giue him his apparrel that he mighte rise vp and walke who supposinge him not to knowe what he saide refused to do what he willed him Where vpon herose vp put on his clothes and saide that he wolde go to the churche of S. Sixtus which is in the waye called Appia and when not longe after his sicknes increasing lie departed this life determined it was that his bodâ—e sholde be buried in the churche of S. Ianuarius the martir which standeth vpon the way called Prenestina But because they which had the care of his buriall thoughte iâ— too far of suddainlye they resolued vpon a newe course and so going forth with his corps by the waye called Appia not knowinge what he had saide they buried him in that church which before he mentioned and seing it is well knowne that he was a man giuen to the worlde and one that soughte after earthly gaine how coulde he know that which fell out but that the force and spirituall nature of his soule did foresee what shoulde become of his bodye That those also which lye a dyinge do oftentymes by diuine reuelation foretell what shall happen afterwarde we may learne by such thinges as haue fallen out amongest vs in diuers Abbeyes For ten yeares since there was a monke in my Monasterye called Gerontius who lying sore sicke sawe by vision in the nighte tyme certaine white men bewtifully apparrelled to descende from aboue into the Monasterye and standing by his beddes side one of them saide The cause of our comminge hither is to choose out certaine of Gregories monkes to sende them abroade vnto the warres and forthwith he commanded an other to write in a bill the names of Marcellus Valentinian Agnellus and diuers others whose names I haue nowe forgotten that being done he saide further Putt downe also the name of him that nowe beholdeth vs. By which vision he being assured of that which would come to passe the next morning he tolde the
monkes who they were that should shortly dy out of the Monasterye adding also that him selfe was to followe them The next day the foresaide monkes fell more dangerously sicke and so died all in that verye order which they were named in the bill Last of all him selfe also departed this life who hade foretold the departure of thee other monkes before him Likewise in that mortalitye which three years since lamentablye afflicted this towne there was in the Monasterye of the citye of Portua a yonge monke called Mellitus a man of wonderfull simplicitye and humilitye whose last daye being come he fell desperatlye sicke of the common disease which when venerable Felix Bishop of the same place vnderstoode by whose relation my selfe haue learned this storye verye carefull he was to visit him and with sweete wordes to comfort him against death adding not-withstandinge that by Gods grace he mighte liue longe in this worlde To whom the sicke man answered that his tyme was at hande saying that there came vnto him a yonge man with letters willing him to open and reade them which when he had done he saide that he founde both his owne name and all the rest of them which the Easter before had bene baptized by that Bishop written in letters of golde and first of all he saide that he founde his owne name and afterwarde the rest of them that were christned at that tyme by which he made no doubt but that both him selfe and the rest shoulde shortly depart this life and so it fell out for he died that very daye and after him followed all those which had before benebaptised so that within the space of a fewe daies no one of them was left aliue Of whom no question can be made but that the reason why the foresaide seruaunt of God saw them written in gold was because theire names were written in heauen in the euer lasting sighte of God And as these men by diuine reuelation knewe and foretolde such thinges as were to come so sometymes soules before theire departure not in a dreame but waking may haue some taste of heauenly mysteries For you were well acquainted with Ammonius a monke of my Monasterye who whiles he liued in a secular vveede and vvas Secular weede◠married to the daughter of Valerianus a lavvyer in this citye continuallye and vvith all diligence he follovved his busines by reason vvhereof he knevve vvhatsoeuer vvas done in his father in lawes house This man tolde me hovv in that great mortalitye vvhich happened in this citye in the tyme of that noble man Narsus there vvas a boye in the house of the foresaide Valerianus called Armentarius vvho vvas verye simple and passing humble when therfore that mortall disease entred that lawyers house the foresaide boy fell sicke thereof and was brought to the pointe of death who suddainly falling into a traunce and afterward comming to him selfe againe caused his master to be sent for to whom he told that he had bene in heauen and did knowe who they were that should dy out of his house Such and such quoth he shall dye but as for your selfe feare nothinge for at this tyme dy you shall not And that you may be assured that I haue verily bene in heauen beholde I haue there receiued the gift to speake with all tongues you knowe well ynoughe that ignorant I am of the greke tongue and yet will I speake greeke that you may see whether it be true that I saye or no. Then his master