the Religious their negligence who most humblie required the same thancked God very hartilie for that he voutsafed to haue care of the very dust of his true seruantes then he went to see and with great contentment to reuerence them Brother Pellegrino and Brother Falcone comming to take the habitt att the hands of S. Francis he prophesied vnto them that the first though verie learned should serue the Religious as a lay Brother and the other albeit ignorant should applie himselfe to contemplation wherein he should proue most perfect as the other reciprocally in humility which came to passe as in the sixt booke and 55. chapter shall appeare Other effectes of the propheticall spiritt of S. Francis THE CXV CHAPTER SAinct Francis remayning in the house of the bishop of Rieta exceedingly afflicted with the greife of his eyes a Preist called Gedeon aduaunced by the said bishop a man worldlie affected had long time kept his bed sicke without power to remoue him selfe and when any endeauoured to take hold of him or lift him vp he remayned vtterlie crooked for he could in no manner stand vpright So perceauing that no humane application auayled and that Sainct Francis rightlie to the purpose was there he caused himselfe to be brought before him at whose feet falling he besought him to make the signe of the crosse vpon him The holie Father answeared My Brother and friend know that because to this day thou hast liued carnallie and according to the allurementes of thy sensuall appetites without any respect of the iudgementes of God he hath therefore sent this affliction to make thee know and amend thy selfe But now in his holy name I giue thee his benediction and doe aduertise thee that if thou alter not thy course of life a greater miserie will befall thee for the sinne of ingratitude So hauing made on him the signe of the crosse the Preist incontinentlie arose very sound and stretching himselfe on his feet the chine-bone and the brest plate gaue a cracke as a staffe forciblie broaken But by reason that this ingratfull fellow and ennemy of his saluation retourned vnto his vomitt being one day with diuers of his companions committing their ordinarie sinnes about midnight the loose of the house fell vpon him and so being crushed and slaine alone that the diuine vengeance might the more euidentlie appeare according to the prophesie of S. Francis he miserablie ended his life Being att his Oratory in Grecio it was told him that the violent stormes did euery yeare destroy all the fruites of that place that the wolues deuoured the cartell and that the very inhabitantes could hardly be secure of their liues The holy Father therefore hauing compassion of these poore people he made them a sermon wherby he exhorted them all to amendement of life as the surest meane to appease the wrath of God to confesse and communicate with a firme purpose to offend no more affirming that by this meane God would disburden them of the said punishment which being effected he admonished them to beware of sinning a fresh for then the chasticement would be redoubled This people moued by these holy demonstrations prepared themselues with great contrition confessed communicated did penance for their sinnes and craued mercy of God in respect wherof and in fauour of the prayers of the holy Father God incontinentlie freed and deliuered them from the tempest and wolues yea in short time this people did not only repaire their dommages past but became very rich But alas they could not long time perfeuer in this happy estate which made them forget the behoufull admonitions of S. Francis which procuring Godes wrath he so chasticed them with the rodde of pestilence that few among them remayned aliue he also burned a great number of their houses accomplishing all that S. Francis had foretold vnto them As this holy Father preached in Apulia a Religious that was fallen from his Order repayred vnto him fell att his feet and with infinite teares demaunded him pardon promising if he would restore him the habitt to correct his course of life The Sainct made him arise and before he spake a word shewed him a gibbett that was vpon the high way then said vnto him I receaue thee but remember that if thou once againe proue an Apostata from the Order thou shalt be hanged on that gibbett Which euen so succeeded for falling againe and being shortly after in cōpany with certaine lewd fellowes he was apprehended and hanged on the same gibbett cōfirming the vsuall prouerbe a wicked life hath a wicked death Of the peace which was made betweene the Bishop and the Gouernour of Assisium by meane of two Religious sent by S. Francis to sing in their presence the canticle of the sunne THE CXVI CHAPTER THe mortall enmities which were betweene the Bishop and the Gouernour of Assisium redoubled the greifes of S. Francis his infirmitie who lay sicke att our lady of Angels The Bishop had excommunicated the Gouernour and he had forbidden all persons to sell any thing to the bishop or to buy ought of him So their enmities was euerie day nourished and encreased by some new and diabolicall inuention to the great scandall of all the cittie and the ruine of their owne soules S. Francis seeing that neither ecclesiasticall nor seculer persō laboured to accord them said one day to his Religious doubtles this may be a great shame to vs that make profession to be such seruantes of God to permitt this so dangerous and abhominable hatred thus to breed without applying any redresse Wherevpon calling two of them he said Goe presentlie to the Gouernour and in my name bid him to repaire to the Bishoppes house together with the principall of the cittie and as manie as he can traine thither and two others he commanded to goe in the meane while vnto the Bishop and when the Gouernour and people were come to the Bishoppe to sing the Canticle of the Sunne with the verse which he then added as is before mētioned in the prayse of God att which song said he I hope those hartes so obdurate against each other wil be mollified and they will accord together a perpetuall peace which so arriued For first the Gouernour as if God had commanded him to repaire to the Bishop obediently hastened thither with as manie people as he could assemble and found the Bishop in a great hall with his Clergie where being together one of the Religious which S. Francis sent to the Bishop spake to them in this māner Syrs and deerlie beloued Brethren in IESVS CHRIST the holie Frather Brother Francis being by reason of his infirmitie vnable to come in person hath sent vs hither to sing you a canticle which he hath made in the prayse of God He beseecheth you by the loue which you beare vnto his Maistie and to him that you will deuoutly heare it then the two Religious began with a loud voice to sing the
conscience which knowing it selfe pure before God could feare nothing Not withstanding it was not conuenient in presence of so many seculers who all knew him to be nerre death to shew no signe of repentance of his offences past no remorse of his sinnes committed against God attleast in this terrible passadge of death S. Francis with great feruour answeared him Brother giue me leaue giue me leaue I pray thee to reioyce in God and in his prayses during this sicknes because by the grace of the holy Ghost my spiritt is in such sort vnited vnto his diuine Maiestie and so secure that it may reioyce Remember now that there are two yeares past since you deliuered me from him an aduertisment of this my passadge since which time I haue alwayes endeauoured to prepare my selfe lamenting my sinnes and satisfying God for them But sithence that by his immensiue grace he hath made me worthy of his glory as he hath reuealed vnto me I haue euer since endeauoured to reioyce and now so much more in that the time approacheth wherin my soule shall for euer be loosed from the waight of this body and shall goe towardes him who hath created it and in that he will not omitt in me to edifie this people How the S. made himselfe be carryed to our Lady of Angels finding his death to approach THE LXVI CHAPTER THe glorious Father therfore perceauing that the day of his death approached prayed all the gentlemen and his freindes there present to cause him to be carryed to his church of our Lady of Angels that he might render vnto God the spiritt of life where he had receaued of him the spiritt of grace So hauing obtayned permission of the bishop and Gouernour of the citty they went accoÌ„panyed with the greatest part of the said citty and comming to the hospitall which is in the great street betweene the citty and our Lady of Angels causing himselfe with his bed to be sett on the ground and tourning towardes the citty he gaue it his benediction saying Citty blessed mayest thou be of the soueraigne God because by thee many soules shal be saued and in thee many worthy seruantes of God of both sex shall make their residence and by thy meane many shall attaine the kingdome of glorie So hauing blessed the citty and proceeding his way towardes our Lady of Angels S. Clare his deere and true disciple imitatrice and daughter in IESVS CHRIST fearing she should not see him before his death sent to aduertise him that herselfe was also in such estate as she should not liue long after yea that she thought to goe first and that therfore she felt an extreme greife to dye without his holy benediction without seeing him who was her master and beloued Father in CHRIST IESVS and for that occasion she prayed him for the passion of our Lord I. C. with her knees on the ground not to permitt her to dye so discontent but sith he was in his iorney to doe her that last and singuler fauour as to visitt her before he went to our Lady of Angels The holie Father S. Francis felt the bowels of Fatherly coÌ„passion to moue in him in that he could not content her by reason of the immineÌ„t perill wherin he was and that the Phisicions nobles and gentlemen there present would not to permitt him yet procuring wherwith all to write he sent her by a Religious his benediction in writing then lifting his eyes to heauen he said vnto him Goe and comfort my beloued sister telling her this good newes that she shall see me before she dye which shal be shortly as shall all her Sisters to their exceeding consolation This prophesie fayled not in the effect for the holie Father being dead when the Cittizens carryed him to bury att Assisium they passed through the monastery of S. Damian as hereafter shall appeare and seeing the body of the Sainct with in their Couent they were all exceedinglie comforted therwith How a Romane Lady very deuout and affected to S. Francis called Lady Iaqueline of the seauen Sunnes came by diuine reuelation from Rome to the death of S. Francis THE LXVII CHAPTER THe holy Father approching neere vnto his death called a Religious whome he willed to finde out a messenger to goe with al diligence to Rome expresly to aduertise the Lady of the Seauen Sunnes that she should incontinentlie come to visitt him if she desired to see him liuing knowing in what affliction she would haue suruiued if she had not seene him before his death as he had promised her when he tooke leaue of her att his departure out of Rome and in meane while procuring wherwith to write he dictated this letter ensuying To the Lady of the Seauen-Sunnes poore Brother Francis desireth health in our Lord IESVS CHRIST Know my beloued Sister in IESVS CHRIST that God by his grace hath reuealed vnto me the last day of my life Wherfore if you desire to see me liuing hasten so much as sometime on saterday you may be att our Ladie of Angels and bring with you a morcell of gray cloth wherwith to coueâ— me and wax for my seruice Att the end of this letter it was reuealed vnto the S. that she would come wherfore he said to the writer Rent this letter for there is no need therof He had scarce ended those wordes but a messenger came from the said lady that told him she was att the gate of the Monastery with two of her children senaâ—ours of Rome and a noble and honourable company to visitt him A while after the said lady came who entring his chamber fell incontinently on the ground humbling her countenance as an other Magdalen towardes his feet bathing them with bittet teares and â—mprinting her lippes in his sacred stigmates with such ioy and consolation of spiritt as nothing could be more she could not be satisfied with kissing them embracing and clipping them with all reuerence in regard of their vertue representing vnto her those of our Lord IESVS CHRIST she could not depart from him no more could the Religious for she was entierlie rauished in this so singular sweetnes of spiritt without any speech att all till S. Francis called her att whose voice awakening she answeared the S. who asked her how it happened that she came so readily that being one night in prayer she heard the voice of God that said If thou wilt find Brother Francis aliue goe incontinentlie to our lady of Angels and carry with thee what thow knowest necessarie to his sepulture and such meat as thou gauest him att his being in Rome to comfort him in his sicknes Which hauing heard I prepared my selfe verie instantlie and thus am come S. Francis gaue thanckes to God and demaunding the said meates he refected his body with very great consolation Now this lady supposing that S. Francis would lye long time sick determined to send back her children to Rome and many personnes of note that
of the said holy Martyrs were afterwardes translated to Teruel by the king of Arragon THE XXXVII CHAPTER AFter this glorious Martyrdome Dom Iames the first of that name king of Arragon began by the prouidence of God to warre against and alwayes to putt to the worst the king of Valencia subdueing him att each time that they encountred and taking prisoners a great number of the Mores gaining daily and possessing his landes and dominions it happened one time that he tooke prisoners certaine noble men of the Mores whervpon the Christians of Arragon prayed their king to demaund the reliques of the said S. for ransome of the said prisonners by reason that by their meanes God did ordinarily worckmany miracles which caused the Christiās to be very importunate to haue them This request was easy to obtaine for the king of Arragon did exceedingly reuerence the said reliques and the king of the Mores was very desirous to retire his principall champions for a matter which he regarded nothing at all Thus were these reliques solemnely placed att Teruell in a faire Couent of Frere Minors there expresly erected in acknowledgement of the fauours and graces which in respect of them the Christians haue receaued of God and to this day great miracles are wrought there by them How the Morian king Azot became Christian and gaue the citty of Valencia to the king of Arragon and in satifaction of his sinne he conuerted his Pallace into a Monastery of Religious of the Order of S. Francis THE XXXVIII CHAPTER THe king Azot perceauing his forces and kingdome daily in appearance to diminish in such sort as he could no longer resist the king of Arragon resolued to enter into composition with him and to render vnto him all the kingdome of Valencia peaceably and withall to be baptised reseruing condition of honest maintenance during his life which the king Iames promised not only to him but euen to all his people that would be conuerted and to others promising to permitt them peaceably to liue in their law or otherwise to retire whither they pleased Which being thus accorded the king of Arragon entred Valencia to take possession therof the yeare 1238. on the eue of S. Michael this was the second time that the Christians recouered it for Ruy Dias had once before taken it from the Mores for the king of Castile after whose death it was lost againe Now the king Azot became Christian hauing obtayned in gift of king Iames a rich Earledome which his successors doe yet enioy all his moueables and his pallace which incontinently after with the consent of the king of Arragon he gaue to the Frere Minors there to build a Church in the honour of the holy Martyrs in satisfaction of their bloud which he had shed and consequently there was builded a very beautifull Couent Of a Miracle wrought by the said holy Martyrs att Teruell THE XXXIX CHAPTER CErtaine yeares after the said Martyrdome there repaired ouer the Citty of Teruell and the neighbour places such a quantity of locustes that as a cloud they hindred the beames of the sunne in the aire and on the earth they couered all the plaines the people made many processions to be freed of this affliction which yet ceassed not to trouble them But there was a good man that consailed the people to carry in procession the reliques of the holy Martyrs which they did went in great deuotion to an hermitage that was out of the Citty and att the retourne of that processiō all the locustes were vanished so that neuer after were seene more in those quarters then in other places This much augmēted the deuotiō of those people towardes the holy martyrs The Martyrdome of fiue Frere Minors with a multitude of Christians att Marroccho This was the 29. chapter of this booke transferred hither to giue place to the more famous ON an other time diuers yeares after the foresaid fiue other Frere Minors were martyred att Maroccho together with all the Christians men and women that then there resided in a chappell where they offered their prayers to God for the exaltation of the faith of IESVS CHRIST This persecution was executed on the sixteenth of September with such rage and fury of the Mores that there remayned not in the said citty so much as one liuing man that durst professe himselfe a Christiā after this notorius Martyrdome or persecution the Mores saw a great splendour to discend from heauen into the said chappell where the martyerd bodies remayned and heard also all the belles to ring of themselues and the voices of Angels to sing with an inestimable sweetnes but their hartes were too obstinatly hardened against God to benefitt themselues by their conuersion The names of these Martyres are not knowne on earth it sufficeth that they are recorded in the booke of eternall life The Martyrdome of Br. Electus disciple of S. Francis and of his companions Taken out of the 35. chapter and placed here for the reason aboue proposed THere resteth no other memory recorded of the Martyrdome of Br. Electus then this The Mores tooke Br. Electus many others for preaching the holy gospell to putt them to death He being brought to the place of execution tooke the rule of S. Francis in his hand and said to his companion Brother I confesse my fault before God and you of what soeuer I may haue offended and committed against this rule which said his head was cutt off then his companions and consequently the others after that many miracles were wrought Touching his Iife it is recorded that he entred very yong into the Order in so much that he could not performe the fast therof but forcing his nature he not only in this cōbat ouercame gluttony but continually chasticed his flesh with a shirt of iron happy child that began so yong to serue the almighty and so gloriously ended the course of his holy life The end of the fourth booke of the second part of the Chronicles of the Frere Minors wherin are recorded the histories of 21. disciples of the holy Father S. Francis THE FIFT BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS CONTAINED THE LIFE DOctrine death and miracles of the glorious Father S. Antony of Lisbone called of Padua Translated as the former Of the birth of S. Antony and his education by his Father how he left the world and became a Canon reguler in the Order of Sainct Augustin THE FIRST CHAPTER THE glorious Father S. Antony was borne in the noble and populous citty of Lisbone the Metropolitan of the kingdome of Portugall in the westerne partes of Spaine his house was directly ouer against the great gate of the Episcopall Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary this Church is very famous among other respectes in regard of the body of the victorious Martyr S. Vincent that there reposeth The Father of the said S. Antony was called Martin de Buglione and his Mother Teresa de Teuery
he saw her againe he prophesied and willed her not to feare because first she should be deliuered easilie secondlie her child should liue thirdlie it should be a man child fourthlie he should be pious and feare God fiftlie he should be a Frere Minor and sixtlie he should be a Martyr Now the three first of the conditions being easilie verified it shall not be out of purpose also to iustifie the other three The child then being borne and baptised was called Phillip and liuing in manner of an Angell vntill he came to conuenient age he became a Frere Minor where being fortified in the feare and loue of God he trauailed with exceeding deuotion in pilgrimage to the holie land And being in Azoto when it was by treason taken from the Christians who being in nomber two thousand were all condemned to death he obtayned of those persidious dogges to be the last that that should be martyred they supposing that he would renounce and deny IESVS CHRIST But this Sainct when this spectacle horrible to the world and gratefull to the diuine Maiesty and to him began did animate and comfort them all with exceeding courage crying vnto them that God had reuealed vnto him that the very same day he should ascend into heauen with more then a thousand martyrs wherwith being much comforted they all offered their heades as pleasinge sacrifices vnto God vnder the sword of the executioners who cutt them off Now it being reported vnto the Soldan that he exercisced the office of a preacher he commanded all the ioyntes of his fingers one by one to be all cutt off in presence of the Christians which notwithstanding he desisted not to exhort them all to that glorious victorie in such sort that they all misprising the honours and riches offered them by the Mores and the tortures wherwith they threatned them being by the valour of the Saint confirmed in IESVS CHRIST they with one voice cryed out that they would follow Brother Philip on whose choice oflife or Martyrdome they relyed which the Soldan taking very despitefullie caused him to be fleyed aliue euen to the Nauell and then his tongue to be cutt off which supporting with inestimable constancie and notable patience he the more enflamed and moued the rage and furie of rhe Mores and the hartes of the Christians more willingly to suffer death as a momentarie matter seeing him with an inuincible hart to endure the same by such cruell tormentes in the middest wherof he ceassed not by the gestures and motions of his bodie to exhort them beeing vnable to speake by reason that his tongue was bereaued him Att length he was beheaded with the rest and in token of their croune a thinge which the Mores beheld full sore against their willes their bodies that remayned many dayes in the street without buryall yelded no offensiue but a pleasing sauour Thus was the admirable prophesie of the glorious Father S. Antony accomplished Of an other prophesie of his touching an other Martyr and of his Martyrdome THE XIV CHAPTER PReaching in France in the citty of Puy where he was Guardian as often as he saw a Notary that was impious of life and conuersatiō he remouing his capuce would doe him very humble reuerence The Notary knowing himselfe vnworthy to receaue such honour by him that gaue it vnto him hauing many times endured the same he imputed it to simplicity yet att length he sought to shunne the meeting of the S. turning from him a farre of because he would not be saluted by him but it one time happened that he could not preuent the Sainctes meeting of him who saluted him as before yea more hūbly which putting the Notary into great choler he came to him and said if thou wert not a Religious man I would long agone haue sheathed this my sword in thy body But tell me thou varlett what cause hast thou in this manner to flout me The S. very humbly answeared him My beloued brother be you not troubled I beseech you but beleeue that I salute you only to honour you and the reason is such hauing desired to shed my bloud in the seruice of the diuine maiesty I haue not bin found worthy nor hath it pleased God to satisfie me therein But his diuine maiesty hauing reuealed vnto me that you shall dye a martyr I haue euer since and still shall yeld you reuerence Besides I most hartely beseech you when you shal be in that glorious conflict to be mindfull of me wretched sinner Hereat the Notary chaunged his choler into laughter and deriding him went his way but in short time after it was iustified For being inspired of God to goe with the bishop of the said citty to adore the holy sepulcher and in an instant hauing changed his lewd conuersation into the contrary arriuing there the bishop discoursing with the Mores touching our faith and being rudely refelled the notarie for the first and second time endured it but att length being ashamed of the tepedity of his bishop and fearing some worse issue he told him that he did not defend our faith as he ought and then himselfe very couragiously disputed against the Mores and confuted them affirming for their reproach that their Mahomet was the sonne of perdition damned to hell by almighty God as themselues should be if they did not acknowledge their errours which hauing said the Mores presently tooke hold of him cruelly beat him and neuer ceassed for three dayes together to torment him which expired leading him to execution he confessed to his other companions that S. Antony had prophesied vnto him that martyrdome And they afterward retourning haue testified the same to all the world and so he consummating his martyrdome ioyfully rendered his soule to his Creatour Of the office of his doctrine and his seuerity against sinnes THE XV. CHAPTER THis S. of God with a very great dilligence and admirable prudence sowed the word of his diuine maiesty in the soules of the faithfull being neuer wearyed by his continuall labours trauailling through diuers cittyes townes villages and castelles ouer mountaines and vallyes and this he did out of his extreme zeale to assist the soules redeemed by the precious bloud of our Lord as one instructed rather by heauenly then humane doctrine he so disposed of his documentes according to the necessity of his audience that they all were satisfied in respect wherof his sermons were reputed for so many miracles they that neuer heard him preach were att deathes dore with desire to heare him but especiallie the learned as well in regard of his eloquence as of his exceeding subtility and viuacity of spiritt wherwith he admirably gaue to althinges which he handled their proper signification valure nomber and weight with a notable art He also reprehended the great personnes of this world with such constancie and seuerity that the most famous preachers trembled with feare when they heard him and did admire how it was possible he could haue such
went where he pleased and S. Antony retourning into Riminy there conuerted the rest of the heretiques that being there had not bin present att the miracle How he conuerted a very obstinate heretike by a miracle of the blessed sacrameÌ„t THE XIX CHAPTER SAinct Antony preaching one time att Tholousse though some affirme it to be att Riminy against a very obstinate heretike of the reall Presence of IESVS C. in the B. Sacrament he many times coÌ„uinced him euen by reasons in which the heretike not knowing what to answeare told the S. that in deed he was forced to yeld in dispute but the reason was because he was more subtill a greater philosopher and better learned then himselfe which he acknowledged but could not yet confesse and acknowledge that his affirmations were to be beleeued and therfore challenged him to proue by effectes and shew him by some miracle of the B. Sacrament wherby he might know that God was present there which if he could performe he did promise and sweare to adhere to his opinion and beliefe The sainct answeared him that he should consider and bethinck himselfe what miracle he desired by the grace of God he should see it effected The heretike replyed that he would shutt vp a mule and keep her three dayes without meat then they both would be present together himselfe with ores the S. with the B. Sacrament and if the mule did leaue the otes and adore the B. Sacrament he would be content also to adore the same S. Antony accepted this condition And the third day being come they both present att a publike place the holy Father hauing celebrated masse before he communicated he shewed the sacred Host vnto the people that held burning torches in their handes there being presente the greatest personnes of the cittie who attended him to the place where the proofe was to be made The heretike was there ready with the hungry Mule which alreadie smelled the oates which her master had brought and brayed after them Sainct Antonie then commaunded her by the vertue of the liuing God who was present in the Host which there he held to adore it Her master also cast before her all the oates he had yet leauing the oates she came with her head declined very humbly to adore the B. Sacrament before which she kneeled downe to the exceeding contentment of the Catholikes there present and the confusion of many heritikes especially of the aforesaid who was conuerted together with them Of the conuersion of many heritikes by a miracle of S. Antonyes eating poysoned meat without receauing any detriment THE XX. CHAPTER THis miracle so encreased the hatred of heretikes against him that they resolued to procure his death And to this purpose one of them inuited him to his table which the sainct promised in hope by some familier discourses to conuert him Euen as for the same end our Redeemer did eat with Publicans and sinners Sainct Antony then being att table with manie heretikes he knew by diuine reuelation that the meat sett before him was poysoned as also the wine appointed for him to drinck for which he modestly checked them 〈…〉 their treachery But they in steed of being confounded and acknowledgeing their fact with a brasen face answeared him that IESVS CHRIST in his gospell promised his disciples that albeit they should drinck or eat poyson it should not hurt them And therfore sayd they had they done that onlie to proue that speech so that if he refused to eat therof he must acknowledge the Gospell to be false wherevpon the holy Father consulting with himselfe what he should doe fouÌ„d therin some difficulty for one the one side he feared it might proue a tempting of God who seemed to haue reuealed the same vnto him to the end he should forbeare it on the other side desirous not to preiudice the gospell he resolued to eat the poyson on condition they would become Catholikes if it did not hurt him wherto they accorded and the S. said vnto them Well then my masters I drinck and eat your poysonned meat and drinck not with a will to tempt God whose wordes I firmely beleeue but to manifest vnto you the truth of his word and also as zealous of his gospell to whome althinges obey then he dranck and eat therof without receauing any detriment either then or afterward Which the heretikes perceauing they were conuerted to the faith of the gospell the wordes wherof they had experienced to be puissant aboue all naturall reason and in deed it was reasonable they should expell the poyson out of their soules seeing corporall poyson by vertue of the wordes of the gospell to be annichilated How in one sermon and att one time he was heard by many strangers to preach in their seuerall languages and a woman heard him far off THE XXI CHAPTER POpe Gregory the ninth published a great Iubilie att Rome there to declare the expedition of the Christians called Croisade against the Mores who then had possession of the holy land in respect wherof there was a great concourse of people att Rome that repayred thither from all partes of Europe S. Antony one day preaching there before a huge assembly of people the nomber being exceeding great of French Grecians English Italians Almanes Sclauonians Spaniards and other strangers they all heard him preach in their owne naturall tongue as heretofore the Apostles of our Sauiour had bin which much amazed the people But besides this the Pope hauing heard this sermon called him the holy arke of the testament in regard of the merueillous copiosity of hâ—â— doctrine and eloquence wherwith he in such sort lincked together the sentences and wordes of holy scripture by new and high 〈…〉 wherby it manifestly appeared that it was not he but the holy Ghost that spake who by his holy seruant taught these people the true meane to ascend to heauen This other miracle was also of no small consequence A woman exceedingly desiring to heare S. Antony preach her husband not permitting her to goe because it was a great league from the citty she went vp into her corne-loft so to content her sight with beholding the place where her spiritt was to witt the Church where was the Sainct where her body could not be which performing very attentiuely and a long time she admired to heare the Sainct beginne his sermon wherfore calling her husband she protested that from the place where she was she miraculously heard sainct Antonyes sermon vsing the same gestures that he did and relating his wordes wherin she so persisted to confirme hir husband that himselfe would needes make triall therof and to that end mounting into the garrett he putt his head out att the windoe and heard the end of the same sermon then presentlie went to conferre with such as had bin personallie present and found that the wordes which his wife affirmed to haue heard in the beginning of the sermon were the verie same that the