spake greke and he so answered him in that tongue that all which were present did much maruaile In the same house there was a Vulga◠seruant to the foresaide Narsus who in all hast being brought to the sicke person spake vnto him in the Vulgarian tongue and the boye that was borne and broughte vp in Italye answered him so in that barbarous language as thoughe he had bene borne and bredd in that countrye All that hearde him thus talking wondred much and by experience of two tongues which they knewe very well that before he knewe not they made no doubt of the rest thoughe they could make no trial thereof After this he liued tvvo daies and vpon the thirde by vvhat secret iudgement of God none can tell he tare and rent vvith his teth his ovvne handes and armes and so departed this life When he was deade all those whom before he mentioned did quicklye follow after and besides them none in that house died at that tyme. Peter A verye terrible thinge it is that he which merited so great a grace should be punnished with so pitifull a death Gregory Who is able to enter into the secret iudgements of God Wherfore those thinges which in diuine examination we can not comprehend we ought rather to feare then curiouslye to discusse OF THE DEATH OF THE Earle Theophanius CHAPTER XXVII ANd to prosecute what we haue already begun concerning the propheticall knowledge of those that dye I will nowe tell you that which when I was in the citye of Centumcellis I vnderstoode by the relatiō of many touching Theophanius Earle of that place For he was a man of great mercye and compassion and one that did many goode worckes but especiallye he was giuen to goode house-keeping and hospitalitye True it is that following the affaires of his Earldom he spent much tyme about earthly and worldlye busines but that rather of necessitye and duty then according to his owne minde and desire as his vertuous ende afterwarde declared For when the tyme of his death was come there arose a great tempest which was likelye to hinder the funeralles where at his wife pitifullye weeping asked him in this manner what shall I do or how shall we carye you to be buried seing the tempest is so terrible that none can stir out of doores To whom he answered thus weepe not good wife for so sone as I am deade you shall haue faire wether and when he had so saide he gaue vp the ghost and straighte-waies the aier became clere and the tempest ceased after this miracle one or tvvo more follovved For vvhereas his handes and feete vvere vvith the goute before svvolne and festered and by reason of much corrupt matter did sauour and smell yet vvhen he vvas dead and his body after the manner came to be vvashed they founde his handes and feete so sounde and vvhole as though they had neuer bene trobled vvith any such sores at all Fovver daies after his burial his vvife vvas desirous to haue the marble stone that lay vpon him changed vvhich being done such a fragrant and pleasant smell came from his bodye as thoughe in steade of wormes spices had sprunge out of that corrupt carcasse of which strange thinge when I did in my Homelies make publicke mention and certaine incredulous persons doubted thereof vpon a daye as I was sitting in the companye of diuers noble men those very vvorkmen which had changed the tombe stone came vnto me about busines of
theire owne whom in the presence of the clergye nobilitve and common people I examined touching that miracle and they all affirmed it to be most true sayinge that they were in a strange manner replenished with that swete smell and they added also certaine other thinges concerninge his sepulchre that made the miracle greater which not to be ouer longe I meane to passe ouer with silence Peter I perceiue nowe that my former question is sufficientlye satisfied yet an other remaineth which troubleth my minde and that is seinge you affirmed before that holy mens soules which departe this life be nowe in heauen it followeth consequentlye that the soules of the wicked be also in hell and yet ignorant I am whether it be so or no for mans ymagination can not conceiue howe the soules of synners can be tormeâ—ted before the daye of iudgement THAT AS VVE BELEVE THE SOVles of iust and perfect men to be in heauen so we ought also to beleue that the soules of the wicked after theire departure from the body be in hell CHAPTER XXVIII Gregory YF by the testimonye of holy scripture you beleeue that the soules of holy and perfect men be in heauen by the same reason ought you also to beleeue that the soules of the wicked be in hell for as iust men do reioice and be glad at the retribution of eternal iustice so necessary it is that the wicked at the same iustice sholde be grieued and tormentedâ— for as heauenly felicitye doth glad the elect so vve oughte to beleeue that from the daye of theire departure fire doth afflict and burne the reprobat Peter With vvhat reason can vve beleeue that corporall fire can holde and torment an incorporall thinge THE REASON VVHY VVE ought to beleeue that corporal fire can hold and torment the spirites that be without bodies CHAPTER XXIX Gregory YF a spirit vvithout a body can be holden and kept in the bodye of a liuing man vvhy like vvise after death maye not an