being not full but neere a yeare after his death Wherto there directly opposed himselfe a Cardinall which caused further proceeding to be deferred till the day following but the first night after the Cardinall had this dreame It seemed vnto him that his holinesse would consecrate an Altare and to that end demaunded holy reliques of him But he not knowing what to giue him heard a voice that said Giue him of the new reliques of S. Antony Wherevpon this Cardinall awakinge sollicited the Pope more then any other to hasten the canonization of the S. as hauing bin by this diuine voice fully assured of his great merittes Besides the approbation of the vnder written miracles wrought after his death nor including those wrought in his life time he cured nineteene that were lame fiue of the palsie fiue that were crooked six blinde three deafe three mute two of the gout he raised two to life and cured diuers others of sundry diseases For which cause the yeare 1232. on the day of Penticost he was enrolled by the Pope in the Catalogue of Sainctes with great solemnitie The said Pope composed and sung that worthy antheme O Doctor optime and ordayned it to be sung in all churches the day of his feast which was constitued to be yearly the thirteenth of Iune One the day of his canonization all the belles of his cittie of Lisbone did ring of themselues to the exceeding contentment of all personnes wherof they knew no cause but that they felt an inestimable ioy in their hartes but they vnderstood afterward that their contryman and fellow-cittizen S. Antony had bin that day canonized The bulle of the aforesaid canonization taken out of the tenth chapter of the sixt booke and heere more properly placed GRegory bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to our venerable Brethren Archbishops Bishoppes health and Apostolicall benediction As God saith by the Prophett I will make you honoured and praysed of all people and by the sage he promiseth that the iust shall shine in the presence of God as the sunne so it seemeth vnto vs expedient that we also here on earth below doe prayse the sainctes which his diuine Maiestie hath crouned in heauen and considering withall that God is knowne and adored principally in them who is praiseworthy and glorious in his Sainctes and that miraculously to manifest his omnipotencie and his mercy towardes our saluation he euen ennobleth here below by miracles his faithfull seruantes with whome he hath concurred to the meritt of eternall glory and this to confound the obstinacie of many heretikes and to confirme his church in his holy Catholique Apostolike and Romane faith and to expell out of lukewarme hartes all sloath and negligence awakening them to good worckes by these holy examples and that the hartes of heretikes might be made plyable to belieue by effect what they seeme not to vnderstand by the holy scriptures and finally that all Iewes and Pagans the vaile of blindnes being taken from before their eyes may see this transparent light of the omnipotencie of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and that they may not alleadge for excuse that they had no occasion deseruing their conuersion vnto him and their acknowledgement of him for true God and true man Wherfore my beloued we yeld thanckes to this bountifull giuer of all goodnes if not as we ought at least as we may for that it hath pleased him for confirmation of our holy faith and the confusion of heretikes to bestow on vs holy and famous men in these dayes who by signes and manifest miracles haue declared how true inestimable and indubitable is the faith of the holy Romane Church sith they who dye therein so dye in the grace of God that they glitter twinckle and shine in the world as Sunnes in the firmament Therfore being therein but one faith and the same by this diuine and manifest approbation appearing most true the falshood of all others must be very euident Of the nomber of those that haue meritted to worck miracles before and after their death is the blessed Father S. Antony of the Order of the Frere Minors who liuing in this world was very famous for his great merittes and liuing now in heauen he shineth by many miracles which are ordinarily wrought att his sepulcher wherof we are assured as well by very authenticall worthy actes as by reuelation of personnes worthy of creditt These two thinges merittes and miracles suffice to giue testimony among men of the sanctity of a man yea they suffice to make vs yeld to honour and inuocate them as our intercessors vnto God which two thinges are taken out of this text of the Gospell They goeing forth preached euery where our lord worcking withall and confirming the word with signes that followed For this cause we haue giuen order to the abouesaid Bishop to Br. Giles Iourdain Priour of the Order of S. Benett and to Br. Iohn Priour of S Augustins in the monastery of the Iacobins of Padua that they should make an exact examen and approued catalogue of the miracles of the said Sainct which we hauing seene to be conformable to that which by our owne experience we know to be very true touching his life and holy conuersatiō that it may not seeme we would hinder or depriue him of his praise being therevnto vrged by the said Bishop of Padua and the reuerence of the seruantes of God which so notoriously deserue the same and by the aduise of our venerable Brethren the Cardinalls of the holy Roman Church and of all the Prelates att this present neere vnto vs we haue enrolled him in the Catalogue of the SS Wherfore the candell not being sett on the candlesticke but to giue light we pray and commaund all those to whome the knowledge of these presents shall come that in vertue of this Apostolicall Breuie they induce their subiectes and procure them solemnly and reuerentlie to keepe and honour his feast which is the thirteenth of Iune to the end that God being moued and appeased by his holie prayers doe giue vs his holie grace in this life and his glorie in the other Besides that the sepulcher of this worthie Confessour who by the splendour of his miracles beautifieth our holie Church be with the honour due vnto it visited and frequented we trusting in the diuine grace and in the aucthoritie of the glorious Apostles sainct Peter and sainct Paul we mercifullie remitte and release a yeares penance enioyned them to all those that truelie confessed and penitent doe on the day of his feast and all the octaue of euerie yeare visitt the same Giuen att Spoletum the twelfeth of Iulie in the sixt yeare of our Popedome How his body was transported into the said church of Padua then into that where it now is and wherefore THE XXXI CHAPTER POpe Alexander the fourth desiring to deliuer manie Citties of Lombardie from the cruelty of the Tyran Ezelin that had vsurped almost all the
recorded Of the sanctity and miracles of Brother Zachary who was the first Guardian of the Couent of Alenquer and of his death THE XXVIII CHAPTER THe said Monastery being thus founded with exceeding pouerty and sanctity by the vertue and exemplar life of the sayd disciples of the glorious Father sainct Francis and namely of Brother Zachary as being the most notable in all vertues This holy Father zealous towardes God in worckes of charity in watchinges and prayers did often offer his prayers before a Crucifix which was after in the Chapiter of the said Couent of Alenquer till the yeare 1414. by which our Lord aduertised him of many thinges as well concerning his owne as his neighbours welfare The consolation and spirituall ioy which he receaued of this image was such as he could not leaue it but with great greife Brother Zacharie being Guardian it one day happened that there were but two loaues of bread in al the Couent the hower of refection being come he enioyned all the brethren to prayer then commanded them to sitt downe att table and the sayd loaues to be portioned among all the Religious and att the same instant there appeared an Angell att their gate in forme of a beautifull yong man who brought them as many loaues as there were persons in the Monastery his grace and beauty was such as could be imagined He calling for the Guardian gaue it vnto him who with the other Religious knowing this present to come to them from the hand of God who hauing care of all his creatures neuer forgetteth his true poore they gaue him thanckes for it Many kept of this bread as a holy relique but namely the Princesse Saucia who would haue her part therof Preaching on a time with great zeale of the faith of IESVS CHRIST and of the saluation of soules one that was incredulous being partly contrite and conuerted by his sermon would afterwardes confesse vnto him but by all the industry the good Father could deuise he could not rid him of his doubtes touching the Blessed sacrament of the Eucharist Art length hauing an exceeding desire to saue his soule he sayd vnto him Sith thou canst not be cured by the wordes of God come againe to morrow in the morning with the greatest deuotion thou canst and perhappes it will please our Lord IESVS CHRIST to illuminate and confirme thee by his diuine presence and so dismissing him and that day ended the Sainct spent all that night in deuotion praying God to voutsafe to illuminate and confirme this poore man in the holy faith The next morning he celebrated masse this man being present with great deuotion but the wordes of consecration being vttered he saw the sacred host conuerted into flesh and so continuyng till the Preist was ready to communicate and then he saw it retourne to the forme of an host as before the consecration This admirable vision entierly cleered his soule of all doubtes he had and fully confirmed him in the Catholike faith This glorious Father att length yelding vp his soule it ascended to heauen and his body was buryed on the right side of the crosse of the Church of the said Couent in Alenquer with his other companions and the holy disciples of the glorious Father sainct Francis The inhabitants of Alenquer att this present take the earth of that sepulcher and with great reuerence apply it to the sicke who therby recouer their health Of a Religious that was disciple to sainct Francis in the Couent of Alenquer THE XXIX CHAPTER AMong all the Religious that were sent by the holy Father saint Francis to the said Couent of Alenquer there was one very deuout and solitary that flying especially all conuersation and discourses with women spent almost all his time in prayer Now it happened that one of the ladyes of the Princes Saucia called Mary Gracia noting this Religious to be so spirituall began to haue perticuler deuotion vnto him and therfore she desired to haue some conference witht him But this holy Religious refusig all acquaintance and speech with any women shunned her with all endeauour Neuertheles it once happened that the Lady and the Religious in such sort met each with other that the Religious could not without discurtesie auoyd to speake vnto her for she much vrged him therto but he sayd vnto her Madame I beseech you before I spake vnto you cause to be brought hither some straw with fier which hauing don he willed her to putt the straw the fier together the lady hauing so dō the straw presētly burned the Religious then sayd vnto her Madame what issue you haue seene the straw to haue with the fier the like belieue me hath the seruant of God with a woman speaking with her without necessity Whereat this lady was so shamefully amazed that leauing this good Religious she neuer more insinuated herselfe by her curious deuotion to trouble him Wherfore as this holy Religious perseuered in vertues so att the end of his life his dead body was endowed with such a beauty and splendour that all the Religious both admired and reioyced exceedingly therby hauing more perfect assurance of his sanctity Att the instant of his death S. Antony of Padua who then was Canon Reguler in the monastery of S. Crosse in Conimbria celebrating the masse saw in spirit the soule of this Religious mount into the aire and gloriously to ascend into Paradise hauing first passed Purgatory as a bird that flyeth swiftly Of the life sanctity death and miracles of Br. Walter and of the ancient custome of Portugall to record matters that happened by the yeares of Augustus Caesar THE XXX CHAPTER THe vertue and sanctity of Br. Walter disciple of S. Francis are yet of great fame he hauing so piously and exemplarly liued that in a short time he drew al the neighbour contrye to be friendes to his Order he also conuerted them from many vices and sinnes wherto the inhabitantes therof were much enclined and addicted and exercised them in vertues It is sayd that this holy Father being dead and enterred there issued out of his tombe an oyle of such vertue as it cured many diseases and perseuered till his body was transported to the great Couent neere to the said citty The day of his death which was the second of August was a long time festiually solemnised and in regard of the great concourse of people that from euery where repayred thither to honour and reuerence the holy reliques there was kept a generall faire A long time after the Frere Minors hauing built their Couent very neere the citty the Canons resolued to steale from them this holy body but though to this purpose they came thither with a great nomber of men and afterwardes with strength of oxen to draw away the tombe of the sayd S. entier neuertheles they could not so much as lift vp the reliques alone out of the tombe by what soeuer forcible endeauour nor much lesse
giue you repulse In this manner doe I euer preserue my forteresse from being surprised by such base companions who by their entry would vtterly ruinate me or att least it would be very difficult for me to expell them for att the instant that I perceaue them ready to assault me without permitting them to lay their siege I enforce them to retire with shame enough Which Brother Giles vnderstanding he tourned to his companions and sayd Brethren I am of Brother Iuniperus opinion resolue heÌ„ceforward to make vse of his stratageme of warre for it is most certaine considering that in this sinne the securest fight is to fly by reason that the traiterous appetite which is within the flesh findeth such a stroÌ„ge concurrence of assistaÌ„ce in the exteriour sences by an army raysed by the deuill and opposed against the soule that the perill is extreme and the victory vncertaine so that the securest is not to permitt this traiterous domesticall sinne to enter into our hart Iuniperus being one time reprehended for hauing spoaken too lightly the mouth being the dore wherat the spiritt of deuotion and prayer goeth out he continued six entiere monthes in perpetuall silence the first day his purpose not to speake was in honour of God the Father the second for reuerence of the Sonne the third for loue of the holy Ghost the fourth for the Queene of heauen and so each day proposing some saincte he strictly obserued his silence all that time with new feruour and deuotioÌ„ though naturally he spake very litle which also was of spirituall thinges for as he could not endure to be flattered so neither could he flatter and so had no other discourse but of God and as a Religious perfect in humility he would rather learne and heare then with wordes and exteriour signes of sanctity teach others Of the great charity which Br. Iuniperus exercised towards the sick THE XXXIX CHAPTER THis glorious S. had a great affection to the sick and with an extreme charity did desirously serue them by meanes wherof happened a strange accident att our Lady of Angels touching a sicke person of whome by order of S. Francis who then was there he had the chardge This poore sick man was by the continuance of his infirmity become so feeble that he had not so much strength as to eat which would infallibly hasten his death Br. Iuniperus hauing great coÌ„passioÌ„ of him prayed him with tearfull eyes to tell him wherof he could willinglie ear and he would procure it for him The sick party answeared that he thought he could well eat of a hogs foote in Vinegar if he could gett it Br. Iuniperus replyed be of good Courage Brother I will presently bring you one dressed as you desire and taking a great knife out of the kitchen he went out of the house and seeing many hogges feeding in a field neere by he ran so faâ—t after them that he gott one and cutt off his foot and therwith retourned to the Couent where he presently dressed it with vinegar then carrying it to the sick he did eat therof with such appetite and courage that recouering his tast and appetite he began to amend and by this meane escaped for that time the danger of death In the meane time the master of the hogges being by his swineheard aduertised that a Frere Minor had cutt off the foot of one of his hogges he puffed vp with choller went hastely to the Couent where exclaming as a maded man he vttered many iniurious speeches to the Religious and so farre was he transported with fury that he disgordged against them a thousand vilanies Which the holy Father S. Francis vnderstanding he went to him and sought to appease him praying him for the loue of God to haue patience and offred to repaire whatsoeuer dommage he had receaued But the man more possessed with despight then with the losse would heare no proposition but weÌ„t away exceedingly scandalized att the Religious of whome he bruted many lyes through the streetes and very seriously and vehemently threatned them These good Religious were in meane while exceedingly greiued att this accident and knew not the cause therof wherfore hauing long time discoursed vpon it among themselues they att length addressed themselues to Br. Iuniperus suspecting that his simplicity and some indiscreet zeale had moued him to this fact But he respecting only God contemned all those toyes and respectes of the world The holy Father S. Francis called him before him to vnderstand the matter and circumstances and he very ioyfully recounted vnto him that God had directed and sent vnto him that hogge for the cure of the poore sicke Brother Sainct Francis exceedingly admiring sayd vnto him Ah Brother Iuniperus you haue this day caused a great scandall for the master of the hogge hath bin here and in all fury hath giuen vs infinite reproaches but I acknowledge that he hath reason and doe feare he will defame vs ouer all the citty Wherfore I command you vpon obedience to run after him to aske him pardon and to assure him that he shal be satisfied for his losse and especially so to deale with him as he be not scandalized att vs. Brother Iuniperus much admiring that any one should be moued to choller vpon so charitable a worck considering it to be apparant that temporall goodes are giue of God but for vse of charity he answeared Doubt not Father but I will presentlie appease him in such sort as he shalle haue no cause to complaine of such a charity done as more concerneth God then himselfe Which sayd he went in great hast to seeke out the master of the hogge whome hauing found full of choller he related vnto him how and for what cause he had cutt off his hogges foot then added that he ought to thanck him because thereby he had giuen him occasion of meritt in an act so pleasing vnto God as by his meane was accomplished In meane while the man abused him and grew into such fury as he was euen ready to strike him but the good Religious fell at his feet embraced him and besought him for the loue of God to pardon him which manner of proceeding so mollified his hart that hauing apparantlie seene and perceaued his simplicity and that what he had done proceeded merely of charitie and not of malice or to doe him a mischiefe as the deuill had put in his head he entred into himselfe and repented that euer he had iniuryed the Religious and asked them pardon acknowledging himselfe auaricious and ingratefull for the benefittes he had receiued of God in satisfaction wherof he presentlie killed the hogge and causing him to be conueniently dressed he sent him to the Religious that for the verie loue of God they might eat him in satisfaction of the iniuries vttered against them and thenceforward was very deuout and liberall to the poore of IESVS CHRIST How Brother Iuniperus gaue all he had and could haue for the loue of God
pouerty and did manifest exteriourly in her body that her soule was interiourly replenished with diuine light In this manner did she ordinarily liue full of so supreme delightes passing ouer this deceiptfull world with her noble Spouse IESVS CHRIST and being on this wheele of motion she was theron sustayned with an assurance and firmity of vertue very stable and preserued with the celestiall eleuation of her soule in the hight of heauen keeping the treasure of glory securely shutt vp with in a vessell of flesh here below on earth This holy virgin accustomed to call vp the yonger Religious a litle before mattines and to awaken them with the ordinary signe to excite them very often to praise God All her Religious sleeping she did watch lighted the lampe rung att mattines so that negligence found no entrance into her monastery nor sloath had there any place She also by the sting of sharpe repreprehension and of her liuely and effectuall examples expelled tepedity and ircksomnes in prayer and the seruice of God How the Mores were expelled the Monastery by the prayers of S. Clare THE XIII CHAPTER THis being the place where we should record the miracles of this holy virgin it is not conuenient that we pretermitt them in silence for as the merueillous effectes of her prayer are veritable so also are they worthy of honour and reuerence In the time of the Emperour Federick the second the holy Church in diuers places endured great persecutions but particulerly in the vally of Spoletum which being subiect to the Romane Church dranck of the vessell of wrath of this mischieuous tyrant his capitaines and soldiers being scattered ouer the fieldes as grasse hoppers with sword to murder people and with fire to burne their houses The impiety of this Emperour did so augment that he had assembled all the Mores that dwelt on the mountaines and among the desertes to make himselfe the more fearefull vnto his vassels and after he had by lardge promises gayned these Mores and disposed them into diuers places he gaue them att length for retyre a very ancient but ruined citty which yet to this present is called Moura des Mores which they fortifyed and then thither retyred about twenty thousand fighting men who did much mischeife ouer all Apulia and in other Christian places These ennemies of the faith of IESVS CHRIST came one day vnexpectedly towardes the cittye of Assisium who being already close to the portes a great number of them came to the Monastery of saint Damian as a lewd and dissloyall nation that continually thirsteth after the bloud of Christians and dareth to committ indifferently all kind of execrable actes without either shame of men or feare of God These Mores then brake euen into the Monastery of sainte Clare where she was with her Religious daughters who had their hartes surprised with an extreme terrour but much more when they heard the barking and crye of those dogges so neere them so that they were euen dying with the apprehension not knowing where to seeke reliefe nor of whome to hope for deliuerance from so emminent perill but by the merittes of their holy mother Whome with infinite sighes and teares they aduertised of what they heard and saw This holy virgin though sick encouraging her Religious caused her selfe with incredible constancie to be carryed to the gate of her Monastery att the entry wherof in the sight of all her ennemies she with very great reuerence placed the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist in the pix before which falling postrate on the earth she with abondance of teares thus spake to her beloued Spouse IESVS CHRIST Is it possible my God thy will should be that these they seruantes who cannot vse materiall weapons to defend thēselues and whome I haue here brought vp nourced in thy holy loue should now be deliuered into the power of the Infidell Mores Oh my God! Preserue thē if thou please and me likewise for albeit thy diuine Maiesty hath cōmitted thē to my gouernemēt yet is it not in my power to defend thē from so great a perill sith this protection cānot be but by a worck of thine omnipotencie Therfore doe I recōmend thē to thy diuine Maiesty with all the affection that I am able As soone as this holy virgin had sent these prayers vnto heauē she heard a voice so delicate as if it had bin of a sucking child that said I will protect you for eue◠The holy mother did not yet giue ouer to present her prayers saying My God I humbly beseech thee if so it be thy holy will to preserue and defend this thy citty of Assisium which doth nourish vs for the loue it beareth to thy diuine Maiesty Wherto God answeared This citty shall suffer much but in the end I will by my fauour defend it Sainte Clare hauing heard so gracious newes lifted vp her face bathed with teares and comforted her beloued daughters saying Deere Sisters I assure you that no euill shall befall you only be carefull to haue a firme faith and confidence in IESVS CHRIST The diuine assistāce made no long delay for the presumption and rage of the Mores was incontinently cooled so that a sodaine vnknowne terrour hauing surprised them they speedily retyred ouer the walles which they had scaled and ouer leapt to enter They being thus by the vertue of the prayer of sainte Clare expelled she priuatly called the Religious that had heard the sayd voice of God and commanded them that howsoeuer it were they should not diuulge what they had heard during her life How the citty of Assisium was an other time deliuered by the prayer of this holy Virgin THE XIV CHAPTER ON an other time one of the principall Capitaines of the Emperour Federick called Vitall d'Auerse a man very ambitious of glory full of courage and a notable Capitaine conducted his troupes to besiege Assisiū and hauing encōpassed it he exposed to wast and spoile the plaine contry therabout making a totall ruine euen to the very trees which were hewed downe and then framing his siege he vttered menacing and vaunting oathes that he would not stirre thence till he had giuen the citty a victorious assault and so this siege so long continued that the besieged began to loose courage as wanting many thinges extreemely needfull vnto them Wherof this holy seruant of IESVS CHRIST being aduertised sighing in her hart she called all her Religious to whome she thus discoursed My deere sisters you know that all our necessities haue euer bin supplyed by the charity of this citty so that we should proue very vngratefull if we should not according to our ability assist them in this extreme necessity then she commanded to be broughte her ashes and all her Religious to discoife their heades and to giue them example she began to couer her bare head with ashes wherin all the other Religious following her she said Goe ye to our Lord IESVS CHRIST and with the greatest
good groūd did alwayes conserue in his hart And therfore albeit in his youth he haunted and conuersed with his equals and with them did honestly spend his time in diuers recreations yet did he neuer permitt his pleasure so much to preuaile but that as an other Ioseph he most carefully preserued the inestimable treasure of his chastity Yea negotiating with merchants for the most part true ministers of auarice yet had he not for all that so sett vp his rest and desire on transitory ri chesse and siluer as that thy could hinder him from the exercise of the vertues of mercy towardes the poore to whom he alwayes shewed a natural inclination compassion to assist releiue them which was a particuler grace that God had giuen him as an infallible note that he was of his especiall elect which augmenting and growing in him euen from his tender yonth made him so milde and mercifull that he could not deny the poore any thinge they demaunded him particulerly when the party in necessity did mention in his request the loue of God Notwithstanding it one day chaunced that being earnestly employed he could not attend to giue an almose to a poore man that demaunded it for the loue of God His busines being ended this true seruant of God calling to minde that he had denyed a poore man he sharply checked and reprehended himselfe titling himselfe ill nourtured discurteous inhumane and cruell saying that if a freind or an other man of honour had sent to aske him any thinge he should haue neglected and layd aside all busines to giue him content and seruice and yet he had not done so in Godds cause and therfore he hastened to finde out that poore man to whome hauing giuen an almose he asked him pardon And to the end he might not thenceforward proue forgetfull in the like accident he againe confirmed his vow that as farre foorth as should be possible vnto him he would neuer deny that which should be demanded him for the loue of God and perseuering euen till death in this vow he continually encreased in diuine graces wherupon he asfirmed that being seculer he neuer heard word of the loue of God vttered but that it molified and moued his hart Francis then being yet yong worldly was mindefull of God in this sort wherin many that esteeme themselues good Christians and very spiritual doe not any way remember him considering that often times for a litle almose demanded of them by a poore creature they feele interiourly an anxiety therof and doe with choller disdaynfully reiect him This was the A. B. C. wherin S. Francis exercised himselfe with the greatest of the house of God and therfore he merited to obtaine of his diuine maiesty mercy and fauour for in that respect are the mercifull called blessed So was he naturally liberall remote from auarice perhappes more then he ought doeing it to be esteemed and honoured Therfore did the yong men of his estate much affect and honour him and in their sportes and recreations did ordinairily make him their capitaine because he did voluntarily and freely spend in musique bankets garmentes and other youthfull folies But one day considering these vanities he thus discoursed with himselfe Sith thou art so free and liberall towardes men of whome thou canst expect no other recompence but a litle vaine glory how much more reasonable were it for thee to shew this liberality towardes God in his poore people to whome that which thou possessest doth appertaine who doth afterward so bountifully and abondantly accept and recompence the same In this sort mouing himselfe he thenceforward employed in almose and other charities as much or more then in vanities Francis had besides a naturall sweetnes in his conuersations accōpanied with such a benignite and patience as made him gratefull and amiable to each one by reason that his good partes and conditions gaue hope of some worthy matter in him There was then in Assisium a very simple man but esteemed to be inspired of God who meeting the yong man Francis did alwayes cast his cloake on the ground and spread it where he was to passe saying before all the world It hath bin thus ordayned as if he would say of God that the yong Francis is worthy of all honour and reuerence There being continuall warre betweene the citty of Assisium and Perusia he was one day with many other of his fellow-cittizens taken prisoner by the enemies and they were all conducted to Perusia where they remained prisoners for a yeare till the citties were att accorde In this his imprisonmēt he shewed a right worthy proofe of his magnanimity being amiddes so many afflictions and discomfortes so constant temperat and merry that his companions did admire theratt and often reprehended him for it but he with alacrity answeared them What thinck ye you my companions What countenance would you haue me to carry Tell me I pray you if we haue cause of sorrow sith we shall in this respect from henceforward be more honoured of the world Thus did he comfort and encourage them all in the prison and euen serued them for the seruant which they had being expulsed as seditious he voluntarily serued them in euery thinge and was vnto them a greatfull companion By reason of these acceptable dispositions his conuersation and accointance was desired and sought of euery one and by this meane he was in manner constrained to doe many vaine thinges that were litle pleasing vnto him So did he very vnprofitably consume and wast his age and time his goods and graces of nature till about the fiue and twentith yeare of his age though God had endued him with so many prerogatiues and rare conditions not to abuse them but to employ them entierly in the praise and glory of his diuine maiesty for though he did alwayes keep and preserue aliue this sparckle of the loue of God in his hart yet did not the youthfull Francis as being ouer much possessed with a care to augment and conserue his wealth and to enioy his recreations vnderstand the celestiall secrett of his great and diuine vocation which was with reiection of earthly conuersations to employ himselfe meerly to contemplation of celestiall thinges and to attaine and aspire vnto them And in deed he could not know them till he felt himselfe touched by the seuere hand of God which hauing sharply stricken him in his body did by a long disease afflict him and purged and illuminated him interiourly therby to loose him from the bondes of the deuill the world and the flesh Of his first vocation from his seculer to a spirituall life by many apparitions and visions from God THE II. CHAPTER THe seruant of God Francis being cured of his foresaid corporall sicknes and confirmed in his soule by new purposes and new feruours hauing occasion to walk into the feildes he mett in the way a man that in his countenance and comportment seemed