incorporal spirit be holden and kept in corporall fire Peter The reason vvhy an incorporal spirit in euerye liuing man is kept in the bodye is because it doth quicken and giue life to the bodye Gregory Yf an incorporall spirit Peter may be kept in that to vvhich it giueth life vvhy also for punnishement may it not be kept there where it continually dieth And we saye that a spirit is holden by fire to the end that in the torment thereof it maye both by seeing and feeling be punnished for the soule by seeing of the fire is afflicted burned it is in that it seeth it selfe to be burned and so it falleth out that a corporall thinge may burne that vvhich hath no bodye whiles that an inuisible burninge and sorrowe is drawne from visible fire and the incorporall soule by meanes of corporall fire maye be tormented with a spirituall and incorporall flame although out of the Gospell we also learne that the soule is not only tormented by seeing the fire but also by the feeling thereof for the riche glutton as our Sauiour saith was buried in hell And he giueth vs to vnderstande that his soule was kept in fire in that he telleth vs how he did beseech Abraham speaking to him in this manner Send Lazarus Luc. 16. that he may dipp the topp of his finger into the water and may refrethe my tongue because I am tormented in this flame Seing then truth it selfe assureth vs that the sinfull rich man was condemned into fire what wise man can deny that the soules of the reprobat be detained in fire Peter Both reason and testimonye of scripture draweth my minde to beleue what your saye but yet when I thinke not of them it returneth againe to his former opinion for I neither see nor can perceiue how a corporall thinge can holde and torment that which is incorporall and without bodye Gregory Tell me I praye you whether do you thincke that those Angels which fell from heauen haue bodies or no Peter What man that hath his wittes vvill say that they haue any bodies Gregory And whether do you thincke that the fire of hel is corporal or spirituall Peter I make no doubt but that it is corporall seinge most certaine it is that bodies be burned therewith Gregory And as certaine it is that at the daye of iudgement our Sauiour shall saye to the reprobate Go into euerlasting Math. 25. fire which is prepared for the deuil and his angels Yf then the deuill and his angels thoughe without bodies shall be tormented with corporall fire what maruail is it that the soules after theire departure and before they be vnited againe to theire bodies may in like manner suffer corporal tormentes Peter The reason you giue is very plaine and therfor now there is not any further doubte touchinge this question that doth troublemy minde OF THE DEATH OF KINGE Theodoricus who was an Arrian heretike CHAPTER XXX Gregory SEing with such difficulty you are broughte to beleeue I thincke it worth my labour to let you vnderstad such thinges concerning this very pointe as I haue receaued from them that be of goode credit Iulian who died almost seuen yeres since had a worshipfull office in this church of Rome in which nowe by Gods prouicence I serue vsed often to visit me liuing as yet in my Monastery and to talke with me of spirituall thinges for the goode of both out soules This man vpon a daye tolde me this storye In the tyme of kinge Theodoricus quoth he my wiues father being theâ— in Sicilye was to returne into Italy The shipp in which he came arriued at the Ilande of Liparis where he vnderstood Solitary men and Anchoretes that there dwelt a certaine solitary man of great vertue whom he thoughte goode whiles the mariners were occupied about mendinge of theire shipp and tacklinge to visit to talke with him and to commende him selfe to his praiers and so he did in the company of others When they were come to the man of God amongest other talke which they had he asked them this question Do you quoth he heare that kinge Theodoricus is deade to whom they quickly answered God forbidd we lefte him aliue at our departure from Rome and before this present we neuer hearde of any such thinge Then the seruaunt of God told them that certainly he was deade for yesterdaye quoth he at nine of the clocke he was without shoes and girdle and his handes fast bounde broughte betwixt Iohne the Pope and Symmachus the Senator and throwne into * A rupture of the earth that casteth forth fire Vulcanes gulph which is not far from this place When they hearde this nevves carefullye they vvrot dovvne the tyme and at theire returne into Italy they vnderstood that kinge Theodoricus died vpon that verye daye in vvhich his vnhappy passage out of this worlde punnishement vvas reuealed to the seruant of God And for as much as he had by miserable
apparrelled in white and such a delicate sauour there was that the fragrant odour thereof did giue wonderfull content to all them that dwelt and walked in that place Diuers particular mansions also there were all shining with brightnes and lighte and especiallye one magnificall and sumptuous house which was a buildinge the brick whereof seemed to be of golde but whose it was that he knewe not There were also vpon the bancke of the foresaide riuer certaine houses but some of them the stinking vapour which rose from the riuer did touche and some other it touched not at all Nowe those that desired to passe ouer the foresaide bridge were subiect to this manner of triall yf any that was wicked attempted to go ouer downe he fell into that darcke and stincking riuer but those that were iust and not hindred by synne securely and easily passed ouer to those pleasant and delicate places There he saide also that he sawe Peter who was stewarde of the Popes familye and died some fower years since thrust into a most filthy place where he was bounde and kept downe with a great waighte of yron and inquiring why he vvas so vsed he receiued that answere which all we that knewe his life can affirme to be most true for it was told him that he suffred that paine because when him selfe was vpon any occasion to punnishe other that he did it more vpon cruelty then to shewe his obedience of which his mercilesse disposition none that knewe him can be ignorant There also he saide that he sawe a Priest whom he knewe who comming to the foresaide bridge passed ouer with as great security as he liued in this worlde sincerelye Likewise vpon the same bridge he saye that he did see this Steuen whom before we spake of who being about to go ouer his foote slipped and halfe his bodye hanging beside the bridge he was of certaine terrible men that rose out of the riuer drawne by the legges downewarde and by certaine other white and bewtifull persons he was by the armes pulled vpwarde and whiles they stroue thus the wicked spirites to drawe him downewarde and the goode to lifte him vpwarde he that behelde all this strange sighte returned to life not knowing in conclusion what became of him By which miraculous vision we learne this thing concerninge the life of Steuen to witt that in him the synnes of the fleshe did striue with his worckes of almes For in that he was by the legges drawne downewarde and by the armes plucked vpwarde apparant it is that both he loued to giue almes and yet did not perfectly resist the synnes of the fleshe which did pull him downewarde but in that secret examination of the supreme iudge which of them had the victorye that neither we knowe nor he that the sawe it Yet most certaine it is that the same Steuen after that he had sene the places of hell as before was saide and returned againe to his bodye did neuer perfectly amend his former wicked life seing many yeares after he departed this worlde leauing vs in doubt whether he were saued or damned Wherebye we many learne that when any haue the tormentes of hell showne them that to some it is for theire commoditye and to others for theire testimonye that the former may see those miseries to auoide them and these other to be so much the more punnished in that they vvolde not take heede of those tormentes vvhich they both knevve and vvith theire eies behelde Peter What I beseche you was ment by the building of that house in those places of delight with brickes of golde For it semeth very ridiculous that in the next life vve sholde haue nede of anye such kinde of mettall VVHAT IS MENT BY THE building of the house in those pleasant places And of one Deusdedit whose house was sene to be built vpon the Saterday Gregory VVHat man of sence can thincke so but by that which vvas shovven there vvho so euer he vvas for vvhom that house vvas built vve learne plainely vvhat vertuous vvorkes he did in this vvorlde for he that by plenty of almes doth merit the revvarde of eternall lighte certayne it is that he doth builde his house vvith golde For the same soldiar vvho had this vision saide also which I forgott before to tell you that old men and yonge girles and boies did carry those brickes of golde for the buildinge of that house by vvhich vve learne that those to vvhom vve shevve compassion in this vvorlde do labour for vs in the next There dvvelt also harde by vs a religious man called Deusdedit vvho vvas a shoemaker concerninge vvhom an other savve by reuelation that he had in the next vvorlde an house a building but the vvorckemen thereof laboured onlye vpon the saterday Who aftervvarde inquiring more diligently hovve he liued founde that vvhatsoeuer he got by his labour all the vveke and vvas not spent vpon necessary prouision of meate and apparrell all that vpon the saterdaye he bestovved vpon the poore in almes at S. Peters churche and therfore see vvhat reason there vvas that his building vvent forvvard vpon the Saterday Peter You haue giuen me verye goode satisfaction touching this one pointe yet desirous I am further to knowe what the reason was that some of those habitations were touched by the stinckinge vapour some were not and what is ment by the bridge and riuer which he savve Gregory By the representation of these thinges Peter are expressed the causes vvhich they do signify For the bridge by vvhich he beheld Gods seruantes to passe vnto those pleasant places doth teach vs that the path is verye Math. cap. 7. straighte vvhich leadeth to euerlasting life and the stincking riuer vvhich he savve runninge beneath signifieth that the filthy corruption of â—ice in this vvorlde doth dailye runne to the dovvnefall of carnal pleasure And that some of the habitations vvere touched vvith the stincking vpour and some vvere