to Assisium purposing by almes to execute and accomplish that which he could not doe with the mony of his fathers merchandise and this his dessigne had good successe For seeking ouer the citty where he was alreadie knowne to be the seruant of God he found mony among his freindes and kinred and matter requisite for the building of the said Church So associating him selfe with the Preist that serued there he began the said reparation wanting nether masters nor worckmen to this effect he neuertheles without intermission employed his owne person therin that his body being already weakened by continuall fastes and ordinary abstinences might be more subiected and chasticed as well by carrying burdensome stones as by the mortification he endured in demaunding of them to whome he had formerly giuen Thus by the grace of God and the deuotion of the faithfull he so well endeauoured that he accomplished the reparation of the said Church in which labour the said Preist perceiuing how painfully he employed himselfe for so holy an enterprise alwayes reserued somethinge to refectionate and releiue him But the humble seruant of God could not long endure that as being desirous to serue and not to be serued of any Wherupon he said once in himselfe Is it conuenient that thou haue alwayes a preist to serue thee Is that the way of pouerty which thou seekest and then he resolued to be no longer serued by preist or other person and when he would eate he tooke a dish and went to the dores with other poore people to demaund almose for the loue of God and with them did there eat what was giuen him And albeit this was att the begining very sharpe and difficult vnto him yet in the progresse it was so pleasing and contentfull that he afterward affirmed to his Religious that he neuer eat with so good an appetite as then Being one day inuited to eat with a Prelate he would eat nothing but what he had brought with him of almose giuen att the dores Saint Francis hauing finished the reparation of the Church of S. Damian went to repaire an other of S. Peter farther off from the citty and by the same meanes that he vsed in the former he in short time accomplished this also After that he went to Porticella very neere to Assisium where was a Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary which was so abandoned that there was no person had câ—ardge therof nor did any seruice therin He for the great deuotion he had to the Queene of heauen remained therin and incontinently began to thinck of repayring it and being there often visited by the Angels conformably to the title of the Church which was S. Mary of Angels he the more willingly stayed there and affected that place aboue all other because therin he began humbly proceeded and fought valiantly and there ended most blessedly There by diuine reuelation did he begin the foundation of the rule and order of the Frier Minors which was not without mysterie but by disposition of the diuine prouidence which gouerned him instructed and directed him in all his dessignes So that this worthey seruant of God repaired three materiall Churches of S. Damian S. Peter and S. Mary of Angels and all this before the institution of his Order and his preaching of the gospell as well that from these sencible thinges he might attaine to intellectuall and from lesser matters by course and ordre to great as also that what he should doe might first be reuealed vnto him by the mystery of sensible thinges to the end it might appeare that as he had reestablished three Churches so also that of IESVS CHRIST should be by him renewed and repayred according to the forme rule and doctrine which he would giue him as we see apparantly to haue succeeded in the three exercises or warfares if you will which are the three Orders which saint Francis institued in the world Of the second vocation to the estate of Euangelicall perfection and how he began his rule THE VII CHAPTER THe worthy of God hauing chosen for his residence the Church of the mother of IESVS CHRIST and therin perseuering in coÌ„tinuall feruent deuotions beseeching her to be his aduocate his prayers were of such efficacie that by the merittes of the glorious virgin he was also found worthy to conceiue and produce the spiritt of verity and of Euangelicall pouerty For as he one day deuoutly heard the masse of the Apostles where the gospell is read wherin our lord IESVS CHRIST prescribeth theÌ„ the forme of the EuaÌ„gelicall life when he sent them to preach ouer the world to this purpose saying Do not possesse gold nor siluer nor purses not a scripp for the way neither two coates neither shooes neither rodde And into what soeuer place you shall enter salute it saying the peace of God be in this house S. Francis hearing this cryed out with more then a naturall voice That is it which I seeke that is it which the interiour of my hart desireth and theÌ„ was he replenished by the holy spiritt of IESVS CHRIST with such a vertue that it did not only traÌ„sforme him into the said for me and rule in coÌ„sent and desire but euen in operations and effectes for immediatly he putt of his shooes he reiected his staffe and wallet He cast away the mony which remayned vnto him of almose and contenting himselfe with one only garment or coate reiected euen the lesser belt wherewith he was girded and vsed a corde being more carefull then to conforme himselfe perfectly to the Apostolicall life Vpon this Euangelicall lesson in this week and on this day which was the yeare of our lord one thousand two hundred and eight in the month of October and feast of S. Luke this blessed S. began the rule of the Frier Minors being then twenty seauen yeares of age two yeares from his coÌ„uersion being expired the twelueth yeare of Pope Innocent the third a worck proceeding verilie from the holy Ghost by the gospell of IESVS CHRIST not from any humane spiritt though God for an instrumeÌ„t would vse his most faithfull seruant as founder of so glorious a fabrick who as a prudent Architect layd the foundation of his Order with violent floudes of teares with most feruent prayers with worckes of mercie of penance and of retirednes and coniunction vnto God neuer wearied nor desisting till the holy Ghost had giueÌ„ him the foundatioÌ„ of the Apostles and Prophets which is that soueraigne stable corner stone IESVS CHRIST on whome the whole edifice being gounded and referred vnto it encreased in this holy temple of God vpon whome the S. did not build his order with the chaffe of vaine titles or of temporall possessions nor with the dirty dregges of worldly and perishable thinges but with purified gold which is the Euangelicall spiritt and with precious stones which are the Apostolical Counsailes by meanes wherof it was then securely guarded against the force
and others others brought thither the disobedient who entred into it with a great indignation of spiritt and besides his sences as one that by his disobedience was already in the diuels possession He also commanded the Brethren to couer him instantly with earth but being scarce halfe couered the deuill by the merittes of the S. Hauing left him he began bitterly to weep saying The deuill that had hardened my hard hath now altogether left me but proceed you bouldly in couering me for I haue well deserued this death and a more greiuous The Brethren hearing him began to weep with him and some of them aduertised the S. of his conuersion who commanded that he should be taken vp and brought before him where being he said vnto him Choose what house you will wherin you may be comforted and there shall you dwell vpon obedience which the Brother hearinge with bitter teares he answeared not so my most gracious Father if you please but the greatest consolation you can giue me is that I accomplish my first penance the holy Father being moued with these wordes gaue him his benediction Thus hath he shewen vs by these examples that the end of the chasticement of Religion ought to be penitence and amendement of the sinner on whom if he acknowledge himselfe chasticement ought not to be inflicted but fatherlie consolation rather as IESVS CHRIST hath taught vs in his worthy parabole of the prodigall child who being repentant of his offences demaunded pardon of his father and the father very tenderlie embraced him and with great ioy conducted him into his house How S. Francis sent Brother Ruffinus to preach without the caepuce in vertue of obedience and of the penance which thersore he inflicted on himselfe THE XLI CHAPTER BY this that followeth there appeareth a merueillous order for gouernment to witt that the Superiour ought not to command vnto his subiects the thinge that himselfe would not doe S. Francis one day called vnto him Brother Ruffinus whome he commanded to goe preach in the cittie of Assisium and to deliuer vnto the people onlie what God should inspire vnto him but Brother Ruffinus making his excuse answeared Pardon me if you please good Father you know I am not apt to preach because I haue not any grace in my speech as being too simple and an idiot Which he spake with much humilitie And though in deed he had bin a discreet knight in the world he was neuertheles so chaunged in himselfe by meanes of the grace of contemplation which he had receiued of God that he was manie times out of himselfe and spake verie seldome and yet that litle was with such difficulty that he seemed to speake with exceedinge paine but the S. reprehending him for not hauing instantlie obeyed commanded him further vpon obedience and gaue him for penance to goe without his capuce The obedient Brother Ruffinus then without farther contradiction hauing put off his capuce and falling one the ground demaunded his benediction which hauing receiued he went to Assisium and first entred into a church there to make his prayer which done he ascended the pulpitt and began to preach The people then assembled who admiring to see him without capuce and amazed att such a noueltie said one to an other these poore Freers doe such austere penance that there withall they loose their witts So whiles this good Brother preached S. Francis considering the prompt obedience of Brother Ruffinus and the rigour of his commandement he began to check himselfe thus reasoning the matter What will hast thou gotten thou sonne of Peter Bernardone thou of so meane estate to command Brother Ruffinus who is one of the principall gentlemen of Assisium to goe preach without his capuce I will make thee to be an example of what thou hast commanded to an other and speaking thus to himselfe he hastiely tooke the capuce from his owne head and taking Brother Leo for companion he went to Assisium Being come into the church where Brother Ruffinus preached the people that saw him without capuce esteemed him to be likewise foolish beleeuing that the Br. Ruffinus and he were become sottish by meanes of their ouer sharpe penance many people therfore flocking thither Brother Ruffinus in the best manner he could deliuered this speech My beloued Brethren shunne the world leaue sinne retourne to the socure way if you desire to avoid hell obserue the diuine preceptes loue God and your neighbour and doe penance because the great kingâ— dome of heauen approacheth att least if you will possesse it But as soone as he perceiued S. Francis he discended from the pulpitt to come vnto him and the S. incontinentlie ascended The Church was then entierlie full of wordlie people for some came thither to see the extremitie of that life others moued with compassion and deuotion and others to deride them reputing them senceles but the holie Ghost that was in S. Francis caused him to vtter such worthy and merueillous matters of the contempt of the world of holie and necessary penance and of voluntary pouerty of the desire of the kingdome of heauen of obedience of the nuditie ignominies and passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and other like thinges which he declared in such manner and with such feruour that they who formerlie derided the noueltie of his habitt and reputed these Brethren to be out of their right sences did now bitterly weepe and such was that weeping and so violent for the compassion which they had of the death of IESVS CHRIST crucified and the feare which they conceaued of hell that they began to crie for mercie as if it had bin an other good friday on which day the Passion is preached so patheticallie in Italy that all the world cryeth mercie as one would doe att the sacking of a towne Wherfore the people being so edified and contrite Brother Leo who had brought with him both the capuces gaue to each one his owne they afterward retourned to their Monasterie praysing God for his great mercie sith by the vertue of holie obedience they had obtayned victorie ouer themselues and manifested how much they contemned the world They had much to doe to be ridd of the people that before reputed them for fooles and now he that could touch or kisse their habittes esteemed himselfe happy It appeared by the end of this worck that the beginning proceeded of God though it were wrought by an excessiue meane as the worcke of the Prophettes not so much to be imitated as for a signe of approbation of holy obedience of mortification of selfe will and contempt of the world and that we might know what glorious end God giueth to the worckes of holy obedience either secrett or manifest as it pleaseth him Of the loue which S. Francis boare to pouerty THE XLII CHAPTER AMong many giftes and singuler fauours which the glorious S. receaued att the bountifull hand of God one of the principall was that of
pouerty wherby he became a new man in the world terrible to the deuil and an example to all mortall people by the loue and possession wherof he merited by diuine and speciall priuiledge to haue principallitie in the holie Church The said S. had this particuler affection to holie pouertie by consideration how much it was esteemed of the Sonne of God whiles he conuersed here below and how it was then banished and expelled out of all the world He therfore desiring with himselfe to make his residence where holy pouerty was retired renounced the world and what soeuer he had proper he gaue to the poore and hauing for the loue of God forsaken his Father his mother his kinred and freindes he remayned a perfect pilgrime on earth to meritt to lodge in himselfe holy pouertie so generallie abhorred There was neuer auaricious of the world so greedy of monie and so carefull to keepe his treasure as Saint Francis was to keepe his pouertie which he alwayes had in his eyes and in his mouth as a precious stone and Euangelicall pearle he dwelt with pouertie he eat with it he cloathed himselfe with it he dreamed of it breefly he had it alwayes imprinted in his hart vsing onlie for this life a short coat streight and all peiced a cord and linnen breeches contenting himselfe neuertheles in this his rich pouertie he therin perseuered euen to the end desiring in the same to exceed euery one as he had learned of it to esteeme himselfe the least of all He often represented vnto himselfe the pouertie of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and of his most sacred mother and practicallie taught it vnto his disciples with great abondance of teares assuring them that pouertie was the Queene of vertues in regard that it appeared of such excellent beautie in the king of heauen and in the Queene his mother Pouertie said he is a principall way vnto saluation as being mother and nourse of humilitye and the root of all perfection whose fruit is of exceeding profitt and furtherance to euery one albeit this verity be very secrett and vnknowne to the men of the world it is without doubt the hidden treasure in the Euangelicall feild the which to buy a man ought to sell all that he hath and he that cannot giue his goodes to the poore ought att least to haue a will to contemne richesse and to vse violence vnto his proper will and presumption for he doth not perfectly renounce the world that keepeth his purse full of his proper iudgement and wil. Thus discoursing of holy pouerty he often reiterated the wordes of God The foxes haue holes and the foules of the aire nestes but the Sonne of man hath not where to repose his head Then he exhorted his disciples that as poore people they should build but poore cottages for their residence where they should remaine not as in theire owne houses but as pilgrimes and straungers that aime att other places The law of Pilgrimes said he and their reasonnable desire is to retire into the houses of others during their voyage conceating neuer to see the hower to arriue in their country by reason of the great desire they haue to be there and to passe peaceably without medling in matters appertaynning to others He called pouerty the foundation of his Order whervpon all his edifice was grounded Therfore he affirmed vnto thē that he knew by reuelation that the true entry of his Religion was this word of IESVS CHRIST If thou wilt be perfect goe sell the thinges that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come follow me In respect wherof he admitted noneinto his Order if within the tearme of the yeare of probation they did not forsake what soeuer they possessed in the world This he caused to be very exactly obserued aswell in regard of the said wordes of IESVS CHRIST as also that none should search in the treasuries of Religion for any thing that he had putt there And if any one demaunded the habitt of Religion not hauing made the said renunciation he would say vnto him Get thee hence for thou art not yet gone forth of thy house thou hast not forsaken that which appertayneth vnto thee nor abandonned the feeble foundation grounded on the sand of affection vnto worldly goodes and yet demaundest of me the habitt first accomplish what thou oughtest and then demaund it By the said foundation he vnderstood holy pouerty whome he sometime accustomed to call mother att other times espouse and sometime Mistresse Goeing one day with some of his Brethren towardes Sienna being verie neere the citty he mett three women so like in gesture beauty and habitte that the one could not be discerned from the other and all three with one voice saluted him saying Holy Pouerty is welcome which the S. hearing exceedingly reioyced as one that affected nothing more then to be called pouerty of each one as he was then of the said women who incontinently disappeared which being seene and considered by the other Brethren his companions filled with admiration att such and so vnwonted accident they esteemed the same not to want some great mistery and it doubtles was easy to coniecture that the said three women or perhaps Angels did signifie the beautie and Euangelicall perfection of the three principall vowes Pouertie Obedience and Chastitie which IESVS CHRIST counsailed to the Brethren all which did appeare to be equall in the S. in all eminence and perfection That he did extremely abhorre mony THE XLIII CHAPTER THough he were directly opposite to what soeuer repugned pouertie he most especially hated mony and by examples and wordes did often reiterat vnto his brethren that they should shunne it as the deuill It chaunced that a seculer man hauing done his deuotions in the Church of our lady of Angels where the brethren dwelt left a peice of mony in signe of almose neere a litle Crosse which a Brother tooke and hid in a hoale of the said Church to giue to the poore But in the meane while S. Francis had intelligence therof and the said Brother cōsidered the matter and went and fell at the feete of the S. of whome he demaunded pardon and offered himselfe to pennance The holy Father hauing well checked him for presuming to touch mony commaunded him to take the peice of mony where it was in his mouth and to cast it into the house of office which the Brother hauing ioyfully and instantly performed his companions did all admire and thence forward more contemned mony The S. passing an other time by Bary in Apulia saw a great purse in the middes of the way which seemed to be full of mony the Brother that accompanied him did exceedinglie importune him to take vp the purse being therto induced by a pious zeale to distribute the mony which he beleeued to be therin vnto the poore But the holie Father refusing affirmed that it was
in his soule conceaued such consolation therof that he no more remēbred all his trauailes past then if he had neuer endured them S. Francis then said vnto him My sonne admire no more for it is necessary that thou retourne into the world but greiue not for God hath appointed thee a very short time of seauen dayes only that in the meane time thou mayest prepare the better which ended I my selfe will come to thee and will conduct the thither to enioy with me this immortall glorie The blessed Father S. Francis with a very rich mantell and his holy stigmates glittered as shinning starres with such a splendour that he seemed with his beames to illuminate the greatest part of that great citty The Religious did there know many SS of S. Francis his company whome he had seene in the world all whome he nomminated att his retourne Att length hauing receaued the benediction of S. Francis he awakened out of his sleepe and heard the bell ringing to the Prime for it was yet early morning and he seemed to haue spent many yeares in his iorney he thē recounted the vision to his Guardian and the Religious for the cōsolation of all such as liue in labours and afflictions and to demonstrate that whatsoeuer sinners they be God doth neuer abandon any one but doth euer assist and preserue them in all their tribulations till he bring them to his kingdome Now for confirmation of all the precedent the Religious fell incontinently sick and with an admirable feruour of spiritt prepared himselfe for his last houre The seauen dayes expired the glorious Father S. Francis came as he had promised and carryed the soule of this theefe into Paradice This holy Father then by this humility in this sort gayned soules vnto God as by the ensuyng example shall more appeare How S. Francis conuerted certaine other theeues this was the 27. chapter of the 10. book transferred hither as a place more proper vnto it THE LXXXVIII CHAPTER THere were certaine theeues that had their residence on an high mountaine whence they discended to robbe the passengers they found on the wayes and some time very hungar constrayned them to aske bread for the loue of God att the Couent of the Freer Minors neere the borough of S. Sepulcre some of the Religious affirmed that it was not well done to giue them almose being theeues and murderers such as ought not to be releiued to the detriment of the cōmon weale Others neuertheles of compassion gaue them almose still admonishing them to leaue that lewd and detestable life and to doe pennance for it But S. Francis one day accidentallie comming to that Couent the Religious proposed this doubt vnto him to whome he answeared If you follow mine aduice I hope by the grace of God you shall gaine him those soules which is that you take bread and wine of each of the best you haue and carry it them to the mountaine whither they are retired and that calling them you very louingly vse this speeche vnto them Brethren feare not for we are Religious that bring you to eat then presentlie spread your cloakes on the ground and sett them your bread vpon it and with a ioyfull humility minister vnto them till they haue done eating After that in fauour of that charity on your part exhibited and of what you may thenceforward doe them pray and coniure them not to hurt kill or offend any man personnally and for that first time require no other thing of them An other day according to the good answeare they shall giue you you shall carry them other bread wine egges and cheese which you shall present vnto them with the greatest humility and kindenes that you can then you shall say vnto them Brethren we know wel what moueth you to liue in these mountaines with so many inconueniēces feares and perils both of body and soule which you will vndoubtedly bring to ruine if you perseuer in this course Therfore we counsaile you for the best to giue ouer this life to putt your confidence in God and he wil neuer abandon you in your temporall necessities On our part we will not faile for his loue and yours to releiue you att least to saue your soules and I hope in our Lord said the holy Father by this your charity and humility you shall conuert them which proued true For these Religious following that counsaile the vertue of the holy Ghost in a moment descended on the theeues in such sort that moued by the demonstrations of those good Religious they beleeued them so that by litle and litle the greater part of them entred into the Order and there liued piously and the rest hauing sworne vnto the Religious that they would amend themselues spent their time in very great repose and ended their liues as good Christians to the exceeding contentment and edification of all the country who for the same gaue thanckes to God and to those good Religious How much S. Francis shunned and abhorred honours for the loue of humility THE LXXXIX CHAPTER THough by the precedent it may be sufficiently vnderstood how much S. Francis shunned worldly glory and on the cōtrary how he reioyced when God was praysed by his worckes yet it will more manifestly appeare by this which we are to speake of him on this occasion Hauing one day ended his sermon in the citty of Iterrena the bishop arose and after he had made a short exhortation to his people in the end he said That frō the time that God had planted the Church he neuer abandoned it but did alwayes illuminate and assist it by meane of some perfect men that continually supported the same but now he did illustrate and maintayne it more then euer in this poore bare-foot and idiott vtterlie misprised for his loue wherevpon he concluded that they were much obliged to giue thanckes vnto his diuine maiesty for that his singuler benefitt As soone as the bishop had ended S. Francis doeing him reuerence very ioyfull replyed doubtles My Lord neuer man in the world hath to this day so much honoured me as your selfe for some say of me this man is holy and when God worcketh any thing by me many reflecting on me only giue not to God the glory due to his diuine maiesty but you as wise and prudent haue separated the vile from the precious wherefore falling on his knees before him he kissed his handes and departed leauing the bishop exceedingly edified If any one called him S. he would incōtinētlie answeare If God should take frō me the treasure of his grace which he hath giuen me in custodie there would remaine to me only my body and soule both burdened with sinnes and extreme blindnes as are the damned and infidels but as the picture and sculpture where the images of God and of the glorious virgin are engrauen and peinted in wood or stone are reuerenced and honoured as figures of the true image and as they are stone
or wood no honour is attributed vnto them euen so a man that is the true image and portraiture of God if he be honoured as such he ought not to attribute that reuerence to himselfe but to God whom he representeth yea he ought to repute himself in regard of his sinnes most worthy of all infamy in this world With the like spiritt he one day receaued the honour which the people gaue him who kissed his habitt his handes and feet without making them any kinde of resistance his companion that saw the holy Father to stand still and admitt those honours thought with himselfe that he was glad therof and vainely conceaued pleasure thxerin as afterward he told him but the holy Father answeared him Brother these people performe not the least part of what they ought to doe Whereat his said companion was more scandalized S. Francis then added Brother I attribute not to my selfe but to God all these honours which thou seest presented vnto me whose althinges are and I remayne in my vile estate which doth not conclude that the presenters gaine nothing thereby because by that meane God is acknowledged and honoured in his creatures The Religious by this answeare was entierlie satisfied with an exceeding admiration of his perfection considering that when he reflected on himselfe he could not on the other side in any sort endure prayses and honours Goeing one time to Rome the Bishop of a citty whose name is perished in the authors by whose diocesse he was to passe went against him out of the towne to entertayne him which the S. in spiritt foreseeing he said to his companion We may be here molested for these men which you see come to honour vs which we cannot avoide there being no meane to tourne out of the way come therfore after me He led him to a grosse heape of chaulke that was close by the way whereof they made vessels on which he mounted and did very nimbly tread thereon with his feet Which the bishop and his followers beholding they retourned without giuing him a word So the holy Father reiected the honour and a while after he entred secretlie into the Citty where he edified more by example of pious life then by wordes of doctrine How by humility he discouered his owne imperfections and what a capitall ennemy he was to hipocrisie THE XC CHAPTER TO the end that such as saw him labour vertuously and performe holy and pious actes extraordinarily might not imagine that what he did proceeded of any other then of God that wrought in him he publiquely discouered whatsoeuer defectes he thought to be in himselfe though most commonly they were no defectes att all Being one day very sicke he by obedience rebated some litle of his abstinence but beginning a litle to amend the true mispriser of himselfe taking courage against his flesh for greater confusion he said in himfelfe It is not requisite that the people repute me sobre and abstineÌ„t and I on the contrary secretly eat flesh And so moued by the holy Ghost he commanded some of his Religious to fasten a rope about his necke and to lead him to the marckett place of the Citty of Assisium But his Religious refusing to obey him he putt of his habitt and with nothing on him but that with was vnder it he went into the place called the Berlina where notwithstanding he had a quartane aigue and therefore was very feeble he began to preach and when he saw that there was a great concurse of people he affirmed publikely that they ought not esteeme him otherwise spirituall because in that his lent wherin he had accustomed to fast in the honour of Alsainctes he had eaten flesh for which he prayed them to reprehend him All the assistantes seeing so great a humilitie conceaued a deep conpunction in theÌ„selues and sighing sayd Ah we miserable wretches that liue continually in sinne and entierlie apply our selues to the commodities of this life without doeing pennance what will become of vs sith this S. lamenteth to haue eaten flesh in time not prohibited and vpon a iust and manifest necessitie he doth neuertheles repent it and with so much confusion accuseth himselfe though he seeme neerer death then life why learne we not of him who leadeth a life rather to be admired then imitated and who is a true pourtraiture of perfect humily and as the imitatour of IESVS CHRIST contemneth and treadeth vnder foot the world and the honour therof reiecting the shadow of hypocrisy wherein each one either more or lesse is intricated But all this was litle in comparison of what he did ordinarily for to mortifie the first motiues of the ambitions of the world and to batter them against the most firme rocke IESVS CHRIST he did as followeth As often as there assailed him any motion of pride or vaine glorie being before the people he confessed it to the world saying sometime to his companion I endeauour to liue in the presence of God in an hermitage and other solitary places no otherwise then if I were in the middes of the worlde for if I doe otherwise I am an hypocrite Being one time sicke in the winter by meanes of an extreme coldnes in his stomake his companion prayed him to haue a peice of fox skin sowed within his habitt against the flesh and vpon his stomake But he would neuer consent thereto without condition that there should be an other sowed without that each one might know he woare a skinne on his flesh Passing by Assisium a poore old man asked him an almose for the loue of God which name hearing vttered he tooke off his cloake from his shoulders gaue him Now in performing this act of charity he conceaued a litle vaineglory he confessed it publiqueâ—â— and acknowledged his fault What cogitation God had of this his most humble seruant may be iudged by the example following Saint Francis being in Alexandria a citty of Italy he was entertayned into the house of a gentleman who being very deuout vnto him said you must resolue to obey the gospell and eat whatsoeuer shal be presented vnto you and thus saying he caused a Capon to be brought wherof the holy Father with the benediction of God did eat meane while a poore man asked an almose att the dore to whome the S. sent a legge of the capon the poore man tooke it and with a malicious and diabolicall eye beheld it and kept it quietly till the next morning when S. Francis preaching he shewed it publiquely to the people saying Behold ye all the flesh that this Frere Francis the preacher of abstinence doth eat being last night full fed he gaue me this legge of capon But God whose prouidence is admirable and knoweth to dissolue the snares of the deuill and to conuert them vnto his confusion caused that when the poore man thought to shew to the people the said legge he miraculously shewed a fish wherefore being reputed