not vvhat s ment els but that there be diuers vvhich do many goode vvorckes yet in theire soule they are touched vvith the delighte of carnall sinnes and therfore very great reason there is that in the next vvorlde such should taste of a stinckinge vapour vvhom filthye carnality did delighte in this and therâ—ore blessed Iob perceiuing the pleasure of the fleshe to be stinckinge pronounceth ths sentence of the vvanton and carnall man His Iob. 24. swetenes be wormes But those that doe preserue theire hart free from all pleasure of carnall thoughtes haue not theire houses touched vvith any such stincking vapour here vve haue also to note that he savve one and the same thing both to be a vapour and also to haue an yll sauour because carnall delighte doth so obscure the soule vvhich it hath infected that it can not see the brightenes of true lighte for the more pleasure it hath in the inferior parte the more darknes it hath in the superior vvhich doth hinder it from the
contemplation of heauenly mysteryes Peter Is there any text of holy scripture to proue that carnall sinnes be punnished vvith stincking and bad sauours OF THE PVNNISHEMENT of the men of Sodom Gregory THere is for in Genesis vve reade Genes 19. that our Lorde rained fire and brimstone vpon the city of Sodom that both fire mighte burne them and the stenche of brimstone smother and kill them for seing they burnt vvith the vnlawfull loue of corruptible fleshe by Gods iust iudgement they perished both by fire and an vnsauory smell to the end they mighte knovve that they had by the pleasure of theire stiâ—cking life incurred the sorrovves of eternall death Peter Concerning those thinges vvhich before I doubted of I finde my selfe novv so fullye satisfied that I haue not any further question to moue HOVV THE SOVLES OF SOM men being yet in their bodies do see some spiritual punnishement And of that which happened to the boye Theodorus CHAPTER XXXVII Gregory VVE haue also to knowe that sometyme the soules whiles they are in theire bodies do beholde some spirituall punnishement which yet happeneth to some for theire owne goode and to others for the edification of them that heare thereof For there was one Theodorus which storye I remember that in myne homiles to the people I haue also spoken of who was a verye vnrulye ladde and more vpon necessiâ—ye then of his owne good will in the companye of his brother entred into my monasterye and so sittle pleasure he toke in spirituall talke that it was death to him to heare any thinge tending to the goode of his owne soule for he was so far from doing any goode worcke that he could not endure to heare thereof and he wolde openly protest sometymes by swearing sometymes in anger and sometymes in scoffing sorte that he neuer ment to take vpon him the habit of a religious life This vntoward â—he haâ—it of reâ—igious â—en boye in the late mortalitye which consumed the greatest parte of this citye was grieuously strooken whereof he lay sore sicke and being at last come to the pointe of death all the monkes repaired to his chamber to praye for the happy departure of his soule which semed not to be far of for the one halfe of his bodye was already deade and only in his brest a little life remayned and therfore the nerer they sawe him to his ende the more feruentlye did they commend him to Gods mercye Whiles they were thus busied suddainlye he cried out to them and with great clamor went about to interrupt theire deuotions sayinge Depart and away for beholde I am deliuered ouer to a dragon to be deuoured and your presence doth let him that he can not dispatch me My heade he hath alreadye swallowed vp in his mouthe and therfore go your waies that my tormentes be not the longer and that he may effect that which he is about to do for yf I be giuen him to deuoure why do you keepe me here in longer paine At these fearfull wordes the monkes saide vnto him why do you speake thus good brother blesse your selfe with the signe The sig of the hâ—ly crosse vsed against the deuâ— of the holy crosse to whom he answered willinglye I wolde but I can not I am so loaden with this dragons scales Vpon these wordes the monkes fell prostrat vpon the earth and in great zeale with teares they prayed to God for his deliuerye out of the enemies handes who mercifully hearde them for vpon a suddaine the sicke person began to cry out and saye God be thancked beholde the dragon that had me to deuoure is fled awaye and ouercome with your praiers here he could not tarry Now I besech you make intercession for my synnes for I am ready to turne vnto God and wholy to renounce all kinde of secular life and thus he that was halfe deade as before was saide reserued now to a longer life turned to God with his whole harte and so after he had put on a newe minde and was a longe tyme punnished with affliction then his soule departed from the miserieâ— of this mortall life OF THE DEATH OF CHRIsorius and of a certaine monke of Iconia CHAPTER XXXVIII BVt Crisorius on the contrarye as his kinseman Probus of whom I made mention before tolde me was a substantiall man in this worlde but as full of synne as of wealth for he was passing proude giuen to the pleasures of the fleshe couetous and wholy set vpon