you from pride from the vices of auarice of enuy and vaine desires so detrimentall to your soules and by your example to your neighbours also you shall in your sermons exhort the people to pay their tythes to the Preistes of whome so doeing you shal be entreated to preach and heare their confessions though you should not so much respect that as to conuert them for a man conuerted will soone finde a confessour as for me I demaund no other priuiledge of God but to loue and reuerence each one and to conuert the most sinners that I can by obedience to God and his holy church and the same more by humilitie and example of the obseruance of our rule then by wordes Of the afflictions incident vnto the Order reuealed vnto the holy Father S Francis THE XXVII CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis being one time in prayer att our Lady of Angels most instantlie praying his diuine maiesty that he would please to shew mercy to the ChristiaÌ„ people on whome he had reuealed vnto him that he would lay a great scourge God answeared him Francis if thou wilt that I haue compassion of my people procure dilligentlie that thy Order perseuer in such sort as it is instituted that therin may be found such as may worthelie make intercessioÌ„ for them and in fauour of thy Order and of thee I promise thee not to lett fall on my church that great affliction which aymeth att it threateneth it But I will haue thee know that if thy Order doe preuaricate the first punishmentes which I shall inflict on my church shal be on the preachers therof and will giue to the deuill what authority ouer them he will Thence will grow so manie scandales betweene them and the world that none will aduenture to take the habitt but in the desertes where I will preserue this few number of elect as I preserued the children of Israel so manie yeares and so the good being conserued in my grace the Order shall afterward be reduced to his pristine estate Herevpon did S. Francis prophesie that a verie violent temptation should be raised in his Religion by pourchaced science wherwith in manner of a furious winde from the region of the desert as the affliction of Iob furiously striking the four corners of the house of his Religion his owne children would bring it to ruine because said he being puffed vp by their learning and relying theron they well lay ambushes and cast snares for the true and lawfull children framed by that huge damned woman called pride to whome they will sacrifice their child birthes that is their worckes and will liue in the delightes of the profitt of them and of the recompence of their impudencie and arrogancie Now the auctoritie of such Religious wil be extremelie bitter and insupportable to the iuste that shal be persecuted by them because their simplicitie obedience pouertie and zeale of the honour of God shall in a manner inexplicable secretlie confound them Wherfore they by reason of their pride being vnable to endure it relying on the wisedome and reputation of their valure and the authority of the nobility and Princes of the world pourchaced by meane of ambition will persecute them to death There is also found a prophesie of the holy Father S. Francis written by the hand of Brother Leo of the great schisme and diuision that was in the Church after the election of Pope Vrban the sixt the yeare 1378. that continued neere 40. yeares the tenour wherof was thus A time will come when the holy Church shal be full of schismes which will put men in extreme perplexitie as well in the spirituall as temporall estate and the deuill shall haue manie followers and shal be more dilligente then ordinary to take aduantage by this occasion to augment his kingdome then shall the beauty of this Order be defiled with that of others and prophane apostasie shal be accomplished to the dissention of two Realmes when few shall obey the holie Church with a true charitie and he that shall not be canonicallie elected to the Papacie yea suspected of heresie shall be obeyed because manie shal be subtillie peruerted by him by his contagious errours then shal scandales multiplie and Christianitie be diuided manie refusing to contradict the same the scismes and diuisions of the Clergie of Religious and of the people shal be so violent that if those dayes were not abbreuiated by God the elect if it were possible would fall into the same errours if God of his mercie should not deliuer them S. Francis in regard of this reuelation particulerlie put into his rule the vow of obedience vnto the Pope vnto his successours canonicallie elected and to the holie Romane church in the beginning and end of the same rule knowing how much it would profitt his order in that so turbulent time to perseuer firme therfore he gaue this instruction to his that foreseeing the same they might know to gouerne themselues well therein Of the liberty wherinto the Order should fall prophecied by S. Francis THE XXVIII CHAPTER THe holie Father S. Francis being one day in presence of the Cardinall Vgolino Protectour of the Order and of manie other of his Religious he vttered these wordes which he afterward also preached to the Brethren a time will come when the Religious of my Order by the malice of the deuill shallleaue the way of holie simplicitie and pouerty indifferentlie receauing all sort of mony and all such legacies as by testament shal be bequeathed them and leauing solitarie and humble places will build faire and sumptuous houses in cittyes and townes capable to entertayne Princes and Emperours then by fauour they will procure obtaine priuiledges of the Popes through art and humane prudence and by their earnest importunitie they will obtaine requestes merelie iniust though cloaked with truth by this meane they will not onlie abandon their rule instituted by IESVS CHRIST against their solemne profession but will also ruine and alter the puritie therof chaunging the good intention into peruerse and being armed by meane of the said priuiledges against obedience against other Religious and against all the Clergie when they shall expect to gett the victory the wretches shall â—inde themselues fallen into the trench which themselues shall haue made gathering no other fruit of their seminary but scandales which they shall offer to God in steed of the saluation of soules who seeing the same shal be no more thenceforward their Pastour but their ruiner according to their meritt And therfore he will leaue them entangled in the nettes of auarice and their vaine desires Which being naturalie considered of many shall cause that acknowledgeing this punishment of the hand of God they repent their faultes and retourne to their former estate notwithstanding that they be persecuted and derided of others as are all the vertuous and true seruantes of God by the wicked and impious But as the same temptations shall accomplish the
raysed their tunes that the holie Father and his companion did not well vnderstand one an other wherfore he willed them to stay a while till they had ended their office They were incontinētly silent and sung no more til the office was sayd after which he gaue them leaue to sing and then they began againe with more delight thē before to the great contentment of the S. There was att our lady of Angels a figge tree wheron was a grasse hopper att whose singing S. Frācis as one that in the least creatures did alwayes cōsider the greatnes of his Creatour did oftē awake to prayse God He one day called her and she instantly flew vnto his hand He cōmanded her by her song to prayse God and she began to sing and neuer ceassed till he cōmanded her to be silent and to retourne to her place Being retourned to the figge tree she euery day att the same houre came flying to the handes of the S. One day he said to his brethren I will that we giue liberty to our sister which hauing done she flew away and as a true daughter of obedience was neuer seene after Being sick in the citty of Sienna a gentleman a deuoted freind of his sent him a pheasant taken a liue which being before him shewed such signes of familiarity that he who brought him could not hold him so great a desire had it to come to the Sainct who receauing it would not claspe it in his fist but carryed it att libertie that it might fly away but it setled in his handes wherfore hauing committed it to a freind of his to keepe the phesant for greife would neuer eate till it was brought againe to the Sainct who hauing receaued it it began to eat verie ioyfully A Faulcon did nest on the mountaine of Auerne close vnto the celle of sainct Francis which came to the Sainct as familiarlie as if he had bin a deere freind In the night it serued him as an alarme or watch singing att the ordinarie houres that the Sainct accustomed to pray which pleased him will for the care which the Faulcon had freed him from care and so much the more because by diuine instinct when he was sicke the faulcon as if it had had discretion defferred his call about two howers or more according to the necessitie which the Sainct had to repose att other times verie gentlie after the breake of day This proceeding doutles is strange wherby God mayntained his seruant As S. Francis was one time in his trauaile he willed his companion to prepare him to eat which hauing done and the Sainct blessing the table a Nightingall began to sing so sweetlie that the Sainct replenished with ioy said to his companion Brother see how this sweet Nightingall inuiteth vs to prayse God sing therfore with him Brother Leo excusing himselfe by his vnpleasing voice he began himselfe to singe the nightingall being silent when he sung and singing when he rested alternatiuelie so that he was allured on by that sweet musicke euen till night when being wearie he confessed to Brother Leo that the nightingall had ouercome him in the praise of God then he said lett vs eat it is time and being sat the nightingall first flew on his head then on his shoulders and armes and att length on his hand where it tooke of him to eat and then hauing receaued his benediction it flew way How he made gentle a very fierce woulfe This was the 29. chapter of the 10. booke transferred hither to his place GOeing to preach in the cittie of Agubio he found it in deep despaire by reason of a woulfe that did not onlie deuoure the cattell but killed men and women and did eat people in respect wherof they durst not goe out of the cittie but armed in companie and therfore the Sainct went with his companion to seeke out the woulfe against the liking of the Cittizens who feared his aduenture he refusing to accept of any companie with him The Cittizens to behold the successe dispersed themselues on the hilles and mountaines about the cittie They expected not long but they saw the woulfe with extreme furie come towardes the Sainct The Agubians then began to cry out and bid sainct Francis to fly but the seruant of IESVS CHRIST armed with the weapon of inuincible faith went couragiouslie against him and opposed against him the signe of the crosse and in a moment tourned the woulfe into the nature of a lambe then curteouslie said vnto him Brother woulfe come hither I commaund thee in the name of my God that thou offend neither me nor any other Att these wordes which was admirable the woulfe fell att his feet expecting what the Sainct would enioyne him who said Thou hast commited so many homicides and made such spoiles in this countrie that thou hast a thousand times deserued death The soules of those whome thou hast murdered cry to God for iustice against thee but because thou hast humbled thy selfe if thou promise amendement I will procure thy pardon Wherto the woulfe seemed to answeare clapping his taile against the ground humbling his head and weeping therby making shew that he would obey which the S. vnderstanding said Goe to sith henceforward thou wilt doe no more hurt I will procure thee food of this towne for all the time of thy life pardonning thee all the offences past as if thou haddest neuer offended for we know that whatsoeuer thou hast done thou hast bin therto constrayned by necessity of hunger but giue me thy faith neuer to offend more Att which wordes the woulfe lifting vp his legge layed his paw in his hand thou mayst now said the S. come with me without any feare and so he followed him as a litle dogge The S. being come into a spacious place of the citty with the woulfe there was such affluence of people to see the miracle that there could be no more Therfore he made thē a sermon demonstrating vnto them that God had sent these scourge◠vnto men for their sinnes but that the mouth of this woulfe was nothing in comparison of that of the infernall woulfe which afterwardes expected the soules to deuoure them eternally he admonished thē therfore to doe penance if they would be freed both from the one and the other then said vnto them My Freindes behold here the woulfe which hath promised me to doe you no more mischeife you must also promise to releiue him Which the people hauing promised him he tourned to the woulfe and bad him promise them also to doe them no more hurt and to aske them pardon Admirable accident the woulfe in signe of repētance incontinently falling one his knees laid his Muzzle on the ground and the S. causing him againe to giue his paw in pledge of peace I promise said he for the one and the other party and so he liued two full yeares in the middes of the citty without any dogges barcking att him then
Religious there present to doe it who att length called the Vicar whome against his will and by obedience he permitted to extinguish it An other time on the Mountaine of Aluerne a Religious that was his companion made a great fire in the celle where he did eat by reason of the extreme cold that then was which leauing enkindled he went to call the holy Father who was in an other place adioyning to the celle where he accustomed to pray and sleepe where S. Francis staying him to read vnto him the gospell of that day which if it were possible he accustomed alwayes to doe before his refection when it chaunced that he could not here masse the fire in meane while so wrought that when they thought to come to warme themselues it was mounted euen to the planching of one side of the celle S. Francis seeing his companion labour to quench it did not assist him but taking vp a skinne of furre that was there wherwith he couered himselfe in the night he retourned into the mountaine the other Religious perceauing the fire came all out of their Oratorie and extinguished it in an instant which being done S. Francis goeing to eat said to his companion I will no more vse this skinne of furre because by reason of mine auarice I could not endure that my Brother fire should consume it for it selfe After the fire he affected the element of water because by it was signified penance and affliction by reason that with it the soule was washed by meane of the sacrament of Baptisme therfore when he washed his face and handes he alwayes sought a place where the water falling away might not be trodden on and fowled He also reuerenced the stones so that sometimes he trēbled to tread on them remembring the corner stone I. C. He cōmaunded the Religious that made prouision of wood on the mōtaine not to fell the whole tree but alwayes to leaue a great stocke in remembrance of him that for our saluation would dye on the hard wood of the crosse He forbad the gardenet to take vp an entier plant and roote together to be eaten as many doe but commanded him to leaue sufficient wherby to spring againe that in season it might produce flowers for his sake and in memory of him that would be tearmed a flower He would that the gardener should make a litle guarden alone and seuerall from the greater of sweet delicious and pleasing herbes to behold that producing flowers in their season they might be inuited each one to prayse God for their beauty considering that all creatures speake in their language and say Man God hath made and created vs for thee alone to the end that thou praise our Creatour by vs and in all his worckes Therfore he would haue them of all personnes esteemed as a mirour which beholding they might admire the greatenes of their Creatour and might alwayes seeke some subiectes the more to loue honour and adore him Of a miracle intituled of apples because Sainct Francis demaunding apples raised a child THE XLII CHAPTER A Gentleman that was a deere freind vnto the S. inuited him to dine att his house when his opportunity would best permitt S. Francis answeared that on such a day he would preach in his citty and then he would satisfie his request The day so much desired of the gentleman being come hauing taken order in his house for the dinner and left a seruant att home to that purpose himselfe with his wife went to heare the sermon but they being departed the seruant who also had chardge of a litle childe said to her selfe euery one runneth to heare this great S. of God and is it possible that I alone must be barred from hearing him verily I will heare att least a litle and then will retourne before the rest in sufficient time to prepare my dinner which she did but hearing the sermon she remembred that she had left the litle child alone wherfore she instantlie retourned home and not finding the child where she had left it hauing in vaine sought him euery where and considering on the other side that her master would presentlie retourne she went all weeping into the kitchen where she found the child boiling in a pott of hott water ouer the fire and thincking hastely to draw it out she took it by the arme but the arme comming from the body she tooke out all the rest by morcels and though she were extremely afflicted and as it were beside her selfe neuertheles enforcing her selfe she fitted all the pieces together in a chest which she shutt vp and then thought of dressing the dinner till her master and mistresse came to whome she related all shewing them the child The mother whiles the S. according to his custome was in prayer would haue fallen into extreme rage and lamentation but her husband of sound faith remembring that he had the S. with him who he knew to haue great creditt with God persuaded his wife to pacifie her selfe till S. Francis had dined telling her that she should haue time enough to lament afterward if the diuine mercy did not assist thē that she should haue confidence in the S. and that she should see merueillous successe So with an extraordinary constancie perferring their loue to S. Francis before that to their child not to discontent him they suppressed and concealed their interiour greife did eat with him with the greatest ioy they could Now att the end of dinner the holy Father S. Francis demaunded of the gentleman if he had a couple of apples wherof he would gladly eat who answeared that he had none present but would soone gett thē The S. replyed that he would not any should goe out of the house for them but willed that one should looke in that chest pointing att that wherin were assembled the mēbers of the dead child and there should be found two the gentleman hearing the chest nominated knowing what was in it was extremely agitated replenished with faith which God augmented in his hart hoping that day to see some merueilles of the infinite bounty he opened the chest where he found his sonne a liue and very well holding two faire aples in his two handes which he ioyfully brought to S. F. as if he had bin in a cradle it may be imagined what ioy the Parentes conceaued to see their child aliue they were so surprised with this ioy that being as it were beside thē selues they could not speake a word S. F. recounted vnto them how in his prayer offered God reuealed vnto him the death of the child caused by the deuil thē he exhorted thē thenceforward to haue cōfidence in his diuine maiesty as they had formerlie had because faith wrought greater miracles then that which being generally diuulged caused many to lift their harts and handes to God This history was painted in diuers places in memory of this great benefitt and of the deuotion that many
affirme that the stigmates of the holie seruant of God Francis that were so miraculouslie by diuine Maiestie imprinted on him were fables and ought to be reproued what could he say more He att one same time depriued the holie seruant of God of his honour and glorie yea God himselfe who by a singuler priuiledge and excellent mysterie gaue him those signes and hath depriued vs of aucthoritie and dew respect considering that he hath presumed to impugne our auctoritie for we haue approued the said stigmates not onlie as hauing heard relation therof by personnes worthie of creditt and bin assured therof by verie authenticall written testimonies but ouer selues also haue seene them with our proper eyes and touched them with our verie handes Now we vnderstand that the said Religious is mounted to such audacitie as he presumeth to preach publikelie to the dishonour of the Religious Frere Minors baptising them before the people with the false name and title of dore-begging preachers and lyers adding that they ought to be preuented and excommunicated All these thinges considered we command you in vertue of this present Apostolicall Breuie to suspend the said Religious from the facultie of preaching in what place soeuer he shall appeare and vsing all meanes to gett him into your handes you shall incontinentlie send him vnto vs that we may inflict on him the punishment due to his desert The other Breuy that was directed to the Arch-bishop of Coileigne was thus The diuine wisdome that first framed man according to his flesh to redeeme him by the mystery of his holy Incarnation he also hath adorned his seruant Francis with the same woundes that it is so we with the Colledge of our venerable brethren the cardinals haue approued the same hauing bin assured therof by diuers personnes of vertuous life and haue our selues seene very authentical testimonies therof and besides we haue bin induced by our selues that haue with our owne eyes seene and touched them with our owne handes For which respectes we haue really and with iust reason concluded that it ought to be held for truth wherfore we command you that vnderstanding this our intention and probation of them you also publikelie approue them and not to permitt any within your diocesse to contradict them Pope Alexander the fourth that saw them made also a Breuie in approbation of them and commanded the Frere Minors neuer to leaue the Oratorie of Mount Aluerne where theire holie Father had receaued so singuler a gift of God Pope Benedict the second ordayned by a Breuie that the Frere Minors should celebrate the feast and say the office of the said sacred stigmates of the glorious Father sainct Francis All which testimonies and manie other which for breuitie I omitt we were willing to insert in this place because the malice of enuie that wil be of as long continuance as the world had enforced vs therto by reason that so admirable a miracle ought not to be related without due circumstances and proofes to make mute the perfidious tongues of the euill minded enuious Of the zeale of the honour of God and saluation of soules which the holy Father sainct Francis had after the impression of the sacred stigmates and of the figures precedent THE LX. CHAPTER THis glorious Sainct hauing felt in his proper flesh the dolours paine of the passion of God and as it were partlie experienced of what deere price soules were vnto the Sonne of God he to loose no time began incontinentlie to trauaile ouer all cittyes and townes instructing by meane of prayer preaching and the example of good life God assisting with merueillous miracles in testimonie of his docttine to redeeme the precious soules of poore Christians out of the mouth of the perfidious Lucifer he being armed with these weapons of the crosse that alwayes ouerthrow euerie ennemie corporall and spirituall of the elect of God who continuallie gett the victorie And as a new Legat deputed of his diuine maiestie he carryed with him the sea le of the soueraigne bishop IESVS CHRST wherwith he confirmed his doctrine and his worckes Therby did he trulie appeare to be sent of God wherfore he not onlie found no contradiction where he went but was exceeding gratefull to all all personnes Besides that this is also worthy of merueillous consideration that as in all thinges deseruing perpetuall memorie for being of great consequence it semeth that his diuine Maiestie alwayes obserued three condicions prophesying or figuring them precedently approuing them by good testimonies with the rumour of present renowme and confirming them afterward by diuine signes and miracles in like sort would he obserue three conditions in this singuler fauour wherof the rumour renowme and manifest proofe being seene for the time present and the miracles afterward it resteth now that we demonstrate the figure by which this singuler act hath in a certaine manner bin many times prophesied First it seemed to be signified by the vision of the glittering and resplendant soules marcked with the signe of the crosse of whome God constituted him his captaine in the beginning of his conuersion The same also seemed to be signified by the vision of the crucisix that interiourly transpearced his soule with excessiue sorrow with the voice that told him he must repaire his holy church And it was also signified by the crosse which Brother Siluester saw to come out of his mouth that expelled the dragon of hell Againe it was denoted by the vision which Brother Pacificus had before he was conuerted when he saw two glittering swordes that made a crosse vpon his brest Finally it was signified by the apparition which S. Francis made att the Chapter of Arles in forme of a crosse in the aire giuing his benediction to the Religious there assembled Lett no man therfore presume to contradict so certaine a truth denounced and prophesied by figures seene visibily touched palpably approued by the church iustlie and finally by IESVS CHRIST confirmed by so many miracles in earth and in heauen Of the new seruour and merueillous patience of the sainct THE LXI CHAPTER THe holy Father S. F. finding himselfe enriched with so glorious a treasure made his habitt to be lengthened as much as was possible to couer the same and began thenceforward to carry a staffe wherwith he walked about the house though verie seldome being vnable by reason of the sacred woundes to sett his feet on the ground It is admirable to consider that as in the two first yeares of his conuersion before he founded the Order he carryed a staffe so he began againe to carry it two yeares before his death that he might end by the walking staffe as a true Pilgrime on earth albeit he had left it vpon obseruation of the worde of IESEVS CHRIST who commanded his disciples not to carry it in their iorney signifying that they should not relye on any fauour of the world vnderstood by the staffe or stalke of a reed
more perillous then secure and afterwardes he conformed himselfe to the ancient fathers who vsed it att their hermitages as sainct Paul the first hermite sainct Antony and others and not to be singuler herein he gaue leaue to all the Religious to vse one in their infirmities sicknesses and old age Afterward burning with this seruent fire of charitie towardes God and his neighbour he was carryed as we haue formerlie said through cittyes and townes where he preached with excessiue feruour thirsting with an extraordinarie burning desire to see the nomber of the elect of God accomplished to which places he was so welcome and gratefull that when he went from the people he was halfe naked because each one striued to cutt part of his habitt some with cicers others with pincers or like instrumentes carefullie keeping those shreddes afterwardes as reliques with most pious deuotion for cure of diseases and dangers of this life others brought him bread to blesse wherof afterward to make vse in like necessities hauing seene therof manifest experiences Notwithstanding all this the holie Father had a violent desire to retourne to that former humilitie and simplicitie of seruing leapers and of not knowing the imperfections of his disciples as he was afterwardes forced to know them and also of enduring austeritie of life To this effect he said to his Religious My Brethren we must now begin to serue God for to this present we haue done nothing or verie litle So he proposed in his spiritt to performe great matters not considering the weaknes of bodie by reason of the great feruour of his spiritt wherwith being carryed away he desired nothing but fresh combattes to gett victorie ouer the ennemie and indeed he that well considereth it sindeth that feeblenes nor tepeditie haue any place where the port is alwayes open vnto true loue which inuiteth and induceth to attempt impossibilityes And so much the more by reason that he had accustomed his flesh to obey the spiritt and had such a promptitude to obey God that he was so farre from resisting that he stroue and endeauoured to worcke aboue his forces Wherfore God that knew his desire opened vnto him the meanes of meritt so that he did not onlie desire with the ineffable doloures of his infirmitie which did so afflict him from the soale of his feet to the crowne of his head that he had neuer repose he endured in each of his members an extreame and particuler paine in such sort that in short time he came to haue nothing but skin on his bones In all these afflictions he discouered his desire of them sith that he was neuer heard to vtter so much as one worde of complaint but he called his dolours his brethren and his diseases his sisters yet he answeared the Religious who being moued with compassion wished him to pray vnto God that he would please to appeare a litle more merciful◠towardes him that if he did not hold him excused in regard of his simplicity he would teach him what it was to check God in his iudgementes He omitted not yet to chastice in his body the excesse of the offence of this Religious for rudely flinging himselfe out of his bed vpon the ground he tourned and wallowed vpon it often kissing it gaue thanckes vnto God praysed him and besought him for his greater consolations to redouble his afflictions which wordes ended The Religious by force of armes laid him againe on his bed for he could not helpe himselfe into it O inuincible patience of this glorious S. comparable to that of Iob he was doubtles both ioyfull and humble in his tribulations as an other S. Paul considering that the more he endured of greater paines in his body the greater vigour and force appeared in his soule besides what affliction his stigmates procured him which continually distilled bloud with such extreme grife that it was humanely impossible for him to support them only two dayes not two yeares as he did for augmentation of his meritt and example vnto the world How God sometimes conforted his faithfull seruant in his afflictions THE LXII CHAPTER ALl this being very well knowne to almighty God beside the interiour vertue which he bestowed on him he did often comfort him exteriourlie One day to mitigate his dolours therby to raise his spiritt vnto God he had a desire to heare some prayse sung vnto his diuine maiesty vpon some instrumentes And therfore he told Brother Pacificus who had bin a famous excellent Poete that though men of this world abuse musicall instrumentes which were inuented to prayse God as in deed so many holy men had praysed him theron he should neuerthelesse finde meane to haue secretly a violle and for his consolation should sing some spirituall prayse affirming that therin was no offence vnto God and that it seemed the greifes of his bodye by that meane would tourne into consolation and ioy of the spiritt But Br. Pacificus hauing answeared that in so dooing he might scandalize the world he replyed that he had reason and that he should let it alone Now God who had a speciall care of him incontinently sent an Angel that sounded and gaue so sweet a touch to a violl as may be imagined that an Angel of Paradise could doe in the same instant comforting both the afflicted body and the soule of the great seruant of God Addressing himselfe therfore to Bro. Pacificus who had not heard the melodie no more then his other companions he caused them to giue thanckes vnto God for the great consolation which he had voutsafed to send him Being in the house of the Bishop of Assisium vtterlie without all tast and vnable to eat any thing by reason of the griefe of his infirmities his companyons asked him wherof he would willingly eat he answeared them If I could haue a few litle fishes of fresh water me thincketh I could eat of them These wordes being ended there entred a boy that brought him many as sent from Brother Girard Minister of Riete though it were winter and so extreme cold that it was impossible to take them the riuers being frozen The Religious exceedinglie admired to perceaue the care which God had to releiue the necessities of his seruant and especially in thinges impossible to men An other time desiring to haue a litle lettice he asked some of his companiō who answeared that the same day they had bin all gathered Goe into the garden said he and bring me the first herbe that cometh to thy hād which shall be a lettice The Religious went and found a very faire lettice and thanking him who had there set the same for the consolation of the seruant of God he tooke it vp with great ioy and brought it vnto him and the S. hauing eaten a therof leafe felt himselfe fully conforted How he was assured of the Glory of Paradise THE LXIII CHAPTER BVt because there cannot be giuen to a seruant of God a greater consolation