scraping of riches together But when God determined to make an ende of so many synnes he sent him a greatsickenes and when his last tyme drewe nere in that very houre in which his soule was to leaue the bodye lying with his eies open he sawe certaine cruell men and blacke spirites stande before him pressing vpon him to carrye him awaye to the pitt of hell at which fearfull sighte he began to tremble to wax pale to sweate and with pitifull outcries to craue for truce and often with faltring tongue to call for his sonne Maximus whom when I was a monke I knewe also to professe the same kinde of life saying Come away Maximus with all speede Neuer in my life did I any harme to thee receiue me nowe in thy faith His sonne greatly moued at these outcries came vnto him in all hast and his whole familye lamentinge and crying out repaired also to his chamber none of all which behelde those wicked spirites which did so vrge and vexe him but by his trouble of minde by his palenes and tremblinge they made no doubt of theire presence for he was so affrighted with theire terrible lookes that he turned him selfe euery way in his bed Lying vpon his lefte side he coulde not indure theire sighte and turning to the wall there also he founde them at last being very much beset and dispairing of all meanes to escape theire handes he cried out with a lowde voice saying O truce till to morrow ô truce till to morrow and crying out in this sort he gaue vp the ghost This being the manner of his death certaine it is that he sawe this feareful sight not for him selfe but for vs that his vision mighte do vs goode vvhom Gods patience doth yet vvith fatherly longe sufferance expect to amendment For vvhat prosit reaped he by seeing those fowle spirites before his death and by crauing for that truce which he coulde not obtaine There is also nowe dwelling amongest vs a Priest of Isauria called Athanasius who telleth a very fearefull storye which in his tyme happened as he saith at Iconium For there was in that place as he reporteth a Monasterye called Thongolaton in which there liued a monke that was had in great accounte for he was of goode conuersation and in his life verye orderlye but as the ende declared he was far otherwise then he outwardlye appeared for thoughe he did seme to fast with the rest of the monkes yet did he secretlye take his meate which vice of
nighte by reuelation was admonished in this manner Make your selfe readye because our Lorde hath giuen commandement for your departure and when he answered that he had not wherewith to defraye the charges of that iorny straighte-waies he hearde these comfortable wordes Yf you take care for your synnes they be forgiuen you which thinge thoughe he had hearde once and yet for all that was in great feare an other nighte he had againe the same vision and so after fiue daies he fell sicke of an agewe and as the other monkes were in praying and weeping about him he departed this life An other monke there was in the same Monasterye called Merulus who was wonderfullye giuen to â—eares and bestowing of almes and no tyme almost passed him except it were when he was at meate or a slepe in which he did not sing psalmes This man by vision in the nighte sawe a crowne made of white flowers to descende vpon his heade and straighte after falling sicke he died with great quiet and ioye of minde Fouretene yeares after when Peter who nowe hath the gouernment of my Monasterye went about to make a graue for him selfe harde by Merulus sepulchre such a fragrant and pleasaunt smell as he saith came out of it as thoughe it had bene a storehouse of all manner of swete flowers By which it appeared plainlye that it was verye true which before he had sene by vision in the nighte Likewise in the same Monasterye there was an other called Iohn who was a yonge man of great towardnes and one that ledd his life with greate circumspection humility swetenes and grauitye This man falling sore sicke sawe in his great extremitye by vision in the nighte an olde man to come vnto him who touched him with a wande sayinge Rise vpe for you shall not dye of this sickenes but make your selfe readye for you haue not any longe tyme to staye in this worlde and forthvvith thoughe the phisitions dispaired of his health yet he recouered and became perfectlye well The vision which he sawe he told to others and for two yeares followinge as I saide he serued God in such sort that his great deuotion surpassed his yonge yeares Three yeares since an other monke died who was buried in the churche-yarde of the same Monasterye and when we had ended all his â—uneralles and were departed this Iolme as him selfe with pale face and great trembling tolde vs remayned there still where he hearde that monke which was buried to call him out of the graue that it was so indeede the end following did shewe for ten daies after he fell sicke of an agewe and so departed this life Peter Willingly wolde I learne whether we ought to obserue such visioÌ„s as be reuealed to vs by nighte in our slepe VVHETHER DREAMES ARE TO be beleeued and how many kinde of dreames there be CHAPTER XLVIII Gregory COncerninge this pointe Peter you must vnderstande that there are six kinde of dreames For sometyme they procede