then the hope and certainty of the glorie to come wherto S. Paul esteemed not the passions of this world coÌ„digne howsoeuer greiuous and continuall they might be The S. goeing one day for his consolation to visitt S. Clare with Brother Leonard of Assisium his companion the sweetnes of their spirituall discourses was such and so great that the night surprised theÌ„ before they perceaued it Wherfore constrayned by her prayers her Sisters and her companions he did eat two morcels with them and in an instant he was swallowed vp in the holy Ghost and rauished in extasie with a deep contentment where he heard that which sequentlie shal be related Being retourned to himselfe he cryed out with a loud voice My God be thou praysed and incontinentlie went to our Lady of Angels Arising from the table he fell on his knees and there was againe in extasie the space of an hower then instantly went away and left S. Clare and her sisters who were exceedingly greiued tâ—erewith His CoÌ„pany admiring theratt asked him the cause in their way the S. acknowledge it vnto them affirming that in the extasie God had reuealed vnto him his saluation by these verie wordes Francis I promise thee eternall life and assure thee therof in such sort as I tell thee thou canst no way loose it for which I thancked him saying Prayse be to thee my God then he forbad them to speake thereof till after his death Being come to our Lady of Angels for eyght howers together he could not vtter other wordes then these Be thou praysed my God yea he could not say his canonicall houres by reason of the ioy that had surprised his hart After that time his infirmitie in such sort encreasing that it manifestlie appeared he could not liue long one of his fâ—eindes seeing him cloathed with his coursest and patched habitt and hauing a peece of rugged cloth on his forehead for the infirmitie of his eyes in spirituall mirth said vnto him Father how will you sell this old habitt Oh how soone will God buy it of you and pay you deerlie for it giuing you in exchaunge therof an infinitye of precious garmentes of silke and gold besides eternall glorie afterward in the other world The S. induced and inspired of the holy Ghost sodenly answeared Brother thou hast reason for so shall it be to the honour and glory of God Of the last and extreme sicknes that augmented and redoubled in the holy Father S. Francis THE LXIV CHAPTER BEsides all the other infirmities of his eyes his stomacke his liuer and the greife of his stigmates there fell also a dropsie into his feet six monethes before his blessed end Notwithstanding he omitted not to visitt the monasteries citties and townes to procure the saluation of soules But his infirmities growing daily more violent the cittizens of Assisium iealous of so noble and precious a treasure which by right appertayned vnto them and fearing it would be robbed from them vpon the way they sent Embassadours to their holy Father who was then neere to Sienna to pray and by all sweetnes and amity to enforce him to retourne to his Monasterie Sainct Francis failed not to comfort them yelding that benefitt to them who in the beginning of his conuersion vsed him as a foole wherin each one may consider the admirable disposition of God and then lett him deride his Saiâ—ct that can Now on the way these Cittizens came to a village somewhat later then they expected by which meane they were disappointed of all prouision finding there no Inne but onlie houses of countrie people which refused to afford the company victuals for monie They who had chardge of the prouision recounted this discurtesie to Sainct Francis who answeared See now what vse you make of your monyflies retourne againe and demaund something to eat for the loue of God and you shall experience what difference there is betweene the vaine hopes of the world and the true and assured hope of God The gentlemen obeyed the S. and found for the loue of God so much to eat that they knew not what to doe with so much food Herevpon the S. said vnto them you are of opinion that it is a shamefull thing to demaund an almose but tell me wherwith doth all the world liue but with the continuall almose giuen by almightie God They were all filled with great admiration and silent with confusion and so shrincking their shoulders they proceeded on their iorney conducting their Father to his Country whither being come and for more security brought to the Pallace of the Bishop of Assisium master Bon Iohn a Phisicion and his deere freind came to visitte him whome he prayed to tell him freely his opinion of that sicknes adiâ—â—ing him not to deale with him as with other sicke personnes feeding him with vaine hopes wherwith he had not to doe assuring him that by the grace of God he rather desired death then life The Phisicion answeared him assuredlie that his infiâ—mity was mortall and that according to humane iudgement he could not passe the middes of October Which the S. vnderstanding he so strayned himselfe that he gott on his knees vpon his bed first stretching his armes then lifting his two handes towardes heauen with an eâ—ceeding feruour of spiritt he said you are welcome my beloued Sister the death which thou my God doest send me Of the consolation or exercise of the S. on his later dayes THE LXV CHAPTER THe holy Father in this greiuous sicknes had no other recreation and consolation but to prayse God and to procure his companions to prayse him by himnes psalmes and spirituall Canticles with which alone and without any other comfort of the world he qualified that his greiuous infirmity his dolours his paines which were such and so cruell that as he affirmed it had bin far more tollerable with all kinde of torment to endure a dolourous death by the handes of the executioner then to suffer what he endured But considering that the diuine spiritt doth not accord with the humane nor the children of light with the children of the world Brother Helias his Vicar Generall who went with the said Cittizens to pray him to retourne to Assisium and who forsoke him not till his death to whome on night two yeares before his death there appeared a venerable old man in a white habitt this was in an Oratory nere to FulliniuÌ„ who willed him to aduertise S. Francie that from thence two yeares he should be called of God out of this world which he had told him this man then seeing this his so vnaccustomed alacrity amiddes so many tormentes and that he did nothing but sing and cause to be sung prayses to God without otherwise lamenting his sinnes as formerly he accustomed to doe sayd vnto him that himselfe and his most affectionat freindes were much edified by this his ioy in that mortall infirmity were assured that it proceeded only of the integrity of his
came to visitt her and hauing saluted her began to comfort her and to persuade her to be confessed but they litle auayled for she alleaged that her sinnes were such so haynous as could not be pardoned And therfore the elder of the two SS told her that if she would confesse haue contrition of her sinnes he would be contēted to take her sinnes on himselfe and to satisfie God for her yea and would make her participant of all the good deedes he had done during his life and finally would in the name and part of God promise her eternall life These wordes put her in good hope whervpon of a wolfe she became a meeke lambe with exceeding contrition doeing pennance for all her sinnes hauing made a generall confession to one of the two And hauing receaued the holy Sacramentes by their Minister she by their owne handes was vested in the habitt of the Frere Minors which done they disappeared they who saw them esteemed them by their comportment and gestures to be S. Francis and S. Antony A few dayes after their departure this woman dyed very piously and commaunded her body to be buryed in the Church of the Freere Minors some league distant from the said citty of Liuarez That very night a foot man of hers retourning from abroad as the day began to breake there appeared a shaddow before him and he coniuring it in the name of the liuing God it answeared that he was the deuill that for fourteene yeares had serued the lady Lopez in shape of a woman and that by right he had gotten and pourchached her but that att the end of her life there presented themselues vnto her two Religious wearing the Capuce whome she much affected who so preuailed that they conuerted her to pennance for her sinnes and against all right wrested her soule out of his power and carried it with them vnto glory But that thou mayest know this to be true said the deuill when thou shalt come to Liuarez where she is dead thou shalt finde a rumour among the people by reason of a locke-smith that had killed his wife who being taken vpon the fact shal be hanged and I that haue bin cause therof shall gaine their soules and carrie them with me into hell So that for one soule which I haue lost I shall gaine twoo The footman endinge his iorney found what the deuill had told him to be true and therfore to all personnes recounted this discourse How the mentionned Saintes hindered a woman from hanging her selfe Taken out of the 23. chapter of the tenth booke AN other woman of Portugall named Sara being verie deuout to the said Saintes was cruellie tormented by her husband for besides his queanes which he entertayned in his house the bread and wine which he gaue her were iniuries and bastonadoes Now being herevpon one day run into extreme despaire she fastened a corde about the beame of her chamber and hauing made a bowe to put about her necke and to hang her selfe she heard some rudelie knocke att the dore and calling to haue it hastely opened wherfore hiding here corde she found that they were two Religious who prayed her to giue them entertaynement for that night in her house She demaunded who they were and how they were called they answeared that they were two-frere Minors of a farre country the one called Francis and the other Antony she presently replyed that she would willingly entertaine them for the deuotion she had to S. Francis himselfe and to S. Antony and so hauing admitted them she did accommodate them a chamber wherin to sleep resoluing for that night to deferre to hange her selfe for reuerence vnto those seruantes of God But the SS about midnight appeared to her husband and said God hath sent vs in his behalfe to aduertise thee that if thou doe not conuert thee from thy sinnes shake off thy lewd retinue and liue in peace with thy wife who is very deuout vnto vs thou shalt die within three dayes and be buried in hell sith thou art cause that this euening she would haue hanged her selfe if we had not come to preuent her arise therfore instantlie and in token that this is true goe speedilie to thy house and aske thy wife for the corde wherwith she would strangle her selfe This miserable husband being by these wordes full of contrition went to find his wife in his house who att her rising missing the Religious was in exceeding admiration how they should goe foorth shee keeping the key of the dore which she opened to her husband that then knocked who humbly demaunding the corde wherwith she would haue hanged her selfe that night she knew not what to answeare her husband recounted her all how she had bin preseuered by S. Francis and S. Antony thenceforward she liued with him in peace and piously to the great contentment of the poore woman who was very thanckfull to the Sainctes How the glorious Father S. Francis held a chapter with his Religious in vision Taken out of the 18. chapter of the tenth booke THere was a Frere Minor in Thoschane for his owne perticuler of very austere life who being raysed to gouernement perceauing many yong gentlemen daily to enter into Religion and many other other desirous to enter if there were place commodious to entertaine them determined to erect a great and sumptuous Monasterie Which hauing done he left the litle house wherin he formerly resided Now the glorious Father sainct Francis appeared to him one night in vision and said Come with me he answeared whither and he replyed to our Monastery goeing towardes the first he answeared that it was ruined The S. then said come only with me I know well whither I am to goe and so following him he came to a Chapter where it seemed to him that the S. called all the Religious by one and one and that according to their manner they confessed their faultes vnto him yea and that he heard some to accuse themselues of carnall sinnes others of disobedience others to haue infringed their first vowe of pouerty of whome the first and second it seemed that the S. with compassion pardoned only admonishing them to be wary thēceforward not to fall into the like but did cruelly chastice those that had transgressed the vow of pouerty which this Religious much admiring most humbly prayed the S. to tell him the cause The S. answeared him that the rule gaue a sufficient punishment to the lasciuious and such as disobey their Superiours who will enforce them to obedience therfore it only needeth to admonish them in good sort But said he the precious stone of my holy pouerty is now of each one trodden vnder foot as well the great as litle esteeme it contemptible and misprise it wherfore I must my selfe redresse it then addressing himselfe to this Religious and thou said he that hast so rashlie presumed to build asumptuous Monasterie and to destroie mine owne so precious and poore shalt not
greatest part of the men of that miserable kingdome but three yeares after the want of raine the king together with his Councell acknowledged that God sent that punishment vpon them in reuenge of his holy Martyrs and therfore he ordayned a generall assembly of all his people in the place where the Martyrs had bin tortured and that in the same publicke place they should crye towardes heauen inuocating them asking them pardon and imploring their mercy which they performed with such confidence that presently there began miraculously to discend a gentle sweet raine by meane wherof the dearth and plague by litle and litle ceased And then did the king permitt the Christians in his kingdome to haue a bishop with condition that he should be of the Order of S. Francis and might publikly preach our gospell and withall consented to haue a Church builded in Marroccho where the sacramentes might be administred conformably to our Catholique and Romane Religion How sainct Francis hauing vnderstood of the Martyrdome of his children with thanck fulnes to almighty God gaue his benediction to the Monastery of Alenquer THE XXV CHAPTER THe greatest contentment that S. Francis had euer receaued of his Order was to heare of the Martyrdome of his fiue religious whervpon hauing praysed and thancked God he spake these wordes Now may I confidently affirme that I haue fiue Frere Minors Then blessing the Monastery of Alenquer because they hauing long time resided there departed thence to goe to their Martyrdome he said Be thou blessed O place of the most high which hast as it were engendred and produced to the king of heauen fiue faire flowers of the colour of the rose and of bloud of a sauour more then sweete which are fiue true Frere Minors the first fruites of this Order Would to God the Religious that shal be resident here might for euer exactly keepe the rule of our Order Of a miracle wrought by the reliques of the holy Martyrs against an Apostolike legat that endeauoured to withdraw the people from their honour and veneration because they were not as yet canonized THE XXVI CHAPTER ATt this very time as the reliques of the said holy Martyrs were exceedingly honoured of the Spainardes it fell out that a legatt of the holy Siege was present who seeing what deuotioÌ„ the people had to the said holy Martyrs moued with an indiscreet zeale not considering the canonization which IESVS CHRIST had made in heauen of the Martyrs that had bin publiquely martyred nor the miracles that had followed therevpon he began to cry to the people rebuking them as ignorant and forbad them any more to make their prayers to the said reliques and att the very instant he was aduertised that his Mule which waited for him before the Church was sodenly fallen dead and thincking to goe fee the manner therof he was immediatlie surprised with so vehement an ague that it enforced him to acknoweledge his fault and the pride which caused him so rashlie to speake against the holie Martyrs whose reliques he went to visitt and falling on his knees among the people acknowledgeing the punishment of God he cryed out a loud O holy Martyrs I confesse that you are canonized in heauen and because God will haue you honoured and reuerenced on earth I repent and confesse the errour of my tongue and begge pardon of you for t and doe promise that I will henceforward be the foremost and most carefull that shall visitt your reliques and in whatsoeuer place I shall be I will celebrate your merittes A strange euent these wordes vttered he arose from the ground very sound and his mule formerly supposed for dead to the great astonishment and contentmet of each one arose againe and this made the reliques of the sainctes more famous How by the intercession of the said sainctes a gentleman was deliuered from death THE XXVII CHAPTER A Poore gentleman of Conimbria was vnexpectedly assaulted by his ennemies neere vnto the Monastery of sainct Crosse so that he ran towardes it to saue himselfe but being two forcibly followed he could not time enough gett in but was enuironed by them so that he hauing no other remedy but the inuocation of God by the merittes of the holy Martyrs they gaue him as many stabbes and thrustes as they would without any defence of his sauing the couering with his cloake in such sort as he lay for lead in the place The people that came next that way carryed him â—pped in his cloake as they found him in to the said Church there to â—ury him but as soone as he was entred into the same he stood vp on his feet very sound and confessed aloud that the holy Martyrs had till defended him and therfore together with the people he repaired o their chappell to giue them thanckes Of the institution of the procession which is made euery yeare in the month of Ianuary wherin the men goe all naked to visitt the holy Martyrs of Conimbria for hauing bin by their intercession cured of the plague THE XXVIII CHAPTER IN the Bishoperick of Conimbria there is a towne called Fala where there fell so cruell and contagious a plague that it dispeopled the whole towne for the inhabitantes were all either dead â—r fled sauing one man already infected with the disease and halfe dead who seeing himselfe alone and in such extremity hauing alwayes ben very deuout to the holy Martyrs he had then with an exceeding strong faith his recourse vnto them and made them this vow That if by their intercession he were cured of that disease he would euery yeare on the sixt of Ianuary being the day of their feast att Conimbria goe visitt their reliques a foot and all naked as long as he should liue and would take order that after his death one of his family should goe thitherin the same manner and withall would endeauour to persuade all the other families of the said towne to doe the like This vow being made he was so effectually heard that att the very instant he found himselfe more sound and strong then euer neither did there any one more dye out of that place whereto he caused many from abroad to retourne and so it was by litle and litle repeopled afterward his fellow Cittizens accorded to his vow yea this deuotion so encreased that the neighbour inhabitants and many personnes of note gentlemen and others accustomed from thence as is continued to this present in procession to visitt the holy reliques on bare foot with an exceeding deuotion in the most rigorous season of winter And how soeuer the season proue the sixt of Ianuary being the day of their Martyrdome though it raine freeze or snow neuer so much they omitt not this pilgrimage Now the order of this procession is thus On the said day all the Confraternity assemble att the Couent of the Frere Minors that is without the citty of Conimbria on the other side of the bridge and there about nine of the
clock they stripp themselues naked sending their cloathes to the Monastery of S. Crosse leauing on their bodies only linnen breeches of very meane cloth to couer their naturall parts and a capuce of cloth to hide their face or a handkirchefe and so they goe in procession through the middest of the cittye to the said church of S. Crosse where hauing offered their prayers very deuoutly together they passe through the Cloister to enter into a great house adioyning where they reattire themselues and then each one departeth att his pleasure The 29. chapter is put after the 39. of this booke as a place more proper vnto it The history of seauen Martyrs att Cepte How seauen Frere Minors departed from Italy to goe to preach the faith of Iesus Christ vnto the Insidels THE XXX CHAPTER SAinct Antony of Padua and others haue left in record that seauen Frere Minors were ioyned together to goe into Tuscane a Prouince of Italy whence they demanded leaue of Brother Helias then viare generall of the Order to goe into Spaine to preach to the Mores he names of these Religious were Brother Daniel Br. Angelus Br. Saâ—uel Br. Danulus Br. Leo Br. Nicolas and Br. Vgolin they arriued att Arragon hauing elected for their superiour Br. Daniel Prouinciall of Caâ—bria hauing found a vessell ready prepared for that place could neuer â—btaine permission of the patron therof to carry more then three Religious with him so that he was constrained to leaue three to come afer him He being arriued att Cepte with his three companions did not beginne to preach to the Mores till the arriuall of his Brethren which was on the last day of September and in the meane time they preached to diuers strange merchantes and other Christians that from all partes flocked thither When they were all assembled they began to discourse and conferre together what might be the rediest meane for them to profitt in the saluation of the soules of the Mores or to pourchace Martyrdome reiecting farre all humane feare and fortifying themselues with a great feruour of spiritt and an ineffable zeale of their neighbours good And hauing till then remayned without the towne with other Christians that were not permitted to enter they resolued to steale in secretly without the knowledge of any person that they might not be hindered by the Christians who could haue stayed them or aduertised the Mores who would haue forbidden their entry How the seauen Martyrs preached the faith of Iesus Christ to the Mores by whome they were abused and imprisoned THE XXXI CHAPTER BEing thus encouraged mutuallie by each other in our Lord IESVS CHRIST they began one friday by deuout and feruent prayers to prepare themselues and on the saterday the six were confessed by their superiour who confessed to an other then they communicated and receaued the sacred body of our Redeemer spending the rest of the day in pious deuotions And the sonday morning replenished with the grace of the holy Ghost they entred very early into the citty where they began to preach freely and loudly vnto the Mores admonishing them to abandon the false beleefe of Mahomet and to embrace the true faith of our Redeemer IESVS The Mores admiring the confidence wherwith they spake began first gently to reprehend them then rudely to iniury them but seeing these good Religious did perseuer in this pious predication they did buffet and beat them outragiously then hauing bound them they brought them before the kinge where they continued their preaching freely confessing the true faith of IESVS CHRIST and giuing him remonstrance of the deceatefulnes treachery of the law of the accursed Mahomet which he must of necessity forsake if he would saue his soule The king beholding theÌ„ so poorly attired and considering their feruour iudged them to be fooles as did all his Courtiers But in regard they had presumed to preach against his law he imprisonned them and cast them into a dungeon where they were loaden with heauy chaines of Iron Manicles and fetters which exceedinglie afflicted them for they remayned there eight entier dayes in which time they endured much and in diuers manners Of a letter which the 7. Martyrs wrote to the Christians of Cepte THE XXXII CHAPTER NOw these holy Religious desirous to shunne idlenes wrote this letter vnder inserted to the Christians residing in the suburbes of Cepte which they addressed to Brother Hugo Preist and Curat of Geneuois and to other Religious one of the Order of Preachers and the other a Frere Minor who were newly arryued in Africa to administer the sacramentes to the Christians there and to worck the saluation of their soules the said letter was thus Blessed be God the Father of our Lord IESVS CHRIST Father of mercy and God of all consolations who comforteth vs all in our afflictions and appointed to our Father Abraham the Ramme he was to sacrifice and permitted him to trauell a pilgrime on earth and reputed his faith for iustice wherfore he merited the title of the friend of God teaching vs therby to appeare and become fooles before the world to please and proue wise in sight of the diuine maiesty And therfore saith he vnto vs Goe preach the Ghospell vnto all Creatures and tell them the seruant ought not to be greater then the master And if you be persecuted that they haue persecuted me likewise with which wordes we his least and vnworthy seruantes being moued haue left our contry and are come hither to preach for the glory of God and the benefitt of our soules to the edification of faithfull Christians and the confusion of obstinate Infidels as the Apostle saith we being vnto God a pleasing odour we are to some an odour of life and to others an odour of death which could not be vnderstood but that our Sauiour said If I had not come and had not preached vnto them they had not sinned We are entred into this citty of Cepte to preach his name and his holie faith before the people and the king himselfe who reputing vs sencelesse hath imprisoned vs it hath seemed expedient vnto vs to aduertise you hereof And albeit that by the grace of God we endure much here we are neuertheles exceedinglie comforted in our Lord in whose diuine Maiestie we haue a strong and assured confidence that he will please to accept our life for a gratefull sacrifice and therfore to him be giuen glorie and honour for euer How the holy Martyrs were againe presented to the king before whome they constantly preached the saith THE XXXIII CHAPTER THe sonday following which was the sixt of October in the morning the kinge caused the holy Religious to be taken out of prison and presented before him then prayed them to deny what they had vttered against his Prophett Mahomet and his law But they constantly answeared that they could not say otherwise then they had done sith it was truth it selfe on the contrary they exhorted himselfe to abandon his extreme
whereatt her husband was so amazed and withall so satisfied that he resolued thenceforward to be as gracious vnto his wife as formerly he had bin curst and cruell beleeuing her to be an honest and chaste woman and from that time he shewed as much or more affection to the Frere Minors then his wife S. Antony had caused a Couent to be built att Berne a place depending on the said bishopprick of Limoges vpon the declining of a mountaine whither he very artificially drew a conduict of water for descending from the same mountaine it issued out faire and cleare as out of a fountaine sufficient for the vse of the said Couent which neuer failed them the S. often repaired thither to liue there more austerely and with better conueniencie to apply himselfe to contemplation The cooke one day telling him that there was nothinge to giue the Religious their dinner he sent him to a lady exceedingly affectionate vnto him to demaund of her some Colewortes for the dinner of the Religious aduertising her that they also had nothinge to eat This lady commanded her chamber maid to gather some but att the instant there fell such a streame of raine that the mayd refused to goe which her mistris perceauing she prepared notwithstanding the raine to goe gather them her selfe which her seruant seeing she preuented her mistresse and speedily ran into the garden to gather the Colewortes But it was admirable to see that this mayd went and retourned without one droppe of raine falling vpon her He knew the illusions of the deuill by diuine inspiration THE IX CHAPTER SAinct Antony being one day to preach in the said bishopprick of Limoges in a Church of S. Iulian there assembled such a concourse of people that the Church being vnable to containe them the S. was enforced to ascend into a chaire seated on a scaffold erected in a spacious place to that effect and before he began to preach he aduertised the people that they should not trouble themselues with any thinge that might happen during his sermon because he knew well that the deuill with all his power would endeauour to disquiett thē but the end should be his cōfusion So a litle after that he had begū the supporters of the scaffold brake with a great feare and crye of all the audience yet none receaued hurt therby but being instantly reaccommodated the sermon was finished and heard with great deuotion especially in regard of the person that preached The S. preaching an other holy day there came a Post into the Church that brought and presented a letter to a gentlewoman wherby she was aduertised that her sonne hauing some discordious quarrels was slaine by his ennemies and the manner how But the S. cryed out from the pulpitt where he preached saying disquiett not your selfe gentlewomā nor you people be not troubled for this trayterous Post is a deuill that which is written in the letter is false you shall incontinently see her sonne the deuill hath played this pranck to disturbe you Herevpon the deuill vanishing his fraud was discouered to be vaine wherof the gentlewoman praysed and thancked God The S. being att prayer one night after Compline according to his custome it being in the monastery of Limoges whence some of the Reliligious being gone foorth they saw a great field appertayning to one of their freindes and benefactours full of men that spoyled it tearing of the eares of the wheat already ripe they pitying the losse of their affected friend ran to the S. and very passionately recounted vnto him what they had seene Wherto he answeared Trouble not your selues Brethren with a matter of nothing but retourne to prayer for they whome you haue seene robbing our friend are diuels that seeke to trouble vs to diuert vs from prayer know ye that our benefactour shall now receaue no detriment The Religious obeyed their Superiour expecting the issue hereof till the morning when they saw the field as free from dommage as before wherby they knew it to be an illusion of the deuill hauing therfore discouered his deceipt they thenceforward had a more reuerence to the deuotion of the sainct Of miracles wrought by the S. in his preachings THE X. CHAPTER AS Saint Antony was one day to preach at Limoges there was such a conconrse of people assembled that no Church in the citty could containe them so that he was enforced to preach in the open aire In the middest of his sermon the sky began to be troubled and the weather chaunged for it began furiously to lighten and thunder then did the aire thicken with grosse and very black cloudes so that there was appearence of an extreame impetuous and instant raine which caused the audience to resolue of retiring themselues S. Antony prayed them not to stirre assuring them that no inconueniencie would befall thē prouided that they put their confidence in him who neuer frustrated the hopes reposed on him On these wordes the people relyed heard out the rest of the sermō which ended each one goeing out of that spacious place where in former times had bin a very ancient Pallace called by the Gentiles the camp of Arcas to retire to their home it was admirable to see that euery where round about the streetes were all drowned and ouerflowne with the abondant streame of the raine fallen from the skye without so much as one droppe fallē in the said field which was absolutely miraculous As he preached on a time there was a foole that troubled all the audience S. Antony admonished him and prayed him curteously to be quiett But he answeared the S. that he would not desist vnlesse he would giue him the corde wherwith he was girded which S. Antony putting of deliuered vnto him The foole hauing it did presently kisse it and withall his foolishnes left him and the vse of reason retourned and so he fell at the feet of the S. and demaunded him pardon to the exceeding edification of the people S. Antony preaching in a towne a woman hauing taken a cawdron of boylling water from the fire to hasten to heare him the deuill being vexed therwith depriued her of her iudgement which God permitted for his greater glory so that in steed of putting her litle child into the cradle she putt him in that fiery hote cawdron and so ran to the sermon which ended her friendes as the manner is demanded of her how her child did the poore woman presently comming to her selfe remembred that thincking to lay her child in the cradle she had put him into the said cawdrō for which being vtterly ouercome melting into teares she rā with her other neighbours to her house where she foud her child playing in the said cawdrō as if he had bin in a bath which caused the Mother her company to praise and thanck God his holy seruant Almost the like accident happened to a woman in regard of her desire to goe to
his sermon for retourning she found her child dead stifled in the cradle where she had layd him wherfore retourning incontinently with her neigbours to the S. she fell at his feet beseeching him to restore her her child Wherto the S. answeared Beloued sister retourne to your home God will coÌ„fort you which making the womaÌ„ exceeding ioyfull she speedily hastened home where she found her child aliue and sound playing with litle stones which neither she nor he had seene before A yong man being conuerted by a sermon of the S. desired to confesse vnto him but the sobbinges sighes and teares which by a deep contrition he poured out would not permitt him to vtter one word wherevpon the sainct said vnto him My child goe and write your sinnes which he did and retourning to the Sainct and vnfolding the paper to read them in confession he found them by the diuine prouidence all blotted out wherwith as may be iudged he was exceedingly contented Making one day a funerall sermon vpon the death of a notorious vsurer he tooke for his texte these wordes Where thy treasure is there is thy hart which sermon being ended he willed the kinred of the deceased for better confirmation of what he had said to goe to his house and looke where he had layd his mony telling them that there they should find his hart which was not with his bodye So goeing with many people in company they found the very hart of the vsurer amongst his mony yet hote breathing and beating this miracle with many others is painted att the Bolonia chappell of the Sarazins intituled sainct Perronelle Of the efficacie vertue and feruour of his prayer THE XI CHAPTER THe great vertue and efficacie of the prayer of sainct Antony appeareth by many examples in that not only other creatures but the infernall spirittes obeyed him as by the sequel shal be discouered When he did read diuinity att Montpellier a Nouice secretly ran from the Couent hauing stolne from him a psalter commented by his owne hand whereon he studied to preach to his Religious in which respect he much esteemed it so that knowing of this theft he was exceedingly troubled with all and presently had recourse vnto prayer where he enforced the Nouice to restore it For as he was to passe ouer a bridge the deuill appeared vnto him extremely horrible hideous fearfull and threatning to kill him with a sword which he held in his hand if he would not carry backe the psalter to Brother Antony he constrayned him to retourne with such terrour and contrition that falling at the feet of the S. he obtayned pardon and was againe admitted to the habitt This S. hauing accomplished his prefixed time of prelature att Limoges he thought it conuenient to retourne to the chapiter In his iorney he lodged in a towne at the house of a poore charitable woman where God intending to confirme him in his grace by some tribulation wherby his loue might appeare permitted this woman the more to honour him to borrow of her neighbour a faire cuppe of glasse which his companion taking slight hold of fell out of his handes and brake in two peices and the wine was spilled on the table which the carefull Martha perceauing litle respecting the glasse ran instantly and took a bottell and carryed it to the Celler to fill with wine for till then she had only drawne in the said drinking glasse because she would not be too long in filling the bottell and make the Religious that were already att the table in the meane while to expect determining to take the bottel when they were eating But comming into the Celler she found that filling the glasse she had bin too hasty and forgotten to thrust fast the faucett into the vessell so that the wine was all run out wheratt exceedinglie greiuing she retourned all weeping to recount this mishapp vnto the Sainct who incontinently declining his head vpon his arme prayed to God and the glasse of it selfe was sodenly reunited which the poore woman seeing she thought that as the glasse was conioyned so the wine might also be retourned into the vessell wherfore running speedily into the caue she found her vessell fo full though in the morning it were halfe emptie that it wrought as if it had bin new vnrefined wine and ran out att the bung wheratt being vtterly amazed and halfe beside her selfe she scarce tooke time to serue the Sainct the rest of his dinner but that she retired herselfe to shunne occasion of vaineglorie leauing the inhabitantes of the towne piously disposed thenceforward to entertaine the holie seruantes of God verely beleeuing as in deed it is true that wealth neuer faileth but rather encreaseth by charitable almose How our Lord Iesus Christ was seene in the armes of sainct antony THE XII CHAPTER SAinct Antony for certaine dayes preaching in a citty of France he was inuited by a deuout gentleman to accept a lodgeing in his house whiles he remayned there alotting him the principall roome entier to himselfe quietly to spend his time in study and deuotions but this gentleman walking one night about his house and passing by chaunce before the chamber of the Sainct he saw a great light issuyng out through the chinckes of the dore wherfore looking in att the key hole he saw vpon a great booke lying before the Sainct a very faire child glittering and shininge with resplendant lightsome beames who casting himselfe on the neck of the Sainct did clip and embrace him as also in extreme amorous manner the S. did the like being neuer satisfied with beholding him The sweet and gracious child in his amiable embracinges reuealed vnto him that his host beheld them The Sainct knowing that he would not depart as long as IESVS CHRIST remayned there was willing he should for a time enioy his contenment in that admirable aspect that rauisbed the soule of the gentleman out of the world and then this p ecious child vanishing the S. instantlie opened his chamber dore and calling the gentleman he coniuâ—ed him by the loue which he boaâ—e to him whome he had seene not to discouer to any liuing person what he had seene till after his death which he promised and performed but as soone as he vnderstood of his death he could not satisfie himselfe with recounting and assuring it with teares and strong oathes which in respect of the creditt of the gentleman for his worthie qualities and the pietie of his life being generally beleeued it gaue occasion to paint the S. with a child on a booke in his armes Of his prophesie of a Martyr before he was borne and of the same Martyrdome THE XIII CHAPTER AS he visited a woman att Assisium great with child and very nere her time after he had exceedingly comforted her she recommended vnto his prayers her deliuery that it might be happie and easy He not vnmindfullof her recommend her to our Lord and the first time that
whome very attentiuely beholding and demaunding of Br. Roger whome he saw I see answeared he my Lord IESVS CHRIST Wherto he added fower other wordes for the comfort and edification of his Religious after that he reposed and was halfe an hower in contemplation and then yelded his soule to God He seemed to sleep and presently his flesh that before was vnpleasing to behold as well in regard of his abstinence as his discipline which had made it withered and wan became so white cleare and bright that it seemed rather his glorious then mortall body He died the yeare 1231. the 13. day of Iune being friday the 36. yeare of his age wherof he had spent fifteene in his Fathers house two in the monasterie of S. Vincent att Lisbone nine att S. Crosse of Conimbria and about ten in the Order of S. Francis where he liued very famous in his life doctrine and miracles How he appeared to the Abbot of Vercelles THE XXVIII CHAPTER WIthin the very houre of his departure he sodenly appeared in the chamber of the Abbot of Vercelles sometime his master and Gouernour as if he had priuately entred told him that he had left his residence and was retiring into his contry which said he stroake him with his hand vnder the chinne as if he would dandle him and so cured him of a disease which he had there then vanished as if he had gone out att the chamber dore but the Abbot following him could not finde him and enquiring of his familie if they had seene him they answeared no. Att length sending to his Couent and missing him there he began to vnderstand that his contry whither he was goeing was not Portugall but Paradis and that he dyed att the same instant Of a great mirache wherby the death of sainct Antony was discouered and of the dissension that arose about his sepulture THE XXIX CHAPTER AFter the decease of S. Antony the Religious resolued to conceale it till they had determined how to dispose of his bodie so to auoyd the tumult of the people But God did manifest it by the voices of children that went by troupes crying throughe the Cittie Our Father Sainct Antonie is dead which induced manie Burgesses to goe to the monasterie of Arcele where they vnderstood the truth and hauing found him dead they presently placed many armed men to guard the body and to hinder the transporting therof Then the Frere Minors of the monasterie of Padua also hastened incontinentlie thither accompanyed with manie honorable personnes of the Cittie and required the body as appertayning vnto them considering that the sainct in his life time had declared his intention which was to be interred in their Couent which they made apparant There were also other Competitors which were they that dwelt on the other side of the bridge who perceauing that the Oratorie of Arcele was not secure and that there might be disorder endeuoured by force to take away the holy body to carry it to a monasterie of Religious women neere therevnto and the controuersie grew to such a head that they were readie to fight when as a third party and such as were newters there present laboured to accord them with condition to expect the comming of the minister Prouinciall who should determine the cause Notwithstanding the impatient people could not expect but would haue the holie bodie carryed into the Cittie and to that effect thrice assaulted the Monasterie to haue the gates opened for transporting therof but att each time they remayned att the gate as blinded and halfe benummed without any power or abilitie For which cause as also in regard that it was feared the bodie might begin to sauour by reason of the great heate that then was he was taken from off his discouered coffin and putt in a square chest vnder ground which did so mutine the people who supposed he had bin vtterlie taken from that place that they ran with their swordes in their handes euen to the celles of the Religious whence they would not depart till the holie bodye was shewen them which appeased them Four dayes after his death the Prouinciall arriued who was of opinion with whome ioyned the bishopp that he should be interred in the said Couent in the Cittie according to his owne ordonance in his life time To this effect the Bishop caused a very solemne procession to be made and the Gouernour of the Cittie sent a company of foot men to guard a new bridge which he had caused expreslie to be made of boates but vnderstanding that the inhabitātes of the otherside the bridge were resolued by force of armes to surprise the holie body which by right they could not challenge and that they had alreadie broaken the bridge of boates he proclaimed by sound of trompett that no man nor woman vpon paine of death should stirre out of their lodgeing and banished from that contrie and territory the principall heades of this conspiracie and by this meane freed all the Religious of both sex in Padua from feare for they were extremelie afflicted and accused themselues imputing the same to arriue for their offences wherfore they besought our Lord IESVS CHRIST to deliuer them from this affliction which also had put the whole citty into a great tumult So the glorious body of S. Antony was transported to the said Couent of Padua where it was interred in a sepulcher newly and miraculously discouered the fift day after his death Of the resolution of his canonization and of certaine miracles there wrought THE XXX CHAPTER TO speake the truth the dissention aforesaid was not without cause considering that they contested about so precious a treasure it is also to be considered how iustly the Paduans possessed this holy body sith they hazarded their life for it before it wrought any miracles as if each of them had bin assured of the great number of miracles which God would worck by it as he began that verie day making this pacification to appeare so much more pleasing and this treasure more deere and gratefull as the contention had bin greiuous by meanes of the recouerie of all the diseased that onlie touched his sepulcher yea of those that vnable to come to his sepulcher or into the Church inuocated his holy name without This so notable and inexpected successe spreading incontinentlie ouer all the neighbour places the Bishop of Padua vnable to retaine thedeuotiō of the people that publikely honoured him according to his merittes he sent embassadours to Rome in his name and the Paduans to beseech the Pope to canonise this S. which God had bestowed on them They being graciously entertayned and heard together with the examen made by order of the said Bishop and an other by the deputies of his holinesse who were an Abbot of S. Benedict and a Dominican Prior vpon the life conuersations and miracles of the S. and finding more then sufficient proofe he proposed to the Consistory his canonization att Spoletum it
Venetian territorie he sent to Venise as his Legat Philip de Fontaine Bishop of Rauenna that hauing ouerthrowne a mightie and potent armie he might assige Padua where the Tyran had placed a nephew of his as lieutenant to guard that place faithfullie for him God determining to end and cease the tyrannie of this cruell Prince and to deliuer that Cittie by the merittes of sainct Antony the night of his feast The cittie being in this trouble the Guardian of the Couent of the Frere Minors called Brother Bartholomew Corradin watching att the sepulcher of the Sainct in feruent prayers and teares praying for the deliuery of that cittie he heard a cleare voice that seemed to proceed out of the said sepulcher which said vnto him Brother Bartholomew feare no more but be comforted and giue thanckes to God for I promise and assure thee that on my octaue day this citty shal be restored to her former liberty which came to passe for Anselmus the Gouernour therof being terrified by the hand of God went out and fled with all his people in such sort that the said Apostolicall Legat entred in and restored all thinges to their former splendour liberty and freedome The said voice was not onlie heard by the said Guardian but also by many Religious of the Couent that watched in the said Church who gaue testimony therof afterward Wherfore the Paduans ordayned that thenceforward the said octaue day should be solemnised as the day it selfe of the feast of sainct Antony in acknowledgement of that singuler benefitt Afterward they tooke him for a singuler aduocate of their cittie consecrating vnto him the altare of their great church wherein they placed his reliques and there they celebrated his feast on which day manie worthy miracles were wrought Padua being thus deliuered the yeare 1259. the Paduans began to build a great and sumptuous Church wherinto were transported his holie reliques the yeare 1273. the eue of Quasi modo the Cardinall of Bolonia named Guy Charles Bishop of Portuensis legat of his holinesse with many ceremonies solemnised the said translation This Cardinall hauing bin deliuered from death by sainct Antony was exceeding deuout vnto him and therfore offered vnto him a faire and rich shrine or reliquarie of siluer wherin he putt his holie head Sainct Bonauenture Generall of the Order was present att his translation and opened the shrine wherin the glorious bodie of the Sainct had bin thirtie yeares which he found all tourned to ashes sauing the tongue which was verie fresh and vermillion as when it had life which taking in his handes in presence of all the companie with aboundance of teares he vttered these wordes O blessed tongue which hast alwayes praysed they God and hast laboured others to doe the like it verie euidentlie appeareth that thou hast highlie merited before God! then kissing it verie tenderlie he put it againe verie reuerentlie into the said reliquarie On a certaine time after a Generall desired to transport this holie tongue from that place but hauing taken it vp and thincking to carry it away he could neuer finde the dore where to goe forth nor had he power to carrie it back whence he had taken it wherfore he secretlie hid it in an altare none perceauing the same where it remayned manie yeares after till it pleased the Sainct to discouer it so that taking it thence it was put in a veâ—ie faire and rich reliquary of crystall where it is euen to this day shewen pure and entier to all deuout Pilgrimes How he raised his Nephew that died att Lisbone THE XXXII CHAPTER ANephew of the sainctes the soÌ„ne of his sister called Paris played one day att Lisbone on the sea shoare with many children his companions all which entred into a shallop which for their recreation they lanched into the sea but there sodeÌ„ly arose a storme which raysing the sea waues presently ouer-whelmed the shalop all that were therin saued themselues by swiming except Paris who being the yongest could not swimme but was drowned which his Father vnderstanding he prayed the Fishers to search for recouery of his body to giue it Christian buryall They more to satisfie him then in hope to finde him sought him sometime and att length God permitted them to finde him and deliuering him to his Father the kinred were of opinion to haue him buryed but his pittyfull mother the sister of S. Antony hauing good hope of the life of her sonne by the merittes of her brother would not permitt him to be buryed and therfore would be continually neere him all the day following and the night after but the next morning the kinred purposing not to permitt the body any longer vnburyed because it already exceedingly sauoured the mother resolutely said and auowed that if they would bury her child they should bury her aliue together with it Then she made this prayer to S. Antony O my glorious Brother if charity moue thee as I belieue it doeth and if thou be so carefull and ready to gratifie them that inuocate thee yea such as are strangers I beseech thee to haue compassion of thy sister and of thy Nephew who if thou please to restore him life shall serue God in thy Order wheÌ„ he shall attaine to age conuenient competent to that end if so it please the diuine Maiestie The successe was admirable for as soone as she had ended her vow the child that had bin three dayes dead arose before all the company and hauing attained age sufficient he accomplished the said vow taking the habit of the Order of his vncle wherein he piously perseuered Of two other raised from death by Sainct Antonie and of some others THE XXXII CHAPTER A Queene of Leon in Spaine borne in Portugall hauing by accident of sicknes lost her daughter of eleuen yeares of age and hauing heard this foresaid miracle recounted would not haue her daughter buryed but kept her three dayes without buryall during which time she deuoutly inuocated the helpeof S. Antony with a feruent faith for which she deserued att length to be heard but the child her daughter being raysed sayd vnto her deere Mother I beseech God to pardon you for hauing troubled me in the celestiall glory where I was amongest the virgins though it be not for long time for I am restored to life att the instance of S. Antony but for fifteene dayes which so succeeded for fifteene dayes after she dyed againe A gentleman that could haue no children vowed to the S. that if he would obtaine him one he would euery yeare visitt his sepulcher and he was heard but goeing one day to accomplish his vow he left his sonne of seauen yeares old sick in his house who by litle and litle so recouered health that he went to play with his companions in a chanell where then there was no water it being bended an other way to water a certaine plaine but the banke or bay being not strong enough gaue such way to
for he hath thy leproise as he said and bid him vse them So being awaked and finding himselfe perfectly cured he caried his clapper by commandement of the S. to the soldier whome he found full of leprosie from the head to the foot for which he very hitterly lamented and repēting what he had done vowing and recommending himselfe to the S. he deserued to be heard hauing learned by experience how great is the vertue of the Sainctes of God Of many other miracles and of the Breefe of S. Antony against the Deuils which remained in the handes of the king of Portugall THE XXXV CHAPTER IN a combatt that happened betweene two soldiers one of them was so strangely hurt in one arme that speaking humanely it was incurable att least sauing his life he could not auoyd a perpetuall mayne Now recommending himselfe to S. Antony he was presently cured the wound being so closed it as if he had neuer bin hurt But as is said of the wicked hauing past and escaped the danger they scoffe att the S. so the soldier began to consider by what meanes he might be reuenged and diuers times discoursing therof with himselfe the night before this lewd designe the said wound came into his arme as before the S. teaching him and all others that the graces and fauours of God are not to be abused against his seruice that is employed in any thing which he forbiddeth and is not pleasing vnto him as to the detriment of ones neighbour A child of Padua called Henry hauing a swelling in his neck vowed to the S. and was immediatly cured but his mother that caused him to vow not regarding to fulfill it the infirmity retourned yet repenting and accomplishing the vow her sonne was cured againe An Abbot hauing great compassion of his seruant that was deafe dumme vowed in his behalfe to S. Antony that if he would please to cure him he would employ him all his life in the seruice of his Church he was instantly cured for which he was not vngratefull for he employed him in his church all the dayes of his life in the Citty of Sautaren in the kingdome of Portugall in the raigne of Don Donis There was a poore woman who though she were very deuout to S. Antony yet being sinfull the deuill sometimes posessed her and tempted her to destroy her selfe persuading her that she could neuer satisfie God for the many sinnes she had cōmitted but by voluntary killing her selfe to this false imagination he added a false vision for the deuill appeared vnto her in forme of a crucifix telling her that for the loue she boare him he would saue her but she could hardly satisfie for her sinnes vnlesse she would voluntary murder her selfe to which purpose he coūsailed her to goe that very houre to the riuer Tage and there to drowne her selfe and promised her to receaue her att the instant into his glory This woman hauing had this vision concealed it sometime in her hart now it happened that when her husband excedingly checked and rebuked her amōg other iniuries calling her possessed with a deuill she partly in fury and dispaire procured her by her husband and partly vrged by the deuill by remembrance of the said vision resolued to drowne her selfe and with that intention departed from her house but S. Antony would not permitt such an act so vnworthy of a Christian to be perpetrated especially on such a day it being on the celebration of his feast for this miserable woman passing before his Church was inspired to enter into it which she did and thē very deuoutly prayed the S. that he would voutsafe to reueale vnto her if it were possible whither it were the will of God she should drowne her selfe or not hauing ended her prayer she slept a sweet sleep and so light that she heard the voice of the Sainct which in her dreame said vnto her looke vpon thy bosome and when thou hast read the writing thou findest there thou shalt be cured The woman presently awaking found on her bosome a bitt of parchment wherin was written in letters of Gold Ecce crucem Domini fugite partes diuersae vicit leo de tribu Iuda Alleluia Alleluia As soone as she had read the same she was entierlie freed of her temptation The king of Portugall Don Donis hauing bin aduertised of this great miracle by the husband of the woman demaunded the said Breefe or writing which was giuen him but it was strange this woman not hauing her writing the deuill began presently to vex her but hauing no meanes to demaund it againe of the king who had put it amongst his reliques hauing wrought many miracles by this breefe the husband was aduised to request a copy therof which by meane of some Religious he obtained which hauing deliuered to his wife she was all the rest of her dayes freed from the said temptation liuing securely the space of twenty yeares How he deliuered from death the Princesse of Portugall Taken out of the sixteenth chapter of the tenth booke to be more properly put in this place THe princesse Lady Aldoucia daughter of the king of Portugall and of queene Teresa by a very extreme and dangerous infirmity that tormented her approaching to her death her mother had recourse vnto sainct Antony to whome she was much deuoted most affectionately recommending her daughter vnto him and praying him to remember that he was borne in that kingdome and that as he had cured saued and raysed so many in Italy he would please also to deliuer her daughter from that danger of death Att that very instant so strong and violent a fitt of the feauer did assault the sick Princesse that euery one esteemed it her last agony But then did the Sainct appeare vnto her and said daughter God hath sent me to thee for satisfaction of the frequent prayers of thy mother to putt it to the election of thy will either to goe now with me to Paradise or for consolation of thy mother to continue longer in the world The Princesse hauing choasen the second sainct Antony deliuered her his girdle saying Well kisse this Cord which she taking in her handes and as she thought holding it fast she cryed to her mother Madame Madame come see the glorious sainct Antony whome I hold by his girdle which he hath deliuered me to kisse therby to be cured she comming and not seeing the Sainct att all found her daughter perfectly well wherfore she diuulged this miracle in the Citty of Allenquor where this happened in the Church of the Frere Minors whither she with all her Court repayred to giue thanckes to God and to his holy seruant Of certaine other miracles of sainct Antony THE XXXVI CHAPTER A Poore man being seduced by an Inchaunter that promised to procure him an instinct to know what soeuer he desired entred with him into a circle where in an instāt he saw appeare a great number of deuils who perceauing him to be
thus he continued for certaine dayes till it pleased our Lord to declare him to be his seruāt which by this meanes came to passe One of the noblest of the Citty who then was the Iudge seeing and considering the life of this poore Religious sayed in himselfe this man thus contemned must needes be some holy personnage in regard of his extraordinary patience And therfore he called him vnto him and hauing demaunded what he was and whence he came Brother Bernard drew out of his bosome the Euangelicall rule which sainct Francis had giuen him and which he had written no lesse in his hart then in that paper and without vsing any other wordes deliuered it vnto him The iudge hauing seene the same was stricken into an amazement and tourning towardes many that were flocked thither to heare the Religious discourse he sayd This rule doubtlesse teacheth the most strict and rigorous religious life that is in the Church and in deed this man and all his companions that lead this life represent vnto vs the Apostolicall Colledge and therfore are worthy of very great honour This being said he conducted Brother Bernard to his house with such ioy and contentment as if he had bin an Angell of heauen A litle after att his owne expences he built for him and his companions a Couent without the cittie but very neere the walles as most commodious for them He liued and dyed as a deuout Brother of the Order In this sort was Brother Bernard the first that began the Couent att Bolonia which he did not seeke to build sumptuouslle and found with much rentes and possessions but with the examples of a most profound humility and patience he built vpon the firme rocke of IESVS CHRIST who is our true and liuely foundation Br. Bernard being then thus seated att Bolonia the people by litle and litle knowing his sanctity beganne to respect him and desirouslie to heare his wordes and to admitt his Coūsailes in such sort that in a short space many did not only forsake their disordered life but also left the world becomming Frere Minors in the said monastery To be short he was generally respected of all as a sainct each one desired to see him and to kisse that habitt which formerlie they misprised but he as the true and humble disciple of Euangelicall humilitie shunning these vaine honours retourned to the holie Father sainct Francis whome he besought to send him some other where wherin the sainct was willing to gratifie him and sent him into Lombardie where he edified the people with admirable vertue and erected many monasteries and recouered an infinite nomber of soules that resolued to follow the life and profession of the gospell of IESVS CHRIST Of the pilgrimage of Brother Bernard to S. Iames in Galicia and what happened to him there THE III. CHAPTER WHen the holy Father S. Francis went into Spaine to visitt the Church of sainct Iames in Galicia he tooke Br. Bernard and certaine other of his companions with him They found in theiriorney a poore sicke personne in a place very miserable and discomfortable and vttetly abandoned there they remayned certaine dayes to haue care of him serue and comfort him But sainct Francis knowing his sicknesse would be of long continuance lefte Brother Bernard to attend him and proceeded on his pilgrimage whence retourning he found the sick man recouered and tooke Brother Bernard back with him into Italie whence shortlie after he demaunded leaue of him to visite the Apostle Sainct Iames in Galicia not hauing opportunitie to goe with him the other time and hauing accomplished his iust desire att his retourne he came to a riuer which by reason of the swiftnes and violence of the current which was very deepe he could not wade ouer wherfore he was enforced to stay att the side therof where a litle after an Angel in very actiue manner appeared vnto him and saluted him in Italian Which Brother Bernard admiring asked him if he came from Italie or whence he was wherto he answeared that he came from our Lady of Angels where he had bin to admonish Br. Helias of his temerity in desiring to make a new rule and that he had rudely shutt the gate vpon him for which God would punish him Which said he easily conducted Br. Bernard to the other side of the riuer and then incontinentlie vanished leauing Br. Bernard exceedinglie comforted who gaue thanckes to God for hauing visited and assisted him by his Angell Being att Assisium he recounted to the holy Father S. Francis and others what the Angell had tould him of Brother Helias by which meane it was knowne that he who was att the dore of the Couent of our Lady of Angels and had spoken to Brother Helyas as hath bin related in the 100. chapter of the first booke was sent of God to propose vnto him the question there sett downe to giue him occasion of amendement How Brother Bernard receaued of almighty God the grace of extaticall contemplation and of the effectes therof together with his abstinence THE IV. CHAPTER THis holy Father oftentimes retyred himselfe from the worckes and labour of the actiue life wherin he spent a good part of his time for the saluation of soules to the repose of the contemplatiue life whereby he obtained of God such a sublimitie of spiritt and clearnesse of vnderstandinge that the deepest learned diuines repayred vnto him to demaunde solution of difficult and obscure passages of the holy scripture It seemed that his soule conuersed continually in heauen Sometimes he went ouer the mountaines entierly transported in God rauished as a propheticall spiritt in manifest signe of his continuall mentall eleuation Fifteene yeares before his death as he was spiritually in heauen he had also his countenance euer lifted very high in his iornyes when he began to feele the force of spirituall extasie he would bid his companion to expect a while then would turne out of the way and seeke some tree against which to rest and so held himselfe firme and stable that his spiritt might not wander diuers wayes till the extasie were ended He one time said to that great contemplatiue Brother Giles that he made himselfe but halfe a man remayning as a woman shut vp in his Cell and not goeing abroad to teach men the right way of their saluation Brother Giles answeared him O Brother it is not permitted to all men to eat and flye as swallowes as it is to you who goeing resting not stirring and running in any place whatsoeuer doe alwayes tast the extaticall and diuine consolation For which cause sainct Francis tooke great contentment to discourse with him of matters concerning God so that to that effect they were sometimes found together in a wood both rapt in extasie where they remayned in that manner a whole night together As he one day heard Masse in the quier he was so rauished in spiritt that he remayned till the ninth hower immoueable and insensible with his eyes