of too much fulnes or emptines of the stomacke sometyme by illusion sometyme both by thought and illusion sometyme by reuelation and sometyme both by thoughte and reuelation The two first all by experience knowe to be true and the fower latter we finde mentioned in holy scripture For yf dreames did not sometyme procede by illusion from our secret enemye neuer wolde the wise man haue saide Dreames haue made manye Eccles 34. to err and hooping in them haue they bene deceiued and againe You shall not be sothsaiers nor obserue dreames by which wordes we see howe they are to be detested that are compared with soothsayinges Againe yf dreames did not sometyme procede both of thoughte together with illusion the wise man vvoulde not haue saide Dreames follow cclâ—s 5. many cares And yf sometyme also they did not come by mysticall reuelation Ioseph had neuer knovvne by dreame â—enes 37. that he sholde haue bene exalted aboue his brethren neither the Angell vvolde Aath. 2. euer in a dreame haue admonished the spouse of our Ladye to flye avvaye vvith the childe into Egipt Againe yf sometyme they did not also procede both from thoughtes and diuine reuelation neuer vvolde the prophet Daniell disputing of Nabuchod mosors dreame haue begun from the roote of his former thoughtes saying Thow Daniel 2. ô king diddest beginne to thincke in thy â—edd what should happen in tymes to come and he that reuealeth mysteries did shewe the what thinges should come and a little after Thow diddest see and behold as it were a great statua that great statua and highe of stature did stand against the c. Wherfore seing Daniell doth with reuerence insinâ—ate that the dreame shoulde come to passe and also declareth from what cogitation it did springe plainlye do we learne that dreames sometymes do come both of thought and reuelation together But seing dreames do growe from such diueâ—s rootes with so much the more difficultye oughte we to beleeue them because it doth not easily appeare vnto vs from what cause they do proceede Holy men indeed by a certaine in warde spirituall tast doe discerne betwixt illusions and true reuelatioÌ„s by the very voices or representations of the visions them selues so that they knowe what they receiue from the goode spirit and what they suffer by illusion from the wicked and therfore yf our mynde be not herein verye attentiue and vigilant it falleth into many vanityes throughe the deceipt of the wicked spirit who sometyme vseth to foretell many true thinges that in the ende he may by some falshoode insnare our soule OF ONE VVHO IN HIS DREAME had longe lise promised him and yet died shortly after CHAPTER XLIX AS not longe since it is most certaine that it befell to one that liued amongest vs who being much giuen to obserue dreames had one nighte in a dreame longe life promised him and when as he had made prouision of great store of money for the maintenance of his manye daies he was so suddainlye taken out of this life that he lefte it all behinde him without euer hauing any vse thereof and caried not with him any good worckes to the next worlde Peter I remember verye well who it was but let vs I praye you prosecute such questions as we began to intreat of Doth any profit thincke you redounde to mens soules yf theire bodies be buried in the churche VVHETHER THE SOVLES receiue any commoditye if theire bodies he buried in the churche CHAPTER L. Gregory SVch as dye not in mortall synne ne si nmorand ne not receiue this benefit by hauing theire bodies buried in the churche for when their friendes come thither and beholde their sepulchres then do they remember them and pray vnto God for theire soulesâ— but those that depart Praier for the deade this life in the state of deadly synne receiue not any absolution from theire synnes but rather be more punnished in hell for hauing theire bodies buried in the
had washed him selfe putt on his clothes and was readye to depart he offered him for an holy rewarde that which he had broughte desiringe him to take that courteously which for charity he did giue him Then with a sadd countenance in sorrowful manner he spake thus vnto him why do you giue me these father This is holy breade and I can not eate of it for I whom you see here was sometyme Lorde of these bathes and am now after my death appointed for my synnes to this place but yf you desire to pleasure me offer this breade vnto almighty God and be an intercessor for my sinnes and by this shall you knovve that your praiers be hearde yf at your next comming you finde me not here and as he vvas speaking these vvordes he vanished out of his sighte so that he vvhich before semed to be a man shevved by that maÌ„ner of departure that he vvas a spiritt The goode Sacrifices for the deade Priest all the vveeke follovvinge gaue him selfe to teares for him and dailye offered vp the holy sacrifice and aftervvarde returning to the bath founde him not there vvhereby it appeareth vvhat great profit the soules receiue Soules departed holpen by the holy sacrifice by the sacrifice of the holy oblation seing the spirites of them that be deade desire it of the liuing and giue certaine tokens to let vs vnderstande hovve that by meanes thereof they haue receiued absolution Here also I can