the yong Religious that had done that charity to the poore Frere Minors sleeping saw in a dreame IESVS CHRIST sitting on a merueillous throne who calling them all to iudgement sayd with a terrible voice Bring forth the Priour and the Religious of this place and they being instantly presented vnto him there came on the other side a contemptible poore man cloathed as the Religious that were thrust out of the said Couent who complayningly with a loud voice and great feruour said to IESVS CHRIST Most iust iudge he bloud of the Frere Minors cryeth before thy diuine Maiesty which this night hath bin shed by these Religious that would not afford them lodgeing and refection in such necessitie and extreme perill these poore Frere Minors hauing left all thy had for thy loue and goeing into England expresly to procure the saluation of soules redeemed by thy precious bloud denying them that which they would haue giueÌ„ them if they had bin parasites and sportmakers IESVS CHRIST then with a terrible voice sayd to the Priour Of what Order art thou OfS. Benedict answeared he IESVS CHRIST tourning towardes S. Benett asked him if it were true that he was one of his Religious the Sainct answeared Lord this is a destroyer of my religion as are also his companions for my rule commandeth that the Abbots table be common to straungers in necessitie and these haue alwayes denyed thinges necessary to the poore IESVS CHRIST then condemned to death the Priour the Stewerd and the Sacristine and then he tourned to the Religious that had this vision and had bin benefactour to the Frere Minors and sayd And thou of what Order art thou he quaking and trembling for feare to heare sentence against himselfe hauing seene S. Benett aduerse to his Religious answeared Lord I am of the Order of this thy poore seruant meaning S. Francis of whome IESVS CHRIST demaunded if it were true that this Religious was of his Order he answeared that he was and that he had alredy admitted him and then very graciously embraced him and therwith he awaked vtterly amazed and trembling att this fearfull vision And arising from his bed he presently went to the cell of his Priour to relate him all and entring in he found him strangled in his bed hauing so deformed hideous a face as procured a horrour to the beholders Wheâ—att this yong Religious being vtterly terrified cryed out and ran to the celles of the other companions of the Priour whome he found also strangled with the same fearfull aspect This made him almost besides himselfe with care to find out the Frere Minors But the porter had dismissed them for feare of the Priour so that this yong Religious sought out his Abbot to whome he recounted this chasticement inflicted by God on his Religious which was instantly diuulged throughout all that contry where this yong Religious was the fist that became a Frere Minour and Br. Angelus and his companions were with great charity receaued by the king of England into the citty of Oxford How Br. Angelus caused Couents to be builded att Oxford and other where of his humilitie and of his death THE XXXIII CHAPTER THe kink presently appointed them a place neere the walles of the citty and not farre from his pallace there to build them a Couent permitting them to breake the said wall for the better commodity of their building He also permitted them to shutt vp a street that went from the same place to S. Fredesmond that they might be the more retired leauing only one gate for the king to enter att his pleasure Now the fruit that these Religious wrought there was such that not only the great and notorious sinners recalled themselues but euen many gentlemen were conuerted and left the world to follow that Apostolique life which those Frere Minors professed among whome one was Don. Ridolfo a Bishop who in a vision seeing S. Francis with his companions on the right side of our Lord soueraigne Iudge to iudge men he forsooke his bishopprick and the world by permissioÌ„ of Pope Gregorie the ninth and became a Frere Minor as also did an Abbot who together tooke the habitt and liued in Religion with such humility that they gaue euident demonstration to be true contemners of worldly dignities When their monastery was builded they carryed on their backes stones lime whatsoeuer was needfull to the worckmen This first prouinciall of England hauing admitted into the Order many yong men he erected and constituted a place of study that the Brethren profiting in learning might also in time benefitt in the gayning of soules and to that end he prayed master Robert of Osse Doctour in diuinity to assist in gouernmeÌ„t of the schoole of the Religious which the Doctour with great deuotion accorded vnto and offered to direct gouerue them till they had a Religious that could read vnto them But Br. Angelus retourning one day froÌ„ visiting some other monasteries which he had erected in the same Prouince he thought good to examine the progresse of these yong Religious in their study and hearing them dispute of curious and friuolous questions he began to cry out O miserable wretch that I am what haue I done sith the simple and idiotes are rauished in God and these my Religious with their learning call in question if there be a God And att the very hower dissolued and discontinued the study being of opinion that it hindered the repose of the spiritt This holy Religious was endued with a profound humility which made him very gratefull to God and men It is recorded of him that he would neuer accept the Order of Priesthood till he was constrayned by a Generall Chapter Att length the day after the feast of S. Gregory the Pope he yelded his spiritt vnto God After his death he wrought many miracles as he had done also in his life time He was buryed in the Couent of the Frere Minors in the citty of Oxforde in a coffin of wood to place him afterward in some honorable sepulcher Certaine yeares after the people made him a sepulcher of marble into which attempting to put him they found in his coffin a liquor like vnto oyle sauouring as baulme which was his very flesh in that sort melted and dissolued his precious bones did swimme on the said oyle The Religious hauing inconsideratly handled the said coffin thincking to remoue it the bottome fell to the ground and that precious liquour ran out with all yelding to those present so delicious a sauour that it gaue them all comfort and consolation and so his bones rested in the new sepulcher and the sayd oyle was withall care possible gathered vp and therwith were cured many infirmities Of the glorious Br. Ambrosse of Massa Of the conuersion and sanctity of the blessed Br. Ambrose THE XXXIV CHAPTER BRother Ambrose was from his birth so beloued of the diuine maiestie that albeit he conuersed among worldly men euen to his complet age yet
he accompanied the Guardian euen to the place of the citty where he was and there fell on his knees before him and bitterly weeping besought him before all the people to pardon him The vertuous Religious did not only pardon him but gaue him thanckes for being occasion of his meritt towardes God yea and thenceforwd he tooke it so gratefully that remayning in the Couent of the said place to cure and ease the torments he had endured many honorable personnes presenting him many small commodities he alwayes sent the most worthie and excellent to the Earle affirming that he did not acknowledge himselfe more obliged to any man in the world then to him because he had not found any that had more accomplished his desires then he The earle on the contrary said that he knew therby that God would shortly end his enormous sinnes and that he should not liue long sith he had so vnworthely tormented an innocent and so sainct-like a man though he knew him not and that God would punish him for it Wherin he was not deceaued for a litle after he was slaine by his ennemies Now this singuler fact may notifie vnto vs the patience of Brother Iuniperus the excellencie of the vertues which God discouered in him with what faith hope humility and fortitude he was armed and the crosse which he carryed in himselfe and wherin only he glorified and the small gaine the deuill gott of him in this combatt where he was subdued by the patience of Brother Iuniperus more like to that of IESVS CHRIST then to that of Iob. Wherein appeareth how truly the holy Doctors affirme that almighty God is such a louer of our profitt and our glory which is purchaced by labour in his seruice that he denyeth it onlie to those who make themselues incapable to receaue it Of a Companion of Brother Iuniperus and that was vnder his gouernement THE XLIV CHAPTER BRother Iuniperus in his age had a companion that was so obedient and of such patience that were he beaten and tormented a whole day together he would neuer vtter a word of complaint He was sent to begge att their houses who were knowne not to be charitable but to be churlish scoffers and iniurious to the Religious whither he would willingly goe and with an admirable patience support the affrontes and iniuries offered vnto him If Brother Iuniperus commanded him to weep he would obey if he commanded him to laugh he would incontinently laugh He being dead Brother Iuniperus bitterly wept for this his deere companion affirming that in this life there remayned vnto him nothing of worth and that in the death of this Brother the world was as it were ruined so much did he loue and esteeme the vertue of the patience and mortification of this great seruant of God and his foster child How Brother Iuniperus in prayer saw the glory of God and of his death THE XLV CHAPTER AFter the death of this Religious the glorious Brother Iuniperus being very vigilant and feruent in prayer and deep contemplation seemed to hate the world and already to dye with desire to goe to the other life such was his endeauour to ascend vnto almighty God Being one time in the quier att masse he was so rapt in extasie that the seruice being ended the Religious left him alone where he so remayned a long time and when he was retourned to himselfe he came to the Religious to whome with a notable feruour of spiritt he vttered these wordes Ah my Brethren why doe not we conceaue a pleasure to endure a litle labour and paine to gaine eternall life After that he vttered many thinges of high consequence touching the humility which deserueth the glory of the elect These wordes gaue sufficient cause to iudge that he had had some communication of heauen And in the end the true and worthie disciple of sainct Francis and singular freind of saincte Clare who called him the passetime of IESVS CHRIST because she found in him great consolation of spiritt and would haue him neere att her death this good and holy Religious I say after he had many yeares liued in great perfection in this desert passed from this life to the other and was by almighty God transported into his glory He was buryed att Rome in the Couent of Aracaeli The life of Brother Simon of Assisium the Disciple of sainct Francis Of the holy conuersation of Brother Simon THE XLVI CHAPTER BRother Simon of Assisium was called of God to holy Religion in the life time of S. Francis This Religious was by the diuine Maiesty endwed with such abondance of grace and raysed to such a high degree of contemplation that his whole life was a mirrour of sanctity and represented to all the image of the bounty of God according to the testimony of them that conuersed with him He rarely went out of his cell and if sometime he conuersed with his brethren his discourse was altogether of God He alwayes sought solitary places and though he had neuer learned the grammer nor other humane sciences he neuertheles discoursed so sublimely of God and of the most sweet loue of IESVS CHRIST that his wordes seemed rather Angelicall then humane Brother Iames of Massa and some other Religious went one euening with him into a wood to discourse of almighty God and Brother Simon so sweetly discoursed of the diuine loue that hauing spent all the night in that holy discourse and the breake of day alredy appearing it seemed to them that he did but thē begin When this Religious perceaued the comming of any diuine visitation he would cast himselfe on his bed as to sleep or as sicke of the disease of the Espouse who sayth in the Canticles Tell my beloued I languish for his loue Sometimes in the said diuine visitations he was so eleuated in God that he remayned insensible of worldly thinges so that a Religious once desiring to trye whiles he was in extasie if he had any feeling tooke a burning coale and putt it on his bare foot wherewith he did not only not come to himselfe nor felt the heat of the fier but the coale dyed on his foot without leauing any signe of burning The Sainct accustomed when he did eat with the Religious to feed them spiritualy with the word of God before they receaued their corporall refection How Brother Simon deliuered a Nouice from the temptation of the flesh and how the Nouice became perfect in charity and of his death THE XLVII CHAPTER THis good Father discoursing one day of almighty God with such feruour declared the obligation which we haue to his diuine Maiesty and to our owne saluation that a wordly yong man there present resolued to leaue the world and to become religious he was borne att Senseuerin a citty in the kingdome of Naples foorthwith tooke the habitt of Frere a Minor But the deuill by whose blowing the flames of temptations are enkindled enflamed this Nouice with so great
vnto him but this charity enforced him to trauell twenty dayes bare-headed till att last was giuen him cloth to make an other and so did he walke with a habitt according to the common fashion of his Order deformed but entierly conformable to the charity of the gospell Being in Lombardie he was called by a man of whome he thought to receaue a charitie but comming to him he tooke out a paire of dice and demaunded if he would play with him So did the wretch flout att this good Religious who went on bowing downe his head without replying a word In this sort he was often the obiect of laughter vnto the sloathfull and idle companions that made him their scorne which he alwayes endured with patience correspondent After he had also visited all the holy land expecting commodity of shipping to retourne into Italy it being necessary for him to liue vpon his labour as hauing no mony he carryed water to passengers for which seruice they gaue him bread and remayning certaine dayes in the citty of Ason he employed himselfe in the labour of his handes making baskettes and cases of ozier and such litle conceates wherwith he liued and if he wanted either worck or matter or knew not wherin to employ himselfe according to the diuers occasions of the places where he restâ—â—ed his last refuge was to haue recourse to the abondant table of God demaunding almose att the peoples dores according to the documentes of his rule He went also to visit the mount saint Michael then saint Nicholas of Bar and in all these voyages into whatsoeuer place he entred he exhorted those that he found to doe pennance for their sinnes and to apply themselues to the seruice of God the bountifull giuer of all goodnes and to doe this in loue and charity towardes their neighbour As he one day trauailled he became so weary and so oppressed with hungar that he was enforced to rest himselfe and with wearines he fell a sleepe As he awaked he found by him halfe a loafe which God had sent him of almose which he ioyfully did eat thancking his diuine maiesty and being by meane of this celestiall bread reconforted he cheerfully proceeded on his iorney How this seruant of God endeauoured to gaine his liuing by the worck and labour of his handes THE III. CHAPTER S. Francis hauing sent him to remayne att Rome therby the better to satisfie his desire which was to liue vpon his labour he went to a mountaine three leagues distant whence he brought wood to the citty and for the price therof he was coutent with the gift of bread for his one dayes â—ustenance He brought wood to a woman who knowing him to be Religious would giue him a greater hire then was conditioned but Brother Giles for the same cause to witt for the loue of God would not accept it affirming that he would not be vanquished by auarice wherwith this woman was exceedingly edifyed He disdayned not to vndertake any seruice that might be required of him prouided that it exceeded not the limites of modesty and so misprising the vanities of the world he perfected and refined himselfe in mortification and humility Assisting some others one time to gather nuttes and his dayes labour being ended he was payed in nuttes which being vnable to hold in his sleeues he putt off his habitt and tyed the two endes of his sleeues which he filled euen to the capuce and so carryed them to Rome where he diuided them among the poore to conclude hauing imparted some share of his gaine to the Religious he also gaue part vnto the poore Sometime he tooke of the water of S. Sixtus and carryed to the Religious of Quatuor Coronatorum who gladly dranck therof and for the same gaue him bread wherwith he liued and what remayned he distributed vnto the poore As he one day carryed water to the sayd Religious a poore man in the way demaunded of him to drinck and he gaue him therof but vnwilling that the Religious should haue the rest he retourned to draw more att the fountaine which was a league distant such was his desire with his possibility to giue each one contentment When any one hired him and entertayned him to day-labour he alwayes conditionally reserued time requisite with attention to say his canonicall howers and certaine other suffrages and deuotions He was very carefull to shunne idlenes and therfore he alwayes either spake of God or prayed and contemplated or vsed some handy labour in some litle matter of vtility whence proceeded that loosing no part of his time he sufficiently prouided both for his soule and and body The Pope being att Rieta the Cardinall Nicolas Bishop of Toscolan desiring to haue Brother Giles in his company out of great respect he had to his simplicity and sanctity he instantly prayed him to seiorne certaines dayes with him and to be content to eat as he did att his table forbearing to seek almose otherwhere But Brother Giles willingly promising to remayne in his house would not yeld to eat of that he found there and so went thither Now the Cardinall complayning vnto him for that he would not eat of his bread Brother Giles answeared with this verse of Dauid Labores manuum tuarum quia manducabis beatus es benetibi erâ—t The Cardidall not knowing what to reply prayed him att least to eat that which he receaued of his almose or of his labour with his companion which he promised to doe and thenceforward he brought his begged bread to the Cardinals table where he did eat it and if any remayned he gaue it to to the poore But there falling one day such a raine that Brother Giles could not goe abroad either to labour or to seeke almose the Cardinall was very ioyfull therof hoping that day to haue his desire and that Brother Giles would eat of his bread but he was deceaued for Brother Giles exceedingly troubled for that he could not gaine his bread bethought himselfe and went into the kitchin where asking the Cooke wherfore his kitchin lay so vncleanly offered to sweepe it for the gift of two loaues which hauing gotten he went to eat the said bread with the Cardinall who was againe deceaued the morning following when as it rained extremely for Brother Giles vnable to goe abroad found meane for bread to make cleane the dishes which made the Cardinall admire his firme resolution to liâ—e poorly more then yet he had done How our Lord releiued Brother Giles in an extreme necessitie THE IV. CHAPTER BRother Giles hauing thus seiourned a certaine time in the Cardinals house the time of Lent drawing very neere he determined to retire with his companion into some solitary place where his spiritt might contemplate in entiere repose and to this effect tooke leaue of this Cardinal who therwith exceedingly afflicted sayd vnto him Alas my deere freind whither goest thou as a bird without a nest But this good Religious ascended vp to
to Assisium and not to the Couent so much did he yeld himselfe to obedience that his only cogitation was readily to obay The Guardian hauing commanded a Religious that was praying to goe to demaund almose the Religious therat murmured exceedingly withhimselfe and in this distemper came to Br. Giles thus cōplayning Father I was praying in my cell and the Guardian hath commanded me to goe begge so that I must omitt the greater good for the lesse B. Giles answeared him brother you know not yet what prayer is for the most true and perfect is that the subiect doe the wil of his Superiour How zealous Br. Giles was of his rule and of holy pouerty THE VI. CHAPTER THe blessed Br. Giles as the true disciple of S. Francis was a great friend of pouerty From his entring into Religion to the end of his life he had neuer but one habitt and that all patched He went alwayes barefoot made his owne cell with earth and brāches of trees shunning all such superfluous celles as were more hansome commodiously built Comming one time to Assisium to visitt the sepulcher of S. Francis the Religious shewed him the Couent that was new built very great and sumptuous shewing him the great edifice of the Church and a faire structure of the altare that had three stages or stories of hight then the Cloister the refectory the dormitory and other places newly built for the commodity of the Religious who gloried in the accōplishment of so eminent a peece of worck Br. Giles very attentiuely considered all without vttering a word and hauing seene all he addressed himselfe to those that guided him saying Brethren here is no want vnto you but of women The Religious seeming to be much scandalized att those wordes Br. Giles replyed you should not wonder att what I haue sayd for you know well that it is no more lawfull for vs to dispense with pouerty then with chastity So that you hauing bid adieu to pouerty taking that for lawful which is directly against our rule I doe much admire you doe not dispense with your selues in the breach of this other article considering that both are vowes by you equally made vnto God There was a Religious that came one day full of ioy and contentmēt to Br. Giles sayd Father I bring you good newes This last night I saw a vision of hell and looking very curiously into it I could not see any of our Relligious Which Br. Giles vnderstanding he sighing sayd I belieue thee my child I belieue that you haue seene none and oftentimes reiterating the same wordes he was rauished in spiritt then retourning to himselfe he added belieue it for certaine my Child that there are some but thou sawest them not because thou diddest not discend low enough where they are tormēted wretched as they are for not hauing performed worckes conformable to their rule and habit for as holy Religious haue with the most perfect and glorious their residence in heauen so those which are bad haue their place with the most wicked in hell How much Br. Giles affected the purity of Chastity THE VII CHAPTER THis venerable Father continually afflicted his flesh keeping it subiect to the spiritt Which he did to conserue in his soule the splendour of chastity therfore he accustomed to eat but once a day and that litle and very late He would say that our flesh was like vnto a hogge that very greedily ran to the dirt and filth delighting himselfe therin or like the beetle that in all his life doth nothing but tumble and wallow himselfe in loathsome filthines He would also affirme our flesh to be the most valliant soldier that our ennemy hath against vs by which wordes and other like he demonstrated what an ennemy himselfe was to the peruerse inclinations of his senses and what a friend to Angelicall chastity Being one day in the citty of Spoletum he heard a voice as of a woman that called him this voice being of the deuill suggested into his heart such a temptation as he had neuer experienced a greater But as a valerous Champion of IESVS CHRIST he chased farre away his ennemy and remayned victorious first by cruell disciplining himselfe then by seruent prayer A Religious Priest being exceedingly afflicted and tormented by the deuill with a cruell temptation of the flesh and getting no remedy by abstinences and prayers he sayd with himselfe if I could see Br. Giles to discouer vnto him this mine affliction I am assured he would relieue met but he was so farre distant that there was no meane to come att him Br. Giles or his Angell for him appeared one night vnto him with whose presence the Religious being exceedingly comforted he opened vnto him all his temptation and demaunded of him some ayde and counsaile Br. Giles sayd vnto him come hither brother what would you doe to a dogge that would bite you The Religious answeared that he would cry att him and make him fly Br. Giles replyed doe the like to him that tempteth you and I will pray to God to assist and encourage you therin whervpon the Religious awaking he found himselfe fully comforted and deliuered of his trouble some temptation Other Religious were also in such sort molested with the like temptations that they became euen desperate and in tearmes to leaue the Order neuertheles they were deliuered by the wordes and prayers of Br. Giles A Religious came one time full of ioy and contentment vnto him vpon a victory gottē against a tēptation of the flesh◠for he had perceaued heard a woman come behinde him which caused him a very grieuous temptation and the neerer she came vnto him the more did his temptation encrease But she passing before him and he hauing attentiuely beheld her was freed of the temptation Br. Giles asked him if she were old or yong he answeared she was olde and deformed Br. Giles replyed that it was no great meruaile if the temptation presently ceassed and with all added know brother that you gott no victory but haue bin vanquished for the victory consisted in not beholding her att all when she past by you this is the securest remedy one can vse in the conflict of the flesh Therfore herein be very carefull hereafter for feare that in steed of an olde you behold a faire young woman which would cause the temptation with infamy to proceed further How Br. Giles went into Africa to preach to the Mores with intention there to suffer Martyrdome THE VIII CHAPTER THe yeare 1219. wherin the greatest generall chapter was held of the Frere Minors S. Francis deputing and disposing of all his Religious throughout all Christendome and euen among the infidels Africa fell to Br. Giles his lott whither he hastened with many his companions of one same spiritt And to that end they embarqued themselues with an Italian merchant and safely arriued att Tunes but the deuill by diuine pe mission preuented
such sort that this holy virgin began without her knowledge to be commended by her neighbours the true same of her secrett pious worckes so publishing themselues that in an instant they were exceedingly spred abroad and euery where diuulged How the virgin S. Clare had knowledge of the vertues of the holy Father S. Francis THE III. CHAPTER THis vertuous virgin Clare hearing the grat same of the admirable life of S. Francis that then renewed vnto the world the way of perfection in the same citty with a merueillous example of piety and vertue and considering that many gentlemen did follow him and that his life was already approued by our holy mother the Church she exceedingly desired to see and heare this worthy seruant of God therunto inspired by the soueraigne Father of spirittes to whome had already bin presented the first fruites of their deuotions though differently S. Francis hauing bin aduertised of this her desire and hauing heard the bruit of her vertues and holy affections desired also exceedingly to see her and to conferre with her with intention to frustrate the world of so noble and precious a pray to present her vnto our soueraigne Redeemer to serue him in some notable enterprise as preordayned of God to despoyle the great prince of the world Neither did his diuine Maiesty faile to open vnto them the meanes and to at taine therunto he inspired this vertuous woman to relye on a very honorable graue woman that gouerned her in her house as her mother And to the end this holy purpose might be sinisterly enterpreted of men and to hinder publicke murmure she went out of her Fathers house with this good womau and found out the holy Father by the feruour of whose pious discourses she was presently enflamed with diuine loue and moued by his holy actions which she admired as seeming vnto her more then humane And therfore she began very exquisitely to dispose her selfe to the effecting of the wordes of the holy seruant of God who hauing very louingly entertayned her began to preach vnto her the contempt of the world and by euident reasons to demonstrate vnto her that all the beauty of thinges present is but a vanity filled with false and deceipt full hopes Then he persuaded vnto her pure eares the honourable and amiable espousale of IESVS CHRIST and counsayled her to conserue that most precious pearles of virginall purity for that glorious Spouse who out of loue he bare to the world being God became man and would be borne of a virgin This holy Father sollicited this affaire and playd the procuratour as a Paranimph and Embassadour of the heauenly king The holy virgin on her side beginning already to tast the sweetnes of contemplation and the proofe of the eternal ioyes the world began to seeme vnto her vile and contemptible as indeed it is she as it were melting for the loue of her celestiall Spouse whome she already desired with all her hart Thencefoorth therfore she desprised precious stones iewels gold sumptuous apparell and all other worldly trash as filth and donge and abhorring the detestable delightes of the flesh she resolued intierly to dedicate her selfe a liuely temple to IESVS CHRIST and to take him for the only Spouse of her body and soule and so submitting her selfe totally to the counsailes of the glorious Father S. Francis him next after our Lord she tooke for guid and directour of her life How S. Francis drew the virgin S. Clare out of the world and made her Religious THE IV. CHAPTER ANd to the end the most cleare Mirrour of her soule might not be stayned and blemished with the dust of this world and that the contagious seculer life did not corrupt her innocencie the holy Father prudētly endeauoured to sequester this virgin from worldly people And the solemnity of palme-sunday approching the holy espouse of IESVS CHRIST wit a great feruour of spiritt repayred to this man of God and most instantly demaunded of him when and how she should make her retyre from the world Whervpon the holy Father S. Francis ordayned that one the day of the sayd feast she should goe to the procession of palmes with the people decked and adorned the most richly and gorgiously that she could procure and the night following goeing out of the citty and withall out of all conuersation of the world she should change seculer pleasures into lamentations of the passion of our Lord. Palme-sunday being come the glorious S. Clare went in the cōpany of her mother and other ladies to the great Church where there happened a matter worthy to be recorded as not done without the prouidēce of the diuine goodnes Which was that all the other ladyes goeing as is the custome of Italie to take holy palme and S. Clare out of a virginall bashfulnes remayning alone without mouing out of her place the Bishop descended the steppes of his seat and putt into her hand a branch of palme The night approching she began to prepare her selfe for effecting the commandement of the holy Father and to make a glorious flight and honorable retyre frō the world in honest company But it seeming to to her impossible to goe foorth att the ordinary and chieffest dore of the house she bethought her selfe to take the benefitt of a back dore which though it were damned vp with grosse stones and mighty blockes she with an admirable courage a force rather of a strong man then a tēder yong woman her selfe brake open Thus then leauing her fathers house her citty kinred and friendes she with extraordinary speed arriued att the Church of our lady of Angels where the Religious that in the house of God were employed in pious watchinges receaued with burning wax lightes in their handes this holy virgin that sought her Spouse and Redeemer IESVS CHRIST with a lampe not extinct and empty but filled with diuine loue And incontinently in the selfe same hour and place hauing left and abandonned the immondicities of Babilō she gaue the world the ticket of defiance and repudiation before the altar of the soueraine Queene of Angels where the glorious Father sainct Francis inspired of God and neglecting all other worldly respect cutt off her haire then he cloathed her with a poore habitt of the Order reiecting the iewels and gorgious attire which she brought to be giuen to the poore of IESVS CHRIST It had not bin in deed conuenient that the new Order of florishing virginity towardes the end of the world should otherwhere begin then in the Angelicall Pallace of that most emminent lady who before had alone bin a mother and Virgin and consequently more worthy then all others In the very same place had the noble cheualrie of the poore of IESVS CHRIST the Frere Minors their beginning vnder the valerous Captaine sainct Francis to the end it might euidently appeare that the mother of God in this her habitation ingendred and produced the one and the other Religion And so as this new
humility and most feruent prayers that you can possible demaund of him the deliuery of your citty It cannot be expressed with what feruour and teares these deuout virgins incessantly offerred their prayers and teares vnto God one entier day and one night demaunding mercy in behalfe of the said citty besieged by their ennemies These prayers and teares were of such force and vertue that the omnipotent in bounty and mercy had compassion of them and from the day following sent them his puissant assistance in such sort that the ennemies camp was defeited the Capitaine constrained shamefully and in despight of his forces without sound of trompett to raise his siege for he fled without euer after troubling the Assisians being shortly after slaine Of the reuerence and deuotion which S. Clare had to the most B. Sacrament and of the vertue of her prayers against the Deuils THE XV. CHAPTER THe deuotion of S. Clare towardes the most precious Sacrament of the Altare was such that she made it apparent in many of her actions for though she were most grieuously sick in her bed yet would she so dispose her selfe therin and be so propped and stayed vp that she might conueniently spinne an exercise which she exceedingly affected and wherin she desirously employed her selfe and did it delicately and with the threed of her labour she caused to be wouen very curious and fine cloth which she employed in furniture for the chalice She one time got made 50. corporals which she sent in cases of silke to many Churches of the valley of Spoletun When she was to receaue the most sacred SacrameÌ„t before she presented her selfe therunto she was alwayes bathed in teares and so with exceeding feare approaching she did reuerence him that was hidden in the Sacrament as acknowledging him to be the same that gouerneth heauen and earth Therfore did the deuils so much feare the prayer of the espouse of IESVS CHRIST S. Clare as they haue sundry times declared A very deuout woman of the bishoprick of Pisa came to the monastery of S. Damian to thanck God his seruant S. Clare for hauing bin by her merittes deliuered of fiue deuils that possessed her which in goeing out of her body confessed that the prayer of S. Clare did burne them and to their great confusion expelled them out of the humane bodies which they possessed Of a merueillous consolation which S. Clare receaued on the feast of the most holy Natiuity THE XVI CHAPTER AS the glorious S. Clare was alwayes in her sicknesse with a liuely memory mindfull of her beloued IESVS so was she correspondently visited by him in her necessities As once in the night of the Natiuity when the world and Angels did so solemnly feast for the birth of our Redeemer all the Religious went to the quier to Matines and left their holy Mother accompanied only with her grieuous infirmity wherfore hauing begun to meditate on the great mistery of that night and lamenting exceedingly that she could not assist att the diuine seruice she sighing sayd O my God thou seest how I remayne here alone and ending this she began to heare the Mattins that were sung in the Church of S. Francis in Assisium very distinctly vnderstanding the voice of the Religious and the very sound of the Organes yet was she not so neere the said Church as she might humanly heare what was song there but it must necessarily be concluded that this was miraculously don in one of these two sortes either that the singing of the said Religious was by the will of God carryed to S. Clare or her hearing was extended extraordinarily and by speciall grace of God euen to our Lady of Angels neere vnto Assisium But this S. was further fauoured by a diuine reuelation which exceedingly comforted and reioyced her for she was by almighty God esteemed worthy to see in spirit his holy cribbe The morning following her Religious comming to see her she sayd Deere sisters blessed be our Lord IESVS CHRIST that it hath pleased him not to leaue me alone as you haue don but know that by the grace of his diuine Maiesty I haue heard all the solemnity and all the seruice that this night hath bin performed in the Church of our holy Father S. Francis Of the spirituall doctrine wherwith S. Clare nourced and eleuated her daughters THE XVII CHAPTER THe virgin S. Clare acknowledged that she was committed to the Pallace of the great king for gouernesse and Mistâ—esle of his deere espouses therfore did she teach them a sublime doctrine and did comfort and assist them with such loue and pitty as with wordes cannot be expressed First she taught them to cleare their soules of all rumours of the world that they might the more freely attaine to the high secrettes of God She also taught them to haue no affection to their carnall kinred and entierly to forgett their owne house the better to please IESVS CHRIST She admonished them also to surmount and misprise the necessities of the body and to gett a habitt of repressing the deceiptes and appetites of the flesh by the bridle of reason She likewise taught them that the subtill ennemy armed with malice continually addresseâ—h his hidden snares to surprise the pure soules and that he tempteth the pious in other sort then worldlinges Finally she would haue them so employed in handy labour for certaine houres that they might afterward be more promptly prepared to the desire of their Creatour by the exercise of prayer which after their labour they should vndertake not leauing for such paine the fire of holy loue but rather by it expelling the tepedity of deuotion alredy purchaced There was neuer seene a stâ—â—cter obseruation of silence then among them nor a greater forme and example of vertue Neuer was there seene don in this holy house one act of vanity neither by word nor signes nor was there discouered by any vaine discourse any desire of lightnes so much were they mortified Their holy mistresse gaue good example by wordes and by her pious briefe documentes she taught her duciples feruent desires admonishing them to possesse and conserue them vnder the keyes and custody of strict silence By meane of deuouâ— Preachers she procured to her daughters the holy word of God wherof her owne was not the least part she being filled with contentment and ioy when she heard the word of God preached would with such deuotion and consolation reioyce in the memory of her sweetest Spouse IESVS CHRIST that one time hearing the sermon of Brother Philipp de Adria a most famous preacher there was seene before this holy virgin a most beautifull child which there remayned during almost all the sermon comforting her with his ioyfull delectations of which apparition she receaued such a sweetnes and delight as she could no way explicate Albeit this most prudent virgin had neuer studyed yet did she much delight to heare a learned man preach well knowing that vnder the wordes of science lay
mouth to answeare her there issued out of the fournise of his enflamed hart infinite sparckes of such sublime wordes that this holy virgin receaued therof much consolation Finally turning her Angelicall face towards her deere and beloued daughters and sisters there present bitterly weeping she recommended vnto them the pouerty of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST in this her last passadge praysing and thancking God for the infinite benefittes which they had receaued of his diuine Maiesty which she particulerly recounted vnto them then she gaue them all her benediction also to all the Religious of her Monastery present absent and to all those that should enter into her Order There were present two companions of saint Frācis Br. Angelus who though much afflicted did yet comfort the others and the right simple Br. Leo who ceased not to kisse the bed of the holy virgin that was leuing the world who was lamēted of her daughters because they wer left orphanes were no more in this life to see their most holy mother and therfore they accōpanyed her soule vnto heauen with abōdance of teares without power to admit any other consolation then to desire to goe with her wherwith being so afflicted they could not without difficulty forbeare with their nailes to rent their faces but it not being permitted them to dischardge thēselues of such greife exteriourly it did enflame in them a more burning fire within For those espouses of IESVS CHRIST were sufficiently morified by the rigour of Religion albeit the force of greife did constraine thē to cast forth loud cryes and sighes and to power out riuers of teares The holy virgin att lenght being turned towardes thē begā very sweetly to say vnto her soule goe my soule goe sorth securely thou hast an assured guide to performe this voyage for he that is they Creatour hath sanctified thee hath alwayes conserued thee affecting thee with a tender loue equall with that of a mother towardes her child And thou my God be praysed for hauing created me A Religious sister asking her what she meant therby she answeared I speake to my blessed soule Her most glorious Spouse IESVS CHRIST was not far from her attended for her Thē tourning to one of her Religious she sayd Doe you not see my daughter the king of glory whome I see Almighty God also layd his hand on an other Religious who saw with her corporall eyes thorough the teares that distilled from them a glorious vision she being pearced thorough with the dart of sorrow cast her eyes towardes the gate of the house and saw enter a great procession of virgins richly cloathed in white hauing each one a croune of gold on their head but one of them appeared more beautifull sumptuous and glittering thē the rest For she had on her head an imperiall crowne garnished with precious stones out of whose countenāce proceeded a light so shining that it cōuerted the obscurity of the night into cleare and bright day It was with out doubt the glorious Virgin Mary Queen of virgins who came to the bed of the espouse of her sonne to whome enclining she graciously embraced her and incontinently she was couered and the bed also by the other virgins with an extreme sumptuous mantell So the day following which was the eleuenth of August this holy soule ascended to heauen there to be crowned with perpetuall glory Happy was her departure out of this miserable life sith it was her entry into that of eternall felicitie For the fastes which this S. performed in this exile she is now ioyfull and had her fill att the magnificall table of the cittizens of heauē and for the humility and basenesse of her habite she is now gloriously attired with the glory of Paradise The continuall sighes and desires which she had for the presence and loue of her deerly beloued Spouse are accomplished by the blessed vision of God face to face and by the assured fruition of the soueraigne good leauing the way open to the example of sanctity that we blinded and miserable mortall creatures reiecting these short false and deceiptfull pleasures of this world may purchase the permanent true and assured that indure eternally Of the honorable obsequies that were performed for S. Clare THE XXVII CHAPTER WHiles the soule of S. Clare departed this life the report of her deceasse was incontinently diuulged through Assisium whence both men and women in such abondance speedily flocked to the Monastery that none seemed to be left in the citty Each one presently esteemed her a sainct and called her the espouse of IESVS CHRIST accompayning their discourses with great abondance of teares of deuotion The officers of iustice repayred thither accompanyed with many warlike Champions and a great nomber of armed men which that night guarded the monastery for feare that precious treasure might be bereaued them The night following the Pope with all his Court came thither accompayned by all the neighbour people The Religious men of S. Damiā being ready to begin the office of the dead the Pope would haue to be sayd the office of the holy virgins wherin he would haue canonized her before her buryall But the Cardinall of Hostia hauing demonstrated vnto him that it was fitt in this affaire to proceed with more humane prudence the Pope permitted the sayd Religious solemnly to proceed in the office of the dead according to the custome The said Cardinall hauing taken for his text Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas made a very worthy and deuout sermon to manifest the vanity of thinges appertayning only to this world where he exceedingly exalted that most eminent Contemptrice of vanityes which ended all the Cardinals and other Prelates accompanied this holy body with an exemplar deuotion All the funeralles being very solemnly accomplished the cittizens of Assisium thincking it not secure that this precious treasure should remayne so farre out of their citty they caused this holy body with exceeding great pomp to be transported singing psalmes and hymnes with the sound melody of diuers musicall instrumentes and in a very solemne procession they carryed it into the Church of sainct George within their citty where the body of sainct Francis had formerly bin reposed And it was very reasonnable that he who in his life had giuen a patterne of the way of life vnto this holy virgin should as is were prophetically prepare her a place of sepulture There was then a great repaire and confluence of people frō diuers citties townes and villages vnto Assisium to thanck IESVS CHRIST and to pray vnto this blessed creature proclayming this virgin to be really a sainct and glorious who now liueth in Paradise with the Angels hauing bin already so much honoured of men on earth O blessed virgin pray now to God for vs and gaine our soules to IESVS CHRIST in heauen as thou hast conuerted and gayned so many liuing on earth The holy virgin passed this transitory life to the other of rest the yeare
till euensong she felt her selfe freed from the deuils that possessed her this was done on the feast of S. Francis The kinred of this deliuered woman offered an image of waxe weighing two poundes to the sepulchre of the sainct in acknowledgement of the grace and fauoure receaued A man of Perusia with a continuall feiuer had in his body an impostume wherof the Phisitions gaue their iudgement he would in short time end his dayes Wherfore a woman called Celiola admonished him to recommend himselfe to sainte Agnes and to vow the visiting of her sepulchre Which hauing done and his prayers ended his infirmity ended withall being cured both of the one and the other disease for which not being vngratefull he visited the said sepulchre and euery where preached the prayâ—es of the holy virgin giuing thanckes to almighty God for such a fauour A Religious of the Monostery of saincte Clare in Assisium had lost the sight of one eye and was in danger to loose the other But finding that no humane application did auayle her she recommended her selfe to saincte Agnes and the other Religious of her Monastery also prayed for her who as she one time prayed in the Church saw a woman that came to her and said Sister open your eye for your sight is recouered and so opening her eyes she clearly saw but she could no more see the woman that spake vnto her only she was assured that it was sainte Agnes to whome she had hartely recommended her selfe Vitula the wife of Matthew du Loup att sainct Francis gate in Assisium had a sonne called Martin that had a deep soare in his throat and an other in his shoulder both mortall whence issued such an offensiue sauour that it was not possible to come neere him Att length after many remedyes had in vaine bin tryed his mother recommended him to sainte Agnes to whome hauing with a deuout hart offered her prayers the S. one night appeared vnto her richly attyred with a diademe of gold on her head and a branch of lilly in her right hand and sayd vnto her My daughter disquiett not thy selfe for they soÌ„ne for he shal be cured and deliuered from perill Which this woman hauing heard she arose full of comfort and went to the Monastery of S. Clare and recounted this apparition to the Abbesse and the Religious then she heard masse which being ended the Religious shewed to the mother and the sonne the sacred Reliques of the saint and at the instant the sonne was cured of the impostume in his throat only After that S. Agnes appeared to him in vision together with an other womaÌ„ that brought a viol full of oyntment S. Agnes then sayd to the child My sonne how doe you wherto he answeared I am by the merittes of S. Agnes cured of the impostume in my throat but that which is on my shoulder procureth me extreme affliction The S. replyed I will cure this as I did the other in thy throat then she vnbound the sayd impostume tooke of the plaister and cast it on the ground then applyed therto the oyntment which her companion had brought and instantly the child was perfectly cured When his mother came to see him she found the playsters on the ground and her sonne sound and lusty who particulerly recounted vnto her the sayd vision which afterward was generally diuulged This happened in the yeare 1350. The life of an other saincte Agnes who was daughter to the king of Bohemia and Religious of S. Clares Order THE XL. CHAPTER IN the beginning of this Religiious Order there was an other virgin besides the precedent called Agnes as illustrious in sanctity as in bloud for she was daughter to a king of Bohemia who promised her in mariage to the Emperour Federick and this holy virgin hauing heard the worthy reputation of S. Clare who then liued by such as â—ame from Rome and Assisium being inspired of God she besought the king her Father to giue her leaue to â—erue rather the celestiall then a terrestâ—iall Spouse But the king knowing that he could not recall his word and that whatsoeuer excuse he should alleadge to breake this mariage the Emperour would sinisterly interpret it he vtterly denyed her Now the virgin hauing found the drift and cause of this denyall assured her Father that if he would accord to what she demaunded she would vndertake that the Emperour should condiscend thervnto presuming confidently on the fauour of IESVS CHRIST She knew well to deliuer many other allegations with so good a grace and with such persuasiue tearmes that she purchaced her Fathers coÌ„sent to what she desâ—ed without further seeking the approbation of the Emperour Whervpon this Princesse presently sent for certaine Frere Minors of Magnes where they had a Couent who comming to her did shortly after consecrate vnto God this royall planâ— with many other gentlewomen of a great families of Bohemia to whome they gaue the habitt of Religion instructing theÌ„ in the life and rule of S. Clare The king desiring to assigne a good pensioÌ„ and to bestow on the Monastery where his daughter was a good reuenue to supply the necessities therof she formally withstood him purposing to liue and dye poore and to be maintayned by almose coÌ„formably to her rule rigourously obseruing the intention of the holy Father saint FraÌ„cis S. Clare in the vow of pouerty which is yet to this day in the same maÌ„ner obserued in the sayd monastery which is in Prague the chiefe citty of the kingdome of Bohemia with froÌ„ this first foundation layd by this holy Princesse hath alwayes bin furnished with gentlewomen Now the Emperour hauing vnderstood that his promised loue had abandoÌ„ned the world he was att the first appreheÌ„sion exceedingly troubled But considering with more maturity that she had not forsaken him to take an other man but for IESVS CHRIST himselfe he was att lenght satisfyed contented and comforted S. Clare being aduertised of all that this Princesse had done and of her life and perfection who also had written and expresly sent a messenger to acknowledge obedieÌ„ce vnto her as to her Mother and mistresse auouching her selfe her humble disciple S. Clare answeared her by a letter filled with much feruour and consolation and sent her in token of amitye and good will a girdle a vayle a cupp of wood and a dish wherin the S. her selfe accustomed to eat and many like small thinges which the holy Princesse with great deuotion accepted Our Lord wrought many miracles by the â—aid Reliques which euer afterward were kept in the sayd Monastery in very great deuotion and reuerence The renowne of this Princesse being diuulged ouer al Almania there were founded many monasteries of poore Religious in her imitation which were filled with many daughters of Princes Dukes Earles and other great Lordes and gentlemen of that contry who in imitation of saincte Clare and the sayd Princesse Agnes abandonning the world and the follyes therof espoused for eternity IESVS
diuine office in time of interdiction you doe admitt and receaue them also in to the Church in the sayd time of interdiction prouided alwayes that they be not cause of the sayd interdiction the which office neuertheles shall not be sayd but after expelling the interdicted and excommunicated out of the Church the dores being shutt and no ringing of belles and that you also admitt them to the Ecclesiasticall sacraments and to buriall in Churches or church yardes Giuen at Perusia the 2. of August and third yeare of our Popedome An other Briese of the said Pope Gregory the ninth in fauour of the Freres Penitents THE IV. CHAPTER GRegory Bishop to the Archibishoppes and Bishops of Italy It doth too manistly appeare how the clemencie of God is abused by such as hinder or delay those who withall their hart desire and seeke to serue IESVS CHRIST in conuerting themselues vnto him And yet no man doubteth but they are accursed of God that spread their ambushes against the sayd seruants â—o make them stumble disturbing them by diuerse persecutions as imitators of Pharo who hauing his harte obdurate neuer permitted the people of God to depart out of Egipt but by force of chasticement and being departed did not omitt to persecute them by tyranies and crueltyes till himselfe and all his were submerged by the diuine right hand leauing to all an example that his like deserue the like punishment you therfore must vnderstand that being come to the knowledge of Pope Honorius the third our predecessour of blessed memory that some in your quarters very prudently considering their end resolued to doe penance in their owne howses or other where and desirous more purely to approch vnto almighty God they abandon the vanities of this world and doe impose on their miserable flesh the true daughter of Babilon so much paine and affliction as it would impose on their soules the true daughters of God that by this meane the fault and punishment which they haue merited may by his diuine Maiesty the more easily be remitted But the Gouerners and Magistrates of the Citties and townes where they resided not considering that they who really serue God doe not entangle themselues with affaires and businesse of this world wherwith the Espouse will not foule or defile the feet she hath so well washed with the teares of penance doe on the coÌ„trary enforce them to sweare to follow and accommodate themselues to the warres constraying them to accept and vndertake publike offices yea they who the more commodiously to serue God were retyred into obscure places in villages and hermitages haue bin by them enforced to retourne to the citty then haue they imposed on them new the greatest chardges taking pleasure to affront and afflict those whome they ought more to honour and cherish as the friendes of God Wherfore our office of Pastor being to fauour such as by such resolutions lanctity of life become the friendes of God after the example of our sayd predecessour of blessed memory we by this Apostolicall Bâ—iefe doe command your fraternities not to permitt the sayd Penitents-besides domestical affaires to be without reason molested in al the afforesayd thinges and other like wherein their holy purposes may be hindered and that you restraine their persecutors by Ecclesiasticall censure notwithstanding whatsoeuer oppositions or appeales Of an other Briefe of Pope Innocent the fourth THE V. CHAPTER INnocent Bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to our welbeloued children the Generall and Prouinciall Ministers of the Frere Minors of Italy and the kingdome of Sicily health and Apostolicall benediction We with a benigne fauour doe assist all such as being deuoutly coÌ„uerted vnto God produce in his Church fruites worthy of penance to deserue att the handes of God an eternall recompence The Confraternities called the third Order of S. Francis being very remarckable among them through Italy and the I le of Sicilie we condescending to their iust petitions doe by aucthority of these presents command your prudence to appoint vnto them in time conuenient Religious of your Order of capacity to be visitors who instructing them in matters fitt for them to doe shall correct and reforme them as cause shall require and shall chastice the transgressours and restraine them by Ecclesiasticall ceÌ„sures Notwithstanding whatsoeuer appeales c. Giuen att Lions the fift of August and fift yeare of our Popedome Of the authenticall institution of the first rule and forme of life of the Brethren Penitents of the third Order of S. Francis ordayned by Pope Nicolas the 4. inserted with the said rule THE VI. CHAPTER NIcolas Bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to our welbeloued children in our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST the Brethren sisters of the Order of Penitents present and to come health and Apostolicall benediction The firme fouÌ„dation of Christian ReligioÌ„ being already grounded built on the Mount of the Catholick Faith the pure deuotion of the disciples of IESVS CHRIST boyling with the fire of charity and by the word preached to them that liue in darcknesse this faith is that which the Romane Church holdeth and professeth the foundation wherof cannot shake for whatsoeuer tribulation that may assault it nor fall whatsoeuer violent tempest beat against it because it is the true and right faith without which none can be gratefull to God nor find grace with his diuine Maiesty It is the the same also that sheweth the way of saluation and that promiseth the recompenses and coÌ„tentments of eternall beatitude And therfore the Confessour of IESVS CHRIST S. Francis institutor of this Order teaching by word and example the meane to mount vnto heauen denounced and preached the sincerity of this faith to his children and instituted this Order willing them accordingly to make profession of the Catholike Faith to the end that they who faithfully obserue the same walking securely in the way of vertue may meritt to be made possessors of the eternall glory after the prison of this present life Of the meane to examine them that will enter into the said Order THE FIRST CHAPTER ANd for so much as we are willing to assist this Order with coÌ„uenient fauour desiting the augmentatation therof we ordaine that all those who are to be receaued to the obseruation of this forme of life shal be formerly withall dilligence examined touching the Catholike faith to see if they firmely confesse the sayd faith and obedience to the sayd Church theÌ„ theymay be securely admitted vnto the Order But especially dilligent care must be had that no heretike or suspected of heresie and noted with infamy be admitted to this forme of life And if any should be receaued being knowne for such lett him be presently discouered to the Inquisitor that he may be punished and corrected In what manner they ought to be receaued who desire to enter into the sayd Order THE II. CHAPTER WHen any one shall present himselfe to be admitted into this company the superiour Ministers
the erection of a worthy confraternitie THE XXXVII CHAPTER THe Couent of the citty of Mans is one of the most ample and ancient of the Order there commonly resyding forty Religious or more from the time that the blessed Electus one of the companions of sainct Francis there layd the foundation about the yeare 1215. A deuout and ample confratetnity perhaps the most ancient of Christendome was erected and is honorably continued in that Couent vpon this occasion A venerable and very simple Religious celebrating masse a spider of lothsome greatnes casually or to speake more Christianly by diuine prouidence fell after consecration into the sacred chalice The deuout Religious att first apprehēsion was much perplexed how to behaue himselfe in the holy cōmunion were it that the directiōs how to behaue himselfe in the holy cōmunion were it that the directiōs how to proceed in such accidents were not then recorded in the Missall Rubriques as they are now or that he did not then reflect on them for more ample manifestation of the glory of God he finally resolued vpon that excellēt promise of our Lord If they who beleeue in me as they ought drink any mortiferous poyson they shall receaue no detriment thereby so cōming to the sacred communion of the precious bloud of our lord he in one draught refected himselfe both with poyson and the medicament of death and of life so that euen in this point might be accomplished that which the Church singeth att the resurrection of our Lord Mors vita duello conflixere mirando and as here Dux vitae mortuus regnat viuus so then did he graunt that effect to this same precious bloud that it expelled the poyson and without paine the venemous spider passed through the Priest a litle after when the other Religious of the Couent and certaine deuout seculer persons there present thought no otherwise of the Celebratour hauing by his relation vnderstood what had happened then those of Malto conceated of the biting of S. Paul by the viper Almighty God here renuyng that ancient miracle sauing that this appeareth greater by the difference of an exteriour byting of a viper and the interiour operation of a spider no lesse venemous The people of Mans that were euer very religious did by this miracle so augment their deuotion vnto the B. Sacrament of the Altare that att the same time was erected a Confraternity of innumerable persons of all qualities which is most deuoutly entertayned in that Couent hath bin since imitated in diuers other Citties and townes of the kingdome of France to the glory of God the augmentation of his seruice and the benefitt of Christian people The end of the first part of the Chronicles of the Frere Minors A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS CONTAYNED IN THIS FIRST Tome of the Chronicle histoire of the Order of Saint Francis ALMES SAint Fra. asked a beggar forgiuenes pag. 3. He put off his owne cloathes to cloath one ragged p. 5. He selleth his Fathers marchandise to repaire S. Damians Church p. 9. At Rome he put off his owne cloathes to cloathe a beggar p. 15 S. Fran. giueth Br. Giles his cloake in an almes p. 22 He gaue away his owne cloake and his companions in the depth of winted p. 92 Diuers other like actes of charitie p. 93. 94. 95 S. Anthonie of Padua The life of S. Antonie p. 56. c. Angelus The life of Br. Angelus p. 530. Ambrose The life of Br. Ambrose p. 534 Agnes The life of S. Agnes sister to S. Clare p. 630. 684. The life of sainte Agnes daughter to the king of Bohemia p. 692 Creatures The loue and compassion which Saint Franc. had of vnreasonable creatures p. 182 He redeemed a sheepe from amongst goates ibid. He gaue his cloake to saue the life of two lambes p. 183. He cursed a sow for eating a lambe ibid. The entertainment of S. Fran. by birdes on the mount Aluerne p. 288. A flock of sheepe honor him p. 290 How obedient a sheepe was to him ibid. A Sheepe and a lambe shew a will to honor God p. 291 A Leueret a Conny and a Fish became tame vnto him ibid. Of many other miracles like to the precedent p. 292. 293 Of the loue S. Franc. boare to all creatures p. 296 Of Antes or Emmots p. 300 Of the fauours which God bestoweth on fishes p. 477 Churches Three Churches repayred by S. Franc. p. 16. 17 Crosse or Crucifix A Crucifix speaketh vnto S. Francis p. 7. A Crucifix speaketh vnto him in the Church of S. Damian p. 9 A vision of the Crosse to Br. Siluester before he was religious p. 53 S. Fran. cured a priest by the signe of the Crosse p. 199 A Crucifix walketh with him p. 240 He multitude bread by the signe of the Crosse p. 252 He tamed a wild wolfe therby p. 293 He conuerted therby water in wine p. 317 Many miracles wrought by S. Francis by the signe of the Crosse p. 424 S. Anthonie cured a criple by the signe of the Crosse p. 481. 482 Br. Leo with the signe of the Crosse cured an Apostume p. 519 Many miracles wrought by Br. Christopher by the signe of the Crosse p. 553. 554 The virtu of the signe of the Crosse p. 588 Of many miracles wrought by sainte Clare by the signe of the Crosse p. 663. 664. c. Contempt of the world S. Francis stripped himselfe starck naked to render his cloathes to his Father p. 12 Of the contempt of the world p. 602 Chastitie Saint Franc. would not that his Brethren should behould women p. 68. 69 How Br. Gyles affected chastitie p. 571 Of Chastitie p. 603 Christmas How saint Francis once celebrated the feaste of Christs Natiuitie p. 168 Of the consolation which sainte Clare receaued on the feast of Christs Natiuitie p. 643. Christopher The life of Br. Chistopher p. 55◠Clare The life of S. Clare p. 623 Deuills Saint Francis commandeth the diuels p. 103 The diuels hould a chapter against the order of S. Franc. p. 119 The diuell entreth into his pillow p. 129 How he confounded them p. 132 How he assisted his Religious from choaking by the diuell p. 135 The diuell tempted him to make him leaue prayer p. 214 An assemblie of diuells against his order p. 281 The diuell endeuoureth to kill him p. 289 Diuers thinges discouered by S. Anthonie of the diuell p. 465. c. How Bro. Iuniperus was feared of the diuell p. 544 How Brother Gyles defended himselfe against the diuell p. 588 Of one who had made a conuention to serue the diuell p. 736 Extasies Saint Francis eating with sainte Clare both were rapt in extasie p. 277 The extaticall contemplation of Br◠Quintauall p. 507 The admirable extasies of Br. Gyles p. 576. 580 The extasies of sainte Clare pag. 661 An extasie of Sainte Agnes pag. 686 Elizabeth The life of Sainte Elizabeth daughter to the kinge of IIungarie p. 710 Elzearius The life of Brother