not but tell you that vvhich happened three yeares since in myne ovvne Monasterye A certaine monke there vvas called Iustus one very cunninge in phisicke and vvhiles I remayned in the Abbey serued me very diligentlye attending vpon me in my often infirmities and sickenes This man him selfe at lengthe fell sore sicke so that in very dede he vvas broughte to the last cast A brother he had called Copiosus that had care of him who yet liueth Iustus perceiuing him self past all hoope of life tolde this brother of his where he had secretly laid vp three crownes of golde but yet they were not so closelye conuaied that they coulde be concealed from the monkes for they carefully seeking and tossing vpp all his medicines and boxes founde in one of them these three crownes hidden Which thing so sone as I vnderstoode very much grieued I was and could not quietly disgest so great a synne at his handes that liued with vs in communitye because the rule of my Monastery was that all the Monastical pouertye monkes thereof should so liue in common that none in particular mighte possesse any thinge proper to him selfe Being therfore much troubled and grieued at that which had happened I began to thincke with my selfe what was best to be done both for the soule of him that was now dying and also for the edification and example of those that were yet liuing At lengthe I sâ—nt for Pretiosus Prior of the Monasterye and gaue him this charge Se quoth I that none of our monkes do so muche as visit Iustus in this his extremitye neither let any giue him any comfort at all and when his last houre draweth nighe and he doth desire the presence of his spirituall brethren let his carnall brother tell him that they do all detest him for the three crownes which he had hidden that at least before his death sorrow may wounde his hart and purge it from the synne committed and when he is deade let not his body be buried amongest the rest of the monkes but make a graue for him in some one dunghill or other and there cast it in together with the three crownes which he left behinde him crying out all with iointe voice thy money be with the vnto perdition and so put earth vpon him In either of which thinges my minde and desire was both to helpe him that was leauing the worlde and also to edifye the monkes yet remayninge behinde that both griefe of death mighte make him pardonable for his sinne and such a seuere sentence against auarice might terrifye and preserue them from the like offence both which by Gods goodenes fell out accordinglye For when the foresaide monke came to dye and carefullye desired to be commended to the deuotions of his brethren and yet none of them did either visit him or so much as speake to him his brother Copiosus tolde him for what cause they had all giuen him ouer at which wordes he straightwaios sigh theâ— for his synne and in that sorrowe gaue vp the ghost And after his death he was buried in that manner as I had giuen in commandement by which fact all the monkes were so terrified that they began each one to seeke out the least and basest thinges in theire celles and which by the rule they might lawfully keepe and very much they feared least some thing they had for which they might be blamed Thirty daies after his departure I began to take compassion vpon him and with great griefe to thincke of his punnishement and what meanes there was to helpe him wherevpon I called againe for Preâ—iofus Prior of my Monasterye and vvith an heauy heart spake thus vnto him It is nowe a goode while since that our brother which is departed remayneth in the tormentes Purgatorye of fire and therfore we must shewe him some charity and labour what we maye to procure his deliuerye wherfore go your waye and see that for A Trenta of masses thirty daies following sacrifice be offred for him so that no one day passe in which for his absolution and discharge the healthfull sacrifice be not offred whoforth with departed and put my commandement in execution â—n the meane tyme my mynde being busied about other affaires so that I tooke no heede to the daies how they passed vpon a certaine night the same monke that was deade appeared to his brother Copiosus who seing him enquired of his staâ—e in this manner what is the matter brother and how is it with you to vvhom he ansvvered thus Hitherto haue I bene in badd case but novve I am vvell for this day haue I receiued the communion with which newes Copiosus straightwaies comming to the Monasterye tolde the monkes and they diligentlye counting the daies founde it to be that in which the thirtith sacrifice was offred for his soule and so thoughe neither Copiosus knewe what the monkes had done for him nor they what he had seene concerning the state of his brother yet at one and the same tyme both he knewe what they had done and they what he had seene and so the Soules deliuered out of Purgatory hy the holye sacrifice sacrifice and vision agreing together apparant it vvas that the deade monke vvas by the holy sacrifice deliuered from his paines Peter The thinges you report be passing strange and yet ful of ioy and comfort OF THE LIFE AND DEparture of Bisshop Cassius CHAPTER LVI Gregory ANd that we should not cal in question or doubte of that vvhich